How to Play Craps Audiobook Now Available

Get Dicey: Play Craps and Have Fun Audiobook

When I was a craps dealer in Las Vegas, Nevada, I had to explain to people how to play craps during a live game. Although I would try my best, this was not the ideal way to learn how to play dice at a casino.

After I became a writer, I wrote the book Get Dicey: Play Craps and Have Fun to record once and for all everything I knew about playing craps. The title enjoyed modest success within its niche market as an ebook and paperback. Midwest Gaming and Travel magazine even featured an excerpt the year I published the book. The Gambler’s General Store in Las Vegas stocked the title as well.

Now at long last, people curious about playing craps can listen to me explain the game outside of a hectic casino environment. I’ve recorded the craps audiobook version of Get Dicey so that people can grasp the basics and study popular power pressing strategies before they put their money down. You could listen to the audiobook while traveling to the casino and be ready to play when you get there.

Craps can be bewildering if you don’t know what’s going on. When you do know how to play, however, craps can be enormously entertaining. Get Dicey walks listeners through every bet on the table and explains how to communicate with dealers to place bets. Detailed descriptions of the probability associated with each bet provide insights about which bets are the good bets and which bets have almost no chance of paying you.

Download the Craps Audiobook Get Dicey at these retailers:

Audible

Apple

Scribd

Kobo

Google Play

Ask Your Library to Add Get Dicey to Its Digital Collection

Many libraries have digital collections of ebooks and audiobooks for patrons to check out. Get Dicey is a craps audiobook available to libraries through distributers like OverDrive and Bibliotheca.

Listen to a Sample

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Audiobook Production Starts for Get Dicey

Get Dicey: Play Craps and Have Fun was the first book that I wrote and published. It’s a nonfiction guide to the casino game craps based on my years working as a dice dealer in Las Vegas, NV.

Way back in 2005 when I released the paperback, the Gambler’s General Store in Las Vegas stocked and sold the book. Midwest Gaming & Travel Magazine featured an excerpt in its publication. Since then I’ve sold the paperback and ebook at this website, Amazon, Ebay, and other online retailers.

I’m excited to explore how the audiobook market will receive this title. I’ve produced a nonfiction title for audio previously. The audiobook version of the Home Canning Guide for Everyone Who Eats has enjoyed consistent sales ever since.

I’m assembling the audio files for distribution through Findaway Voices. This platform enables independent authors and audiobook producers to distribute audiobooks to numerous online channels, including Audible, iTunes, Kobo, Google Play, Chirp, and many more. See more details here. The great thing about Findaway Voices is that I get to set the prices for my audiobooks. This differs from ACX, the original way for me to enter the market at Audible and iTunes, where I had no pricing control. Findaway Voices even lets me submit price promotions for audiobooks at various outlets.

I anticipate that by summer, Get Dicey will be ready for release in its audiobook form.


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Read my articles at Medium

When I’m not working on book-length works, I write articles on subjects that interest me. This year, I’ve discovered the website Medium. The best way to describe it would be that it’s the world’s blog. Anyone can use the platform to publish. The site presents articles by major news outlets like the Guardian and the New York Times as well as work by individual bloggers. The site is so far-ranging, it has content for subjects that are important to me and subjects I’ve never heard about. Whether you’re in the mood for a rant about rude people or insights about cryptocurrency, you can find something to read on Medium.

See my latest articles and comments at my Medium profile.

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Giant List of Turkey How to Advice and FAQ

Like most years, I’ll be cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family. Much of my daily life involves cooking. (I have bread dough rising as I write this.) My lifelong hobby of baking granted me the ability to publish my grandma’s vintage recipes after I discovered her recipe notes going back to the 1920s.

If you’re the one cooking the turkey this year, you’ll find great advice in the article shared below.

Friendly tip: If you’d like to avoid the hassle of basting a turkey while it roasts, I suggest using one of those turkey cooking bags. They actually speed up the cooking time and produce a moist bird every time.

Fresh or frozen? Mashed potatoes, stuffing, relish: Turkey FAQs you need this Thanksgiving

WASHINGTON, November 19, 2017 – Thanksgiving means turkey and from stuffing to cranberry sauce, there are plenty of questions on how to make your holiday feast memorable. Following are the turkey facts, from brine to stuffing, that will help you bring the most magnificent roasted bird to the table. Continue reading

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Netflix leaves vintage movie lovers without a ticket

I agree with the lament of this article that Netflix should have more classic vintage movies on streaming. Although I’m a DVD subscriber too, it seems that there are so many old movies that could find new life on streaming. Because I wasn’t alive during the 1930s, 40s, 50s, or 60s, it’s hard for me to know what movies even existed. Sometimes I find some gems when I take the time to browse the DVD catalog. I’m always on the lookout for anything written by Dalton Trumbo. As a writer, I can learn a lot from him.

Netflix and the Slow Death of the Classic Film

Reed Hastings, the Netflix CEO who co-founded the company long before “streaming” entered the popular lexicon, was born during a fairly remarkable year for film. 1960 was the year Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho astounded and terrified audiences, influencing a half-century of horror to come. It was a year of outstanding comedies (Billy Wilder’s The Apartment), outstanding epics… Continue reading

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Cheating the casino not worth it

This article about a man in New Jersey facing criminal charges after cheating at craps in a casino reminded me of my days working in Las Vegas. The tactic described in this article, in which a player snatches away pass line bets or adds to them depending on the roll of the dice, was something that dealers and floor people had to watch for. I saw it a few times. I don’t recall the casino ever involving law enforcement, but casino security in Las Vegas is generally worse than the police! When you read the article, note that the man is now in trouble over a measly $755.

Craps cheater at Sands Bethlehem faces 54 charges, cops say

A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man is accused of cheating 54 times at craps last winter at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. Tyrone S. Jackson, 41, of South Plainfield, is wanted by Pennsylvania State Police on 54 counts of knowingly by trick/fraud win or reduce a loss, a misdemeanor charge. He was expected to turn himself in… Continue reading

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A closer look at the cultural attitudes in Gone with the Wind

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Margaret Mitchell’s masterpiece “Gone with the Wind” shows women constrained by a society that gives them no control, except over the size of their waists.

Over at Medium, I published an essay about one of my favorite novels, “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell.

The epic backdrop of the Civil War and Reconstruction places “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell at a pivotal period in U.S. history. The novel presents the cultural view of Southerners, particularly affluent Southerners, who wished to cast a rosy light upon race relations and portray the status quo as a social system accepted by all parties, except of course meddlesome Yankees.

Pondering the novel from this view cleared up some of my discomfort with how the novel handled racial issues. As historical fiction, it reveals the world through the eyes of the heroine, Scarlett O’Hara, and the plight of slaves and racism weren’t priorities for the her. She cared about being rich, and her selfish determination made her a literary legend.

The Belle of the Ball

Scarlett fascinates readers because she’s the ultimate anti-heroine. She’s selfish and fake. She’s not a good mother. She goes after her goals with relentless self-centered focus and eventually drives away the one man who genuinely liked her for who she was.

She’s unforgettable, and her struggles in a hostile world create an astonishing narrative that has been popular for decades on an epic scale.

Published in 1936, the novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937, and a Publishers Weekly article in 2011 on its 75th anniversary documented its immense sales volume. The original 1936 release sold 176,000 copies. Two million copies had been sold by 1938. Simon & Schuster that now owns the original publisher reports that it sells almost 75,000 copies every year. Mass market editions between 1993 and 2007 sold 650,000 copies.

Read the complete essay at Medium.

Scarlett O’Hara, Racism, and a Damn Good Read

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Diverse and affordable digital titles for libraries from Overdrive

Vintage 1920s recipes

All digital titles from Falbe Publishing are available to many public and private libraries through Overdrive.

  • My independently produced titles offer low prices to libraries wishing to acquire ebook lending rights for their patrons.
  • Patrons of libraries that offer my titles will enjoy access to novels that have gained high ratings from paying readers in countries around the world.
  • Michigan libraries that wish to include novels written by a Michigan author will have affordable access to any of my digital works.

View all of my titles on Overdrive.

The Rys Chronicles box set

My distribution agreement with Smashwords supplies my titles to Overdrive.

To locate titles from Falbe Publishing, search in the Self Published section for author “Tracy Falbe” or publisher “Smashwords.”

View all of my titles on Overdrive.

The titles of my works along with their ISBNs are as follows:

Werelord Thal: A Renaissance Werewolf Tale 9781301148486

Union of Renegades: The Rys Chronicles Book I 9781452306834

The Rys Chronicles Box Set 9781311398819

The Home Canning Guide for Everyone Who Eats 9781458034649

The Goddess Queen: The Rys Chronicles Book II 9781452306841

The Borderlands of Power: The Rys Chronicles Book IV 9781452306865

Savage Storm: Rys Rising Book II 9781466037670

Rys Rising: Book I 9781465834423

Outcast Journeys: Fantasy and Sci Fi Box Set by Eight Great Authors 9781311231789

New Religion: Rys Rising Book III 9781465983374

My Grandma’s Vintage Recipes: Old Standards for a New Age 9781301070831

Making Myths Before Our Eyes 9781370741137

Love Lost: Rys Rising Book IV 9781301227815

Lessons Learned: A Rys World Short Story 9781370081622

Judgment Rising: The Rys Chronicles Book III 9781452306872

Journey of the Hunted 9781310352232

Get Dicey: Play Craps and Have Fun 9780976223511

Beginnings Box Set: Three Fantasy Series Starters 9781311611932

Bear Dog Dog Bear 9781311294708

I’m personally very fond of libraries and have the pleasure of living in a town with a lovely library system, Willard Library. I don’t think libraries are unnecessary because of the internet. They are actually very important because they provide many people with their only way to get on the internet because they can’t afford it at home. And not all information is easily available on the internet.

Learn more about author Tracy Falbe.

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My Experience with Box Set Publishing

The Rys Chronicles box set

Ebook box sets have emerged in the marketplace for two reasons. They offer readers excellent value and provide an additional platform for authors to promote their works of fiction and nonfiction and profit from them.

With digital publishing, enormous amounts of content can be packed into easily downloadable files.

As an author with 10 novels published, I began creating box sets a couple years ago. These extra items create additional points of discovery by readers browsing at online retailers.

My First Box Set

My first project bundled three free series starters. I called it the Beginnings Box Set, and it’s one of my top free downloads, especially at iBooks.

Then, I created The Rys Chronicles Complete Series box set. It bundled the four books from the first epic fantasy series that I wrote, and I sell it for $8.99. This bundle price offers readers a discount over buying the titles individually.

Does The Rys Chronicles Box Set lower my overall sales?

No. By selling the value priced bundle I believe that I capture some revenue that might not have been gained from readers who don’t continue after Book 2. Although I’ve long maintained a good sell through rate on each book of The Rys Chronicles series, there is an erosion of sales between each book in the series that is likely unavoidable. Even if people liked Book 2, they might see something else that interests them and move on. Or, a reader might like my work, but they’re not into paying for fiction, so the person goes back into the endless pool of free ebooks and forgoes ever reading a series all the way through.

Individual copies of The Rys Chronicles books continue to sell as well. Some people may not want to invest in a box set upfront, or they don’t notice its existence.

Participating in a Multi-Author Box Set

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While I was entering the world of box sets, I happened to receive an invitation out of the blue to submit a novel to a multi-author fantasy theme box set that would be sold for only $0.99. A representative from Paper Gold Publishing contacted me on Facebook in 2015 and made the offer. I’d need to chip in on production, but afterwards I’d get my share of royalties.

As an independent author, I possess all rights to my written works, so I was able to make the decision to contribute Werelord Thal: A Renaissance Werewolf Tale to the project. The publisher did not require exclusive rights, which meant that I could continue to publish Werelord Thal wherever I liked on my own.

I ended up with a slot on Legacy, which has gone on to sell over 8,000 copies on Amazon. Although my monthly share of royalties is modest, the box set promotes the sequel to Werelord Thal, Journey of the Hunted, which produces additional revenue each month. A few of those readers might even go on to buy more of my novels.

Producing my own Multi-Author Box Set

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Encouraged by my experience with Legacy, I decided to venture into my own project. In a case of monkey see monkey do, I embarked upon finding authors to join me in an ebook box set production.

I eventually gained contributions from seven other indie authors and produced Outcast Journeys: Fantasy and Sci Fi Box Set by Eight Great Authors.

Unlike Legacy, which is only available on the Kindle platform, I chose to have Outcast Journeys distributed to all retailers available to me. I sell all of my other ebooks at multiple retailers and would not want to exclude my box set project from those opportunities.

A $0.99 box set containing multiple authors invites readers to impulse buy, especially when they’re searching for new authors. Every box set sold at Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, and Google Play creates a chance that more of the contributors’ titles will be sold at those retailers.

I sell Outcast Journeys at Amazon too, and our promotional efforts have produced sales. The box set entered the top 20 in fantasy anthologies on September 15th. Although the Kindle store may emerge as our top source for sales, Amazon pays the lowest amount per unit on a $0.99 ebook, so the higher per unit revenues obtained at other retailers remain important to overall income.

Because Outcast Journeys was just released in August 2016, I’m still in the early stages of this project. Will box set sales hold steady? Will the publication slip into obscurity? Will something in between happen?

Even a value-priced, multi-author anthology faces competition. Promoting an ebook is hard work, but each ebook out there increases exposure for the author or authors. Each extra title in the marketplace gives readers one more chance to see my work.

At this point, I’m committed to developing more box set projects for myself and others. If you’re interested in collaborating with me on a box set, please contact me.

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Vintage corn bread recipe – moist and easy to make

Rich corn cake made from vintage recipe

The recipe that I use most often from My Grandma’s Vintage Recipes is the one that she labeled “rich corn cake.” It’s a nice and moist corn bread recipe. You only need a few ingredients, and you can whip it up any time you need a hearty side. I like to pair it with any barbecue meats, and it’s also a nice accompaniment for chili.

This corn bread produces a moist corn bread every time. The milk, eggs, and melted butter ensure this necessary result. The recipe also calls for 1/4 cup of sugar. I’ve tried making corn bread without sugar, and I’m just not on that team. I try to eat healthy, but corn bread needs some sweetness in it. I once made a sugar-free corn bread, and, outside of a survival situation, I did not find it edible. The recipe could have been put to better use making bricks to build a temple to the corn god.

The rich corn cake is pleasing fresh out of the oven with butter and honey on it. I use the leftovers to make breakfast. I warm up a chunk and put jam on it.

Rich Corn Cake Recipe

from My Grandma’s Vintage Recipes

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup white flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 cup sugar

4 t. baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

Mix and sift dry ingredients. Add eggs, well beaten. Add milk and melted butter. Beat. Bake in shallow buttered pan in a hot 425 degree F oven for 15 minutes or until done.

To study more vintage recipes likes this one, get the whole cookbook My Grandma’s Vintage Recipes: Old Standards for a New Age. Available as ebook or paperback.

Ebook $2.99

Select your format for instant download. Available worldwide. (Gifting available – select “gift” at checkout and enter recipient.)

PDF

Epub

Kindle

Ebook also sold at these retailers:

Paperback $6.99

Sold at Createspace or Amazon

Amazon Canada

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