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A Free Dreamer Recent Release Review: The Android and the Thief by Wendy Rathbone
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Will love set them free—or seal their fate?
In the sixty-seventh century, Trev, a master thief and computer hacker, and Khim, a vat-grown human android, reluctantly share a cell in a floating space prison called Steering Star. Trev is there as part of an arrangement that might finally free him from his father's control. Khim, formerly a combat android, snaps when he is sold into the pleasure trade and murders one of the men who sexually assaults him. At first they are at odds, but despite secrets and their dark pasts, they form a pact—first to survive the prison, and then to escape it.
But independence remains elusive, and falling in love comes with its own challenges. Trev's father, Dante, a powerful underworld figure with sweeping influence throughout the galaxy, maintains control over their lives that seems stronger than any prison security system, and he seeks to keep them apart. Trev and Khim must plan another, more complex escape, and this time make sure they are well beyond the law as well as Dante's reach.
I really quite enjoyed "The Android and the Thief".
The setting was interesting. It's the 27th century and we have our normal, average humans, just how we do now. And then we have the so-called "Androids", who are humans as well, without any robot-parts or anything of the like. They aren't average or normal, though. They're vat-grown, born as adults, designed in a laboratory to serve in certain professions. They aren't seen as humans and are essentially slaves with no rights. Khim is a soldier, has been a soldier since the day he was born. But then he's permanently injured in battle and ends up being sold into the pleasure trade. That's when rather graphic violent rape happens, so beware. Khim wasn't designed to endure this kind of use. He snaps and kills one of the rapists, which lands him in prison.
Trev is the son of a powerful crime boss. He's a professional thief with an obsession for "real-books". Wanting to escape his father's clutches, he strikes a deal, which lands him in prison. In the same cell as Khim. Who is, unbeknownst to Trev, the property of his father.
Both MCs had an interesting story to tell. Trev is very acrobatic and easy to like. Khim is very much the victim of circumstances and I really felt for him. Reading about how the two of them are forced to get along, for better or worse, was fascinating. Khim is understandably hesitant to trust or even like Trev.
The prison was an intriguing place. The place was very well described and it was easy to imagine what life there was like for Khim and Trev. It was my favourite part of the book.
And then they escape. And the love story really starts going. Somewhere around that point the book lost my interest. The romance was hard to relate to for me. I just didn't feel the chemistry between the two. The sex scenes felt a little awkward at times and didn't really do much for me.
There is one quote that will forever remain with me. Khim and Trev are kissing passionately. "Taste of salt. Fire. Extreme pizza." I have absolutely no idea where that pizza came from. It still makes me laugh. I'm fairly sure there was no mention of pizza in the whole book, before or after that scene. And who doesn't think of pizza when locked in a passionate kiss?
I really didn't like the epilogue and the whole ending seemed a little too easy for me. There was a fairly easy solution to every problem. I still don't think it's very realistic.
"The Android and the Thief" was mostly entertaining. The romance part didn't really work for me, though. I think I would honestly have preferred things to remain platonic between our two MCs.
If you have a thing for slightly cheesy romance, aren't triggered by the violent rape and like an interesting space-setting, then go for it.
Cover art by Anne Cain is gorgeous.
Sales Links
Published April 3rd 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
This entry was posted in Book Reviews, Books, Dreamspinner Press, eBooks, LGBTQ Book Reviews, M/M Book Reviews, M/M Fiction, M/M Romance, Science Fiction, Uncategorized and tagged A Free Dreamer Recent Release Review: The Android and the Thief by Wendy Rathbone, A Free Dreamer recommended story, A Free Dreamer Review, author Wendy Rathbone, m/m science fiction romance, The Android and the Thief by Wendy Rathbone.
An Alisa Review: The Things We Do by J.D. Walker
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Scotty Reedville has had his office job for two years, long enough to fall for Ryker Callen, head of the landscaping crews. It's ridiculous, really. How could he fall for someone so completely his opposite in every way? Answer: he couldn't help it. Still, Scotty would never make a move because he doesn't think Ryker would go out with a guy who wears braces and snaps at everyone.
However, when Ryker is injured in a softball game one weekend and needs a place to live temporarily that doesn't have steps, Scotty's boss Gavin suggests he stay with Scotty. The time they spend together is both the best and worst thing that has ever happened to Scotty, and he doesn't want it to end. But it must.
Thankfully, Ryker has other plans. Can the two men stumble their way to love?
This was such a cute and sweet story. Scotty has been admiring Ryker from afar knowing that no one would want him, brace face and all. When their boss pretty much invites Ryker to live with Scotty while he is injured Scotty gets put in the best and worst situation of his life.
Scotty keeps everyone at a distance with his snappish attitude but can't help and hope that he will find that special someone he needs and you can't help but feel for him. He and Ryker both keep their feelings to themselves for so long that it's almost too late when they finally do. It was wonderful watching these two dance around each other for so long but finally opening up enough to let the other in.
The cover art by Written Ink Design gives a wonderful visual of both Scotty and Ryker.
Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N
ebook, 39 pages
Published: March 25, 2017 by JMS Books
Edition Language: English
This entry was posted in Book Reviews, Books, Contemporary fiction, eBooks, LGBTQ Book Reviews, M/M Book Reviews, M/M Contemporary Fiction, M/M Fiction, M/M Romance, Uncategorized and tagged An Alisa Review: The Things We Do by J.D. Walker, author J.D. Walker, JMS Books LLC, The Things We Do by J.D. Walker.
An Alisa Release Day Review: Brush with Catastrophe (The Aloysius Tales #2) by Tara Lain
Sammy Raphael is a crappy witch, and on top of that, he can't seem to get a boyfriend. Where other supernaturals can bring down lightning and manifest wealth, Sammy can paint. Granted, the "prophetic" paintings he creates at night always come true, but they never predict anything important. Sammy feels like a total loser with a worthless ability.
One night he paints a gorgeous guy who turns out to be his secret crush, the human Ryder, but Ryder's changed so much he's almost unrecognizably beautiful. Then Sammy paints an angel who turns out to be a witch. But is that witch also a devil—a devil who can bring down Sammy's whole community and everyone he loves? And why the hell does Ryder keep changing? Aloysius, the black cat familiar, always backs a winner. So why is he backing Sammy?
I looked forward to reading this story since I finished Spell Cat when it re-released last year, however this on didn't seem to have the same pull as the first book. Sammy really does feel sorry for himself but makes a point of not showing others how he is feeling even when things are really bad. He even continues to "date" someone that doesn't feel right because he is so desperate for a relationship.
Ryder looks out for Sammy even as he continues to deny is attraction to him. He knows that Lucien is bad news but can't really explain why. Though in the end it helps him to finally open up about who he is to Sammy.
A good majority of this story is told from Sammy's point of view and you can't help but feel his pain as he tries to live with his unrequited love and secrets he is forced to keep. Even when things seem like they can't get any better he continues to do what is right to help his people. Ryder also suffers silently unable to reveal his real self to his friends, but jumps in when he can help Sammy and can no longer deny his feelings. There were quite a few "duh" moments throughout this story between the main characters and also supporting characters that just didn't fit and repeating of information at times. This story didn't have the same flow as the first book which makes me a bit hesitant to read the next book but I probably will just so I can see how everything plays out in the end.
Cover art by Reese Dante is wonderful and I love the visual of Sammy.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N
Published: 2nd Edition, April 14, 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
Series: The Aloysius Tale #2
This entry was posted in Book Reviews, Books, eBooks, LGBTQ Book Reviews, M/M Book Reviews, M/M Fiction, M/M Paranormal Fiction, M/M Romance, M/M Supernatural Fiction, Uncategorized and tagged An Alisa Release Day Review: Brush with Catastrophe (The Aloysius Tales #2) by Tara Lain, author Tara Lain, Brush with Catastrophe (The Aloysius Tales #2) by Tara Lain, The Aloysius Tales series by Tara Lain.
Laura Lascarso on Writing, Characters and her release 'The Bravest Thing' (author interview and giveaway)
The Bravest Thing by Laura Lascarso
Cover art by Angsty G
Available for Purchase at
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Laura Lascarso here today sharing thoughts about herself, writing and her latest novel, The Bravest Thing. Welcome, Laura.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Laura Lascarso
Do you feel there's a tight line between Mary Sue or should I say Gary Stu and using your own experiences to create a character?
Well, in THE BRAVEST THING, one of my characters struggles with addiction. This has been a thread in my husband's and my own family for many years, and it's a topic I keep coming back to in my writing. It doesn't always dominate the plot, but aspects of drug and alcohol abuse make appearances in my stories again and again. I'm still working through it, I suppose, and because I have some personal experience with it, I feel like I can speak from a place of compassion and understanding.
Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?
I think so. I read a lot of fast-paced thrillers and horror growing up, so even though I'm writing romances now, I like for them to be tightly plotted with a bit of psychological distress thrown in. For me as a reader, it's all about the inner tension that makes the story come to life and keeps me turning pages, so I try to do the same as an author.
Have you ever had to put an 'in progress' story aside because of the emotional ties with it? You were hurting with the characters or didn't know how to proceed?
I actually just had this experience with a work-in-progress. My main character has a deadbeat dad (as did I), and I found myself drawing from my own experiences and dredging up feelings of abandonment I thought I'd put to rest. It was interesting for me, because while my rational side knew I was writing a character with an absent father, I didn't connect it to my own life until I started to dig into the character's backstory. That's also one of the things I like about writing—being able to work through some of my own "issues" and process situations I might otherwise gloss over or tamp down. The world moves a little too quickly for me sometimes, and writing allows me some space to reflect and heal.
Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?
I like both as a reader, though I've only ever written happy-for-now endings in my own work. I think that's because my characters tend to be younger and in stages of flux and self-discovery. I like to think that even if my characters don't end up together forever, they are forever changed by their experiences with their special someone, which is kind of like real life. We are forever altered by the people closest to us, for better or worse.
Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?
My mother was pretty permissive as far as books and movies go, so I was reading Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins from a pretty young age. I also read just about every Sweet Valley High that was published in the late 80's. SVH gave me both the love and devotion of Elizabeth's steady boyfriend and the excitement of Jessica's scandals and conquests, usually involving a cute boy. Genius, really. As for now, I'm reading a lot of great M/M romances, partly for pleasure and also to study the craft or romance and its conventions. I didn't come from the world of fan fiction, as I'm discovering a lot of M/M authors did, so I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do.
Who do you think is your major influence as a writer? Now and growing up?
I'm sure I've been influenced by the writers I read growing up, in particular Dean R. Koontz and Stephen King, but I remember Kurt Vonnegut's CAT'S CRADLE being a real game changer for me. The voice of that book spoke to me on a deeply personal level—both in terms of my philosophy on life and my nihilistic outlook at the time—and I went on to read most of Vonnegut's work. It's a special treat to have that mind meld between author and reader and I think that's been my quest ever since, to give my readers a similar experience.
As a side note, I read all my reviews. I'm kind of addicted to feedback. The act of writing is pretty isolating, so it's affirming to have people read your work and take the time to offer comments. I don't even mind if people don't like my books, because the act of reading is interpretation on a deeply personal level, and it's their right to dislike it.
How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?
As a reader, I love ebooks—they're convenient, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. The rise of ebooks has allowed for a much wider variety of book and reader. Any writer can find their base, and any reader can find their passion. I think ebooks will only grow over time and I look forward to being part of that revolution.
I also like the old fashioned paperback—the mustier the better. Those got me through some lonely times growing up, so I hope that format won't be leaving us anytime soon.
How do you choose your covers? (curious on my part)
I've worked with AngstyG on both my Dreamspinner covers (THE BRAVEST THING and ANDRE IN FLIGHT). The background on that is I somewhat scientifically went through DSP's catalog and picked out the covers that matched my aesthetic most closely. AngstyG's name kept popping up, so I requested her specifically.
With regard to the process, once my books enter into production phase, I send her pictures of what I think the characters look like along with some other covers I'd like for her to emulate and she turns my gobbledygook into genius. She provides 3-5 concepts and we tweak them from there. I have such faith in her artistry that next time I think I'll have her design the cover first, and then I'll write the story to go along with it. ☺
Do you have a favorite among your own stories? And why?
I tend to shy away from picking favorites among my darlings, but THE BRAVEST THING is very special to me. Both the characters are very endearing in their own way and the issues they're dealing with are relevant to our times and political climate. It's my first attempt at dual narration, and I really liked how it allowed me to get deeper into both their characters and their counter-perspectives. I think for this story it worked very well.
What's next for you as an author?
Right now I'm finishing up a best-friends-to-lovers romance about two teenaged boys in South Florida—something on the lighter side. I also have a thriller I've put on the backburner that I may take another stab at. The avant garde in me wants to attempt a literary version of DINNER WITH ANDRE, but I may back out if it turns into a snoozer. One of my friends once told me that the only thing my ex-boyfriends had in common was that they were all very different, and I think my writing is a little bit like that. I'm continuously growing as an artist and trying new things, and I think my stories reflect that. That sometimes annoys the readers who want something the same, only a little different. My promise to readers is that while my next story might not be what they expected, my goal is that they'll enjoy it nonetheless.
About The Bravest Thing
High school junior Berlin Webber is about to reap the fruits of his hard work and land a football scholarship—if he can keep his sexuality a secret from his best friend, Trent, and their homophobic coach. Then Hiroku Hayashi swerves into the high school parking lot on his tricked-out motorcycle like some sexy comic book villain, and Berlin knows he doesn't stand a chance.
Hiroku is fleeing his sophisticated urban scene to recover from drug addiction and an abusive relationship when he arrives in Berlin's small Texas ranch town. Initially sarcastic and aloof, Hiroku finds in Berlin a steady, supportive friend who soon becomes more. As Hiroku and Berlin's romance blossoms, they take greater risks to be together. But when a horrific act of violence tears them apart, they both must look bigotry in the face. While Berlin has always turned to his faith for strength, Hiroku dives into increasingly dangerous ways of coping, pushing them in opposite directions just when they need each other most.
Two very different young men search for the bravery to be true to themselves, the courage to heal, and the strength to go on when things seem darkest. But is it enough to bring them back together?
Laura Lascarso strives to inspire more questions than answers in her fiction and believes in the power of stories to heal and transform a society. She lives in North Florida with her darling husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. Her debut novel, Counting Backwards (Simon & Schuster 2012) won the Florida Book Award gold medal for young adult literature.
For social critiques, writer puns, and Parks and Rec gifs, follow her on Twitter @lauralascarso
Facebook: /lascarso
Twitter: @lauralascarso
Web: lauralascarso.com
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This entry was posted in Book Reviews, Book Tours and Contests, Books, Contemporary fiction, Dreamspinner Press, eBooks, LGBTQ Book Reviews, M/M Book Reviews, M/M Contemporary Fiction, M/M Fiction, M/M Romance, Uncategorized and tagged @dreamspinners, @lauralascarso, A Dreamspinner Press Author Guest Blog, closeted gay teen in fiction, gay character with substance abuse issues, Laura Lascarso, The Bravest Thing by Laura Lascarso.
BLOG TOUR: An Officer's Submission by Christa Tomlinson
Title: An Officer's Submission
Series: Cuffs, Collars, and Love #4
Author: Christa Tomlinson
Publisher: Self- Torlina Publishing
Release Date: March 15
Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 67,000
Genre: Romance, erotic romance, contemporary, D/S, established couples
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Author Christa Tomlinson
Hello, I'm Christa! I'm originally from St. Louis, Missouri and I currently live in Houston, Texas. I have two dogs, I'm a former teacher and I'm a retired roller derby player. I've been reading romance novels since I was eleven! My big sister let me read hers as long as I promised to skip the "grown up" parts. I always said I would skip them but read them anyway. I was a rebel. My current book is An Officer's Submission. It's an erotic BDSM romance, featuring men from my fictional version of the Houston Police Department SWAT team. This story is about Officer Clay Foster, who loves being a submissive, but still struggles with that part of himself. And his Dom, Sergeant Logan Pierce, who will do anything for his submissive.
1. What inspired you to start writing?
I started reading early, so I progressed to higher level books pretty quickly. I loved the stories I was reading so much, that I knew I wanted to create my own by the time I was eleven.
2. How long have you been writing?
I started trying to write in middle school. But it wasn't until about 2008 that I really sat down and began completing stories.
3. What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
Get the words down! Don't worry about editing, agents or whether or not it's any good. Just write so it so you can have that goal reached. Then you can worry about the other stuff. You can't sell what isn't written.
4. Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?
Yes. But for me, I think it only happens when I'm not prepared enough. So when it does, I stop and do more planning and outlining. Once I have a better road map, the block usually disappears.
5. Who is your favorite author and why?
Johanna Lindsey. I don't read m/f historicals anymore, but she's the romance author I read the most growing up. Her books are great, but what I love most about them is how detailed the characters were. Especially her Mallory clan. I strive to create characters with that much depth and personality.
6. What are you working on now and what are your plans for the future?
I'm currently writing the next and probably last book in the Cuffs, Collars, and Love series. Officer Hector Castillo, the sniper from the team, is getting his own story next! I've already finished the rough draft and I'm planning for a June or July release. After that, I'll be making a sub-genre shift. I've wanted to write historical fantasy for a long time now, and I'm in the planning stages for my first project. I'm very excited about it!
Thank you for having me on your blog today! I appreciate the opportunity to discuss my work and look forward to chatting with your readers. Readers, feel free to drop any questions you have for me in the comments. Have a wonderful week!
"You don't ever have to keep anything you feel locked up, Clay. I'm your Dom, and whatever you need from me, I'll gladly give to you."
– Sergeant Logan Pierce
Police Officer Clay Foster is finally at peace and happy with his life. He enjoys his career as a member of Houston's SWAT team, and he loves submitting to his Dom in the bedroom. His life is perfect, until one cruel act destroys Clay's bubble of happiness. Shattered trust forces Clay to reevaluate his career, his relationship, and himself.
Sergeant Logan Pierce is the leader of Houston's elite SWAT team. On the force, he's the best at what he does. In private, the most important thing in his life is taking care of his submissive, Clay. Clay is his whole world, and Logan will do whatever is necessary to keep him safe. Even if that means going up against Clay's stubbornness in order to help him heal.
Can Logan and Clay work together to rebuild their happiness? Can they find their way back to the shared passion of Dominance and submission? Or will their love and relationship end before it's truly begun?
An Officer's Submission is Book Four in the Cuffs, Collars, and Love series. If you love romance that is epic, emotional and erotic, you'll want to give this series a read!
"It's good to be back home."
Logan looked down at him with an eyebrow raised. "Home?"
Clay snorted a laugh. As usual, they were at Logan's house. When he thought about it, he realized he hadn't been back to his apartment in weeks. In fact, his bags from their recent trip to Colorado were here at Logan's. He hadn't bothered to take them back to his place after their return.
"If I'm in your space too much, I can throw all my stuff in the car and head back to my apartment," he said as he pretended to pull away.
Logan tightened his grip on his foot. "You're not going anywhere."
Clay bit his lip to hold back a grin. "I didn't think you wanted me to. But what I meant is, I feel good about life. That trip was awesome. I got to play in the snow, just like I wanted."
"And I got to warm you up when you were done."
"You did a very good job. You might have gotten me a little overheated a few times," he teased. He wiggled his toes as Logan squeezed his foot again. "You and I are in a great place. And I think things are going to be better at work now too. We redid Hayden's ridiculous course and passed with flying colors this time. I'm hoping the fact that we passed the redo means Hayden will get off our backs and quit fucking with our schedule."
"The team is gelling again. And we're hoping Hayden will finally move on and give up on his pet project of tormenting our team. Anything else?"
Clay shifted, looking at the TV instead of Logan. "What else is there?"
"Are you still blaming yourself for that idiot making those fake calls to our team?"
Clay pulled his feet off Logan's lap for real this time and got up from the couch. "Why wouldn't I blame myself? It was my fault."
"It wasn't your fault. And I don't like hearing you say that it was."
"C'mon, Sarge. You know that was on me." Clay roughly ran a hand through his hair, turning his back on his lover. "If I hadn't gone to that convention and went on camera bragging about how badass our team was, that whacko would have never taken it as a challenge to try and prove he was better than us." He turned back around as Logan grabbed his hand and pulled him to stand in between his legs.
"Maybe not. But maybe he would have taken his anger out in another way."
"You read the report Roberts put together on the guy. He was looking for revenge because he felt he'd been slighted too many times. What if he'd physically attacked the people he wanted revenge against? Someone or several someones could have been hurt. At least with the revenge tactics he chose, no one was. We managed to catch the idiot, and hopefully he'll be granted some time to think about what he did."
"Are you forgetting he tried to kill me?" Clay saw a muscle tic in Logan's jaw at the question, his hazel eyes going hard before he answered.
"No, I'm not forgetting."
Clay tilted his head to the side as he studied his lover. "You know, I noticed that the perp seemed a little worse for wear before you got him loaded in the patrol car. Did you do anything to cause that?"
"I'll never let anyone hurt you."
Logan's response was a non-answer, but it confirmed Clay's suspicions. "I'm a cop. On occasion, I might get hurt. And you can't go after people because of that."
"And you're mine. Did you forget that?"
Clay shook his head. "No, Sir."
"Come here." Clay followed the gentle pull Logan gave his hand to drop down to the couch and straddle his lap.
"You're my lover. My submissive. It's my right and my pleasure to protect you, always." He brought a hand up, his thumb sliding across the metal collar that circled Clay's neck. "I won't let anything or anyone hurt you or take you away from me."
A thrill shot through Clay at that declaration. Logan's unapologetic possessiveness had caused problems early on in their relationship, but they'd worked on it and come to an understanding on boundaries. Now, he was able to revel in Logan's possessiveness and caring, because he knew it wouldn't get out of hand. Clay pressed his forehead to Logan's and closed his eyes. "I love when you talk to me like that."
Logan's hand moved to grip the back of his neck. "Do you?"
His eyes still closed, Clay nodded.
"Tell me why."
"Because it makes me feel like the most important thing in your world. I've never felt like that with anyone."
"It's true. You are the most important thing to me. Having you in my life, wearing my collar, means everything to me."
Clay opened his eyes and looked into his lover's gaze, seeing the sincerity there. Not that he doubted him. Logan had proven time and time again how much he loved him. "I don't deserve you, Sir. And I don't do enough to show you how much I love you in return."
"You don't have to do anything to deserve me. I'm with you because I don't ever want to be with anyone else."
"Well, maybe I can show you what I feel tonight. Physically."
Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Apple iBooks | Kobo
Christa Tomlinson is an exciting up and coming author in erotic romance. Her first self-published novel, The Sergeant, was an Amazon Best Seller for Gay and Lesbian Erotica for seven weeks straight.
Christa graduated from The University of Missouri-St. Louis with a degree in History. She loves to create stories that are emotional and lovely with sex that is integral to the characters' romantic arc. Her books include straight couples, curvy couples, gay, and multicultural couples. Love is love and everyone should have their story told.
Christa lives in Houston, Texas with her two dogs, and is a retired roller derby player.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | eMail | Amazon
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April 13th – Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
April 14th – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
April 15th – MM Good Book Reviews
April 16th – Boy Meets Boy Reviews
April 17th – My Fiction Nook
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April 22nd – Booklover Sue
This entry was posted in Book Giveaways, Book Reviews, Book Tours and Contests, Books, Contemporary fiction, eBooks, LGBTQ Book Reviews, M/M Book Reviews, M/M Contemporary Fiction, M/M Fiction, M/M Romance, Uncategorized and tagged @GoIndiMarketing, @ShockZ314, An Officer's Submission (Cuffs Collars and Love #4) by Christa Tomlinson, author Christa Tomlinson, contemporary, D/s, Erotic Romance, established couples, IndiGo Marketing & Design, Romance.
INTERLUDE PRESS TOUR: Huntsmen by Michelle Osgood (excerpt and giveaway)
Huntsmen by Michelle Osgood
Published April 13th 2017
Interlude Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Kobo | Smashwords |Book Depository | Indiebound
Months after saving Jamie and Deanna from crywolf, Kiara and her brother Cole have moved into the city. While clubbing one night, Kiara is stunned to see her ex, Taryn, onstage. But before she can react, Jamie notices a distinctive tattoo in the crowd: an axe rumored to be the mark of the Huntsmen, a group of werewolf-tracking humans. The girls need to leave immediately—and since Taryn is also a werewolf, they need to take her with them.
The Huntsmen are more than a myth, and they're scouring the city for lone wolves just like Taryn. Until the General North American Assembly of Werewolves lends a plan of action, Kiara's small pack is on lockdown in a friend's apartment, where she and Taryn must face the differences that drove them apart. Furthermore, the longer the group waits, the more it seems the Huntsmen haven't been acting entirely on their own.
She couldn't imagine a future without a pack… could she?
"You can't come back here."
Confronted by an upheld palm, Kiara halted at the stairs that led backstage.
"This area is for performers only." The Latina woman's face was set in bored lines; her yellow shirt identified her as one of the club's staff. Clearly it was not the first time she'd turned someone away that night.
"Look, I'm meeting—"
"Hun, I don't care if you're meeting Evan Rachel Wood herself. Performer's only." The woman enunciated the last part without managing to pull her attention from the room behind Kiara.
The prickling behind Kiara's eyes mounted and was echoed in the flesh of her gums.
"Maria, hey." Ryn pushed back the black curtain. "Come on, let her through."
"Tar—" Reluctance was heavy in the woman's voice. "You know I'm not supposed to."
"I won't tell if you won't, 'kay? This is my girlfriend. We won't cause any trouble. Promise." Ryn held out her hand past Maria.
Kiara placed her hand in Ryn's and plastered a smile across her face. "I'll be good." She added a flutter of her eyelashes and coaxed a blush to her cheeks. Ryn's skin was hot under her palm. Touching Ryn had always felt like touching the sun.
"You'd better be," Maria warned as she stepped aside and let Kiara through.
"Thank you." Ryn winked at Maria, and Kiara heard the woman's heartbeat accelerate in response. With a valiant effort, Kiara swallowed her huff of annoyance.
The back of the stage was dimly lit. Ryn kept Kiara's hand in hers as she led the way, deftly avoiding the few other performers who loitered about, waiting for their turns on stage.
"We have to go," Kiara repeated. She spoke more loudly now that they were away from everyone else.
"I heard you the first time."
"Then what are we doing?" Kiara's fingers curled perfectly around Ryn's. She wanted to yank her hand free. She wanted to kiss the spot where they fit so well together.
"I have to get my bag."
Ten years. Surely ten years was long enough for feelings to fade, for the memory of what they had been to dull. She shouldn't feel the bright hurt, the greedy hunger, as though it had been yesterday.
In the back of her head a siren screamed, a warning that she didn't have time for this. Kiara's grip on Ryn's hand tightened involuntarily.
"Leave it."
"I'm not leaving it. There's five thousand dollars' worth of equipment in there."
"Ryn, you heard me. The Huntsmen are here."
"Maybe." They reached a set of lockers, and Ryn wriggled her fingers free of Kiara's. "Aren't you the one who told me they're a myth? Do you really think they'd show up in Vancouver? At a drag king show?" But even as she spoke she opened the locker door and pulled free a large duffle bag.
"Werewolves are supposed to be myths, too."
"And yet," Ryn conceded. She slung the bag over her shoulder. "My bike is out front."
Huntsmen is available from Interlude Press on April 13, 2017. Connect with author Michelle Osgood at michelleosgood.com; on Twitter @osgoodmichelle; and on Facebook at facebook.com/osgoodmichelle.
Michelle Osgood writes queer, feminist romance from her tiny apartment in Vancouver, BC. She loves stories in all media, especially those created by Shonda Rhimes, and dreams of one day owning a wine cellar to rival Olivia Pope's. She is active in Vancouver's poly and LGBTQ communities, never turns down a debate about pop culture, and is trying to learn how to cook. Her first novel, The Better to Kiss You With, was published by Interlude Press in 2016.
Huntsmen is available from Interlude Press on April 13, 2017. Connect with author Michelle Osgood at michelleosgood.com; on Twitter @OsgoodMichelle and on Facebook at facebook.com/osgoodmichelle.
Book Tour Rafflecopter Giveaway:
Grand Prize $25 IP Gift Card + Multi-format eBook of Huntsmen // Five winners receive the multi-format eBook. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews, Book Tours and Contests, Books, eBooks, LGBTQ Book Reviews and tagged @OsgoodMichelle, author Michelle Osgood, f/f, F/F. Lesbian Supernatural romance, Huntsmen by Michelle Osgood, Interlude Press.
Cover Reveal Blitz: Brush with Catastrophe by Tara Lain
At night, he paints. In a world where the supernaturals can bring down lightning and manifest wealth, Sammy can paint. What happens when a witch's "prophetic" paintings always come true and his latest painting is of the human he has a crush on? The answer? Magic!Check out the brand new cover for the 2nd Edition of BRUSH WITH CATASTROPHE!!
Brush With Catastrophe
(The Aloysius Tales Series, #2)
By Tara Lain
Available for pre-order at
Ryder cocked his head. "You're so talented."
Gods, Sammy's heart had to slow down, or he'd pass out. "Thanks. That means a lot."
Ryder looked up with a soft expression. "You mean coming from a dumb historian who doesn't know a palette knife from a fork?"
"No, I mean coming from you. My friend."
"Don't go out with Lucien, Sammy."
What the fuck? "Why? Come on, Ryder. Sure, I don't have a background check on him, but I probably know as much about him as I do you."
Ryder looked at his feet. "Point taken." The green eyes flashed up. "But I think he's cheating on you."
Ryder walked over to the kitchen counter, picked up a glass, filled it from the faucet, and drank.
Sammy wanted to beat him over the head. "Come on. Tell me what you mean. Stop stalling."
"I can't prove it, but I've talked to a couple of people who seem to have a relationship with him and seem to think they are somehow special to him."
Sammy couldn't catch his breath. "Well, we're not exclusive or anything. I don't have any claims on him."
Ryder scratched Al, who was purring so loudly that Sammy could hear it clearly. "Is that true? Or has he implied that you're his boyfriend?"
"I think you deserve better, Sams. I think you can do better."
Well, shit! Sammy threw up his hands. "That's real easy to say when you have an unlimited supply of tits to drool over." Sammy crossed his arms. Maybe they'd protect his heart. "I haven't had a real boyfriend in over a year, and even that one wasn't serious. I'm lonely, damn it. I want to be with someone, and Lucien is smart and funny and charming, and he seems to like me a lot." He spread his arms wide. "Is that so unbelievable? That a gorgeous guy like that could actually go for a skinny scarecrow like me?" He could feel his ears getting hot, and hurt stored over years poured out of him. "Maybe that's why you think he's cheating. You can't believe he could want me!"
Ryder stared at him, his eyes shiny. "That's not true. I'd never feel that way. I think anyone with a brain would want you."
"Then there must be a lot of dumb people!" Sammy's breath came hard. Shit, he was attacking his best friend. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I know you don't think that." He ran a hand through his hair. He probably really looked like that scarecrow now. "Look, he's going to be here soon. I promise I'll ask him. I will. Okay?"
Ryder frowned. "I'm worried about you."
"I know. I don't understand why, but I know you are. I'll talk to him."
"You better go unless you want to ask him yourself."
"No, I'll go." Ryder walked to the door and turned. He extricated Al from his neck and handed him to Sammy. "I care what happens to you. I care…. I wish…. Hell, be careful." He opened the door and walked out, then closed the door behind him.
Sammy collapsed onto the couch, still holding Al against his chest, and threw his head back. "Why the fuck does this have to be so hard? Why can't I just have a boyfriend?"
The Aloysius Tales Series
Spell Cat
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she's now somewhere around book 32. Her best-selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Paranormal Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul-mate husband and her soul-mate dog near the sea in California where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say "Yes"!
You can find Tara at Lain
This entry was posted in Book Reviews, Books, Dreamspinner Press, eBooks, LGBTQ Book Reviews, M/M Book Reviews, M/M Fiction, M/M Paranormal Fiction, M/M Romance, M/M Supernatural Fiction, Uncategorized and tagged #EnchantressDesignAndPromo, @taralain, @VivianaIzzo, author Tara Lain, Brush With Catastrophe (The Aloysius Tales Series #2) By Tara Lain, The Aloysius Tales series by Tara Lain.


Find out when they are, The Full Report and make positive not to schedule anything else for This Content that time of day so that you can expertise the exclusive occasion that is a show aboard a cruise ship. For damiendeboer.wikidot.com more info about Read Full Report (clarissae34930471.wikidot.com) take a look at our web-site. Shows can include every thing from stunning musicals with a professional cast to moody dramas and singalongs. You'll be offered a Port Arrival Time." This is your time when you are allowed to do your in-particular person verify-in. It's at this time that they hand you the Key to the Planet (KTTW) cards. Once this is complete, they will assign you a boarding group.A host of modifications has been announced at Norwegian Cruise Line within the previous handful of months. On Tuesday, the line announced it will charge a la carte pricing in several of its specialty restaurants, starting fleetwide in 2016. In May, the line began charging a $7.95 charge for space service (excluding coffee and Continental breakfast).When you go on a cruise you may want to remain in touch with family members and friends particularly if you are travelling for a long time. Men and women believe as you are at sea you will not get a signal on your mobile phone so won't be able to keep in touch but this isn't the case. If you are at sea then your mobile telephone would normally pick up the ship's satellite for you to be able to use it. After you are near land then the roaming will kick in and you will be on a network. It can be pricey to use your mobile so it is always worth checking with your provider to what they charge. An option way of maintaining in touch is to use the Wi-Fi on the ship. You can purchase packages to use the net and hook it up to your Ipad or laptop. Most ships will also have an web café exactly where you can go and spend to use the computer systems in there to maintain in touch. ( Check out our Wi-Fi guide for much more information ).With Egypt staggering from 1 crisis to the subsequent, why would any person take a Nile cruise? Even even though world wide web packages are becoming more reasonably priced, it is nevertheless significantly more pricey, and slower, to go online at sea than at property. You typically pay about 75 cents a minute despite the fact that pre-paid timed packages bring the price down. Bottom line: wait until you are in port and can locate free Wi-Fi hot-spots.The ship docks at numerous ports - make certain to return on time as acquiring back at designated occasions is your duty. Don't be late for boarding - ships wait no far more than 15 min right after scheduled departure times. Each and every firm has port agent to help if you miss the boat. One alternative is to fly to the subsequent get in touch with port and embark there, although you'll have to pay all added costs.Book Offseason - Going offseason is one particular of the greatest Disney Cruise Tips. The least expensive times to cruise is when the kids are back in school. So, if you want to sail on the low-cost, this is the time to do it. And the least expensive is September (hurricane season), so if you want to threat the possibility of sailing during hurricane season you can save your self a lot of cash.Leavning tomorrow for 2nd cruise! Thanks for all of the tips. Aids to calm my nerves about forgetting critical things to bring. we also bring Walky-Talkies to be in a position to maintain in touch with other men and women traveling with us. Disembarkation Day: The evening just before is the appropriate time to tip your cabin attendant for service rendered with the friendly request if you could vacate your stateroom a little later than the official system.Have you ever been on a cruise? The length of your trip largely depends on how considerably you can afford. Cruises offer you every thing from one particular or two-evening excursions out to sea and back to journeys that take you around the world in one hundred days. Three-day weekend, four-day midweek, week and two-week cruises are the most well-known.Verify in as early as you can so you can have far more time on the ship employing the activities. Your suitcases will be checked in (just like on the plane) and porters will deliver them to your area, which you often can not get access to till later in the day.Rewarding good service every time it happens isn't constantly simple. So, our Service Reward Programme is a easy, a single-off way for you to say 'thank you' for all the service you acquire. A discretionary amount of £7.00 is added to your on-board account for each night you are onboard (eg. a 2 night cruise would be a total of £14pp, and a 7 night cruise would be a total of £49pp), for every single guest aged 12 and more than. This aids reward the waiters and buffet employees as properly as your cabin steward or butler, who tremendously appreciate your recognition of their difficult function.All key brands offer travel incentives for group booking, like TC ("tour conductor"). TC is credit for the Group Leader ("Pied Piper") to cruise for free of charge with a group of relatives-close friends-colleagues brought to the company. Ask your relatives and friends 1st, then ask co-workers and acquaintances. All group travelers get reduced group rate - you cruise for cost-free.


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Q: Pointer to member variable The following program output is always 1 1 1. In "Inside the c++ object model" book, it is mentioned that it will give offset. The purpose is also to find out object layout. But, I am confused with the output. Used g++ 4.5.2
class Test
{
    public:
        float a;
        float b;
        float c;
};

int main()
{
    float Test::*ptr = &Test::a;
    float Test::*ptr1 = &Test::b;
    float Test::*ptr2 = &Test::c;
    cout<<ptr<<endl;
    cout<<ptr1<<endl;
    cout<<ptr2<<endl;

    return 0;
}

Output:
1
1
1

Edit(Follow up question):
In the book it is mentioned that origin.y = 0 can be transformed to &origin + (Point3d::y-1) where origin is an object to Point3d and y is member variable of class Point3d. Though When I compiled it gave me compilation error.

A: You wrote that you wanted to find the memory offset. While what FredOverflow writes is completely true, you should make an instance of your class Test if you want to know the address of a,b and c. For instance:
Test t;
float *ptr = &t.a;
float *ptr1 = &t.b;
float *ptr2 = &t.c;

On my machine this yields the following three addresses:
0x7fff564f8918
0x7fff564f891c
0x7fff564f8920

And you will notice that they are 4 bytes (or sizeof(float)) apart and that the size of a Test is 12 bytes (using sizeof(Test)). Furthermore, the address of &t is 0x7fff564f8918 the same address of &t.a. That's how the memory layout of an instance of the class Test is  formed.
You can also find the offset of members of a POD type by using offsetof().
cout << offsetof(Test, a) << endl;
cout << offsetof(Test, b) << endl;
cout << offsetof(Test, c) << endl;

Yields
0
4
8

Note that offsetof(Test, b) is essentially the same as
(unsigned long long) &(((Test*) 0)->b) - (unsigned long long) (Test*) 0

Answer to your followup question:
That code will not work because of the same errors as previously mentioned. However, if you wanted to calculate the address of your y member of origin and assign it the value 0 it can be done thusly:
class Point3d {
public:
  float x, y, z;
};

Point3d origin;
origin.y = 10;

// We take the address of origin, which points to the first member,
// then add the offset to the member y.
float *ptr = (float*) ((unsigned long long) &origin + offsetof(Point3d, y));
cout <<  "Old value: " << *ptr << endl;
*ptr = 0;
cout <<  "New value: " << *ptr << endl;

Yields the output:
Old value: 10
New value: 0

Again remember that this is only possible because Point3d is a POD type.

A: You cannot print pointers to members, but pointers to members can implicitly be converted to bool, and those can be printed, of course. The null pointer is converted to false, and all other pointers are converted to true. By default, std::cout prints false as 0 and true as 1.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Trains and Boats and Planes
Some may well remember the famous song, "Trains and Boats and Planes," written way back in 1966 by Burt Bacharach and David Hall, with a wonderful rendition by Dionne Warwick.
Rolling through Kazakhstan – container train China to Europe
Much has been written and discussed in the worldwide cargo industry during the past decades as far as transport by planes and boats is concerned.
The international carriage of goods by sea and air has transformed itself since the days when Bacharach wrote his famous song, into a flourishing worldwide industry.
This, despite the many economic and political ups and downs the world has experienced in the past 50 years or so.
Large fleets of container ships have taken to the seas where literally thousands of 20 and 40 foot containers are loaded onto each other, all full with goods circling the world and these days unloaded by means of sophisticated computer programs which almost every port has at hand.
Sea transport, due to its rapid and modern expansion has done its part in bringing nations closer together by means of speedy and safe transport of goods from one nation to another.
Airfreight transport also basically got started in the late 1960's.
Those days, freighters were few and far between.
Mostly reworked DC6 or DC7 Loadmasters, with the Canadair CL-44 being brought into service by the now long defunct Seaboard World Airlines.
Air cargo really got onto its feet with the introduction of the B707 and DC8 freighters which were closely followed by the venerable DC-10F and last but not least, the B747F.
Still in service – DC-8-63F operated by Ghana-headquartered Airlift International / source: Airlift Int'l
That's when tonnages "started to take off."
Supply chains were slowly built up whereby shippers and consignees were bound together through a chain of handling processes which was, and still is, aimed at giving the customer a fast and reliable door to door service.
In comparison to seafreight, the air cargo worldwide movement still only represents just over one percent of all goods moved annually.
Ocean freight still dominates and this will not by all means drastically change.
Seafreight operators, in comparison to their colleagues on the air freight side, have never claimed to offer a 3 day door to door service.
Air freight does, but now must reluctantly admit that this has dropped back to at least 6-7 days.
Despite many attempts at air freight conferences to rectify the above situation, nothing much has happened and the industry is still at loggerheads as how to cut down the transit time and ensure it's attractive for shippers and consignees alike.
That's where maybe the trains come in!
CargoForwarder Global has reported in the past months on the steady introduction of "full train" transports from the Far East (China) to Eastern and Western Europe (see also our DB Schenker report in this issue).
This mode of transport, once laughed at by pessimists, seems to be on the right tracks.
Daily services from Chinese cities to Poland and Germany arranged through Chinese and German freight forwarders have become fact.
The train mode is cheaper than air freight, more expensive than seafreight, but by offering a maximum two-week transit time, seems to be finding its niche in the international transport sector.
Despite the political upheavals in Russia and the Ukraine, the transit times have so far not been negatively affected.
Our information is that the average 14 day transit time is becoming more attractive for shippers as this represents more or less what they want when considering "order & delivery" demands by their consignees.
No long transit times and less warehouse storage time at destination.
Busy Jebel Ali Port might see less sea-air traffic in future / source: JAP
It's starting to move eastbound!
There was a very interesting development lately when a weekly car train transport was introduced between the German city of Duisburg and Chongqing in China.
This weekly train is solely used for the movement of eighty-two new cars from German car makers such as BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen to car dealers in China.
Previously, this train rolled three times per week on the same route carrying spare parts from the German automobile industry into China.
These three transports are now four with the addition of the carriage of the finished product.
Information is that there are plans to at least double or triple these movements during the coming months and that the visit to Duisburg by China's State President, Xi Jinping, was where the green light was given to expand this mode of car transport.
Two cars are each packed into a 40 foot container for the more than 10.000 Kilometer ride into Chongqing.
Eastbound, westbound, these two factors are critical for acceptable load factors and revenue enhancement.
It's no different than sea or air freight in this respect and the total transit times which have so far proven to be fact, should be taken seriously by air freight and seafreight managers alike.
Burt Bacharach's opening line in his song was:
"Trains and boats and planes are passing by."
That's the past.
Trains, as well as boats and planes are here to stay.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Daniel Kolitz
Monday 8:00AM
Hackers Vandalize U.S. Government Website With Pro-Iran Message and Illustration of Bloody Trump
Matt Novak
Privacy and Security 12/19/15
A Cybersecurity Bill Loathed By Tech Companies Is Now Law
These Senators Voted "Yes" on CISA, But There's Still Time to Change Their Minds
What Is CISA?
Privacy and Security 3/20/15
CISA Bill Promises Safety, But Actually Expands Government Surveillance


NAM is one of the world's foremost providers of information on HIV and AIDS. Our information is aimed at two main audiences: people living with HIV; and healthcare professionals. NAM's trustees play a crucial role in advancing the charity's purposes, overseeing the organisation's strategic direction and protecting its assets and interests.
We are seeking an individual with a recognised accountancy qualification to join our Board of Trustees and fill the role of Treasurer for the charity. The Treasurer guides and advises the Board of Trustees in the approval of budgets, accounts and financial statements.
Note: this is a voluntary role, it is not paid beyond reasonable expenses.
If you are interested in this role, please apply in writing to matthew@nam.org.uk, setting out your experience and interests and how they relate to the requirements of this position.


By providing these links, I do not mean to suggest that you go out and research the law regarding your own case. That is your lawyer's job and it is a little more complicated than it looks. More importantly, I am appalled at how much bad information is out there on the internet. If you do want to try to educate yourself further about how the law works, or how a case proceeds through the court system, and I do encourage that, the following links will provide good quality, accurate information.
Remember that each State makes many of its own decisions about the laws that apply to the cases within its borders, and that is very true of criminal law as well. There is a definite interrelationship between the law of any one State, the federal law from that jurisdiction and law from the United States Supreme Court, versus the law of other jurisdictions. Articles, blogs and chat rooms that presume to hold forth on the law generally are not really very helpful and may be quite misleading. With that in mind, read on.
This is an informational site with good description of how a case proceeds through court.
A good, although somewhat dated, article providing an overview of legal research on the internet and its limitations.
Copyright © 2019 Nila Robinson. All Rights Reserved.


In memory of my husband Corey Gagnon, also my best friend. Life was not easy for us babe, but we did it our way and tried to right our wrongs. You made me the person that I am by believing in me and loving me despite so much. I hope I returned the favor, I am sorry I could not take on your demons and memories for you. I wish I could have stopped you and shown you how needed you were...I tried so hard. You are too beautiful for this world and did not deserve the pain you had inside. We have our memories, as sweet or bitter as they may be we survived through so much. You were an amazing father and I loved watching you shine in everything you did. I will forever long for your chest to lay my head on, your arms around me, your blue eyes twinkling, and your smile. Thank you for loving me. I love you still, always my favorite. And I am so proud of the life you lived. Missing you is constant, you took my heart with you. xoxo Handsome, always and forever.
Forever I'll Find You, Forever We'll Be.
Forever Your Power and Strength Stays With Me.


Iodine is an essential component of the well-known thyroid hormone, thyroxine, found in the thyroid gland in which most of the iodine in our body resides. This hormone is responsible for regulating our metabolism within our entire body. Iodine deficiency can cause a condition known as goitre, in which the thyroid gland tends to swell.
Iodine also not only contributes to energy metabolism, but also skin, the nervous system and even cognition within our brains.
Prime fifty uses iodine in their energising product for this reason.


Spiritual Counselin g is exactly what we teach and do at Christian Leadership University. To us, Spiritual Counseling is when we are able to interact with the Holy Spirit, we are touched by the Holy Spirit, we are able to bring the Holy Spirit into the counseling session and we can release the Holy Spirit into our lives to heal.
When I counsel people, it's all inner healing and deliverance. When you cast a demon out, it's releasing the power of God to set their heart free of a demon. When it's inner healing, you're letting Jesus walk into the situation and bring healing.
Spiritual Counseling can bring healing, as was evidenced by my work with one particular woman. Ten years ago she began her battle with breast cancer.
And, of course, then she gets breast cancer.
So we did inner healing. You can call this Christian counseling or spiritual counseling, but here's what we did, and it was great!
And then she began sharing with me what Jesus was saying to her. She'd already taken our course Communion With God, so she could hear God's voice and see visions, As she told me what happened, I just typed it out, and God gave her a beautiful vision. He showed her anger and bitterness that was in her heart towards her daughter-in-law for "taking" her son to another part of the world.
We prayed and we repented the anger and bitterness, and I had her see her daughter's face in the prayer time and I said, "I want you to say to her, 'I forgive you and I release you and I honor you and I bless you,'" and she did.
A hurt is healed when you can see the gift that God's produced in your life through it.
He showed her the gift.
He said, "The fact that your son is there, he's had a chance to get away from some of his friends back home, which he needed to get away from because they were not good influences on him, and he's had a chance to move into ministry to a much greater capacity," (because he's training right now for ministry and functioning in ministry, to a much better capacity than he ever would have back home.) She saw that for the first time.
She needed to do this because the anger and bitterness, of course, produced breast cancer and it's now gone to her bones. She had bone cancer. So, she signed up with us for a course on healing, and I'm her mentor, and we're going to see if we can't get her free of bone cancer.
And I'm sure we can, because your disease in your body begins with dis-ease in your soul. We already located the foundation of the dis-ease in her soul and we found the first step of the healing process. And she listed two other areas for me which also produce great dis-ease in her soul, and we'll pray about those next time we get together on the phone, and we'll work our way through all three.
For this woman, it's important that from this day on, she look at the new picture that God just gave her and never the old one. That'll produce a stream of light, not a stream of death, and it'll bring healing to her body.
So, that's all spiritual counseling, because I drew her into interaction with the Holy Spirit and with Jesus, He ministered grace and set her free, He healed her heart, and as a result will heal her body too. That's my definition of spiritual counseling. We teach that in our course Prayers to Heal the Heart and Communion With God, Counseled by God, and Christian Dream Interpretation.


Please join us as we honor the top area high school cross country runners from the Fall 2018 season. Evening includes a buffet dinner at Favazza's Rose of the Hill Banquet Center (2300 Edwards St, St Louis). Tickets are $25. Student honorees receive complementary tickets.


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From Award Rejections to History-Making Winners: Here's a Look at Oscar Firsts
For decades the Academy Awards have been honoring the best the film industry has to offer and along the way, they have made history with some notable firsts.
For example, in 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first African American person to win an Oscar. She took home Best Supporting Actress for her work in "Gone with the Wind."
Sadly, despite her history-making win, McDaniel sat a segregated table away from her castmates.
In 1964, Sidney Poitier became the first black man to win Best Actor for his role in "Lilies of the Field."
Decades later, Halle Berry went on to become the first African American woman to win Best Actress in 2002, for her role in "Monster's Ball."
But not every winner has always accepted their awards. Marlon Brando famously rejected the statue for his role in "The Godfather" but he wasn't the first to do so.
George C. Scott refuse a win for Best Actor in 1971 for "Patton." The actor believed that the voting process was unfair and called the show a "two-hour meat parade."
As for the best director category, it was dominated by male winners until 2010 when Kathryn Bigelow took home the Oscar for directing "The Hurt Locker."
We can't wait to see who makes history this year.


RW Update December 14, 2015: Silverline or Ideal Windows? Nails, Shims and Questions! Vinyl windows and siding...and what window choices are right for you?
Silverline or Ideal which are the right windows?
Will Silverline help keep the cold out in the window? Or are the expensive Ideal brand windows the better option? With so many conflicting reports over which brand is good, which is bad, and which ones you should avoid, this homeowner is having such a hard time! Can our window experts help this window shopper find the right replacement windows for their home?
After talking to some window installers and getting quotes, this homeowner is a little bit confused (and worried) about the practices of keeping aluminum covering in place. One installer said they'd install the covering with nails, and that shims were not necessary. Is this standard practice? Our experts chime in about standard practices, and more detail about how exactly windows are installed.
Vinyl Windows and Vinyl Siding in New Jersey?
This homeowner is looking to install 27 new windows in a New Jersey home, as well as some new siding. While it's important to keep costs to a minimum, quality is something he doesn't want to compromise. Brands like Ideal, Sunrise, and Simonton are all being considered as well as Charter Oak and Certianteed for siding. Do our pros have a preference or advice for this New Jersey shopper?


I got the assignment to illustrate the story of "Lucecita" in late November. It was a super-rush (aka less than a week between sketches and finals) but as you are all already guessing, I took the project. The artwork was published on the November/December 2011 issue of Iguana Magazine and since my copies arrived in late December, I decided to post later. Holidays are a busy time for all of us!
As I've done before, some process pictures and the final illustrations at the end, and this time I've added some instagram shots of a couple of the sketches. Also at the end, the link to subscribe and learn more about Iguana Magazine.
Have I told you how much I love instagram? If I haven't, here it goes: I ♥ that app! So if you are interested in seeing my sketches and wips (works-in-progress), you can join me there. I post almost every day.
I am positively, absolutely done with the pending posts from 2011. Clean slate and back to my soul-searching for the 2011-2012 recap that I'll be posting soon. Pinky promise. Until then!
You can subscribe to Iguana Magazine or read more about the magazine here.
This looks fantastic! I am especially taken with the expression on the cat's face- absolutely priceless!!!
Oh, how I love the "Homework" picture! Feet wriggling beneath the table as he thinks and dreams… I wonder if his cat will daintily reach out and lick his toes, tickling with her raspy tongue (like my cat does to me)?
I really like seeing your work-in-progress and then the final piece – so much fun and life in each one.
Glad you like the post and thanks for the visit! It means a lot.
Absolutely wonderful post, Juana! Oh my goodness, you put me to shame..your work is so vibrant, rich, full of light. Love the textural richness of your process that brings such a warmth to the final pieces..how do you do it?! : ) And ahhh..instagram..do you have to have an iPhone or something? I am so clueless here! Love the WIPs and close-ups..it is such a treat to see them. Congrats on this wonderful Iguana project..it turned out beautifully! And looking forward to your recap post! Awesome!!
I love looking at how the illustrations come together. Thanks for sharing yours!


The feel safe and confident at sea, we all want to know what is likely to happen weather-wise over the next few hours and days ahead.
The RYA Weather Handbook has been written to compliment the RYA Day Skipper and RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster syllabi and is recommended reading for anyone taking one of these courses.
But whether you are following an RYA course or just want to understand the weather a little better, this book is full of practical and useful advice on how to understand weather maps and improve your forecasting skills.


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RM talks financial plan, bridgework, and water at April meeting
Published on: April 22, 2019 | Last Updated: April 22, 2019 12:58 PM EDT
RM of Dufferin Reeve George Gray is pleased with all the hard work that went into the 2019 financial plan. (Aaron Wilgosh/Postmedia)
The council to the Rural Municipality of Dufferin met last week with an open hearing held for the 2019 Financial Plan and with just one person in attendance – to discuss another matter – Reeve George Gray is pleased with all the work that went into the budget.
"Yes it takes an awful lot of work from people, and I'd like to congratulate the CAO Sharla Murray, who has done a tremendous job of formulating all the plans," said Gray. "Even with costs rising, we're able to keep our budget increase to 1.723 per cent over the overall budget, which really identifies the success we've had. We're working with the same kind of money and getting everything taken care of while raising our general reserve at the same time."
Gray adds the RM is lowering its debt, and at the same time, the mil rate is still much lower than it was six years ago.
"We're still buying graters, we're helping build a personal care home, we've renovated a bridge, and all these other things, while increasing taxes minimally."
The 2019 Budget Presentation can be found at the bottom of this story.
There was also an open hearing on repairs to Deerhaunt Bridge, west of Carman, which should be reopened in the coming months.
"It's not quite finished yet and won't be open for a little while but it came in on the budget we wanted to spend," said Gray. "It will be good to go for years and the RM is really in good shape for the future."
Also approved at Tuesday's meeting was the purchase of new computers for the RM office for a total of $7,207.87.
"It's an ongoing issue with any office," he said. "Computers are a fact of life now. I am not a computer geek but I know what computers do for business and workspaces, you have to keep up to date."
Currently, the RM of Dufferin office is running five computers, four of which will be getting replaced. The office will now have one Laptop Thinkpad E580 $1,000, and four desktops, 1499: PERFDESIGN: I5-8500 at $1,551.95 each.
"We're replacing them this year and it's because 2007 Windows will no longer be supported come Jan. 1, the computers we have are about six years old and it's really just a cost of doing business," said Gray.
The Rm of Dufferin continues its search of more water for its ratepayers and there are a couple of studies underway being funded by the RM, the Town of Carman, and the Pembina Valley Water Coop.
"There is an awful lot of work being done behind the scenes with committees, of which I sit on them all," added Gray. "There is a group called Strategic has been hired to do an in-depth study on the viability, the cost, the whole procedure of making the Boyne Valley, or Boyne River Dam, a reality. Are we there yet? No. We have to get an analysis done."
Strategic is in the process of another study on four different possible sources of water.
"They're looking into bringing water out of the Assiniboine, most are out of there while some may look at Lake Manitoba, but that's a stretch," said Gray. "It's all in hopes of recharging Stephenfield Lake. Carman, the RM of Dufferin, and the Pembina Valley Water Coop and the irrigators have dedicated funds to fund the study and the studies should come to a conclusion by March of next year."
Gray knows the final decision will all come down to money, but the need for water in the region is high so options will be weighed.
"We even are looking at the upper reaches of the Stephenfield Lake, there are spots where we might be able to get water into," Gray finalized. "It's a slow process. We're aggressive in our search for more water to fill the needs of our ratepayers and our growth is governed by that lack of water. Whether it is the irrigators, potable water, we need water and we're working on it."
2019 Budget Presentation.
Incredible Creatures - Be careful what you eat, poisonous birds	 Cougars pick up MHSAA awards at Basketball MB Banquet


Here we are one full year later. Grandkids went back to school today. They are very excited to meet their teachers and hope to see friends from last year. Grandma Cat hopes to get back on track. Haven't 'blogged' for a full year because the connection from the Captive Illusions domain name wouldn't connect to the blog, which made the blog next to impossible to find. My daughter, De'Anna, visited from Colorado a couple of weeks ago and straightened everything out for me. Let's hear it for daughters...Hip Hip Hooray!
I've been helping said daughter, De'Anna, build inventory for a craft fair she will be doing in October in Colorado. I used Simplicity pattern 1957 (shown below) to make these sweet miniature aprons. I intended to make them for decorative purposes like it shows on the pattern below; however, the aprons fit Barbie dolls perfectly.
I've made 36 of the full aprons and intend to make a dozen or so out of Christmas fabric. If I do not run out of time, I'll make a couple dozen or so of the 1/2 aprons as well. These are fun and quick. The first apron took about 30 minutes, but after tweaking the pattern a bit, I can now make them in 10 minutes. They are fully lined and didn't cost a thing as I've got drawers of scrap fabric that I've saved for quilting.
Time to get this blog posted, get shipping done, finish the laundry, make some zucchini bread before the grandkids get home from school, get some accounting done, make a grocery list.....and so on and so forth!
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Mark's cruise in Granby CT usually does a Camaro and/or Pontiac night every year. They don't have one scheduled yet but keep an eye on their website.
Marks Theme Nights are so screwed up this year it's going to be hard to figure out LOL. But last year's Camaro/Firebird night was in September or maybe October? I went last week, there were at least 700 cars, nice turnout. There was a semi-Camaro show a week or so ago in Chicopee which I missed bc the car was down waiting on parts to finish the front end brakes, steering, suspension makeover.


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