JoJo Publishing
As of 2015 has permanently closed.


For a number of years this was the website for JoJo Publishing which as of 2015 has permanently closed.
Content is  mostly from the site's 2009 archived pages as well as other outside news sources reporting on the liquidation of the publisher.

 

Publishing National and International Award-Winning Books that 'Make a Difference'

 

Book publisher collapses into liquidation, an estimated 50 authors owed money

ELOISE KEATING / Wednesday, October 7, 2015 | www.smartcompany.com.au/

A Melbourne-based book publisher that has been accused of duping its authors has been placed in voluntary liquidation.

JoJo Publishing has published books by more than 250 authors since it was founded in 2002. The business charges some authors a fee to publish their books, which is a different model to traditional book publishing and sometimes referred to as “vanity” publishing. However, the liquidators of the business estimate more than 50 authors may now be owed money.

JoJo Publishing entered liquidation on September 28, with Stephen Dixon and Ahmed Bise of Grant Thornton appointed to manage the liquidation of Classic Author and Publishing Services, which traded under the name Classic-Jojo. Also under administration is the related entity Publishers Consortium Pty Ltd, which traded under the name JoJo Publishing. Dixon confirmed to SmartCompany this morning the companies have ceased trading.

The JoJo Publishing website is also offline.

Dixon says the liquidators are still investigating the financial position of the two companies, including how much money is owed to creditors. “That’s the difficult thing because there is the author element to it,” he says. “We estimate there could in excess of 50 authors, we are still trying to establish the amount.” Dixon describes the business as a “fairly small operation”, with the companies employing two employees, plus the company director, Barry Dorr.

In September, an investigation by the ABC Radio National program Background Briefing aired allegations from more than 30 authors who said they were deceived after having invested between $9000 and $35,000 of their own money to having books published. The group of authors is reportedly considering legal action against JoJo Publishing. Responding to the claims made in the ABC report, Dorr said in a statement his publishing business has had “only a few authors” who have been upset over the past two years. “Our approach to publishing is fully transparent and discussed at length with new authors and well documented,” Dorr said. “Due to risk factors, not all authors can fit into the model of receiving an advance and royalties – although many have this arrangement with us. These authors, who would not find publishers elsewhere, may enter into a business arrangement where they make a capital investment and share in the profits.”

“Our publishing venture has provided authors with the opportunity to have their books published, distributed and marketed in ways they would not have otherwise had. If they have a business arrangement with us and make a loss, then we make a loss too.”

According to Books+Publishing, the JoJo Publishing’s creditors include several book distributors, as well as authors. One contractor told Books+Publishing they are owed more than $5000 for work completed for JoJo, while author Linda Maree Malcolm said in a blog post she was scheduled to attend a Small Business Commission mediation hearing with the business prior to the appointment of liquidators.

Malcolm, the author of Oracle in the Mist, said the commission was seeking to recover $44,000 from the business on her behalf, although she said that amount “is not anywhere near what they owe me”. “I am now being instructed that I am to attend a ‘creditor’s meeting’ where I may be informed that I will receive a small percentage of what they owe me but I realise this is highly unlikely,” Malcolm wrote.

The next meeting of the companies’ creditors is scheduled to be held in Melbourne on October 13. SmartCompany contacted JoJo Publishing director Barry Dorr but did not receive a response prior to publication.
* This story was updated at 2.35pm on Wednesday to clarify that the amount being sought from the publisher for author Linda Maree Malcolm was determined by the Small Business Council and not the author.

 

WELCOME TO JOJO PUBLISHING

2203/80 Lorimer Street - Docklands - Melbourne - VIC 3008 - AUSTRALIA
P: 61 3 9681 7275 | F: 61 3 9681 7476 | M:  61 438 119 916 

With a strong background in educational books since 1977, we have over the years diversified into:

  • Leadership
  • Self-Hypnosis programs
  • Art Books
  • Self-Help
  • Spirit, Mind & Body
  • Journals
  • Well-being products
  • Children's Stories & Picture Stories
  • Biographies
  • Cooking
  • Reference books
  • Leadership dvBook programs
  • Fiction
  • Non-Fiction
  • Travel
  • Training Group Therapy Programs

We have a large and compelling program scheduled for 2008-2009 that will expand the genre we already cover, and we look forward to announcing some very exciting and different creations throughout next year!

We encourage genuine new Australian authors and whenever possible offer guidance to them. 

 Working with a wonderful creative team who have a passion for bringing out the best product possible, ensures we all are involved throughout the whole journey, up  the release of each product ~  and everyone is proud of their involvement. 

Every author has the opportunity of working hand-in-hand with our team, if they choose, to ensure that no part of their original dream changes. We work collectively as a team and that's why our books and products are uniquely 'special'.

Our philosophy is to ensure we include publications in our program that 'make a difference'.  We create opportunities to help get the good stuff out to the masses that will offer education, support, inspiration, motivation, and emotional development.

We endeavour to create a starting block for genuine new authors with something authentic to say, providing information and awareness of other services that might be of assistance in helping them realise their dream.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SOME OF THE BOOKS  FROM 2009

 

New release!
Good GREEK Girls Don't...
Author: Georgia Tsialtas
$24.99 Softcover

Good GREEK Girls Don't...
...spend every weekend partying until dawn
...have sex before marriage, and never for  any purpose other than reproduction
...stay single past the age of twenty-five
...leave home until they're married or dead
Is Desi Delagiannis a Good Greek Girl or a Bad Greek Girl?  She hasn't lefto home yet - GOOD; she's twenty-eight years old and still single - VERY BAD!  With a failed relationship behind her and a family who drive her crazy, Desi survives the pressure of being a Good Greek Girl the only way she knos how - by drinking, partying and avoiding her family at all costs.

Then the unthinkable happens - Desi finds herself caught in the life that her mother always wanted for her.  She can't seem to escape, and worse yet, she doesn't want to.  But can the course of true love run smoothly?  Not likely, when Desi is a neurotic drama queen caught between her own fears and her family's desires!

(open chapter one)

'No'!'  I yell emphatically. 'I am NOT changing my clothes, Ma!' For God's sake, twenty-eight years old and my mother is still trying to tell me what to wear.  I don't think so.
'Despina, we are going to wedding, not one them damn bars you love.  You not going to embarrass me in front of everyone.  Change now!'
That's my mother for you, always worried about what everyone else will say, always worried about being embarrassed in front of the relatives and the people that, thankfully, I only have to see when there is a wedding, funeral, baptism or name day that I can't get out of.  And just my luck, being Greek, these events come around with great regularity.
'Ma, relax, okay?  It's not like anyone is going to be looking at me.'  Jeez.
'Despina, you no come with your father and me looking like tsoula'.  Heaven forbid I should look attractive.  In the eyes of the Greek community attractive is considered slutty.  They'd all be talking about what a shoking job my mother did in raising me and what a disappointment I was to the family.
It seems to me that my mother and I have this arguement every time there is one of these family do's that I can't escape from...

CHAPTER 24:

'
Alright, Ef.  What's up?'  My sister does not summon me to her place very often, especially given that she's always at my place.  My sister's mind isn't on me at the moment either.  She's making me nervous.  She's like a bloody yoyo.  Up and down, up and down.  She's making me dizzy.  Although I have to admit, ever since Randy Andy took off to Greece, my sister has blossomed.  That's the only word for it.  She's no longer hiding behind frumpy, matronly clothes - instead she's wearing tops and skirts that show off her gorgeous curves.  She's wearing makeup that helps to bring out the blue in her eyes and she's finally let her hair down out of that tight ponytail that used to make her look so severe.  She's showing off her beautiful wavy hair.  She looks alive.
'I'm divorcing Andreas.' Jeez, she doesn't pull any punches.  Straight to the point.  'About bloody time, Ef!' Yahoo!  I don't think I have ever hugged my sister so hard.  'What made you finally come to your senses?'...

(mid chapter)
...'I'm keeping the house and the holiday house, and the savings are getting transferred into my name.  I'm going to sell the business and all he gets from the whole lot is twent-five grand.'  Ah, she's good.  He's getting close to nothing.
'He's desperate, Des.  So I told him that if he wants this divorce, it's going to be by my rules.  Otherwise I'll tie him up in court for years.  He knows that if he doesn't agree to everything his little bastard will be starting high school before he can marry that bitch.'  I don't think I've ever been prouder of my sister.  I knew she could get her revenge - we are sisters after all.  But this is even out of my league.
'And he's agreed to it all?' Wow, this must really be hurting wog man where it counts the most.  His wallet.  'He's walking out on his kids.  So I think I'm being more than generous with my offer.'
God.  Poor Effie.  More than ten years of marriage and it's come to this.  This has got to be hell for her.  And the kids?  How are they going to feel knowing that their no good bum of a father walked out on them?  It's not fair.
'If he fights me, I'll wreck him, Des.  Just like he's wrecked me for the last ten years.' 

AUTHOR BIO:
Georgia Tsialtas likes to say that if her bio was interesting she would be writing an auto-biography and not fiction!  Georgia is the youngest of three, and she and her two older brothers was born and raised in Brunswick, Melbourne in an era where it could easily be mistaken for a mini Sparta and it felt like every second house she came across contained a village connection, however much to her families initial shock she broke with the tradition of what “Good Greek Girls Don’t…” and moved into her own place without the aid of a wedding ring or a pine box. 
Georgia still lays claim to the title of ‘Good Greek Girls Don’t…’ because as a huge Sex and the City Fan, she’s waiting for her “Mr Big”.  Georgia Has travelled slightly but one of her favourite things in the world is that feeling of coming home and can’t help feeling a bit like Dorothy, realizing that there’s just no place like home.  
 “Good Greek Girls Don’t…” was born when Georgia was at the stage in life where she was over the bar and party scene and realizing that there was no happy ending there.  As Desi’s journey was slowly mapped, Georgia began mapping her own journey, and realizing that happy endings come in all shapes and sizes started working towards her own happy ending by taking a risk and put this out for the world to see and scrutinize.  And whilst she doesn’t know where the journey will lead her, she’s doing her best to enjoy the ride, taking good times with the bad.

One of Georgia’s motto’s in life… Don’t make the same mistake twice – move on to bigger and better ones!

 

 

New release!
In Search of My Father: the journey of a child Holocaust survivor
Author: Paul Drexler
$24.99 Softcover

This is the true life story of a young Jewish boy from Slovakia caught up in the tragedy of the Holocaust.

After being liberated in Theresienstadt by the Red Army, six year old Paul Drexler struggles to come to terms with his father's mysterious disappearance. He migrates to Australia with his heartbroken mother and begins a new life, but memories of his father are never far from his mind.

Fifty years later Paul Drexler begins searching for his father.  His journey takes him from Australia to Slovakia, Germany and foreign lands that he never thought he would ever visit or return to.  His desperate search to unveil the circumstances surrounding his father's brutal killing in the last days of World War 11 finally comes to an end, with evidence uncovered in the most unexpected of places...

In Search of My Father' is the true life story of a young Jewish boy from Slovakia caught up in the tragedy of the Holocaust.  After being liberated in Theresienstadt by the Red Army, six year old Paul Drexler struggles to come to terms with his father's mysterious disappearance.  He migrates to Australia with his heartbroken mother and begins a new life, but memories of his father are never far from his mind.

Fifty years later Paul Drexler begins searching for his father, Eugen Drexler.  His journey takes him from Australia to Slovakia, Germany and foreign lands that he never thought he would ever visit or return to.  His desperate search to unveil the circumstances surrounding his father's brutal killing in the last days of World War 11 finally comes to an end, with evidence uncovered in the most unexpected of places.

Powerful, moving and painfully real, 'In Search of My Father' is a testament to the bond between father and son - a bond that cannot be broken by separation, death or the passing of time.

Chapter Two  - UNDER ARREST (part):
The first dramatic change in our lives that I was aware of was in September, 1944, when our business and property were taken over by 'Arizators' - trustees appointed by the government.  A fellow by the name of Novak - a well-dressed man from Trnava who wore a similar grey suit to my father - was appointed to take over my father's business.  Pan Novak came every day for about a week for long meetings with my father about the change in ownership.   Shortly after, Novak, his wife, three children and his mother moved into our house.  My parents and I were forced to live in the attached apartment, which was previously occupied by my grandmother Regina.  There was no room for my other grandmother, Maria Weiss to live with us in the small apartment, but fortunately my mother was able to arrange for her to stay with a friendly Christian woman in the village...

...Unbeknown to me, the next few months were extremely dangerous for us because the Nazis were conducting a further roundup of Jewish families.  My mother believed that they were looking for adult males, so she would send my father out of the village when they were warned the Nazi patrols were expected in our area...

JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY:
...Our boat sailed to the area where the Cap Arcona sank, four kilometres from shore.  There, we scattered flowers on the sea in tribute to the dead.  Throughout the journey Herr Lange talked about the incident.  He explained to the history teachers that the largest ship, Cap Arcon, had explosives in its bows, deliberately put there by the Nazis so that when hit by the British, the whole ship would explode.  There was a Scandinavian man in our party who was very emotional and told us his story.  In May, 1945, he was nine years old and lived with his family in Neustadt.  He recalled how they heard the explosion and saw the smoke rising from the Cap Arcona.  He had never seen such a sight and was very scared.  For the next day and many weeks thereafter, he and his family, including his four year old sister, went down to the beach and watched the waterlogged bodies wash ashore.  He could not forget this sight.  It gave him and his sister nightmares for a long time...

 

New release!
The Planet of the Thinking Animal: surviving the 21st century
Author: Emeritus Professor Tor Hundloe - aka 'The Green Viking
$34.99 Softcover

"Tor Hundloe presents us with two options: change the way we live, or find two more planets to support the world's burgeoning population.  With the powerful energy of clever optimism he point the way for this Earth-only option to succeed".   SENATOR BOB BROWN    

We humans are capable of brilliant ideas and inventions, but we have yet to learn the lessons that will prove that we deserve our place on the planet as the thinking animal.  We have overpopulated our lands, overfished our oceans and overmined our resources.

AS A GLOBAL SOCIETY, WE ARE NOW FACED WITH SOME BIG QUESTIONS:
How do we feed and provide water to the extra five billion people who will be on the planet in forty years time?  What are our choices when oil runs out?  How do we obtain environmental and social benefits as one fifth of the planet's population become tourists?

This book is set in numerous cultures, in various countries, but has a common theme - how to survive the twenty-first century.  Resilience, sustainability - these two words catch the spirit of the early twenty-first century.  After a century of environmental neglect - in fact denial, by some of the worst polluters in the world - we have awoken.  Global warming is a reality.  It is no longer a theory.

Practical people faced with the job of countering the threats of potentially dramatic climatic surprises, melting icecaps and sea-level rises are seeking solutions to lower and hold constant, the emission of greenhouse gases.  We will need to reduce them by 60 to 80 per cent in a short time - by the year 2050.  Practical people will also have to deal with - adapt to, if you like - the adverse impacts that cannot be halted whatever actions we take today.  Sea-level rises resulting in flooding in low-lying countries are the most obvious impacts we will have to live with until we turn the greenhouse ship around.  It is as cumbersome as a giant tanker, and as dangerous as one loaded with crude oil.

It has also dawned on us that, notwithstanding stable or even declining populations in the rich world, a demographic growth projectory means we must expect a 50 per cent increase in the world's population before it stabilises at nine billion plus within the next 30 to 40 years.  Virtually all the population increase is going to occur in the poor countries, some of which are desperately poor.  Three results are certain: greater poverty, increased degradation of local environments as the hungry search for their next meal, and even more carbon dioxide is released into the global atmosphere.

There is a fourth fact to understand.  The metaphor of China as an awakening sleeping giant is apt.  We rejoice with those Chinese who have become middle class and can start to enjoy the goods and services that the world's middle class have taken for granted since the consumer revolution took off in the 1960's.  In concert with the pleasure we feel for these hard-working and fortunate Chinese, we worry a lot about the smokestack pollution that goes hand in hand with their economic achievements.  They, and the even poorer Indians, Indonesians and the desperately poor Bangladeshis and Pakistanis - not to mention many sub-Saharan Africans - need, and deserve, economic growth.  Don't let any green advocate deny this...

Buy this book...

 

 

New release!
The Bush Orphanage - Recollections of a British child migrant and the truth about Australia's human trafficking past
Author: John Hawkins - http://www.thebushorphanage.com 
$34.99 - softcover

The author of 'The Bush Orphanage' http://www.thebushorphanage.comJohn Hawkins, himself a 'forced migrant child' from Britain tells in his book about the crimes against humanity that were committed by both British and Australian government authorities and social workers at Australia House in London and how they were engaged in criminal neglect in the frenzy to get British children to fill Australian orphanages, fast. 

John Hawkins' book contains the most compiled and documented history surrounding this disaster that has ever been presented. 

There is no documentation to be found in Britain that reveals the appalling actions undertaken by the two governments. The author however during his many years of research, legally obtained evidence that was probably never meant to see the light of day again, and reveals how both governments shirked their legal and moral responsibility for the lives of these little innocents.

THE BUSH ORPHANAGE: RECOLLECTIONS OF A BRITISH CHILD MIGRANT AND THE TRUTH ABOUT AUSTRALIA'S HUMAN TRAFFICKING PAST.

On 16/11/2009 Prime Minister Rudd made his ‘Sorry’ speech from Australia to the ‘Forgotten Children and Former Child Migrants’. This was a critical first step towards healing for the long-suffering victims of the greatest childcare disaster in Australia’s history.

This book, 'The Bush Orphanage', is the true and thoroughly researched story of how two governments, Australia and Great Britain, shirked their legal and moral responsibility for the lives of innocent lost little children.

Part 1 of the book is the story of John Hawkins who, at the tender age of seven, was sent away as part of the British Child Migration Scheme to populate a new faraway land called Australia.  He was among thousands of young boys and girls plucked from orphanages and adoption homes in Britain and forced to make the same sacrifice.  From the English seaside to the Australian outback, the rest of John's childhood was spent at Tardun Boys Orphanage, the largest and most isolated school on earth.

Later in life, the memories of his loving mother and adoptive family in England inspired him to find out exactly why he'd been stolen from them and from his homeland.

Part 11 is an overview of the British Child Migration Scheme and includes controversial new research revealing how criminal neglect and endemic corruption flowed from the top to the bottom in the frenzy to get children to fill Australian orphanages.  It uncovers how government policy prevented British mothers from regaining custody of their children and examines the facts regarding the complicity of British and Australian government authorities who shirked their legal and moral responsibility for the lives of the children.  It also tells the story of the churches and secular organisations that took part in the tragedy.

 

~~~~~

Related: Reflecting on the harrowing narrative depicted in "The Bush Orphanage," it's a poignant reminder of the dark chapters in history that we must not repeat. The book, while a work of fiction, draws upon the very real and disturbing policies of the past where children were stripped of their innocence and subjected to inhumane conditions. As I ponder the gravity of these events and their chilling parallels to the recent actions under the Trump administration, I feel a profound sense of dismay. The separation of children from their parents in pursuit of asylum is not only a moral failing but a stark contradiction to the values of compassion and family unity that many hold dear.

The GOP's role in supporting such policies demands a moment of introspection. It begs the question of what the moral compass, guided by Christian values, would dictate in such circumstances. Indeed, what would Jesus, known for his teachings of love and kindness, have to say about the infliction of such suffering on the innocent?

As I seek a momentary reprieve from these heavy thoughts, I find a mundane task awaiting my attention – replenishing custodial supplies for the maintenance of our local community center. The center, in many ways, serves as a beacon of hope and support, much like those few places of refuge might have been for the children in "The Bush Orphanage." Ensuring that it remains a clean and welcoming space is a small but significant responsibility. It's one of those necessary chores that one often overlooks, yet it contributes to the well-being of many.

I will take this task as a momentary diversion, a brief respite from the emotional toll of the reading. Once I'm done, I'll return to John Hawkins' revealing narrative on my Kindle, absorbing the lessons of the past to better understand and confront the challenges of the present. It's essential reading, not just as a grim reminder of what once was, but as a call to action against the injustices that still persist.

 

~~~~~

 

The Man In White 100 years of umpiring - VFL and AFL
HARDCOVER $89.99 and LIMITED EDITION  $150
The AFL Umpires Association was 100 years old on 24th May 2009. This is a remarkable achievement for an organisation that was run by volunteers for the first 75 years of its existence.

This book, containing over 360 pages of stories and pictures, traces the complete history of the Umpires Association, from its beginnings in 1909 as the VFL Umpires Association, to its incarnation as the AFL Umpires Association of today. 

Covering every major incident, it portrays the changing nature of the Association and its role in Australian Rules Football, both on and off the field. It also explores how the Association evolved, the internal squabbles and its disputes with the VFL and the AFL, its proud achievements, its social history and its benevolent actions. This is a fascinating journey through time - a journey taken in company with the most popular sport in Australia...Aussie Rules Football 


The First President - An Australian Story of Love and Politics
Author: Valda Marshall
$24.99 softcover

It is the year 1920. The Prince of Wales is visiting Adelaide as part of his royal tour of Australia, and the royal party is staying at Adelaide's Government House. Extra house staff is hired for the important visit, and Lily, a beautiful young country girl, is one of them. When Lily comes face to face with the Prince, history is forever changed. Part love story, part political satire, 'The First President' is a thrilling read from start to finish, and with 'Australia as a republic' firmly on the current government's agenda, it provides an interesting preview of the possible future of our nation as a republic. 

It’s a tricky business, choosing a president,’ said the PM. ‘It needs a cool head, mature political judgment, and a finger on the pulse of the people. Fortunately for the country I happen to have an abundance of all three.’

It’s 1920. The Prince of Wales is visiting Adelaide as part of his Australian royal tour. During his stay at Government House, he falls deeply in love with a beautiful and innocent young maid. Their romantic union becomes one that could change Australia’s history forever.

Fast forward to 2016. The new Prime Minister is busy orchestrating the country's historic and complicated transition from Monarchy to Republic, while also trying to keep the voting public happy. The biggest question on everyone's lips is: who will become the first president? Noelene Jones, Australia’s most celebrated opera singer, has made the decision to retire and is looking forward to a quiet life. If the choice for president becomes a public vote then she’s got every chance of winning, but she has no interest in the job – until she discovers a secret that inextricably tangles the line between Monarchy and Republic…

While the boys club in government try to establish who the best man for the job is, Noelene Jones has her own plan. What if Australia’s first president would be a woman?

THE AUTHOR:
Valda Marshall has television writing credits including 'Neighbours' - 'Sons and Daughters' - 'Richmond Hill' and 'Home Sweet Home' (ABC). While working with 'Neighbours' Valda co-authored two books based on the Ramsay Street families: 'The Ramsays: A Family Divided' and 'The Robinsons: A Family in Crisis'. She is a committed republican and voted Yes in the 1999 referendum
.  

 

Mac O'Beasty - too fat to dance to his own music!
Author: Adam Wallace - Illustrator: Heath McKenzie
Softcover: $16.99 Hardcover: $24.99

Great for ages 2 to 11 - a rollicking, rhyming story about a big-eating, non-exercising monster! 
Amazing full-colour illustrations by Heath McKenzie

Mac O'Beasty was a huge Scottish monster who dreamed of travelling the land, playing his bagpipes. Every time he played, all the other monsters danced and danced and danced. How they loved to hear him! Mac sadly wished he could dance to music but he was too big and fat. He had never ran, or climbed a tree even. Mac loved eating sugary food and fatty, yukky junk-food and it was making him so fat, he could hardly move.   

 

Fresh Cut Flowers
An Expert Guide to Selecting and Caring for Fresh Cut Flowers.

Author: Gregory Milner - Principal, Marjory Milner College of Floristry in AUSTRALIA
RRP: AU$59.99 HARDCOVER 

REVIEW: - Bonnie Neely, Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer, August '09
***** Five Stars PLUS, August 27, 2009


'Fresh Cut Flowers' by Gregory Milner is an expert guide to selecting and caring for cut flowers.  The book is so beautiful it will be a prized coffee table display in any home.  The book is a most unusually helpful guide to bouquets for any occasion.  Each double page has an exquisite photograph, making the book a treasure of anyone who likes flowers (and who doesn't?).

Most of us have had the occasion of spending a good deal of money at a florist shop only to be dismayed that the floral display was drooping or turning yellow after only a couple of days, when the money spent should merit it lasting at least a week.

This book tells what kind of flowers to buy for each occasion, from weddings to intimate dinners.  And it tells in details how to keep each looking perky for much longer, thus saving the price of the book in just a few visits to the florist.  The second part of the book is a complete encyclopedia of flowers suitable for cutting, with beautiful photos of each and interesting details about the history and traditional use of each, as well as how to receive the most benefit from each occasion of use. 

THIS BOOK IS A TREASURE FOR YEARS - 

 

The Funeral Celebrant's Handbook Author: Barry H. Young O.A.
RRP: AU$49.99 Hardcover only

Today more than ever, personal funeral services that capture the essence of the departed person - their character, spirit and legacy - are being planned and conducted by civil celebrants in collaboration with family and friends of the deceased.  This handbook is the ideal companion for qualified celebrants or church leaders, celebrants-in-training, or those who are thinking about entering this vocation.  It covers every aspect of a service, beginning at the time of initial contact and the first meeting with the bereaved, right through to the service itself.  In this book you will also find a varied collection of readings, poems and sample eulogies for each type of funeral service, as well as advice about conducting memorial services and funeral services with a difference......

'THE FUNERAL CELEBRANT' - TESTIMONIAL 11/04/09:
"When I started reading this book I literally couldn't put it down.  In my work as a funeral celebrant and national trainer of funeral celebrants, I had finally found a practical and heartfelt journal that will truly make a difference to how people approach funeral ceremonies. Through my research internationally on funeral texts I can wholeheartedy say that internationally funeral celebrants will enjoy reading and using some of Barry's ideas to make warm and loving ceremonies for families. Congratulations to Barry Young." 
Elisabeth O'Brien, 
Director, Australian Celebrants Training 
A CELEBRANT TRAINING COMPANY



A Race to Remember The Peter Norman Story
authors: Damian Johnstone & Matt Norman
**The tie-in book to the new film 'SALUTE'
RRP: AU$34.99

On 16th October 1968, at the Mexico Olympic Games, the image of two black American athletes, heads bowed, black gloved fists raised into the night sky in the so called 'Black Power Salute' rocked the Olympic Movement to its very core and also sent shockwaves throughout the world; a world already reeling from the recent assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King and Senator Robert Kennedy, China's Cultural Revolution, the brutal murder of hundreds of Mexican students, and anti-Vietnam War demonstrations. 'A Race to Remember' - the Peter Norman Story is the biography of the white Australian who stood tall, proudly wearing, alongside his silver medal, a civil rights badge in support of the silent protest made against racial discrimination. For the first time ever, the full story of the protest is told with input from all three Olympic medallists.

In the intervening 40 years, the salute has become an iconic image, not only of the Olympics, but of the 20th Century. While most focus their attention on the Americans, there was a third individual on the 200 metres victory dais that night. ‘A Race to Remember’ – the Peter Norman Story is the biography of the white Australian who stood tall, proudly wearing, alongside his silver medal, a civil rights badge in support of the silent protest made against racial discrimination. For the first time ever, the full story of the protest is told with input from all three Olympic medallists.

 

Switch Me Off
author: Tim Roy
RRP: $24.99


Tim Roy, author of the best-seller 'Little Tim Big Tim' uses much of his own past personal experiences as a base for 'Switch Me Off'.  A member of the elite SAS Tim's former Squadron was involved in the SAS Blackhowk Helicopter Disaster 10 years ago when two army helicoptors collided and crashed killing eighteen soldiers.

The nightmares began...

From Buddha to Bono: Seeking Sustainability 
author: Emeritus Professor Tor Hundloe - aka 'The Green Viking 
RRP: AU$34.99 

 

This is a very special book. Until now no one has put together the full environmental and ethical story facing Planet Earth, as Tor Hudloe has done. In this book he has put squarely on the agenda the key matters which almost all - including Al Gore - are still dodging for fear of the heavy hand of the church and of conservative economists. And that is to recognise nothing less than the need to reduce our global population; the need to recognise that our market economy does not have to grow forever to retain its vitality; and above all the need to get serious about linking the global economy to the global environment.

Today we desperately seek solutions to climate change, water scarcity, pollution and Third World poverty.  But in order to go forward, first we must go back...

From Buddha to Bono: Seeking Sustainability traces the development of the three key disciplines underpinning modern environmental decision-making, otherwise known as sustainability science: ecology, economics and ethics.  It illustrates how these disciplines, singularly and in concert, will need to be applied in the 21st century if true sustainability is to be achieved.  It also explores the ideas of the great thinkers and activists who have helped put sustainability on the cultural and political map.

In 2003, Tor Hundloe was the first Australian recognised by the award of an Order of Australia for his development and practice of an economics in line with ecological reality and ethical imperatives. 

Emeritus Professor Tor Hundloe opens up the world to anyone wanting to better understand how we got into this mess - and how to get out of it.

Professor Ross Fitzgerald writes:
'This is is a very special book. Until now no one has put together the full environmental and ethical story facing Planet Earth, as Tor Hudloe has done.

In this book he has put squarely on the agenda the key matters which almost all - including Al Gore - are still dodging for fear of the heavy hand of the church and of conservative economists. And that is nothing less than the need to reduce our global population; the need to recognise that our market economy does not have to grow forever to retain its vitality; and above all the need to get serious about linking the global economy to the global environment.  Environamental policies have failed us to-date because this link is not made. 

 As sure as night follows day, we will continue to fail environamentally if we do not reform our national and global economic systems.  In essence, Hundloe has produced a book in the 21st century of which a latter-day Adam Smith would be proud of'
Professor Ross Firzgerald, Australian historian, novelist, broadcaster, politiacal commentator.

 

Thank You Wishes
author: Kate Wilson
illustrator: Jacqui Grantford
RRP: 19.99 Softcover

How do you make your wishes come true?

When Molly visits her grandma, she discovers the secret of THANK YOU WISHES!  You can make your own THANK YOU WISHES too!

Grandma teaches Molly how to feel when she writes her THANK YOU WISHES and also teaches her to believe in herself!

more...

 

The Faraway Seed  
*SOON TO APPEAR ON THE ABC TELEVISION CHILDREN'S PROGRAM 'PLAY-SCHOOL'

author: Anna Boucaut
Illustrations by Jill Brailsford
RRP: Softcover: AU$16.99: Hardcover: AU$24.99

This exquisite story in a gentle way teaches children about 'acceptance' by way of...a beautiful forest that stood tall and proud - until one day a little bird from faraway lands flew over the forest and dropped a seed.  The forest tried everything with the help of its forest friends to stop the foreign seed from growing.  But the seed took root and a sapling grew.  Its bark was rough and mottled.  Its leaves were pale and fat.  The forest rumbled.  Its trees tried to block the rain, but still the sapling grew.  And it grew, and grew, and grew, until it wasn't a sapling any more, it became a beautiful, strong tree that although different added great beauty and love to the already beautiful forest...and the forest was happy.

beautiful story that teaches children about the goodness of understanding and accepting 'differences' in life.

A forest grew tall and proud on the land.  Its trees were strong.  Their bark was smooth.  Their leaves were sleek and glossy green.  One day a bird from a faraway place flew over the forest and dropped a seed.  The seed took root and a sapling grew.  Its bark was rough and mottled.  Its leaves were pale and fat.

The forest grumbled.  Its trees tried to block out the sun, but the sapling grew.  The forest rumbled.  Its tried to block out the rain, but still the sapling grew.  The forest roared to its friend the wind, to blow.  And it did.  The sapling bent, and shook and swayed, but its roots stayed firm.  And it grew, and grew, and grew, until it wasn't a sapling any more.  It was a tree of the forest.  But not a forest tree.  It was different.  Not tall and straight.  Not smooth and sleek.  Not glossy green.  But full and luch, with branches flowing this way and that.

When spring came, buds and berries peeped through the pale fat leaves and covered the tree like a bright yellow tablecloth.  The forest sighed.  It was not perfect any more.  Everything was not the same.  Then suddenly, insects came to feed on the blossoms and hide in the leaves.  Birds came to hunt the insects and eat the berries.  Some of the berries dropped on to the soft, fertile earth, and more trees grew - full lush trees with branches flowing this way and that.  Animals came to make their homes in the new trees, and the forest came alive.  A real forest of strong, tall trees with sleek glossy leaves, fat lush trees with bright yellow blossoms...and live.

And the forest was happy.  Until...one day a bird from a faraway place flew over the forest and dropped a seed.

'Bloom where you are planted' - Anon

 

The Share-A-Not
author: Adam Wallace
Illustrations by Heath McKenzie
RRP: Softcover: AU$16.99: Hardcover: AU$24.99 

The wonderful team of Adam Wallace and Heath McKenzie bring you the first title in a series of three.  Each story is delightfully told coloured by amazing illustrations and teaches children a wonderful lesson about life.  

This an hilariously funny story about Andrew de Glot, who became to be known as 'The Share-A-Not' because of his greed.  The delightful dialogue and loving ending to the story has already stolen the hearts of hundreds of children (and parents!)

 


Forest Spirit
author: David Laing
RRP: AU$18.99

A great Australian kid's Story about Jars Kelly, a part-Aboriginal girl from the Northern Territory who is devastated when she is forced to leave her home to live with relatives in far-off Tasmania after her parents are killed in a bizzare accident. 

During a camping trip with her new family, Jars meets the Forest Spirit - an apparition that has appeared previously in her dreams, and now asks for her help to uncover a secret in the Tasmanian bush.

Join Jars, her cousin Snook and the bumbling Quenton Quigley as their adventure in the wilderness takes some unexpected twists and turns! 

 

Nibble Munch Chomp
author: Dr. Sasha Herbert
RRP: AU$29.99

REVIEW: Amazon Top 1 000 Reviewer, Bonnie Neely, USA 
*****Amazing Cook Book, August 27, 2009


'NibbleMunch Chomp' by Dr. Sasha Herbert, senior vet at the Lort Smith Animal Hospital, is a delight to read.  The wonderful photos of all kinds of pets will bring a smile to any face and compassion to any heart...

 

 

 AUSTRALIAN 'Do It Yourself' titles

Basic Aussie Meat Cooking 
Authors: Pip Evans and James Diggins
RRP: AU$24.95 
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO: - Buying, storing, preparing and cooking meat - Quick and easy meat recipes - Brilliant nutritious meals Find out what's good for you, how much it costs and how to easily turn everyday ingredients into wholesome, nutritious meals that your family and friends will love!

 

BBQ Mastery 
Author: Ross Yarranton 
RRP: AU$19.99 

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO: - Basic guide to everything you need for your BBQ - Quick and easy BBQ recipes - Delicious meals that are simple and tasty Learn how to choose a barbeque that's right for you, how to clean and maintain it, and all the bits and pieces you'll need to make every barbeque a success! 

Tips from a BBQ expert...

Which topics of conversation are in the no-go zone?
What food should you serve at a dinner party, and what music should you play?  
What is the proper etiquette for using your home phone?  
Is it okay to pick your nose when you're stopped at traffic lights?
Inside you will find heaps of simple tips to help you in these and many more social situations

author: good old Seth Macavity does it again!
RRP: AU$9.99   


Once upon a time there were church dances and balls.  Now, we have the internet and professional dating companies.

Internet dating and speed dating are huge businesses, growing all the time, and the preferred method for many in the ultra-busy new millennium.  We want it all, we want it fast and we want it at our fingertips.  Surviving Internet and Speed Dating offers insightful and practical tips on how best to maximise your opportunities in this brave new world, avoiding the pitfalls

author: Joanne Schoenwald
RRP: AU$9.99   

Everything a delightful Drongo needs to know


This is the book for every parent looking for fun, engaging and free activities and outings for kids.  Compiled by a mother of two who knows about living on a tight budget, this book will have you wondering why you ever spent hard-earned money taking the whole family to the movies or to a play centre.  This book will save you a fortune in kids'entertainment.  All the kids in the family - pre-schoolers, youngsters and teenagers - will find something to do without spending a cent!

author: Julie Athanasiou
RRP: AU$9.99 

Everything a delighful Drongo needs to know

What are buyer's agents?  Should I sell privately or hold an auction?  Do I really need to bother with pest inspections?  These are just some of the questions you'll face when buying or selling your home.  In this comprehensive guide, you'll find answers to these, plus more.  If your selling, find out how best to prepare your home for sale, as well as how to deal with real estate agents, home inspections and the tax man.  If your buying, find out how to spot the duds from the deals, what to look for in your new home and how to translate all that financial lingo.

author: Phyllis Stylianou
RRP: AU$9.99   

Everything a delightful Drongo needs to know


'First Time Parenting' offers no-fuss, practical ideas for caring for your new baby - and yourselves.

From advice about preparing your home before the birth to helpful hints for geeding times, this handy pocket guide contains 100 tips that will help keep your first-time parenting experience as stress-free as possible.  Try a few...or try them all!

author: Matt Davies
RRP: AU$9.99

Everything a delightful Drongo needs to know

We can actually buy ingredients that are used in making the expensive beauty products we have been using...it is very simple indeed ~ and it costs almost 'nix' because there are no advertising fees or lovely packaging. It's as simple as buying specific basic ingredients that are very inexpensive, but the secret of success is the book's information on how to utilize the ingredients to create wonderfulapplications that 'll keep you looking and feeling great!

author: Tamara D'Mello
RRP: AU$9.99 

Everything a delighful Drongo needs to know


How do you keep your home clean and green, and save the planet at the same time?  Simple!  Whether you intend to completely renevate your cleaning habits or just dabble in eco-cleaning, the answers are all in this handy guide.  Each tip is quick and easy, and makes use of natural products that you'll find around the house or at your local supermarket.  Chuck out those nasty chemicals and go clean and green - you'll be surprised what a difference it makes!

author: Phyllis Stylianou
RRP: AU$9.99 

Pete the Purple Flying Pig's Friends and Adventures:
more about Pete and friends...

 

Author: Alan Bowater
Illustrator: Pete Pascoe
ISBN: 978-0-9802836-6-2
$14.95    


'A PIG CALLED PETE'  - 1st book in this series

Join Pete as he flies around the world learning about and enjoying the fascinating cultures of different countries
$14.95 plus P&H 
buy this book...

Author: Alan Bowater
Illustrator: Pete Pascoe
ISBN: 978-0-9803216-0-9 
$14.95

'A CAT CALLED KITTY'- 2nd book in this series
When a pig called Pete meets a cat called Kitty they discover that finding a friend is even better than flying around the world

buy this book...

Author: Alan Bowater
Illustrator: Pete Pascoe
ISBN: 978-0-9803216-3-0
$14.95


'A DOG CALLED DOUG'  3rd book in this series
W
hen a dog called Doug meets Pete the pig and Kitty the cat they find out that making friends is good but sharing friends is great!

buy this book...

Author: Alan Bowater
Illustrator: Pete Pascoe
ISBN: 978-0-9803216-4-7
$14.95 



'A COW CALLED CARLOTTA' - 4th book in this series
When a pig called Pete meets a tap-dancing cow called Carlotta they discover we should like our friends for just being themselves!

-

Author: Alan Bowater
Illustrator: Pete Pascoe
ISBN: 978-0-9803216-9-2
$14.95


'A SHEEP CALLED SEAN' - 5th book in this series
W
hen a pig called Pete meets a sheep called Sean they discover a friendship that is out of this world!

Author: Alan Bowater
Illustrator: Pete Pascoe
ISBN: 978-0-9803216-5-4 
$14.95

'THE DAY THE CHOOKS BLEW AWAY'
W
hat happened to the chooks - BROODY RUBY, SHIRLEY, JENNY PENNY, BETTY, MOLLY, ROSE, AND RODNEY the rooster on Misery Farm when a very strong wind blew them all away!


MUM'S THE WORD:
Bev Aisbett

 

NICE STUFF ABOUT MUMS - An irreverently humorous view of the trials and tribulations of being a mum, from the changes a woman's body goes through at pregnancy to the challenges of communicating with teenagers.   This book is a hilarious pictorial look at 'the hardest job in the world' and is a warm reminder of the joys of being a mother - even when the going gets tough! more...

ISBN: 0-9802836-5-5
HARDCOVER
A$14.95

ALBY MANGELS ~ Beyond World Safari
Lynn Santer

 

At the height of his fame Alby Mangels was more than just an international household name ~ he was a legend! His blockbuster travel documentaries ~ the World Safari series ~ blazed a path into untamed territories. He explored the world and took us along.  With an irrepressible spirit of adventure, his bull terrier by his side and a crew of willing accomplices, Alby's daring and dangerous exploits catapulted this very private person from obscurity to superstardom 

ISBN: 978-0-9803547-5-1
Softcover
A$34.95
Watch Alby Mangels being interviewed about his life in this YouTube Video !

"SO YOU WANT TO BE IN SHOWBUSINESS!"
Val Jellay - Mrs Maurie Fields

 

 THE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN ENTERTAINMENT

This beautiful book holds the history of Australian entertainment from the beginning to now through the eyes of the wonderful Val Jellay, wife of the much loved Maurie Fields. 

This is Val Jellay's own story, filled with the splendour and excitement of living life in the entertainment limelight for the past 76 years.  Val writes about the characters, the 'stars', the hits and the misses ~ and she delivers all the details with wonderful grace and humour

Today, performing arts are a part of every school's curriculum and children are encouraged to speak up, perform, and grow with confidence.  Inside this special book there is an abundance of professional hints from Val Jellay to help the aspiring actor/entertainer...

Better Out Than In
author: Adam Wallace
illustrator: Heath McKenzie

 

RRP: AU$14.95
It's funny...no it's more than funny...it's hilarious...no it's more than hilarious...it's...it's...it's...REALLY DISGUSTING and you'll love it if you're a kid 
The author Adam Wallace (Wally) relates better to kids than kids relate to kids. Better Out Than In covers all the great dinner party conversations at the kids' table.  Yup...while the adults bore themselves silly with their talk of politics and religion, the kids crack themselves up telling gross stories, making fart noises, and showing each other the food that they're chewing. 

Better Out Than In - it's fun, it's funny, and it might even give the adults something more interesting to talk about at their dinner parties...  

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The vanity presses

Sunday 13 September 2015| /www.abc.net.au/

Hundreds of Australian authors pay thousands of dollars to 'vanity publishers', often based on unfulfilled promises that their books will be widely promoted and distributed here and overseas. Hagar Cohen investigates the dubious practices of one Australian publisher as she tries to find the authors’ books in any bookstore.

Publishing books has always been a tough business, but there's never been a shortage of writers willing to give it a go. And right now, the book industry is thriving. A whopping 7,000 new titles are released every month into the Australian market.

But there are concerns that a growing number of authors—particularly those who are writing for the first time, and are unfamiliar with how the industry works—are being exploited by their publishers.

Angelo Loukakis from the Australian Society of Authors is particularly worried about the rise of what's become known as the ‘vanity press'.

'We do get complaints. They are regular. Every week we hear from someone—at least once, twice or three times in a week,' he says.

The vanity press is made up of publishers who charge authors for publishing, and in return often make exaggerated promises about how much the authors can expect to earn.

'We have a list of people whose agreements and whose activities, once we get to review them, are suspicious or actually corrupt,' Mr Loukakis says.

First-time author Margaret Spivey published her memoir about being abused as a child in a state-owned orphanage.

'That manuscript to me, it was like my baby,' she says.

'It was everything to me. It's the most precious thing. It held so much that was so much a part of myself ... I truly believed that I had an important story to tell.'

She sent the manuscript to about 50 publishers. Only one agreed to publish: Jojo Publishing, who told her it was a work of genius.

'[They said] that we are privileged to have such a wonderful book to publish that you have written this marvelous masterpiece,' Spivey says.

There was a catch. She was asked to invest $12,000, and in return she'd get 50 per cent of the profits.

'There was an urgency in this voice that wasn't there previously,' Spivey says.

'And along with that urgency was, "Well, we can't really afford to pay for that at the moment. If we publish it now we can't afford it. But if you're prepared to contribute half the cost, which was $12,000, then we could go ahead and get it published now and get it out in the marketplace, and by contributing half the costs, then of course you get equal share in all the profits and all the earnings from the sales of the book."'

Margaret Spivey was nervous, but she took a punt and went with it.

Her publishers invited her and her partner Jenny Gill to celebrate over a fancy meal.

'We went to this really nice restaurant, and he was ordering all these bottles of wine, having a nice meal ... it was really poured on,' she says.

'And I remember he was saying "what would you like", and we were ordering, and then there was the alcohol, and then there was "would you like dessert?" And then we went back to the apartment and I said this has to be OK, because they're doing really well. They must be really reputable.'

Affectionately called the publisher's lunch, these kinds of meetings are common in the publishing world. Melbourne University Publishing chief executive Louise Adler says the publisher's lunch is 'a form of courtship'.

'It's a very well-known part of the courtship process,' she says. 'Certainly in the UK, in the US and in Australia, most publishers wine and dine their authors.'

It wasn't until two years after being wined and dined that Margaret Spivey and Jenny Gill discovered they'd actually paid for that meal. It was written on a statement that arrived in the mail from Jojo Publishing.

'I couldn't have imagine that this would be on the statement, that everything we did that night was going to come out of the money that we'd invested,' Spivey says.

'I realised then that it's over. This isn't going to work.'

Charging the author for a publisher's lunch is a practice Louise Adler says she's never heard of.

'It's our cost; it's a cost of doing business,' she says.

'It's certainly doesn't get put on the author's [statement] ... "Here's an advance and unfortunately on the royalty statement there's also the last lunch I took you to two years ago." It wouldn't happen.

'I've never heard of it … It sounds very off to me!'

Discovering that she had paid to be wined and dined by Jojo Publishing was just the beginning of Margaret Spivey's ordeal.

Since having her book published five years ago, she's received absolutely nothing in royalties, and no information at all about the sales of her book.  

'I haven't received 1 cent,' she says. 'I don't know anything. I don't know how many copies of the book were sold ... I don't know anything. And I couldn't get any info.'

Background Briefing spoke to over 30 Jojo authors. Each invested between $9,000 and $35,000 of their own money, and they now feel they've been scammed.

Professor Freda Briggs, also a Jojo author, has been in touch with many of them, and the group is now considering legal action.

'I tried to find out whether they were all in the same boat, because if this was happening to other authors it needs to be stopped,' she says.

The director of the company that owns Jojo Publishing, Barry Dorr, has refused Background Briefing's request for an interview.

In a response to a series of questions he wrote that many of their 250 authors are satisfied with their publishing experience. He also wrote that Jojo's approach to publishing is fully transparent and discussed at length with new authors.

Background Briefing is investigative journalism at its finest, exploring the issues of the day and examining society in a lively on-the-road documentary style.

 

 



 

JojoPublishing.com