BETTENDORF, Iowa – Happy Joe Whitty loves people, and it shows. He loves to have a goodtime and to make people laugh, and that's just what his new book, “Not Your Average Joe” does.

You’re sure to love this book written by the founder of Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream and theinventor of the Taco pizza! Read about this hard-working, generous, fun-loving entrepreneurwith a natural ability to make people happy. You’ll be inspired, laugh, and maybe shed a fewtears. “I’m not only living proof of the American dream, but proof that the American dream canbecome a reality for any one of us,” Whitty writes. “This is my story…and yours.”

Meet Happy Joe Whitty himself on Saturday, May 4th, 11am – 1pm, at the Barnes & NobleBookstore in North Park Mall in Davenport, or 11am – 1pm the following Saturday, May11th, at Books-A-Million, 4000 E. 53rd Street in Davenport. There will be a meet and greetwhere Joe will visit and answer questions, as well as autograph your book!

Bring your camera and your kids for a photo opportunity with the real Happy Joe and Happy the Dog!

Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available through bookstoresnationwide, from the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, or by visitingwww.barnesandnoble.com, www.booksamillion.com, or www.amazon.com.
If you would like more information, please contact Kristel Whitty-Ersan at 563.332.8811, Ext.203, or via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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MOLINE, IL – The Moline Foundation awarded Sean Turnipseed of Moline, a senior elementary education student at Western Illinois University-Quad Cities, a $500 educational stipend for his winning entry in the River Vision 2020 video contest. The award was presented at a ceremony    April 22 at the WIU-QC Riverfront campus.

River Vision 2020 consisted of three community conversations attended by 65 residents and business owners from both sides of the river. The River Vision 2020 website had 3,300 views and 2,400 votes were cast online for the video competition. River Vision 2020 is set to move on to the next phase of the riverfront project.

River Vision 2020 has been a partnership between WQPT, The Moline Foundation, Renew Moline and the City of Moline.

For more information on River Vision 2020, visit wqpt.org/rivervision2020.

WQPT is a public media service of Western Illinois University Quad Cities located in Moline, IL.          

Photo of Scott Turnipseed and Joy Boruff of the Moline Foundation.  

‘September Woods’ is a novel that explores timely themes of abuse, love and perseverance

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – “It is my hope that we chose to make a difference with our lives, a difference in the lives of others and ultimately a difference in the world.” It is this sentiment that drove debut author Linda Florke to pen her new thriller “September Woods” (published by Trafford Publishing). In the northern woods of Wisconsin, three characters lives intersect with chilling and long-lasting consequences.

“September Woods,” Florke believes, will inspire readers to find the courage to stand up for their own convictions. It will impress upon readers the value of family, the virtue of compassion, and will give hope to many who have encountered controversy in their own lives.

Stella is the main character; the story tells her struggle from childhood to adulthood and how the most catastrophic event in her life shaped her future and gave her life purpose. Dr. Graham Becker helps heal Stella after her tragedy, and tries to make her whole again, but never expected his feelings to grow for her. Randall Daggett, who like so many misguided people is merely the product of his environment, wreaks havoc on everyone and everything in his path.

Florke knows her work will find a ready audience. She touches on and explores too many of the important themes of today, such as the ever-present crimes against women, the cruelty and abuse of animals and the never-ending hope that love that will conquer all.

About the Author

Linda Florke has been an avid reader for over 40 years and chose to finally write her first novel. Florke has been married for 34 years and has three grown children, and three grandchildren. Florke enjoyed writing in college, as well as, analyzing literature, both which inspired her to create this story.

Trafford Publishing, an Author Solutions, Inc. author services imprint, was the first publisher in the world to offer an “on-demand publishing service,” and has led the independent publishing revolution since its establishment in 1995. Trafford was also one of the earliest publishers to utilize the Internet for selling books. More than 10,000 authors from over 120 countries have utilized Trafford’s experience for self publishing their books. For more information about Trafford Publishing, or to publish your book today, call 1-888-232-4444 or visit trafford.com.

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If you’re using social media for marketing, what should you say following a tragedy like the deadly blasts at the Boston Marathon on April 15?

The horrific elementary school shootings in Newtown, Conn.?

The October storm that took lives and devastated communities across the Northeast?

Sometimes, nothing at all.

The age of digital marketing brings with it new challenges, including how to respond during a national tragedy. Remember, as recently as Sept. 11, 2001, we had no MySpace, much less Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. Except for email, no vehicle for delivering instantaneous marketing messages existed. After 9/11, one of the most painful days in American memory, most of us had time to pause, reflect and put on hold print, radio and TV marketing campaigns that might be viewed as inappropriate or offensive.

In recent months, there has been lively debate on this topic in the marketing community, including how and when to tie – or not to tie -- a marketing message into the news of the day, a  widely used strategy.

Gaffes can occur with the most innocent of intentions in any media content, marketing or not. Earlier in April, a new episode of the musical comedy “Glee” upset and angered parents in Newtown, Conn., because the plot featured a student bringing a gun to school, where it accidentally discharges.

"A lot of people were upset about it and that I feel horrible about,” Jane Lynch, one of the stars, told Access Hollywood Live days later. “If we added to anybody's pain, that's just certainly not what any of us wanted. … We're always rather topical and rather current."

Usually, however, simply applying your own sense of decency and good taste can help you avoid a blunder. Consider American Apparel’s notorious “Hurricane Sandy Sale – in case you’re bored during the storm,” advertised as tens of thousands of people endured freezing temperatures without power. Most of us wouldn’t have even considered such a ploy!

Here are a couple more suggestions for do’s and don’ts:

• If you use automated posts scheduled through a site such as HootSuite, turn them off immediately. If people don’t find them insensitive and uncaring or silly, they’ll likely conclude your messages come from a robot – not a real person – which is just as bad.

• Can you be helpful? Hours after the blasts in Boston, with cell phone service out in the city and family and friends desperately trying to connect with loved ones, Google.org launched “Person Finder: Boston Marathon Explosions.” There, individuals and organizations could share information about the status of marathon participants and spectators for those trying to find them.

If your community has suffered a tragic event, perhaps you have helpful information to share. Here in Florida, which is affected by hurricanes, people use social media to help evacuees and their pets find shelter, and to alert others to danger, such as downed power lines. Depending on your area of expertise, you may be able to provide more general information or commentary. For instance, an educator can share tips for answering children’s questions about the event. Philanthropists might comment on those selflessly step up to help.

• Of course, social media is also about reactions and, for many, that’s a sincere expression of sympathy for and unity with those affected.

If you want to post something and you’re unsure about what to say, take a look at what businesses and other brands are sharing, and how online users are reacting. You may decide to just say nothing for a day or two, or whatever time seems reasonable given the nature of the event.

Sometimes, saying nothing at all speaks volumes.

About Marsha Friedman

every Thursday at 3:00 PM EST. Follow her on Twitter: @marshafriedman.