Book Blast: Reel to Reel by Isla Grey

 

Lights, Camera, Action! From the very beginning, the world of cinema has captivated us. We have found ourselves laughing at our favorite comedies, crying when love finally comes to fruition, being beamed to other worlds or battling in the midst of action sequences. While movies might be the perfect entertainment, most have slight imperfections, mistakes, which go unseen, until they’re released and caught by the movie audience. These mistakes don’t detract from the film, and finding them are just as fun as watching the movie.

For the past several years, Isla Grey has written a “Movie Mistakes” column for Bellaonline. “Reel to Reel” is a collection of some of those columns, spotlighting the fun goofs found in some of our favorite movies. Can you spot them? Grab the popcorn, sit back, and happy movie watching!

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3drRHKj

Meet the Author

Isla Grey is from Central Virginia and at an early age developed a love of movies.  She shared many Sunday afternoons watching old favorites with her grandmother that included everything from “Gone with the Wind” and “Rio Bravo” to “Titanic” and “The Mummy”.

Working as Bellaonline’s Movie Mistakes editor since 2012 has given Isla the opportunity to indulge in two of her passions—movies and writing.

When Isla isn’t writing or watching movies, most of her time is spent with her ever active daughter and her band of cats.  She also enjoys good music, reading biographies and ghost stories and taking quiet strolls.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website:  www.islagrey.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/IslaGrey1

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorIslaGrey

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Aug 24

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

The second to the last Monday in August has come so quickly. The Lil' Diva is taking a semester off of college since they are going remote, but the Lil' Princess heads back to our local private school next Monday. I guess the extended summer break had to come to an end sometime.

I am reading a few books right now, but still have a bunch to get through.

My review of this book appeared on Friday.

Read the review here.

I also read this new release for my children's book blog. Very cute and funny. My review will appear this week. 

I am almost done with this book. My review will appear on August 28.

My review of this next one will appear August 27.

My review of this one will appear on September 9. I like the unique style of telling a person's story via poetry and prose. 

I read this from my Kindle Unlimited selections. I'm not thinking of starting a new YouTube channel, but I like to read up on timely topics.

Next up are these.

Then I want to catch up on some books I've bought but haven't read yet. I also added this to my Kindle Unlimited collection based upon the author's panel at the NAR Leadership Summit. 

Have you bought or borrowed a book from the library based upon an author's talk? Are you usually happy with your book choice? Have you ever been disappointed?

Book Review: The Beautiful Snow by Cindy Wilson

If you're a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the Little House books, or pioneer history, you'll want to grab a copy of The Beautiful Snow by Cindy Wilson.

If you've read the Little House books, you will recall The Long Winter, where Wilder describes the winter of 1880 - 81 and her family's struggle to survive when blizzards from October through April cut off the railroad town of De Smet, SD from essential supplies.

Wilson's thoroughly researched account of that hard winter, weaves history through Wilder's fictionalized tale, focusing on the weather, the railroads, and the pioneering spirit that kept the settlers holding on until the trains finally arrived in May.

Wow! What a book. It's not a book I could read in one or even two sittings. Wilson does a fabulous job of providing so much information that you need time to digest it.

The introductions and background set the stage for a month by month journey through that hard winter of 1880-81. Each month starts off with a calendar that shows weather reports compiled by various newspaper articles. The Beautiful Snow brings you through that period of American history as settlers were wooed into moving west and following the railroad, all to be stranded on the unforgiving prairie once the blizzards started. Historical figures, maps, photos, and informative sidebars add to the reading experience, truly immersing you in the time period. The epilogue and various appendices provide additional information that rounds out this account perfectly.

Though I definitely believe this is a book for Wilder fans, history lovers and those interested in the history of the American railroads will enjoy The Beautiful Snow. I will treasure this book as part of my ever-growing Laura Ingalls Wilder collection.

Highly recommended!


Paperback: 376 pages
Publisher: Beaver's Pond Press (February 7, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1643439057
ISBN-13: 978-1643439051

I purchased a copy of this book in January 2020. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Creating A Life Worth Living Volume 1 by Debbie N. Goldberg

If you're looking to start on the journey of self-discovery, Creating A Life Worth Living Volume 1 by Debbie N. Goldberg can be a resource for you. As a therapist for close to two decades, Goldberg helps others along their spiritual journey. In this first volume, she shares her own awakening and then provides the framework for the reader to begin their own journey.

The author shares insights on the importance of reflection and discovering for yourself your purpose in life--not what someone else has told you it is; the importance of spending quiet time and pulling away from the chaos of life; and how we truly are self-sufficient. She has a soothing, conversational style that is perfect for this type of book.

If New Age spirituality is of interest to you, Creating A Life Worth Living Volume 1 should be added to your reading list.


Paperback: 156 pages
Publisher: BalboaPress (September 27, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1504358791
ISBN-13: 978-1504358798

I received a copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Spotlight: Creating Stories by Hank Quense

My recently published Creating Stories has everything I’ve leaned about writing stories over the last twenty years.  Below is an extract on setting.

Learn more at Amazon.

BOOK EXCERPT

Setting can do much more than describe the backdrop for the story.  It should convey and define the time period and customs of the characters.  It can set up the reader's expectations about the type of story he is about to read.  It can start the reader's image-building process.

Consider your characters acting out the story on a stage.  Behind the characters, instead of the scenery typical with plays, there is nothing but white panels.  The people who paid money to see the play would be dismayed by the lack of scenery, so too your readers will not like it if your story doesn't have the appropriate setting to back up the characters.

As with the plot and other story development elements, the setting must dovetail with the overall story design.  As an example, a Medieval setting won't work if the bad guy uses an automatic pistol (unless the bad guy is also a time traveler).  Thus the setting places limits on what the author can do and can't do, so it's best if the author has the setting developed before the work gets too far along.

The setting used in your story has to be accurate.  Don't try to set a story in Manhattan's Central Park if you haven't been there.  Likewise, the French Quarter in New Orleans is unique and shouldn't be used by anyone who hasn't walked the narrow streets.

Here is an example of what can happen.  I've lived and worked all my life around New York City.  The Hudson River is over a mile wide here and the East River is nearly a half-mile wide.  If you haven't been to Dublin, you may assume the Liffey River, which runs through that city, would be of similar size.  It isn't.  The Liffey is rather small compared to the rivers around Manhattan.  Making the Liffey a wide river will destroy your credibility with those readers who have seen the Liffey. 

On the other hand, if you develop an imaginary location, you can make the city's river as wide as you want.  Similarly, if you use a backdrop of a historical period in the distant past, none of your readers will have been there, but you'll still have to do research to get the setting accurate. You can't use St. Paul's Cathedral with its great dome in London right after William the Conquerer became king of England.  St Paul's wasn't built yet.

The setting of the story should be conveyed early to the reader, the earlier the better.  Ideally, the opening paragraph in a short story or the first few pages in a longer work should give an indication of the type of story the reader is about to encounter.  Is it a mystery set in Victorian London?  Is it a story of survival set in war-torn Iraq?  Are those vicious aliens on their way to Earth?  The reader expects and has a right to know this stuff as early as possible.  Don't disappoint the reader.  She may put the book down and never open it again.

An effect of establishing the setting is the placing of limitations on the author and the characters.  For the author, a space ship means he shouldn't have the characters using swords and landline phones since these artifacts are from bygone eras.

Your characters are also limited.  A character in the Old West can't have knowledge of computers or smart phones, unless he's a time-traveler.

If you write a story that uses weapons from a different era or knowledge not available at that time, you’d better have a good reason why it makes sense.  You don't have to convince yourself, you have to convince the reader.

~ ~ ~

Praise for Creating Stories by Hank Quense

Mary Blowers: author and blogger
Hank Quense has penned a masterpiece in Creating Stories.
~ ~ ~
Joylene Butler: Author of Matowak Women Who Cries:
This book is a true treasure and needs to be in the library of every writer worldwide.
~ ~ ~
Mark Cain, best-selling satirist, author of the CIRCLES IN HELL series
Developing a method for writing a successful story -- a system that can be understood and utilized by another writer -- is an intimidating challenge, yet Hank Quense has managed it. There are other ways to approach story writing, but none likely are better or more understandable than Quense's methodology. Creating Stories is highly recommended as a how-to guide for the novice writer and as a reminder of best practices for the experienced author.
~ ~ ~
Mark Henderson: British author of Cruel and Unusual Punnishments
Hank doesn't purport to tell reader how to produce creative ideas, but offers guidance on how to turn those ideas into readable fiction.
I recommend Creating Stories unreservedly to fiction writers everywhere.
~ ~ ~
Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite: 5 stars
For the wannabe writer who doesn't know where to start, this is the book for you.
A good story must be told with care and this requires consideration and planning on the part of the author. The whole point of writing a story is to capture the attention of readers. Hank helps novice and experienced writers perfect their writing and tell a good story.

Hank Quense writes humorous and satiric scifi and fantasy stories. He also writes about fiction writing and self-publishing. He has published 18 books and 50 short stories along with a few dozen articles. He often lectures on fiction writing and publishing and has a series of guides covering the basics on each subject. He is currently working on a series of two humorous novels that take place in the Camelot era.

He and his wife, Pat, usually vacation in another galaxy or parallel universe. They also time travel occasionally when Hank is searching for new story ideas.

Social media links:

Hank's blog: http://hanquense.com/wp
Strange Worlds website: http://strangeworldspublishing.com/wp
Follow him on twitter: http://twitter.com/hanque99
Facebook fan pages: https://www.facebook.com/StrangeWorldsOnline

Book Spotlight: Your Body, Your Style by Rani St. Pucchi

Rani St. Pucchi, a trend-setting designer whose designs have been recognized in Entertainment Tonight, Harper’s Bazaar, WWD, Town and Country, Bride’s, Cosmopolitan Bride, Martha Stewart Weddings and The Knot, can help define the style that flatters you most — no matter what age or stage of life you are in or what your body type is.

Women from all over the world have clamored to have a private consultation with Rani so they may benefit from her expertise and regain their self-confidence and shine.

In Your Body, Your Style, Rani shares with you her knowledge of the female form and guides you to find simple solutions to your most pressing body concerns. The focus is on you — and how you can make yourself more confident and appealing in almost every situation — simply by making a few changes and different choices in planning your wardrobe.

Once you embrace your unique attributes and dissolve your bad relationship with your body, you’ll be amazed to find how irresistible you are to others!

This simple and friendly guide reveals:

* What clothes and silhouettes are best for your specific body type
* Simple techniques to determine which colors flatter you most
* Solutions to common lingerie issues and the importance of fit
* The one dress that is a chameleon, and how to transform it into different looks
* How to travel stress free by planning your wardrobe well
* 101 styling secrets, professional tricks and fashion tips

RANI ST. PUCCHI is an award-winning fashion designer, an author and relationship expert. She is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.

Book Excerpt:

When choosing your clothes remember that clothes are meant to flatter your body, not your body to flatter your clothes. Work with your body instead of critiquing and judging it.
Now that you’ve assessed your body type, let’s delve into what would look most flattering and what you would be smart to avoid.

Hourglass
DO: Focus on your waist when choosing your wardrobe. Dress to flatter your beautiful curves by wearing clothes and accessories that emphasize the thinnest part of your waist. Draw attention to your waistline by wearing belts that cinch the waist. V-neck dresses and tops are typically quite flattering.

DON’T: Avoid ‘boxy’ clothes and those that are shapeless or drape-y since they tend to add bulk and make you look heavy. Don’t go braless when wearing a V-neck dress or top. Wear a supportive bra instead so that your chest is lifted and perky instead of droopy and sagging. You have admirable curves so embrace them and show them off.

Apple
DO: Direct attention away from your waist by wearing clothes that accentuate your bust and hips instead. Shirts, blouses and dresses with slight V-necks are flattering. Long sleeves or dresses with sleeves help draw attention from your waist, shoulders and arms. V-necks draw attention to your neck and bust. Tops that drape over any curves work well. Wear bottoms just below your hipbone to help draw attention away from your mid-riff. Dark colors help camouflage the heavy areas.

DON’T: Avoid dresses and belts that cinch the waist. Stay away from skinny and straight leg pants as they emphasize the hips. Choose slightly flared pants instead. These help balance wide shoulders and a heavy upper body.

Pear
DO: Wear clothes that emphasize the upper body, that add to your shoulder and bust area and that make your hips and butt look slimmer. Tops that accentuate shoulders such as the current trendy off-shoulder blouses are perfect. Wear straight-leg pants with heels. Wearing a bra that adds to or enhances your bust is recommended.

DON’T: To minimize the lower half avoid pants or tights that narrow your legs. Flared pants can make your legs look thick, even bow-legged.

Ruler
DO: Wear clothes that create curves, by focusing on the upper and lower part of your body. Cinch your waist to exaggerate curves by wearing belts, flared skirts with fitted belted waistbands. Dresses or tops with embellishment at the bust, or with frills and ruffles at the top, will add some volume to make your chest look bigger. Skinny jeans, mini skirts and bright tights that show off your great legs and add more shape to a straight body are recommended. A bra that adds a cup size will help balance your angular feature as well.

DON’T: Avoid boyish/manly clothes. Baggy jeans, flared pants and track clothes will make you look like ‘one of the boys’. For working out, wear feminine track clothes that accentuate your waist but are not too snug on the top and bottom halves.


Inverted Triangle
DO: Keep your attention on the waist and hip area by wearing clothes that are flared on the bottom but snug on the top. Strapless tops and dresses with sleeves are perfect. Flared pants and pleated skirts are flattering.

DON’T: Avoid skinny pants and too tight skirts. Dresses or tops with ruffles and flounces, or that are off-the-shoulder, will make you look top heavy.


Many women are a mix of two body types and don't necessarily fall into one category or another. In which case try incorporating tips for each body type and see what looks best on you. When you fall between two types, compare the type you seem closest to and pick styles that lean towards that. Ultimately you will know what feels good and what flatters you the most. After all, there is no right or wrong way to dress. Your comfort and your confidence is what matters most.

Self-confidence is the best outfit, rock it and own it.


PURCHASING LINKS: Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Thirty years ago, Rani St. Pucchi took the bridal world by storm, despite having no formal training in fashion. She is an award winning couture fashion designer and founder of the world-renowned bridal house St. Pucchi. A passionate and dynamic entrepreneur who launched her global empire in the United States in 1985, Rani’s vision was to create an avant-garde bridal and evening couture line with modern styling and classic details. That vision has been realized today.

Renowned for infusing her creations with touches of magnificently colored jewels, exquisite hand embroidery, delicate beading and sparkling crystals on the finest silks and laces, these inspired designs with innovative draping evoke the timeless elegance every woman desires. As one of the foremost designers to introduce exotic silk fabrics and hand embroidery, Rani is applauded for being a pioneer in bringing color to the United States bridal scene, having learned that white does not flatter everyone.

Rani has been recognized and nominated on multiple occasions for her design talent and won numerous awards as a Style Innovator. In addition, she has been honored with the Best Bridal Designer Award at the prestigious Chicago Apparel Center’s DEBI Awards (Distinctive Excellence in Bridal Industry).

Rani is famous for designing the wedding dress worn by “Phoebe” as she captured the hearts of millions when she said “I Do” in a unique St. Pucchi Lilac corset bodice A-line gown on the finale of the hit television show Friends.

Her range of avant-garde designs are worn by the world’s most discerning brides, including celebrities and style icons such as New York Giants’ player Aaron Ross’ wife, Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards; Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo’s wife Candice Crawford; Actress Tara Reid; Jason Priestley’s wife Naomi Lowde; actress Candice Cameron and Grammy Award winning country music singer Alison Krauss, who donned a specially designed Chantilly lace and silk gown at the Country Music Awards.

Rani has enjoyed much media attention. Her signature designs have been recognized in high profile media such as Entertainment Tonight, Harper’s Bazaar, WWD, Town and Country, Bride’s, Cosmopolitan Brides, Inside Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings and The Knot.

Rani’s real passion other than the world of design is to help women who have suffered abuse and those who are struggling to find themselves. On her quest to empower women to be their best selves, she is passionate about helping them find their voice through building their self-confidence. She believes that confidence must start with a woman’s love and acceptance of her body.

Renowned for her savvy knowledge of a woman’s form and fit, Rani is eager to share her knowledge of more than three decades with all women so they can make better styling choices. In addition to the book you are reading now, Rani is the author of four upcoming books: The SoulMate Checklist: Key Questions To help You Choose Your Perfect Partner; Seven Types of Men To Avoid: Recognizing Relationship Red Flags; Designing with Heart: A to Z Guide to Bridal Designing; and Unveiling: A Celebrity Fashion Designer’s Story, a Memoir of her Life Journey.

Born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, Rani now happily lives in Los Angeles, California.

WEB & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE

Review Coming Soon!

"Waiting on Wednesday": Breaking Rockefeller by Peter B. Doran

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick for this week:

The incredible tale of how ambitious oil rivals Marcus Samuel, Jr., and Henri Deterding joined forces to topple the Standard Oil empire

Marcus Samuel, Jr., is an unorthodox Jewish merchant trader. Henri Deterding is a take-no-prisoners oilman. In 1889, John D. Rockefeller is at the peak of his power. Having annihilated all competition and possessing near-total domination of the market, even the U.S. government is wary of challenging the great “anaconda” of Standard Oil. The Standard never loses—that is until Samuel and Deterding team up to form Royal Dutch Shell.

A riveting account of ambition, oil, and greed, Breaking Rockefeller traces Samuel’s rise from outsider to the heights of the British aristocracy, Deterding’s conquest of America, and the collapse of Rockefeller’s monopoly. The beginning of the twentieth century is a time when vast fortunes were made and lost. Taking readers through the rough and tumble of East London’s streets, the twilight turmoil of czarist Russia, to the halls of the British Parliament, and right down Broadway in New York City, Peter Doran offers a richly detailed, fresh perspective on how Samuel and Deterding beat the world’s richest man at his own game.

I love books about big business. I also recently listened to The Tycoons: How Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould, and J. P. Morgan Invented the American Supereconomy, so this is also a good choice for a follow up.

What are you "waiting on?"

Book Review: Stop The Diet, I Want to Get Off! by Lisa Tillinger Johansen, MS, RD

Trying to lose weight and considering the latest fad diet? You should read  Stop The Diet, I Want to Get Off! by Lisa Tillinger Johansen, MS, RD first.

In this informative book, Johansen shares "The Skinny" on popular diets and why they don't tend to be effective long-term. From the 3-Day Diet to the Zone Diet and everything in between, the author discusses these diets, talks about how there is no magic pill you can take to lose weight permanently--darn, I wish that weren't true--and helps you put together a plan to lose weight by improving your overall diet and adding in exercise.

There's too much in this book to tell you everything, but I can say that what I liked most about it is that the plan seems achievable. Why? Because Johansen helps you understand why fad diets don't work; talks to you not only about portion size, but also teaches you which foods fit into what categories and how they effect your body; discusses reasonable ways to increase fruits, vegetables and water into your regular routine, as well as increase your fiber intake; and informs you what our bodies need per gender and age group for our nutritional as well as exercise needs. There are substitutions and grocery shopping tips and the Appendix includes additional resources.

As I have gotten older, staying healthy has gotten more important to me. I see habits I should have formed earlier in life that would have helped me now. In addition, as a result of reading this book I've already been implementing some of the changes to my lifestyle that I will be able to share with my family.

Stop The Diet, I Want to Get Off! is a must read for anyone looking to lose weight effectively and needing a encouragement to make some forever changes.

For More Information

• Stop the Diet, I Want to Get Off! is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

I received a copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

I read this book for the following challenge:

Book Review: The Hybrid Author by Dianne G. Sagan

Considering a hybrid publishing path? Want to know what a hybrid author is? Need to know the difference between subsidy publishing, self-publishing, and vanity publishing? For all these reasons and more you need to pick up a copy of The Hybrid Author by Dianne G. Sagan.

Once upon a time, the only way to publish your novel or nonfiction book was to submit it via traditional methods. With the advent of eBooks and the gaining acceptance of self-publishing, writers have numerous options to choose from for their publishing careers. Author Dianne G. Sagan helps you make sense of them all.

As I mentioned in my first chapter review of this book, Sagan's conversational style encourages readers to continue, and her years of experience give her a firm position as an authority on the subject. Not only does Sagan explain why she chose the path she did, she dedicates an entire chapter to interviews with hybrid authors.

The Hybrid Author is an in-depth look into the career path of hybrid authors. It will provide you with the information you need to decide if this path is right for you.

Highly recommended.


File Size: 561 KB
Print Length: 191 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1497595010
Publisher: Sagan & Associates, LLC (April 11, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00JNC4KL6

I downloaded a free copy of this book to my Kindle in May. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Buffy and the Heroine's Journey by Valerie Estelle Frankel

An engaging look into the heroine's journey as the Chosen One comes to you from award-winning author Valerie Estelle Frankel.

Buffy and the Heroine's Journey takes the reader through Buffy's journey from movie Buffy through to the Season Eight comics (which I knew nothing about) discussing this heroine's journey as the Chosen One. Similar in some ways to the epic journeys of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, but so different in other ways as Buffy goes from high school to college to adulthood and the various feminine archetypes in the early and late seasons. As the back cover states, "Buffy blends 1990s girl power and the path of the warrior woman with the oldest of mythic traditions." This is the focus of this in-depth study into her character.

As a fan of the Buffy the Vampire series and its spin-off Angel, I was eager to read this book, especially after enjoying Frankel's books on Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Frankel deeply explores Buffy's journey. How she fought against the patriarchy. How unlike other heroes who went it alone, she builds a team who help her battle evil throughout the series. It explores Buffy's relationships with her mother, her sister, each of her friends, her romances with Angel, Riley, and Spike, and her father-daughter type relationship with Giles. This book delves into Buffy's relationship with other slayers like Kendra and Faith, and her role as she trains potential slayers to prepare for an epic battle.

This is an academic look at a cult favorite. It's deep. It's intense. But it's worth the time to read it. I found Buffy and the Heroine's Journey by Valerie Estelle Frankel totally fascinating and am glad to add it to my Buffy collection.

Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: McFarland; 1st edition (February 27, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786467924
ISBN-13: 978-0786467921

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

I read this book for the following challenges:

Book Review: The Education of George Washington by Austin Washington

The Education of George Washington is a refreshingly different take on the Father of Our Country.

Austin Washington, great-nephew of George Washington, has written an engaging and lively account of our first president providing insight that can only be gained by a relation and years of research. Debunking long-lived myths and focusing on a little known book that helped to shape the character of an American hero, Washington digs deep into who George Washington was and the influences that made him a great man and natural born leader.

If you are looking for a dull and dry academic biography on America's first president, you won't find it in The Education of George Washington. What you will find is a book that entices even those not truly interested in reading about history to pick up a biography on one of America's most influential historical figures. The author spends a good deal of time putting George Washington's life and actions in the context of the world in which he lived: how Washington's life was impacted by the death of his father; how living in rural Virginia led him to develop a certain mindset and talents; and what living in America during those early years was like. The book captures the everyday dangers of Colonial America that modern readers can tend to forget.

A unique aspect to The Education of George Washington is that the author connects the reader to the Father of Our Country by talking about how Washington's character developed and how the reader can also develop an equally fine character. In essence, this is not only a biography, it's to some degree a self-help book.

Washington's love of history shines through on every page. And though his style is more witty and clever than one might expect from someone with a masters degree and who has performed postgraduate research that focused on Colonial America, it is exactly his ability to connect with modern readers that makes this a winning book worth every penny spent on it. I would read it again in a heartbeat if I had the time.

Highly recommended.


File Size: 5744 KB
Print Length: 354 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1621572056
Publisher: Regnery History (February 10, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00EXCAJFC


I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

I read this book for the following challenge:

First Chapter Review: The Hybrid Author by Dianne G. Sagan

Dianne G. Sagan recently released The Hybrid Author. I downloaded a sample of the book to my Kindle Fire.

BLURB: A publishing industry in constant change, authors find themselves trying to make decisions about whether or not to self-publish or traditionally publish. Now you have a book that explains the Hybrid Author path.
• What it is.
• What the options are.
• How to decide.
Including interviews with C. J. Lyons, Joanna Penn, J. A. Konrath, Hugh C. Howey, Barbara Freethy, Marie Force, Barbara Morgenroth and Jennifer Archer. The Hybrid Author is "a treasure house of useful suggestions and resources for any writer."

COVER: This cover is a great choice. It's simple. It's uncluttered. The laptop makes you think of writing. Though I'm not always a fan of the title being blocked off, the color scheme along with the border make it stand out. Nice job.

FIRST CHAPTER:  Sagan starts off by giving an overview of the various publishing paths--traditional publishing, subsidy publishing, self-publishing, and vanity publishing. The hybrid author is someone using more than one path to publication. Cited surveys and statistics support what Sagan says is the biggest challenge for authors--keeping up with voracious readers.

KEEP READING: Definitely. As an author, I've found publishing requires a ton of patience. There are days I wish my books could make it to market sooner. This is part of why I've considered self-publishing, even though I enjoy working with both my publishers. Even just the first chapter of Sagan's book has given me food for thought. The cited surveys and statistics indicate hybrid authors are finding success by boldly embracing multiple paths to publication, giving readers more of what they want--books.

Sagan's conversational style encourages readers to continue, while her experience gained from more than a decade in the industry provides the security and comfort that she can speak on such topics. I'm eager to learn more about what she has to say on the topic of hybrid authors. I also want to read all the interviews included.

File Size: 562 KB
Print Length: 158 pages
Publisher: Sagan & Associates, LLC (April 11, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00JNC4KL6


To learn more about award-winning author Dianne G. Sagan, please visit http://thehybridauthor.com/ and http://diannesagan.wordpress.com/

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensate for in any way.

Book Spotlight and Giveaway: Secrets of a Real-Life Female Private Eye by Colleen Collins

*Don’t forget to enter our giveaway, below!*

Secrets of a Real-Life Female Private Eye by Colleen Collins, a professional private investigator and award-winning novelist, is a no-holes-barred, modern-day story about life in the female P.I. fast lane.

PRAISE

"Colleen Collins's chronicle about her investigative career is completely authentic. She brings her real-world P.I. stories to your e-reader straight from the streets!"  ~ Shaun Kaufman, former P.I. and managing partner, Shaun Kaufman Law

“As an experienced private detective and a skilled storyteller, Colleen Collins is the perfect person to offer a glimpse into the lives of real female P.I.s”   ~Kim Green, managing editor of Pursuit Magazine: The Magazine of Professional Investigators

"SECRETS OF A REAL-LIFE FEMALE PRIVATE EYE features [Colleen's] honest, engaging voice and takes full advantage of the interactivity ebooks allow. Part memoir, part reference, SECRETS delivers Colleen's firsthand experience and looks at the latest resources and equipment private investigators use."  ~Gerald So, moderator of DetecToday, editor, poet, book reviewer

“SECRETS OF A REAL-LIFE FEMALE PRIVATE EYE  is a research must-have.”  ~Holly Jacobs, award-winning author of Steamed, featuring amateur sleuth Quincy Mac

Now Available on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Real-Life-Female-Private-ebook/dp/B00EDRU3KI

BIO

Colleen Collins is an award-winning author who’s written 22 novels and anthologies for Harlequin

and Dorchester. Her books have placed first in the Colorado Gold, Romancing the Rockies, and Top of the Peak contests, and placed in the finals for the Holt Medallion, Coeur de Bois Readers Choice, Award of Excellence, More than Magic, and Romance Writers of America RITA contests.

After graduating from the University of California Santa Barbara, Colleen worked as a film production assistant, improv comic, telecommunications manager at the RAND Corporation, technical writer/editor, speech writer, and private investigator. All these experiences play into her writing.

She’s a member of the Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) and Sisters in Crime.

When not sleuthing, Colleen’s hanging with her two Rottweilers (named Jack Nicholson and Aretha Franklin), her three cats, and plotting or writing her next book. Visit her at http://colleencollinsbooks.com/

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Book Review: Help! For Writers by Roy Peter Clark

As a writer, my bookshelves are filled with various craft and business books. While I don't feel like I read enough of them, I also wonder what else can be said that hasn't already been said about writing.

Now that I've read Help! For Writers by Roy Peter Clark, I have my answer. Vice president and senior scholar at the Poynter Institute, Clark shares his decades worth of experience with writers in this engaging and valuable volume that includes 210 solutions for problems writers face. From generating ideas to finding your focus to strategies for writers block and more, Help! For Writers is a must have text.

Clark speaks with authority from his vast experience, but he never talks down to the reader. Bits of humor are sprinkled throughout. While some of these ideas I had heard before, several were new and definitely ones I will put into practice.

Whether you're writing article, short stories or full-length novels, you'll find more than one tidbit of advice to but to good use.

Highly recommended.

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (September 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316126713
ASIN: B00AK2P1HA

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

This is the 9th book I've read for the following challenge:

Guest Blogger: Linda DeVillers, Author of Simply Sexy Foods

Simple Sexy Food is an aphrodisiac cookbook like no other. Honest and direct, detailed and informative, it’s packed with exclusive recipes, food and sex tips, descriptions and histories of ingredients and even survey data about what food people find sexy. And it’s the only aphrodisiac cookbook written by a clinical sex therapist who also happens to be a foodie!

Pumpkin Pie Spice & Pumpkin

by Linda DeVillers

Linda DeVillers, a clinical sex therapist who also happens to be a foodie, is going to share information about an aphrodisiac that is very popular around Halloween and Thanksgiving and you may not even know its an aphrodisiac. This is an excerpt from her book Simple Sexy Food and she included a recipe that has these sexy ingredients. It is just one of the scrumptious and sexy recipes in the book. Let’s dig in…

Lore and Fun Facts

Pumpkin on its own is among the newest sexy food in this list, with no longstanding reputation as a lust booster. In the United States, most of us associate pumpkin with fall holidays, from Halloween to a delicious pie served at Thanksgiving.

In other parts of the world, pumpkin is a common ingredient in many savory dishes. Pumpkin pie spice, which may really be the star of this show, is generally made with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.

Some fascinating double-blind randomized studies reveal the effects of different smells on male sexual arousal. In one, each participant was connected to a small blood pressure cuff to measure blood flow to the penis. The participant was then blindfolded, and soft music…not really, but it does start to sound really kinky! Next, one at a time, a surgical mask scented with one specific scent was placed over the participant’s nose and left in place for one minute. At that time, penile blood flow was measured for each of the many scented masks worn. An interval of three minutes separated exposure to each new smell, during which participants did not wear a mask.

In the first study, baked cinnamon smell was used as a control scent, but ironically it wound up creating the most blood flow to the penises of young and middle aged men. A second study included men aged 18-64 and tested 30 scents, including both perfume and food. Some scents were actually combinations, resulting in 46 scents being tested. This time the pumpkin pie spice/lavender mixture triggered the greatest measurable penile response. Blood flow was increased by an average of 40% in all but the oldest men (who responded more to vanilla). So if you want to get the blood flowing to your special guy’s manhood, spritz a little lavender under your blouse and bake up a pumpkin pie!

Sexy Nutrients

Like so many simple, sexy foods, pumpkin is a winner nutritionally. It’s loaded with beta-carotene, which helps keep your skin and eyes healthy and vibrant, and is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin E, and lots of B vitamins—thiamin, niacin, B6 and folate. B-complex vitamins are essential for keeping your nervous system happy.

Adequate levels of folate during pregnancy significantly reduce the odds of various birth defects such as spina bifida or other neural tube deficits. Pumpkin also provides potassium, which keeps body fluids regulated, as well as manganese, and copper. It’s also an excellent source for dietary fiber for keeping your digestive and circulatory systems in good shape. What’s more, it has just 40 calories in a full cup, so it won’t weigh your man down to nibble your pie!

Now – here’s a recipe for you to try this for yourself.

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes

SEXY FOODS: pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, egg, pecan

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, separated (let egg whites come to room temperature)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pureed cooked pumpkin (plain, not pumpkin-pie filling)

2/3 cup nonfat milk

2 tablespoons canola oil or other mild

vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon dark rum, optional

1.In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, sugar, baking powder, pie spice, and salt.

2. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks slightly. Then whisk in the pumpkin, milk, oil, and vanilla to blend well.

3. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients, whisking just until smooth. (The batter will be thick). Mix in the pecans if using.

4. In a small, deep, clean dry bowl (not aluminum or plastic), beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff but not dry. Fold the egg whites into the batter in two additions.

5. Brush a large nonstick skillet with oil then heat over medium-high heat until a water droplet dances in the pan before evaporating.

6. Working in batches, pour the batter by 1/4 cupsful into the pan. Quickly spread the batter to form 4 1/2-inch rounds; do not crowd the pan. Cook until bubbles form on the surface of pancakes and bottoms are light brown, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until done. For each new batch, brush the pan with oil to coat, and reheat to medium-high before adding more batter.

7. Place cooked pancakes on a warm plate and cover to keep warm while you cook the remaining pancakes.

8. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, warm the syrup, butter, and rum if using.

9. Serve the pancakes with the syrup.

Love Skills

Breakfast in bed will never go out of style! Sneak out of the sheets and whip up this scrumptious recipe. If you have work, be sure to keep an eye on the clock since morning “sessions” are sure to interrupt your schedule!

2 servings: About ten 4 1/2-inch pan cakes

© Aphrodite Media 2012 All rights reserved.

Permission granted to Cheryl Malandrinos for use on her blog

Do aphrodisiacs work? What exactly are they? How can I use them? We answer these questions and many more during the Simple Sexy Food virtual tour with clinical sex therapist and foodie – Linda De Villers, PhD. There are many ordinary foods that can have aphrodisiac effects – and we’re going to help you understand them.

Linda De Viller, PhD, Clinical Sex Therapist and Foodie, shares her knowledge about the myths and truth about aphrodisiacs. She also shares over 80 recipes and a wealth of love and sex tips. Get your copy at - http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Sexy-Food-Linda-Villers/dp/097095655X/. We invite you to participate in the Simple Sexy Food Recipe Photo Contest - http://www.lovecoachjourney.com/recipe-photo-contest - the grand prize winner will get a one on one aphrodisiac consultation and five runner ups will receive a digital copy of Love Skills by Linda De Villers.

A Message From Linda De Villers PhD

I created this book to help you enjoy the remarkable relationship between food and sex. These two themes run brightly through my own life both personally and professionally, and are inseparable from my sense of who I am. Having counseled and taught thousands of people on the loving arts, and having fed nearly as many in my kitchens over the years, I find myself in a state of barely contained excitement over the opportunity to share what I know with you. I am the only author in this field to be credentialed in both sexual health and food, having worked and presented internationally and conducted research on the joint topic over the course of my career.

Interview with Susan Maiava, Author of Fat Chance! The no-going-back Weight Loss Workbook

Welcome, Susan. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi Cheryl,

Thanks so much for the opportunity to introduce Fat Chance! The no-going-back Weight Loss Workbook to your readers. A bit about myself? Well I have had an interesting range of life experiences from being an overseas volunteer (like a Peace Corp volunteer) to being a university lecturer, from being a mother to being an author and business owner.

But my chief qualification here is that I was significantly overweight for many years, so I can identify with anyone who is overweight and wants desperately to lose weight. I was tired of the debilitating effect it had on my life and when I looked into the future I didn’t want to be like that for the rest of my life. I couldn’t keep up with my children. It was hugely embarrassing to tell the shop assistant that the XXL was too small. So I gave up shopping for clothes.

Physically I snored, I got headaches and heartburn, my skin chaffed and I was borderline pre-diabetic (all those are gone now). It was hugely embarrassing to walk at normal speed with friends, trying desperately to hide my puffing. So I dropped out of activities (or was not included). I was an observer rather than a participant and I desperately wanted to participate in life.

But for me personally one of the biggest issues was that I had a lot to contribute but was not taken seriously. I was undervalued and overlooked in my professional career. Despite my size I was invisible. I wanted to be taken seriously – that was a key motivation for me.

What made you decide to write Fat Chance! The Weight Loss Workbook?

When I was losing weight I was always looking for good advice but I never found what I was looking for on the bookshelves. There were certainly inspiring personal stories of weight loss. There were prescriptive books full of diet plans written by professionals who had never been overweight (many of these did contain good technical advice which, incidentally, overweight people already know). And there were a range of ‘wacky’ restrictive pseudo-science options.

But most focused on dieting or sticking to diets and there was nothing (in my view) that combined a comprehensive approach to changing your lifestyle, including dealing with emotional hunger, changing your thinking, habits and behaviors, eating better, working with your body and getting active, with a personal, reflective, interactive workbook format.

So after I had lost weight I decided to research and write it myself. I had written a book before and I know how to research so I decided to fill what I believe is an enormous gap in the market. So when I wrote Fat Chance! I combined the best current research with my insider knowledge of what it was like to be overweight and how overweight people think. That combination is key.

How is it different from other weight loss books on the market?

The Fat Chance! slogan sums it up in a nutshell: “Forget about how fat people diet. Focus on how slim people eat.” The key point of difference is Fat Chance! is absolutely definitely not a diet. Instead it facilitates a lifestyle change focused on learning to think and eat like a slim person, forever.

The greatest misconception people have about losing weight is that you lose weight by dieting for a certain time (and then going back to your old behavior). One of my first insights was the realization that if you eat the amount of food needed to maintain your goal slim weight every day, you would, over time, reach and maintain that weight, just as slim people do, keeping the weight off forever.

With Fat Chance! you learn to eat for your slim weight from Day 1. The new skills and strategies you adopt to do this are yours for the rest of your life. I think that is the key difference and is why this is not a diet. The end goal is to live differently. The weight-loss will happen as a result of changing your lifestyle.

The second major point of difference is the engaging, interactive workbook format. Research has shown that food journaling alone is a very effective weight loss tool but it is more than that. The question and answer format enables the reader to slow down, become much more self-aware, reflect deeply and draw out of themselves and make the changes they need to make at a very personal and individual level.

How easy is your book to use and understand for someone who hasn’t tried anything other than traditional diet plans?

I agree that it seems strange to not think you are supposed to be dieting. After all we have always been taught that is how you lose weight. But think instead of how slim people naturally maintain their slim weight.

Fat Chance! is extremely easy to use as you work through it just one day at a time. The journal style has several advantages. It provides a very safe environment in which to deal with weight issues, especially emotional issues; a sort of “dear diary.” Many people have written to me describing it as their new best friend. The workbook itself becomes the encourager, the friend who walks beside the reader on their journey each day.

Fat Chance! is well designed and organized so everything is covered. Each day of the week has a different theme: The six themes are: Thinking like a slim person, Working with your body, Establishing new habits, Dealing with emotional hunger, Getting active, Enjoying a healthy balanced diet and Day 7 is a Debrief and reflection. Groups can come together on Day 7. So each day is interesting and new but the full picture layers and builds week on week.

How much time does it take to implement the plan in your book?

Fat Chance! The Weight Loss Workbook is a colorful and stylish but very practical, interactive workbook which engages the reader every day. It can take as little as 15 minutes or up to 45 minutes a day, depending on the reader. Many prefer to delve into it both morning (to plan) and evening (to reflect).

The program is 12 weeks long, but because it is life-changing, in this sense it never ends. There is no going back to old ways. I don’t mean that you have to diet forever (a terrible thought). Instead you reach a healthy new equilibrium; a new lifestyle where you think and eat like a slim person forever.

It is important the workbook journey is undertaken one day at a time. It does take time to identify the changes that have to come from within and discipline to slowly and deeply embed those changes. The discipline is not in resisting food (we know that doesn’t work) but rather the discipline is in changing your thoughts and habits. And that is where Fat Chance! walks with you as you journal your progress.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering a lifestyle change?

Completely abandon the idea of dieting, and completely embrace the idea that you are going to change your lifestyle and there will be no going back to your old behavior. If you are not prepared to change, don’t do it!

But also know that it is absolutely possible, and Fat Chance! will be there right there beside you, showing you the way. Ask yourself (Fat Chance! asks you a lot of questions): Do I want to live differently or do I want to be fat? It really is that simple.

Where can readers purchase Fat Chance! The Weight-loss Workbook?

Readers can purchase a hardcopy of the Fat Chance! Weight Loss Workbook from Amazon or www.ShoppingMoa.com Links to the specific buying pages are found at www.fatchanceweightloss.com (note it is also called “Fat Chance! Forget how fat people diet, Focus on how slim people eat” – I like that!).

Recently I have created an interactive Online web-based version of Fat Chance! which is available globally from www.fatchance.co.nz/new-fat-chance-online-programme

Do you have anything else to add?

I’m absolutely delighted with the response Fat Chance! has been getting. As well as individuals it is being used by groups of friends (meeting on Day 7) and health professionals working with overweight clients. Apart from the fact it really works, people love the design, colors and the layout of the book which is really stylish and fun as well as practical.

I’d love your readers to read the success stories of people who have used Fat Chance! lost weight and changed their lives at www.fatchanceweightloss.com/testimonials. Some of the stories and photos are just amazing and are why I know Fat Chance! works.

Your readers can also read and download the Introduction from www.fatchanceweightloss.com/sneak-peak and everything and anything else they want to know is there as well.

Thank you for allowing me to share Fat Chance! with you.

I wish all your readers all the best in their weight loss journey!

Kindest regards,
Susan Maiava PhD.