907 Updates November 1, 2016

Today's selection -- from Voyagers to the West by Bernard Bailyn. By the late 1700s, the trickle of immigrants from Britain to America had turned into a flood, depopulating many British villages and adversely impacting the rental income of powerful British landowners. The British blamed the availability of so much land in America, which brought […]

Today's selection -- from A Brief History of Doom by Richard Vague. In the 1980s and early 1990s, many Americans thought Japan was going to surpass the United States to become the world's largest economy, and some even arranged Japanese language lessons for their children to prepare them for a new world order: "In 2016, […]

To celebrate the publication of Lawyers, Guns and Money today, I’ve put New York Minute for free today, 16 Sept. Also free is Burners. The pre-order for the third book in the series, coming out in December, is also live. Walk on the Wild Side. Also, today is the last day for the Off the […]

When I was in 10th Special Forces, we tried a program that was called Trojan Warrior. 2 A-Teams were chosen to participate in this, while my team took all the tests, but didn’t get the training, as the measuring mark. Those teams were taught meditation, proper diet, biofeedback and more. They had sports experts come […]

Why does time seem to go faster as we grow older? Continue reading

What could you do to become a better blogger? These are the five actions I've taken. Continue reading

on Helping Writers become Authors: Writing is magic,” notes Stephen King, the most prolific author in history, “as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.” I concur, so much so that it is the featured quote on my website. But is […]

Round brackets, or parentheses, crop up less frequently than many punctuation symbols in fiction writing, but that doesn’t mean we must ban them. This post explores two ways to make them work effectively. Continue reading HERE

after a breakfast with the grandies sandwiches, coleslaw, hash browns, pancakes, and juice talk turned to our worst juices tomato. lemon. ‘mine is hot dog juice, i tried it.’ yes, you win.    — “what is all this juice and all this joy?” -gerard manley hopkins  

(A sestina is a 7 stanza poem. The first 6 stanzas have 6 lines where the final word of each line is used in each position once.  It ends with a 3 line stanza with two of the words in … Continue reading →

I repeat this series in particular every year, in the hopes that those who are new to the blog will find it interesting and useful. I worked with couples who were planning on getting pregnant and it was important that … Continue reading →

I find myself, today, looking up the football schedule for the University of South Carolina. We’ve always been a LSU family because H went to school there. It doesn’t hurt that I’m from Louisiana. Then…Andrew decided to go to Troy State University to pursue his college career. That’s when he became a part of The […]

Today I turn 36! Age is just a number, they say, and the older I get, the more I realize the truth in that statement. With every year, I feel both changed and exactly the same. There are parts of me that will always be and there are parts that will shift over time. One […]

Not a heavy frost, I’ll grant you, but a frost this morning nonetheless. So that’s it then. Polar bears at … More

I didn’t know whether to laugh or to regurgitate my supper. Sometime during the night last night-  I have no … More

Romance Gems, my group blog, is having a great Giveaway in September so I'm sending some Link Love their way.It's all about getting back to you as an individual, not just a parent taking care of the kids on summer vacation.So the prizes in the September Back to School? Back to YOU! Giveaway are sure […]

Life is change. How many times have you heard that?I was at a party Friday night, and a friend and I were talking about some things happening in our community that are unsettling and puzzling.I think one of the problems is that change is coming with the election of new officials. This change means following […]

********* The Cape Peninsula and Western Cape region are absolutely breathtaking! I especially love the turquoise waters that are so typical for the Cape scenery. You can instantly recognize this region just by that color – that’s how special it is! A Road Trip Around the Cape Peninsula One of the most fun things to do […]

"Jacqueline Cochran was looking for WASP.  They told me I would have to be interviewed and they would contact me when they came to the Wichita area.  But I didn’t wait for that.  I went down to Houston for my interview, to speed things up.  And I think that’s one of the smartest things I […]

"My first flight was with a barnstormer at the age of five.  I loved it!  I also tried to 'fly' out of the barn loft with an umbrella.  This was less than successful..."  WASP Jean Terrell McCreery, 44-10 The indomitable Marguerite Jean Terrell Moreo McCreery has "...slipped the surly bonds of Earth. And danced the skies on […]

The Minstral Show – (Episode 075) Welcome to the Minstral Show, the podcast that spotlights the very best music from around the world, made exclusively in the 21st century. Today’s episode brings you great new music by The Rembrandts, James Parker, Smoke Stack Rhino, Peter Buffett, The Claim, Gandalf’s Fist and Fink; along with exceptional […]

I read this YA book in the mid to late 70’s. It is definitely NOT Deathwatch or The Most Dangerous Game but it has similarities to both.  A man is being hunted by another man – I think simply because … Continue reading →

Lessons from a One Night Stand (The Baileys Book 1) by Piper Rayne  Narrated by Tanya Eby and Tim Paige  1st Standalone in a closely related series.  I had Lessons from a One Night Stand by Piper Rayne on my TBR list for a while and just couldn’t get to it, so I was thrilled […]

Just 99 cents! Benefits St. Jude Hospital! NY Times, USA Today, & Award-Winning Romance Authors bring you the HEA Box Set of the Season! 10 NEW BOOKS to warm your heart and curl your toes! Each novel in this sweet to steamy romance set has a Mistletoe Lodge, none the same, but all magical, Christmasy […]

Ahhhh, as much as I adore summer and can never get enough of the lovely warm months in my cold hemisphere, there is something about falling into autumn that is lovely too. The crisp air is invigorating, and the excitement of the kids going to back to school is contagious. I always feel ready to […]

We are excited to give away an Amazon Gift Card worth $20 to one of our lucky visitors. We will be doing many more of these in the future. This is the first one we have done in a while. To enter, please follow the instructions on the giveaway app below. Good luck! a Rafflecopter […]

We love introducing Prolific Works readers to great stories and big ideas. Take a chance on new authors and try great stories from old favorites. See it first every day with Prolific Works and be free to discover authors you’ll love. We’re thrilled to share the latest and greatest from our teen and young adult […]

August 1941. "Harvesting wheat with combines on Schnitzler Corporation ranch at Froid, Montana. There are about 2,800 acres on this part of the ranch and they are getting over forty bushels to the acre. It is one of the largest wheat ranches in the West." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the […]

The best anniversary gifts do not need to cost a lot of money. Gifts that are meaningful hold as much importance as monetary value, particularly if you have spent time and effort to find the perfect gift.  Your anniversary is a celebration of the two of you as a couple, so a gift could be […]

Top 10 Packing Cubes Packing Cubes Buying Guide There are many benefits to using packing cubes.  Below, we have listed many of the benefits...

The Things I Liked This Week August 4, 2019 I started doing The Things I Liked This Week in June 2015 and it’s definitely become my favorite regular post. I love adding to my list throughout the week. Here are the things I liked this week: 1. Remu the Cheetah Companion Dog The Cincinnati Zoo […]

Readers often ask if IKEA furniture is non-toxic.  As is often the case when searching for non-toxic products, the answer is not a simple yes or no.  In general, IKEA is a good first place to start when looking for affordable items with lower levels of toxicity because the company has long been committed to […]

Question from Miriam I generally try to avoid acrylic but my son would really like this lamp for his room that is acrylic.  Would you consider this non-toxic? The description says: Expertly crafted of acrylic and iron. Metal parts are finished in Satin Nickel. On/off switch located on clear cord. Shade is included and exterior […]

So I’m officially jealous of the Eustis High School hot pepper plant. I grow lots of peppers–hot, sweet and Hungarian–and my plants have NEVER grown larger than 18″ in height. Ever. Imagine my surprise when I visited the high school this week to discover this enormous pepper plant! I stopped. Blinked. And double-checked the fruit […]

Among homeowners, there has been some debate over using pressure-treated lumber when building raised beds for the home vegetable garden, specifically regarding the safety of our food consumption. As a mother, I completely understand the concern. I’m an organic gardener because I want the best for my family–no toxic chemicals, pesticides, GMOs, etc. While my […]

Moisturizing, astringent, and stimulating to circulation, this all-natural undereye serum can be helpful for dark circles and puffy skin. The recipe was discovered within the pages of the Botanical Skin Care Recipe Book. Created as a companion to the Herbal Academy’s lovely Botanical Skin Care Course, the recipe book is also sold separately on their […]

Crowd-pleasing mac and cheese made on a sheet pan! Perfectly cheesy + creamy with the maximum amount of crunchy bits. MIND BLOWN. No one could sit still the day that we were shooting and testing this recipe. NOPE. We all sat there, hoping to get this shot in 10 seconds. That way, we could all […]

September 25th is National Quesadilla Day

The post September 17, 2019 – NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL HOUSE CLEANERS DAY – NATIONAL IT PROFESSIONALS DAY – CONSTITUTION DAY AND CITIZENSHIP DAY – NATIONAL APPLE DUMPLING DAY – NATIONAL MONTE CRISTO DAY appeared first on National Day Calendar.

These Lamb Koftas are a long standing personal favourite Middle Eastern recipe! Made with lamb mince (ground lamb) and a hefty dose of spices, the smell when this is cooking is intoxicating! You’ll be surprised how many of the spices you already have for this Lamb Koftas recipe – they’re pantry standards. Stuff these in warm... […]

The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier High fantasy released by Penguin on September 3, 2019 Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and is a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan’s burning ambition is to join the elite warrior […]

Guest review of The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier High fantasy released by Penguin on September 3, 2019 Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and is a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan’s burning ambition is to join […]

September 15Flew from Denver to Fort Lauderdale to meet with college friends.  Eventually, I will also reunite with one more college friend down in Key West, FL.  Otto, Lee and I will all be turning 60 within a month of each other's birthdays soon so we decided to do a joint celebration in Key West.I […]

September 12Woke to temperatures in the low 40s, a tad chilly as I'd not run the catalytic heater.  Slept fine, but getting out from under the covers proved difficult until my bladder declared it was time.Waited till the temperatures were above 50 degress (barely) and headed out on Fiona to check out the end of […]

I wrote this column eighteen years ago. It was originally published in The Nevada Appeal on September 26, 2001 My Own Battlefields in This New War “It’s awful here.  BUT I’M ALIVE,” our older daughter finally wrote in response to one of my frantic emails.  She had moved to New York City just six days […]

Reblogged from Joy Lennick: ‘Fire!’ and separate tables! Or the everyday life of a hotelier… We were still wondering about our quirky guest, nicknamed “Dr.Strangeglove,” but gradually life showed us a more mundane face, and as it was then winter, … Continue reading →

* … With all this in mind, It becomes increasingly difficult not to grow inordinately ‘suspicious’ of letters. * A lot of people strive for ‘letters’ after their name, either believing, or having been told, or both, that this represents … Continue reading →