tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60491945231412392792024-03-13T14:26:10.405-04:00Bumples Family FirstAt Bumples we strive to bring you all things family. Whether it be tips from experts in their fields or reviews on products and books, Bumples will put your family first.Bumples Family Firsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09630119277501726542noreply@blogger.comBlogger231125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-63513750225843470342013-12-16T18:01:00.002-05:002013-12-16T18:01:33.814-05:00The Perfect Holiday Gift!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--DO6dpO4TZc/Uq-FuGrirLI/AAAAAAAAHOw/pQqo_og2pgw/s1600/bumples.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--DO6dpO4TZc/Uq-FuGrirLI/AAAAAAAAHOw/pQqo_og2pgw/s400/bumples.bmp" width="340" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="background-color: #d6decb; width: 25px;"></td><td style="background-color: #d6decb; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; width: 400px;" valign="top"><span style="color: #970908;"><strong>This issue</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #333333;">This issue has stories and poems from Australia, Tasmania and America. One story is written by a 10 year old. All the stories are fun to read. the games are fun to play. </span><br /> Give a child a Bumples subscription for only $15.00. They will remember you, every time they read a new issue.I still remember the yearly gift my aunt gave me.They will receive 10 new issues and can read 10 back issues.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Bumples Subscription<br /> only $15.00. <br /><br /> Give us the child's name, age and your relationship to them. We will send them a special letter from a Bumple animal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.bumples.com/">http://www.bumples.com</a></span></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-58046604131477663532013-08-08T10:20:00.000-04:002013-08-08T10:20:32.788-04:00Bumples Needs a Kickstart! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KVsYCDeFgCA/UgOnAQ3Z2yI/AAAAAAAAGqc/MsoTfxWjvIw/s1600/BumplesMiss.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KVsYCDeFgCA/UgOnAQ3Z2yI/AAAAAAAAGqc/MsoTfxWjvIw/s200/BumplesMiss.bmp" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Who is Miss Bumples?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Blue skinned, Miss Bumples flew in from Mars </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">two decades ago. She can speak any language </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">including dog, chicken, giraffe, caterpillar and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">people which is handy for a character in children’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">literature.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She gathered animals from all over the world and built the town called Bumpleville. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><em><a href="http://kck.st/1cxqBMM"><strong>Click Here</strong></a></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Why Bumple Games</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes there are a lot of games on the web and no question they are good. But, we feel that we can continue to offer unusual games. Our members have asked us for more games. There will be the popular games but always with a twist.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4 issues a year with 6 new and exciting games, plus sub-games. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Each game will have an easy version and a harder version. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Go to 6 special animal homes in Bumpleville to play a game. (For instance, to play a sports game you will go to Griffy Giraffe’s home.) </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Every child will become a Bumples, receive a letter from a Bumple animal and a page to color</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Subscribing to the games also allows you to read the magazines. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><a href="http://kck.st/1cxqBMM"><strong>More Info Here</strong></a></em></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hidden Objects:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Everyone loves the hidden object games but how about an element of surprise when you find an object. You might be taken to a strange place and have to solve a mystery to get back to the hidden objects. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the first game, match the animal parts, find their homes, listen to them and feed them.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Maze: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Enter the maze at your peril. Touch a line and start over again or maybe you are taken to another place. Miss Bumples is full of surprises.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The first game is easy as you go to 4 different animals. Bugsy Bunny takes you down a hole. Ally Alligator takes you underwater and Casey Cardinal up in the air. Miss Bumples is not telling where she will take you. To get back you will have to catch food or monsters.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Building:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> We love to build or make things like airplanes ( we did that in one issue of the magazine). or help Chicky Dickey’s cook. All projects will start from scratch, find the materials and put them together. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The first house you will build is Henrietta Hippo’s home and beauty shop. After building the home, help her make her beauty supplies. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sports:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The Bumpleville animals love sports so we will include sports games. Either the child can join the Bumpleville animals in a sports game or play a game with children. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The first sport is soccer. You can join either Griffy Giraffe or Katie Caterpillar’s team. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em></em></span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><a href="http://kck.st/1cxqBMM"><strong>Check It Out</strong></a></em></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Word Games:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Word & hangman games have been played for years, but we take the games to a different level Win or lose you will laugh at some of the games Some correct words will take you to the next level to other word or math games. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the first hangman game, if you guess the wrong letter, watch what happens to the boy.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jigsaw puzzles:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Who doesn’t love a good jigsaw puzzle. After finishing a puzzle, one of the pieces will take you to another game. They will be different from other games and full of surprises. Miss Bumples would love to take you to Mars and meet her family. She has a special language and you can learn how to read it.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> In the first game you will make the puzzle and then Miss Bumples will take you to a special place for an unusual game. She’s not talking, so sign up and join the fun!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em></em></span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Minion Pro"; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><a href="http://kck.st/1cxqBMM"><strong>Click Here to Join the Fun!</strong></a></em></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-56857699710630413752013-08-01T08:29:00.003-04:002013-08-01T08:29:55.131-04:00In Her Own Words...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I caught up with Virginia Welch, three time author, for a fastastic interview that gives us a peek into this amazing woman's life. Check it out...<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Tell us about yourself (family, kids pets etc.)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was born at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, the second of four daughters of Carl and Mary Hull. When I was about eight months old my father was transferred to Ft Eustis, Va.; my family lived nearby in a small brick rambler in Lee Hall. In 1962 my dad retired from the Army and the family relocated to Santa Clara, Ca. to be near my mother’s clan in San Francisco. My parents purchased a new home in the Killarney Farms suburban development of Santa Clara, where I was raised. My father found work as a mail carrier at the Santa Clara Post Office, my mother was hired by Santa Clara Unified School District as a secretary. I attended now-closed Emil R. Buchser High School. I majored in English at Santa Clara University, married, and then earned a Master of Communications at California State University, Chico, where I also taught a business writing course. <br class="kix-line-break" /><br class="kix-line-break" />During the next twenty years I followed my FBI agent husband around the United States, writing freelance articles for various publications and taking on all types of contract editing assignments. I brought four children into the world during that time, two boys and two girls. While my husband was stationed in Birmingham, Ala. I contracted as a weekly freelance foods writer for the Birmingham </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">News</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Also in Birmingham I served a short stint (before my husband was transferred again) as associate editor in the crafts division at Oxmoor House, the book publishing arm of Sunset/Southern Living magazine.<br class="kix-line-break" /> <br class="kix-line-break" />In 1991 my husband’s job took the family to the Northern Virginia/DC Metro area, where I made the switch to technical editing and writing but continued to dream of producing something with a larger reach. In 2005 I was inspired to write </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lesson</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.<br class="kix-line-break" /> <br class="kix-line-break" />In 2006 I followed my husband’s government transfer one final time when we moved to Virginia Beach, Va. There I wrote </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Crazy Woman Creek</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Sometime after this I wrote </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What to Do When the Blessings Stop – When God Sends Famine. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It required several years to write, mostly because my time was occupied with child-raising. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" />Currently I work full-time as a writer/editor for a worldwide defense contractor. I still live in Virginia Beach with my husband and my youngest daughter. My two oldest children (girl and boy), a daughter-in-law, and two grandsons live locally. My youngest child (18), Gregory, died in a car accident on Valentine’s Day, 2013, the same day I was scheduled to release my first book, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lesson</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, to the public.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Have you always been a writer?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I started writing for pay in 1984 while in graduate school, but I have always written. If not on paper, I’m writing something in my head. I can’t remember a time when I was not writing. I believe that some people are called to write. I’m one of them. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Do you have a specific writing style?</strong></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Others describe it as direct and breezy. For my nonfiction in particular I strive to use as few words as possible to make a point. I’m a huge fan of William Zinsser’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On Writing Well</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. I learned much about cutting the fat from his book. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">When did you first consider yourself a writer?</span></strong></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Though I’ve been writing professionally since 1984, it wasn’t until after I attended a Christian writer’s workshop at the Billy Graham conference center, The Cove, outside Asheville, North Carolina around 2003 that my self-concept crystalized. By the time I returned home I felt strongly compelled to quit waiting for someone else to call me a writer, to validate my gift. I am a writer because God designed me to be one, not because I’m published.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">What was the very first thing you had published?</span> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ah, I remember this like it happened yesterday, though it was nearly 30 years ago. I wrote a two-page piece for a secretarial magazine. The message: It’s easy to get a full-time, permanent job if you start as a temp. I was paid $25, which my husband and I promptly spent on a steak dinner. I was in graduate school at the time and my husband was in college. We never ate out. I can still remember my husband bragging to the waitress about his wife, the published writer. His enthusiasm makes me smile.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">Tell us about your books</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lesson</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, published in March this year, is a romantic comedy based on my own true falling-in-love story. During my sophomore year in college I was followed home from a meeting by a stranger, Mr. Geeky Sailor, while I was in love with another man, Mr. Suave Attorney. A lot of funny things happened on the way to the altar.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Crazy Woman Creek,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> an inspirational historical romance set in Wyoming Territory, 1880, was released in April. This book was inspired by a cross-country car trip in 1999. I came upon a highway sign marking the bizarrely named creek that stretches over the northeast corner of Wyoming. When I learned that no one really knew the story behind the strange name, I decided to write one.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But there’s a little more to that. I grew up in the heyday of TV westerns. I love them. I spent many summers as a small child with a plastic gun and a leather holster, running around the neighborhood with my friends playing cowboys and Indians, so writing a western is not a stretch. And there was this picture in my head for a long time. I saw a woman waiting at the edge of her ranch, looking into the horizon, pining for her missing husband. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Crazy Woman Creek</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> also stemmed from this mind picture. So when I drove across the actual creek by that name in Wyoming in 1999, I was seriously intrigued. The seed was planted. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Finally, there’s the difficulty of finding good western fiction—not necessarily inspirational—that doesn’t slam the reader with smut. I like the sexual pull in a good romance. I don’t like the graphic sex. I wanted to write the kind of book I like to read. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m also in the process of writing another historical romance, which I hope to release at Christmas this year. It’s set in the California Gold Rush camps, 1851. And I’m revising a nonfiction book, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Hiss from Hell Only Women Hear, Is It Truth or Is It Tradition?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> I had hoped to have that out by Christmas too, but the work on the Gold Rush romance is taking up all my time.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Can you give us a quick synopsis of Crazy Woman Creek?</strong></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A young homesteader wife in 1880s Wyoming Territory becomes distraught when her husband goes missing and she realizes she is falling in love with the deputy assigned to find him.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">Can you tell us a little bit about What to Do When the Blessings Stop – When God Sends Famine?</span></strong></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s my first nonfiction to be published and my shortest book, about 100 pages. I released it May 2013. It deals with severe spiritual chastening and how to respond based on the steps that Haggai (and Joel) outlined for the Jews, who were chastened by God with lack and frustration because of their indifference and spiritual sloth.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">What else do you like to do?</span> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bake, cook, sew, quilt, and machine embroider. And read. I read constantly.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">How/what do you do to feel empowered?</span> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Empowerment begins in the mind. It’s not so much about what you </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">in the way of the world’s goods</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">but how you think about yourself. This is what I think about myself that empowers me:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1) No one can fulfill the calling on my life but me; 2) I’m equipped to do the thing I’m called to do; 3) The fact that I’m female is no accident. Female by design. I glory in that knowledge. I love it. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I read the Bible daily. Nothing sets us free (as women or otherwise) like standing on the promises of God.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">If you could have coffee with any actor or famous person who would it be? What would you love to ask him/her?</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’d have coffee with a whole bunch of famous people, not just one! I’d ask to sit and chat with the entire crew of the Longmire (A&E) series. The modern-day law enforcement program is set in the fictional little town of Durant, Wyoming, which is based on the real little town of Buffalo, Wyoming, the town where my story, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Crazy Woman Creek</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> is set. I love the Longmire series, the Great West: good guys, bad guys, horses, guns, cowboy hats, and all in a contemporary setting. One night when I first discovered the series, I commented to my husband, who was watching with me, that the backdrop for the program looked exactly like Buffalo, which we had visited together in 2010 when I was researching </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Crazy Woman Creek.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Turns out the author of the Longmire series, Craig Johnson, did indeed base fictional Durant on Buffalo. Johnson lives just outside of Buffalo.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If I were lucky enough to ask questions of the crew, I’d ask them if, in the process of playing their on-screen personas, do they begin to feel like the characters they portray? I say this because, when I write a story, I get so totally into the characters—they’re in my head talking and doing things every waking minute—that I forget they are not real. True story: Just before I got on the plane to fly to Buffalo to research </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Crazy Woman Creek, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">my younger daughter</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">felt compelled to remind me that I shouldn’t go looking for Luke and Lenora’s grave markers in town. “They’re not real, you know, Mom.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I must have been talking about Luke and Lenora a bit too much, you think? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">What would you love to do, but haven't yet?</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Live 6-12 months in a Spanish-speaking country, on my own, working and traveling so that I could once and for all get fluent. I’ve taken 9 years of college-level Spanish and still speak the language with slowly and stupidly.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">Favorite color? Book? Food?</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Red, which is one of the reasons I love the cover of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lesson</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> so much. I have a zillion favorite books, but a historical romance, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Beloved Enemy,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Mary Schaller comes to mind. I’ve read it three times. Food? Oh my, let’s not start. There’s only so much space on this Internet page.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">What do you indulge in?</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sweets, way too often. Hmm. I also have a kitchen some women would kill for. Like I said, I like to cook and bake. Never met a high-end appliance I didn’t like.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">Anything else you would like to add?</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My most sincere desire is that my fiction entertains and encourages someone. And I hope that my nonfiction books inform and bring hope.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Check out Viginia's web site at; <a href="http://www.ginnywelch.com/">http://www.ginnywelch.com/</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-32020109833630209342013-07-19T10:52:00.001-04:002013-07-19T10:52:50.706-04:00Another Angel of Love ~ Book Two in the Angelic Letter Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jenny and Henry continue on their separate journeys through life. Henry is soon graduating from high school and still carries his love for Jenny. But will there be another to take her place? Henry is reluctant to date, but with not a peep from Jenny in years he knows he must move on.<br />
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Jenny on the other hand has found a new boyfriend, but can he really take the place of Henry in her heart and soul? James is a lot like Henry, but not where it really counts - the way he treats Jenny. Sure James will have money and a bright future, but to what cost?<br />
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Find out in the continuing saga of book two in the <strong><em>Angelic Letter Series;</em></strong> <strong>Another Angel of Love.</strong> <br />
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Based on true events of the author, <em>Henry Ripplinger,</em> this book is a wonderful and inspirational read. Ripplinger not only weaves a wonderful love story packed full of page-turning drama, but he reminds the reader what life is really all about - our relationship with God.<br />
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Grab the second installment of this fabulous series, <strong><em>Another Angel to Love</em></strong>, on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Another-Angel-Love-Angelic-Letters/dp/0986542423/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374244688&sr=8-1&keywords=Another+Angel+of+Love">Amazon </a>or visit the authors web site at; <a href="http://www.henryripplinger.com/another_angel.html">http://www.henryripplinger.com/another_angel.html</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-82549134600102994982013-07-10T14:26:00.000-04:002013-07-10T14:26:07.187-04:00Planet Dog Foundation Donates Over One Million Dollars in Support of Canine Service<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-35492982084845937842013-07-04T09:10:00.001-04:002013-07-04T09:10:10.002-04:00Crazy Woman Creek ~ A Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a heated argument with his wife, James Rose storms out of the house and doesn't return. Three days later his horse turns up, but still no James. Lenora, his devoted wife, is now left with a massive ranch and little money to help her get through the tough times ahead. But is he dead? Lenora refuses to believe the worse without her beloveds body to bury and she holds out for the hope that he will return. <br />
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Lenora seeks help from the handsome, young deputy, Luke Davies, to find her husband, even though the Sheriff believes there was foul play and Mr. Rose is gone forever. However, the time spent between Lenora and Luke are set with perils and rumors of their own. Are they falling for each other, despite the taboos and town talk?<br />
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Set in the 1880's on the Wyoming praires, <strong>Crazy Women Creek by Virginia Hull Welch</strong> is a historical look back to a time when women weren't repected and the times were rough. The book is a wonderful read, with just enough mystery and romance to keep you turning the pages. <br />
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This is a great summer read so grab your copy today at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Woman-Creek-Virginia-Welch/dp/0988873923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372942546&sr=8-1&keywords=Crazy+Woman+Creek">Amazon. </a><br />
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5 Star!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-29929259836925488332013-06-25T07:33:00.000-04:002013-06-25T07:33:24.998-04:00The Lesson - A Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gina had her life planned out. She and her fiance, Michael, were on the college path to being attorneys and one day they would have the perfect life in a law practice together. However, Gina's expectations are cut short as her perfect, handsome fiance suddenly breaks it off with her.<br />
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Gina is devastated and to add to the trauma her parent's are no longer speaking to her. Gina turns to the help of a Bible study group where she briefly meets Kevin - an ordinary Navy guy without all the looks and charm that Michael possessed. But when Kevin follows her home and she let's him into her apartment, little does she know then that this quirky guy is going to change her life.<br />
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<strong>The Lesson by Virginia Hull Welch</strong> is based on true events. It's heartwarming, funny and definitely a page-turner. Grab your copy today - it's the perfect beach book.<br />
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I LOVED IT 5 Stars!<br />
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<strong>The Lesson</strong> is available at; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lesson-Ms-Virginia-Hull-Welch/dp/0988873907/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372159877&sr=1-2&keywords=the+Lesson">Amazon,</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lesson-ms-virginia-hull-welch/1114922062?ean=9780988873902">Barnes & Noble</a> and other book retailers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-30806143040800261332013-06-19T10:07:00.003-04:002013-06-19T10:07:44.436-04:00Chocolate Chocolate Moons - A Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Molly Marbles struggles with her weight, but when she wins a scholarship to Armstrong University on the Moon she accepts and instantly goes from 287 earth pounds to 47.6 moon pounds. <br />
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However, when Molly gets dumped by her boyfriend, Drew Barron, she thinks her life is over. That is until she's him trim and fit and working for a company that makes calorie reduced food supplements. Not only that, Molly's favorite food, Chocolate Moons have been poisoned. Molly jumps on the mysterious band wagon with the help of friends and her new husband. <br />
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Where will it all end? Find our in Ch<strong><em>ocolate Chocolate Moons by Jackie Kingon.</em></strong><br />
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This book is a fun romp between the planets of our solar system that are all inhabitable. Kingon uses references to famous people (with slight changes) to add a delicous flavor to her novel. The book is quirky, yet you can't wait to find out what happens next.<br />
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Check out <strong>Chocolate Chocolate Moons</strong> on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Moons-Jackie-Kingon/dp/1477561803">Amazon</a>.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-2791518481036428362013-05-28T20:06:00.000-04:002013-05-28T20:06:13.024-04:00Nancy's Circle of Friends<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Is It Bedtime Already? Brand New Day</strong></div>
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Nancy Levy has taken children's songs to a whole new level. The two CD collection features; <strong>Is It Bedtime Already?</strong> and <strong>Brand New Day. </strong>Each CD has 13 of its own specific music aimed to get children to relax or to get up and get movin'.<br />
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Nancy has taken the traditionally annoying kids' music and turned it into something parents will even want to participate in.<br />
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<em>Is It Bedtime Already?</em> features songs that will inspire a magical dream night and put your child at ease. <em>Brand New Day</em> is a bouncin' great time dance and wiggling CD that is sure to get your little ones moving and having fun.<br />
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In addition to this fabulous two CD collection you also get <em>Nancy's Circle of Friends</em> book. The illustrations by Cindy Casino is a wonderful mix of bold colors, yet are whimsical and filled with fun - I love her curly trees and smiling moon and sun! <br />
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This collection is a must-have and I guarantee even you parents will fall in love with Nancy's voice and the magic found within the pages of the book.<br />
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For more information on <strong>Nancy's Circle of Friends</strong> check out the <a href="http://bfmdigital.com/">BFM Digital</a> website or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/175-6779440-7622641?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Nancy%27s+Circle+of+Friends">Amazon</a>.<br />
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<strong>About Nancy Levy</strong><br />
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Music specialist and educator Nancy Levy is in her 35-year career and has taught Parent and Child music classes, special needs preschool classes, and mainstream music classes, drawing inspiration from her experience in these fields to write music made for children. Nancy’s sweet voice and playful storytelling lyrics are certain to catch the interest of children and parents alike as she brings a new spark to story time with this new sing-a-long album and book release.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-5525430366811607812013-05-23T09:56:00.004-04:002013-05-23T09:59:32.285-04:00Planet Dog To the Rescue<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">THE PLANET DOG FOUNDATION (PDF) DONATES FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL DISASTER SEARCH DOG FOUNDATION (SDF) SEARCH TEAMS<u></u><u></u></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">IN MOORE, OKLAHOMA</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">The <b>Planet Dog Foundation (PDF)</b>, Planet Dog's non-profit grant making organization, is proud to lend a paw to help the people of Moore, Oklahoma after the devastating tornado. PDF donated $1,000 to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) to help support their search dog teams that have been deployed to assist in the recovery efforts.<u></u><u></u></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"><em>“The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) search dog teams are playing a major role in locating survivors and we are thankful we are able to donate funds to help support their lifesaving efforts,”</em> says Kristen Smith, the Executive Director of the Planet Dog Foundation. “<em>We couldn’t do it without the support from our customers whose purchases help raise money for PDF and enable us to provide grants to support the amazing ways service dogs are helping people in need,”</em> adds Smith.<u></u><u></u></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yhuwzbkwN5A/UZ4f-YMQPII/AAAAAAAAGno/rMhtqgU0pps/s1600/salsa+with+dane+yaw+in+ok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yhuwzbkwN5A/UZ4f-YMQPII/AAAAAAAAGno/rMhtqgU0pps/s1600/salsa+with+dane+yaw+in+ok.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">In 2012, PDF awarded a $10,000 grant to SDF to sponsor a new search dog team that is currently in training and based in Albany, New York. <em>“The search dog team we fund will not be deployed to Oklahoma so we decided to award SDF an emergency grant to support the search dog teams that are assisting the recovery efforts,”</em> says Smith.<u></u><u></u></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">The Planet Dog Foundation is the philanthropic arm of <b>Planet Dog</b>, the globally recognized designer and developer of innovative, high-quality and award-winning dog products that enhance the lifestyle people share with their canine companions. Planet Dog is proud to donate 2% of all purchases of Planet Dog products to PDF to provide cash and in-kind product donations to exemplary canine service programs nationwide.<u></u><u></u></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">PDF recently announced over $71,000 in new grants to 16 canine service organizations across the country including other search and rescue organizations. To learn more about PDF and all of the programs the non-profit supports, visit; </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"><b><a href="http://www.planetdogfoundation.org/" target="_blank">www.planetdogfoundation.org</a></b>.<u></u><u></u></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-1056405589024574762013-05-18T08:43:00.000-04:002013-05-18T08:43:08.251-04:00Pewter Angels ~ A Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fifteen year-old Henry is a simple kid, but when he catches a glimpse of Jenny walking towards the country store his life changes forever.<br />
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Jenny just moved in down the road from Henry and he is instantly struck by her beauty and poise. Henry jumps on his bike and follows Jenny to Mr. Engelmann's store where he blunders and trips. Mr. Engelmann's kind nature and gentle personality helps the two and soon Henry finds himself, not only in love, but employed - Mr. Englemann is aging with a sick wife, so Henry feels he should help out after school and on weekends. Little does he or Mr. Engelmann know this is about to have a very profound effect on the whole town.<br />
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Do you believe in guardian angels? <strong>Pewter Angels</strong> is a must-read book about young love and self-discovery. The author, Henry Ripllinger, has woven his own real-life experiences into a thought-provoking and magical tale.<br />
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This is one of the best books I've read this year - and I read a lot! I can't wait until book two comes out. Will Jenny and Henry find their way back to each other after Jenny's parents rip them apart?<br />
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Bravo to Ripplinger for weaving a story that not only speaks to the heart, but speaks to our very souls.<br />
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Check out <a href="http://www.henryripplinger.com/">Henry Ripplingers web site</a> for more information on <em>Pewter Angels</em> and his other works of art and literature.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-2638286304998070082013-05-03T09:15:00.003-04:002013-05-03T09:16:07.064-04:00Draw Plus Science<strong>Enhance Science Learning through Art Activities</strong><br />
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Does your child love to draw? Does your child love science? <strong><em>Draw Plus Science, by Freddie Levin,</em></strong> is an unique book that lets your child learn about basic science and breaks down the drawing process to the simple basics.<br />
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This book is based on concepts which include;<br />
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<li>Classification</li>
<li>Measuring and Recording</li>
<li>Life Cycles</li>
<li>Seasons</li>
<li>Variety in Nature</li>
<li>Adaptations</li>
<li>Inherited Traits</li>
<li>Characteristics of Organisms</li>
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This would be a great educational tool, as well as a fun way to learn to draw and to discover.<br />
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<strong>Draw Plus Science</strong> is available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Draw-Plus-Science-Freddie-Levin/dp/0939217910">Amazon</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-65786344023746070442013-04-19T10:03:00.002-04:002013-04-19T10:03:22.454-04:008 Sure Fire Ways to Fail<span><strong></strong></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 14pt;"><u></u><u></u></span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span><img align="right" alt="Description: What to do? on Blackboard Royalty Free
Stock Photo" height="130" hspace="12" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=9a33e0e136&view=att&th=13da8995ee8e109a&attid=0.1.1&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1" width="195" /><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">America continues to be the world’s largest economy and boasts the lion share of global billionaires. In fact, there were reportedly 442 billionaires in America in 2012—the nationality majority of the record 1,426 people who have earned this laudable distinction around the world.<span> </span>When considering the staggering success only an elite few attain in business, it begs the question “what do these billionaires know that the rest of us don’t?” And, as importantly, “how can we avoid failure as we aspire to achieve career success of any measure?”<br /><br /> “To achieve a notable amount of success at anything and certainly a notable measure of wealth, you must become a specialist at what you do. And, you must ‘do what you do‘ better than anyone else,” notes international business mogul Paul LeJoy.<span> </span>“You must become indispensible—the go-to person because your results are superior.<span> </span>In working towards this objective it is important employ a specific combination of essential elements that, combined, will make you a force to be reckoned with.”<br /><br />With this in mind, LeJoy offers these 8 pitfalls to avoid to assist the proverbial 99% in their quest for success:<br /><br /> 1) <b>Short-sightedness: </b>Every successful person at some point in their lives had a vision for what “could be,” and set out in relentless pursuit of their dream. From Thomas Edison to Steve Jobs and countless success stories in between, visionaries are filled with a passion and purpose that drives them every day.<span> </span>Those who are short-sighted and unmindful of future consequences of their efforts, both the good and the bad, are more likely to fail than those who are thoughtful and perceptive in their approach.<span> </span><br /><br /> 2) <b>Inaction: </b>Have a vision or a goal? The first step is to write down along with objectives and action steps related thereto. Now you’ve taken initiative, which is the critical first step to achieving success. Post it your vision statement in your bedroom, bathroom, office. Share it with others. And, be sure to follow your action steps. By taking these minor steps, you make yourself accountable and become the master of your destiny. Take quantum action and you will surely have a breakthrough. Or, find contentment with the status-quo and, well, remain there. <br /><br /> 3) <b>Contentment: </b>You may have the vision. You may write it down. You may have shared it with others, but without passion, that vision will likely wither. Passion for what you seek to accomplish should be almost palpable to the extent that others can see and feel your drive.<span> </span>The key is to match your vision with something you can be truly passionate about. Something that will keep you engaged every moment of every work day to bring you one step closer to the measure of success that you personally desire. Or, approach your job with a lackluster attitude and suffer the inevitable ominous consequences.<span> </span><br /><br /> 4) <b>Instability: </b>Many have vision and passion, but lack the self-discipline required to stay the course. The pain of living a life of discipline is less than the pain of regret for what “could have been if.” Those who are self-disciplined <span>motivate themself to continue with their action steps and persevere amid adversity, asserting sheer willpower over their more base desires and instincts to give up or turn attentions to something more enjoyable in the moment.<span> </span>This requisite self-control will channel </span>emotions, behavior, and desires toward obtaining the reward of success and, as importantly, to avoid the punishment of failure.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /><br /> 5) <b>Doubt:</b> You have the vision and you take action to write it down. You may even embellish that vision with passion and be quite disciplined in your approach. However, without the will to endure you may not get too far. Life and work can be hard and even cruel. Remember, the race is not for the swift but rather those who persevere. Rather than allowing doubt to seep in and poison the process, you owe it to yourself to remain confident in your vision and your methodologies to get you there. Sure, you can adapt as needed along the way, but always <i>know</i> that success will ultimately be yours. <br /><br /> 6) <b>Going it Alone:</b> No one is an island and there's strength in numbers. A mastermind group, coach or mentor is an excellent way to get motivated. Meeting regularly can be a great boost to your morale and provide new perspectives on your approach. The Internet makes it extraordinarily easy to find a coach or mentor and join a mastermind group that can help propel your vision to new heights and facilitate invaluable networking opportunities.<br /><br /> 7) <b>Dishonesty:</b> While it sounds cliché, honesty is indeed the best policy in business. Integrity is of paramount importance for those seeking to find and sustain long-term success. True success comes when you are a person of your word, when you have a pure conscience, and when you have not cheated others on your way to the top.<span> </span>Dishonesty has a tendency to sneak back up on you causing far more problems than the risk was work taking in the first place. <br /><br /> 8) <b>Arrogance:</b> Humility, like patience, hard work and integrity, is a virtue. So, when you finally reach your destination of success, when your vision becomes a reality, do not forget your humble beginnings and all those who helped you to get to the top of the hill.<span> </span>Extend an attitude of gratitude and thankfulness. There is no such a thing as a self-made millionaire. People get there because others helped them get there. <br /><br />“If you have a vision, passion, take action, are determined and disciplined; if you get a coach or mentor; get in the right environment; and are honest and humble you be well positioned to achieve your dream...whatever that may be,” Paul says. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">About the Expert</span></b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Pacific Realty Partners Founder and Principal Paul LeJoy is a revered real estate investor and top business building expert who has earned the reputation as a motivational leader in helping others duplicate his success and create wealth.<span> </span>LeJoy believes it is impossible to be poor in America, and he speaks on topics such as being successful with real estate and how anyone with the passion and desire can create wealth in America, regardless of their situation.<span> </span>Among other distinctions, LeJoy is currently one of the top 20 REO Brokers in the San Francisco Bay Area and considered a top expert in the real estate industry at large.<span> </span>LeJoy’s success in real estate is empowered by his business skills and no-excuses approach to success.<span> </span>LeJoy may be reached online at <a href="http://www.lejoysolutions.com/" target="_blank">www.LejoySolutions.com</a></span></i><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">. </span></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-39665293931685170082013-04-10T10:06:00.001-04:002013-04-10T10:06:07.099-04:00The Sun Did Come Out for Sunny the Shaggy Star of Annie<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It's a barking great show! Annie came up from the comic pages to a Broadway hit with it's first big time production in 1977. Many girls have played the spunky role of Annie, including Sarah Jessica Parker. She was just 14 when she adorned the stage in her fiery red locks and big voice in 1979. However, her playful, lovable mutt Sandy should also share in the limelight.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Animal lover and trainer, William (Bill) Berloni, also got his start at just 19 years-old on the first Annie theatrical production. Berloni, knows the ins and outs of this tricky trade.and lets us in on some of the details;</span></div>
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Up until </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Annie</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, there had never been an animal that played a character in a play,” said Berloni. “No one thought that you could train an animal to do the same thing eight times a week. You could do a film with an animal, but not a theatrical event. But we were young and naive and we didn’t know that, so what I devised was a way that they [the dogs] would look forward to coming to the theatre.”</span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Currently, director James Lapine has once again resurrected Annie to the big stage with a newly turned 12-year-old, Lilla Crawford, as the feisty Annie and a newcomer to the stage, Sunny, playing the role of her shaggy tagalong pet pal, Sandy. </span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When the perfect pup was required for this onstage musical, Berloni once again turned to the pound to find his next big shaggy star. It was a good thing for Sunny who was only two days away from euthanization when Berloni snatched her up and began her training for Sandy.</span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">However, taking a dog from shelter to star isn't always an easy task. Berloni shares his insights and secret of being one of the best in his field;</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YyEXmF4l7tQ/UWVxwq3Ar9I/AAAAAAAAGjY/JQwjIMtRRCw/s1600/Bill-Berloni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YyEXmF4l7tQ/UWVxwq3Ar9I/AAAAAAAAGjY/JQwjIMtRRCw/s1600/Bill-Berloni.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I think what differentiates me from most of my contemporaries, other animal trainers, is that I don’t demand or force the animals to do anything. I don’t think any of us have the right to dominate anything else. When you think about the lead, dominance, all of that is about man controlling nature. And I never wanted to do that with animals. I use positive reinforcement to create a situation where the animal wants to do something,” said Berloni. “That can come in the shape of a treat, or a ball, or it can be a hug and a kiss -whatever motivates an animal the most is what we’ll use.”</span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">However, before Sunny's big debut, Sandy was played by Mikey. A source close to Berloni tells us; "Mikey was on tour for 4 years. He was neglected for 2 years when we found him in a pen in a backyard." </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Annie is a huge hit, so it's only fitting that Pedigree would want to be involved. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Annie</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> partnered with Pedigree Food for Dogs to raise $1 million through the “See the Show, Help a Dog” initiative. Through Dec. 31, 2013, for each ticket purchased for a showing of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Annie, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pedigree with donate $2 to the Pedigree Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides grants to shelters and rescue groups in an effort to find</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> furrever</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> homes for some of the four million dogs who find themselves in the shelter system each year. A great show goes to a great cause!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sunny isn't the only rescued dog that has found its way into the Hollywood elite. Berloni's assistant gives us more information; "Toto from the Wizard of Oz, the chihuahua's from Legally Blonde and the bulldog from Legally Blonde" have all been rescued pooches gaining notability for their furry talents.</span></div>
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So what happens to these lovable pouches when they retire?</span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They go to a big farm in Connecticut. Truly! Berloni and his wife, Dorothy, care for dogs, cats, horses, llamas, a donkey and a pony. "He's not just a trainer, he takes them all in as his family."</span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fortunately, many many animals have found their way into the Berloni family over the years, in fact, "the number is too big to count." </span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even after the curtain closes on Annie, Bill Berloni and his handlers will continue to rescue tossed-away animals of all species and sizes in shelters, humane societies and rescues for Broadway and off-Broadway, regional tours, theatres, special events the New York City Ballet, motion pictures, television and commercials.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For more information, check out Bill's website at; <a href="http://www.theatricalanimals.com/">http://www.theatricalanimals.com/</a></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BU6vMyU6tu8/UWIDXJ-vpzI/AAAAAAAAGjA/jYkGMr0oZy8/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BU6vMyU6tu8/UWIDXJ-vpzI/AAAAAAAAGjA/jYkGMr0oZy8/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is this really what the world is coming to? Roadkill for dinner? I personally would not want to pull over on the interstate and strap the poor deer, moose (or skunk) to the roof of my vehicle, then drive off with recipe ideas dancing through my head. </span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For most of us this sounds like a disgusting alternative to "real" food, but it is actually legal in places like Alaska, Wisconsin, New York, Florida, West Virginia and Illinois. And in places where it is technically illegal to haul your dinner off the side of the road, law enforcement is willing to turn a blind eye to it. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">However, a bill is now working its way through the Montana legislature, trying to make it legal to shovel your roadkill feast from the pavement to plate. </span></div>
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Senator, Larry Jent, told the</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Montana Public Radio, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"It really is a sin to waste that good meat when there’s no reason to, when it could be salvaged and somebody could use it." </span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Granted, Americans do waste on average of 23 pounds of perfectly edible food, per person, every month, but roadkill? The pro-roadkill argue that whether it be a bullet or fender, what difference does it make? But how do you know it was a vehicle that was the underlying cause and not a poison or disease?</span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The risk is relative depending on the condition of the animal and how it was killed,” said Benjamin Chapman, a food safety specialist with North Carolina State University. </span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“In roadkill if you happen upon the animal, you don’t know its condition, which makes it riskier than eating regulated food or an animal you’ve hunted.” Chapman added.</span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If there is no flies, maggots or sign of spoilage it is generally thought that by thoroughly cooking the meat to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees, it should eliminate any chance of illness.</span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This still seems like a crap-shoot and would question why anyone would want to take the risk. Plus, I think most folks may not want to put a face to their meat-feast and all of the other yucky tasks that accompany the preparation of taking your dinner from the side of the road. </span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What do you think of this and hunting in general? Feel free to leave me a comment.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K2ygLBxSnEU/UVxBlCoAoDI/AAAAAAAAGiw/ntorIEJ6Ng0/s1600/bumples+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K2ygLBxSnEU/UVxBlCoAoDI/AAAAAAAAGiw/ntorIEJ6Ng0/s400/bumples+logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Bumples animals have joined forces with the Easter bunny and all things Spring. <br />
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We offer lots of giggles and laughs, plus stories that use your imagination. The three little pigs are in trouble again, but they are luckier than the wolf. Can you guess which hare or rabbit is the Easter bunny? How about an artist's portrait that comes to life. Last but not least is the story about a boy that wants a pet gorilla. This month, our favorite game is the Bingham Hondo game. It is just plain silly.<br /><br /> Do you have a friend that would enjoy Bumples? Give them a subscription. It is only $15.00 for 10 months.<br /><br /> If you write, please send us a story. We love putting in children's stories. Also, let us know what kind of stories you would like to read or what kind of games you would like to play.<br /><br /> Happy Spring to everyone. Give your family and friends a special hug.<br /><br /> Thanks for being part of our family,<br /> Miss Bumples and crew<br /><a href="http://www.bumples.com/" target="_blank">www.bumples.com</a> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-86857225583718291532013-03-28T18:32:00.002-04:002013-03-28T18:32:53.692-04:00Bumples March Issue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring in to March with Bumples all new issue. Available now; interactive games, poems, storys and so much fun. Check it out at; <a href="http://www.bumples.com/">http://www.bumples.com</a><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-27802820178555386082013-03-20T11:13:00.001-04:002013-03-20T11:13:22.103-04:00The Gap Between Your Ears Is the Most Important Gap<div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Calibri,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">by Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC</span></div>
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If you tweet on Twitter, you will see many #Thighgap. There is always something new, and it appears thigh gap is the new way girls are comparing themselves with one another to feel thin and pretty. Thigh <img align="right" alt="Girls Bulling" border="0" height="171" hspace="5" name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.663" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs069/1101878619477/img/663.jpg" vspace="5" width="201" /> Gap is the space between your legs, and our tweens and teens are starving themselves to achieve it. In a recent <a href="http://www.ted.com/" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="off">TED</a> lecture by a popular Victoria's Secret model, she states that 58% of all thirteen-year-old girls report disliking their bodies! And by the time girls are seventeen years of age, 78% of them don't like their bodies. This model goes on to explain that outside of plastic surgery and lighting, there is little anyone can do to alter their body. Genetics basically determine our looks, our bodies and whether or not girls have thigh gap.</div>
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Websites such as thinspo, and thinspirtation promote starvation. However, the body is more vulnerable to bad nutrition especially during the tween and teen years. Social media has made it possible for girls to compare their bodies, makeup and hair twenty--four hours a day, and Pinterest helps them pin only the best looks on their Facebook page. It's become a game or way of life for many girls to try and achieve what lighting, makeup artists and genetics do for models. Parents don't become concerned until their child becomes ill, and a pediatrician/doctor tells them that their child is suffering from severe malnutrition.</div>
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Beauty is power, and no one can deny that we judge and treat people based on looks. However, when achieving "the look" means you are willing to forfeit your health, social life, and school, it becomes a sickness. Girls who starve themselves and feel bad about the way they look cripple themselves way beyond their school years. Their body image suffers through much of their adult life as well. One of the underlying causes of addictions is due to a poor self-esteem due to body image.</div>
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The key to helping girls deal with their self concept, self esteem and distorted body image is being aware that it is happening, listening to your daughter, and talking to her about it. As a parent, you don't have to help them starve, but you do need to be in touch with the pressure they are feeling, and offer healthy options as a way of coping with their stress.<br /><br />Below are a few more suggestions that can help build your daughter's self concept and help repair her distorted body image.</div>
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<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: maroon;"><strong>Ask your pediatrician or doctor</strong></span> <span style="color: black;">for a consultation with a dietician who works with teens. A dietician can help your daughter understand what she needs for her body, and will also help guide her with healthy weight management.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: maroon;"><strong>Join a gym</strong></span> <span style="color: black;">or seek help from a trainer together if possible. Working out at the gym is more fun with someone else, and it will help build your relationship with your daughter.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: maroon;"><strong>Begin looking for role models</strong></span> who are good looking, and educated. Remind your daughter that she can be both. The gap between her ears is more important and interesting than thigh gap. </li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: maroon;"><strong>Watch what you say</strong></span> <span style="color: black;">about your own body. Daughters listen to their moms and many complain about the same body areas as their moms.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: maroon;"><strong>Girls who obsess about their bodies</strong></span><span style="color: black;"> may feel that is the only area they control in their lives. Encourage your daughter to engage in sports, and other school activities to help build confidence. Studies have revealed that children in sports suffer less with eating disorder. </span></li>
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<img align="left" border="0" height="141" hspace="5" name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.772" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs069/1101878619477/img/772.jpg" vspace="5" width="216" /> Feeling pretty and popular is important during the teen years. Self-esteem isn't stagnant it continues to be built throughout children's teen years and on into adulthood. Helping your child build a healthy self concept is part of parenting, but their friends and the community at large influence what makes your child feel better about themselves as well. Telling your child that they are beautiful and shouldn't worry will not repair a distorted self body image as much as listening to them and helping them make a healthy plan. Moms struggle with their distorted body image no matter how old they become. Taking the opportunity to help their daughter heal may have the additional benefit of helping them heal.</div>
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<span>Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Start Talking: A Girl's Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever</span><span>. Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at </span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001C8ala4ENbYId2jNy463ncTF-hWaV-gossDGKq5_4NF0Ptpn7ETZE1IcGkanun6EXPSomUwn6NO_HFJITwRxFk7pKkwNPTLDLLxc1FPrVWo08TPOaLtJ37g==" linktype="link" shape="rect" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">www.maryjorapini.com</a>.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-3716546738927514242013-03-14T04:00:00.000-04:002013-03-14T09:27:31.939-04:00Pets And Kids<br />
In the age-old “cat people versus dog people” debate, the votes have been tabulated and the results show that your household is a “dog family.” The only problem is that you don’t actually have a family dog. Remedying the situation provides everyone in the household with companionship and entertainment, helps to teach kids about the responsibility of caring for another living thing and puts a stop to the endless begging, cajoling and whining for a dog. The only thing left to do is choose your dog, but how do you make such a big decision?<br />
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<strong>Do Your Research</strong><br />
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Before you make a selection, you’ll need to have a bit of basic knowledge at your disposal. Purebred dogs purchased from a breeder may have a genetic disposition for certain health problems, but their personalities can be predicted more precisely when they’re still puppies. Mixed breed dogs tend to be healthier than their purebred counterparts, but may be a bit more difficult in terms of personality and predictability.<br />
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<strong>Visit a Shelter or Breeder</strong><br />
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Choosing to adopt from a shelter rescues a dog that may otherwise be euthanized, allows you to brag about making a socially-conscious choice and gives you the option of adopting an adult animal, rather than a rambunctious youngster in need of training. Purchasing a puppy from a reputable breeder allows you to select a particular breed and bring home a young animal that you can train to suit the needs of your family. Whichever route you choose, you should make a few kid-free visits before making a decision so you can observe the environment the dog is accustomed to, learn more about their individual personalities and make an informed decision before the younger members of your family become attached to a dog that’s ultimately a bad fit with your collective lifestyle.\<br />
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<strong>Think About Your Family Routine</strong><br />
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Choosing the right dog for your family will require you to carefully examine the routine of your household. If everyone is away from the house for hours on end, you may want to select a more independent animal that requires less affection and dedicated play time. If you homeschool, have kids that haven’t yet reached school age and one parent stays home, you can comfortably select a dog that requires more attention.<br />
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<strong>Consider the Age of Your Youngest Child</strong><br />
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If you have a toddler or infant that doesn’t yet respond well to verbal direction, you’ll need to make sure that the dog you bring into your home is patient and mature. In these situations, an adult dog may be more suitable than a puppy. Breeds that are known to be anxious, like Chihuahuas, will almost certainly be too nervous when the boisterous attention of a very young child is focused on the dog.<br />
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<strong>Realize That Babies and Puppies Don’t “Grow Up Together”</strong><br />
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The idea that your baby and your puppy will “grow up together” is a charming one, but it’s just not feasible most of the time. Juggling the demands of an infant with those of an untrained, excitable puppy can easily prove to be overwhelming, which is why so many great dogs find themselves in a shelter. An adult dog may be a better choice for families with very young children, while a charming puppy is fine for households with older kids that can understand the proper handling and treatment of a fragile, high-energy puppy.<br />
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<strong>Keep Size in Mind</strong><br />
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The adorable pup that fits in the palm of your hand will one day grow up, and its size will have an impact on how you care for it. Remember that even Saint Bernards start off relatively small, but they grow quickly and can be too much for a small household with young children. Before you fall in love with a puppy at the shelter, try to determine how big it will be when it reaches adulthood. A Great Dane-sized animal simply won’t fit in a small apartment.<br />
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Choosing a dog is an exciting milestone, but it’s not a trial-and-error situation. Surrendering a dog because he isn’t right for your family will almost always endanger his life, a situation that simply isn’t fair to the defenseless dog in your care. Rather than making an impulsive choice that you later discover was a bad one, take your time and determine exactly what sort of dog will be best for your family. When you’re patient and committed to making the right choice the first time, you’re making a wonderful addition to your family and are not risking the life of an innocent animal.<br />
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<em>Article reprinted with permission from;</em> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> <strong><a href="http://www.hireananny.org/"><span style="font-size: small;">http://www.hireananny.org</span></a></strong></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-89584686711734375462013-03-12T08:36:00.006-04:002013-03-12T08:36:55.452-04:00Are Advertisers Encouraging Sexting Among Teens?<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="content_LETTER.BLOCK12" style="margin-bottom: 10px; width: 100%px;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica,Calibri,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">by Mary
Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Recently, a loyal reader of
my blog and viewer of my segments on Fox 26 sent me a note of concern about the
new Samsung Galaxy commercials. The commercial portrays a husband leaving for a
business trip. His wife says to him, "Now here is a video especially for you,
but you better not watch it on the plane," and she winks at him as they clink
their phones together, which passes along the video (a new feature of the
phone). Their two daughters stand behind her seeing this event but not saying
anything. The person who mentioned this was concerned that this commercial was
actually promoting sexy video sharing. To help calm the situation, I did mention
that the couple in the commercial were married, and this was adult
communication. But her concern is real. Are we prepared as parents for what this
technology will be able to access for teens or younger children? Thinking we can
keep this sort of technology out of their hands--or not buy this type of
phone--is like burying our head in the sand. Our child may not have it (yet),
but some will, and if it's extremely popular, every teen will have
access.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Fast forward. A new app called "Snapchat" was launched on iTunes. This app
allows you to take a picture, hit send, and control how long friends can view
your message by setting the timer to up to ten <img align="right" border="0" height="155" hspace="5" name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.1225" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs102/1101878619477/img/1225.jpg" vspace="5" width="192" /> seconds. Recipients have that long to view the message and then it
disappears forever. The app says it will let you know if the recipient takes a
screenshot. <span style="color: maroon;"><strong>What, what and WHATT????!!!!!
Why are we promoting the sharing and sending of inappropriate photos and
videos?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Have we forgotten the many
lessons we have learned in this area? We know that many of these sites aren't as
secure as claimed, that settings sometimes don't work as we think they will, or
that we lose our technology and those photos and videos are found by someone
else! As adults, I am sure we haven't forgotten, but my concern is that kids
have no idea what <span style="color: maroon;"><strong><em>forever</em></strong></span> means, and they
are way too trusting of advertisers making false claims to sell their product.
Keeping sexy and/or naked photos or videos on your phone, tablet, or computer is
not a good idea <span style="color: maroon;"><strong><em>ever</em></strong></span>. It doesn't matter
if you are an adult or a child; it is never in your best interest. I have seen
negative effects of people sharing and sending private videos and photos. It can
ruin job security, career opportunities and the ability to attend the college of
your child's choice. Kids are bullied due to inappropriate sharing of
information, and perhaps the worst situation is when something inappropriately
shared leads to destroyed reputations and the suicide of the child victimized by
classmates who didn't understand the destruction of their
sharing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">It has never been easy
being a parent, but technology, along with the benefits, presents challenges
that make parenting more challenging than ever. If you have a child with a cell
phone, your child is at risk because of what advertisers think will sell. There
is an app for everything, and since teens are technologically gifted, they
probably know more of them than you do. My concern is enhanced with teens' stage
of development. They don't have full development of their frontal cortex until
they are twenty-two, which means they don't have a full grasp on consequences,
future concepts or an understanding of forever. Parents must step in and go over
and over rules of the phone, and have a check in process with their child. The
more engaged the parent, the better the child is with being responsible and
having a vision for their future that they will
protect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: maroon;"><strong>Here are a few
suggestions</strong></span> that can help you keep your child somewhat protected
with their phone use. These tips are provided by connectsafely.org. This
company, along with truecare.com, helps parents protect their
children.<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: maroon;"><strong>Mobile safety in
general</strong></span>. Just as in chat rooms and social sites, kids need to
think about who they text and talk with. They should never text/talk about sex
with strangers. Phones should only be used to communicate with people they know
in the real world.</span></div>
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<span style="color: maroon;"><strong>Bullying by phone</strong></span>.
Since young people's social lives increasingly include cell phones as well as
the Web, cyber-bullying and harassment have gone mobile too. Talk with your kids
about how the same manners and ethics you've always taught them apply on phones
and the Web the same as in "real life."<br /></div>
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<span style="color: maroon;"><strong>Mobile social
networking</strong></span>. Many social sites have a feature that allows users
to check their profiles and post comments from their phones. That means some
teens can do social networking literally anywhere, in which case any filter you
may have installed on a home computer does nothing to block social networking.
Talk with your teens about where they're accessing their profiles or blogs from
and whether they're using the same good sense about how they're social
networking on their phones.</div>
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<span style="color: maroon;"><strong>Social mapping</strong></span>. More
and more cell phones have GPS technology installed, which means teens who have
these phones can pinpoint their friends' physical location--or be pinpointed by
their friends. Talk with your kids about using such technology and advise them
to use it only with friends they know in person.<br /></div>
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<span style="color: maroon;"><strong>Media-sharing by
phone</strong></span>. Most mobile phones we use today have cameras, and some
have video cams. Teens love to share media with friends on all types of mobile
devices. There is both a personal-reputation and safety aspect to this. Talk
with your teens about never letting other people photograph or film them in
embarrassing or inappropriate situations (and vice versa). They need to
understand their own and others' privacy rights in sharing photos and videos via
cell phones.</div>
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<span style="color: maroon;"><strong>'Smart phones.'</strong></span> We've
already been over many smart- or 3G-phone features, but remember they usually
include the Web. That means more and more people can access all that the Web
offers, appropriate or not, on their phones as well as computers. Mobile
carriers are beginning to offer filtering for the content available on their
services, but they have no control over what's on the Web. Parents of younger
kids might want to consider turning off Web access and turning on filtering if
they're concerned about access to adult content.</div>
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<span style="color: maroon;"><strong>With parenting none of us gets a
second chance</strong></span>. We do the best we can with what we have. If you
are a parent with tweens and teens, you need to understand technology and what
your child is exposed to via the Internet, social networks, texting, and
commercials. We all grew up wanting to be an adult. This feeling of wanting to
be older is a common theme, but teens today achieve this acting older much
differently than they may have when you were their age. Society is sexualizing
our children more, which is demonstrated not only with clothing but with
texting, sexting, and social networks. It all begins at home with discussions
between parents and their children. The greatest gift we give our children is
our time, and getting to know their world (that includes their virtual world as
well).<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica,Calibri,Arial,sans-serif;"><em>*Mary
Jo is an expert for truecare.com which helps parents begin the dialogue with
their kids about safety with Internet, phone, and social media
use.</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author
with Janine J. Sherman, of </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Start Talking:
A Girl's Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever</span><span>.
Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at
</span></span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001OxLYc9e5j4IjC5Cf1F9MEo_XCweiqKv2i9RW55QgNFhEb7319r8GW3NGPWX3A3EmcgfBvu5MnRbMWrGZ9TAJ1Q9JSXhHhBMSCFx4nfks_ni2PRNvfjfeqg==" linktype="link" shape="rect" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on"><span style="font-size: small;">www.maryjorapini.com</span></a><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-52860705293820729952013-03-07T07:42:00.000-05:002013-03-07T07:42:07.051-05:00ABC Come Play With Me - FREE Download<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9QCXb4_xuo4/UTiKW9ECz8I/AAAAAAAAGh0/X8ZEXg5UbPE/s1600/41k3eiPg5iL__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-52,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9QCXb4_xuo4/UTiKW9ECz8I/AAAAAAAAGh0/X8ZEXg5UbPE/s1600/41k3eiPg5iL__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-52,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Do you have a little one just learning the alphabet? Unitl <span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>March 9th</strong></span> we're offering a <strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">FREE </span></strong>download of <strong>ABC Come Play With Me.</strong> This simple book is written in alliteration and will sure to become a fast favorite for your young listener. Click the link to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFIAA8S">Amazon</a> for your FREE download.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-24393997717038352282013-02-14T14:47:00.003-05:002013-02-14T14:47:53.265-05:00Wolf Facts and Pictures - Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lOgdnZRWTaY/UR0-fiiLqwI/AAAAAAAAGg8/cBGtFPkhKDo/s1600/wolf-advertisement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lOgdnZRWTaY/UR0-fiiLqwI/AAAAAAAAGg8/cBGtFPkhKDo/s1600/wolf-advertisement.jpg" /></a></div>
Check out this amazing book on all things <a href="http://wolves./"><strong>Wolves.</strong></a> Your kids will be fascinated by fun facts and learn all there is to know about these lonesome, howlers and prowlers.<br />
<br />
Leave me a comment (with some contact info) to be eligible to win a FREE copy of this educational ebook. I will do a random draw at the end of next week (Feb 21) for 1 lucky winner.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-45148552138298281152013-02-07T16:30:00.002-05:002013-02-07T16:30:43.978-05:00Bumples Celebration Issue<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/79WaqXk-_rc?list=UU9JBkodScC1L8NpDjeSATtw" width="560"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-53599857821876149512013-02-02T11:04:00.000-05:002013-02-02T11:12:51.303-05:009 Creative Ways to Help Kids Say I Love You<b><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN"></span></span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>by Susie Monday</strong></span><br />
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Got a tactile-learner? A kid who loves to dance? Or maybe your child really loves color? While every child has a constellation of Sensory Alphabet strengths (shape, color, movement and sound are just a few), your child probably has one or two that really stand out — that you notice in his or her artwork or in elements of his or her collections and activities. Valentine’s Day crafts provide ways for parents to nurture these strengths and help kids say I love you in fun creative ways. Below are craft ideas designed for each element of the Sensory Alphabet.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">SHAPE:</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Is your child’s art always full of shapes? Cut out cookies! Make the process easier and faster by using dough from the grocery store refrigerator case. Find imaginative cookie cutters and combine shapes and words to say I love you in new ways.</span></div>
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</span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ABOzFgHVL8/UQ04X5B-dRI/AAAAAAAAGf4/4pssVt7CWZY/s1600/shapes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ABOzFgHVL8/UQ04X5B-dRI/AAAAAAAAGf4/4pssVt7CWZY/s1600/shapes.jpg" /></span></a><b></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;">
<b>SOUND: </b><br />
Let sound-oriented kids make a Valentine’s wind chime with metal, glass and wooden craft store finds. Throw in everyday household items like bowls and plates to create loving symphony.<br />
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<b>COLOR:</b> <br />
Make "stained glass" cookies with color-loving kids, using bread stick dough. Shape it to make the "leading" on a cookie sheet topped with foil. Use crushed colored sugar candies in the spaces, cook at 350 degrees and let the candies melt. Let cool before peeling off the foil. Experiment with the colors and explore what else can represent love besides red.<br />
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<b>MOVEMENT:</b> <br />
Have your kids spell out the letters of "I Love You" with their bodies, and then take pictures. These can be used to create a sweet card or frame.<br />
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<b>LIGHT:</b><br />
Appoint the light-loving child as the official photographer for holiday events. A lesson in digital app photo editing (PhotoPad is free for the iPad) or in designing digital slideshows or print-on-demand books puts this creative eye into action.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dp6C-Gcs_zs/UQ04t_LTsOI/AAAAAAAAGgA/j09T2qVzhQQ/s1600/tree.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dp6C-Gcs_zs/UQ04t_LTsOI/AAAAAAAAGgA/j09T2qVzhQQ/s1600/tree.bmp" /></span></a></div>
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<b>TEXTURE:</b> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Make a Valentine’s card that focuses on touch rather than sight. Use bows, ribbons, homemade tassels and other textured embellishments. Feathers and sponge-and-paint prints are fun to cover things with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>SPACE:</b> </span></div>
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For little builders, create a giant heart using recycled boxes wrapped in plain paper or Popsicle sticks. Decorate it with stickers, markers, doilies and colored paper. When it’s done create a set of keys, and have your child give them to family and loved ones.<br />
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<b>RHYTHM:</b> <br />
With your rhythm kid, fill small glass jars (such as baby food jars or small jelly jars) with a tablespoon of different shake-able items such as beans, rice, red-and-green beads, and metal washers. Decorate the lids with foil tied around the tops and stickers for patterns. Shake along to Valentine’s songs.<br />
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<b>LINE:</b> <br />
A linear thinker loves stories. Put him or her to work making handmade Valentine’s books using photos that tell a story about the great love stories in your family. Start with folded paper with a construction paper cover, hole-punched and tied with string or stitched down the center on the sewing machine for the binding.<br />
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Matching a creative thinking strength to the right set of materials and a fun challenge can make it more fun -- and help your child build from his or her strengths. <br />
<br />
<strong>ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</strong><br />
Susie Monday, educator and artist and co-author of <i>The Missing Alphabet, A Parents’ Guide to Developing Creative Thinking in Kids</i>, with Susan Marcus and Dr. Cynthia Herbert. </span></span><a href="http://www.themissingalphabet.com/"><span style="color: #000099;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: large;">http:/www.themissingalphabet.com</span></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6049194523141239279.post-13669891042536657962013-01-30T10:46:00.002-05:002013-01-30T10:49:10.486-05:00Interview With Mitch DaviesCheck out what Mitch had to say about his novel; <strong>The Inn of Fallen Leaves</strong> and so much more<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fW--p_clJZo/UQlAF384V6I/AAAAAAAAGe4/pY9EOERFr74/s1600/198766_204759786200794_4985475_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fW--p_clJZo/UQlAF384V6I/AAAAAAAAGe4/pY9EOERFr74/s1600/198766_204759786200794_4985475_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<strong>Tell us a bit about yourself</strong><br />
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I'm originally from Canada. I lived in Calgary for 40 years before moving to Arizona. My father was in the distribution side of the movie industry and had contacts in all the theaters in town. We very seldom had to pay to see a movie so we went to a lot of them. I spent 30 years working in the computer industry in various positions for large computer companies. I ended my career in Arizona after a long period working as the Information Systems Manager for a building materials company. I started writing seriously about 10 years ago when the content of my first novel began to build in my head. All it took was writing the first chapter and I realized I could fufill my dream of becoming a writer by sticking to the process. I enjoyed it and now I'm releasing my third novel.</div>
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<strong>Is this your first book?</strong></div>
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No, <em>The Inn of Fallen Leaves</em> is my third novel. My first, <em>A Wind In Montana,</em> is a young adult novel about the high school years of two people in Great Falls, Montana. It was awarded the 2011 eLit Awards Bronze Medal for juvenile fiction. My second novel, <em>Better Than Ever, Again</em>, is a sailing/crime adventure based on something that happened to a fellow I used to work with.<br />
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<strong>Were you always a writer?</strong><br />
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No, I did however began thinking of myself as a writer when I started to read for pleasure in my teens. I developed some of the scenes included in my first novel while I was in high school and 25 years later they made it to the page. In my late 20s I wrote six chapters of a novel and had an agent interested at the time. Nothing developed and then career and family activities took over. I wrote the first chapter of my first novel for a writing class and after the class's feedback I decided to keep on writing.<br />
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<strong>Tell us about the story of the Samurai in your own words</strong><br />
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When I learned that the samurai system of government was still in place in the 1860s I was shocked to find out that their society hadn't changed much in over 250 years. For Japan to have developed into such a modern country and to become the second largest economy in the world by the 1970s from its feudal roots is extraordinary. But, how did the samurai system of government last so long? This is what I wanted to know and my studies displayed three levels of samurai, the upper echelon that ruled the clans, the clan samurai and the unattached samurai. There were farmer samurai as well but they were attached to the clan that ruled the land that they worked. Only about 10% of the Japanese population was samurai and yet they ruled a strong well organized and one would say unified society. In the mid to late 1860s Japan was essentially forced to come out of its self imposed isolation to join the rest of the moderizing world. The clans who led the way to throw off the samurai ways were clans that had lost control of Japan over 250 years earlier.<br />
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<strong>Why this story? Was it something you've always had an interest in?</strong><br />
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I first became interested in samurai history in the late 70s when I read James Clavell's novel, Shogun. The samurai society was so interesting and Clavell did an amazing job of presenting the political struggles of Japan at the time when it was unifying under one leader. I wrote the story of The Inn of Fallen leaves because the majority of the samurai stories are about the major clan leaders or samurai heroes within the clan ranks. I wanted to write a story about the low level samurai and how they were dealing with the changes taking place in Japan. I wanted to contrast the confused non-commitment of the unattached or ronin samurai with the always loyal clan samurai who would do anything for their leaders during the time period just before the Meiji Restoration, when the leadership on both sides of the issues facing Japan were giving off mixed messages. </div>
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<strong>How long did it take you to write this novel from concept to 'The End.'</strong><br />
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From concept to the completion of the first draft it took 14 months. I defined the characters and the plot outline to a certain degree and then wrote the first four chapters fairly quickly. I then went to live in Japan for three months to write and reasearch then I came back and finished the story in Arizona. It took another year of editing before I considered it finished.<br />
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<strong>What advice would you give other writers?</strong><br />
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Have an idea where your story is going to go and then write the first chapter. You will make many changes so get started and come back to fix it later. Don't stay married to your original plot lines, allow yourself to change them up to make the story more interesting. Make it tough on your protagonist, if he or she isn't working hard to acheive what they're after then you aren't working hard enough either. If you're excited about what you're writing you'll finish the story. Once you've finished and done all the editing and polishing you can do on your own, hire a professional editor to go over your book checking for connectivity, story logic and time lines. Make the corrections then get the editor to do a pass for spelling and grammar.<br />
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<strong> Do you have any other projects in the works?</strong><br />
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I'm plotting out my next novel and I'm about to hit the keyboard with it. I'm excited about it because the act and process of writing is extremely satisfying for me. Letting your mind create characters and story lines is a lot of fun. This book will be about commitment. The protaganists are an art student and a volleyball player. First during their years at university and then after as they begin to apply what they have trained to do. How do two people in a relationship follow their vocations and become the best people they believe they can be while maintaining a commitment to the person they think is their partner for life?<br />
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<strong>Anything else you'd like to add?</strong><br />
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I'm a reader and I consider myself lucky and smart to be one. The readers who read your blog and also read books fall into the same category, they know how sensual it is to drop into another world and enjoy a different experience for a few hundred pages. That feeling is what makes them want to keep reading. As an author I'm trying to provide the feeling that makes them want to read again.<br />
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Thank Mitch! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We're giving away 1 copy of Mitch's exciting book,<strong> The Inn of Fallen Leaves! </strong>Just leave a comment in this blog post (and some contact info) and I will choose 1 winner by random draw.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Good luck!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0