Yesterday, I received the first registration request for the LA Times UCLA Festival of Books.

Authors' Coalition's booth is at a  great location. Come join us now and take advantage of the early bird's discounts. For more information go to :

www.christinealexanians.com or  www.authorcoalitionandredenginepress.com

This year I'm handling the Authors' Coalition booth at the LA Times/UCLA Book Fair. I'm so excited that we are going to have new venues for authors and poets to present their work. I'm starting a little early so you can make plans . . . and save quite a bit of money with our early bird special! The fair will be the end of April, 2009. The book-signing portion of the fair requires that you attend but other value-added promotions do not. You'll hear more about those later.

Sponsored by Authors' Coalition, a one-hour signing segment that regularly costs $150 will be $100 and a spot for the second day--regularly $100--is $80., when you register before August 15^th.  We only have 12 slots at this price. The fee includes display or your book, your order forms and your bookmark or business card and a poster for the full two days. Those who are not members of Authors' Coalition will be asked to join at the Silver Membership level (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com).

Last year our booth was televised on the Internet. Rey Ybarra from Best Selling Author Television was there to cover the event. He conducted short three-minute interviews with the participating authors. The program proved to be a great success. Rey will be there with his crew again this year. (To see the 2008 video made by Rey Ybarra, go to Best Selling Author Television site at : http://www.veoh.com/channels/BSATV)

Booth promotions will be handled by Carolyn Howard-Johnson and myself.

Learn the advantages of being part of this booth, its unusual value-added benefits and all the details at the Authors' Coalition blog, www.authorscoalition.blogspot.com. Or contact Christine Alexanians at chalexwrite@yahoo.com.

Yesterday was a record braking hot day.  I felt sorry for all the people who had to work in heavy uniforms.  The characters in theme parks, mascots, firefighters and especially our troops. 

Wearing shorts and a tank top, in the sanctuary of my cool house,  I saluted these individuals who entertain us, or risk their lives to protect us from harm.

I had three questions on my mind all day today.

Profit over care.Have you noticed how many different medications are out in the market for erectile disfunction? How is it that research for Alzheimer, Parkinson and other debilitating conditions proceeds so slow, but ED has become a priority  for the pharmaceuticals?

Fame instead of knowledge. Every kid in America wants to be a movie star, an athlete or a singer, in one word a celebrity, to be on the cover of magazines, rich and spoiled.  Children focus more on their looks and their popularity than their studies. How can we cure the future generation of this desease?

Elderly population. An elderly person may earn as little as $300 a month and if she owns any assets, she won't receive assistance with her medical expenses. How is it fair for the states to support thousands of young, healthy people and forget our seniors?

These are long term problems in need of serious resolutions.