Thursday, May 31, 2007

As wonderful as it is to giveaway things monthly, there's nothing quite as exciting as opening a sealed envelope and/or unboxing a parcel and finding love. Today, the postmaster's assistant gave me a ring to inform me that the box they'd set aside for my mails/packages was already filled to the brim (FYI: The postmaster had to bring a box to their office to contain my mails because he said, "Your mails just keep coming..everyday!")

I went back home to work on my template design without having time to open them, so I spent the afternoon wondering what was inside. Believe me, I was waiting for 5 pm impatiently. As soon as the clock hit 5 pm, I opened the small boxes impatiently. I have to say that I love this moment when a surprise arrives and that I don’t have any clue about it. I like to try to guess what surprise lies within the enclosed package.

So I opened the box and discovered these:



Oh, aren't they lovely?

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Integrity/Thomas Nelson (March 6, 2007)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Nicole Seitz is a South Carolina Lowcountry native and freelance writer/illustrator published in South Carolina Magazine, Charleston Magazine, House Calls, The Island Packet and The Bluffton Packet.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor's degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Nicole is an exhibiting artist in the Charleston, South Carolina area where she owns a web design firm and lives with her husband and two small children.



ABOUT THE BOOK:


Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins is a 78-year-old sweetgrass basket weaver who sits on the side of Hwy. 17 in the company of her dead husband, Daddy Jim.

Inspired by her Auntie Leona, Essie Mae finally discovers her calling in life and weaves powerful "love baskets," praying fervently over them to affect the lives of those who visit her roadside stand.

Relations are strained with her daughter Henrietta, who thinks Essie belongs in a retirement center. If Essie can't pay $10,000 in back taxes to save her home, she may have no choice. More tensions: her grandson EJ wants to marry a white girl, Essie discovers that a handsome man she's trying to find a girl for is gay, and her daughter carries a hidden secret.

When she's faced with losing her home and her stand and being put in a nursing home, Daddy Jim talks her into coming on up to Heaven to meet sweet Jesus-something she's always wanted to do.

The SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS shifts less successfully to the afterlife, where her Gullah-Creole ancestors surround her; but soon, her heavenly peace is disrupted, for she still has work to do. Now Essie Mae, who once felt powerless and invisible, must find the strength within her to keep her South Carolina family from falling apart. Together, with Daddy Jim, they team up to return to Earth and battle two spirits conjured up by Henrietta's voodoo that threatens to ruin an attempt to save the sweetgrass basket weaving culture.

Labels: CFBA

Sunday, May 27, 2007

(WaterBrook Press May 15, 2007)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Rene Gutteridge is the author of several novels, including Ghost Writer (Bethany House Publishers), The Boo Series (WaterBrook Press) and the Storm Series, (Tyndale House Publishers. She released three novels in 2006: Storm Surge (Tyndale), My Life as a Doormat (WestBow Press, Women of Faith) Occupational Hazards Book #1: Scoop (WaterBrook Press).

Rene Gutteridge has also been published over thirty times as a playwright, best known for her Christian comedy sketches. She studied screenwriting under a Mass Communications degree, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Oklahoma City University, and earned the "Excellence in Mass Communication" award. She served as the full-time Director of Drama for First United Methodist Church for five years before leaving to stay home and write. She enjoys instructing at writer's conferences and in college classrooms. She lives with her husband, Sean, a musician, and their children in Oklahoma City.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Old School meets New School meets Homeschool

Just shy of retirement and a well-earned pension, Las Vegas Police Department Sergeant Ron Yeager's definition of "active duty" involves shifting his bad leg into a more comfortable position. But when he's requested from his mind-numbing desk job to head an undercover auto theft task force, the former narcotics officer determines to prove he's still got the right stuff.

That is...until he meets his unlikely team of officers.

As Yeager soon finds out, not all the crazies are on the street. An undercover rookie, the audaciously honest Mackenzie "Mack" Hazard sends Yeager's blood pressure skyrocketing by wearing her faith like an ever-present badge. Then there's Jesse Lunden, a maverick undercover officer who refuses to learn anything from an old guy with a cane. Can this tangle of egos and eccentrics be trained into a lean, mean, crime-fighting machine...even while they are being drawn into something much bigger and more dangerous than anyone imagined?

In her trademark style, Rene Gutteridge blends zany, original characters, sincere faith, and surprising plot twists into one hilariously addictive read.



ENDORSEMENTS:

"Snitch is an engaging crime novel, balanced between sheer whimsy and genuine human drama."
....CHRIS WELL, author of Tribulation House

"A wonderful, fully developed ensemble cast makes Snitch an entertaining, engaging read. Rene's flair for a comedic, well-turned phrase shines here. Snitch is worth snatching."
...SUSAN MEISSNER, author of Widows and Orphans

Labels: CFBA

Saturday, May 26, 2007

The Rules Are:

Post your responses.
Tag anywhere from 1-5 friends.
Leave comments to let them know they've been tagged.
Come back and leave a comment when your post is up.

Ok, here goes:


Next 5 books on your to be read shelf:

These Boots Weren't Made for Walking by Melody Carlson
Snitch by Rene Gutteridge
Murder by Manicure by Nancy Cohen
What a Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck
Consider Lily by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt


Last 4 books you've read:

Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts
Without Honor by Elizabeth Stuart
This Pen for Hire by Laura Levine
Never Ceese by Sue Dent


Last 3 non-fiction books you've read:

Living Alive by Dero Pedero
Know Him Completely by Jenny King
Cellulite by Nicole Ronsard


The 2 books you wish everyone would read:

Bible
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen


Last book you've borrowed (library or friend):

Petticoat Ranch by Mary Connealy


If you're reading this, you've been tagged by ME!!

"I used to be Snow White, but I drifted." ~Mae West

"Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often." ~Mae West

"When I'm good, I'm very, very good. But when I'm bad, I'm better." ~Mae
West

"Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone." ~Dorothy
Parker

"I don't know much about being a millionaire, but I bet I'd be darling at it." ~Dorothy Parker

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

"I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

"When you come to a roadblock, take a detour." ~Barbara Bush

"I'd rather regret the things I've done than the things I haven't done."
~ Lucille Ball

I stole this from Gena Showalter, who stole it from Michelle Rowen.
Rule: You answer all the questions using only one word.

1. WHERE IS YOUR CELL PHONE?: Bogo (in the hands of a new owner)
2. RELATIONSHIP?: loyalty
3. YOUR HAIR?: straight
4. WORK?: multi-tasking
5. YOUR SISTER?: lovechild
6. YOUR FAVORITE THING?: prizes
7. YOUR DREAM LAST NIGHT?: bf
8. YOUR FAVORITE DRINK?: tea (lady grey tea from Twinings)
9. YOUR DREAM CAR?: Porsche
10. THE ROOM YOU'RE IN?: sala
11. YOUR SHOES?: box
12. YOUR FEARS?: failure
13. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE IN 10 YEARS?: mother (of twins)
14. WHO DID YOU HANG OUT WITH THIS WEEKEND?: family
15. WHAT ARE YOU NOT GOOD AT?: dieting
16. MUFFIN?: sure!
17. ONE OF YOUR WISH LIST ITEMS?: chick-lit
18. WHERE YOU GREW UP? Consolacion
19. LAST THING YOU DID?: read
20. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?: jammies
21. WHAT AREN'T YOU WEARING?: shoes
22. YOUR PET?: Cheyenne
23. YOUR COMPUTER?: bestbuddy
24. YOUR LIFE?: well-spent
25. YOUR MOOD?: happy
26. MISSING?: pizza (from Roma Mia)
27. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW?: blogging
28. YOUR CAR?: none (yet)
29. YOUR KITCHEN?: tidy
30. YOUR SUMMER?: great
31. YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?: red (shades of it)
32. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED?: today
33. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: yesterday
34. SCHOOL?: shudder
35. LOVE?: great

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Sword Review is a speculative fiction magazine targeted to adult readers aged 14 and up. It seeks and showcases thought-provoking sci-fi/fantasy stories, essays and poetry (including occasional reviews) that entertain, uplift, enlighten and expand the reader's mind. It started as an online magazine a.k.a. webzine and has evolved into a print magazine after the turn of 2006. The print magazine at this time includes only fiction, poetry, and illustrations. Have a look around the magazine by clicking the image below:



Submission Guidelines:

For sci-fi/fantasy writers looking for a new market, the submission guidelines can be found at:

http://theswordreview.com/guidelines.php

The Sword Review is very well stocked with fiction as of the moment but they are still looking for illustrations and poetry.

Payment:

Currently, they pay 1/2 cent per word up to $25.00 ($5.00 minimum) for one-time electronic rights and if the work appears in print, the author receives one free contributor copy, as well.

Rights:

The magazine asks for the following rights from contributors whose work has been accepted for publication.

• Non-exclusive Electronic Publication Rights, for publication in the English language. (Internet format)
  
• Non-exclusive Print Publication Rights, for publication in the English language. (Print format)
  

Labels: CSFF

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

I'm reading Dan Kennedy's book "No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs" because like a lot of people I have time challenges. Dan is one of America's most successful businessmen and I recommend this book.

Every page or two has a great idea, at least, so in the interest of time I'm only going to share a couple of ideas here.

First, gleaning and sparking the imagination for new ideas is an essential part of success. The late Earl Nightingale wrote:

"a single thought can revolutionize your life. A single thought can make you rich or well-to-do, or it can land you in prison for the rest of your life. Everything was an idea before it became real in the world . . . the law of averages begins to swing in your direction when you produce ideas."
That's profound and the keyword in that wisdom is "produce" because in reality you cannot "manage time" - but you can manage your activities and what you do as time passes.

Dan recommends an approach I've used for years. People have fetishes of all kinds; mine are notebooks and cards. I buy a new notebook every time I get excited about starting something new. And I keep a stack of note cards around to capture the ideas I have. Whether you decide the idea is worth pursuing or not, you should still capture it because it may be the seed for something else.

I break my projects down on note cards, writing the basic essential steps along the way on a fresh, clean card. When that task is complete, I get rid of the card. It's a good way to move forward and build in a sense of accomplishment along the way.

How you use your time this day will create a ripple effect that ultimately determines where you will be one year from this day - and the final destination ten-years from this day.

Monday, May 21, 2007

(Avon Inspire May 8, 2007)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Tracey Bateman lives in Missouri with her husband and four children. Their rural home provides a wonderful atmosphere for a writer's imagination to grow and produce characters, plots, and settings.

In 1994, with three children to raise, she and her husband agreed that she should go to college and earn a degree. In a freshman English class, her love for writing was rekindled, and she wrote a short story that she later turned into a book.

Her college career was cut short with the news of their fourth baby's impending arrival, but the seeds of hope for a writing career had already taken root. Over the next several years she wrote, exchanged ideas with critique partners, studied the craft of writing, and eventually all the hard work paid off.

She currently has over twenty-five books published in a variety of genres. Tracey Bateman believes completely that God has big plans for his Kids and that all things are possible to anyone who will put their hope and trust in God!



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Will Fannie be able to keep her family...and her heart, safe and find a new life on the frontier?

Book One of the Westward Hearts series, orphans Fannie Caldwell and her two young siblings have spent the last three years as indentured servants under a cruel master. Desperately wanting a better life for her brother and sister, Fannie devises a plan to secretly join a wagon train heading west.

Her plan immediately runs into trouble when the handsome yet bullheaded wagon master Blake Tanner refuses to allow an unmarried woman on the train.

But Fannie's determined...she'll escape and go west with or without help!

As life on the trail tests everyone's endurance and faith, Fannie soon realizes the perils of being a single woman on the frontier. Witnessing Fannie fending off one scare after another, Blake slowly recognizes how much he cares for this alluring young woman.

Will Blake sacrifice his own dreams and guide Fannie to safety?

Or will Fannie's stubborn independence keep her from finding true love?

Labels: CFBA

Presenting James Franco



He auditioned for the role of Peter Parker in Spider-Man, but was given the part of Harry Osbourne. James appeared in two movies that premiered on the same day: Deuces Wild and Spider-Man, both opening on May 3rd. The success of the two films was highly varied as Spider-Man film has to date amassed a box office gross some 67 times greater than that of Deuces. In his spare time, he likes to paint. He was named one of People Magazine's 50 Hottest Bachelors in 2004. He has his own production company: Rabbit Bandini Productions. He went by the name of Ted in high school.

Check him out in Spider Man 3!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

One of the biggest problems for writers is finding their own voice. Part of the problem is that for the most part we feel like we are nobodies in the writing world, beginners. No one will want to read what we write, so we try to write like someone else, instead of using our own voice. Which brings up a very important question. How
do we find our own voice? Remember all the rules we learned in school? Write complete sentences, never end a sentence with a proposition. Use synonyms for "said" like screamed, shouted, whispered, croaked, growled. Well, the trouble with these rules is
that they don't work in real writing. I'm not saying forget all the rules. Some of them are important, but some of them are not. A careful reading of your work will show you what works. Trust your own instincts.

Listen to the way you talk, to the way others talk. How many incomplete sentences do you hear? How many times do you end a sentence with a preposition? We don't speak proper English, and the characters in your book shouldn't either.

Don't imitate. Read other writers to learn how they handle dialogue, scenes, suspense, but never try to imitate their style. Imitation may be a form of flattery, but it won't get you published. Your writing should sound like you. I once created a sarcastic, smart-mouthed older woman and everyone who read it said, "That's Barbara."
Evidently my voice was coming through just fine. Remember, the publishing world isn't looking for another John Grisham, or a new Patricia Cornwell. They want someone who doesn't sound like everyone else. Let your personality show through your writing.

Don't try to be everything to everyone. Some people love Dean Koontz or Stephen King. Others wouldn't read these writers unless you paid them. You can't please everyone. Most of us have a public voice and a private voice. The public voice is cleaned up, prettied up, safe. When we write with our public voice, it may sound good, but it
isn't us. Our private voice is more personal, intense, emotional, less controlled, our tell it like it is voice. Forget the safe, proper public voice and write it the way you feel. When you try to be everything to everyone, you end up being nothing to nobody.

Write the way you talk. Even more important, write the way you think. And don't try to be politically correct. Politically correctness is censorship. It will result in bland, boring writing. You don't have to be offensive, but don't adopt a style that isn't your own voice, either, just to meet someone's list of rules. However, a word of advice. Remember not all of your readers have the same opinions you have. Leave your politics out of writing. Don't cram your opinions down your reader's throat, and expect him to come back for more.

Find your own method of plotting and writing. I've tried plotting methods from the writing books, and ended up with a confused mess. I've found a method that works for me. I outline the first half of the manuscript. Then when I have the story going I outline the rest. I print each chapter as I finish it and then read it over and correct it that night. And I read the entire manuscript over and over until it's the best I can make it before I submit it. That's what I do. But that doesn't mean you have to do the same. We each have a different personality, a different way of doing things. Don't get hung up on what the writing books say. Read them, and then use what
works for you.

Don't talk down to your reader. Your reader won't be like most of the people you know. Most of the people I know don't read much. My readers are people like me. They read what I read, like what I like. They probably know as much or more than I do. It's insulting to explain everything to them, as if they aren't smart enough to figure it out for themselves. Tell them what they need to know, and turn them loose. Don't start with back story either. Start out with your main character doing something, and expect the reader to catch on. (Don't be so vague no one could understand what's going on, but don't feel you have to explain every little detail either)

Make sure your dialogue stays in character and moves the story forward. Spend a little time getting acquainted with your characters before you ever start to write. Get to know them. Who are you when you write? Are you the little girl lost in the park? Or are you the woman thinking of having an affair with her boss? Are you the
kid working in a go-nowhere job and dreaming of something more exciting? Know your characters so well you can speak through them the way no one else could. And make your characters sympathetic. I read a lot of manuscripts where the character is hateful, sarcastic, or unsympathetic. When I point this out, the writer will say, "but she changes later in the book. The trouble is, your reader may not be
around that long. Write characters you like, even your villains. Characters you can understand and identify with. Then you can let them be the kind of characters you have created, but still be true to your voice. No matter what genre in which you write, always know your characters. Then we'll hear your voice.

I know I've said, write for your reader, but one way to do that and remain true to your own voice is to write for yourself. Write what interests you, and you'll interest others. It's hard to write with passion if you don't feel passionate, and we are only passionate if we care. Only if we care enough will our voice show in
our writing. If your writing reads like someone else (or everyone else) wrote it, then it's not your true voice. There will always be a writer who can write funnier than you can, a better romance writer or western writer. The one thing no one else can do is put your personality on the page. That's what makes you special and that's
what moves you closer to being published. Don't imitate. Create. And don't try to be like someone else. Just be yourself. Write the way you feel, the way you think and talk. That's your true voice.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Punctuation proves to be a huge stumbling block for many writers. One thing I notice a lot in the stories I crit and e-books I read is the misuse of the poor little comma. The comma is such a misunderstood punctuation mark. When you have a subject that is doing two actions seperated by and do not place a comma between the first action and the and. For example, this sentence is incorrect:

The dog barked, and pulled against its leash.

Why writers insist on putting a comma in such a sentence truly stymies me. Dog is the subject and the subject is both barking and pulling. No comma is needed. However, if you have a succession of actions by the same subject, then commas are required.

The dog barked, pulled against its leash, and wet on the ground.

Test time! Which of the following sentences are wrong?

1. She sat down at the table and picked up a fork.

2. The clock struck midnight and Gloria snatched up her coat realizing she was late.

3. John walked to the door, and answered it.

4. Running across the lawn, the girl tripped and fell.

Now, if you picked numbers 2 and 3 as the incorrect sentences for comma usage, then you get a big purple zinnia (Hey, it's my version of a gold star.) for your good work, lol.

The first sentence is correct because the subject she sat down and picked up the fork, so she is doing *both* actions. The second sentence is wrong because two different subjects are doing two different things, so a comma is needed after midnight to seperate it from Gloria.

The third sentence is wrong because John walked to the door *and* answered it, thus he's the subject performing two actions. No comma is needed! And in the last sentence, we have a participle phrase, followed by the subject who both trips and falls. The only place a comma is need is after the participle phrase.

Ingredients
10 oz bittersweet chocolate (60%)
3 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup amaretto
3/4 cup heavy cream, warm
3/4 cup milk, warm
1 cup sugar

Garnishes
Toasted chinks of nut breads
Pound cake, cut into medium sized cubes
Banana, sliced
Candied ginger or citrus fruits
Strawberries
Marshmallows

Directions
Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate into a bowl and sift the coco powder over. Add the butter to the bowl and melt all together over a double boiler.
Heat the milk, cream, amaretto, and sugar together in a small pot. Bring to a simmer and then remove from the fire, stir to make sure all of the sugar has dissolved.
Whisk the cream mixture into the melted chocolate and then transfer to a fondue pot.

Serve with garnishes and feed to your partner!

Friday, May 18, 2007

(Revell March 1, 2007)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Ann H. Gabhart has published a number of adult and young adult novels with several different publishers. The author of The Scent of Lilacs, Ann and her husband live a mile from where she was born in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. She is active in her country church, and her husband sings bass in a southern gospel quartet.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Nothing will be the same after the summer of 1964.

Drought has gripped the quiet Kentucky town of Hollyhill, and the town seems as if it is holding its breath--waiting. Jocie Brooke is nervous about starting high school. Her sister Tabitha is experiencing the weariness of waiting for a new baby. Her father David is feeling the timidity of those first steps toward true love. All of these pivotal steps in life are awaiting the Brooke family.

Into this cloud of tense anticipation, a black family from Chicago, the Hearndons move here to plant an orchard outside of town. Fresh off the Freedom Train, Myra Hearndon is sensitive to what the color of her skin may mean in a Southern town. Her family will have to contend with more than the dry ground and blazing sun as they try to create their ORCHARD OF HOPE.

Jocie finds herself befrending a boy that some townspeople shun. Due to unspoken racial lines in this southern town, the presence of these newcomers sparks a smoldering fire of unrest that will change Hollyhill..and Jocie...forever.

In this close-knit community, everything is about to change.

Labels: CFBA

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Reasons why the English language is so hard to learn: Yet it can be done!!

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.

19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France (Surprise!). Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

Quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? Is it an odd, or an end? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"?

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Don't probe darkness to understand light.
Don't dwell on sickness to be healthy.
Don't indulge in thoughts of lack to have supply.
Don't dwell in misery to understand happiness.

-- Lester Levenson, from The Ultimate Truth


I am sure that you have heard such profound truths said by others, in other ways.
However, the challenge with this advice is "How do I 'don't' do that?"

It is one thing to say, "Think positive", "Focus only on what you want", and "Don't give counsel to your fears". That's all great advice, but when you feel caught up in life's drama how do you avoid it?

Imagine what your life becomes when you toss aside as little as fifty-percent of the negative thoughts and feelings that go where you go.

Right now, could you feel a little happier?

Could you feel a little more in-love?

Could you feel a little more secure?

Could you feel a little more loved?

Could you feel a little richer?

You certainly could and I know you can. We all can. In fact, there is no limit to how happy, in-love, secure, loved and richer you can feel. And when that's how you feel, that's what you have in your life.

The only thing you need to do is learn how to let those negative feelings leave your life. As you do, . . .

You will feel happier . . . and you will be happier.
You will feel in-love . . . and you will be in-love.
You will feel secure . . . and you will be secure.
You will feel loved . . . and you will be loved.
You will feel richer . . . and you will be richer.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

"Let them eat cake", one of the most infamous quotes in world history, has long been attributed to Marie Antoinette, the French Queen who was beheaded for treason. But did she actually say the very words that brought about her demise? Recent evidence suggests that, no, she never did.

"There is nothing new except what has been forgotten."

"I was a queen, and you took away my crown; a wife, and you killed my husband; a mother, and you deprived me of my children. My blood alone remains: take it, but do not make me suffer long."

"Farewell, my children, forever. I go to your Father."

And my favorite Marie Antoinette quote:

"Courage! I have shown it for years; think you I shall lose it at the moment when my sufferings are to end?"

Saturday, May 12, 2007

I really had no issue with bandwidths before. Never even knew what they are. But just this morning, as I was checking my blogs and websites to check their page rank (because someone offered me $25 for every site with PR 4 and above that I could trade links with), I was greeted with a blatant error message, "Lots of peeps! Transfer exceeded" and it's on my main website!

Oh, no, not again... Do I really have that many visitors? Hmm..

FYI: In website hosting, the term "bandwidth" is often used metaphorically, to describe the amount of data that can be transferred to or from the website or server, measured in bytes transferred over a prescribed period of time. This can be more accurately described as "Monthly Data Transfer".

Web hosting companies often quote a monthly bandwidth limit for a website, for example 500 gigabytes per month. If visitors to the website download a total greater than 500 gigabytes in one month, the bandwidth limit will have been exceeded.

Without shilly-shallying, I took the bull by the horns and transferred my files to my new domain http://www.creativenuclei.com (domain and hosting was paid for me by Cyfocus.net as compensation for my creative services). It took me a while before I had all 290 objects (with 96 html files) transferred to its new home (I could hardly believe I created that number of pages and edited that many pictures). I checked the site again and realized I put them on the main domain. Since I'm sharing the main domain with my fiance I've decided to place it on a subdomain... a new subdomain because I have other plans for http://pen.creativenuclei.com. I thought for a moment and decided on http://ra.creativenuclei.com so it'd look like a quasi domain.

Moving files... and DONE!

Needless to say, I also created a new e-mail address. My friends can now email me at this new address:
rachelle@creativenuclei.com (Cool email addy isn't it?)

Now, I'm feeling like a million dollars (though I'd only be getting $25 for that site and nothing for blogging about it). Still, I couldn't feel any better! I would've never thought I could handle a client FTP software, and navigate through the control panel of my domain without having to go through the menu over and over again to find what I was looking for! It really pays to learn and get techy! (I couldn't believe I just admitted that!)

Friday, May 11, 2007

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! An extra special post is coming out today, May 11th, for an extra special author. The man who started to ball rolling for FIRST, Chris Well, has a new book out and we have decided to give him an extra plug.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

(Multnomah April 16, 2007)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Amy Wallace is a member of the CFBA and an avid blogger. A self-confessed chocoholic, this freelance writer is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and serves as the liaison for the training division of the county police department. Amy is a contributing author of God Answers Moms' Prayers, God Allows U-Turns for Teens, Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes, and A Cup of Comfort for Expectant Mothers. She lives in Georgia with her husband and three daughters.

Chained To Yesterday

When tragedy struck and Gracie Lang lost everything, her faith crumbled, and nothing but the drive for justice propelled her forward. But after two years of dead-end searching, the truth Gracie seeks is the very thing her stalker will stop at nothing to hide.

Forgiveness Unlocks the Future

An FBI agent in the Crimes Against Children Unit, Steven Kessler spends his days rescuing other people’s children and nights caring for his son. He’s through with God, embittered by his ex-wife who abandoned them both, and definitely doesn’t expect what’s coming next.

The Past Is the Key

A plot to kidnap a British ambassador’s daughter dangerously intersects Steven and Gracie’s worlds–a collision that demands a decision. But are they willing to pay the high ransom required to redeem dreams and reignite hope?

Labels: CFBA

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Yowza! My heart went zing and popped today! I've just been spotlighted at The Bright Light Café Featured Talent hall of fame. And note this, they created a page just for me! YAy! What a pleasure to be welcomed into the elite section of creative talent!! You can check the page they've put up for me here:
http://brightlightmultimedia.com/BLCafe/ShowcasedTalent.htm

I'm so proud to say that one of the early poems I wrote in 2005 titled "Aurora" was narrated and recorded at The Bright Light Cafe. You can listen to the wonderful performance of this piece by the very talented Barbara Llewellyn by clicking the "PLAY" button below. (Don't forget to click the pause button on the mp3 player playing "Angel Tonight by Leigh Nash" located at the bottom left of this page to avoid sound interferences)




Aside from that, my Cebuano poem, "Ngano, Akong Pinangga?" was also picked from a pool of entries to be showcased at "Radyo Kalubihan", a local radio station here in the Philippines. Here's a completely raw version for your hearing pleasure.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Eating for longevity begins in the kitchen. You may be eating only organic, antioxidant-rich foods, but if you cooked your food on the toxic surface of your stovetop in a carcinogenic no-stick pan, you just might be doing more harm than good. Find out how to make over your kitchen for health and long life!

Cut the Grease Without the Toxins
When you are facing a stovetop with a buildup of baked-on grease, don’t turn to commercial oven and stovetop cleaners - that is like cleaning with poison.

Instead, try baking soda. Just sprinkle baking soda on your stovetop, let it sit for five minutes and then scour the surface with either steel wool or scrubber. For the stubborn spots that refuse to be removed, try spraying this mixture on: mix dishwashing liquid, borax, and warm water together; let it sit for 20 minutes, and then scour it.

Microwave: Nothing to Rave About
People in the U. S. think microwaves are an ingenious time-saving device and wonder how anyone ever lived without one. Think again!

Microwaves use super-fast particles to literally radiate the contents of water inside food and bring it to boil. Not only has microwave use been linked to causing infertility in men, but it also denatures many of the essential proteins in the food making them virtually indigestible.

If you must, use the low setting just to heat the foods. Or better yet, get a small toaster oven or steam oven and warm your foods. Take your time and warm up your food in a safe and healthy way.

Poisonous Pots and Pans
Are your pots and pans poisoning you? If you are using copper or aluminum cookware, they might be. These metals interact with heat and food, and leach into your diet; gradually these will accumulate in your body, sometimes reaching the point of toxicity.

Toxic levels of aluminum have been linked to memory loss, headaches, indigestion, and brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. High levels of copper can debilitate the immune system and enable cancer cells to proliferate.

After scouring with abrasives, even stainless steel can release small amounts of toxic metals like chromium and nickel. Nonstick pans - although convenient in the kitchen - contain Teflon, a plastic that in recent years has been linked to immune disorders and possible cancer conditions.

My suggestion is to use cookware with porcelain enamel coating or made of glass, cast iron, or lead-free, terra-cotta clay.

Bad News About Canned Goods
In today’s industrialized world, it is more important than ever to search out fresh food, as much for the health benefits of locally grown produce as for the health dangers presented by the alternative.

Canned foods, though easier to use than cooking from scratch, are a threat to your health. The substance bisphenol A, used to line food cans, is classified as an endocrine disruptor, a compound that can act like a hormone when it enters the human system.

Scientists have discovered that exposure to these chemicals can contribute to prostate cancer, breast cancer, cystic ovaries, and endometriosis.

I hope you receive the longevity rewards that come from making over your kitchen! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!


by Dr. Maoshing Ni

Monday, May 07, 2007

Here are some hunks to tempt you.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

On a Sunday during a waxing Moon, in the fourth hour of darkness:

Light a white candle and another candle of your favorite color. Place a pink rose in a vase of water next to the candles. Place two halves of an apple before the candles.

Sit quietly before the candles. Feel yourself surrounded by pink light. Breathe the light.

Take one half of the apple in your right hand. Pass the apple into your left hand.

SAY ALOUD:
I honor and love myself as a whole being.
I take delight in myself and I affirm
There is much love within me.

Eat the half of the apple in your hand. Leave the other half as an offering until the Moon is full. Blow out the candles.


Taken from "Simple Spells for Love: Ancient Practices for Emotional Fulfillment by Barrie Dolnick's"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"To acquire love . . . fill yourself up with it until you become a magnet."
--Charles Haanel, 1866 to 1949

Saturday, May 05, 2007

A dame that knows the ropes isn't likely to get tied up.

A hard man is good to find.

All discarded lovers should be given a second chance, but with somebody else.

An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises.

Any time you got nothing to do - and lots of time to do it - come on up.

Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.

Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.

Every man I meet wants to protect me. I can't figure out what from.

Give a man a free hand and he'll run it all over you.

Good sex is like good bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand.

He who hesitates is a damned fool.

I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond.

I'll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure.

I've been in more laps than a napkin.

Love thy neighbor - and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier.

Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution.

To err is human, but it feels divine.

Friday, May 04, 2007

SHORT STORY:

KT Publishing 8th Annual Short Story Competition
Theme - Open
Length - 2,000
Prizes - 1st $350, 2nd $175 & 3rd $100 (AUD)
Entry Fee - Only AUD$7.50 per entry
Entry form at http://www.ktp.com.au
or http://www.writingaustralia.com/comp.html
Open to entrants worldwide (submit via email).
CLOSES: 31 May 2007

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Post Road Magazine Writing Contest
Guidelines at
http://www.postroadmag.com/13/fiction/contest.phtml

~~~~~~~~~~~~
3rd Annual Sheldon Currie Fiction Prize
$2,400 in Prizes! Details at
http://www.antigonishreview.com/contest.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morrison House Hotel Short Story Contest
Details and entry form at
http://www.morrisonhouse.com/mrr-story/index.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tamarack Award Submissions
Official rules and entry guidelines at
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adirondack Life Writing Contest
Guidelines at http://www.adirondacklife.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~
2008 Thoroughbred Times Fiction Writing Contest
Guidelines at http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baltimore Review Short Fiction Competition
Guidelines at http://baltimorereview.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~
2007 Carter V. Cooper Memorial Prize
$1,000 plus publication.
Guidelines at http://www.ontarioreviewpress.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lilith Magazine's Fifth Annual Fiction Competition
Submission instructions at http://www.lilith.org/writers.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Fourth Annual Labyrinth Society Writing Contest
looking for short stories/fiction, essays/non-fiction and poems that reflect the many experiences available through the labyrinth. More than $1,000 in Prizes! Details and entry form at http://labyrinthsociety.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~
2008 Georgetown Review Contest
$1,000 and publication to the winningg short story, poem, or essay on the subject of redemption. Guidelines can be found at
http://georgetownreview.georgetowncollege.edu/grcontest.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michigan Literary Fiction Awards
Guidelines at http://www.press.umich.edu/fiction/


POETRY:

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Florence Poets Society's Annual Poetry Contest
Guidelines at http://florencepoetssociety.org/

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7th Annual Great Blue Heron Poetry Contest
$2,400 in Prizes! Details at
http://www.antigonishreview.com/contest.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Marlboro Prize in Poetry
Guidelines and entry form at
http://www.marlbororeview.com/mrcont.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lilith Magazine Poetry Prize
Submission instructions at http://www.lilith.org/writers.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quercus Review Poetry Series Annual Book Award
($1000 Stipend, Book Publication, & 50 Author Copies)
Guidelines at http://www.quercusreview.com


NOVEL:

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Third Annual Gival Press Novel Award
Guidelines at http://www.givalpress.com


ESSAY:

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Student Essay Contest
Guidelines at http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/

~~~~~~~~~~~~
aBetterEarth 2007 Spring Essay Contest
Apply Now! Deadline: May 11, 2007
Note: Essays for this contest must be submitted online at
http://www.abetterearth.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2007 aWorldConnected Spring Essay Contest
Guidelines at http://www.aworldconnected.org/default.asp

Thursday, May 03, 2007

A great article by Penelope Trunk...

Most of us will change careers at least three times in our lives. And most of us will be nervous at one point or another in the process.

Invariably, you're giving up the known to pursue the unknown. So, even if you hate your current career, it's still scary to give it up.

Five Steps to a New Life

I have a lot of experience in this arena. I've changed careers a lot, going from professional beach volleyball player to software marketer to entrepreneur to freelance writer. While I was doing that, my husband changed careers three times in five years.

Each change was different and difficult in its own way for both of us. But I've learned some tricks along the way to make career changes easier.

Here are five ideas to consider in your own career change:

1. Test things out before you make the leap.

You don't need to quit your current job to get started in a new career. Give yourself a chance to test things out. Try it on vacation or on the weekend. Try an internship -- there's no rule that says an intern has to be 19 years old.
It's very hard to predict what you'll like. Once you admit this and really try things out, you're much more likely to be accurate about what you're well-suited to do next.

The most effective way to make the very serious move of changing careers is to try out that career in a not-so-serious way. I've done this in the past, and I once discovered that I didn't end up liking the new career. This tactic can save you a lot of large missteps.

2. Talk about your change in a way that will make it happen.

When people ask you what you do -- or, even better, what you want to do -- you need an effective answer. Tell people what you're aiming to do and why it makes sense. This little speech is what will allow people to help you make that career change.

Laura Allen, co-founder of 15 Second Pitch, helps people figure out what to say when they want to make a career change. The key to answering the question "what do you do" is knowing yourself and knowing why you want to change. Once you know that, the pitch will come more easily.

3. Keep your significant other in the loop.

A career change is so emotionally and financially profound that it's practically a joint decision if you're living with a significant other. I learned this the hard way, when my husband changed careers.
As a career advisor, I had a lot of opinions about what he should be doing, but I didn't want to step on his toes so I tried to leave him alone to make the decisions himself. But I started getting nervous about the instability his choices might create.

There's a definite balance you need to strike between wanting to support your partner in chasing his or her career dreams, and wanting to maintain sanity in the relationship while the chase is on. Keeping your partner in the loop, not just about what you're doing but also what you're thinking, can go a long way toward creating a team feeling.

4. Make the change before you go nuts.

Most people hold out in a career until it's clear that it's not for them. All change is hard. We like to be stimulated and interested, but most of us don't like constant change. It's too stressful, so we find ways to avoid it.

The problem is that if you put off change for too long you compromise your ability to orchestrate it. I spent a lot of my career with the bad habit of letting myself bottom out before I made a big change, so take it from me -- the change is much harder to manage when you're operating from a place of desperation and exhaustion.

5. Downplay financial issues.

I write a lot about how you don't need a lot of money to be happy. In fact, research shows that you only need $40,000 to be happy, and that the rest of the money you earn has little impact on your happiness.

But Tim Ferriss takes this one step further. In his book, "The 4-Hour Workweek," he starts with the idea that time and flexibility are worth more in life than money. So when you think about if you can afford to make the change, think in terms of your net gain in time and flexibility rather than in money.
Anticipating the Risk

Career change is always risky. But if you have a good understanding of why you're leaving your current career and choosing the new one, the clarity can give you the strength to endure instability and uncertainty.

At some point, your self-awareness will make the career change your only viable alternative. Then it'll seem like a relatively low-risk move.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

(Harvest House 2007)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Chris Well is a member of the CFBA and founder of its sister organization, FIRST. He is an acclaimed novelist and award–winning magazine editor and has previously written the “laugh–out–loud Christian thrillers” Deliver Us from Evelyn and Forgiving Solomon Long (one of Booklist’s Top 10 Christian Novels of 2005). He has also contributed to 7ball, Infuze, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Chris and his wife live in Tennessee, where he is hard at work on his next novel.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

IT’S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD—WHICH COULD BE A PROBLEM...

Mark Hogan has it all. The job. The family. A position on the board at church. All he’s missing is a boat. Not just any boat—a 2008 Bayliner 192.

When Reverend Daniel Glory announces that the Rapture is taking place on October 17 at 5:51am, Hogan realizes his boat–buying days are numbered. So he does what any man in his situation would do—he borrows a load of money from the mob.

Not that there’s any risk involved: After all, when the Rapture comes, Hogan will be long gone. The mob will never find him.

But when Jesus fails to come back on schedule, Mark Hogan finds the mob is in no mood to discuss the finer points of end–times theology...

Chris Well’s laugh–out–loud Christian thrillers appeal to the millions of readers who gobble up the rollicking crime fiction of Janet Evanovich and Elmore Leonard. TRIBULATION HOUSE does not disappoint!

Labels: CFBA

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

It is May 1st, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour! The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and their book's FIRST chapter!