Books by Jack Phillips Lowe

The publication human race is so incredibly competitory nowadays, both aspirant and experienced writers who wish to win demand to do certain that their submissions—be that queries, proposals, partials or complete manuscripts—are arsenic flawless as they can possibly be. It travels without saying that these entries must be free of spelling and grammatical mistakes; that's only the beginning. Editors and agents pay attending to a batch of other inexpert errors in a submission. In this her up-to-the-minute book, award-winning author Carolyn Howard-Johnson uncovers what those other mistakes are, what you can do to descry them on your ms and, more than than importantly, right them.

Johnson demystifies how to descry hanging participles, elves of the inactive voice (which stubbornly maintain appearing after having edited your ms twice), and innocuous understanding errors, among other underhand jobs like overexploitation of adverbs and adjectives, gerunds, unneeded inquiry Marks and exclaiming points, handling possessives and apostrophes, hyphens, dual adjectives, and more.

You'll larn how to do the redaction procedure more effortless, including how to put up your Word programme to make markers easier, as well as manual and electronic techniques for spotting errors. The book also includes helpful sidebars with particularly of import information on all facets of ego editing. Samuel Johnson also discusses the most common inexpert errors authors often make. At the end of the book there is a chunky appendix with tons of to the point and relevant resources.

One of the things I establish more than interesting about this book is the 'inside' information from the point of position of assorted agents. I also believe Samuel Johnson gives very valuable advice when she urges NOT doing the concluding two edits on the computing machine screen, but on printed transcript instead. I particularly like the chapters on how to put up Word for optimizing the ego redaction process; I have got read many books on redaction but never came upon this practical component before. Moreover, Samuel Johnson composes in a friendly, engaging style, making the reading of this book both an gratifying and informative experience.

Ideally, hiring a professional editor is the best manner to go, but unfortunately, not every author have the resources to engage one. Getting a transcript of The Economical Editor and using it as a mention usher is the adjacent best thing. Highly recommended for writers who are serious about their work and willing to beat out the odds.

Following extended survey he had published respective books on similar phenomena. Fortean Times still travels strong to this twenty-four hours and includes numerous articles, accounts, and Fortean Times breakage news items. It is believed that Garrison was one of the first people to impute unusual visible lights to something other terrestrial.

Fortean Times Breaking News


The magazine itself have come up some manner since its early beginnings, as you would anticipate in over thirty old age of publication. Although, while the paper may be more than satin the content reserves much of its original attempts to inform us of unusual happenings. The Fortean Times breakage news subdivision incorporates an eclecticist premix of possible accounts for news narratives that have got appeared in the mainstream fourth estate to studies you are improbable to read elsewhere or see on your television. Strange deceases are published and causes often theorised and any possible sightings or omens also happen their manner into this veteran soldier magazine.

Fortean Times Feature Articles


Feature articles be given to take a deeper expression into one or more than organisations or beliefs. Former characteristics have got included full studies on cryptozoology sightings, possible cult rites and groupings around the world, and accounts for the previously unexplained. Profiles of particularly of import people in history are also covered extremely well within the pages of the Fortean Times magazine, although lone if they have got a nexus to anything unusual.

News And Reviews


The reappraisals subdivision incorporates reappraisals of related to stuffs from the black and white and ocular human race but not all are related to odd occurrences. There are books penned by cult members, movies chronicling mass homicides and the consideration of whether the liquidators believed they were guided by another force, and there are studies of Saint George Shrub and his traffic with large businesses. Whatever your penchants they will be met here. Fortean Times is also place to superbly animated sketches that history events and often have got got a shot at some of the more than mainstream thoughts regarding the issues that foot covers.Send Your Work

The Fortean Times magazine is actively looking for content all the clip and, as such, if you have a theory, a story, or anything that tantrums into the paranormal, strange, or odd class then purchase the magazine and contact the editor. The whole point of Fortean Times when it was released was to document and shop all the information of these events from around the world. This is your chance.

Fortean Times Review


Fortean Times covers every facet of the abnormal, the odd, the blatantly bizarre, and the paranormal. It can experience oddly like a measure into a scientific discipline fiction human race at times, but the content is all the better for that sense of engagement and immersion. If this is your sort of thing then Fortean Times is your sort of magazine.

Dog Training Ebook Reappraisal - SitStayFetch

We have got and breed Staffordshire Bull Terriers and with a sum of 5 domestic dogs in what is a VERY little house, you might conceive of that we have always been interested in domestic domestic dog preparation and dog preparation methods.

So being a Dog-lover Iodine first came across SitStayFetch while browsing on Clickbank and SitStayFetch appeared to predominate the Clickbank Dog Training section! Its lone major competition was from Dove Cresswell's Dog Training Online - another quality domestic domestic domestic domestic dog preparation system, but Dove Cresswell's system only had 30% of the Clickbank popularity!

And SitStayFetch is jam-packed with dog obeisance preparation information, including how to work out over 25 dog behaviour problems, real-life case studies, the best dog preparation techniques, an electronic mail audience with the SitStayFetch team, and tons of photographs that volition aid encouragement your learning

For the quite sensible spending SitStayFetch totally over-delivers with Bonuses! SitStayFetch supernumeraries include:

Bonus - SitStayFetch Audio Book

Bonus - A Quick Usher to Dog Aggression

Bonus - All The House Training Methods & Tricks

Bonus - Dog Training Made Easy

Bonus - Tips On Security Training Your Dog

Bonus - Secrets To Becoming The Alpha Dog

Bonus - Private Electronic Mail Consultation to Help You

Decide Your Specific Dog Problems

Do you have got got a generally disobedient dog?

Bashes your domestic domestic domestic domestic domestic domestic domestic domestic domestic domestic dog abash you in public?

Are you ill of inordinate biting, barking, whining, etc?

Are you ill of dealing with dog aggression issues?

Make you desire to cognize how to repair virtually any dog preparation or behavior problem?

Or, perhaps you just desire the best human relationship that you can possibly have with your dog...

SitStayFetch covers dog obeisance preparation fully and even replies your dog preparation questions, covering specific dog behaviour issues, like how to cover with a dog feeding crap or excavation or a dog that is scared of the tether and much more! And SitStayFetch travels manner beyond basic domestic domestic domestic dog training:

The Chapters of the SitStayFetch Ebook itself cover:

DOG 101: It's Type A Dogs Life

A. Dog Ownership and You

B. Selecting Your Puppy or Dog

C. Selecting a Breeder

D. Dog Groups

E. Responsible Ownership

F. Reappraisal of dog 101

DOG 102: Lovingness for Your Dog

A. Delivery Your Puppy or Dog Home

B. Diet and Nutrition

C. Canine Growth Stages

D. Toys for Your Dog

E. Safe and Fun Toys to Buy

F. Choosing Your Veterinarian

G. Reappraisal of dog 102

DOG 103: Training Methods Revealed

A. Types of Training

B. Secrets to Training Your Dog

C. Crate Training

D. Obedience Training and Age

E. Selecting a Dog Trainer

F. Reappraisal of dog 103

DOG 201: Secrets to Understanding Your Dog

A. Understanding Your Dog

B. Dog Senses

C. How Dogs Communicate Using Aroma

D. Usher to Body Language and Signals

E. Usher to Facial Expressions and Vocals

F. Wolf Instincts

G. Reappraisal of dog 201

DOG 202: Dog Problems Solved

A. Aggression Problems

B. Aggression: Treatment for Laterality

Lawsuit Study: Aggression with Strange Dog's

Lawsuit Study: Food Bowl Aggression

C. Barbed and Nipping

Lawsuit Study: Fear Biting

Lawsuit Study: Nipping and Hand Biting

D. Coprophagy (Poop Eating)

Lawsuit Study: Copropohagia

E. Chewing and Other Destructive Behavior

Lawsuit Study: Chewing and Destructive Behavior

F. Excavation Problems

Lawsuit Study: Excavation

G. Disobedience

H. Fear of the Leash

DOG 203: Commands to Begin

A. Come (Recall)

B. Sit Phase Iodine

C. "Okay" and "No"

D. "Hold" and "Leave"

E. "Sit" – Phase two

F. "Sit and Stay"

G. "Down" (Drop) – Phase Iodine

H. "Down" (Drop) – Phase two

I. "Heel" – Phase Iodine

J. "Heel" – Phase two

K. "Heel" – Phase three

L. "Stand"

M. "Wait "

N. "Seek" (Find)

O. Training Program

P. Reappraisal of dog 203

DOG 301: Dog Rustle Uncovered

A. Defining Dog Rustle

B. Dog Whispering: About the Method

C. Dog Whispering: Interventions

D. Dog Whispering: Corrections

E. Dog Rustle with Park Commands

F. The Trouble with Dog Rustle

G. Reappraisal of dog 301

DOG 302: Thomas More Dog Problems Solved

A. Two Dogs in the House

Lawsuit Study: Introducing a New Dog

B. Allergies

C. A Death in the Family

D. Bad Breath

E. Cat Pursuer

Lawsuit Study: The Cat and Car Pursuer

F. Flatulence

G. Fleas

H. Hot Weather and Heatstroke

I. Jealousy

J. Jumping on Furniture

K. Jumping on People

Lawsuit Study: Jumping Up on People

L. Separation Anxiety

Lawsuit Study: Separation Anxiety

M. Worms

N. Reappraisal of dog 302

DOG 303: Advanced Commands and Tricks

A. Advanced "Sit and Stay" Phase Iodine

B. Advanced "Sit and Stay" Phase two

C. More "Sit and Stay"

F. "Beg"

G. "Fetch" (Retrieve)

H. "Catch"

I. "Shake"

J. "Climb"

K. "Crawl"

L. "Jump"

M. "Roll Over"

N. Reappraisal of dog 303

I believe that SitStayFetch is probably one of the best basic dog preparation Ebooks on the cyberspace today, Iodine would even travel as far as saying that SitStayFetch is one of the best advanced dog preparation Ebok resources! So I can highly urge SitStayFetch to anyone looking to larn how to understand and have got the best trained domestic dog in the neighborhood!

What makes it take for an honorable adult male to acquire involved in something scrupulous?

Robert Principe's father is a industrious blue-collar man who set his boy through law school. In fact, he was so proud of Bobby that he hired a limousine to take the full household to his graduation. Grant you – it was not any law school – Columbia River University.

Most of Bobby's schoolmates got occupations at esteemed law houses and worked long hours. Bobby, on the other hand, decided to open up his ain law business office just a few blocks from where he grew up. Bobby thought he could depend on clients coming from the building concern where his father earned a living. Things did not travel as expected and Bobby was having a difficult clip trying to do ends meet.

To do substances worse, his married woman surprised him with the news that she was pregnant. What was he going to make now? Bobby always believed in the law and being honest. Now he was getting desperate.

Bobby contacted his first cousin Jackie who worked for the rabble helping them accumulate debts that were due. They came up with a program that involved fraud. Bobby would acquire his share and Jackie would acquire the money owed to the mob. Bobby decided he wanted out of this "arrangement" but when his sister came to dwell with him it meant having another individual to support. Maybe he can manage just one more than fraud lawsuit to assist out and then quit. There is one job – the rabble makes not like for you to quit! After respective false claims, the Federal Bureau of Investigation acquires suspicious.

Will Bobby be able to acquire out before it is too late? Are his life in danger?

All Iodine can state is "THIS IS ONE TERRIFIC BOOK". Dent Santora have written a novel that volition draw the reader in from the very first page and maintain them there until the very end. Dent Santora have written for "The Sopranos" and this should give us a hint as to how gifted he is as a writer. Bobby is a fictional character that you will wish even though he is getting involved in some bad states of affairs and you will almost experience bad for him. This is a fast paced book and makes not slow down. Be certain to add "Slip and Fall" to your reading list. It is one of the best books I have got read this year.

George Edalji (that's Ay-dal-ji, by the way, since Parsi name calling are always stressed on the first syllable) is the boy of a Staffordshire vicar of North American Indian beginning and his Scots wife. Saint George is thus a half-cast, to utilize the linguistic communication of his late-Victorian and Edwardian age. He's a diligent, if not too eminent a scholar. He is uninterested in sport, is of little stature and doesn't see too well. He kips with his father behind a barred door, is in bed by 9:30, goes a little town canvasser who develops an involvement in railroad train timetables and, by manner of bizarre diversion, prints a traveller's usher to railroad law.

Arthur Conan Doyle (later Sir Arthur) is born in Edinburgh, finishes medical school and generally accomplishes whatever undertaking he put himself, including becoming a human race celebrated writer. Despite the fact that he kills off his creation, the investigator Private Detective Holmes, ostensibly to give clip to undertakings of greater gravity, popular demand take a firm stands that he raise the fictional character from the dead. He makes this and return to bring forth even greater success than before. He marries happily twice and prosecutes and involvement in spiritualism, amongst other good causes.

Perhaps because of who they are, the Edalji household go the butt end of the political campaign of poisonous substance pen letters. When they complain, all they carry through is the focusing of additional unwanted attendings on themselves. When a series of ripping onslaughts on animate beings stays unsolved, George, somehow, goes the premier suspect. Convinced of his villainy, police, judicial system, expert witnesses, jury and fourth estate see him convicted of the law-breaking and sent down for seven years. Good behavior sees him released after three.

Sir Chester A. Arthur wishes to make good and takes up Saint George Edalji's case. He explores the facts, analyses the possibilities, tracks down neighbors and functionaries who have got been involved. He makes an option account of events and shows it to officialdom, seeking a forgiveness and compensation for George, who by this clip have transferred to Greater London to begin a new life. The two work force ran into and the incongruousness of their assumptive outlooks of life are as irreconcilable as they are irrelevant to their joint focusing on George's case. After functionary review, however, the Home Office Committee eventually reasons in an equivocal manner. Edalji was convicted of the law-breaking and the strong belief is declared unsound; but crucially he is not declared innocent. He is therefore establish not guilty but then not guiltless either and so not worthy of compensation. When, old age later, Sir Chester A. Arthur deceases and his associates phase a medium assemblage in his honor in the Royal Prince Albert Hall, Saint George is invited and attends, complete with field glasses lest he lose a item of the proceedings. The semblance of the event pulls him in and at one phase he experiences himself to be the Centre of attention, only to happen that it is a close miss. Most of the item mentions to himself and his father, but the world then points to another who is immediately identified.

But, paradoxically, the quiet Saint George Edalji and his Parsi (not Hindoo) father, Shapurji, were always the Centre of attending simply by being who they were. Even Sir Arthur, the son's eventual champion, states this in one of his letters when he composes that it was perhaps inevitable that a dark-skinned reverend taking a station in cardinal England would pulls other's attention of a sort that would seek to sabotage him, vilify him and effort to throw out him. The message is clear, that to be different from an assumptive norm is to ask for hatred, envy, favoritism and eventually ignominy. It is presented as a cosmopolitan assumption, an unwritten component of cosmopolitan common sense. Thus, as an intruder, the usual regulations of justness will never pertain, a world alluded to late in the book when George, scanning the Prince Albert Memorial with his binoculars, detects a statuesque incarnation of the conception of justness that is not wearing a blindfold.

What is eventually so distressing about Chester A. Arthur and George, however, is the realization that both fictional characters are outsiders. Saint George is put apart from his Staffordshire equals by his tegument coloring material and perceived race. Arthur, however, lives no humdrum life. He goes to private schools, measure ups as a physician and then goes an international famous person by virtuousness of his writing. He takes up minority causes and places with them but, despite his obvious discreteness from mainstream society, in his lawsuit his place is never interpreted as a menace or a handicap, obviously because the discreteness of privilege have a different currency from the discreteness of even relative poverty.

Now an abiding memory of my ain school history lessons was a text edition reproduction of a mid-Victorian cartoon of the cosmopolitan pyramid of creation. It had Supreme Being at the apex, immediately in touching via the saints with the Empress of Republic Of India and then, layered beneath in broadening courses of study were the nobility and aristocracy, the members of authorities and civil service, the professional social classes and merchants. The workings social classes could perhaps temporarily disregard their poorness in the consolation offered by knowing that they are a cut above members of all other races who, themselves, were just one up from the apes. It was not many more than layers down to the low animals, most of which slithered or crawled. Chester A. Arthur and Saint George ostensibly states us much about racism and racial favoritism in a society that was portrayed as the vertex of a worldwide empire, a celestial focusing for aspiration. It also states us about the powerfulness of given and have much to state very quietly and by suggestion about societal social class and its ability, especially in Britain, to legitimise difference as originality or eccentricity in some areas, differences which elsewhere would be threats.

What an amazing e-book this is! I just bought this book 2 day's ago and I have got got already made more than money than I could have ever dreamed possible! In Just the first 12 hours I was seeing the benefits of speedy and easy work! My hubby was thinking oh no, here we travel again, let's waste material some more than money on another cozenage selling program, but NO, not this time!! I'm really making money and he's seeing it and barbed his tongue! Maybe now he'll see, the possibilities are endless!

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Delicious Read … Highly Recommended … 5 stars

The Review

From McLennan County's Jim Lewis, judge, come ups a speedy and easy casserole. Mark Hopkins County stew, Cheese Dip from Hill County, and Tons from Ellis County border the reader into the kitchen. Yes, Gobs. Chad Adams, judge, offers what looks to be a certain victor of a cookie. I mean to seek them soon. Tons along with Cornbread Salad from Freestone County will look on our supper tabular array this approaching week. I cognize I can depend on Sheriff Ralph Billings' yummy salad recipe.

Taco Soup, Rotel, Fruit Filled Tortillas, Hummingbird Cake, and Banana Bread all usage ingredients establish in most pantries. Uncle Tom Green County's people Randy Swick offers Swick's Love Muffins, gems having cocoa bits as an ingredient are certain to be just that. Law Judge Aluminum Gerson Thomas Jefferson County and his formulas for Braised Doves, Chicken Pork Jambalaya, Italian Batter Friend shark bites and Quailgerson bespeak a adult male who wishes to cook, wishes to eat or perhaps wishes to make both. Bean Dip, Crayfish and Rice, Pretzel Salad, Jail Rolls, Chicken Normality Rice, Lasagna, I'm getting hungry. A Southern cookery book would not be complete with a formula for Pecan Pie, and I establish it: Jasper County Judge Joe Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson submitted his recipe. Apple Dumplings, Fresh Apple Cake, Aunt Jean's Coconut Pie, Rum Cake and from Kay Pearl Bailey Anne Hutchinson Cousin Susie's Perfective Fudge; this is one book for reappraisal that I will be keeping, and using.

"In 1999 the Historic Courthouse Preservation Program to supply grants to counties in demand of courthouse redevelopments was established. The Lone-Star State Judicial Cookbook is a culinary testimonial to these memorials of justness and leadership, fashioned by the custody of pioneering Texans. This digest of formulas from residing judges, former Judges and other state and county functionaries is enhanced by beautiful photos of these historical treasures."

Lone-Star State Judicial Cookbook is a spiral jump work of art. The recipes, 59, are the type I like most to see and use; household favourites which intends in most lawsuits the formulas are 1s household and children will eat, can be made from ingredients on manus and make not necessitate long hours of preparation. The copiousness of photos included is lovely. Courthouses built in a clip gone by when life was slower, beauty was revered and rotundas, stained glass and rock saving grace the constructions are deserving the terms of the book whether the purchaser is interested in the formulas or not. For a aggregator of cookery books this is a hoarded wealth treasure trove of beauty and recipes.

Sulphur Springs, Mark Hopkins County have one of the most beautiful of the courthouses included. The Romanesque Revival designing by Jesse James Riely Gordon was built in 1895. A two page spreading of images showing the edifice from respective views, stopping point ups and butterflies perched on flowers in from of the edifice are breathtaking. Judge Millsap's formula for fret is countervail with a close-up of the Courthouse tower as well as information regarding the designer and a short letter having historical involvement are included along with a photograph of justice Millsap.

The edifices run a gamut of Beaux-Arts, Classical Revival, Renaissance Revival, Second Empire, Lone-Star State Renaissance designings are a few of the designings brought to life by interior interior designers Jesse James Riely Gordon, Jaspar Normality Preston and Son, Henry Phelps are but three of the designers listed. It looks that Mr. Gordon is the interior designer designing more than of the constructions than any other.

Recipe ingredients include packaged bar mix, frozen pie crust, packaged tortillas, transcribed vegetables, Ramen noodles, transcribed soup, transcribed poulet broth, Bisquick, cool whip and pretzels. These are existent formulas provided by existent people to be used in existent places by busy workings folks. I like this.

I am both history fan and aggregator of cookbooks. Lone-Star State Judicial Cookbooksatisfied both cravings, and, unlike some cookbooks' Iodine have got earmarked a figure of these formulas to utilize with my family. I enjoyed reading about the assorted courthouses and screening the photographs of them nearly as much as I did reading the recipes. Meal clip should turn out 'Texas' for respective years to come up and will include salads, breads, main courses and desserts all made using these recipes.

I received a hardbacked transcript for review. Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend. Lone-Star State Judicial Cookbook will turn out to a ace improver to the personal kitchen cookery book shelf, as well as the reading listings for the place economic science teacher, extension coordinator and 4-H leader.

Reviewed by: Molly's Reviews

molly martin

Genre: Cookbook

Editor: Dennis Roentgen Lucretia Coffin Mott

Spiral-bound: 160 pages

Publisher: Ovation Books

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0979027527

ISBN-13: 978-0979027529

Amazon List Price $19.95 Price $13.57

Free Background Check Tutorial and the Ipooldata Method

The Ipooldata Method E-book on doing a free background bank check is so long you can't really cover it in such as a short article. All Iodine can really state is it was created to assist mediocre and center social class people who could not afford to make background bank checks on everyone they interviewed for babysitting and caretaker positions. This is a very existent job so i came up with a very existent solution. If you aren't willing to put a small clip to larn then this tutorial isn't for you.

There will never be a 1 halt store to conducting background checks. This is a fact. All of the databases you see on the cyberspace are uncomplete because of the updating procedure and the handiness of information. They are all commercially owned and can only sell you what they have got in their databases. Next to hiring a Private Research Worker and paying hourly reward the best thing you can make is make it yourself.

There are plenty of other people that could profit from the Ipooldata Method, if you necessitate to make a background bank check on new friends who will be around your kids, or lovers, I even speak about doing background bank checks on companies and contractors.

When it come ups to our children or our household we can't be to safe. Don't be satisfied with a free National Sexual Activity Wrongdoer Check, really acquire to cognize the individual that volition be disbursement so much clip with your kids. See

The twelvemonth is 1964. It was a clip when many people smoked, drugs were not often heard of, it was safe to take a walking at nighttime in most towns, living together anterior to matrimony was not acceptable and most people married before having children.



Balan, sat in the anteroom people watching. He was wearing a lawsuit he felt most comfy wearing, in his pocket was a gold pencil lighter. He was almost tall and almost handsome. It was another weekend away, another search, another resort. Now that Erika was gone Balan had been on a electrical circuit he loathed. All he really hoped for was to happen one miss with whom he might fall in love with.



Three old age out of college in 1952 Balan was pounding the paving looking for work as a writer, no 1 seemed to necessitate a writer. He wrote books and he wrote his drama Spring Never Returns, and that is how he met Erika. She read for a function in his play.



In 1906 Rachael Sarah Dauner was born in Hungary. When she was 15 she boarded a railroad train on the first leg of a journeying that was to transport her to America. Marriage, pregnancy, sorrow of abortion and finally Claude Bernard Alan Redfield was born. After a clip he was called Balan. And, from his earlier twelvemonth Balan loved rivers.



Two generations, family, friends that remained a long clip and others who stopped, shared a minute and moved on. Death, life, maturity, inquiries regarding his maleness and his Jewishness, in improver to hurt, feelings of licking and hurting are all presented on the pages of State Uncle.



Writer Globerman goes on to turn as a writer. On the pages of State Uncle he investigations Balan's mind so thoroughly that the reader is left with an acute perceptive of just what it is that brands him tick. Hopes, fears, sensitiveness as well as human relationships all are laid bare for the eyes of the reader in this fast paced, well written narrative. Balan is a complex fictional character who seeks to happen what he necessitates for himself despite the almost stifling devotion, aspirations and desires he experiences from friends and household as they at modern modern times nearly surround him and his alone charm.



Told in the first individual State Uncle is presented from the point of view of Balan; the narrative moves quickly to uncover an insightful, bright adult male who, as we all are, is buffeted at times by the events of his life. And as most of us, he is made stronger because of his life occurrences. Characters are strong, fully developed and convincing. Balan travels through many of the ups and down feathers of life as are experienced by us all. His battle to detect his ideal comrade is an enterprise most of us cognize and understand. The fervor, desires and wishings Balan possesses are the 1s we all face; moreover they are exactly why the book throws us in its clasp so securely. Dialogue is at modern times tough and gritty, nevertheless verbiage used is credible always.



Attention-grabbing read, happy to recommend. State Uncle is certain to involvement those who bask general fiction well written, not for everyone some graphical sex, some graphical language. State Uncle have a topographic point on the personal reading list, the high school library shelf and the public library.



I was sent a trade paperback book transcript for review.

Scrapbooking have long been a popular interest for many. I retrieve putting scrapbooks together when I was a child – and that's some clip ago!

Today with the assortment of scrapbook stuff available from supplies and via the internet, plus the ability to utilize your personal computer to make pages, scrapbooking have been taken to a whole new level. There are quite a few people now doing scrapbooking on a professional degree and I recently read a study that claimed that the scrapbooking marketplace as a whole was deserving up to $4 billion per twelvemonth in the United States alone!

It's not surprising that there are a growth figure of books on the topic in the increasingly popular ebook formatting and Isabelle's bravely titled "The Ultimate Scrapbooking Guide" is one of these.

A courageous statute title then, but makes she draw it off? Well up to a point yes. There are 146 pages which are packed with information – and not just from Isabelle. Interestingly from page 76 onwards she have enlisted the aid of a figure of other recognised scrapbooking writers. This section, "Think About Your Theme", have 21 articles from Audrey Okaneko, Lisa Fleming, Elaine Clay, Susie Cortright, Rachel Paxton, Dee Marle, Jessica Gerald, Susan Whitehead, Dawn Stegall and Fion Lim. The aggregation is quite unusual and it's nice to see other people's thoughts in the book, even if, from clip to time, those thoughts make overlap a little.

Before we acquire to this subdivision we have got a utile and enlightening introduction to scrapbooking and its history and then we acquire into the nitty-gritty with a chapter on photographs followed by others on stores and tools, getting started, getting thoughts and then scrapbooking techniques before the above-mentioned subjects subdivision which units of ammunition off the book. Throughout, Isabelle's authorship style is chatty yet informative. It's unclutter from early in the book that Isabelle is passionate and extremely enlightened about her subject.

If I have got got got a unfavorable judgment it's that despite the clear and concise advice there are no photos or images and I would have liked to have seen some illustrations of her work. Having said that, she makes offering a figure of cyberspace land sites which we can look at for additional inspiration.

At the clip of authorship she also have got a very particular offering available that I haven't seen elsewhere. In improver to this information-packed book you acquire a fillip publication "Creating Arresting Scrapbooks – 101 W. C. Handy Tips" and also an hr long recording of scrapbooking tips in MP3 format. Definitely on my "recommended reading" list.

Are you in business? Then you most certainly would wish to better your concern skills, but where is the clip to read or take courses.

Well, this is where audio books have got come up to play a very of import function in our lives. As a concern person, you can now utilize the astonishing value built-in in hearing to audio books. You won't have got to worry about not having the clip or will only be able to toss through the pages of a book and thought "I'll read that later" and later never comes.

Below are some of the best concern sound books:

The Carrot Principle – by Hadrian Gostick and Chester Elton.

The Carrot Principle uncovers the groundbreaking consequences of one of the most in-depth management surveys ever undertaken, showing definitively that the most successful directors supply their employees with frequent and effectual recognition.

Drawing on lawsuit surveys from leading companies including Disney, DHL, KPMG and Pepsi Cola Bottling Group, bestselling writers Gostick and Elton show how the transformative powerfulness of purpose-based acknowledgment bring forths amazing results. And they demo how great directors actuate employees to stand out by offering constructive congratulations and meaningful rewards, and in doing so accomplish higher:

• Productivity

• Engagement

• Retention

• Customer satisfaction

This exceeding program, certain to go a modern-day classic, shows the simple stairway to becoming a Carrot Principle director and to edifice a acknowledgment civilization in your organization. Following these simple stairway will do you a high public presentation leader and take your squad to a new degree of achievement.

The On-Time, On-Target Director – by Cognizance Blanchard

Ken Blanchard's phenomenal bestsellers, such as as The One Minute Manager® and Raving Fans®, have got made him a globally recognized concern legend. Now, he have joined with celebrated concern writer Steve Gottry to research one of the most common and insidious jobs plaguing the workplace -- procrastination.

The On-Time, On-Target Director states the highly recognizable narrative of Bob, a center director who be givens to set things off to the last minute. He loses deadlines, rationalizes, justifies, and seeks to explain. Luckily, British Shilling is sent to his company's chief executive officer -- a new sort of chief executive officer -- the "Chief Effectiveness Officer" -- who assists him cover with the three negative side personal effects of procrastination: lateness, mediocre work quality, and emphasis to himself and others. British Shilling larns how to defeat procrastination, and transforms himself into a productive On-Time, On-Target Director through the Three Phosphorus strategy.

With this piquant parable, Blanchard and Gottry undertake the job of cunctation head-on, offering practical schemes any professional tin immediately set into pattern to better his or her performance.

Beyond the Goal – by Eliyahu Meter Goldratt

Give yourself the present of a better, more than productive hereafter with the Your Coach in a Box series of affordable, life-changing self-help seminars on CD.

Each Coach in a Box life course of study authorises you to open up your head and spread out your apparent horizons under the counsel of a bestselling writer or set up personal development speaker. These are the subjects and instructors that achievement-oriented individuals have got long traveled 100s of statute miles and paid one thousands of dollars to hear, now made available to suit any agenda and budget. Whether you're at home, in your car, or on the treadmill, Your Coach in a Box turns those empty hours into clip you can give to your most valuable plus - you!

Stop wondering what you necessitate to make to acquire ahead. The accomplishments and success secrets you necessitate to attain your fullest possible are within your range presented by experts who have got demonstrated their ability to inspire, instruct and promote hearers to be their best.

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You're Hired – by Bill Rancic

Success intends something different for everyone. For Bill Rancic, it meant taking the things he loved - like coming up with exciting thoughts and never working a 9-to-5 occupation - and translating that into a profitable business. By the clip he was thirty, he'd achieved every end he put for himself by creating an online cigar company from abrasion and then using those net income to get a venture in existent estate.

Then an chance came by he just couldn't go through up-a competition to prove his ain personal thrust and street smartings against a talented pool of professional salesmen, marketers, and MBAs, where the award was working side by side with the maestro of the trade himself, Donald Trump.

Being on The Apprentice made Bill Rancic an nightlong celebrity. But his winning schemes were developed long before that, and in You're Hired, he utilizes illustrations from his ain life to turn out that the secrets of success can be establish within us all.

Sales – by Zigzag Ziglar

Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Shutting the Sale

Make 'Em State Yes!

All of us are involved in merchandising every day. Whenever we show a merchandise or a principle, inform a client, or instruct a child, we are engaging in the fine art of effectual persuasion. Let America's maestro of the fine art of merchandising explicate proven, practical gross sales techniques all of us can utilize every day. He supplies critical schemes for specific closes, hundred of gross sales questions, and tons of persuasion processes to assist everyone sell their ideas, or themselves. No substance what your age, gender, occupation, or lifestyle, these proved techniques from America's merchandising sense experience can work for you.

These 5 sound books can make a batch for your concern and calling if you take the clip to listen to them, and use what you will larn therein to your concern and career.

Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins' book Are We Living in the End Times? directly confronts current world events and comments on biblical prophecies made thousands of years ago that clearly mirror many of the events of our time. Written in layman's terms, with a flowing style and chronology, this is a book interested readers can burn through in a couple of hours. Breaking down the events of The Great Tribulation, the book reads like the non-fiction version of the authors' popular fiction series, Left Behind.

The book is divided into three parts: context, events, and personalities. The opening chapters explore the context of current events in relation to biblical prophecy, while providing a background on the unfailing accuracy of the Old and New Testament prophets and their predictions. The second part of the book catalogues the many events of the Tribulation, starting with the coalition of invading forces that set themselves against Israel (Gog and his hordes) as well as the Rapture, while ending with the last rebellion against God and the subsequent Glorious Appearing of Christ. The third and final part of the book analyzes the personalities of the age - Satan, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, the Two Witnesses, and the Tribulation Saints and Martyrs.

Every student of end-times bible prophecy, whether a novice or the most seasoned of scholars, will find some merit in reading this book. Exciting and informative, it will open your eyes to the realities confronting our generation and present new and innovative ways of viewing God and the world in which we live. If seeing Israel in the news night after night has peaked your interest, read this book and learn more about why such events are not mere coincidence, but rather part of a divine plan that been unfolding for thousands of years.

What's on the Other Side of the Rainbow?


By Carla Jo Masterson


Illustrated by Omra Jo Fochtman


Harmony Soup, Inc.


ISBN: 1-59975-228-X, 978-1-159975-228-0


Copyright 2006


Children's Picture Book

Feelings. What are feelings?


Where do they come from?


What are they for?

These are the questions answered in this lovely picture book by author Carla Jo Masterson.

The story begins when Mr. Positively, a fantasy, dream-like being who inhabits the rainbow and who could be viewed as God, invites children to follow him through the colors of the rainbow in a journey of self discovery. Love, anger, laughter, shyness, fear, sadness, friendship, joy—these emotions are examined as the children move from one color of the rainbow to another.

The author uses repetition techniques for rhythm and cadence and a combination of rhyme and free verse. The surrealist illustrations in soft pastels create a nice splash across the pages and complement well the serene, almost spiritual tone of the story. This is an unusual book that invites young readers to self retrospection.

What's on the other side of the rainbow? The reader will have to buy the book to find out! Suffice to say it's a magic rule that everybody should know and every child should understand from a young age. A book that isn't only a fun story, but one that leads to parent-child bonding and spiritual growth, What's on the Other Side of the Rainbow? comes highly recommended from this reviewer.

Note: This is a review of the ebook version.

If you are a writer and you want to keep from making mistakes in your writing which make you look foolish may I please be so bold as to recommend "Write Right!" The Revised Edition by expert writer Jan Venolia. This wonderful "desktop digest of punctuation, grammar, and style is indeed something every author should have available every time they write.

If you want to write right, right now then you need "Write Right" by Jan Venolia. You might be surprised that this handy writer's reference has sold nearly half a million copies and has assisted many a writer, write right. I like Write Right! for the punctuation pointers, sentence mechanics, and grammatical guidelines. You will enjoy the information on style, confusing word usage and a jam packed appendix on nearly everything you need to know to write right.

In the Introduction: "Please Read This First" Jan is very careful to help you understand that our language is always changing and with it what is and is not acceptable in writing. There are countless examples of these changes in this book, as well as do's and don'ts to help your writing. As the number one online article author in the World, I cannot thank Jan enough for this book and only wish I had, had a copy much sooner.

If you are a writer who edits their own work and could use a little re-fresher course on the subject, then I highly recommend "Write Right!" to help you write correctly, immediately. This book makes an excellent edition to your reference collection and an awesome book for the writer in your family. Consider it.

There is a firebug out there. This firebug is trying to kill those loved by Shannon Flannery in a mean, sadistic way. Shannon feels like the world is closing in on her and she doesn't know if she is next on this killers list or not. Shannon love animals. She boards horses and trains dogs for search and rescue operations wherever needed. When Shannon awakes to the smell of smoke, looks out, and sees her barns and stables with fire and smoke pouring out of them, she runs to do all she can to save her horses and dogs.

Travis Settler has a young daughter he and his now deceased wife had adopted. Travis wants to find the true birth mother of this daughter. Clues lead him to Shannon's area. Travis is "stalking" Shannon's house when the fire breaks out. Even though he did not want to let Shannon know who he was and what he was doing near her house, he ran to assist in rescuing the animals, beginning a good friendship and giving him the opening to obtain information about Dani, his daughter.

Dani, had gone online to try to find out for herself who her real mother was, alerting Shannon that her daughter was active in this search. Many members of Shannon's family had disappeared or been supposedly killed over the past several years so she was getting frantic to end this killing and find the firebug that was getting too close to her. Shannon had been suspected of killing her former husband but there was not enough proof to arrest her and prosecute her.

Shannon's brothers are very secretive in keeping information from her and she becomes more suspicious as she wonders what they were up to. She wants to build a new farm for her and her animals so she could increase the dogs she could train. Her relationship with her brothers gets very uncomfortable. Eventually she meets Travis but she has no knowledge what he is in the area for and he would not discuss much with her.

I found "Fatal Burn" to be excellent in writing style and in keeping the readers interest solidly into the story. The suspense keeps you on edge and the book has many of the usual twists and turns. It is a page-turner you will enjoy if you like mysteries. I have an interest in most any fire or arson stories I can find. "Fatal Burn" is better than most I have read but it just is not about the fire aspect that makes it so terrific.

The traditional Chinese tale was about a tiger - a tiger and a fox. But, as Donaldson soon discovered, nothing rhymes with "tiger". And as she writes in verse, that had to go.

Silly old Fox! Doesn't he know,
There's no such thing as a...

And so the Gruffalo was born.

Donaldson looks for traditional tales everywhere, especially trickster ones. Most of her picture book stories are based on these, or alternatively on some natural phenomenon which she springs unexpectedly upon us. In Monkey Puzzle Butterfly keeps locating different, highly unlikely animals for the little monkey who has lost his mum, because "None of my babies looks like me"– oh, of course! we exclaim.

She says she finds her verse, which looks so easy, "agonizing" to write. But once the first draft is done, then she enjoys the polishing – the "tweaking". She is widely known, and much awarded, for her rhyming picture books, but now she is writing for slightly older children as well. And again calling on the traditional tales.

Princess Mirror-Belle comes out of the mirror. She looks just like quiet Ellen, but she behaves completely differently. She is imperious, demanding, self-opinionated – just as fairy tale princesses are wont to be. And she makes all sorts difficulties for Ellen.

She make problems for Donaldson too, because the two girls together have to be kept out of the way of Ellen's family (who think Ellen just has an imaginary friend). Donaldson has to devise places where Ellen can believably be alone, or with people who won't report back to her family - a hospital, a friend of a friend's Christmas party, a trip to the beach with grandparents. Most of the incidents involve elements of a traditional princess tale, such as sleeping for years, or a magic golden ball.

These episodic chapters are just the right length for a bedtime story – a genre of which there are too few written at the moment. The Giant and the Joneses is longer, and a continuous story – maybe a good one as a first full read-aloud-at-bedtime novel, or an early read-yourself one.

In this, the giant girl, Jumbeelia, has a fascination with the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. One day she throws some beans over the cloudy edge of the giants' kingdom and, lo and behold, a beanstalk does grow! She descends, and collects three children (the Joneses), a sheep and a ride-on lawn-mower from the miniature land she finds below. Back at home at the top of the beanstalk, she puts them all in the doll's house, and enjoys looking after them – for a while. Eventually she gets bored and swaps them with her older brother. When he isn't seeing how well they can drive a toy truck into a wall he neglects them completely. They must find their way home. The point of view changes between the children and the giants. Donaldson loved Mary Norton's The Borrowers as a child, and this was an influence

Donaldson also calls on her own children's behaviour. One son was a collector. Another had a friend who lived in the wardrobe behind the mirror and could come out through it. She points out that people often want to know what's behind the mirror, but she doesn't know. Possibly everything Mirror-Belle says about her world is true – castles, magic slippers, flying horses, the lot!

She enjoys the sort of fantasy that involves real children in their real world, with just one magic item (like Edith Nesbit's) – "what if?" stories. She's not interested in creating complete imaginary worlds like Tolkien's. It's the delight of what happens when magic comes unexpectedly into our world that fascinates her, just as her ideas fascinate both girls and boys (pity about the pink and purple covers on Mirror-Belle!)

I met "Dr Gruffalo" - her medico husband Malcolm – who acts the Gruffalo in their touring performances. He is the only person I've met to whom the common literary description "twinkly-eyed" actually applies. In Germany they toured with her illustrator Alex Scheffler – he acted as well, doing parts in German. I wish I could see them perform – but on her website http://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/poems.htm there is a clip of her singing one of her songs. And you'll see what a delight she is too – take a look!

Building your spiritual home…do you do so with sticks and mud or brick and mortar? Do you do so on a weak foundation of sand or a solid base of rock? Nathan Lambshead's book, "Withstanding the Storm" explains how he is building his, wall by wall.

The subtitle of this book is "Becoming the Christian You Were Meant to Be." It is basically a letter from Nathan, describing his struggles to do just that and offering guidance for Christians to follow. Unlike many other books on religion, it does not condemn other beliefs, nor try to sway non-Christians. Its target audience is already Christian…those seeking to build a spiritual home in the soul.

Nathan's foundation is not really rock, but the word of God. His walls are not brick but are Thanksgiving, Worship, Grace and Tithe. His roof is Fellowship. His guidance to readers comes through telling his story and recognizing that some church goers are just going to church, not learning to build their spiritual home through the lessons learned there. There is a difference in being thankful for happiness and being thankful for the lessons gone through to get to happiness. There is a difference in worshipping God and worshipping the church or pastor. There are actual examples from life in this book, a testimonial of Nathan's spiritual house building.

The tone is light and friendly, as a real letter would be. The sequence of unfolding his tale and lessons learned is perfectly laid out. Nathan gets his point across and has written an enjoyable piece. He sees how some might be feeling while sitting in the pew, because he may have felt that same way, and he reaches out in understanding. "Withstanding the Storm" is a heartening yet challenging examination of what might be going on in a reader's own life. Well done.

Withstanding the Storm


by Nathan Lambshead


ISBN-10: 1598864076


Review by Heather Froeschl

Worried about getting sued? It's a legitimate fear, and you might think that your first line of defense is to own your assets in judgment-proof entities. That's a valid and recommended strategy, but even though ownership is an important element of an effective asset protection plan, the best way to avoid paying judgments, along with substantial legal fees, is to avoid disputes and the often-resulting lawsuits. Attorney Andrew A. Caffey offers step-by-step advice in Stay Out of Court! The Small Business Guide to Preventing Disputes and Avoiding Lawsuit Hell (Entrepreneur Press, 2005).

Caffey begins with a look at what he calls the civil lawsuit, sue-for-profit industry and its complex financial impact. He writes: "Business and professionals take the brunt of punishment in this out-of-control civil litigation game. The fear of being sued has invaded every aspect of our people's lives."

Of course, getting sued doesn't necessarily mean you'll end up in court—in fact, chances are you won't. According to Caffey: "Statistically, the vast majority of lawsuits never make it to trial. Estimates suggest that 90 to 95 percent of court filings are resolved, dismissed, abandoned, or settled without getting to a final judgment by the finder of fact (either the judge or a jury)." But you don't have to go to court to spend a bundle on legal fees and other costs.

Caffey blames the proliferation of lawsuits on what he calls victimhood and a culture that has shifted away from personal responsibility and accountability. It follows that if someone is a victim, then someone else should be punished and made to pay.

The solution, Caffey believes, begins with improving relationships through communication and conflict resolution. He says the first step in resolving a conflict is to take a "we" not "you vs. me" attitude. The next step is to put the conflict in perspective by reframing it in context with your overall relationship with the other person. Next, Caffey recommends gentle confrontation, which uses non-threatening questioning and active listening to enable the parties to share their views of the conflict. Identify the other side's needs and locate your overlapping shared needs. Then you are in a position to find mutually beneficial solutions, reach a settlement, and put that settlement in writing.

Caffey says you should never totally turn a dispute over to an attorney for handling: "The moment when one party to a dispute yields direct involvement and puts the dispute into the hands of the lawyers is the moment when the lawsuit happens." Stay personally involved in the dispute to make sure your best interests are being considered and protected.

The sound advice on negotiating Caffey offers can be used for more than avoiding litigation—the techniques can be applied to all relationships and situations. For example, he recommends saying "yes" whenever possible, but if necessary, qualify the "yes" with an "if." Caffey writes: "Using the big IF in negotiating is an important habit to develop. It allows you to say yes, but it is always qualified. It says, 'I am willing to give on this point, but I want you to give something back to me for it.'"

Caffey offers excellent advice on how to use contracts to stay out of court and explains various dispute resolution processes, along with suggestions on providing warnings, notices, and cautions. He also explains how to apologize without accepting liability.

Using layman's terms and sense of humor, Caffey has written a book that entertains while it delivers some of the most valuable asset protection and personal relationship advice you'll ever receive.

Now in audiobook form, George Orwell's classic novel can be heard on your ipod as you jog or on a CD as you commute to work. 1984 remains one of the classic dystopian novels and wrestles with issues that are still of critical importance even today. This novel centers around the protagonist Winston Smith, who is a low ranking member of the ruling party in Great Britain, where this novel takes place. The party is led by a seemingly all knowing, God-like figure simply named "Big Brother" who is never actually seen.

Winston works for the Ministry of Truth, an ironic yet politically appropriate name as his job is to rewrite history in order to fit the party's need. In other words, they turn propaganda into widely accepted "truth." Winston becomes disenchanted, and is afraid that he is committing "thought crimes" for which he will be caught and punished. He eventually begins an affair, using sex as a political act to challenge the status quo, even if in secret, before being caught and punished.

1984 is as relevant today as it was when written. One of the three greatest dystopian novels centered around political themes (A Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 completing the trinity), Orwell's focus is on the danger of an overly conservative government that is granted far too much power to fight a war which may or may not even exist, and if it does, probably was produced. This book focuses on the danger of totalitarianism, on how psychological control can lead to physical control, how "truth" can be distorted into propaganda and enslave us all.

Although the prediction of the year 1984 was off, today's world seems inundated with the very things Orwell was warning against. From being able to watch news channels that tell you want you want to hear, not what's actually happening, to political strategies constantly using double speak and rewriting history, the world which Wells feared is one that every generation needs to be aware of, for that's the only way every generation will be able to maintain its freedom.

Along side the human race live vampires -- humanoids who became extinct during the Pleistocene era and have been resurrected by modern science. Their predatory habits are kept in check, but their special DNA and vast intelligence aids humanity as it ventures into space.

On February 13, 2082, a shower of lights fills Earth's sky. The media dubs them Fireflies. They prove to be a signal from an alien source. An exploratory ship is prepared and sent to search for its origin. A crew assembles and includes the story's narrator the synthesist Siri, a scientist decked out with extensions so grand he hardly looks human, Communications expert Susan James whose brain carries 4 personae, Major Bates the only military member, and the vampire Sarasti, commander of the mission. No one dares challenge his authority! Except for one at a crucial moment.

Their ship Theseus takes them past the edge of our solar system to meet up with a species both belligerent and smart. The crew is on their own. There is no contact with earth from this distance, But their is contact with the nightmarish alien ship which Siri, describes thusly,

Imagine a crown of thorns, twisted, dark and unreflective, grown too thickly tangled to ever rest on any Human head. Put it in orbit around a failed star whose own reflected half-light does little more than throw its satellites into silhouette. Occasional bloody highlights glinted like dim embers from its twist and crannies; they only emphasized the darkness everywhere else.

It is huge, and it is growing fueled by particles from the giant, dying sun it orbits.

Susan James uses her communication skills to ping the other ship. It quickly answers and dubs itself Rorschach. A friendly exchange turns ugly as Theseus approaches. Rorschach warns -- stay away! Sarasti ignores the warnings, and as soon as it is feasible he has the crew takes a shuttle down to Rorschach. The nightmare escalates.

Watts's descriptions of the most technical subjects is sheer poetry. Each character is fully formed and reacts believably to the most bizarre situations. Siri makes difficult but important adjustments within himself in order to survive ever changing scenarios. The author has crafted an imaginative first contact, space adventure all the while educating the reader with a fascinating blend of philosophy, psychology, evolution, quantum mechanics, astronomy, and so much more. Quite a feat, Mr. Watts!

Blindsight by Peter Watts. Tor, 2006.

Happily Married with Kids

By Carol Ummel Lindquist, Ph.D.

$14.00/trade paperback

Berkley Publishing Group

With 25 years of experience in marriage counseling, a husband and two children of her own under her belt, Dr. Carol Ummel Lindquist is an expert when it comes to making a marriage work—with or without kids. Her recent book, Happily Married with Kids is a step-by-step guide to transforming the fantasy of a perfect marriage into a reality.

"The current high standards for parenting lead to low standards for marriage," says Lindquist. "The irony of these contrasting standards is that having a healthy marriage is a great gift for your children and yourself." Her goal is to educate parents, happily married or otherwise, on how to develop and maintain relationships that will benefit their entire family.

In Happily Married with Kids, Lindquist teaches moms and dads to avoid "the real parent trap" of exhaustion and disruption, manage conflicts and improve communication with spouse and children, stay best friends with their spouses, balance work and family, enjoy their kids—and each other—at any age, revive their sex life, find humor in everyday difficulties and make time for themselves and their marriages.

Each of the book's four sections sections is divided into chapters that deal honestly and warmly with different aspects of marriage and parenting, such as developing a marriage support system in "Support Networks: It Takes a Village to Shelter Your Marriage," getting to know your spouse again after the birth of your children in "Who Is This Person I Married?" handling separation due to work or other stressors in "When One Parent Travels" and disagreeing without hurting each other in "Fight Like the Windows Are Open."

Summaries and bulleted lists in every section and boldface subject headings in each chapter break up the text into digestible chunks. A sprinkling of comic strips and personal stories from Lindquist's family and her counseling experiences make the book conversational and add some humor to a subject that makes many couples tense; you'll want to keep it on the bedside table or enjoy it in the morning over coffee—and engaging enough that it will draw in even the most reluctant reader.

Where most self-help books suggest major behavioral overhauls, Lindquist recommends small changes and goal-setting with your partner to reduce tension and increase communication over time. In the first chapters Lindquist says that one of the most important things you can do for your marriage is to make sure you and your spouse have 20 minutes of uninterrupted talk time or cuddling every day as well as some "date time" every week.

She also suggests that couples set aside separate "staff time" to work on family issues weekly, monthly and quarterly without cutting into your special time together. Lindquist even includes worksheets to help you and your spouse get started on confronting conflict and making family decisions.

In addition to sharing her own wisdom and experiences in every chapter, Lindquist refers to books she has read on marriage and parenting. After the last chapter, she includes a comprehensive list of books, articles, videos and websites she recommends, including the ones she mentioned in the text.

Lindquist's tone is light and entertaining which gives it a down-to-earth approach to marriage; Happily Married with Kids is a book that's never preachy and consistently encourages couples to try new things and seek other resources. A happy marriage doesn't have to be just a fairy tale anymore. Lindquist proves it's possible to make the transition from partnership to parenthood without losing the intimacy you and your spouse share—and shows couples how to regain closeness and repair relationship damage at any level.

Sidebar

In Happily Married with Kids, Dr. Carol Ummel Lindquist highly recommends these books:

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families: Building a Beautiful Family Culture in a Turbulent World by Stephen Covey and Sandra Merrill Covey

Seven Principles to Make Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert by John Mordechai Gottman and Nan Silver

The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman

Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples by Harville Hendrix

The Divorce Remedy: The Proven 7-Step Program for Saving Your Marriage by Michele Weiner Davis

When bartender Billy Wiles finds the note tucked under his windshield wiper asserting that the choice to act or not to act will lead to someone's death, he figures it for a prank. His friend, an off-duty police officer, agrees. But six hours later, someone has been brutally murdered. So begins Dean Koontz's novel Velocity, and Billy's search for a diabolical killer.

Once again, Koontz has written a fast-paced novel that keeps the reader glued to the pages. At first, Billy must choose whether to involve the police, for which he has a guarded mistrust, or not. In doing so, he determines the category of the next victim, for as one note states, a "young mother of two" will die if the police are involved. If Billy avoids the cops, however, the killer will target a "single, middle-aged man no one will miss much." As the murders progress, however, Billy becomes more and more involved. Ultimately, he learns that evidence linking him to each murder exists, and he winds up covering up for the killer to keep himself out of the hotseat.

At the same time, Billy seeks to protect his comatose fiancée from the insanity around him. Surprisingly, the murderer reveals details to him about his loved one that Billy had missed, opening up her world to him and making him more determined to hang on to her. Although he had been out of touch with the world around him, although he had no friends but only acquaintances, Billy learns to let others into his life. By the close of the novel, he has reattached himself to the world he had previously dismissed.

As the novel progresses, we learn more information about Billy and why he is so determined to keep out of the police radar. The killer – or "freak", as Billy terms him – plays sick games, even calling the cops from Billy's house, keeping the bartender on edge. Ultimately, the two confront each other in a standoff before the grisly remains of previous victims, and wind up chatting amiably. Koontz will always surprise his readers.

Koontz keeps the reader gripped to the novel in a ferocious page-turner that hooks from the beginning. His witty, off-beat sense of humor and ability to create tension draw you in and keep you reading. The characters are realistically created, if not somewhat scary to behold, and the details are vivid in intensity. Velocity is yet another Koontz must-read.

Whilst I was searching through the most popular fitness/fat-loss e-booksavailable online - I ran into a book by the name of - Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle. This book seemed to be getting a lot of reviews from others as the best fitness book available, a book by a natural bodybuilder by the name of Tom Venuto.

Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle is a fitness E-book created by a bodybuilding champion by the name of Tom Venuto. This book attempts to teach people all the aspects of losing weight, whilst gaining muscle. Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle has been called the greatest fitness book ever. With this kind of serious hype, I decided to look into it. I wanted to see if it really lived up to its amazing reputation. I have been bodybuilding for many years now as well as being a fitness freak, so I wanted to see what real information was in this book.

My Review on Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle --

The Book -

Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle is an impressive 340 page book. The book is full of informative writing and has some tables. Not even one picture. So there is a lot of reading to do if you want to read everything covered to use it tothe best of your advantage. I would advise printing it all out, as it would drive you crazy reading it all off your screen.

What does Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle contain?

Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle contains 17 chapters - a conclusion - and an appendix page.

Each of the sections are broken down into smaller sections, which makes it easier to read, although it is a very large book.

Here is an overview of the book -

First Section - Introduction -

In this section, the author stresses the importance of some particular principles such as - quick fixes, weight loss is not the same as fat loss and though the book is not just about loosing fat, but it is about making people healthier.

Second Section - Setting Goals, Strategies and Motivation -

Goal setting is of course one of the major important things in reaching what you want with your health and fitness. Tom Venuto has done a great job in expressing the art of setting a goal so that it will work so much better for almost anybody.

Third section: Body Types and how to identify what you need -

Tom Venuto breaks down how people have different body types. Most people assume that almost everyone's body will react the same, well its an easy assumption, since we're all human, this book however stops that idea right away.

Fourth Section - Meal Frequency and Macro Nutrients -

This section talks about how many meals to eat as well as the relationship between protein, carbohydrates and fats to have a good diet that you can live with for life.

I will not go into more details, but I hope this gives you a good picture of the type of information that this book conceals.

Tom lists 5 Bonus Materials:

BONUS #1: Foods That Burn Fat.

BONUS #2: Foods That Turn To Fat.

BONUS #3: The A food B food lecture: How to get good grades on your food choices.

BONUS #4: FREE Updates to the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle e-book. (Value: At LEAST $197.00).

BONUS #5: Free subscription to the Burn The Fat Clients-Only Newsletter and The Burn The Fat Weekly Fat Loss Tips E-Zine

Tom also offers you an 8-Week No Risk Money Back Guarantee, which convinces me that he is confident you'll benefit from his book.

You can read my full review and findings on http://www.the-ultimate-solution.net/burnthefatfeedthemuscle.html

Burn The Fat Feed the Muscle Review

Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer is probably the most well-known of the professional-quality home juicers available on the market today, certainly due in no small part to the ageless wonder himself, well into his ninties, Jack LaLanne. This product, which complements his well-known belief in juicing, is a smart product well worth a look. The benefits of juicing are well-known, including a fast and easy way to get your daily nutrients without having to sit down to a meal, as well as being able to get your full allotment of fruits and vegetables without having to choke down one more piece of raw celery! You can fashion yourself a tasty smoothie instead that combines some of your faves into a healthy, quick concoction! Let's look at some of the benefits of Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer.

Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer, known also as the original juicing machine, is well up to the task of providing you with daily juices and ease of operation as well as easy cleaning. make sure you don't delay too long in cleaning the unit after use, however, as the plastics in it can stain if left for a long time.

Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer features a smooth, quiet operation, delivering up to 30% more juice than other juicers on the market. The surgical quality stainless steel blades liquefy fruits and veggies in seconds, and the blades last for about one year given normal household use. If you do a little pre-cutting on your more tough-skinned foods, and making sure to remove hard pits and seeds, your blades will last even longer. Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer can do lots of heavy lifting, but it's not an industrial appliance. You wouldn't want to tow your trailer with your Corvette, now would you?

Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer comes with an extra large feeder which can accommodate most fruits and vegetables, with a very large detachable pulp collector, which is perfect for use in salsas, sauces and items such as zucchini breads and the like. It also comes with a 39 -page instruction/recipe book if you're short on ideas. Oh, the unit is also dishwasher safe! Jack LaLannne's Power Juicer will even shut itself down if overheating thus saving it's own motor and expense on your part.

Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer is a marvelous addition to a healthy, nutritious lifestyle that will serve you well for many moons. Look what it's done for Jack LaLanne!

Michele VanOrt Cozzens is a former journalist with a long history as a reporter, editor, and, newspaper columnist. She has two previous books released "I'm Living Your Dream Life: The Story of a Northwoods Resort Owner," and "The Things I Wish I'd Said." Michele, along with her husband, Mike, and two daughters ,Willow and Camille, owns and operates a family vacation resort in northern Wisconsin where they spend their summers. The family spends the remaining nine months in Tucson, Arizona.

Juanita: Welcome to Reader Views Michele, and thanks for the opportunity to talk with you about your compelling novel "A Line Between Friends." Michele, after writing two nonfiction books, why did you decide to write your first novel?

Michele: Hi Juanita. I appreciate your interest in my work. I'm often asked why I decided to cross over from non-fiction to fiction. The decision was simple. Working as a feature writer, a columnist and editor during my journalism career always required one consistent thing: getting to the truth. Writing fiction allowed me, for the first time, to just make things up! It was a like having a license to lie. And it was alarmingly easy.

Juanita: Why this particular story?

Michele: This story is based on something that happened to me. I had a male friend in college and we had the same major, so we studied together a lot. After graduation we went our separate ways, but stayed in touch mostly through Christmas cards and birthday phone calls. That was it. He got married, I got married, he sent a birth announcement or two, and then I sent a Christmas card when I was pregnant with my first child. And in response I received a really terse letter telling me to stay out of his life. I read it over and over trying to figure out why he wrote it, but it kept coming down to the same thing. He felt our continued correspondence, as innocent and inconsequential as it was (at least to me), was unfair to him and to his wife. Clearly this guy had a different idea about our relationship than I. When I showed the letter to my husband, he explained to me that "guys have a different way of looking at platonic friendships than girls," and that I should probably just let him go. So I did. But it bothered me. It made me feel like I was 'the other woman' or something, and I didn't like that label. This is why I decided to transfer all my feelings onto two made-up characters with different backgrounds yet similar circumstances. I thought if I could solve the puzzle for the two of them, I could answer a few of my own questions as well.

Juanita: Would you tell us about your two main characters Joel Rolland and Noelle Moncada?

Michele: First of all, I am NOT Noelle. She is far prettier (and taller) than I am, and I don't necessarily agree with the assessments she makes of her relationship with Joel. She also walk(ed) in the shadow of a brilliant older sister and lost her father when she was only eight years old. I grew up in a house filled with kids and my father died only recently, at the age of 86. As I was writing the characters I identified a lot more with Joel. Joel was the mystery to me, so I had to get to know him and like him. Ultimately, he's a lot like my best friend, the man who happens to be my husband. My husband was a wonderful consultant—not only because I made Joel a stockbroker and that was my husband's trade, but also, because each time I wrote a "Joel chapter" in first person, I'd read it aloud to my husband and often he'd stop me cold and say things like, "Michele, a guy would never say something like that!" Ultimately, I'd say that both Joel and Noelle are intelligent, yet typical products of a 1970s-80s Midwestern upbringing. I think they both love their spouses and their kids, yet hold a sentimental place for their friendship with one another, and ultimately learn that it's okay to live with those memories.

Juanita: Michele, your book poses the age-old question – Can a man and a woman remain friends after each marries someone else? What happens in "A Line Between Friends"?

Michele: As I've found through the now countless number of discussions I've had since this book was published, there isn't one, definitive answer to this question. This is what makes the topic so interesting to discuss. I believe there are as many answers to this question as there are relationships between men and women. I can say without the slightest doubt that I have a few very good friends who are married men. One of my closest friends in the world is a man, who isn't married, but he's my husband's best friend as well, and we, of course, have never 'crossed the line.' Joel and Noelle do cross the line, although it happened early in their relationship and years passed before Joel sent the letter cutting off all ties. He is ultimately the one who is conflicted about his feelings for Noelle, and has been all along. For these two, I don't think it's possible; however, I still leave it up to the reader to decide.

Juanita: The voices of your two main characters are heard strongly throughout your novel by each chapter alternating first-person accounts. What can you tell us about the strength of this context in revealing the differing male/female perspectives?

Michele: This is a very good question. Because this is the story of Joel and Noelle who each tell the same story of how they met and how their relationship develops, I felt it was important to give them equal time. Men and women tend to have different takes on relationships and I wanted to try and bring out both those takes—if you will—by putting the reader inside the heads of each. I bring in their friends (college roommates, for example) to show how much influence friends have upon our relationships as well.

Juanita: What seems to be the compelling force that has kept these two in contact for so many years?

Michele: I'd like to say it's simply because they like each other . . . but I think we learn that Noelle likes to cling to the one consistent male figure in her life who is more like a fun brother than a patriarchal father or critical boyfriend, and I believe Joel thinks of Noelle as some kind of goddess who is consistently out of his reach. He likes the idea of her more than the woman she actually is.

Juanita: The past plays a big part of your story as both Joel and Noelle reflect back on their relationship. Would you comment on the coming of age aspect of "A Line Between Friends" and the vivid manner in which you transport readers back in time?

Michele: Transporting readers back to the 1970s was a fun trip down memory lane for me. As an aspiring journalist back in high school, I kept journals on everything and was therefore able to not only tap into my memory of foil wall paper, peacock feather and Chianti bottle décor, but also replay the music of Led Zeppelin, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and I remember the apathetic nature many of us developed toward politics by coming of age during Watergate. My first interesting piece in the school newspaper was on Title IX and how the PE teachers felt about incorporating co-ed PE into the curriculum. The differing responses between the male and female teachers made an enormous impression upon me. Let's not forget this was the time when "the Battle of the Sexes" and the competition between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs was front and center in pop culture. I don't think it took intelligent members of our generation very long to figure out that the playing field was fairly equal. I think we learned to have friends of the opposite sex pretty easily.

Juanita: Michele, why do you think it can be so difficult for people to let go of past relationships?

Michele: I'm not sure that I do. When the man I married nearly 18 years ago came into my life, I didn't feel the need to hang onto any of my previous (sexual) relationships. Friendships, however, are another story. As with my male college friend who inspired this story, we had 20 years worth of fond memories, which I simply liked to bring to the front of my mind around the holidays with a greeting card. I wasn't dragging up the "relationship" or trying to make it anything more than it was, but apparently either he was . . . or his wife was . . . and when he asked me to stop all contact, I had to try and respect that.

Juanita: Who or what do you think ultimately defines the "line" between friends?

Michele: Sex. Sleep with someone and the relationship crosses over the line between friends and lovers.

Juanita: Do you think both women and men will enjoy reading "A Line Between Friends"?

Michele: When I work-shopped this book, I had far more male readers/commentators than women. Like my husband, the men enjoyed keeping me in line and helped empower my language and thoughts to be more authentically male. I think this is more Joel's story than Noelle's, and I actually agree more with his conclusions—if that's what you can call them—than I do with Noelle's. So to answer your question, I think both men and women will equally enjoy reading and relating to this story.

Juanita: What were some favorite moments that you experienced writing this story? Was it a different process for you than your other books?

Michele: Each time I finished a draft of a chapter, I called my husband into my office so I could read it aloud to him—especially Joel's chapters, as he was such a big help with the voice. There's one chapter in particular where I closed my eyes and typed while he talked to me. I interviewed him about his first day working at the Chicago Board of Trade. He had fantastic recall, describing sights and sounds, and I gave these all to Joel. Like Joel, his mother died of cancer and I liked hearing him talk about the last days he spent with her at her bedside and how she used to comment on Ryne Sandberg's 'nice ass.' It was difficult for him, but she died before we were married and it allowed me to get to know her and to know more about their relationship.

Writing this novel was a completely different experience than writing the first two books. The first two, a memoir and then a collection of columns/essays, came easily and felt like the kind of writing I'd trained to do and had done professionally for years. Writing fiction, on the other hand, was like spitting in the wind and entirely entertaining. I'm an avid reader of fiction and love to sink my teeth into a good story and get to know vivid characters. With this experience, I got to know Joel and Noelle so well, they became very real to me. Sometimes I'd even dream about them. It was a very powerful thing to be able to send them in various directions and determine their fate.

Juanita: Michele, do you find human nature and relationships a compelling subject? Can we expect more books from you in reflecting these themes?

Michele: Juanita, I find human nature, and relationships in particular, to be THE most compelling subject for writers. Stories about people and relationships between people arise everyday and are an endless source of fascination. Yes, expect more books from me reflecting these themes.

Juanita: How did you find writing in the genre of fiction, an area that hasn't been your professional focus?

Michele: I know my publisher would prefer that I focus on a sequel to my book about the innkeeping business, and I continually hear that non-fiction is easier to sell and to promote. But I need to feel passionate about a book to which I've turned over my life—and make no mistake—when I'm writing a book, I'm living a story inside my head. Even though my husband is very supportive when I'm working on a project (driving the car pool, doing the grocery shopping and making the kids' lunches, etc.), I still have to time it right so that I don't neglect my family completely. My girls (now 12 and 9) won't be these adorable, remarkable ages forever!

Juanita: What great ages! As a mom, and having had a similar experience you wrote about in "A Line Between Friends," what advice will you give to your girls when they get older?

Michele: My girls already know I believe they should be at least 30 years old before they get married (!) They are very lucky to have a dad who is such a wonderful example of what a "good husband" is. We are very affectionate in front of our children, and share all the household chores. We laugh together constantly and honestly, never fight. I think the best way to teach your children anything is through example rather than through advice. My older daughter, Willow, has already shown her ability to make friends with boys. Part of it is because she's very athletic, and can get past a lot of them on the soccer field. Most of her girlfriends are already a bit boy-crazy and they talk about who is "going out" with whom (which cracks me up—I mean, where do sixth graders 'go out?'), yet Willow has yet to have a crush on anyone. I don't think she's met anyone smart enough yet and is holding out for someone like her dad—and by that I mean, someone with the whole package. Camille, on the other hand, has a crush on the cutest boy in class and will turn as red as a Valentine's Day heart if you even mention his name.

Juanita: Do you have any other projects in the works?

Michele: Last year I wrote a rough draft of a novel about a group of women who play the dice game bunco. Did you know that over 750,000 American women play this game? I thought it might make for a ready audience. There's a lot of characters and it needs some polish—and this past year I didn't have time to focus on it. I would like to get back to it, however, because I really fell in love with the characters. They were funny.

I also have a story in the front of my brain that's been pestering me to come out for several years. It's called "Irish Twins," and it's based on two sisters who are less than a year a part. I have an Irish Twin and we are as much alike as we are different. We have each led very interesting lives. It might be a good format to alternate chapters between the two as I did with Joel and Noelle.

Juanita: I understand that you are the founder of a non-profit organization called HerBeware, and that you have donated proceeds from your book sales to this cause. Would you tell us more?

Michele: Yes, thank you for asking about this, as it's a subject close to my heart. HerBeware is a grassroots effort to help educate the public on the potential dangers of non-regulated herbs, particularly those found in dietary supplements. During the editing process of my first book, "I'm Living Your Dream Life," my 20 year old niece suffered a fatal heart attack, which was brought on by the herb ephedra (aka ma huang). I dedicated the book to her and held fund-raising events with book signings, and with the publicity I was required to do, to spread awareness of this subject. I promise you, it was an awkward and difficult thing going around promoting a book about my so-called "dream life," when poor niece had so needlessly just lost her's. I felt much better by using my opportunity in the public eye to help prevent even one more family from going through what we did because they didn't know that ephedra, for example, tests positive for amphetamines. This beautiful young girl thought she was taking a dietary supplement to help her shed a few pounds, and she may as well have been snorting cocaine for the effect it had on her heart! The FDA has since banned ephedra and yet there's still an effort to get it back on the market. I don't spend much time debating herb industry apologists these days (it took over my life for a while) but I do feel we made a valiant effort at getting out the information and cautioning people to not only check labels, but also check with their physicians before simply trusting a label that reads "all natural" and expecting it to mean that it's perfectly safe.

Juanita: Michele, how can readers find out more about you and your books?

Michele: Sandy Point Resort and Disc Golf Ranch, the business I own and operate along with my husband, Mike, has a wonderful website: www.sandypt.com. My author website, which details my books and provides purchasing information is: www.michelecozzens.com. I am represented by Sligo Literary Agency.

Juanita: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today Michele. Your thought-provoking novel will certainly entertain readers, and we appreciate your candid responses. Before we depart, do you have any last thoughts?

Michele: Thanks, Juanita. I'd just like to say that each time I receive a good review, it feels like someone is complimenting one of my children. I'm so grateful to people who take the time to contact me with their comments about my books. But this is something I like to stress to aspiring authors . . . writing is actually the easy part. Selling your books is an entirely different and much more difficult experience. This is why I appreciate you allowing me the opportunity to promote my book. Even if one person reads this interview and finds the topic played out in A Line Between Friends compelling enough to switch over to Amazon.com and buy a copy, we've had time well spent. Now if you have any connections that can get me on Oprah, The Today Show, The View or even Dr. Phil, I'd be eternally grateful. Cheers!

Interview with Michele VanOrt Cozzens


author of A Line Between Friends


McKenna Publishing (2006)


ISBN 1932172262


Reviewed by Vicki Landes for Reader Views (4/07)


Today, Juanita Watson of Reader Views interviews award-winning author Michele VanOrt Cozzens about her new novel "A Line Between Friends."