Showing posts with label Misc.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Misc.. Show all posts

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Draw in Perspective By this Weekend by Liron Yankonsky



Genre: Informational, Art
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I’ve always had an issue with perspective. Tht may be because no onne has ever taught me. The author shows step by step how to do this. The pictures, instructions and explanations make it easy to learn. There are a lot of examples. The only art class I’ve ever taken was for elementary art. It never covered shading or light source. However, the one project we had to do, my professor pointed out, in front of my fellow classmates, my perspective and light source were wrong but didn’t explain why, or how to fix it.  I was well aware that the picture was wrong but couldn’t figure out on my own why.

Since I’ve found this book and his method was so helpful I am willing to check out his other books. We need more people willing to take what some of us consider to be so difficult and point out ways we can understand it and realize that with practice it is not all that difficult.



Visit my websites:
VeganShape.co.il - An Israeli website aimed at vegan athletes and bodybuilders.

Lironyan.com - My personal blog.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Guest Post: The Fascinating World of Greyhounds by Suzanne Burke

I recently had the privilege of reading and reviewing the book, Logan and the Mystical Collar: Adventures in Ancient Egypt by Suzanne Burke.  Her books have a greyhound for their main characters.  Today I am honored to have her as a guest on my blog speaking about greyhounds and her love for them.  Thank you Suzanne for being a guest on my blog and I look forward to reading more about Logan and sharing his stories with my students.


The greyhound became an inspiration to me one day in more ways than I could ever have imagined as I worked in my front yard. As I was tending my garden on Thanksgiving Day 2000, a greyhound suddenly raced by. At the time, I had no idea what rushed past until a young girl stopped in a car, obviously distressed that the dog she was dog sitting had escaped from its backyard. She told me it was a greyhound and his name was Zeus – what a mighty name I thought. I ran to the back alley looking for Zeus and at the far end I saw an incredibly elegant dog staring me down. I yelled his name and he raced to me at top speed grinning ear to ear. I was immediately smitten. I've never forgot that day and my first greyhound encounter!
Several years later I decided to adopt a “pound puppy” and I remembered Zeus. I did some research on the Internet and found a local adoption group, Greyhound Adoption League of Texas and met my first greyhound, Allie who I eventually adopted. After experiencing what a wonderfully docile breed this was I jumped into volunteering and fostering. Throughout the last 14 years I fostered and rescued greyhounds in dire circumstances, including one greyhound named Logan, and I learned what an incredible rich history they possess.
Did you know the greyhound breed goes back over 6,000 years? I bet you also didn’t know that they are the fastest land animal, second only to the cheetah, clocking in at speeds over 45 miles per hour during a sprint. For all of these centuries, their value was mostly for hunting. They were typically used in packs to hunt rabbits, wild boar, deer, and coyotes here in the U.S.

Their origins date back to beyond Ancient Egypt, but most of the drawings and documentation of this phenomenal breed dates back to this fascinating time period. Dogs in Ancient Egypt were highly regarded, well treated, and protected from being killed. Any person found killing a dog would face the same fate. Because dogs were held in such high esteem in Egypt, there were only three types of work activities for dogs: assisting humans with hunting, assisting in war, and acting as temple guard dogs.
Greyhound dogs were held in especially high regard because of their swift speed, incredible beauty, and sacred association with the gods. Only royalty could own this breed. So important were they to royal families, that a greyhound’s birth was considered second in importance to the birth of a male child. When a family greyhound died, they were mourned in the same tradition as that of a human.
Greyhounds were eventually given as gifts to dignitaries from other lands, because they were valued so highly. Greyhounds would become valued as gifts in Greek and Roman societies later on. The most important legacy that the Egyptians gave to the greyhound was the prominence and royal stature of the breed to many future cultures.
Unfortunately, man found a way to exploit the greyhound for its swiftness. In the early 1920’s greyhounds were used for racing around an oval track for people to bet on the fastest greyhound. Enter the greyhound racing industry. For decades the tides turned on this breed and they were no longer protected from death. Many died at the hands of humans because they were slow by mere seconds.
In the mid 1980’s greyhound adoption groups started to spring up around the globe to save these ancient royal creatures from certain death following their racing careers. Today, there are greyhound adoption groups in almost every state and most European countries as well as Australia. Most states have outlawed greyhound racing, but there are still a few states where greyhound racing is still a business such as Florida, West Virginia, and Arizona.
In 2003 I met a very special greyhound named Logan. This greyhound changed my life in many ways, so much so that I was inspired to write about his incredible story and the lessons he taught me. I began to promote his positive message to others. Those lessons can be found in my first Greyhound Stories, book Logan’s Secret. Following positive reviews by children and adults, I was asked to continue writing about Logan and the Logan series was created to carry the greyhound through different historical ages where they held prominence.
Logan and the Mystical Collar, which was the second book in the series teaches not only lessons about bullying, but also historical facts about Ancient Egypt in an interesting and fun way for children. Book three in the series has just been completed and is expected to launch this summer. Logan and the Phoenix, set in the medieval period is an exciting adventure that includes a wizard, dragon and king who have to work together to save a kingdom from an evil black mist that has plagued their lands.
More stories are on the horizon to teach important life lessons and history for readers. Logan’s Secret and Logan and the Mystical Collar are available on Amazon.com. To learn more about the greyhound’s history and about this breed as a pet, visit www.greyhoundstories.com.




Suzanne Burke, a native of Richmond, Virginia currently lives in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, with her retired racing greyhounds. She has more than ten years’ experience working with the greyhound breed as a volunteer for the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas. Suzanne also has more than 15 years’ experience in the information technology field in project management and technical writing.


Buy links:
Logan and the Mystical Collar http://www.amazon.com/Logan-The-Mystical-Collar-Adventures/dp/1490992421/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Crossroads Virtual Book Tour


CROSSROADS


a Miller's Creek novel and Christian contemporary romance

A former soldier battles for the soul of a prodigal...

After a devastating divorce, a bitter single mom and atheist starts her own real estate company in the nostalgic and picturesque town of Miller’s Creek, Texas. Then her young daughter’s disturbing symptoms lead doctors to discover that her leukemia has relapsed. With her new life now turned upside down, Mara Hedwig struggles to keep her business afloat. And her daughter’s worsening condition forces her to rethink her beliefs about Carter Callahan and his God. Will Mara make the return to Christian faith in the face of life’s greatest challenge?
An ex-military operative struggles with the return to civilian life while coping with his rebellious teen-aged daughter. During a house-search, Carter meets Mara, a headstrong Realtor who wants nothing to do with his God. But when Mara’s little girl is diagnosed with leukemia, the clock begins ticking for him to convince Mara to return to a life of faith. Just as he seems to be making headway, circumstances beyond his control throw his efforts into a tailspin. Can Carter learn to rest in the sovereignty of God?

Click here to watch the book trailer. 


Amazon best-selling author Cathy Bryant writes Christian fiction set in the heart of Texas. Her popular romance and romantic suspense novels take place in the fictional town of Miller's Creek, where folks are friendly, the iced tea is sweet, and Mama Beth's front porch beckons. All the Miller's Creek novels have been on the Amazon Best-Seller list and are rated at 4.5 stars or higher on Amazon. Her debut novel, TEXAS ROADS, was a 2009 ACFW Genesis finalist. Since then five other stand-alone novels have been added to the series, one of which was a reader-nominated 2013 Grace Award nominee (PILGRIMAGE OF PROMISE). Readers have compared her work to that of Karen Kingsbury and Nicholas Sparks. 

A native Texan, Cathy currently resides in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountains of northern New Mexico with her minister husband of over thirty years. She's written devotions for The Upper Room devotional magazine, two devotional books in collaboration with other Christian authors, and for online sites. She also has released a Bible study book, THE FRAGRANCE OF CRUSHED VIOLETS. In addition to her writing, she enjoys thrift store shopping, romping in the great outdoors, and mini-farming. To learn more about Cathy and her books, visit her website at www.CatBryant.com or make contact with her in these places:



YOU'RE INVITED!

What: CROSSROADS Book Launch Party

Where: Facebook (from the comfort & convenience of your own home)

When: April 30, 2015 ~ 7:00-8:30 p.m. (Central time)

Why: To celebrate the book launch of CROSSROADS (a Miller's Creek novel and Christian Romance by Cathy Bryant)

LOTS of Fun, Games and Prizes!

Prizes Include: Miller's Creek pens, tote bags, t-shirts, mugs, digital books, autographed print books, Amazon gift cards, and
an Amazon Kindle Fire HD6!

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Chinese Turkestan: A Photographic Journey Through an Ancient Civilization by Ryan Pyle



Genre: Photographic Journal
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Ryan Pyle is well known around the world through his writing for newspapers and magazines and his wonderful photographs. In his book Chinese Turkestan he is able to capture the everyday life of the Chinese people, and give us a look at what few would ever be able to see.

There is a raw beauty as you look at the old buildings in contrast to the new construction.  There is a lot of construction as old buildings are torn down to make better, earthquake resistant buildings.  When looking at these photographs you often feel as if you have traveled back in time.  There are horse drawn carts alongside old cars. There are large markets everywhere.  Many in the markets sell items they have learned to make from previous generations, such as knives and other metalwork pieces.  The people are predominantly Muslim.  There are mosques everywhere.  A lot of their customs are things we no longer allow in the United States, such as cock fights.  This look at old and new gives us the impression that time runs slower there.  As busy and bustling as things are, looking at the pictures creates the illusion that everything these people have not made a lot of forward progress.  It is as if they are stuck in a simpler time, however it still seems as hectic as today.

This is a wonderful book.  As I looked at the photographs I kept wondering what the people in them were thinking.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely read more by this author.

Links to his work:
Book Title: Chinese Turkestan (on Amazon)
Link : Click Here
YouTube Video of Images
Annenberg Centre for Photography Lecture (Los Angeles)
BBC World Interview - Ryan Pyle on Chinese Turkestan
HiFi HD Television Interview - Ryan Pyle on Chinese Turkestan

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Release Day Blitz: Trigger by Jill Meengs


Trigger by Jill Meengs
Published by Booktrope
January 27, 2015
Genre: Spy Thriller
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Jordan Shaw knows the only way to stop the man hunting her is to kill him. She also knows the other men who came after her are dead, some of their blood is on her hands, and she wouldn’t have survived this long without the help of the intriguing and secretive Chase Hudson. Even though she isn’t sure she can trust Chase, she believes she needs him to discover the truth. Two days before, life was pretty good as she backpacked around Europe with her best friend. Now, everything has changed and she may not even live through the night. What started as a summer trip of self-discovery has become a dangerous journey across three countries as Jordan is forced into a world few know exist and even fewer survive. A clandestine international organization that will let nothing stand in their way has put a price on her head. Despite all the uncertainty, there are two things that she is absolutely sure of; she has one chance to out-maneuver a world class killer, and she has to make that move right now.
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jill meengs

About the Author

Jill Postlewait Meengs grew up in a small town on the Oregon Coast. During and after college she spent extended periods of time backpacking in more than 30 countries. She has been to every location she describes in “Trigger” and some of the content is based on her own experiences while traveling. She met her husband, Chad, in the MBA program at Oregon State University. After getting married, they purchased and fully remodeled a house. It was Chad who encouraged, and then bribed her to write her first book, “Trigger.” He says that he very much enjoys watching the flat-screen he purchased as part of their deal. When Jill isn’t reading or writing, she is running, doing yoga or planning her next trip. Jill and Chad live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Granted Wishes Cover Reveal

Granted Wishes by Tanya Vought
Publisher: Booktrope
Expected Release: February 17, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance
final ebook cover granted wishes
A decision that will change her life forever. After the loss of her husband, Gracelynn Calhoun has struggled with her life and career. Forced to take a four week vacation or be fired from her job, she surprises everyone including herself and agrees to the vacation. The owner of Antonetti Suites, Giovanni works hard and doesn’t have time for relationships or love. That is until he literally crashes into Gracelynn. She brings back all the feelings he thought he would never feel again. With the odds stacked against them in every way possible, will they forge ahead together or will this be the end of the road for their newfound love? Will the whispers from above bring them together or will misunderstandings ruin what could be an amazing second chance at love?   Red hair beauty Beautiful young red hair woman holding her hand tanya vought

About the Author

Tanya Vought is a hopeless romantic who thrives on Dr Pepper. She loves to sing… whether it’s a song off the radio or one she makes up with her kids. Tanya can almost always been seen with a book in hand or reading on her phone. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two imaginative children.
 

Monday, December 1, 2014

Dead Girl Walking by Ruth Silver

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Dead Girl Walking (Royal Reaper) by Ruth Silver
Published: November 25, 2014
Publisher: Booktrope
  Forget everything you know about grim reapers.
Princess Ophelia Dacre sneaks out of the castle to visit her boyfriend in secret. A perfect night cut short when she’s brutally murdered.
Ophelia is given the rare chance to become a grim reaper. She must become Leila Bele, cut ties with her old life, and follow the rules of the reapers. Her greatest adventure begins with death.   Now includes the prequel Ashes to Ashes as a bonus story in the Booktrope edition. Available in eBook & Paperback.

Excerpt

  “Listen, kid, I don’t care what you believe in. It’s not for me to say what’s true and untrue, real or unreal. My assignment was you. You get to be one of us, if you want it. Otherwise, you move on, life is over, kaput.” Ophelia backed away from the stranger. For the first time, she realized she didn’t feel cold and wasn’t shivering. Is this what being dead was like? “One of you?” “A grim reaper.” He held out his hand to properly introduce himself. “Edon Montgomery, head reaper and old soul.”
 

Meet the Characters

 
Ophelia Dacre
The princess and heir to the throne, Ophelia witnessed her mother’s murder as a young child. Barely seventeen, she is a hopeless romantic at heart. Ophelia has fallen in love with Larkin, a commoner. Although she knew it’s against her fathers wishes, she continues to see her boyfriend in secret. Ophelia is passionate, cunning, and would do anything for her young sister Mara.    
Leila Bele
Formerly Ophelia Dacre, Leila is the newest reaper and has trouble following the rules. She missed her life as a princess, and has trouble staying away from those she left behind.
Wynter Gael
A grim reaper and constant rule breaker. Wynter enjoys Leila’s company. His roommate and best friend, Jasper, keeps him in line.
Mara Dacre
Princess and younger sister to Ophelia, Mara is just fourteen years old. Full of love toward Ophelia, Mara will stop at nothing to know the truth about how her sister died, and who murdered her.
Larkin Alis
Not of royal blood, unbeknownst to him, Larkin was courting Princess Ophelia up until her murder. He is a suspect in her brutal slaying.
Edon Montgomery
Head reaper and considered an old soul, Edon’s job is to keep the other reapers in line. Tough but fair, Edon is always watching and fixing reaper mistakes. Although, he has a few secrets of his own.
Jasper Ehlers
A fellow reaper and best friend to Wynter, Jasper has been in love with Violetta for decades. He’s a romantic, constantly wooing Violetta through the decades, hoping to one day win over her heart.
Violetta Mercier
A grim reaper and roommate of Emblyn. Violetta is cheeky, dark, and quite often mysterious at first introduction. She loves to tease others and enjoys the thrill of being pursued by Jasper. She prides herself on being a reaper and lets it reflect in her appearance.
Emblyn Vernon
The good girl reaper. Emblyn follows the rules, most of the time. A friend to most reapers, Emblyn has a kind heart and upbeat attitude. She sticks up for those that need support, and is always there to offer a hand when necessary.
Astin Stafford
Of royal blood, Prince Astin and Princess Ophelia have an arranged marriage for the sake of their kingdoms. He’s kind, charming, but a bit of a push over. Ophelia has no romantic feelings toward Astin.
Juliana Stapleton
Once human over a thousand year ago, Juliana was forever marked a dark angel. With black wings and a duty of responsibility, she doesn’t take her job lightly.

About the Author

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Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing two series: Royal Reaper and Orenda. Her interests also include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois. She can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and her book blog Write Away Bliss.

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Trivia For Adults by Joe Hewitt



Genre:  Puzzles and Games

I really enjoyed thisbook.  The trivia lover in your life will too.The author has created 620 questions, which is enough for several games.  This is a way to have some good clean fun.  If you are like me it is a way to learn some unknown facts that are quite interesting. I enjoyed just reading this through for the information.  I have a friend who loves to sit with friends and play trivia games so this is definitely a recommendation for them.  I was also thinking that this would make the perfect gift for that trivia lover you know.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest reivew.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

The Soul Thief Release Day Blitz

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The Soul Thief (The Angel of Death Series #1)
by Majanka Verstraete
Publisher: Booktrope
Genre: YA, Paranormal
9781620155585_front   When sixteen-year-old Riley is injured in a car crash and sees a girl stealing a boy’s soul, she’s convinced she’s hallucinating. But when she sees the same girl at the hospital later, she knows she wasn’t dreaming. That’s when Riley learns her secret heritage and who she really is: a halfling Angel of Death. Riley must come to terms with her new reality and supernatural abilities, but before she can do this, girls her age start dying in mysterious circumstances. It’s up to Riley to figure out why, what the innocent victims have in common, and what she can do to stop them.

Excerpt

 
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Buy Links:

About the Author

majanka

Majanka Verstraete begged her Mom to teach her how to read while she was still in kindergarten. By the time she finished fifth grade, she had read through the entire children’s section of her hometown library. She wrote her first story when she was seven years old, and hasn’t stopped writing since. With an imagination that never sleeps, and hundreds of possible book characters screaming for her attention, writing is more than a passion for her. She writes about all things supernatural for children of all ages. She’s tried to write contemporary novels before, but something paranormal always manages to crawl in. Majanka is currently studying for her Master of Laws degree, and hopes one day to be able to combine her passions for law and writing. When she’s not writing, reading or studying, she likes watching “The Vampire Diaries” and “Game of Thrones,” spending time with her friends, or playing “World of Warcraft.”

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Guest Post: The Infinity Program by Richard H. Hardy



Topic Suggestion:

Would you consider the Jon-Lettie-Harry dynamic a love triangle? Why or why not?
Yes, I think of the Jon-Lettie-Harry dynamic as a love triangle.  But I don’t think it’s a classic love triangle since Harry is not really capable of a serious relationship at all.  He is a damaged man, deeply hurt by his father’s early death and his mother’s alcoholism.  While Lettie sincerely wants a deep and meaningful relationship, she is reluctant to enter into such a relationship. She is afraid of being hurt.  Jon is different from both of them.  He knows without question that he loves Lettie, almost from the beginning, but his cautiousness gets in the way of showing her how he really feels.

A love triangle can have many dynamics.  Two men can compete with each other for the same woman or two women can compete for the same man.  It can also have the dynamic I use in The Infinity Program.  Lettie is so involved with Harry that she is unaware that Jon really cares about her.  Their mutual concern about Harry’s problems draws them together.  Their budding relationship, with all its ups and downs, is an important subplot in The Infinity Program.

The Infinity Program Summary
Jon Graeme and Harry Sale are unlikely friends. Harry is a world-class programmer, but his abrasive personality alienates co-workers. In contrast, Jon is a handsome and easy-going technical writer, the low man on the IT totem pole.

Sharing a love of nature, the men set out together, planning to go their separate ways--Jon on a hike and Harry, fly fishing. Three days later, Jon arrives at the rendezvous point, but his friend is nowhere in sight. When Jon finds Harry unconscious on the floor of a cave, Harry claims to have been lying there the entire time. But he is neither cold nor hungry. What Jon doesn't know is that Harry fell into an underground cavern, where he came into contact with an alien quantum computer.

Back at work, Harry jettisons his regular tasks and concentrates exclusively on inventing new operating language to access the alien system. In the process he crashes his office's Super Computer and is fired. Jon convinces the company to give Harry a second chance, arguing that the system he has invented will make them millions.

Jon has no idea what havoc Harry is about to unleash.


Richard H. Hardy's Bio:
Richard H. Hardy was born in Glasgow, Scotland, during a week of relentless bombing raids just before the close of World War II. The day he was born an incendiary bomb fell on the church across the street from where he lived, so he is fond of saying that he entered the world with a big adrenaline rush.

His family later moved to England and then on to America.

After college Richard bounced through a series of temporary jobs as he traveled around the country, wanting nothing more than to write fiction. A job driving a library van allowed him free time to write several short stories and work on a novel.

He and his wife moved to New Hampshire, where he took an entry level job at a software company. He was soon promoted to the technical writing department and ended up producing over 500,000 words of online documentation. After a few years he was promoted to the programming department and ended up as the Senior EDI Programmer, creating EDI maps and writing UNIX scripts and troubleshooting on AIX systems throughout the U.S. and Canada.
After he retired, he started writing fiction again. The Infinity Program is his first published novel.

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