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urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia Si, se puede! Yes we can The journey of a YA writer kbaccellia 2014-04-19T03:08:15Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:473938 Friday Five 2014-04-19T03:08:15Z 2014-04-19T03:08:15Z This week is Spring Break so I've been hitting the rough draft of the second book in the goddesses series and going over the revision of a critique buddy.

***And there's a great deal going on over at Amazon for my ebook EARRINGS OF IXTUMEA for $1.99! For those of you who are asking for fantasies with PoC, well my book has one! What a deal! http://www.amazon.com/Earrings-Ixtumea-Kim-Baccellia-ebook/dp/B007OUHYH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397858512&sr=8-1&keywords=earrings+of+ixtumea+MuseItUp+Publishing

1. Saw two movies with similar themes of struggle with faith.

God Is Not Dead

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Intriguing argument for and against God in the classroom. That was the strength of this movie. Some of the other parts bordered predictability.

2. I thought this one though handled the subject better and was nothing like I thought. I went in as a skeptic and came out moved.

Heaven Is For Real

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3. Really loving the voice in this memoir:

4. Can't wait to read this one:

5. Went to Mother-in-law's assistant living community for an Easter party. And yes, Easter bunny came!

12 year old got to help his grandma and other elderly lady to dye Easter Eggs:

**Guilty pleasure:

Hope to go to Frye's and pick up a new laptop. Angelina, my current cherry red laptop, is five years old and dying.

Plus, want to treat self to a grande Starbucks drink!

**Photo courtesy from Starbucks.com
 urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:473835 kbaccellia @ 2014-04-10T11:07:00 2014-04-10T18:07:07Z 2014-04-10T18:07:07Z First I'm going to start off with some links to two of my small press publishers.

1. I'll be over here until April 17th.https://www.facebook.com/events/224006297795748/225148914348153/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity

I'll be sharing tidbits on my first novel EARRINGS OF IXTUMEA and maybe some of my other stories!

2. I was hosting here yesterday on my take on inspiration:

http://lachesispublishing.com/?p=3338

3. Yes, I admit it. I've never read John Green's YA novel FAULT IN OUR STARS. All my friends are shocked with this confession as they've read and LOVED. I have a thing on books with cancer. I don't usually like to read them. Maybe this is because of my own cancer scares and this protagonist is based on a girl who died of thyroid cancer. I had a very real scare with that back in 1989. My own younger sister has thyroid cancer. So does a friend of mine. But I'm willing to give it a shot especially since the movie adaptation is coming out in June!

 **Image courtesy of inquistr.com

4. Finished reading this:

Love this series and this one takes place in Paris. There's some very lush images and the author 'admits' that Google Earth was her friend. It's also been my friend with researching for book two in my goddesses series.

5.Speaking of,

 **Image courtesy of iStock

Next week I'm going to read through my first draft, take notes, and then roll back my sleeves and do revisions! Love how fellow YA Books Central editor and head Ninja Mandy does hers. Mine looks very similar:

 **Image courtesy of Mandy Buehlren

**Guilty pleasure:

Hope to meet up with two friends and go out to lunch. Love to do this! It's always fun to hang with some friends minus family and just catch up on gossip. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:473529 Friday Five 2014-04-03T18:30:46Z 2014-04-03T18:30:46Z Sorry, I haven't been here lately! Will try to cross post more!

**To start off, last weekend ended with a rattle and jolt. Friday night around 9ish I felt a huge jolt and rumble in my house. Yes, earthquake! The only damage so far had to be our cockatiel Jenny breaking her feathers. Blood was everywhere. One fact most don't know: if a bird's blood feather is broken? It can bleed out and die.

She's okay but it always freaks me out big time when this happens!

1. Fun to talk to Mary Hering, son's theater and yearbook teacher. She's reading NO MORE GODDESSES and says it's fun. I'm being interviewed for the school's paper. Fun to hear teens asking to read my book!

2. Heard that there is a big chance that Star Crossed on CW might be canceled. I have one word for that:

NO!

Seriously this show is so much better than The Vampire Diaries this season. I have one word for that show:

REPEAT

This season's TVD is just one repeat storyline after another. You know it's bad when you laugh during a so-called 'sad' scene. And they renewed it for next year!

If you haven't had a chance yet, check out Star-Crossed. It's similar to the YA book ALIENATED and the 2000s ROSWELL the TV series.

http://www.cwtv.com/shows/star-crossed/photos/00717650715

3. Also really enjoying The 100 on CW. Think Lord of Flies meets Sci-Fi. Highly recommend reading the book which is basically the first episode:

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4. Reading:

I'm a HUGE fan of author Wendy Higgins. This third book in the Sweet Peril series is filled with awesomeness sauce.

5. Also reading FATES:

This is about a 'Fate' that has been banished from her world to ours. She has one final duty in that she needs to kill a human in order to return to her home. Problem is she feels something for this boy and struggles to fulfill her task.

**Big shout out to Edelweiss for approving my ebook galley requests! Another one I got:

**Guilty pleasure:

Hope to pick up some moisturizer that is pretty amazing. They use a computer to decide your true makeup color. Love the concealer and rice powder.

http://www.sayukicustomcosmetics.com/

Then later plan to see latest Captain America movie. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:473262 Friday Five 2014-02-21T05:36:13Z 2014-02-21T05:36:13Z 1. This week's been busy as usual! Getting lesson plans ready for visit this afternoon with our ES-educational specialist-Laura. Most people don't realize how much work is involved when you homeschool. I'm a credentialed teacher(yes, it's up to date!)for grades K-12 and also can teach ELD/Spanish. I work through a charter school which has been wonderful with a student center that son attends twice a week for theater, Lego League, History, and Campus publisher(they put together the yearbook) with credentialed teachers. We go once a week to a math academy. Biweekly to semi-private art classes and weekly to homeschool PE classes. Yes, I'm busy! But we've found this has been so much better for our son who has sensory issues.

**Son at last weekend's Legoland event.

2. Books! OMG, books!

First, I admit, I'm kind of burned out on YA dystopian novels so I asked the fab Jen or cupcakegirly on Twitter for recommends(she's a fellow YABC editor and has fab taste in not only cupcakes but YA/NA books).

Here's Jen's blog site: http://jenuinecupcakes.blogspot.com/
**I so want one of your cupcakes, Jen! One day!

Here's what she recommended:

OMG, it's so GOOD!

While reading I couldn't help but think of this couple:

3. Speaking of if you loved Roswell The TV series as much as I did, then you had to, I mean you NEED TO DVR this new CW series-Star-Crossed:

It's on CW Monday nights!

So anyhow, ALIENATED has the whole Roswell-Star-Crossed feel going for it: Alien comes to Earth/meets/falls for Earth girl. Totally loving!

4. And YA Books Central revealed the cover of Melissa Lander's sequel to ALIENATED that comes out in Feb 2015:

5. And here's a teaser at some of the books I received this week:

Love ya, Penguin Teen books!

***Guilty Pleasure:

Hmmm, this will probably happen on Saturday after my yoga practice. Thinking of grabbing a Starbucks mocha/raspberry iced drink or the Java chip frap with soy:

Totally will need my yoga and drink as I'm thinking I'll be at mother-in-law's house helping her pack to move to independent/assistant living community. Cross fingers that she'll make some friends over there and not sit in her room, getting depressed. Yeah, just thinking about this whole situation makes me want an session of yoga. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:472833 Friday Five 2014-02-14T04:23:31Z 2014-02-14T04:23:31Z 1. First off, so excited that this week's issue of EW has this as the cover:

Yes, I'm proud to say I'm a 'marshmallow'. I also was one of the kickstart backers! Can't wait to see movie next month!

2. Finished reading:

This book brought back memories of 1983. Loved it!

YA Books Central review:http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/16496-going-over

Teaser: What worked was the amazing voice of this historical YA novel. It brought back memories. During the early 80s, no one thought the wall would ever come down. We only heard stories of those who were lucky to escape. Ada and Stefan's story is beautifully written. Kephart shows us the heart and that not even a wall could separate a love.

3. Read this:

YA Books Central review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/16399-loud-awake-and-lost

Teaser: What worked had to be how Ember puts together the pieces of her life before the accident even if it might be too painful to face. Her struggles/conflicts resonate and the reader can't help but want to know what really happened on the night that took away so much from her.

I also liked the chemistry between Ember and Kai. It's sudden and very intense. You want to follow him and discover what he might know but on the same hand can't help but wonder if the key he holds might shatter Ember.

4. Starting this one for next week's blog book tour:

Love Janet Gurtler's writing!

5. Found another yummy loose tea place at Irvine Spectrum:

The Mango green tea is very nommy. I also love the mocha nut mate.

**Guilty pleasure:

Finally, I'm going to see The Vampire Academy! Loved all the books. Read the first one and had to read the rest. Devoured this whole series in under 2 weeks! Yes, it's that good!

<lj-embed id="348" /> urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:472624 Friday Five 2014-02-06T23:18:42Z 2014-02-06T23:18:42Z 1. Really having a hard time working through Act 3 in this revision. I ended up tossing the original part as it wasn't working. Ugh. Ended up printing up another Plot wheel from Joyce Sweeney and trying to write through this plot block which is very painful. Double ugh.

Then fab YA author Maggie Stiefvater was on Twitter and I asked her what she did when she had this happen to her and she nailed it perfectly with this post:

http://maggiestiefvater.com/blog/in-which-i-advocate-caging-your-plot-bunnies/

Yes, my other project--plot bunny--has been hounding me. Love her suggestions! You rock, Maggie!

2. This week I was able to read fellow YABC Head Ninja's debut book: The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfarer:

Verdict:

Loved!

It's a cross between Somewhere in Time meets Dr. Who with amazing chemistry and exciting time travel stops.

Love the twists and turns in this time traveling/past lives tale. The chemistry between Alex and Blue(especially the 1927 dance scene) pulsed with chemistry. The reveals kept me on the edge of my seat.

3. Excited to get this novella from THE ELITE series.

This novella tells the story from the POV of the Prince and guard. Love it! Book three, The One, comes out in May!

4. Also the third book of Marissa Meyer is out!

Love this dystopian twist on fairy tales.

5. And what is going on with Stiles on Teen Wolf?

http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/01/27/teen-wolf-stiles-evil-season-3-episode-16-recap/

I love this character so much. When I meet one of the writers, Nancy Holder, at a RWA conference, I told her that they better not mess with Stiles! LOL. I have to admit I love how the writers are deepening his character. Now just give him a love interest!

**Guilty Pleasure:

Hope to see this:

<lj-embed id="347" /> urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:472330 Friday Five 2014-01-31T04:16:11Z 2014-01-31T04:16:11Z 1. Having a fun time with my NO MORE GODDESSES blog book tour! Thanks YA Reads! http://www.yareads.com/ And to all the wonderful bloggers for hosting me!

Some of my reads for this week:

2. UNINVITED by Sophie Jordan:

My YA Books Central review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/15644-uninvited-uninvited-1

Teaser: What worked: Jordan opens by showing readers Davy's 'privileged' world. She's a music prodigy, rich, attends an exclusive private high school, and is dating the hottest guy on campus. But all this shatters with the results of a DNA test that shows she carries the killer gene HTS. Within a day everyone turns against her, including her BFF Tori and even her family. Jordan does a very efficient way of showing us how easily a privileged life can be erased. Chilling because this could very well be our own future with recent technological advances and how some use genetic testing to determine many factors.

3. TEEN SPIRIT by Francesca Lia Block:

YA Books Central review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/16455-teen-spirit

Teaser: What worked: I love Block's words and how she works magic in each of her novels. In TEEN SPIRIT I love how she shows Julie's relationship with her grandmother and how painful it is after her death. The descriptions are very vivid and alive. It reminded me so much of my own grandmother.

When Julie finds an Ouija board in her new apartment she thinks it's a sign from her grandmother. She asks Clark to help but something else happens. Little do they know what they've unleashed. The changes that come over Clark are subtle at first, then downright creepy. This sinister twist I totally loved.

4. Right now reading this amazing book, THE FALCONER by Elizabeth May:

**Love the UK cover as it reflects how I picture the heroine!

Think Jane Austen meets steampunk 1844 Scotland.

Here's the blurb:

Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh's social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.

Now it's the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She's determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city's many dark alleyways.

I was up until 3am as I couldn't put this book down! But you all know how much I love a kick-ass heroine with a bit of 'tude. Aileana lives a double life trying to avenge the death of her mother by a terrible faery creature. So far loving!

5. Check back tomorrow for the cover reveal of PARIS CRAVINGS!

**Guilty pleasure:

I admit I watch Shark Tank and one episode had a teen who suffered from eczema(like me!) showing her Simple Sugars line of body scrubs. Intrigued, I went to the site: http://simplesugars.myshopify.com/ I purchased the candy cane body scrub and LOVED IT. So when I asked if they had a chocolate one? They delivered:

This body scrub isn't gritty at all and doesn't leave a mess in the tub like another project I've used. It smells like brownies. So nommy! So far I haven't broken out which is a huge plus. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:472247 Friday Five 2014-01-25T19:05:01Z 2014-01-25T19:05:01Z 1. Today's my birthday! Happy birthday to me!

2. Well, the flu bug finally bit me. Ugh. Been fighting it but feel that it could have been tons worse if I didn't have my flu shot. The bug is really nasty. Stay healthy!

3. My virtual book blog tour starts tomorrow! I thought I'd celebrate my birthday with another tour.

Here's my stops:

January 25-

The Book Beacon-http://thebookbeacon.com/2014/01/25/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-becoming-a-published-author-by-kim-baccellia/

January 26th
Cassandra M's Place - http://star95011.blogspot.com/-Review
Elizabeth Delana Rosa - Interview

January 27th

Pandora's Books - Review
We Do Write - Interview
Literary Chanteuse 2 - Excerpt
Don't Fold the Page - Review

January 28th

Fantasy Book Addict - Interview
Book Briefs - Review

January 29th
Book Lovers Life - Guest Post

January 30th

Book Infatuation - Review
Verbosity Book Reviews - Interview

January 31st
We're All Mad Here - Review
Blissful Book Reviews - Guest Post

I'll be giving away a signed copy of NO MORE GODDESSES and CROSSED OUT along with some fun swag all in a Paris bag(a hint at where Jordan will be in book 2).

4. Fun to get these books this week from the fab YA Books Central!

Yes, after I read the last Vampire Academy book? I'm so reading UNINVITED by Sophie Jordan. This book is getting some awesome reviews!

5. Also got a package of galleys from Chronicle books:

Love this publisher! There's a YA book with a twist on the Bronte sisters; a historical YA, and a YA set in the 1980s!

**Guilty pleasure:

For my birthday I'm going and getting a must needed facial which includes an arm and underbody massage. Plus, going to go to Cheesecake Factory and get a piece of nommy cheesecake! urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:471973 Friday Five 2014-01-10T05:51:37Z 2014-01-10T05:51:37Z 1. School's back in session which means I'm busy driving all over the place, taking son to his other classes. My favorite thing though is being able to drop him off at the student center and go to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and write. I also love their tea lattes-the Chai with sugar-free chocolate is to die for! I swear this coffee house has helped me finish the first draft of the second goddesses book and is helping me finish another round of revisions of my current project.

2. Finally read VAMPIRE ACADEMY:

Verdict: Love it!

Can't wait to see the movie this Valentine's Day!

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3. Finished reading Heidi Kling's latest installment of her Spellspinner's series:

Heidi nails the emotions, tension, and conflicts of this coven of witches/warlocks. So much better than The Originals and The Secret Circle.

YA Books Central Review coming soon!

4. Mandy, the head YABC Ninja leader, sent me an Amazon giftcard for Christmas and this is what I got:

Can't wait to read this series! I did get a ebook galley but it didn't load right on my Nook. Happy to finally have the book in print!

5. Loved this YA romance:

YA Books Central review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/16317-burning

Teaser: I totally loved this story. Romantic bittersweet coming of age story that heats up in the shadow of the Burning Man festival. Seems that the fortune Lala gave might not be Ben's alone. Choices are made by not only Ben but Lala. They have to have the courage to make their own fates.

There's a twist of Romeo and Juliet conflict woven through this tale with surprise revelations at the end.

**Shout out to YA author friend Marlene Perez's latest:

This is a fun twist on what if one of the Fates had a son in modern times? Love Marlene's worlds and punchy dialogue.

**Guilty Pleasure:

While son is at a friend's 13th birthday party, husband and I are going out on a date to an Italian restaurant:

 urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:471627 2013 Cybils YA Nonfiction Finalists 2014-01-02T21:59:30Z 2014-01-02T21:59:30Z I was so excited to be a part of the Cybils again! Love this group so much! This year I decided to think outside my box and help judge the YA Nonfiction category. So many great nominations. Here's what we decided made the top five picks of this year. Trust me, this was hard. Tomorrow check my own top 5 list!

2013 Finalists
Young Adult Non-Fiction

Breakfast on Mars and 37 Other Delectable Essays
Roaring Brook
Nominated by: Katy Manck (BooksYALove)

Writing and reading essays usually evokes yawns. Forcing students to use the formal style of writing not only is boring but kills creativity. Breakfast on Mars takes the dreaded essay assignment and spins a fun, creative twist that is sure to inspire younger writers. Each essay takes a usually boring subject and brings it to life. There are examples of persuasive, informative, literary, personal, and illustrated essays. In this collection, readers will find essays on such topics as summer camp, invisibility, life on Mars, and the first kiss. Delightful twists on the dreaded essay. A must-add to any middle and high school classroom.

by Kim Baciella, Si Se Puede

Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans during World War II
Martin W. Sandler
Walker Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Deb Nance at Readerbuzz

Imagine having your loyalty to your country of birth questioned and you and your family sforced to relocate to an interment camp. For the Nisei , second generation children Americans of Japaenese descent, that meant the United States, Canada and parts of South America imprisoned them in interment camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Imprisoned outlines the challenges Japanese immigrants faced while trying to make a life for themselves and their children in the years before the war, the weeks leading up to the relocation, the years in the camp, and the fight for reparations by the Sansei, or third generation, on behalf of their parents and grandparents.

Included in the book are numerous photographs, maps, and first-hand accounts.

by Sarah Sammis, Puss Reboots

The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible . . . on Schindler's List
Leon Leyson
Atheneum
Nominated by: Mary McKenna Siddals

Leon Leyson's memoir offers a distinctive glimpse into the life of the youngest Holocaust survivor on Oscar Schindler's renowned list. Unlike the Hollywood version of events, Leyson tells his story in a matter-of-fact style, which helps readers connect to the daily fear and hardship of the Holocaust from his first-hand perspective. Leyson veers away from anger or blame, leaving readers free to experience and reflect upon the momentous history in his telling. The Boy on the Wooden Box is a significant book, not only for the unique historical perspective it holds, but for the dignified way the author lived his life.

by Cheryl Vanatti, Reading Rumpus

The Bronte Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne
Catherine Reef
Clarion Books
Nominated by: Sherry Early

In this thorough and engaging family biography, Catherine Reef recreates the lives
and works of the famous Brontë sisters. Raised by a busy Reverend and a somber aunt, the Brontë children turned to each other for entertainment – rambling about
the English moors, writing stories, and constructing elaborate fantasy worlds together. This shared passion for imaginative play and storytelling would lead the sisters toward literary greatness, but first they endured severe boarding schools,
family tragedy, and unrewarding teaching careers. The Brontës' swift but hard-earned transformation from playful girls to serious writers is fascinating and inspiring, but what makes Reef's biography shine is her attention to the everyday struggles of 19th century living, especially for young women.

Charlotte, Emily, and Anne become strong female protagonists in their own life stories; readers will root for the three girls as they overcome challenges of class and gender in order to pursue their art. Well-read teens will enjoy tracing paths from the Brontë's childhood experiences into the worlds of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, and Reef's crisp, readable narrative will easily breed new fans.

Jessica Tackett MacDonald at http://herlifewithbooks.com

"The President Has Been Shot!": The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
James L. Swanson
Scholastic
Nominated by: Amanda Snow

"There was a father with a little boy, a little girl, and a joy of each in the other. In the moment, it was no more, and so she took a ring from her finger and placed in his hands.

There was a husband who asked much and gave much, and out of the giving and asking wove with a woman what could not be broken in life, and it a moment it was no more. And so she took a ring from her finger and place in his hands " (page 180).

Ask anyone who was a teenage or older about November 22, 1963, chances are they can tell you where they were when they learned President John F. Kennedy had been shot. A moment that defined a generation, it has forever changed our country. Swanson takes readers through the a brief account of JFK's presidency, the last several days leading up to the pivotal moment, Jacqueline Kennedy's bravery and strength as a nation watched her every move, through the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald.

With a subject that has been well covered by both media and conspiracy theorist alike, Swanson presents the information in an engaging tone and select photographs. One of the most intriguing aspects of this book is the ending, which includes the diagrams, photos and illustrations from the assassination. Also included is Places to Visit, Source Notes and a thorough index—all adding to the usability of this title.

Stephanie Charlefour urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:471464 Friday Five 2013-12-27T05:25:59Z 2013-12-27T05:25:59Z 1. Had a great Christmas.

Mom sent me this:

It's a huge Audrey Hepburn blanket throw. Love it!

Had tons of this:

Son got:

Also got to help put together his new computer!

Went and saw this:

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Husband and I LOVED it!

2. Read:

I'm a huge fan of THE CHRISTMAS CAROL so I thought I'd read this twist on the tale told through the eyes of Marley. There were some good parts, where we see how Marley and Scrooge's lives entwine in more ways then previously thought. What didn't work had to be all the telling, head-hopping(when the spirits visit Scrooge, they also speak to Marley. Very confusing). Plus, it was a tad bit too preachy for me. Still for those who love Christmas tales, this might be the one for them.

3. Penguin books sent me this one:

This one intrigued me. It's about Mia, a girl that fell down in a well as a child and survived. Now she's attending a very elite private school and a reporter comes to interview her but he's not all he seems. He unleashes something terrible that affects everyone. Some edge of your seat scenes that kept me wanting to know the secret Mia's father had hidden. Coming in February.

4. Right now reading:

Love the futuristic twist of fairy tales! Got the paperback version through Scholastic book orders! Great deal for a great series!

5. Also reading the third installment in Heidi Kling's amazing witchy e-book series. Let's just say: I LOVE IT! Heidi nails the emotions, tension, and conflicts of this coven of witches/warlocks. So much better than Witches of East End and The Secret Circle.

**Guilty Pleasure:

Probably going out to lunch with son and husband! Yay, for holidays! urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:471178 Friday Five 2013-12-06T04:10:31Z 2013-12-06T04:10:31Z 1. First off, I did it! I finished my Nanowrimo project at a little over 50K!

So book two of the goddesses series is done! Well, the first draft is. I'm putting aside for a few and then will go back and polish it up before sending off to Liz, my publisher.

2. Also been reading through Cybils nominated YA Nonfiction books. Thought I'd share:

One thing that amazed me was how Jane Eyre, had critics when it first was published. Some thought it wasn't appropriate for young ladies to read at that time. Pg. 116 of THE BRONTE SISTERS THE BRIEF LIVES OF CHARLOTTE, EMILY, AND ANNE by Catherine Reef ...Jane Eyre was "an anti-Christian composition" So Jane Eyre was becoming a dangerous book, one that decent mothers forbade their daughters to read.

Fascinating read into the lives of the Bronte sisters who all died too young but left us amazing classic tales.

3. One book that deals with the holocaust:

I loved this retelling of a young boy who survived the Holocaust by being one of those on Schindler's list. Fascinating and horrific at times, I couldn't put this book down.

4. One that shows how DNA solves mysteries:

Fascinating insight into how modern day science helps solve history's mysteries. Included are was King Tut murdered? Did Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russian survive? How did Napoleon die?

Love how modern science is used to explain some of these mysteries in an easy to follow format.

Also fun fact: My younger sis is a genealogist and she used DNA samples from our mother to verify that we in fact have mestizo heritage along with Jewish.

5. Totally loved this twist on the dreaded essay:

I homeschool my seventh grader son and this is a fun twist on the whole boring essay thing. Seriously, when son was in 3rd and even 4th grade he loved writing stories then our ES clamped down on the 'required' formal essay writing and he HATED to write. This book is fun and I wished kids could be more creative when it came to writing the dreaded formal essay!

**And I had to have a YA novel to read! Finally got around to reading this:

I met Shannon during ALA12. It was the ending of a really long day and I was waiting around to go to a YA author signing. She was in front of me in line. I of course introduced self and she signed some of her bookmarkers for me(which I still have!)

This YA is about a teen who survived a storm and is haunted by the girl he saw, who is a sprite. So far really good!

**Guilty Pleasure:

Finally hoping to see this:

<lj-embed id="344" /> urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:471036 MAN MADE BOY TOUR 2013-11-27T05:33:34Z 2013-11-27T05:33:34Z

Welcome to the MAN MADE BOY blog tour! The son of Frankenstein's Monster and his Bride, 16-year-old Boy has lived his whole life in a secret enclave of monsters hidden beneath a Broadway theater, until he runs away from home after he unwittingly unleashes a sentient computer virus on the world. Together with the granddaughter(s) of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Boy embarks on a journey across the country to L.A. But Boy can only hide from his demons for so long…

**I totally loved this book! My YA Books Central review:

http://www.yabookscentral.com/explore-ya-fiction/preview?id=16172:man-made-boy

Jon's Guest Post

On Trolls and Beauty

Boy, like his parents, Frankenstein's Monster and the Bride of Frankenstein, is made from dead body parts stitched together. But he doesn't really think of himself as ugly because he's grown up in a secret enclave of monsters. He has a completely different standard for beautiful. Which is why he has a crush on a troll girl.

To be fair, the trolls of Man Made Boy more closely resemble dark elves than the stereotypical Scandinavian trolls. They even go by the name "trowe", which is the Scottish word for a troll-like fairy creature, as a way to distance themselves from the stereotype. The trowe in my story are only slightly taller than humans, with long lean limbs, dark green skin, white hair, and bright jewel eyes. Of course, they also have protruding fangs and long curved claws. They are still trolls, after all. But my hope is that once you get used to Boy pining for this diamond-eyed, be-fanged troll girl named Liel, you begin to think of her as attractive as well. With any luck, by the time Boy leaves the safe confines of his monster enclave, you're thoroughly used to his own monsterishness. So that when humans treat him as ugly, you are just as shocked and hurt as he is. And when Liel gets out among the humans…well, that's when things really start to get messy.
Body image and concepts of beauty are things I examine a lot in Man Made Boy because they are topics I've always found fascinating, both conceptually and personally. Beauty defines so much of what we do and how we perceive the world, and yet it is entirely subjective. Standards of beauty shift from one generation to the next, sometimes even from one year to the next. More to the point, our own view of ourselves changes almost constantly. There are days when I feel like Hottie McHotpants. And then there are days where I feel like calling me a troll would be a kindness.

At no time is that heightened awareness of beauty more intense than when we are teenagers. Partly that's because our bodies really are changing so fast, with smooth skin erupting into horrendous pimples in the space of hours. But I would say that even more than that as we begin to decide who we are and who we want to be, there is a fear for so many teens that they are unlovable. And it's difficult to desperate that feeling from the idea of being attractive. I think this goes for boys as well as girls, although it might manifest in different ways. They're all feeling the same way, and yet they're all ashamed to admit it to each other because what if they take that risk and find it's actually only them.

It blew my mind when Kurt Cobain just came out and said it:

"I'm so ugly. But that's ok. 'Cause so are you. We've broke our mirrors."

I gotta say, 1991 was a great year to be an angsty teen.

Throughout the revision process for Man Made Boy, people would ask me, "So is Boy ugly or not? It seems to keep changing."

To which I would generally smile in this irritating way I have and say, "Yes, it does." Because the question really is, "Will Boy recognize his own beauty by the end of the book?"

MAN MADE BOY Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Boy's father is Frankenstein's monster and his mother is the Bride. A hacker and tech geek, Boy has lived his whole life in a secret enclave of monsters hidden beneath a Broadway theater, until he runs away from home. Now, the boy who's never set foot outside embarks on a madcap road trip with the granddaughters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that takes him deep into the heart of America. Along the way, Boy falls in love, comes to terms with his unusual family, and learns what it really means to be a monster—and a man.

About Jon Skovron

Jon Skovron is the author of STRUTS & FRETS and MISFIT. Visit him at jonskovron.com. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:470672 Cover Reveal Celebration + Giveaway: The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare by MG Buehrlen 2013-11-26T20:07:06Z 2013-11-26T20:07:06Z It's time to PAR-TAY!

Today we're celebrating the cover reveal for THE 57 LIVES OF ALEX WAYFARE by MG Buehrlen with a giveaway!

BONUS POINTS: Mention you saw the cover on my blog (when you fill out the giveaway form below) and you can earn extra entries!

Ready to see the cover?

...

...

Here it is!

The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare

by MG Buehrlen

US Release Date: March 4, 2014
UK Release Date: March 6, 2014
Publisher: Strange Chemistry / Distributed by Random House
ISBN: 9781908844934

I'm so excited for Mandy and CAN'T WAIT TO READ HER BOOK! Mandy rocks big time as the head YA Books Central Ninja. I'm proud to be a part of her cover reveal! Let's just say I expect huge things from this chica! You go, Mandy!

About the Book

One girl. Fifty-seven lives. Endless ways to die.

For as long as 17-year-old Alex Wayfare can remember, she has had visions of the past. Visions that make her feel like she's really on a ship bound for America, living in Jamestown during the Starving Time, or riding the original Ferris wheel at the World's Fair.

But these brushes with history pull her from her daily life without warning, sometimes leaving her with strange lasting effects and wounds she can't explain. Trying to excuse away the aftereffects has booked her more time in the principal's office than in any of her classes and a permanent place at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Alex is desperate to find out what her visions mean and get rid of them.

It isn't until she meets Porter, a stranger who knows more than should be possible about her, that she learns the truth: Her visions aren't really visions. Alex is a Descender – capable of traveling back in time by accessing Limbo, the space between Life and Afterlife. Alex is one soul with fifty-six past lives, fifty-six histories.

Fifty-six lifetimes to explore: the prospect is irresistible to Alex, especially when the same mysterious boy with soulful blue eyes keeps showing up in each of them. But the more she descends, the more it becomes apparent that someone doesn't want Alex to travel again. Ever.

And will stop at nothing to make this life her last.

Pre-order The Fifty-Seven Lives of Alex Wayfare now!
Barnes & Noble|Books-a-Million|Amazon|Indiebound|The Book Depository

About the Author

When she's not writing, M.G. moonlights as a web designer and social media/creative director. She's the current web ninja lurking behind the hugely popular website YABooksCentral.com, a social network for YA (and kids!) book lovers.

These are the places you'll find M.G. hiding: in her creaky old house nestled in Michigan pines, sipping coffee on her porch, cooking over campfires, and dipping her toes in creeks. Say hello to M.G. on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.

Giveaway Details

One winner from each participating blog (10 total) will receive signed bookmarks and stickers.

One grand prize winner will receive a copy of the book (once available) as well as the Mega 57 LIVES Character Prize Pack (each item pertaining to a significant character in the book):

- A pair of black Wayfarer glasses, like Alex wears

- A pack of chocolate pudding cups, courtesy of Jensen

- Vintage piano sheet music for the song Star Dust, the song Nick plays for Alex

- An orange Baltimore Orioles cap, like Porter wears

- A pair of engraved Polygon game piece stones (You'll have to read the book to find out how these come into play!)

- A YABooksCentral.com tote bag

- Signed bookmarks and stickers

This giveaway is open internationally. Winners will be chosen and notified by email within 30 days of the giveaway end date.

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Extra entries can be earned by following the bloggers involved in the Cover Reveal Celebration.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:470494 Friday Five 2013-11-22T15:45:07Z 2013-11-22T15:45:07Z 1. Got our first big rain storm here in Southern Ca and guess what happened?

Yeah, water seeped inside our office...again. So frustrating. Husband got one of those extender pipes to help divert water from the add on part of our house. We think we got it in time but still need to call Elwood, my stepdad, for some help on what to do. We're worried we might have a crack in the foundation and have to have it fixed. All I hear is $$$$$$.

Sigh.

2. Good news though is doctor's office called with results of MRI for husband.

He doesn't have cancer!

3. Also this week got some Cybils nominated books!

Really loving being on the YA Non-fiction panel this year. 12 year old LOVES history so guess what he's been doing? Perusing the books too.

Really enjoyed this book:

Loved this behind the scenes life of film maker Andrew Jenks. Shows how he used rejections to fuel him to continue to chase after his dream of being a film maker.

4.

Important short stories on bullying told by teens.

5. I really loved this book:

But then again I love Laurie Halse Anderson's books.

This one deals with a teen and her former military father who suffers from PTS.

YA Books Central Review coming soon!

**Guilty Pleasure:

Really love Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's holiday drinks.

Another really yummy one has to be Toffee Nut cafe.

 urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:470114 Friday Five 2013-11-08T00:09:03Z 2013-11-08T00:09:03Z 1. Around 2ish last Friday, husband said he got a strange ringing in his right ear and couldn't hear anything out of it. He said he'd had similar things happen and it 'cleared' up within a few hours. Well, it didn't so we had to go to urgent care. They didn't do much so we had to wait until Monday to see regular doctor. Long story short, that doctor told us he should have been placed on steroids ASAP. Two days later he went to a specialist who said that there is a 72 hr window of time with issues like this and we just made it. Needless to say I called insurance company and filed a complaint against the urgent care. So scary. Now he needs to have a MRI and see another specialist to check to see if he has any hearing loss. Just shows how everything can change in a blink of an eye.

2. I'm doing Nanowrimo this year! I'm @ixtumea over there if you want to friend me! The project I'm working on is the second book in the contracted Goddesses series.

My motivation

My image of Andre-the guy Jordan stumbles into while in Paris.

3. Finished reading this amazing anthology from Carolrhoda:

My YA Books Central review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/16115-losing-it

Teaser:

LOSING IT is about teens losing their virginity. What I love about this anthology is each author's take on this sensitive subject.

Here's some of my favorites:

A.S. King's STICKY FINGERS is about a teen who realizes too late what a cheap ring from a guy she thought she liked really means. **A.S. King is one of my favorite YA authors and this short tale is nothing short of amazing on how she shows us the protagonist's raw emotional feelings that ring so true.

4. Reading upcoming ASK ME by Kimberly Pauley:

Really loving the voice of Aira, who can't help but tell the truth. Add a murder mystery and you have a real winner!

5. Waiting for this:

This is another collection of short stories from YA authors. This time it's dystopian stories. I'm a huge fan of anthologies.

Also finally got my Veronica Mars t-shirt and stickers!

Check out the back!

**Guilty pleasure:

Well, we weren't able to go out for kaboobs last Friday as we had a water pipe leak and had to wait for a plumber. At least it wasn't that $$$.

Maybe today we'll finally go though it's really up to husband as he still has the ear issue.

If anything? I'll grab a yummy Christmas frap at Starbucks.

 urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:469852 Friday Five 2013-11-01T04:57:45Z 2013-11-01T04:57:45Z Thriller by Michael Jackson 1. Today is Dia de los Muertos-Day of the Dead!

Today is when some celebrate/honor their loved ones that have passed. Some have altars that they'll place something that the loved one loved such as chocolate, a glass of wine, fried chicken, or some tamales. There will be a photo of the loved one too. I have a scene in my book EARRINGS OF IXTUMEA where Lupe finds one of these altars of her mother.

**One thing Dia de Los Muertos isn't is an extension of Halloween. Rather it's a day to celebrate and reflect on loved ones who have died.

Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican/Latin celebration though my husband said there are similar celebrations in Korea and other Asia countries.

Here's a fun link with some children's books that celebrate Dia de Los Muertos:

http://www.babble.com/babble-voices/ana-flores-besos/13-favorite-childrens-books-for-day-of-the-deaddia-de-muertos/

2. Here's my son bedazzling during last night's Halloween celebrations:

3. Also my YA paranormal CROSSED OUT is perfect for this time of year!

Stephanie has a little extra curricular ability that she is hesitant to share with her friends: she's a Rescuer, someone who makes talismans of murdered girls to help them to the Otherside.

4. Right now finishing up:

Think Lord of the Flies meets Across the Universe. Really enjoying this Sci-fi story by Alloy Productions. It's set to be a CW 2014 series too!

<lj-embed id="343" /> 5. Really enjoying this Penguin ebook serial:

Teaser: hat I loved had to be the emotional build up of Sarah when she first encounters Will. Both of them have significant others but that doesn't stop the sparks from flying. Will has a reputation of being a player and Sarah refuses to fall under his spell but all common sense goes out the door with a single touch. The emotions and struggles Sarah goes through felt very real. It would have been so easy to have Sarah come across as a cheating girl but instead we see someone with very realistic conflicts. Her boyfriend Dave seems to be the 'safe' bet but his wandering eye doesn't make him so blameless either. I couldn't help but think why wouldn't Sarah be attracted to Will? Now we just have to see what she does decide to do and what will happen. I can't help but think there's other secrets going on too. Installment 2:

Teaser: Ooh, loved the emotion and chemistry between Sarah and Will. The relationship is hot and very sizzling. I love how the author describes the sparks that fly whenever these two are together. But also the internal struggle Sarah feels between her feelings between Dave and Will... ...When Will touched me, I wanted more. When Dave and I made out, I felt happy, but I only wanted exactly as much as I had. It was delicious, but ephemeral. Like cotton candy that immediately melted on my tongue... **Guilty Pleasure:

Husband is taking me out on a lunch date to a kabobs place.

Also getting my monthly pedi. What color should I get? I'm thinking orangish/brown for November. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:469522 Friday Five And More! 2013-10-24T21:47:57Z 2013-10-24T21:52:39Z Thomas Rhett "Goes Like This" 1. Halloween is almost here. Last night son went to his 'first' dance at our church. He wanted to be a vampire. **Can you guess what TV show is my favorite?

He said he loved going as he got to hug TONS of girls. Son, "Mommy, there's like double the girls there as the boys. It's like 2 girls to one of us!"

OMG, he's 12 years old and talking about girls already!

2. I'm trying to flesh out a short story for a YARWA class I'm taking. I decided to see the world through Phoenix's eyes. He's one of the dreaded 'Others' that Espie's been warned about since childhood.

I woke up the other night and heard a song on Leno that felt so much like Phoenix! Thomas Rhett, "It Goes Like This". What's funny about this is I HATE Country music but my character likes it. If anything, most of the music I hear when I write his scenes have music similar to the above. Who says characters don't speak to you?

3. Books:

Finished reading this fun collection of historical figures that Zest books put together:

Here's my YA Books Central link: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yanonfiction/15125-historical-heartthrobs-50-timeless-crushesfrom-cleopatra-to-camus

Teaser:

This is a fun collection of historical public figures that asks the question--Would you date them? There's some really fun trivia on each of these 50 individuals including a 'heat factor' that ranks their worthiness to be a crush.

4. This next book is beyond amazing! If you love Stephan King? You'll love this one:

My YA Books Central review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/14880-the-waking-dark

Teaser: Well-written passages that show readers the horror of what comes over the residents of the small Kansas town when they follow their darkest, ugliest impulses. Warning: Don't read this alone in the dark! The images are guaranteed to stay with you long after you close the book. Just like a Stephen King novel.

There's some very edgy, and yes, graphic scenes when the murders start accelerating in town. These scenes reminded me of King's The Dome, where a similar situation happens with the residents of a small town trapped inside and the madness that is unleashed.

5. The next one was good but I felt not as great as the first book in the series. But remember that's just my opinion. There's still a lot going for this series.

http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/15657-once-we-were-the-hybrid-chronicles-2

Teaser: What I liked: I really loved how the author is able to weave in intense emotions between her characters. In ONCE WE WERE readers see the conflict that arises between two souls trapped in one body. Think THE HOST meets GOLDEN COMPASS. Eva is the recessive soul that should had faded long ago. Now though she's able to come out more and realizes that she has her own wants/desires that are different than Addie. The author does a great job showing readers this with beautifully written passages that dig deep within both of the souls. You can't help but feel the pain, frustration, and even freedom each soul feels once they realize that they can be separate.

**Also going to start reading this fun new ebook serial from Penguin books:

**Fun fact: My first book EARRINGS OF IXTUMEA was sold as an ebook serial to Virtual Tales back in 2006. I was ahead of my time...once again. It didn't do as well because ebooks were just coming out. It did well in print though. Glad others are trying e-serials again.

Friday Five: New TV series!

And on the TV new series front: The last few BLACKLIST episodes were beyond disturbing and borderline gross. Not sure if I'll still watch. New ones I'm liking so far include:

1. REIGN:

I'm a huge fan of King Henry VIII type of books/movies. So far this one has promise!

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2. Been bored to tears with this season's The Vampire Diaries. Same old same old and frankly why would Elena want to leave Damon? I don't get.

Instead I'm really enjoying the spin-off so much more.

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3. Also want to check out DRACULA.

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4. Not sure yet on RAVENWOOD yet. If it goes in the direction I think? I might continue watching:

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5. And this one looks intriguing:

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***Guilty Pleasure:

After son gets his blood drawn and we go to breakfast, plan to go to the mall and get a Starbuck holiday drink (tried the Chocolate Chai which was only okay. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's is much, much better!)

And picking up the last book in the Beautiful Creature's series. I waited till it came out in paperback. I have to know how this series ends!

 urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:469396 Friday Five 2013-10-17T22:10:35Z 2013-10-17T22:10:35Z 1. First off, I had a totally great experience at last weekend's OCCRWA Birthday Bash. The theme was Mardi Gras so of course I wore a mask:

A selfie I took in my hotel room. I had the 2 room suite ALL TO MYSELF. It was wonderful!

I also was able to do a booksigning with a bunch of other RWA authors including the fab Victoria Dahl!

Totally loved Victoria's speech on unlikeable women and real ones. Her speech totally resonated with me.

What I love about my local RWA? Their willingness to accept all authors regardless of what big name publisher/agent they might have. I feel welcome in this charter with my small press pubbed books.

And this was too cool:

2. Received this package from the fab Mandy of YA Books Central:

3. Son loving his history class at his student center. This year they are studying Medieval world.

This was on the Maori warriors.

Then he made a mosaic for the Byzantinne empire:

4. Finished reading RED by Alison Cherry:

My YA Books Central review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/15972-red-by-alison-cherry

Teaser: What worked for me had to be how the author plays with stereotypes in such a way that it works. Also I loved the whole premise of having a town where Redheads rule. It's an interesting twist on discrimination against those who aren't Redhead such as Blondes. The nastiness isn't hidden much either. In this town even the adults reinforce the rule that only Redheads get ahead.

I also liked Felicity. It would have been so easy to make her vain and full of herself but she struggles with the knowledge that she's really a fraud as she'd been dying her hair since she could remember. She admits she likes the popularity that comes with being a Redhead and all that comes with it like the hot jock boyfriend. But there's times when she fears she'll be exposed for the truth. This works well in this storyline. I felt her struggles, fears, and confusion. I also like her one friend Ivy who is everything that Felicity isn't-she's not afraid to be who she is.

5. Finishing up SIX MONTHS LATER:

This one has an interesting twist on the whole forgetting everything about yourself and waking up to a compete stranger. Only it seems the town might have a part of this all. Intriguing thriller.

YA Books Central review coming this Saturday!

** Guilty Pleasure:

So son and husband are going to Disneyland for a few hours. While they're away I hope to go see either Carrie:<lj-embed id="336" />

I remember seeing the original with my mother when it first came out. Scared the crap out of me.

Or I'll see Romeo and Juliet:

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Love this tragedy!

Decisions. Decisions.

I might even pick up a salted caramel mocha frappucino with soy afterwards!

 urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:469004 Friday Five 2013-10-10T23:48:52Z 2013-10-10T23:48:52Z 1. First off, it was so much fun being a part of this Fall's YA Scavenger hunt!

The winner of my own giveaway is:

RACHEL EDMUNDSON

Congrats!

2. Getting ready for OCCRWA Birthday Bash this Saturday! Booked my hotel room, got some fun Audrey Hepburnish PJs, a Mardi Gras mask, and also have some books for a booksigning. Later that night going to a couple PJ 'parties' and also plan to have breakfast the next day with some other RWA authors. Should be fun! Hope to have photos to share next week! Knocking on wood I don't get...

3. Sick as son had some virus the other day. Ugh. Been living on Airborne and spraying Listerine EVERYWHERE!

Now for the book finds of this week!

4. Read this e-book galley that was sent to me from Netgalley:

Think THE AMERICANS meets YA paranormal spy kids. Set in 1963 Russia during the Cold War this story had me on the edge of my seat. Amazing storyline that peels back what could have happened during the Cold War in the Soviet Union. **Author has notes in the back that both the US and the Soviet Union were in fact researching paranormal abilities like psychics to use in spying. Fascinating. Release date April 2014

5. Just got my copy of RED:

I've been wanting to read this book since I read about it in PW announcement. I'm an enhanced Ginger and this storyline of a girl competing for the must have Scarlet town beauty title has a little secret: her envious red locks are enhanced too. Fun play on stereotypes and cliches. At first I thought it might be too much but so far it's working!

Also really enjoyed the pilot of this new CW show TOMORROW PEOPLE which is JUMPERS with more potential:

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**Guilty Pleasure:

I found it's worth the extra $ to get my hair conditioned/styled in time for a booksigning. So guess what I'll be doing later today? The head massage alone is worth the $ and Mark, my stylist is wonderful! urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:468817 Friday Five 2013-10-10T23:46:23Z 2013-10-10T23:46:23Z 1. First off, it was so much fun being a part of this Fall's YA Scavenger hunt!

The winner of my own giveaway is:

RACHEL EDMUNDSON

Congrats!

2. Getting ready for OCCRWA Birthday Bash this Saturday! Booked my hotel room, got some fun Audrey Hepburnish PJs, a Mardi Gras mask, and also have some books for a booksigning. Later that night going to a couple PJ 'parties' and also plan to have breakfast the next day with some other RWA authors. Should be fun! Hope to have photos to share next week! Knocking on wood I don't get...

3. Sick as son had some virus the other day. Ugh. Been living on Airborne and spraying Listerine EVERYWHERE!

Now for the book finds of this week!

4. Read this e-book galley that was sent to me from Netgalley:

Think THE AMERICANS meets YA paranormal spy kids. Set in 1963 Russia during the Cold War this story had me on the edge of my seat. Amazing storyline that peels back what could have happened during the Cold War in the Soviet Union. **Author has notes in the back that both the US and the Soviet Union were in fact researching paranormal abilities like psychics to use in spying. Fascinating. Release date April 2014

5. Just got my copy of RED:

I've been wanting to read this book since I read about it in PW announcement. I'm an enhanced Ginger and this storyline of a girl competing for the must have Scarlet town beauty title has a little secret: her envious red locks are enhanced too. Fun play on stereotypes and cliches. At first I thought it might be too much but so far it's working!

Also really enjoyed the pilot of this new CW show TOMORROW PEOPLE which is JUMPERS with more potential:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDppJEzqg3Y
**Guilty Pleasure:

I found it's worth the extra $ to get my hair conditioned/styled in time for a booksigning. So guess what I'll be doing later today? The head massage alone is worth the $ and Mark, my stylist is wonderful! urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:468684 Friday Five 2013-09-27T14:54:32Z 2013-09-27T14:54:32Z 1. This week's been crazy as usual! All I can say is thank god for son's student center as I'm able to go to my favorite coffee house: Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and WRITE!

2. Well, today sister-in-laws are coming down from Utah to go through mother-in-law's storage. Very stressful. I'm going to try to stay the heck out of it all. Let's just say it's guaranteed to be Drama City. Popcorn is optional.

3. What does help? Books!

Been reading this one:

HOSTAGE THREE

Engaging contemporary YA about a spoiled teen who ends up being kidnapped by modern day Somalian pirates who are NOTHING like Jack Sparrow. I like how the protagonist grows in a very difficult situation. What is hard for me to accept through is the idea of her 'falling' in love with one of the pirates. I don't buy the Stockhom Syndrome. Other than that though, fast paced story which doesn't hold back with the reasons behind the Somalians kidnapping to the horror aboard the yacht.

4. Of course I couldn't not buy the next Meg Cabot book in the SIZE 12 IS NOT FAT!

Love the humor mixed with mystery. Meg is a pro!

5. You all just have till September 30th for a chance to win a copy of my latest NO MORE GODDESSES. I'm giving away 2 signed copies through Good Reads!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15096775-no-more-goddesses

**Also did any of you caught BLACKLIST the other night? OMG, OMG, this show had me on the edge of my seat! Think Silence of the Lambs/Alias/24 all blended into one amazing fast paced ride!

**Guilty Pleasure:

Going to try to stay out of the in-law Drama for the week situation by taking in a yoga session:

 urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:468454 Friday Five 2013-09-20T04:39:04Z 2013-09-20T04:39:04Z 1. So excited that I finally got to meet YA author Ellen Hopkins last night! I've been a huge fan of hers since BURNED.

Excited to have her sign the sequel-- SMOKE.

**Yes, I was teary eyed finally meeting Ellen. She's beyond amazing. I got goosebumps hearing her read from SMOKE and emotions came to me once again of my own troubled teens with an abusive father.

2. Reading A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES

This is the fun companion novel to MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY! This series is light, fun, and romantic. Everything most teens I know are looking for in a YA romance!

3. Finished reading the graphic novel MY BOYFRIEND IS A MONSTER WRAPPED UP IN YOU.

This is a fun series with a twist on what paranormal being the boyfriend is. In this case it's a 500 year old Incan prince who was awoken.

4. Can't wait for the next Meg Cabot book!

This series is hilarious!

5. Tried the Chocolate Hazelnut coffee at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

Hands down Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has the best tea, coffee, atmosphere than Starbucks. I love to write here and I do every Tuesday and Thursday. Since I'm allergic to milk, I skip the whip cream and have the coconut/almond milk instead. I also opt for decaf as I'm not a huge fan of caffeine.

**Guilty pleasure:

Okay, this is really up to son and his behavior. Since he turned 12 he's developed 'tude. I seriously think all the snark I gave my mom is coming back to bite me on the butt...big time. Sigh. Any useful suggestions on how to deal would be helpful...

Anyway, I'm hoping we can go to the Original Pancake House so I can have my favorite breakfast:

This dutch baby is filled with eggs, apples, cinnamon, and probably a bazillion + calories and carbs but I don't care! It's a treat. And man is it yummy! urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:468182 Friday Five 2013-09-15T02:02:53Z 2013-09-15T14:07:02Z Wow, I didn't realize my last post was in January! Ugh. I'm now over on blogspot and will try to post here too. http://kimbacceliasweblogfantasy.blogspot.com/

1. Week two of school. Son's having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. Heck, so am I! Loving his student center and amazing teachers! Mary Hering who rocks theater and is also his writing teacher this year. Son is on the yearbook staff too. **Taking after his mom! I was on my middle school newspaper staff when in the 8th grade. Son though wants to be the photographer! This will be a great experience for him.

2. Have some awesome news to share...next Monday!

3. Loving my new hang out on Tuesdays and Thursdays:

4. Been totally addicted to MTV's CATFISH

There's just something fascinating about seeing these people actually meet who they've been texting for the first time. At first you'd think, "Don't people know better?" But in our social media society, it's so easy to have 'friends' online without meeting them. It's like Nev said about his own 'catfish' encounter with Megan, a woman he fell for while texting. That yes, he should have known better but when someone tells you something about themselves, you don't think to check out to see if in fact it's true or not.

5. What's my Friday Five without books?

This week started reading this one:

This is an amazing twist on the whole 'What if the older sister of Anne Frank survived the concentration camps and ended up living in the US?' Love the writing and characters.

Finished this one:

Love this multicultural dystopia with one kickass Native American heroine.

My YA Books Central review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17946249-killer-of-enemies

Teaser: KILLER OF ENEMIES introduces readers to a harsh, unforgiving future of haves and have nots. Seventeen-year-old Lozen is Chiricahua Apache and a prisoner of Haven. She's a hunter of the monsters that were unleashed after a mysterious cloud came and changed her world. She has to hunt the monsters or else her family will be killed. Lozen might come across as hard and unfeeling but she has special gifts that help her survive. She, and others within Haven, realize she's 'special' and want her silenced. But fate might have other things in store for her.

Was really excited to get this one in the mail:

I was a huge fan of the first book:

As a matter of fact it was on my top 2012 Cybils picks for YA Sci/Fi/ Fantasy novels.

It's about an Amish girl who 'questions' her faith right when something horrific hits the world as she knows it. Loved it and can't wait to see what happens to the protagonist during her banishment from the only home she knows.

**Guilty pleasure:

Agent Sara Megibow posted this book trailer up yesterday.

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I seriously want to read this book!

Also hope to grab my Fall favorite drink: Salted Caramel Frap at Starbucks. **Starbucks rocks the iced drinks while Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf are number 1 with teas.

 urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:kbaccellia:467954 kbaccellia @ 2013-01-11T10:01:00 2013-01-11T18:01:23Z 2013-01-11T18:01:23Z 1. Well, I finally agreed it's time to get a new car. I've been driving around my 91 Toyota Pickup truck since, uh, 1991. I bought it new at the Toyota Roland Heights Center. My father-in-law went with me and helped me decide which one to get. There's 180,000 miles on it. When I purchased it I was a new bilingual teacher commuting into LA every day and also a grad student at CSUF. We'd just purchased our first home when the economy tanked. This truck has been with me through two different teaching jobs, infertility treatments, an adoption, trips to Utah and Sacramento, a funeral, and soccer games.
 So it's kind of bittersweet finally giving this truck up. Either today or tomorrow I'll be visiting another Toyota dealership to pick another truck. Hopefully this one will last just as long so I can give to son when he's 16.

2. Books!

FALLING FOR YOU.

My YABC review:

http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/13965-falling-for-you

Teaser:

This story resonated with me on many levels. Rae's story felt similar to my own as a teen. What some don't get is how easy it is for abused girls to fall into abusive relationships with boys that first come across as loving but are in fact demanding and worse, abusive too. It might not make sense to those who aren't in situations like this. I know personally how easy it is to fall into an abusive relationship. Also the peer pressure of high school and even college to have a boyfriend can be pretty intense. Unfortunately, sometimes having any kind of relationship is better than being alone for someone that comes from an abusive background. So yes, Rae's relationship with Nathan was very probable to me.

What I loved about this story though is the hope that is woven throughout. Leo is the boy who works next to the flower shop. Rae feels comfortable around him. I totally loved him and how he tries to reach out to Rae. The poetry throughout gives readers a glimpse into Rae's world. A world others live in too.

3. TIMEKEEPER by Alexandra Monir

My YABC review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/13779-timekeeper-timeless-2

Teaser:

This is a fast-paced time-travel romance with hints of magic throughout. I did feel it was a satisfying follow-up to the first book. For fans of enduring love stories that span time.

4. Another time-travel YA:

TEMPEST by Julie Cross

YABC review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/11109-tempest-tempest-1

Teaser:

Fast-paced time-travel story with a new romantic couple. How far would you go to protect the one you loved from being harmed? That's one of Jackson's strengths. Throughout this story he struggles with what happens to those around him everytime he jumps. Sure at the beginning he mentions that there are no consequences but that later changes. This is one thrilling ride!

5. Finally able to read book three in the amazing Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout!

Love, love the chemistry between Daemon and Katy!

**Guilty pleasure:

Finally I'll be getting my hair colored and styled! Yay, no more gray roots!

**GIVEAWAY

The winner of last week's giveaway is Suzanne de Montigny! Please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com with your snail addy!

This week I'll be giving away a copy of either:

ADAPTION by Malinda Lo

This is a creepy horror tale that I really enjoyed.

or:

PIRATE CINEMA

This dystopian tale has a Dickens feel. Another YA I enjoyed!

For a chance to win either book, just leave a comment!


text:
Stackpole Chip Resistors Handle High Voltage Pulses of 40 KV
by WDD Staff
Stackpole (Raleigh, NC) has expanded its HVC Series of thick film high voltage resistors that utilize a state-of-the-art film deposition process to achieve high voltage ratings, high resistance values, and high pulse voltage handling up to 40 KV.
- Capable of tolerances as low as +/-0.1% for sizes 1206 and larger.
- Rated for working voltages ranging from 400 V for the 0603 size to 3500 V for the 3512 size.
- The thick film high voltage resistor can handle high voltage surges from 5 KV for the 0603 up to 40 KV for the 3512 size, provided the terminals of the HVC chip are isolated. This voltage handling allows the HVC Series to be used for a variety of applications where high voltage and pulse voltage handling are critical, including medical applications and high voltage power supplies.
- Available in chip sizes 0603, 0805, 1206, 2010, 2512, and 3512.
- RoHS compliant.
For more information, please visit www.seielect.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Offensive spelling...
should be "a full-blown criminal offence"
Trevor Baylis, the brains behind the wind-up radio and a shoe-powered phone charger, has called on the UK government to back Blighty's inventors. And he is reported to be selling his one-bedroom self-designed house on a River Thames island in Twickenham after failing to convert his creations into a mountain of money. He told …
should be "a full-blown criminal offence"
Whats with the annoying fucking tongue twister titles on here the last couple days. They're not clever, they're just a fucking pain.
n00b alert!!!
They are noticeably worse lately.
You can't make money inventing things for poor people to use.
I feel dirty but I couldn't help laughing aloud at your comment
It's not UK.gov's fault that inventors are clueless when it comes to business.
Why should they hold inventor's hands?
Surely a man of Baylis' intelligence would know that it would have been wise to retain the services of a patent lawyer BEFORE releasing an new product on the market?.
I remember a documentary on Channel 4 a few years ago that featured a similar guy - some old colonel type who had invented a small device which was to be fitted to air-conditioning units to reduce power consumption. He prototyped it and off he went to China hawking it around to find a manufacturer. He didn't bother his arse patenting it, and was genuinely shocked when the Chinese inevitably copied it and put on sale...
I got it as a Christmas present. The thing lasted about 4 weeks before the plastic widget that regulated the enormous spring snapped and the thing would then unwind itself frighteningly fast in about 3 seconds flat. As an idea it was pretty good but the implementation put me off the idea permanently. It was a shame because it was a good radio when it worked.
It also does not follow that just because he invented a clockwork radio that it would have covered other kinds of wind up devices. Most don't even "wind up" per se - the handle is usually attached to a dynamo which stores charge in a battery. Dynamo operated devices have been around for ages most notably in vehicles but also bicycle lights and even torches.
I'm broke too, I think I'll ask the UK government to protect me and give me a job and money.
If, as a lone inventor, you come up with a relatively simple widget which can easily be copied, I find it hard to believe that a patent will offer any kind of protection against China.
No, you don't even bother. I was involved in developing a patented product, and the services of a professional patent lawyer were engaged: We applied for patents in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, but didn't bother with Brazil, China, India, Africa or Russia, IIRC. The Chinese can choose to make it, but they can't sell it here.
Well they can but you may be able to stop other people selling it. The reality is if it gets popular it will be copied and imported 'grey' anyway.
I'm surprised Baylis didn't snuggle up with Dyson on a joint venture...
Patents are for corporations not inventors.
Patents are for lawyers, no-one else.
They used to have him on the Big Breakfast in the shed, back when it was a brilliant show in the Jonny Vaughn era. Presumably Locak Kepper's Cottages is now item #18 on the London Legacy Development Corporation tourist trail.
Their purpose may have originally had something to do with incentivising invention. But the donkey with a carrot tied to its back is never intended to eat the carrot. The purpose of patents nowadays is to line the pockets of patent lawyers and patent officers. I'd have thought that much was pretty obvious by now.
It was done before, just not patented.
Also he didn't handle the product very well. Back shed work not a business.
I was given a Bayliss Torch; I was not impressed, it was expensive, used NiCd cells and a filament bulb, at a time when LEDs where already good enough; the design was bulky, hard to use, and failed after little use. I've see a lot better and MUCH smaller dynamo battery light designs; in fact a RockTrail one I have is the size and roughly the shape of an Duck egg, and very easy to use.
A dynamo, batteries and lights has already been done many times before, including for bicycles, so plenty of prior art; so nothing worth patenting. Anyhow, patents are like walking sticks for healthy teenagers, a completely pointless liability, which just get in the way of healthy business; Bayliss really failed because his products simply weren't good enough.


text:
China and Russia oppose military action against Iran
China and Russia will not back a draft resolution by the United Nations Security Council that allows military action or even threats to settle Iran's nuclear case, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.
According to IRNA, Lavrov was speaking to reporters after a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing, in Beijing on Tuesday during which the two sides reiterated the need to settle Iran's nuclear case through diplomatic means.
Moscow and Beijing will not support any measure that authorizes the use of force against Tehran to settle its nuclear case, the Russian minister said, and called for resumption of talks for this purpose. Beijing and Moscow have also expressed opposition to the invocation of Chapter 7 of the UN Charter in the draft resolution sought to be passed this week against Iran in the Council. Chapter 7 authorizes sanctions or even military force on a UN member that defies the Council's resolutions.


text:
The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County, working with public broadcasting station WXEL, has telephone hotline system to answer election questions.
Questions will be answered thorugh Election Day for questions about voting, such as where, when and how to vote, questions about eligibility, questions about ballot amendments -- and whatever else citizens need to know in order to vote.
The number to call is 561-276-4898. Leave a message and a league representative will call back.


text:
U.S. Census Bureau's Integrated Marketing Program Led by Draftfcb New York Contributes to $1.6 Billion Budget Surplus
Aug 12, 2010, 15:14 ET from Draftfcb
NEW YORK, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Having achieved its goal of a 72% mail-back participation rate, coupled with strong cooperation by non-respondents with Census workers during door-to-door follow-up visits, this week the U.S. Census bureau reported a budget surplus of $1.6 billion to be returned to the government.
According to media reports to date, these results in part stemmed from Census awareness being at an all-time high, citing the efforts of an extended team of 14 core marketing communications agencies for their strong support. Led by Draftfcb New York, the extended Team Census also included: Draftfcb Puerto Rico (for people residing in Puerto Rico only); IW Group (Asian Audiences); GlobalHue (Black audiences, i.e. African, Caribbean); GlobalHue Latino (Hispanic – including Portuguese); d'exposito (Hispanic); G&G (American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander audiences); Allied (Russian, Polish, Arabic, Armenian, Iranian, Ukrainian); Plum (Greek Audiences); Scholastic (Census In Schools Program); MarCom Group (recruitment advertising); Jack Morton (Events/Portrait of America Road Tour); Weber Shandwick (public relations); and Initiative (select media buying).
Under the guidance of Draftfcb New York, the 2010 Census campaign marked the first time the Census Bureau activated a fully integrated program, which targeted every individual living in the U.S. and its territories. The campaign combined advertising, public relations, events, sponsorships, social media and partnerships to achieve its objectives. The high response rate and budget surplus are strong indicators of its effectiveness.
"It was stated early on that for each percentage point increase in mail response, the cost of conducting the census could decrease by $85 million," said Jeff Tarakajian, Draftfcb group management director and leader of all multi-agency advertising efforts for Team Census. "U.S. Census reaching this impressive landmark is proof of the effectiveness of our highly strategic and creative – not to mention incredibly multi-faceted – marketing program."
SOURCE Draftfcb


text:
The Film:
Venturing into the world of Waiting for Happiness is strongly akin to waltzing into the memories and wispy remnants of many residents' thoughts from time's past. In this little corner of the world named Nouhadhibou, activity is minimal; but, alas, that's the way of this steadfast, unfalteringly cultural environment. A collegiate student named Abdallah returns to his home for a fleeting time before travel, adorned in the untraditional clothing of the modern world while his relatives and other family wear the more fitting garbs of his people. He's unable to harness the ways of this world, even amidst some familiar faces.
Several other segments filter into his return, including the relationship between an older, wise man and a younger boy named Khatra as an electrical team set to wire the town with light. It's a gentle, authoritative relationship between an embittered elder and an exploring, albeit nosey, younger child willing to push boundaries for "sociological" discovery. Atop their struggle, there's a poignant absorption of a young girl and her desire to learn the joys of music. If more "description" could be given for each of these relationships, then they would appear in these words.
But plot complexity isn't where Waiting for Happiness stands rooted. In fact, most of the film's gliding nature doesn't rely upon the revelations from the story itself. Conversely, Sissako's graceful drama maintains a solid state of gumption through the character interrelation and individual development. You can literally see the growth and budding, like a desert flower, coming from each character no matter the age. Most importantly, it takes a span of time to ensnare this film as well.
Waiting for Happiness probably won't be a cinematic experience that'll instantly snatch up all cinema lovers' attention within the first sprawling moments. In fact, it takes a stride at the beginning to build trust and beauty within the audience. Because, frankly, a film with such superb grace can take some time to impress. The wide, swirling shots of a gorgeous desert land strictly confined to more naturalistic times can be difficult to mold with, even when in awe of the beauty and quaintness.
What isn't realized at the start is how well Waiting for Happiness, with all its static majesty, gradually seeps into the mind and soul of the viewer. A tight bond grows with the characters, and not with just our prodigal son. There's something blooming within each and every one that we grow with, understand, and wrap ourselves around. In a sense, this community takes us into the inner workings much like a stranger wandering in the desert. And, like a truly accepted member of this weaving familiar dynamic, we see the successes and failures, as well as the high times and the low. Quite frankly, once this little township let me into its mechanics, I couldn't peel my eyes away. Simple activities, like a small language lesson and the wiring of a home with a light bulb shine with glistening joy.
Though much activity doesn't shine its light in this film, there is plenty of interwoven complexities - or, at least, that's what my mind perceived. See, many spaces are left blank in Waiting For Happiness. It's not a film where every single connection, statement, and chronological event is stamped out in legibly bold text. We don't know for how long our protagonist sticks around his old stomping grounds or, even, whether the events taking place are chronological. Sissako begs us, strongly enticing us, to give our brains a workout and think about each character (especially our collegiate student) and where they might go next.
Instead of just ending up a muddled mess that such a film could be, the strong performances, sweeping scenery, and adherently intriguing motives of each character make Waiting for Happiness a pure joy to watch. It's plodding and smooth as silk in pace; but, Sissako has tried to provide us with a realistically sharp perception on our boy Abdallah's return. It's sometimes difficult to remember that this isn't a documentary about Nouhadhibou. But with such a concentrated directorial style coated with a firm grasp on the reality of this scenario, it might as well have been.
The DVD:
New Yorker Video has packaged Waiting For Happiness in a standard keepcase DVD with tasteful coverart. Also included is a very exquisite fold-out insert containing the chapter listing including a directorial discussion regarding the film.
The Video:
Though beautifully shot, the video quality of Waiting for Happiness isn't one for the record books. This is an anamorphic disc, possessing some strong glimmers of detail in specific portions, though. Most of the beautiful scenery does look quite elegant and warming to the eyes. However, there's a myriad of little digital issues that arise. Many edges show digitization (pixelization, jaggedness, etc) and some edge enhancement. It's to such a degree that it is a bit distracting at times - but not often. Plus, the image is just, in general, predominately blurry. Now, granted, there's probably not a lot that can be helped from the source material. This is a film that could probably benefit from some further refinement in the transfer portion. However, even though it needs just a small boost, the image is still pretty nice.
The Audio:
Equally received with mixed emotions is the Dolby 2.0 Stereo track. What really jumped out about the aural presentation was the rich musical culture that rattled and strummed through the speakers. Though it all sounded relatively weighed down, a lot of the quality echoed through the presentation quite well. It's within the vocals that the audio troubles pop up here and there. At times, the voices sounded washed out and a shade indiscernible. Since this probably doesn't affect enjoyment to most viewers since the language is a mix of French and Hassanya dialects with English subtitles, then the glimmering positives of the generally strong track should get the job done for most. The English subtitles are optional.
The Extras:
Foremost, a short Introduction is included from director Sissako and the executive director of the Tribeca Film Festival, Peter Scarlet. It's a nice watch - one I would have enjoyed before the film starts. However, when reviewing discs, it's always in the back of my mind to make certain the introductions aren't littered with spoiler-ish points. This one, however, is a great starting point.
As a continuation of the introduction, Mr. Scarlet flows into a full-blown Interview with Sissako in shifting dialects. To say the least, hearing Sissako explicate his film is a joy. He's extremely well spoken and quite insightful. He has true passion for his work that echoes wondrously through his words.
Also included is a collection of Director's Notes that discuss many intrinsic and extrinsic factors regarding the plot and village history. It sheds even further light upon the enveloping narrative that we almost inherently assumed during the film.
Rounding out the special features is a Director's Bio and Trailers for both Waiting for Happiness and Bomako.
Final Thoughts:
Abderrahmane Sissako has delivered a little work of glistening beauty here. Swirling with the same sandy, gentle disposition as the land, Waiting for Happiness flutters with poignancy amidst the intricate, everyday activity of an African village suitable for resting nomads. It can trickle on the line of tedium with some of the slower portions, but all is forgiven for such a special treat from start to finish. Highly Recommended.


text:
Artist description:
Tee hee.
Java Draw Created Nov 23, 2009 338 x 470px Unless noted Copyright 2009 12MakeBelieves.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
ZOMg that is sooooooooo cute!i have a gaia too!whats your account?
Cute!! I love it!! X)
u have gaia!? i do to! XDDDD weee! just got back on again! i luv it! 5/5 and a fav!
Awwwwwwwwwwsuuuuuuuummm! i love the skull wings and flower! it looks amazin!
Awe~ So cute! x) I love her eyes and hair :D
XDDD Sweet!
cute and very sweet drawing like the shading of the hair, skin and eye's


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Golf tour dates
The Ray Carter Memorial Cancer Golf Tour is scheduled to begin on May 6th at the golf course in Columbus Junction. That outing will include lunch after 18 holes. The tour this year will be every other Tuesday ending with a four-man best ball tourney with a meal at the Washington Country Club on Sept. 23.


text:
Rachel Zoe was photographed walking down Robertson, Starbucks in hand, looking ready for some serious shopping. She looked chic in her round sunglasses and Chanel bag, which she wore with of-the-moment thigh-high boots, a denim Current/Elliott biker jacket, and printed scarf. Mixing casual and dressy is the way to go, as Zoe shows us here. Shop these similar Lanvin shades and other like items now!
Source: Wenn.com


text:
Success is not the big picture
Success is not a final event, but a sum of partial small triumphs and the outcome of certain habits that can be grown. Many people confuse achieving particular goals with success. Nothing more wrong. A person is not successful if it achieves a certain business


text:
Amatix Office is a complete communication platform for small and medium-sized businesses. It provides email, calendar, contacts, conventional telephony like ISDN, new generation VoIP telephony like SIP, instant messaging, presence, and other features needed to power a business. Amatix Office is very easy to install and use and does not require any special IT skills. It is a live software appliance which boots a computer directly from a CD or USB flash drive without any software installation.
|Telephony Communications groupware Live-CD Live-System ISDN SIP IAX2 voip Server E-mail Debian instant messaging mISDN
|Operating Systems
|shell scripting PHP SQL
Release Notes: SSL was activated to secure the Web interface. The startup of Openfire was fixed. Other bugs were fixed.
A Fluent OpenStack client API for Java.
A TWiki appliance that is easy to use and lightweight.


text:
Michele Bwrote a review of The North Face Paramount Peak II Convertible Pant - Men's on November 30, 2015
Best hiking pants even for women
Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
Fit: True to size
I am a 5'4 female hiker and I love these pants! They are heavy duty and have lots of pockets and a normal waist. They fit me better than Womens version. Too many women's pants are low rise and have few pockets and this pant suits me fine. I have two pair of these and the short version is perfect for me and requires no alterations. These are too warm for summer for me, but on shoulder seasons they are great. I would wear for winter hiking but below 40 I would add thermals mainly to stay warmer when I stop.


text:
All Android applications categories
Learn to Master the Techniques of Letter Written Get Hold of The Power of Words & Make The Right Use Of Them.
Step By Step Guide To The Art of Letter Writing, Personal & Professional
Every one of us has to write letters some time or the other - either in personal life or at work. The reasons you are reading this letter is that the technique of writing letter in the right way needs to be learned. In letter writing, there is no face to face contact between people, and everything depends upon the words that are written. Therefore it is important that you choose then right words while writing letters.
Apart from the words that you use, the subject, purpose, tone of your letter, outline and presentation also plays an important part while writing letters. You need to identify your audience properly and say your views in a way that your words convey the right meaning and you don't get misinterpreted in any way. Each of the above mentioned features are clearly explained in the letter along with samples and examples to make it easy for anyone to understand.
You must be wondering that exactly what can improve your letter writing skills. I would not want you to just go by my words and accept this fact. Glance through the highlights of "Master The Techniques Of Letter Writing" for yourself to understand what you can expect to find inside the guide. It will also give you an insight on the steps that will help you master the technique of letter writing.
- Introduction To The Art Of Letter Writing
- Understanding the Fundamentals of Letter Writing
- Learning the Concept of SAP
- Getting Content for Your Letter
- Draw Step By Step Outline
- 10 Important Points To Make Impressive Letter-Body
Keep yourself cool and give your best
Use simple and easy to understand sentences
Avoid using complicated and long words
Be specific
Break your letter into small parts
Always use appropriate tone of conversation
Try to provide examples
Use active voice
Write, rewrite and polish your letter
Good presentation
- Tips To Create Your Letter Interesting
Systematizing the Content of letter
Optimize Length of the letter
Eye-catching layout and presentation of letter
- Art of Writing Important Letters
- Business letters
Specifications of Simple Business Letter
Specifications of Simple Business Email
Specifications of Agreement Letter
Specifications of Invitation Letter
Specifications of Complaint letter
Specifications of Apology Letter
Specifications of Letter of Recommendation
Specifications of Resignation Letter
- Personal letters
Specifications of Simple personal letter
Specifications of Love letter
Specifications of Invitation Letter
Specifications of Apology Letter
Specifications of Thank You Notes
Specifications of Condolence letter
Tags: master of letter writing , writing letter to master , steps to write letter masters , how to create letter writing sample , letter writtings tips in , master letter writing , master purpose writing letter , resignation letter
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text:
Release Date: 2005
Not Yet Rated|1 hr 22 min
Plot Summary
Documentarian and violinist Oren Siedler wants to reconcile with her father, Bruce. But this is no typical estranged parent-child relationship: Bruce is an ex-hippie living in the rural South who hasn't paid his taxes for decades, instead committing white-collar crimes to make his living. Still, to make her portrait of a bighearted man with many quirks, Oren leaves her Australian home and eventually finds her father living with his 97-year-old mother -- and, later, a young Cuban girlfriend.
Director: Oren Siedler
Genres: Documentary
Production Co: Sundance Channel
Keywords: 2000s, Amusing, Girlfriend, Father, Offbeat, Deception


text:
As awareness around peak water rises, business opportunities and partnerships continue to grow. GE Ecomagination developed a water treatment technology for DuPont that has resulted in an estimated $175,000 in savings. The technology reduces chloride concentration for intake cooling water, which has nearly doubled the system's efficiency, allowing it to reduce 20% of the water used during the cooling phase.
DuPont and GE are among the plethora of large multi-national companies that have made commitments to reduce water consumption, typically fresh water consumption. GE's commitment focuses on a 25% reduction in fresh water consumption by 2015. In comparison, DuPont's goal is a 30% reduction of water consumption over the next 10 years specifically for sites that have a scarce or limited supply of fresh water.
Water reduction goals are in their infancy, so companies are taking a variety of strategic steps to reduce water while improving their bottom lines. The majority of strategies focus on specific percentage commitments within a reasonable time frame.
More advanced water strategies include a focus on water recycling. Coca-Cola's program focused on clean water accessibility is another branch of the company's efforts to promote and create sustainable water systems. After being blasted in the media for significantly contributing toward droughts and water shortages in India and beyond, the company increased efforts and transparency regarding its water strategies.
GE's new technology can be applied to other industries, making it a strategic investment in water reduction technology. Technology, energy, and efficiency companies are framing the growing awareness surrounding fresh water scarcity as strategic business opportunities for market growth. As companies are increasingly pressured to be accountable for their organization's water consumption and impact, they will be turning to experts in one of those fields for solutions tailored to their specific issues.


text:
Sometimes even the boss needs a break. The demands of three kids and other life stuff got on top of me and I needed a little vacation from Salty stuff. Sorry I've been m.i.a. with the training logs. I missed one and then thought I'd catch up the next week and then missed another and now it's been over a month since I last posted a log. EEK!
In that time, I inched one year closer to becoming a master (38!), paced my friend Joanne to her first ever sub-1:40 half, son finished his first year of preschool and baby turned 6 months!
Last night I went to my first track workout in a long time. It felt great to be back. I felt uncoordinated and slow, but I expected that. I've done this twice before and know now is the time to focus on the fact that the fitness will come fast! At this point in a comeback, each week brings noticeable fitness gains so it's fun to see such marked improvement from week to week. I accept I'm out of shape and am committed to enjoying the process of getting back to where I left off and faster!
And of course, the moment I stop taking weekly photos of my chub, it starts to disappear. I am down 5 pounds since my last log – 135 baby! I am about 1 lb over where I was when I got pregnant and now 8 pounds from where I tend to hang when I'm in the middle of training. While I still feel heavier than I'd like, I am confident I'll be back to where I want to be soon. As close as I am, I still firmly believe it's not worth forcing the weight loss: it will happen naturally on its own in due time.
As for my training this past month, I've mostly done the same thing each week. Last week was pretty typical.
Mon: 7.25 with the double stroller and no watch.
Tue: 8 miles with the stroller and no watch.
Wed: Off.
Thu: Treadmill tempo. 8 miles including 5 averaging 6:55 pace.
Fri: 8 miles with the stroller and no watch.
Sat: 8.37 morning miles with strides, averaging 8:03.
Sun: 14 miles with some good hills averaging 7:39.
Total: 53.62
This will be my last log on the main page. For my logs and all the Salties' logs, check out our training logs page!
Related articles
- Salty's Postpartum Running Update – 22 Weeks (saltyrunning.com)
- Salty's Postpartum Running Update – 21 Weeks (saltyrunning.com)


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Ortensia is set to continue her overseas campaign in the aim of claiming the third Group 1 of her career.
After an uncharacteristic ninth placing in the Group 1 King Stand Stakes at Ascot in June, Ortenisa went on to place a pleasing fourth in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket.
Perseverance paid off for Ortensia when she won her first English title in the Group 2 King George Stakes at Goodwood earlier this month.
Trainer Paul Messara is set to travel to England this weekend in order to continue her training.
The talented seven-year-old mare will be prepared for the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York Racecourse on August 24, 2012.
Messara has so far had to train from afar, however, is impressed with what he has been told over the phone.
"The reports are really good. She worked on Tuesday morning and worked really well," Messara said.
"She has come through the last race extremely well and as long as we get a dry track she'll be very hard to beat.
"She's close to favouritism now in the market."
The biggest dangers in the 2012 Nunthorpe Stakes field are expected to be Sole Power and Bated Breath.
"They are probably the best two other sprinters over there," the trainer said.
"She beat Sole Power in Dubai and she'll have a chance to beat Bated Breath hopefully on Friday.
"She meets all the horses she beat last start seven pounds (3kg) better."
Ortensia won her first group 1 race start in the Winterbottom Stakes in Perth last November, before going on to claim victory in Dubai's Al Quoz Sprint at her next start.
The Testa Rossa mare has won 12 of her 33 race starts and earned more than $2.1 million in prize money.
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Antique White
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Murtagh calls time on riding career
Johnny Murtagh, winner of multiple group ones and the Derby three times, has announced he is to retire from race-riding to concentrate on his training career.
Crowned Irish champion jockey on five occasions, the 43-year-old is widely regarded as one of the greatest riders of the modern era and partnered countless big-race winners across the world.
Murtagh said: "The training side of things is getting bigger all the time and I wasn't happy giving the riding 50 per cent and the training 50 per cent. It's the right time to call it a day with the riding and put everything into the training side of things."
During an outstanding career Murtagh rode more than 100 group one winners at home and abroad, and was successful…


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