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AVAILABLE LECTURES: Topics, Contents & Stipulations

While I can usually put together a lecture on about any subject within the venue of my website, I have several already prepared that I do on a regular basis and so can be presented on relatively short notice. Below a brief synopsis of the lectures I currently do. All are done as PowerPoint presentations (meaning I will require a screen or suitable display surface and access to electrical outlets. I have a projector, but it is old and I would prefer to use yours if possible.) and usually run anywhere from an hour to two hours, including the Q&A segment. Of course, each can be tailored for time and content.

I would like to have a guaranteed minimum of at least one dozen participants at each lecture and would also like to offer my books for sale at the Reincarnation, Atlantis, and Ghosts lectures if agreeable (prices of the books vary and are listed below). I usually only do speaking engagements in the Denver metro area and immediate front range communities; any further than that and I would expect mileage (round trip at 44¢ per mile) or an honorarium.

INSIDE THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY: Getting Your Manuscript Through the Door
Discuss various paths to publication available to aspiring fiction and non-fiction writers and how to overcome the hurdles, pitfalls and scams so common to the industry. This lecture, designed to teach the aspiring author not only how to keep your manuscript from ending up in the "slush pile" but how to craft a query letter and a synopsis that will maximize your chances of getting published, will cover the following points:

• How the publishing industry works: types of publishers, advantages/disadvantages of each, how royalties/contracts work, etc.
• The basic elements of an effective query letter and synopsis/outline .
• How to identify potentially unscrupulous or incompetent agents or publishers and avoid the various scams editors and vanity publishers use on first-time authors.
• The do's and don’ts of approaching an agent/editor: identifying the correct individual for your genre, when and how to follow-up, properly formatting the manuscript, e-querying versus snailmail, etc.
• The advantages/disadvantages of entering writing contests.
• The importance of building a "platform" for your writing and ways to advertise your work.
• How to improve your chances of getting published by attending writer's conferences, working with a critique group, and creating your own webpage.

THE CASE FOR GHOSTS: An Objective Look at the Paranormal
Do you believe in ghosts? Join me in a fascinating and balanced look at the mysterious world of the paranormal that will hopefully answer many of your most basic questions about an increasingly popular and always mysterious subject. This lecture will cover, among many things:

• What, exactly, is a ghost and how do they manifest themselves in linear time and space?
• Does everyone automatically become a ghost when they die, or only some people (and why)?
• What types of tools are used to hunt ghosts and how useful are they in looking for them?
• What becomes of of a ghost when they’re done haunting and where might they go?

Lecture includes a slide show that invites the audience to decide for themselves whether various photos of alleged paranormal manifestaions taken over the years are hoaxes, photo anomalies, or genuine pictures of ghosts. Signed copies of my book The Case for Ghosts will be available for optional purchase ($14) afterwards.

REINCARNATION: The Evidence For and the Mechanics of Rebirth
Join me as we explore the ancient and mysterious process of rebirth. Learn how the process of reincarnation works, what it is trying to accomplish, and why it is necessary if we are to evolve spiritually, both as individuals and as a society. Topics will include:

• The scientific evidence in support of reincarnation (work of Dr. Ian Stephenson, Dr. Helen Wambaugh, etc.)
• Famous reincarnationists throughout history and scientific/philosophical/religious objections to the concept.
• The true nature of the soul and its relationship to the Divine.
• What happens between lives and how we choose were and when we will reincarnate next.
• How karma works and issues of retribution and justice.

Don’t miss your chance to explore one of life’s greatest mysteries. Signed copies of my book The Mystery of Reincarnation will be available for optional purchase ($17) afterwards.

ATLANTIS: Lessons From a Lost Continent
So where is Plato's fabled continent anyway? For that matter, was it even a real place at all or simply a metaphor? Come and join me as we examine those questions and more in considerable detail. In this lecture—much of it illustrated with detailed maps and graphs—you'll learn:

• How the legend got started and why Plato wrote about the place in his Dialogues (the Criteaus and the Timeaus).
• The various theories offered by the science and Atlantiphile community as to where and what Atlantis might have been.
• The evidences for advanced technologies existing in the ancient past and why they might point to Atlantis having been a real place.
• Determining where Atlantis might have existed if we look at the topography of the world of 10,500 B.C.E.
• What might have destroyed the fabled continent and why we cannot find evidence for its existence today.

Signed copies of my book, Reconsidering Atlantis: A Modern Look at an Ancient Civilization will be available for optional purchase ($15) after the lecture.

APPLYING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS to the PARANORMAL
This talk examines the many fallacies and poor reasoning processes many adherents of the paranormal frequently make when examining the subject and how to avoid the most common traps. Topics will include:

• How the scientific method works and why the paranormal does not conform to it.
• Common logical fallacies and how they work.
• The process for gauging the credibility of witnesses.
• How shody logical processes hurt the entire paranormal field.

Includes an audience participation section in which listeners examine various statements to determine whether they are scientifically valid, presumptuous, or merely conjecture. Usually will have signed copies of all of my books available for purchase afterwards.

HOW VALUABLE IS THAT COIN? A Beginner’s Course in Coin Collecting
Wonder how much those old silver dollars you’ve been keeping in a drawer are really worth? Now is your opportunity to learn what makes a coin valuable and have fun doing it. I've been collecting coins for over thirty years, so I know what to look for in old coins, what makes them valuable, but how to get the most bang for your buck when buying or selling them. Learn the tricks from the numismatic trade such as:

• What are grading standards and how do they work?
• What are proof sets, type errors, commemoratives, and slabbed coins?
• How to buy and sell wisely on e-Bay.
• Understanding the difference between Red Book and Blue Book value and the rate at which coins gain value.
• How to avoid the most common coin rip-offs.

This lecture is a must for anyone wanting to know just how much those family heirlooms are worth as well as for those looking for a safe and lucrative investment that doubles as a great hobby.

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