WHAT CAN(T) WAIT by Ashley Hope Perez brings to us Marisa Moreno, a seventeen-year old from
Ms. Perez nails the authentic voice of a young
Friday, September 2, 2011
A Review of What Can(t) Wait by Ashley Hope Perez
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Rip The Page ... A Fun Book for Young Writers
...Win a copy of Rip The Page ... if you know a young writer, here is your chance to win a copy of this great resource for writers of all ages. Do you have a writing tip to share? Leave a comment below to enter the contest. Rip The Page!
Adventures in Creative Writing
By Karen Benke
“Here are the ideas, experiments, and inspiration to get your writing to flow off the page! … with zany prompts … and letters of encouragement written directly to you from famous authors ….”
Dear Teen Author,
This is a book is for you. It is full of creative ideas designed to excite and encourage you to write. There are question to ask yourself and lists full of words to drop onto the page. There are notes from other writers, like Naomi Shihab Nye who will tell you that there is nothing too small to notice. And C.B. Follett who will suggest that you “let your poem lead you.” Award winning author Karen Cushman writes to find out what happens to her characters. And so can you.
Do you have a memory that won’t go away? Questions without answers? A desire to show and not tell? This book will help you uncover the stories of your life and help you capture them in a fresh, new way, and drop them onto the page.
Author Karen Benke says: “It’s a book for you to write in, explore, share, and rip— that’s right, you get to tear pages right out of this book!”
One more thing … there are names and addresses of publishers who just might be interested in your first, or next story.
Enjoy!
Note: If you ever imagined that you might have a story to tell Rip The Page is the book is for you.
--
Adventures in Creative Writing
By Karen Benke
“Here are the ideas, experiments, and inspiration to get your writing to flow off the page! … with zany prompts … and letters of encouragement written directly to you from famous authors ….”
Dear Teen Author,
This is a book is for you. It is full of creative ideas designed to excite and encourage you to write. There are question to ask yourself and lists full of words to drop onto the page. There are notes from other writers, like Naomi Shihab Nye who will tell you that there is nothing too small to notice. And C.B. Follett who will suggest that you “let your poem lead you.” Award winning author Karen Cushman writes to find out what happens to her characters. And so can you.
Do you have a memory that won’t go away? Questions without answers? A desire to show and not tell? This book will help you uncover the stories of your life and help you capture them in a fresh, new way, and drop them onto the page.
Author Karen Benke says: “It’s a book for you to write in, explore, share, and rip— that’s right, you get to tear pages right out of this book!”
One more thing … there are names and addresses of publishers who just might be interested in your first, or next story.
Enjoy!
Note: If you ever imagined that you might have a story to tell Rip The Page is the book is for you.
--
Helping Kids Write - A Guide to Nurturing Writing at Every Stage...
The Right Start
A Guide to Nurturing Writing at Every Stage, from Scribbling to Forming Letters and Writing Stories
By Jennifer Hallissy
A Guide to Nurturing Writing at Every Stage, from Scribbling to Forming Letters and Writing Stories
By Jennifer Hallissy
Contest: Win a copy of this book by leaving a writing tip in the comment line below.
“Learning to write is a milestone of childhood, one that ranks right up there with baby’s first smile, first steps, and first words.” Author quote
Kids have great stories to tell and with a little encouragement and the right tools these storytellers can become great writers. Whether your child is a scribbler (learning to hold the crayon), a speller (hard at work learning to master letter formation), a storyteller (they can talk on the page!), or a scholar (writers who are also readers) Jennifer Hallisy has written the book on how to create young writers.
Each of the four categories is designed to help you identify the child’s development stage and how best to provide them with a solid foundation of writing basics. From teaching them how to hold a pencil and form the letters of the alphabet, to creating writing spaces and meaningful writing rituals at home, this book gives you all the information and inspiration you need to raise a confident writer.*
A great tool for anyone who works with children (parents and grandparents, homeschooling moms, teachers, and other OT’s) and can easily fit into a daily or weekly schedule.
“In order to help guide your children in the “write” direction, it helps to know exactly where you’re going.” Ms. Hallisy has written the book that will help you and your child every step of the way.
Note: There are 52 playful activities to guide you and each comes with specific instructions for your child. Templates to jump-start writing activities are included.
Jennifer Hallissy is a mom, a pediatric occupational therapist and a blogger (her blog The Right Start is here: http://thewritestart.typepad.com/ and contains great photos). Her
Includes 52 playful activities
*quoted from the back cover
--
Friday, July 29, 2011
Charlie Reese's Final Column ... His last column is here...
“Why we have taxes and deficits”
Charley Reese’s Final Column…Retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel…
Charley Reese is retiring. His last column is this one. I know many will miss this southern gentleman.. He had a great run and we are all better off for it.
Farewell, Mr. Reese, and thank you.
Charley Reese has been a journalist for 49 years.
Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.
This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be – read it!! The article below is completely neutral, not anti republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It’s a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!
545 vs. 300,000,000
EVERY CITIZEN NEEDS TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS JOURNALIST HAS SCRIPTED IN THIS MESSAGE. READ IT AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR CURRENT POLITICAL DEBACLE.
545 PEOPLE–By Charlie Reese
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them..
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
100 senators, 435 in the House, 1 President, and 9 Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but PRIVATE, central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 543 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits….. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted — by present facts — of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can’t think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red ..
If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it’s because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan …
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it’s because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation,” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they alone, have the power..
They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.
Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees…
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
What you do with this article now that you have read it……… Is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren’t so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he’s fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won’t be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He’s good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he’s laid…
Put these words
Upon his tomb,
Taxes drove me
to my doom…’
When he’s gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax..
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What in the hell happened?
Can you spell ‘politicians?’
Share and Enjoy:
Categories : Taxes Comments
Bob says:
March 17, 2011 at 10:48 am
VN:R_U [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)49 years of great writing but why did you save your very best for last?
You hit the nail 100% dead on the head.
Please reconsider retirement until we start the reversal with some potential leaders like Allen West and Mark Rubio as candidates for President and Vice-President respectively.
Charley Reese’s Final Column…Retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel…
Charley Reese is retiring. His last column is this one. I know many will miss this southern gentleman.. He had a great run and we are all better off for it.
Farewell, Mr. Reese, and thank you.
Charley Reese has been a journalist for 49 years.
Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.
This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be – read it!! The article below is completely neutral, not anti republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It’s a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!
545 vs. 300,000,000
EVERY CITIZEN NEEDS TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS JOURNALIST HAS SCRIPTED IN THIS MESSAGE. READ IT AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR CURRENT POLITICAL DEBACLE.
545 PEOPLE–By Charlie Reese
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them..
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
100 senators, 435 in the House, 1 President, and 9 Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but PRIVATE, central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 543 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits….. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted — by present facts — of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can’t think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red ..
If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it’s because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan …
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it’s because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation,” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they alone, have the power..
They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.
Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees…
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
What you do with this article now that you have read it……… Is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren’t so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he’s fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won’t be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He’s good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he’s laid…
Put these words
Upon his tomb,
Taxes drove me
to my doom…’
When he’s gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax..
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What in the hell happened?
Can you spell ‘politicians?’
Share and Enjoy:
Categories : Taxes Comments
Bob says:
March 17, 2011 at 10:48 am
VN:R_U [1.9.10_1130]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)49 years of great writing but why did you save your very best for last?
You hit the nail 100% dead on the head.
Please reconsider retirement until we start the reversal with some potential leaders like Allen West and Mark Rubio as candidates for President and Vice-President respectively.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Best-selling Author Debbie Macomber Lives At 1105 Yakima Street
“The books in Macomber’s contemporary Cedar Cove series are irresistibly delicious and addictive.” Publishers Weekly Review (44 Cranberry Point)
1105 Yakima Street
1105 Yakima Street
by Debbie Macomber
_This is the story of Cabot Cove resident Bruce Peyton, his daughter Jolene and her step- mom Rachel. Jolene and Rachel shared a wonderful friendship before Rachel and Bruce fell in love and quickly married.
_Suddenly, everyone’s life is in turmoil … Rachel is pregnant and out of the house, Jolene is jealous and upset, and Bruce doesn’t know what to do first … or next. When’s Rachel confides in Nate her former suitor the complications escalate.
“Readers new to Macomber’s considerable narrative charms will have no problem picking up the story, while loyal fans are in for a treat.” BOOKLIST Review (6 Rainier Drive)
_Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author with over 100 million copies of her books in print. She has become a leading voice in women’s fiction world-wide.
_Her Cedar Cove series (1105 Yakima Street is book #11) written over the past eleven years is regularly reviewed by Publishers Weekly, Romantic Times, and the New York Journal of Books.
“Macomber deftly combines sweet romance and a breath of suspense without losing the homespun charm that’s been delighting readers for years.” Romantic Times Review (92 Pacific Boulevard)
There is also a Debbie Macomber spin-off Cedar Cove Cookbook.
Mini-Writers Workshop (Follow the Rules of the Genre and The Series Novel) - Readers know what they like! and romance readers are particularly loyal to their genre and favorite authors. They purchase these genre-specific novels (and the authors who write them) because they deliver.
_While all satisfying stories have great characters, a compelling opening line, an interesting plotline and proper ending, genre novels come with their own specific guidelines (no, not formulas). But beware: break the contract, lose the sale.
_Writing the series novel comes with certain guidelines … and the necessity of creating a series bible. General advice is that the series character should be interesting and compelling and not change or die (unless the series is to end!). While each book will have a specific story question(s) to answer and must be able to stand alone, tying up loose ends isn’t important. These dangling ends are what help sell the next novel in the series.
_In the Cedar Cove series the community is the continuing character and provides the author with endless story possibilities.
_If you have an idea for a great romance (and book one in a possible series) it is important to really know the rules, and the authors’ who regularly deliver.
_Do your research … before you write your first or next draft. For those interested in love this can be a welcoming market.
_Romance readers are always on the look-out for the next creative genre-true novel.
_Suddenly, everyone’s life is in turmoil … Rachel is pregnant and out of the house, Jolene is jealous and upset, and Bruce doesn’t know what to do first … or next. When’s Rachel confides in Nate her former suitor the complications escalate.
“Readers new to Macomber’s considerable narrative charms will have no problem picking up the story, while loyal fans are in for a treat.” BOOKLIST Review (6 Rainier Drive)
_Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author with over 100 million copies of her books in print. She has become a leading voice in women’s fiction world-wide.
_Her Cedar Cove series (1105 Yakima Street is book #11) written over the past eleven years is regularly reviewed by Publishers Weekly, Romantic Times, and the New York Journal of Books.
“Macomber deftly combines sweet romance and a breath of suspense without losing the homespun charm that’s been delighting readers for years.” Romantic Times Review (92 Pacific Boulevard)
There is also a Debbie Macomber spin-off Cedar Cove Cookbook.
Mini-Writers Workshop (Follow the Rules of the Genre and The Series Novel) - Readers know what they like! and romance readers are particularly loyal to their genre and favorite authors. They purchase these genre-specific novels (and the authors who write them) because they deliver.
_While all satisfying stories have great characters, a compelling opening line, an interesting plotline and proper ending, genre novels come with their own specific guidelines (no, not formulas). But beware: break the contract, lose the sale.
_Writing the series novel comes with certain guidelines … and the necessity of creating a series bible. General advice is that the series character should be interesting and compelling and not change or die (unless the series is to end!). While each book will have a specific story question(s) to answer and must be able to stand alone, tying up loose ends isn’t important. These dangling ends are what help sell the next novel in the series.
_In the Cedar Cove series the community is the continuing character and provides the author with endless story possibilities.
_If you have an idea for a great romance (and book one in a possible series) it is important to really know the rules, and the authors’ who regularly deliver.
_Do your research … before you write your first or next draft. For those interested in love this can be a welcoming market.
_Romance readers are always on the look-out for the next creative genre-true novel.
A copy of this novel was provided by Harlequin Publishing House for the purpose of review. My comments are my own.
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