Best-Selling Author and CEO's Book "17 Cents and a Dream" Wins Top Honors at Prestigious L.A. Book Festival

    ANN ARBOR, MI, July 30, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Daniel Milstein, CEO of Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group Corp and best-selling author's latest book "17 Cents and a Dream" won the non-fiction category at Los Angeles' prestigious DIY Book Festival honoring the best books of 2013. 17 Cents and a Dream also won an Honorable Mention nod in the Non-fiction category at the 2013 Hollywood Book Festival held July 8th. Author Daniel Milstein was honored at a private awards ceremony held July 20th at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California.

Available in paperback and on Kindle, the ebook version alone was downloaded 40,309 times April 23-27 on Amazon. The book was also recently awarded an 'Honorable Mention' by the Paris Book Festival in May 2013 in Paris, France.

"17 Cents and a Dream" ranked No. 1 on Amazon's list of the best-selling Kindle eBooks in the Business and Entrepreneurship category, No. 2 in the Business and Investing category and in the top 30 in the Biography and Memoir category in its first weeks of being released this year. More than 100 reviewers on Amazon have rated the book 4 1/2 stars out of 5 possible, including many of Amazon's Top Ten and Top 50 Reviewers.

Mark Victor Hansen, bestselling author of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' says this about "17 Cents and a Dream": "Through pure determination, fortitude and attitude, Daniel pulled out of impossibly difficult situations. His story is true, his story is a personal inspiration to me and I hope it will inspire you too to maximize your potential and go for the greatest of dreams."

"17 Cents and a Dream" begins with a candid, gripping account of the Milstein family's tough life in Kiev, Ukraine under the oppressive government of the former Soviet Union. He recalls how he and his family were affected by the 1986 explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant: Daniel was ten years old, and the disaster took place only 78 miles from their home, killing 100,000 people and spreading poisonous radiation throughout the environment. A few years later the family, struggling against poverty, government oppression, and anti-Semitism, made a secret plan to flee to America. After a narrow escape, the family arrived in Ann Arbor, Michigan with no understanding of English and few belongings.

Young Daniel had only seventeen cents in his pocket, given to him by a friend to cover the expense of a postage stamp so that Daniel could send him a letter. In the ensuing years, Daniel endured extreme poverty, endless hunger, relentless bullying from his new classmates all while working long hours mopping floors and cleaning restrooms at a McDonald's.

"None of this came easy...In school after working my morning shift at McDonald's, I was painfully aware that I smelled like a quarter pounder with cheese... I was always tired, but I was also proud that I was able to take care of my family and to make something of myself, to honor the wishes of my grandfather." Milstein's work ethic and relentless determination fueled his success. After graduating from college, he worked for various financial institutions and was consistently promoted.
Milstein's courage and sheer willpower continued to drive him as he began to build upon his success in the world of finance, working harder and longer than anyone else, until eventually opening and growing his own multi-million-dollar company, Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group. "17 Cents and a Dream: My Incredible Journey from the USSR to Living the American Dream" is both a dramatic autobiography of a true American success story, and a manual for anyone who dreams of becoming successful in today's competitive world.

About Daniel Milstein
Daniel Milstein is founder, president and CEO of Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group (http://www.GoldStarFinancial.com). Milstein led the company to the Inc 500|5000 list and one of the fastest growing companies in the United States three times. Gold Star has more than 500 employees in 48 offices across the U.S. and has been named a Top Workplace in Michigan for four years by the Detroit Free Press. Milstein holds an honorary doctorate and BBA in business management from Cleary University, Ann Arbor, from which he graduated with honors. He is the author of The ABC of Sales: Lessons from a Superstar, which in March 2012 sold 10,000 copies and became the #1 sales book on Amazon.com and the thirty-first top seller of all ebook sales. In 2012 Milstein was named to the prestigious National Academy of Best-Selling Authors. Milstein has been interviewed by numerous media outlets including FOX and Friends, Voice of America, WJR, CBS TV and many others

About Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group Corp
Founded in 2000, Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group Corp headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is one of the nation's prominent mortgage companies, closing over $1.4 billion in loans in 2012. Our team of over 500 knowledgeable mortgage professionals is committed to delivering unsurpassed customer service to all their borrowers, corporate clients and Real Estate professionals. Our customer-focused relationship-based sales model and commitment to continuously improvement are key to the exponential growth we continue to achieve annually.

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