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ARC Review: Fight the Tide by Keira Andrews
Adrift in a post-apocalyptic world, they only have each other. Is it enough?
A virus that turns the infected into zombie-like killers spreads through a burning world thrown into lawless chaos. Lovers Parker and Adam have escaped to the open sea when they hear a message over the airwaves from a place called Salvation Island—a supposed safe haven.
Orphaned as a child, werewolf Adam has always longed for a pack. He's eager to investigate the island, but Parker doesn't think for a nanosecond that the voice on the radio can be believed. He doesn't trust anyone but Adam and is determined to keep it that way. They don't need anyone else complicating their struggle to survive. Or do they?
Danger on the high seas can surface in a heartbeat, and if Parker and Adam aren't careful, the current will drag them under.
This gay romance is a dystopian adventure featuring a werewolf, his boyfriend, and their struggle to find a place to call home.
Karen's Rating:
As much as I wanted to read this book. I have to admit I was also a little apprehensive. Did I really want to read another book about Zombies? Creepers, honestly they are so not my thing, but I loved that first book. It was awesome...so yes, I did want to read this, thankfully because as it turned out it to was awesome and yet, quite different from the first book.
In 'Kick at the Darkness' we were introduced to Parker and Adam just as the virus that would potentially turn everyone into Creepers was unleashed on the world forcing them to work together to stay alive and for Parker uninfected. We left them as they were about to seek safety on the ocean in a sailboat.
Life on the high seas may keep them safe from the Creepers but it's with brutal force that Parker gets reminded, while waiting for Adam to return from a supply run, that Creepers are not the only threat to be guarded against.
While Parker and Adam are definitely a couple I have very much enjoyed that they've each retained their individuality as well. Often times expressing opposing viewpoints...Parker wanting to shut them off from the world, Adam wanting to find a place that they could begin again and be a part of a community, Adam wanting to go to the voice on the radio that promised them safety and shelter a sanctuary, Parker wanting to run from it, Parker wanting to ignore the plea for help during a storm, Adam wanting to give that help. It is was when they responded to that mayday call that things ultimately become both better and more complicated. Arriving just in time to rescue what looks to be a family of 4. Parker and Adam soon realize that these people need their help if they are going to survive so unable to simply leave them to their own devices Parker and Adam find themselves part of a group that slowly morphs into a family.
Posted by Karen at 12:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: 4.5 stars, action, apocalyptic, ARC, coming soon, contemporary, established couples, family, fiction, HEA/HFN, hot cover, lots of sex, M/M, wolf shifters, zombies
ARC Review: The Night Screams by Devon McCormack
Running naked through the woods, Cal flees the sadistic man who abducted and tortured him. When he stumbles upon a convenience store, he breaks in to steal food. A young store clerk, Jake, confronts him, and they get into a fight that ends with Cal being knocked unconscious. He wakes in the home of Jake's Uncle Gary, the owner of the convenience store. Realizing Cal needs help, Gary tries to communicate with him, but despite Cal's efforts, he can't bring himself to speak. Instead, he writes down his experiences. Horrified by the perverse cruelty Cal endured, Gary takes him to the police, who track down his tormentor.
Abandoned by his parents before his abduction, Cal doesn't have anywhere to go, so Gary and his wife eagerly welcome him into their home. He feels fortunate to be with such caring people—something he's never had before. Despite their help, he still can't find his voice, and he wonders if he ever will. And Jake certainly isn't making things any easier. It's clear he doesn't want Cal to be part of their family. But the more Cal gets to know him, the more he realizes Jake might be the very person who can heal the deep wounds left by his horrifying past.
This book starts off with 17 year-old Cal, whose name we haven't been told at this point, running naked through the woods after having escaped from his kidnapper. The writing brilliantly describes his terror and determination and struggle to get away. I was on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, fearing for this young man.
Upon breaking out of the woods at the edge of a small town, Cal manages to steal some clothes from a thrift store, but is then caught stealing a bit of food from the convenience store next-door by 18 year-old Jake, the store's clerk. In the ensuing pursuit and fight, Cal is knocked unconscious.
When he comes to, he's in the home of Gary and Luce, Jake's aunt and uncle, who offer him a place to stay and food.
Jake is understandably upset and distrustful of Cal.
Cal is mute because of the terrors of his experience, of which we know a little by that point.
By this point, the author had me fully vested in the story. When Cal relays his story, of how he came to be homeless and how he was kidnapped and tortured, I cried hot tears.
By this point, I expected this book to relay Cal's struggles to come to terms with being kicked out by his parents, and being kidnapped and abused by a psychopath, but that's not actually what I got.
It seemed that the author dropped that particular subject down to Cal going to a few appointments with a counselor, and spun the story into an entirely different direction - that of the romance between Jake and Cal. I thought that considering the trauma Cal went through at the hands of his kidnapper, not enough time was spent on successfully working through that issue - it became almost a forgotten topic. I also didn't buy that someone who had experienced such horrible torture, as is described early on, would then be able to so quickly embark on a physical relationship without at least experiencing some major flashbacks. This kind of stuff isn't going to simply fall by the wayside, and I don't think the author did Cal any favors by portraying him this way. There was a bit too much telling here for my taste, when I wanted to be shown Cal's struggles. A few sentences do not healing make.
I did like the family Cal has the good fortune to meet, and especially Gary seemed to help Cal quite a bit. Luce struggles for a while when Jake and Cal start dating, but comes around when it counts.
Posted by Sandra at 6:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: 3 stars, ARC, comfort-healing, harmony ink, homophobia, hurt/comfort, M/M, past abuse, romance, teenage angst, YA, young love
ARC Review: A Frost of Cares by Amy Rae Durreson
Military historian Luke Alcott leaps at the chance to live in the seventeenth-century country mansion of Eelmoor Hall, home of the Royal Military School of Medicine, after being offered a job cataloging the school's archives. Luke believes he chose the perfect place to start a new life and put his broken past behind him. But soon after settling into the old house, he hears strange noises—like footsteps—and he begins to suffer from terrible nightmares.
The only person Luke can turn to for help is the taciturn caretaker, Jay, a veteran of the Afghanistan war who carries an old battle wound. Together they try to understand Eelmoor Hall's history and decipher what could be causing the haunting. As the weather grows colder and snow dusts the countryside, a child goes missing. Luke needs to deal with his own demons and learn to trust in love again if he hopes to face down the angry spirit and find the missing girl.
This story starts later. The end is the beginning, and the beginning is this:
Luke doesn't believe in ghosts. But when one lonely Christmas he finally accepts that his boyfriend Danny is never coming home, he leaves London for Eelmoor Hall where he meets the Mistletoe Bride, a girl who hid so well, no one ever found her.
But that's not the most important part. The most important part is Jay.
As Luke tells us, This isn't a ghost story. This is a love story.
Both men have lost so much: a partner, a limb, their sense of self. Some things we lose forever, and some return to us.
Luke is looking for closure so he can stop waiting for Danny, who was gone long before he left Luke at a hospital ten years prior and never returned.
And Jay, all frowns and hard edges, is looking for someone he can trust, someone who will stay. He doesn't know it, but Jay is looking for Luke.
Labels: 5 stars, ARC, bittersweet, brilliant imagery, British boys, contemporary, dreamspinner, friendship, ghosts, HEA, hurt/comfort, M/M, paranormal, romance, sexy read, suspense, top read of 2016
ARC Review: Quarry Lake by Josephine Myles
Still waters run deep . . .
Tommy's been away from his home in rural Somerset for three years. Long enough to sort out who he is, and to get over the feelings of confusion and shame that blighted his lifelong friendship with farmer's boy Rob. He's out and proud, now—and he's coming home to claim back what he lost.
Rob's the one who stayed behind, working on the farm with little time for a social life. With Tommy coming back into his world, he could have a lot to gain—and everything to lose.
He's going to have to take a leap of faith. Straight into the ice cold waters of Quarry Lake.
Tommy comes home determined to win back his best friend Rob, the boy who kissed him but whom he didn't kiss back.
Tommy is now out and proud, but Rob isn't. He's a farmer's son living in a small town. He doesn't think being out is an option, especially when he doesn't even have a boyfriend to hold his hand.
When Rob sees Tommy again, he can't keep his eyes off the man. But he thinks Tommy is straight.
The first (second?) kiss melted my heart. Rob is a virgin (gah, I love this trope!) but so eager and willing to learn.
Three cheers for Rob's dad who doesn't care that Tommy is gay; he just cares that he's not a vegetarian. His son can bring home a boyfriend, just as long as he eats meat.
I wish this story had been longer; it ended before it began. Everything seemed a little too easy and bright. I wanted more conflict between the MCs and a slower burn. I wanted Tommy to grovel.
Labels: 3.5 stars, ARC, contemporary, family, feel good, friends-to-lovers, HFN, sexy read, short story, sweetness, virgins
Blogtour: Dinner At Foxy's by Silvia Violet
DINNER AT FOXY'S
LAW AND SUPERNATURAL ORDER BOOK 3
COVER DESIGN: AJ Corza
COVER PHOTO: Stock Photo
Fox shifter Luke runs Foxy's Chicken Shack, known for the best and spiciest chicken in town. For months he's had his eye on Silas, a young cop who patrols the area around his restaurant. When Silas arrives to question Luke about his cousins' criminal activities, things blow up, literally, and Silas is injured. Luke will do whatever it takes to see his cousins brought to justice. He might not survive his crazy plan, but if he does…
Could there be a chance at love for this fox shifter and his cop?
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I'm Luke, and I'm a fox. Okay, I'm a fox shifter, but I'm also hot, a smooth-talker, and I give one wild ride. I run a restaurant in Atlanta. We sell the best damn fried chicken you've ever eaten. That's right. I'm a bona fide fox in the henhouse. Our chicken comes in spicy, spicier, and fuck-me-I'm-on-fire.
The dinner shift is crazy as fuck tonight even though my best people are in the kitchen. I don't know who decided to send me all the large parties, prize-winners for most finicky order, and downright bitchy-as-fuck complainers, but they are all out in force tonight.
I'm about to take a break. I need a whiskey, but a large sweet tea will have to do since I'm working.
The door chimes as it swings open, and I glance up, expecting another party of nine, half of them gluten-free vegans—at a fucking chicken shack—but, no… Fuck me. It's that gorgeous blond twink in a cop's uniform, the one who's become a regular. His baby face makes him look like he's playing dress-up. I want to run my hands—and my tongue—over every inch of his smooth, pale skin. He glances my way, and his eyes widen for just a second. Then his tongue slides out to moisten his lips.
Maybe this night is about to improve. Officer Blond and Surely-Not-As-Young-As-He-Looks moves my way. Oh yes. Come to Daddy.
I thought you didn't do cops.
Sometimes I hate my fucking conscience.
Nothing but trouble there.
I'm not like the rest of my family. I don't run guns or steal cars. I don't hurt people or use them. But some of my business interests aren't exactly what you'd call legal. Hell, the simple fact that I'm a fox shifter makes me suspicious to most people. However, this is one officer of the law I wouldn't mind having a close acquaintance with.
The hottie in blue reaches the counter. "What can I do for you, Officer?" I ask.
Labels: blogtour, excerpt, promo
Blogtour: Makepeace (Taking Shield #3) by Anna Butler
Please welcome Anna Butler with
Makepeace
Taking Shield #3
Returning to duty following his long recovery from the injuries he sustained during the events recounted in Heart Scarab, Shield Captain Bennet accepts a tour of duty in Fleet as flight captain on a dreadnought. The one saving grace is that it isn't his father's ship—bad enough that he can't yet return to the Shield Regiment, at least he doesn't have the added stress of commanding former lover Fleet Lieutenant Flynn, knowing the fraternisation regulations will keep them apart.
Working on the material he collected himself on T18 three years before, Bennet decodes enough Maess data to send him behind the lines to Makepeace, once a human colony but under Maess control for more than a century. The mission goes belly up, costing Albion one of her precious, irreplaceable dreadnoughts and bringing political upheaval, acrimony and the threat of public unrest in its wake. But for Bennet, the real nightmare is discovering what the Maess have in store for humanity.
It's not good. It's not good at all.
About the Taking Shield series:
Earth's a dead planet, dark for thousands of years; lost for so long no one even knows where the solar system is. Her last known colony, Albion, has grown to be regional galactic power in its own right. But its drive to expand and found colonies of its own has threatened an alien race, the Maess, against whom Albion is now fighting a last-ditch battle for survival in a war that's dragged on for generations.
Taking Shield charts the missions and adventures of Shield Captain Bennet, scion of a prominent military family. Against the demands of his family's 'triple goddess' of Duty, Honour and Service, is set Bennet's relationships with lovers and family. When the series opens, Bennet is at odds with his long term partner, Joss, who wants him out of the military and back in an academic, archaeological career. He's estranged from his father, Caeden, who is the commander of Fleet's First Flotilla. Events of the first book, in which he is sent to his father's ship to carry out an infiltration mission behind Maess lines, improve his relationship with Caeden, but bring with them the catalyst that will destroy the one with Joss: one Fleet Lieutenant Flynn, who, over the course of the series, develops into Bennet's main love interest.
Over the Taking Shield story arc, Bennet will see the extremes to which humanity's enemies, and his own people, will go to win the war. Some days he isn't able to tell friend from foe. Some days he doubts everything, including himself, as he strives to ensure Albion's victory. And some days he isn't sure, any longer, what victory looks like.
Taking Shield 01: Gyrfalcon
Taking Shield 02: Heart Scarab
The noise was always the most difficult thing to assimilate when it came to a fire fight. He was only peripherally aware of it while the fight lasted, registering the shouts and screams and explosions and using the data they brought him as he assessed and reassessed what was going on around him. But he wasn't able, while he was in the thick of it, to analyse them and put them into their proper place. It was usually the point at which everything grew quiet again that his brain processed and replayed all he'd heard, as if the memories had been parked somewhere safe until he had the time to deal with them.
So it was only now, while he got his breath back and kneaded the kinks out of his knee, his mind added the audio track to the memories stored there: the whooshing whoop of short bursts of intense energy flung from the muzzle of his laser rifle, the flat boom of something exploding, the yells of fright and anger from the troopers. Someone had been screaming.
He looked around for the source, trying to do a quick head count. Thirty yards away someone bent over a huddled mass. The downed man's legs kicked, heels drumming on the ground. The screaming had died away into a pained gurgling.
Van landed beside him, slumping against the building wall with an audible whoof, sighing out a relieved breath.
Bennet arched an eyebrow at her. "Status?"
"Two down, status unknown. The paramedic's checking." She glanced at the downed man and grimaced. "Maess hunting now?"
Pushing the boundaries
There are days when I'm glad that the house of speculative and science fiction has such wide, welcoming doors.
I've been trying to analyse why I write the kind of sci-fi I do, you see. That's the old school type, the stuff of Star Wars/Trek space opera—big spaceships, faster than light travel, alien enemies, cool weaponry and heroes running around shooting their lasers. The only difference in the Taking Shield universe to the space opera norm is that my heroes are two men who love each other.
It is old fashioned. It perhaps does have its roots in the fiction and films of the 60s and 70s, when we were still aglow with all the certainties of right and might in the world, when we thought we (generic Western we) were the bastions of freedom and free-thought. When no one had heard of climate change, or the idea of Islamic jihad, or sub-prime mortgages crashing the world's economy. Perhaps when the future looked bright and adventurous and we owned it all, and we didn't know that our enemy wasn't something out 'there' but our own flawed natures.
Dare I say it's from a time when we weren't depressed, but energetic and hopeful? Yeah. I dare.
Labels: blogtour, excerpt, giveaways, Guest post, promo
Release Blitz: The Beginning by Victoria Sue
Release Blitz - Victoria Sue - The Beginning - Sirius Wolves #6
Author: Victoria Sue
Release Date: July 28
Sirius Wolves Series
The Winter Circle is on the rise and the most desperate hour for humankind is at hand. Working from the shadows, the dark god Anubis, jealous enemy of the goddess Sirius, is setting years' long plans in motion, a master scheme that will strike home in the heart of Jefferson Pack.
Nate is a survivor. He survived rejection by his father and his pack when he was a child. He survived being alone, kidnapped, starved, and tortured. But the more he recovers, the more he realizes he seems to be developing abilities that surpass those of the Supreme Alphas.
More than that, though, he can't move past the scar of knowing he was responsible for killing Darric, even though the Alpha was resurrected by Orion and Nate was forgiven; he can't let go of his fear that there is something terrible hiding in the many holes in the memories of his childhood.
The Winter Circle strikes, and there is a traitor within the pack, one who means to see the end of all hybrids, including Nate and Kellan's pups.
But as all hell breaks loose Nate's greatest fear is not the danger that surrounds him, it's the danger that hides within him. When Nate's finds out his true purpose, and terrible secrets are revealed, will love triumph over evil? Or will the secret that Nate carries just be the death of them all?
Labels: blitz, promo, release
"In From the Cold" by Mercy Celeste- M/M, contemporary romance~ Price drop to $1.99!
"Someday" by Sierra Riley- M/M, contemporary romance~ Price drop to $0.99!
"Six Ways from Sunday" by Mercy Celeste- M/M, contemporary romance~ Price drop to $0.99!
"The Devil in Winter" by Lisa Kleypas- Adult, historical romance~ Price drop to $1.99!
ARC Review: Bitten by Mistake by Annabelle Jacobs
From animosity to searing passion in a lunar cycle … but can their bond survive?
Wolf shifter Nathan Kohl's pack is his whole life. Arrogant and handsome, he avoids commitment to anything or anyone outside of his pack. He works hard, plays hard, and pursues humans as lovers because there's little to no chance of him forming a permanent bond. However, when Jared Taylor comes into Nathan's life, every rule is broken.
After a bad experience, Jared vowed to never get involved with another shifter, no matter how much they got under his skin. Despite being physically attracted to Nathan, who's all kinds of hot, Jared only sees an arrogant, domineering bastard.
A disastrous case of mistaken identity throws Nathan and Jared together until the next full moon. Forced to spend the next twenty-eight days in close proximity, they can no longer ignore the powerful attraction between them. Passion ignites, and their relationship takes a turn neither of them wanted.
But when the full moon comes, everything might change again.
This book worked for me on so many levels: It's SEXY, passionate, and intense. It contains enough shifter action to satisfy rabid wolf fans, but the focus is most definitely on the relationship between Nathan and Jared.
When Jared first meets Nathan, he gives him the cold shoulder. Jared does not like shifters. He thinks they're arrogant and dangerous. He dated a shifter once and is determined to never make that mistake again.
Nathan is a little cocky, but he's a good guy: loyal to his pack, smart, and brave. Nathan doesn't mean to bite Jared. There's a rogue pack on the loose, and when Nathan goes after one of the rogue wolves, Jared, well ... Jared isn't supposed to be there.
Jared is NOT happy to be stuck with Nathan. He's even less happy to find himself drawn to the dark-haired, hot as sin shifter. The bite may cause Jared to change with the next full moon. But that's not guaranteed. Jared and Nathan have to wait it out. How will they ever pass the time?
The thing is, Nathan could be in big trouble if Jared changes into a shifter. Biting someone without consent is illegal in this alternate world. Neither the humans nor the werewolves take kindly to it.
If that weren't enough, the rogue shifters are still out there, and to defeat them Nathan's pack has to work with a rival pack whose alpha has it out for Nathan.
I loved how the enemies-to-lovers trope played out. Jared goes from hating Nathan to not being able to imagine life without him. The two bond with the bite, but that bond may disappear with the full moon. And that scares Jared more than it should.
Labels: 4.5 stars, ARC, contemporary, enemies-to-lovers, HEA, hurt/comfort, M/M, mates, romance, sexy cover, sexy read, shifters, suspense
ARC Review: Fish Out of Water by Amy Lane
PI Jackson Rivers grew up on the mean streets of Del Paso Heights—and he doesn't trust cops, even though he was one. When the man he thinks of as his brother is accused of killing a police officer in an obviously doctored crime, Jackson will move heaven and earth to keep Kaden and his family safe.
Defense attorney Ellery Cramer grew up with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, but that hasn't stopped him from crushing on street-smart, swaggering Jackson Rivers for the past six years. But when Jackson asks for his help defending Kaden Cameron, Ellery is out of his depth—and not just with guarded, prickly Jackson. Kaden wasn't just framed, he was framed by crooked cops, and the conspiracy goes higher than Ellery dares reach—and deep into Jackson's troubled past.
Both men are soon enmeshed in the mystery of who killed the cop in the minimart, and engaged in a race against time to clear Kaden's name. But when the mystery is solved and the bullets stop flying, they'll have to deal with their personal complications… and an attraction that's spiraled out of control.
Ok for starters, with this one I need you to forget everything you thought you knew about this author...just chuck it out the window. Before reading 'Fish Out of Water' my book count for Amy Lane was 29 stories/novellas/books...whatever. So while I'm by no means an expert my point here is I really, really like this author, I am familiar with her writing. Sadly and happily I still have a few stories/novellas/novels of hers to read 36 according to my list, see not an expert or even close.
Still of the 29 books that I've read none have been even remotely like this one. If you're not a big fan of mysteries, thrillers, whodunnits whatever name you want to apply there's a really strong chance that this one won't be your cuppa'. On the other hand if you are pull up a chair and let's talk.
I loved this book for me it was total comfort food. I cut my adult reading teeth on Mary Higgins Clark, Phillip Margolin, Steven Berry, John Sandford, James Patterson and a few others. Even a lot of the urban fantasy that I've read contains a mystery/thriller tone to them. So when I saw this one honestly I was torn could she do it? Could the author who writes sweet, fluffy, romance laced with oober hot sex and some awesomely over the top characters give me a mystery that kept me as engaged as her other books did? Would I like it? Yep, I was more than a little nervous but even more than that I was curious so of course I made grabby hands at the chance to find out.
Jackson Rivers is a PI working for the same law firm that employs Ellery Cramer and these two have danced around each other for years. Both thinking they're out of the other's league.
They are essentially polar opposites. Jackson basically raised himself having a mother who was too busy with her drugs and men to really care what became of him. While Ellery grew up knowing only privileges and comforts that someone like Jackson would only ever dreamed of. Jackson wears leather jackets and jeans and drives an older model Toyota...think 10 years plus, Ellery wears designer suits and drives a shiny new Lexus. Jackson's bi and does one night stands no commitments made or needed, Ellery's gay and does relationships not one night stands.
Posted by Karen at 8:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: 4.5 stars, ARC, attractive cover, coming soon, contemporary, dreamspinner, family, HFN, humorous moments, law enforcement, lawyer, low angst, M/M, moderate steam, mystery, violence
Bookblast: Another Secret by Stevie Woods
Title: Another Secret
Author: Stevie Woods
Release Date: 8/3/16
Genre:Gay Romance, Erotic Romance, Paranormal Romance
After yet another bad dream, Leland accepts he can no longer keep his secret; the time had come to confess all to his best friend, Drew. He sets out early in the morning, determined yet fearful of Drew's reaction to what he must tell him. Leland has loved Drew ever since they were teenagers and together they experimented with their sexuality, but Drew has only ever been his best friend.
He dreads maybe even losing that when Drew learns the truth. However, when halfway through the forest to Drew's home, Leland is forced to take cover when he sees a large grey wolf tailing another man. His concern turns to shock when the man abruptly shifts to become a wolf and attacks the grey wolf. The fight is swift and bloody and ends when the man-wolf runs off. Leland gets his second shock of the morning when the grey wolf abruptly shifts to become human.
To become Drew. Too surprised to do more than watch as his now very naked best friend rushes off, Leland is in for yet another surprise when he finally confronts Drew later that morning.
Perhaps fate had decided enough was enough and given him that proverbial kick up the backside, letting him know it was time to tell Drew everything. He sighed. It was the last thing he wanted, but the time had come; he could put it off no longer.
He was just about to step out into a small clearing when he saw it—a large grey wolf, so dark as to be almost black. It was a beautiful specimen. Leland kept very still, not wanting to draw the animal's attention. It looked as if the wolf was already trailing something by the way it was behaving. Even as he watched, the wolf sniffed the air and quickened its pace. Apparently, it had found its prey. As Leland slipped back behind the tree, shock slid through him as he spied the wolf's target. It was a man.
Leland was of two minds what to do. His immediate reaction was to shout a warning, but that could induce the wolf to attack sooner. Cursing himself for being a fool, Leland ran as quietly and swiftly as he could around the clearing toward the unsuspecting victim. Sliding to a halt behind a large tree, Leland saw the wolf lowering itself, as if getting set to spring. Leland opened his mouth to yell a warning, but the man was not as unaware as Leland assumed. The man spun to face the wolf, snarling and growling as he tore the clothes from his body. Leland, his mouth still hanging open, watched in total shock.
Almost too fast for Leland to follow, the man's form shifted and changed. From two feet, he dropped to all fours, fingers and toes becoming sharp claws. Pale skin sprouted dark brown fur as his face elongated and his teeth became sharp points frothed with saliva.
The two wolves leapt at each other, meeting mid-flight to clash and fall to the earth, landing on steady feet, teeth bared as they snarled at each other. They circled, gazes locked, until they charged again.
Labels: bookblast, excerpt, giveaways, promo
Blogtour: Too Good To Be True by Deanna Wadsworth
Please welcome Deanna Wadsworth and
Disgraced former FBI agent Tim Burkhart desperately wants to reclaim his life and find happiness. Relocating his fledgling private security company to Miami—where his ex-wife moved their two daughters—hopefully is a start. When he's hired to provide protection for an antiques dealer on his way to Scotland to sell a priceless ancient dirk, Tim believes the break he's been waiting for has finally arrived. Maybe now he can make enough money to hire a lawyer and get shared parenting of his little girls.
Elliot James runs the antique shop he inherited after his grandfather's death. Lonely and swimming in debt, he longs for a way to turn his life around but keeps making one mistake after another. Then he finds the ancient dirk tucked away among junk as he's cleaning out his grandfather's home. Placing it up for sale, he is thrilled when an out of country buyer purchases the priceless antique. The buyer wants the dirk immediately and sends Tim to ensure Elliot safely delivers it on time.
The moment Tim and Elliot meet, however, everything falls apart. Between break-ins, shoot-outs, stalkers, totaled cars, and the cops, it seems Tim and Elliot will never get to Scotland by the deadline. Despite all the obstacles, an unexpected attraction pulls them together, offering each man a glimmer of hope. But if they don't deliver the dirk on time, they won't get paid and neither of them will be able to pick up the pieces of their lives. Will they complete this job and find a happily ever after, or is all of this really too good to be true?
Staring down the sights of his Colt 1911 and into the panicked eyes of the young man, Tim said, "Keep your hands where I can see 'em. I want to know where Mr. James is and why you're in his store."
Out of the corner of his eye, Tim saw a flash of metal. Instinctively he dropped to the floor. The sharp crack of a bullet shot through the store, shattering something on his left.
The guy behind the counter made a run for the door.
Tim rolled behind the armoire, gritting his teeth when the door slammed shut and the first guy got away. Careful to stay out of sight, Tim assessed the shooter who'd come from the back room. He looked as young and inexperienced as the one who'd run. Tim recognized the weapon in his hand—a 9mm semi-automatic Beretta. Though Tim's .45 could out-shoot the little pea-shooter at the range, he had no interest in finding out who was the better shot in real life.
"¿Adónde vas? ¡Esperame!" the shooter yelled to his retreating friend.
Wait for me. Tim knew enough Spanish. The guy planned to make a run for it, too. He clambered to his feet. Before he could tackle and subdue him, the kid aimed his Beretta in the general direction of the armoire and fired off a volley of shots.
"Shit!" Tim dove behind a stack of rugs to dodge the bullets.
The gun went silent.
Tim rolled fast onto his back, his 1911 aimed, only to watch the kid flying out the door behind his friend. The door bounced a few times until it closed, the bells clanging.
"Shit! Shit!"
The scraping sounds in the back room, louder than before, drew his attention once more.
As fast as he could, he crept around the counter, his heart pounding. Both hands on his gun, trigger finger resting on the frame and trigger guard, he took a quick peek into the room, ducking back before a possible third perp could make him.
In less than a heartbeat, his brain registered what he'd seen. He exhaled. Keeping his gun lowered but at-the-ready, he entered.
In the center of what looked like a storage room sat the man Tim had been hired to escort to Scotland. He'd been gagged and duct-taped to a chair.
Elliot James.
"Is anyone else here?" Tim murmured.
Mr. James shook his head wildly.
With a relieved sigh, he rushed over to the man and yanked the gag out. "You okay?"
"Yeah." He gasped for air. "I'm fine."
"Were there only two?" he clarified, eyes still peeled for danger.
"Yeah," he managed, his face flushed and startling green eyes wide. Sandy-brown curls fell across the brow of a very frightened but very beautiful man. He took a few slow, ragged breaths, obviously trying to calm himself. "Just the two of them."
Tim took a steadying breath of his own and slowly released the hammer on his Colt and flipped the safety up, never taking his gaze off Mr. James. "What happened?" He holstered the weapon then tore the duct tape from the man's wrist.
"Aarrghh!" Mr. James jumped, the chair bouncing.
Tim winced when he noticed the arm hairs stuck to the tape in his hand. "Sorry 'bout that." He paused over the other strip. "This one's gonna hurt, too."
Mr. James pursed his lips and nodded bravely. He let out a tiny hiss when Tim freed his second arm. That one didn't take as much hair because a silver bracelet had protected most of the skin. Obviously, those punks had been amateurs in restraining.
"Sorry," Tim said again.
Rubbing his wrists, he let out a breathy laugh. "It's okay. Thank you for saving my life."
"I believe that's what I was paid for. I'm Tim Burkhart, your private security detail."
Mr. James's smile made his heart flutter. No, probably just the adrenaline. Tim didn't get butterflies.
"Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Burkhart."
"Call me Tim." He stood and withdrew his phone. He gestured toward his bound legs. "You okay to get those? I gotta call the cops."
Tim almost dropped his phone when Mr. James shouted. He gaped at the man. "What do you mean no?"
Prying tape off of his khaki pants, the man paused. Those big green eyes grew even wider. "You can't call the cops. My whole life depends on it!"
Character interview with Mr. Tim Burkhart:
Hi, Tim, thank you for agreeing to this interview.
What's your job like?
Labels: blogtour, character interview, excerpt, giveaways, promo
Author Of The Month - K.C. Wells - Grand Finale
Welcome to our Grand Finale celebrations for the outstandingly talented
In our final post, we'll talk about A Bond Of Three, First, and Debt, three standalone novels, with excerpts. We'll also have a Q&A session with K.C, and at the very bottom there'll be one more chance to win.
First up, A Bond Of Three:
In the kingdom of Teruna, the red-cloaked Seruani teach the Terunans the art of love. Taken from their homes at seventeen to be trained, they are shunned as outcasts by society and considered the lowest of the low. So when Prince Tanish falls in love with the Seruan Feyar, the man who took his virginity and the only one to share his bed, he is not about to declare that love. No one can ever know, because the consequences would be too painful to consider for both of them.
When the king of Vancor visits Teruna, he promises that his son, Prince Sorran, will marry Prince Tanish to solidify the alliance between the two kingdoms, with the proviso that the virginal Sorran is instructed in the art of pleasing his husband-to-be. When Tanish's father chooses Feyar to be this instructor, the lovers decide Prince Sorran must be taught that this is to be a marriage in name only….
A resentful prince, unwilling to share his lover.
A resentful Seruan, unwilling to share his prince.
And the shy prince whose very nature sparks changes in the lives of all those around them.
Teruna is about to change forever.
Tanish swung around. Feyar was standing in the open window, his cashor already wrapped around him. Those blue eyes regarded him steadily, no trace of a smile.
Whatever I do, it seems I cannot win. I hurt them both.
"We must talk, my terushan." He went swiftly to Feyar and held out his hand to lead him to the bed.
Feyar arched his eyebrows. "And this talking shall take place in bed?" He sniffed the air and his eyes grew round. "You were with Sorran. I can smell him on you." His nostrils flared and his lips pressed together.
There was no mistaking his reaction.
With a groan Tanish tugged him to the bed and pushed him to sit. "This is why we need to talk." He knelt on the fur rug before Feyar. "The first time you met Sorran, you felt guilty, did you not? As if your being with him was a betrayal?" Feyar stared and then gave a short nod. "And I admit it, I was jealous. The thought of the two of you together tortured me."
Feyar's expression eased. "Oh, my corishan." He moved as if to embrace Tanish.
Tanish held up his hand. "And last night I found Sorran weeping. We did that, you and I. We avoided him and left him alone, a young man far from home and those who love him." He watched Feyar's reaction. His face flushed, and Tanish nodded. "Yes, now you feel as guilty as I. He was so lonely, my terushan. It made my heart ache to see him. And when I kissed him…." He closed his eyes, the memory stirring his blood.
Feyar let out a long, drawn-out breath.
Tanish opened his eyes and shook his head slowly. "We cannot continue thus. Both of us jealous when the other spends time with him, both of us gnawed inside by guilt."
Feyar got to his feet and paced across the room, wringing his hands. "Then what are we to do? For if this continues, we shall all be in torment." There was pain in his eyes. "Tanish, we torture ourselves in this way. You are to marry him in twenty-six days time. He will be a part of your life, political marriage or not." He swallowed. "I can no longer hate him, my corishan, not now I have met him. How could anyone hate that sweet youth? But I cannot bear the thought of you sharing a bed with him."
"And the thought of you touching him, making love to him…." Tanish shuddered. "I fear it will drive me mad." He stood facing Feyar, a space between them.
It is as if Sorran stands there, invisible to the eye but making his presence felt, the three of us forming a trinity of….
Tanish froze, the image in his head so vivid that it took his breath away. By the Maker, why did I not think of this?
"Tanish?"
He shook himself and met Feyar's concerned gaze. Tanish smiled. They had been so blind, both of them. The answer had been there all the time.
"There is a solution."
Second in today's line-up, First:
It's taken Tommy Newsome a while to get his head around being gay.
Growing up in a small town in Georgia, hasn't prepared him for the more liberal life of a student at the university in Athens. Add to that the teachings of his parents and his church, and you have one shy young man who feels out of his depth. Working on his daddy's farm hasn't given him any chance of a social life, certainly not one like the clubs of Atlanta have on offer. Not that Tommy feels comfortable when he gets to sample it—Momma's lectures still ring loudly inside his head.
All that changes when he goes to his first gay bar and sets eyes on Mike Scott.
When Mike's not behind the bar at Woofs, he's busy with his life as adult entertainer Scott Masters. Twenty years in the industry and the times, they are a-changing. Mike's not had much luck in the relationship department, but as his mom is fond of telling him, you keep fishing in the same pond, you're gonna reel in the same kind of fish. Maybe it's time for a change.
And then a beautiful young man asks Mike to be his first….
A lesson in what you get for cheating at Scrabble
"Gonna put you over my knee and paddle your ass for that," Mike said, rising to his feet and making a show of rolling back his shirtsleeves. That grin of his hadn't budged an inch.
In spite of his racing heartbeat, Tommy chuckled. "You gotta catch me first." He stood up slowly, trying to work out what Mike would do next. Tommy edged around the table, his gaze trained on Mike. "An' who says I'm gonna let you whup my ass, even if you do catch me, papaw?" He grinned. "I'm bigger 'n' you." He started to back away carefully from the table, unsure of his footing but not daring to take his eyes off Mike.
Mike laughed. "Yeah, but I'm faster." Suddenly he lunged toward Tommy, hands ready to grab him. Tommy squealed, turned—and went flying over the arm of the couch, to land on the seat cushions with a whump. Mike yelled out a triumphant, gleeful shout and dived on top of him, those fingers going to work immediately, pulling up Tommy's sweater and T-shirt and tickling his ribs.
"Arrgh, Mike, no!" Tommy yelled, squirming, but there was no way to escape the torture when Mike's weight was pinning him to the couch. He tried to heave Mike off, but damn, he was stronger than Tommy had reckoned on.
"Ha! You thought I'd forgotten you were ticklish? Fat chance." Mike let his fingers dance over Tommy's abs until Tommy was crying and laughing, all at the same time. Mike's eyes sparkled. "You had enough yet? Huh?" All the while he kept up the remorseless assault. "Ready to say 'uncle'?"
Tommy could hardly see for the tears streaming down his face. "Uh-uh!" He didn't know how much more he could take. Mike paused, and for one blessed moment Tommy thought it was over—until Mike yanked up his T-shirt and started blowing raspberries on his belly. "Aw… shit, Mike… no!" He could barely scream out the words, his voice hoarse, his breathing ragged.
And lastly, but surely not least, Debt:
Two months after Mitch Jenkins had the rug pulled out from under him when his two-year relationship came to an abrupt end, he is still hurting. A colleague's attempt to cheer him up brings Mitch to a secret "club." Mitch isn't remotely interested in the twinks parading like peacocks, until he spies the young man at the back of the room, nose firmly in a book and oblivious to his surroundings. Now Mitch is interested.
Nikko Kurokawa wants to pay his debt and get the hell out of the Black Lounge—where he is forced to not only have sex, but sometimes suffer abuse to please clients. Earning his freedom isn't proving easy, especially when he starts attracting interest. Life becomes that little bit easier to bear when he meets Mitch, who is nothing like the other men who frequent the club. And when Mitch crawls under his skin and into his heart, Nikko figures he can put up with anything. Before long he'll be out of there, and he and Mitch can figure out if they have a future together.
Neither of them counted on those who don't want Nikko to leave….
"Any more slaw, Mom?" Deirdre asked, putting down the bowl of potato chips and glancing toward the table with its piles of neatly sliced burger buns and hot dog rolls, and containers of relish and ketchup.
"In the refrigerator. But you'll have to go get it." Mom grinned. "I'm supervising your father." Deirdre chuckled and set off toward the house.
His dad brandished the tongs. "Heavens, woman, do I look like I need supervising?"
There was a brief moment's silence before everyone assembled around the gas grill burst out laughing. Monica snorted and spluttered, spraying Coke all over her blouse.
She looked down at her stained clothing in disgust. "Great, now I have to go change into something else." She scowled at her dad. "Way to go, Dad." She put down her glass and marched back to the house.
Eric was still laughing. "Oh, come on, Malcolm, you have to admit, you haven't exactly got a good track record when it comes to barbecues."
Dad huffed. "I'll have you know, I always do the grilling in this house."
"Yeah, and you always burn it," Deirdre called out, coming along the path with a container of slaw. "I'm with Mom on this one—you need watching."
"Nonsense. Anyone can grill. Why, I—"
Labels: author interview, Author of the Month, cool authors, excerpts, giveaways, promo
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Herewith, some thoughts on writing techniques of Bernard Cornwell following reading 1356.
He uses an historical event (Battle of Poitiers) as a plot device – not as a backdrop – it only appears late on in the book – for the main story – in this case the pursuit for the fabled sword La Malice. In effect 1356 is a secret history.
He introduces interesting nuggets of historical detail to dazzle the reader – steel was made by combining bones when smelting iron apparently? The bones of virgins make for the best steel. I never knew that, I have no idea if its true, but it sounds good.
Minor characters are drawn vividly, but not that deeply. Prince Edward is a gambling, jolly prince who is cocky, but in a nice way; Sculley is basically a battle crazed scott, Father Merchant is coldly evil – it's easy for the reader to picture these people. Major characters have more depth of back story and motivation.
Interesting mix of viewpoint characters – Thomas of course, the main character, but King Jean, Prince Edward and several others are used as viewpoint characters – so many in fact that it almost seems like an omniscient POV.
The action scenes are where the writing is at its strongest. There are some attempts at humour, which feel a bit weird to me and don't come off.
The publisher needs to think about using a copy editor more thoroughly – in the space of a few pages at one point the same information was communicated several times. And it seems to be a running joke that no-one knows how to find the city of Bourges. Poor old Bourges! Not sure if this was intentional or again the result of lack of editing. The obsession with finding Bourges seemed a bit odd to me.
So that's it – just some of my thoughts. 1356 like all of Bernard Cornwell's books is good fun for the reader, but also provides some good pointers for writers. There's the whole character arc, plotting question as well – I'm sure it does that well, but I hvaen't had a chance to study how that works, but my main takeaways were the points about historical detail and making minor characters vivid.


This 1962 Western Pacific Airstream is quite a find. It turns out it is one of only 10 Airstream trailers that were manufactured and used by Western Pacific Railroad. They were used to house their track laying crew working for the company. The new owners took this vintage beauty and transformed it into a masterpiece.
Related: Visit our Pinterest board for some of our favorite Airstream finds.
According to the information we found on the website, Timeless Travel Trailers, these Airstreams were 40 foot long, which is 8 foot longer than a typical Airstream. They were used by Western Pacific until around 1983 and were initially installed on flat cars so they could travel along as the track was being built. Pretty cool!
Another cool use for Airstreams? How about these 5 Awesome Airstream Glamping Experiences!
Being only one of five of the remaining Western Pacific Airstreams left in existence, it is incredible that the Airstream was saved and updated to its current glory! As you can see from the images, Timeless Travel Trailers did a wonderful job transforming this vintage Airstream into a vacation retreat.
A look at the exterior before it was restored.
The airstream shines up nicely.
From what we can see, the entire interior of the Western Pacific Airstream was stripped to the frame. An aluminum skin, bamboo flooring, and nice size horizontal windows for tons of natural light, all add to the mid-century feel of the Airstream.
The wine fridge is a nice touch for this vacation retreat.
The sink style makes a statement.
What a spacious and bright bedroom.
We hope you have enjoyed our look at this vintage Western Pacific Airstream. It's always great to see how people look beyond an old rusted shell and find the beauty that in these classic beauties.
Thank you for reading Mobile Home Living.


text:
Berks County woman bitten by venomous snake while doing laundry in her basement
She was taken to Reading Hospital, and the copperhead was removed from the house
By Adam Hermann
National Digital Library of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service/Wikimedia Commons
The copperhead snake, pictured here, is a venomous snake, but isn't as dangerous as a rattlesnake. A woman in Berks County was doing laundry in her basement Tuesday morning when she was bitten on the arm by a copperhead.
A woman in Berks County was bitten by a venomous snake Tuesday morning while she was just trying to take care of a few chores.
The woman had been on her way to her basement to do laundry just before 8 a.m. when she was bitten on the arm by a copperhead, which she initially believed to be a rattlesnake when she called 911.
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The snake, which measured roughly two feet long, had been resting on a shelf near the woman's washing machine, according to the Reading Eagle.
The woman was treated by paramedics at the scene, and then was transported to nearby Reading Hospital for further treatment. Her condition wasn't immediately made available.
Police contacted the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission for help with the copperhead. The Fish & Boat Commission bagged the snake and moved it to a safer location, the Eagle reported.
Here's a quick explainer on copperhead snakes, one of just three species of venomous snake commonly found in Pennsylvania, per National Geographic:
The copperhead's venom is "relatively weak and rarely fatal" compared to the rattlesnake, according to National Geographic.
Follow Adam & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @adamwhermann | @thePhillyVoice
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Read more Animals Wildlife Berks County Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Pennsylvania Philadelphia Reading

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Research Paper on KLM Airlines
March 26, 2018 UsefulResearchPapers Research Papers 0
The KLM is one of the leading airline companies of the world. The research paper focused on the background of the company and its current position. Due to its experience, the company takes the leading position in the world market. It uses new airliners and operates worldwide. The competitive position of the company is strong due to technical and financial potential of the company as well as effective managerial structure. Nevertheless, the company still has to cope with the problem of the growing competition.
The aviation industry plays increasingly more important role in the contemporary world. In fact, aviation is one of the most prospective industries since it provides extensive opportunities for the fast transportation of goods, while passengers can benefit not only from speed but also from a high level of comfort as they can travel worldwide using services of various airline companies. In such a situation, it seems to be quite natural that the competition between airline companies is constantly growing and becomes more and more severe. At the same time, the competition produces a positive impact on the development of the economy since companies offer products and services of the high quality in order to gain a better position in the market. On the other hand, for many companies it is extremely difficult to preserve their competitive position in the market. In this respect, small companies are in a particularly disadvantaged position since they are practically unable to compete with large multinational corporations operating in the aviation industry. However, the position of such renowned leaders as the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which is one of the oldest airlines in the world, is also under a threat since the competition is constantly growing stronger and to maintain the leading position in the world market companies are forced to develop new strategies and approaches to increase the effectiveness of their performance and to gain a better competitive position. In such a context, the effective management and the ability of a company to adapt new strategies to improve its position in the world market become crucial for the survival and further progress and the development of the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is particularly noteworthy in such a context.
Read More about Research Paper Writing Help on Airlines Topics Here!
Background and profile of the company
The KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the oldest airline company, which was founded in 1919 in Netherlands and it has preserved its original name till the present epoch. Throughout its long history the company has managed to take the leading position in the world aviation industry and it is one of the most popular and well-known companies in the world. Such a success of the KLM is particularly noteworthy taking into consideration the fact that national airlines were traditionally closed for foreign companies and it was extremely difficult for an airline company to enter a new market and overcome resistance of local competitors and authorities. Nevertheless, the KLM successfully overcame existing barriers and it became one of the first airlines which started its operations worldwide.
At the same time, it should be said that the development of the company was steady and its successes are the result of the huge experience the company has got in the airline industry. At the beginning of its existence, the company mainly focused on the national market and by the middle of the 20th century it was mainly oriented on the flights within European continent. However, the company realized the importance of international flights, especially overseas flights, which were technically impossible at the dawn of the aviation. However, as technologies progressed the company had got an opportunity to offer its customers overseas flights and the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was one of the first companies in the world that started such flights. In fact, the KLM was the first European continental airline company to launch scheduled service to New York in 1946. In actuality, it was just a beginning of the intercontinental flights offered by the KLM to its customers. In 1958, the company opened the first trans-polar route from Amsterdam to Tokyo.
In such a way, the company had started the strategic market extension since it offered a wide range of services moving from continental airlines to intercontinental airlines. This means that, unlike many other companies, the KLM was one of the first companies which had overcome boundaries of the national and continental market. Obviously, from the middle of the 20th century the development of the international and intercontinental flights became one of the strategic directions in the development of the company. In this respect, it is important to underline that the development of this strategic direction became possible to due to the progress of technologies which allowed the company to offer new services and develop routes of a longer distance.
On the other hand, it should be said that the company was traditionally oriented on the introduction of innovations in its services and its technical equipment. Traditionally, the KLM was oriented on the use of aircrafts which were the most advanced technologically and which could offer clients of the company the top level of comfort and safety. At this point it is worth mentioning the fact that in 1960, the company introduced the first Douglas DC-8 jet into its fleet. It was a very important step in the development of the company and its international and intercontinental operations since jets were a totally new type of aircrafts which had considerable advantages over conventional aircrafts the company as well as its competitors used. In this regard, speed was one of the major advantages of jets and, naturally, the company focused on the acquisition of jets and creation of a large fleet of jets for its intercontinental as well as continental flights. Jets proved to be the most efficient aircrafts for long-distance flights. In such a situation, it is important to underline that the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was one of the first companies using jets. No wonder, KLM was the first airline to put the higher gross-weight airliner, Boeing 747-200 B into service in 1971 that marked the beginning of the era of wide body jets.
In such a context, it is important to underline that the introduction of such gross-weight airliners allowed the company to get a strategic advantage over its major competitors since the new airliners were more efficient as they allowed the company increasing the number of passengers consistently. At the same time, it is not only the number of customers that increased substantially, but it is also the customer satisfaction that also grew because new airliners were more comfortable, faster and, therefore, more convenient to use for intercontinental flights where the speed and comfort are crucial factors that determine customers preferences, while the price, being quite important, may be secondary compared to these two factors.
By 1980, KLM carried over 9 million passengers annually and within a decade, by 1990 the number of passengers practically doubled and reached 16 million passengers per year. Such a substantial growth was determined by several factors, among which it is possible to single out the increase of the number of routes, for the company constantly introduced new routes, the increase of the number and frequency of flights, and the introduction of new airliners, such as Boeing 747-300s and Boeing 747-400. In such a way, the company had managed to increase substantially the number of passengers due to the introduction of technical innovations and re-equipment and improvement of its fleet.
The 1990s were marked by the growing focus of the company on the quality of services offered to its customers. For instance, in 1994 KLM was one of the first airline companies to introduce a business class on intercontinental routes. This step allowed the company to attract new customers due to the improvement of the quality of its services and even higher level of comfort and conveniences customers of KLM could benefit from during intercontinental flights. At the same time, the 1990s were marked by the growing competition in the market of intercontinental flights and the focus on the quality and the introduction of new classes, such as the business class, was a response of the company on the growing competition. Obviously, in such a way, the company attracted new customers and increased customers' loyalty to KLM.
The 2000s were marked by the ongoing renovation of the fleet of the company. To put it more precisely, in 2002 the company announced the replacement of its old Boeings by Boeings 777-200ERs and Airbus A-330-200s. At the same time, the company started to accelerate its international market expansion and international cooperation. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the merger of KLM with Air France in 2004, though both KLM and Air France continue to fly under distinct names preserving their uniqueness and brand images. This merger was very important since it allowed the company to improve its competitive position consistently due to the increasing fleet, number of routes and, therefore, a number of passengers. In addition, the merger opened new markets for the company where the position of Air France was traditionally strong.
In actuality, the merger of KLM with Air France is a part of the current strategy of the company's international market extension. In this respect, it is also worth mentioning the fact that KLM is a member of the Sky Team alliance which also facilitates the penetration of new markets and allows the company to maximize its performance in the markets where it has strong positions. The membership in the airline alliance optimizes the performance of the company since members of the alliance, as a rule, share routes to maximize their profits and avoid undesirable competition between members of the alliance. In such a way, companies-members of the alliance can maximize their profits since they can maintain the high price and minimize costs due to the decrease of the competition, which allows them schedule flights in accordance with their technical capabilities and customers actual demand regardless of the position of other companies because members of the alliance have their own routes and schedules which do not intersect to avoid the competition.
Today, KLM is one of the largest airlines operating worldwide. It has a number of subsidiaries, such as KLM Cargo, KLM Engineering and Maintenance, KLM Helicopters, and others. In such a way, the company attempts to achieve a higher flexibility to maintain its leading position in the highly competitive environment. At the same time, the company maintains its orientation on the international market expansion, which it realizes through mergers and acquisitions as well as through its membership in the airlines alliance.
Managerial hierarchy and division and managerial functions
The successful development of KLM was, to a significant extent, determined by its effective management. At the same time, it is important to underline that the management of the organization, its managerial hierarchy and division changed in the course of time respectively to the changes in the business environment and the position of the company in the international market. To put it more precisely, the managerial hierarchy of the company should adapt new strategies and new forms in order to maintain the effective performance of the organization. It is obvious that the substantial enlargement of the company which took place in the second half of the 20th century and the enlargement of its operations worldwide stimulated the change in the organizational hierarchy since the company could not function effectively using the traditional managerial hierarchy. In fact, today, the company tends to develop a flexible organizational structure in order to avoid unnecessary bureaucratization, which can produce a negative impact on the performance of the company. This means that the company is managed by its headquartering Amsterdam where the company's CEOs take the strategic decisions concerning the further development of the company.
However, today, it is practically impossible to manage effectively such a huge organization as KLM since the company operates domestic and worldwide scheduled passenger and cargo services to more than 90 destinations and it has over 30,000 employees. Naturally, such a large number of employees and complicated organizational structure needs effective management. Obviously, the effective management may be achieved only through the minimization of a bureaucratization of the organizational hierarchy. The latter is achieved through the provision of KLM's subsidiaries and its units located worldwide with a higher degree of autonomy. In fact, the company tends to introduce liberal management strategies which target at the higher autonomy of the company's units and employees. In practice, this means that the subsidiaries and units of the company function autonomously and take decisions concerning the regular and routine performance relatively independently from the headquarter of the entire company. Instead, the headquarter of the company and CEOs are not involved in the process of taking decisions concerning routing, technical questions. In fact, CEOs of the company are working on the problem of the strategic development of the company. In other words, they define the basic directions of the development of the company, strategic goals and ways of their achievement, set tasks which their subordinates should achieve. The subsidiaries and various units of the company, on the lower level of the managerial hierarchy, get the strategic directions and goals which they have to achieve and work on the fulfillment of tasks set by CEOs. In such a situation, the technical way in which the strategic goals are achieved is mainly the prerogative of subsidiaries and units of the company and their managerial staff, which does not concern top executives of the company.
As a result, the managerial hierarchy allows the company to function effectively since decisions are taking fast and the managerial hierarchy is flexible enough to provide the personnel with a high degree of autonomy, which allows various units of the company operating in different countries and different environment to use methods and techniques which contribute to the achievement of strategic goals set by CEOs of KLM.
In spite of the growing competition in the airline market, KLM still maintains its leading position. To a significant extent, its high competitiveness is determined by the extensive experience the company has got in the course of its development. In this respect, it is important to underline that the company is the oldest airline company in the world and, what it more important, it has preserved its original name since the date of its foundation. In such a way, customers view the company as a reliable airline company which delivers its services for almost a century. Such a permanence, therefore, contributes to the formation of the positive public image of the company and increases the popularity of the brand since customers readily prefer services of the company which they are confident in and which they can trust because this company has a long history and its reliability proves to be beyond a doubt.
In such a context, KLM has a strategic competitive advantage compared to new airline companies which just attempt to enter the market and which brands are not very popular and renowned. Today, the popularity of brand may be one of the determinant factors which define the customer loyalty to the company. In fact, the brand is an important asset that constitute a considerable part of its market value and the popularity of the brand, a priori, puts the company into an advantageous position compared to its major competitors.
Furthermore, the company has a large and modern fleet which allows the company to provide its customers with services of the high quality and, what is more, the use of new and modern airliners increases the safety of flights, which is one of the major and determinant factors that define the customers' choice of an airline company. In such a context, KLM is one of the world's leaders since it uses the most technologically advanced airliners.
Finally, the existence of various subsidiaries makes the company more flexible compared to its competitors because it is not focused on intercontinental flights entirely, for instance, but it also offers a number of services which brings the company considerable benefits and which are unaffordable for many of its competitors, who are specialized on specific segments of the market.
Impact of the company on the economy
KLM, being a large multinational corporation, produces a significant impact on the development of the economy, but, it is important to underline that, in the contemporary business environment, KLM affects the economy not only on the national, but also international level. What is meant here is the fact that the company contributes to the development of the infrastructure in countries where it operates since the normal functioning of the company heavily relies on the local infrastructure. Obviously, the companies airliners need modern airports with the essential infrastructure and their creation naturally stimulates the economic growth in the area because it means the creation of new job places in the area. In addition, the company can contribute to the development of tourism since it can facilitate the delivery of a large number of passengers in a short period of time. At the same time, as a cargo carrier, KLM can develop the local business and revive economic cooperation between countries and regions of the world.
In order to adequately assess the competitive position and potential of KLM, it is necessary to analyze in details its marketing position and SWOT analysis is a very effective tool to achieve this goal. In this respect, it should be said that KLM, being one of the world's leaders of the airline industry, still has both strength and weaknesses which affect its performance consistently and it is very important for the company to overcome existing problems and minimize possible threats to realize its full potential and opportunities.
First of all, it should be said that KLM has a number of strengths which contribute to the stable and successful functioning of the company. KLM has an effective organizational structure which provides the company with the essential flexibility, which is one of the major competitive advantages of the company in the contemporary business environment. Furthermore, the company has a huge experience that contributes to the stable performance of the company because it does not really need to develop absolutely new strategies or approaches, instead, it just improves the existing ones and using its experience it can easily apply the most effective strategies that allow the company to take a better competitive position or enter new markets.
On the other hand, there are certain weaknesses which the company has to overcome. Firstly, its extensive growth inevitably provokes the growing complexity of the relationship within the company. The growing organizational hierarchy raises the problem of the effective control over the performance of all units of the company. Top executives of KLM cannot totally control the functioning of the entire company, since they are focused on the strategic development of the company and control over its subsidiaries and units located in different parts of the world, while technical questions are the prerogative of subsidiaries, units and their managers. Anyway, the growth of the company inevitably decreases the flexibility of the company. Furthermore, the policy of mergers and acquisitions, including the merger with Air France raises the problem of the restructuring of the company and integration of new units into the organizational structure. Obviously, the merger with such large companies can cause serious internal problems because of the difference in the managerial style and functions within Air France and KLM. In addition, such mergers can lead to the loss of highly qualified professional, who may prefer to change an employer in face of the uncertainty of their position in the merged company.
Nevertheless, in spite of existing weaknesses, the company still has large opportunities for the further market extension and development. To put it more precisely, the leading position of the company in the world market and the popularity of its brand opens large opportunities for the penetration into new markets. In this respect, the use of the strategy of mergers and acquisitions may be very effective. Furthermore, the company can increase the number of its passengers through the use of new airliners, which have larger capacity. At the same time, the growing demand on cargo carriers' services open new opportunities for KLM as a major cargo carrier. Also, the company can develop its subsidiaries, including KL Helicopters, KLM Cityhopper to take new niches of the market.
However, it is important to remember about the existence of serious threats to the position of the company. In this respect, the threat of the growing competition is one of the major threats to the future position of the company in the market. Also, the problem of safety of flights, especially after September 11, slows down the growth of the number of passengers and cargo flights. In such a context, the company faces a threat of the increase of costs on the improvement of safety of flights and quality of its services
Impact on local businesses
Basically, KLM stimulates the development of the economy since it revives economic cooperation, facilitates transportation, etc. At the same time, it contributes to the development of local businesses since to provide effective services it needs to use services and products of local companies. For instance, to supply passengers with specific dishes during long-distance flights, the company can use services of some local suppliers.
On the other hand, KLM produces a depressing impact on the development of the local airline companies, which are unable to compete with such giants as KLM. In fact, local airline companies cannot afford the competition with KLM because the latter can provide services of the high quality at a relatively lower price, compared to minor companies operating on the local level.
Conclusion and summary
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is possible to conclude that KLM is a successful company with a long history. Its current position on the world market is stable, while the brand of the company is tremendously popular among customers. In such a situation, the company naturally benefits from its popularity to develop customers' loyalty, which gives it a strategic competitive advantage. Moreover, the company is traditionally oriented on the provision of high quality services and the use of modern and comfortable airliners, which are economically efficient. This is why KLM manages to main to maintain the leading position in the world market, regardless of the growing competition.
Appendix:
KLM has an effective organizational structure
Flexibility of the organizational structure
A huge experience which contributes to the stable performance of the Weaknesses:
Extensive growth inevitably provokes the growing complexity of the relationship within the company.
The growing organizational hierarchy raises the problem of the effective control over the performance of all units of the company.
The policy of mergers and acquisitions raises the problem of the restructuring of the company and integration of new units into the organizational structure.
Opportunities for the penetration into new markets.
The company can increase the number of its passengers through the use of new airliners, which have larger capacity
The growing demand on cargo carriers' services open new opportunities for KLM as a major cargo carrier.
The company can develop its subsidiaries, including KL Helicopters, KLM Cityhopper to take new niches of the market. Threats:
The threat of the growing competition.
The problem of safety of flights slows down the growth of the number of passengers and cargo flights.
The company faces a threat of the increase of costs on the improvement of safety of flights and quality of its services
Calder, S. (2002). No Frills: The Truth behind the Low Cost Revolution. LA: Touchstone.
Littman, T. (2002). "Evaluating Transportation Equity." World Transport and Practice, 8:2.
Stewart, E. (2004). The Perspectives of Airlines. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Williams, G. (2005). The History of Aviation. London: Routeldege.
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30A 10K thankful to celebrate 10th anniversary with in-person event this Thanksgiving
Savannah Evanoff
Northwest Florida Daily News
SANTA ROSA BEACH — The co-founders and race directors, as well as the runners, were extra thankful for the 30A 10K this year.
It not only marked the Thanksgiving Day race's 10th anniversary, but also its return to being in person. The 2020 race was hosted virtually because of the pandemic.
"It's hard to get as excited to go run around your neighborhood as it is an in-person event where you've got the music and the timing and the atmosphere and running on 30A yourself," Amy Stoyles said. "But I think everyone just made the best of a difficult circumstance … I think that there's probably an extra sphere of gratitude and thanksgiving for the race this year, above and beyond that it's Thanksgiving, for that reason."
From 2019:Thousands race to the turkey at the 30A 10k
More ways to give back:Okaloosa, Walton first responders collecting gifts for kids in need. Here's how to help.
The 30A 10K had raised $450,000 to-date for local charities prior to 2021. Thousands of runners participated in the 1-mile fun run, 5K and 10K Thursday morning, starting in Rosemary Beach with a goal to reach $500,000.
The charity partners for the 2021 race included The Point Washington Medical Clinic, the Walton County Education Foundation, Northwest Florida Guardian ad Litem and the Seaside School Foundation.
While the event was held in person, Stoyles said they still took pandemic precautions. They took the lead from the Boston Marathon.
"They asked that their volunteers had masks and they had some extra precautions there, but during the race you could go ahead and run without one," she said. "We've tended to look toward their guidance as to how to run ours."
Another worthy cause:Ring in the season: Salvation Army kicking off Red Kettle, Empty Stocking drives Saturday
But the biggest change this year had little to do with COVID-19; it was a decision made for the environment. That has been a focus of the event's mission from the beginning.
"In the past we've had recycling efforts. We have sourced our T-shirts from environmentally sustainable sources. We had utilized local restaurants and local sources as much as possible for all of our items," Stoyles said. "But we always had to have all these single-use plastic water bottles. We have close to 3,000 runners, spectators and volunteers, so you're talking almost 4,000 plastic water bottles. And we have felt awful about that."
This year they opted to trade medals at the finish line for 23-ounce, thermal insulated commemorative water bottles.
"Everyone who crosses the finish line gets that," Stoyles said. "These aren't sold in stores; you'll never get them again … That was a neat twist."
"I think we all recognize that the reason we love running and vacationing here on 30A so much is because of the natural, environmental beauty of the area," co-founder Karen Meadows said in a press release. "Celebrating that and protecting it for future generations is so very important."
Co-founders and race directors, Stoyles, Meadows and Craig Baranowski don't run in the race. They sometimes run the path together after the race in the same way Dave McGillivray, the director of the Boston Marathon, runs after the Boston Marathon.
The race is about more than running to Stoyles.
"I look at it this way: As a mother, I always wanted to teach my kids that the spirit of Thanksgiving is about more than just being thankful for what we have, and about looking at our community at large and how we can give back and share a bit of ourselves and bring our kids to Thanksgiving to a larger community," Stoyles said. "Doing this race and having my kids out there seeing them or having them see me donate my time, my energy and raise money for some very deserving local charities has been very special to me."
Her children — London, 9, and Brighton, 3 — are the main reason Stoyles thinks being a race director is so important. London is old enough now to run the 5K.
"I hope that that they've learned from that and it's one thing to talk to talk, but it's another to walk the walk, and I try to embody that a little bit," Stoyles said. "I think all of our runners tend to do that. I think we have a lot of participants who come out, and it's not just, 'Hey, I want to get some exercise and enjoy the day and I like nice events.' I think a lot of them come out because they know they're supporting some really deserving local charities. And it's about giving back. It's about being thankful and being grateful for what we've got this year and being able to share that and support."


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If you qualify to the Study and Work in Canada program through Canaway Services, we will interview you to assess your personal situation and understand if our services will be of value to you. The following sections describe the services we provide.
If you satisfy all the requirements to apply to one of our partner Canadian Education Institutions, we will provide assistance to complete the application form and other requested documents.
Our partner Educational Institutions typically help you with finding appropriate lodging, or will provide suggestions.
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It's officially the season of giving and I'm so excited to start this gift guide series! I will be sharing gift guides this week for all the special people in your life, so get excited!
Basics: Socks and underwear. I believe him! What is it about guys and holes in both the socks and underwear?
Burberry Wallet- This one is a bit of a splurge but it's definitely an investment and something that will last.
Bose Wireless headphones- great for running/working out.
Goorin Bros hat (Carmelo Anthony's brand)- You guys, Byron loves Melo, and these hats are also a bit of an investment but, so worth it. They're pretty cool.
Red Dead Redemption 2- I have no idea what this is but he acts very excited when he talks about it.
Nike SB's- the burgundy obsession continues.
And that's a wrap! I hope you guys found this helpful or at least it gave you some ideas. Stay tuned for the second gift guide coming up this week!
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LOS ANGELES – As Georgia freshman Justin Fields contemplates the possibility of transferring, with rumors suggesting that he could ultimately end up at Ohio State, he's been talking with the man who knows better than anyone else about playing quarterback for Ohio State and soon-to-be head coach Ryan Day.
During his media availability for the Rose Bowl on Saturday, current Ohio State starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins said Fields has been in touch with him, and Haskins has done his best to provide helpful advice.
Haskins, of course, is still deciding whether he will return to Ohio State for another season or declare for the 2019 NFL draft. If Fields is actually considering becoming a Buckeye, Haskins' decision could be a huge factor in his decision, since Fields will likely look to transfer to a school where he would have a chance to start right away (though he will have to apply for a hardship waiver to avoid sitting out a year under NCAA rules).
Should Haskins decide to go pro, the door would be open for Fields – the No. 2 overall recruit in the class of 2018, per 247Sports' composite rankings – to head to Ohio State and, if he gets a hardship waiver, compete to be the Buckeyes' starting quarterback in 2019. Tate Martell and Matthew Baldwin are also potential starters for the Buckeyes next season, but with Chris Chugunov being the only other scholarship quarterback on Ohio State's roster, the Buckeyes are expected to pursue a transfer quarterback if Haskins leaves.
Even before Fields started thinking about transferring from Georgia, he and Haskins were already friends. The two worked out together this summer, along with Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and quarterbacks coach Quincy Avery, and have stayed in communication throughout the season. Fields' most recent tweet, dated Nov. 19, was a reply to Haskins.
Avery has also been a vocal proponent of Day, saying he would send his own son to play for Day if he was a quarterback.
Coach Day has coached QBs A at the NFL level. Demands his Quarterbacks develop working through progressions, but works with them so they are equipped to do so. Also isn't so dense he thinks he knows everything. Plus he's a good dude.
Haskins doesn't know what Fields will end up deciding to do, but he does think that any school would lucky to have him.


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PEOPLE OF ACTION – Rotary Club of Sierra Vista in These COVID Times – Rotary Foundation Major Donor Award and Presentation by COL (Ret) Henry C. Beumler on 'How the U.S. Military got Tricare'
The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista started the weekly club meeting in the 'live & virtual' mode, using Zoom for the club members and visitors to the club who could not attend in person at the Tandem Restaurant in the Windemere Hotel.
Zoom Flag for Meeting Who is That Masked Man?
Highlighting the visitor's list was Past Rotary International Director (PRID) Phil Silvers who was visiting the club via Zoom, to present a special Rotary Foundation award to Rotarian Bob Fusco. Twenty years ago, Bob Fusco and Phil Silvers both served Rotary District 5500 in leadership positions as Rotary Club President and Rotary District 5500 Governor, respectively. Their Rotary Theme that year was providing Consistency, Credibility, and Continuity (3 C's) in supporting Rotary International programs and goals.
During the twenty years intervening, Bob has more than met the challenges of the 3 C's. His generous contributions to The Rotary Foundation have been essential to securing and growing Rotary programs throughout the world. Because of this, the Rotary Foundation strives to recognize donors to express the gratitude of Rotary International (RI) for unswerving commitment, offering individual and club recognition as well as naming opportunities to enable donors to honor friends or family members with a named or endowed gift.
Rotarian Bob received a Crystal Major Donor Recognition Award and a Major Donor Lapel Pin for his unfailing support to the Rotary Foundation and Rotary International. This is a very prestigious award for Bob, and he expressed his continuing support for RI, the Foundation, his District, and his club. This was a well-deserved award for an important member of the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista.
After some announcements, the meeting was turned over to COL (Ret.) Henry Beumler for his presentation. Henry is the brother of Club President Candy and was born in Douglas, AZ, graduated from Douglas High School, and earned a Master of Education at the U of A. He later earned a Master of Health Care Administration as part of a program by the U. S. Army and Baylor University.
While in the U.S. Army, he held a variety of command and staff positions culminating in his assignment in 1990 as the Chief of the Managed Care Division, U. S. Army Health Services Command. In this capacity Colonel Beumler was responsible for implementing the Army's managed care program, "GATEWAY TO CARE" at 36 locations throughout the United States including Alaska and Hawaii.
COL Beumler retired from the army in 1994 and his vast experience helped him gather information about how the military had 'developed' a civilian health care program from a military medical facility focused program. When preparing for this talk, he contacted a former colleague to see if he kept anything from the presentations Mr. Beumler made to present on CHAMPUS and TRI-CARE when the programs were being developed. Mr. Beumler was referred to Wikipedia as the location for all his original notes on Tricare specifics. The extract from Wikipedia is quoted below.
"Tricare, formerly known as the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS), is a health care program of the United States Department of Defense Military Health System. Tricare provides civilian health benefits for U.S Armed Forces military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents, including some members of the Reserve Component. Tricare is the civilian care component of the Military Health System, although for the most part, it also included health care delivered in military medical treatment facilities.
Historically, health care for military personnel and their dependents was provided in military medical facilities as promised by the military, and through a referral system, by civilian medical personnel where military physicians were not available in a certain specialty, or when and where overcrowding of a military medical facility occurred.
Active duty military personnel always have priority for care in military medical facilities. After World War II, the Korean War, and the growth of forces during the Cold War, access to care in military facilities became increasingly unavailable for military retirees and the dependents of both active duty and retired military personnel due to resource constraints and growing demands on the system. It was at this time that the concept of "space-available basis" for military retirees and military dependents was first noted. To address this problem, Congress passed the Dependents Medical Care Act of 1956 and the Military Medical Benefits Amendments of 1966. These acts allowed the Secretary of Defense to contract with civilian health care providers. This civilian health care program became known as the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) in 1966.
In the late 1980s, because of escalating costs, paperwork demands, and general beneficiary dissatisfaction, DoD initiated a series of demonstration projects. Under a program known as the CHAMPUS Reform Initiative (CRI), a contractor provided both health care and administrative-related services, including claims processing. The CRI project was one of the first to introduce managed care features to the CHAMPUS program. Beneficiaries under CRI were offered three choices – a health maintenance organization-like option called Tricare (CHAMPUS) Prime that required enrollment and offered enhanced benefits and low-cost shares, a preferred provider organization-like option called Tricare (CHAMPUS) Extra that required use of network providers in exchange for lower cost shares, and the standard CHAMPUS option that continued the freedom of choice in selecting providers but required higher cost shares and deductibles known as Tricare Standard.
In late 1993, in response to requirements in the DOD Appropriation Act for Fiscal Year 1994, the DoD announced plans for implementing a nationwide managed care program for the Military Health System (MHS) that would be completely implemented by May 1997. Under this program, known as Tricare, the United States was divided into 12 health care regions. An administrative organization was designated for each region and coordinated the health care needs of all military treatment facilities in the region. Under Tricare, seven managed care support contracts were awarded covering DOD's 12 health care regions.
The ultimate responsible organization for administration of Tricare is the U.S. Department of Defense Military Health System, which organized the Tricare Management Activity (TMA). The Tricare Management Activity contracts with several large health insurance corporations to provide claims processing, customer service and other administrative functions to the Tricare program.
Currently, there are three regional Managed Care Support Contractors (MCSCs), a Medicare/Tricare Dual Eligible Fiscal Intermediary Contractor (TDEFIC), and a Tricare Pharmacy contractor, who administers both Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP) and Retail Pharmacy (TRRx) programs. In addition, several administrative contractors provide quality management, auditing, and statistical services."
For more information about all of the Tricare options and services see the "Official TRICARE Website" or go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricare.
Before the meeting concluded, the club recognized Rotarian Elsie MacMillan for volunteering to be the club treasurer for this year – an important and critical position for the club. THANK YOU, Elsie.
In addition, PRID Phil Silvers wanted to recognize two other club members for their continuing outstanding service to Rotary District 5500. Rotarian Bob White was recognized as the Chair of the sub-committee on Global Grants for the District, and Rotarian Joe Puett was recognized as the Chair of the sub-committee for District Grants. Both Rotarians have contributed significantly to the successes of District Rotary Clubs in providing resources for community projects throughout the world. Well Done, Rotarians Bob and Joe!
A new project being planned by our Rotary Satellite Club is a 'Drive by Health Care Appreciation Parade' at Canyon Vista Medical Center. Rotarian Katy Regan of the Satellite Club is heading up the appreciation for health workers event. The event will be to do a drive-by thank you parade to the hospital where club members will drive up to drop off a batch of thank you cards. Other Rotary Clubs are joining the Satellite Rotarians in creating thank you cards for our healthcare workers. We also hope to "pass the hat" to fund providing some sort of food or snack for them all. Katy is taking the lead on this project, so please reach out to her if you can pitch in! (Date not yet determined.)
Lastly, after collection of this week's 'Happy Bucks,' our club's contribution to the Sierra Vista School Supply Drive was added up to be $1,745, the amount in a check to be given to Rotarian Jennifer Sorenson of the Sierra Vista Herald for the fund raising project. Another "WELL DONE, Rotarians!"
(Prime source Wikipedia, COL (Ret.) Henry C. Beumler, Prepared by Rotary Club Reporter, John Spengler)
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