Product DescriptionBlack magic and murder in medieval England.Matthias Fitzosbert, illegitimate son of a parish priest, has a unique relationship with Rosifer, the fallen angel—the spirit he loves yet hates, strives to placate yet ultimately must flee. The story of Matthias is played out against the vivid panorama of the Middle Ages: the fall of Constantinople; the last throes of the Wars of the Roses; the terror of witchcraft; the loneliness of the Scottish marches; the battlefield… More >> The Rose Demon: A Terrifying Tale of Medieval England
Archive for July, 2010
The Rose Demon: A Terrifying Tale of Medieval England
Posted by admin on July 31st, 2010
Posted in Historical Fiction Books 
Tags: demon, England, Medieval, Rose, Tale, Terrifying 
4 Comments »Karen Kingsbury?
Posted by admin on July 31st, 2010
Doesn’t she write about Amish people a lot? Or Historical Fiction?
Book Review: Paris, Moi and the Gang: a Memoir of Sorts by Frances Gendlin
Posted by admin on July 31st, 2010
Paris, Moi and the Gang: A Memoir…of Sorts Frances Gendlin 978-0982369807 Summertime Publications, Incorporated (January 20, 2010) Paris, Moi and the Gang is part faux memoir, part travel guide, and part romance novel and is absolutely entertaining. Frances Gendlin is a veteran travel author; she writes with a friendly, conversational style that will quickly have you feeling like you and she are old friends. The story is told from protagonist Frances’ point-of-view as she researches and writes her latest Paris guide. Paris, Moi and the Gang follows an eclectic group of friends affectionately known as the Gang. This group of American Expatriates truly cares about and supports each other through the successes and failures of daily life in “the city of light.” The gang’s number grows and shrinks as members travel abroad or return from stints in the US. There’s Caroline, the historian, who is researching the history of famous Americans who lived in Paris for her own book; and Sandra, the divorced pianist, and a connoisseur of everything Parisienne from the shopping to the men. Men are not left out of this club and we meet the recent widower, wine aficionado and master of high finance, Richard. Paul and Klaus are the self-professed Oldest Queens in Paris. “The boys” have an endearing uncles-niece type relationship with Frances and are never far when needed for advice on men, failed relationships, and the best spots to lunch. The chain-smoking Alice and her husband, the crusty Findlay, who have called Paris home for over 60 years, round out the circle. Life in Paris appears simple enough; write a little, greet friends with a warm kiss, sit down for great food, wine and conversation at a wonderful locale. However, as Frances often remarks, “everything in Paris is an event.” Gendlin shows how seemingly simple tasks like sorting out a cell phone glitch or having new house keys cut become a prolonged adventure sure to test even the most reserved temper, as customer service is non-existent. This is where the guide portion of the book shines as Gendlin gives helpful hints for dealing with cashiers, repairmen, and shop owners in procedures differing from that in the States. Throughout the book are sidebars containing a wealth of useful hints, history, and advice. From the best cheese, bread, and wine, to a unique recipe for scrambled eggs with truffles, to a full restaurant guide and a helpful look at accents. Frances has an appreciation for living in Paris and a romance, so to speak, with the city, not that she doesn’t see her fair share of attention from men. She picks her male “projects” and then goes with the flow as events unfold as they may, much like she does everyday. From this book, I take away a belief that visiting Paris for a few weeks of vacation is like taking a single sip of a fine wine; you get a nice taste but not the full experience. Whether Paris, Moi and the Gang is fiction or memoir, it is an exceptional book with characters and scenery so well written and described that you are captivated from the first chapter and your interest is held until the final pages. Anyone contemplating a move to life in Paris must read this book. Think of it as a test-drive! This book is easy to enjoy; if you add it to your summer reading list, it won’t disappoint. Highly Recommend by William Potter for Reader’s Choice Book Reviews Frances Gendlin brings to this new book her experiences as a successful writer of travel guides. Formerly, she held leadership positions in American publishing, as Editor of Sierra Magazine and Executive Director of the Association of American University Presses. Also directing her own editorial consulting business, The Right Word, she taught writing to foreign businessmen and helped writers with their works-in-progress. Since then, indulging her love for travel and adventure, she has written multiple guidebooks to Rome, Paris, and San Francisco. For the last decade, Fran Gendlin has lived in Paris, delving ever deeper into the French culture, enjoying the French-American expatriate way of life, and being a member of the international literary community.
Robert Blair Kaiser’s Cardinal Mahony (pub. 2007): a Book Review
Posted by admin on July 31st, 2010
This novel begins with the transformation of a fictionalized American cardinal after he realizes he has conducted himself more like the chief executive officer of a big business rather than as a pastor whose life reflects Christ’s teachings to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the sick, etc. At the outset, many readers might feel they could predict the outcome before finishing the novel: the prelate would be treated like a pariah by his fellow bishops and quietly removed from his post, with a successor appointed who understands the foremost rule of today’s Catholic bishops is to fall in lockstep behind the pope. But the novel has unexpected twists and turns. Approximately one-quarter through the book, the author, a former journalist who covered the Vatican II council for TIME magazine, introduced a number of thought-provoking ideas to enhance the laity’s participation in all aspects of the church. As the much beloved good Pope John XXIII once said, “The Catholic Church is its people,” as distinguished from its hierarchy. In the novel, the priest shortage leads one church in California administered by a nun to have communion services in lieu of a mass. But the nun in this story does something relatively unique: she invites the small congregation to join her in saying the eucharistic prayer in unison out loud. When word of these communion services reaches the local bishop and eventually the Vatican, all the conservatives are horrified that this upstart nun is democratizing the mass and letting all the congregation join in feeling they play a role in consecrating bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. But a participant at the communion service describes it this way. “First thing I’d say, we don’t call them Masses. Second thing, these are the most devout, solemn liturgies I have ever seen. When we say the words (of the eucharistic prayer), we say them in the kind of wonder-filled tones we use when we’re reading our nieces and nephews their bedtime stories.” Nevertheless the Vatican and America’s conservative bishops get all in a tizzy over the very thought of people saying the same words used by the priest at mass. The typical Catholic mass in America involves a priest giving a too-long homily and then making up for lost time by racing through the shortest eucharistic prayer for consecration. Because of this time constraint, the fourth eucharistic prayer, which is the longest of the four prayers available for consecration, is seldom used. Yet Eucharistic Prayer IV contains the most beautiful words of all: “Father, you so loved the world that in the fullness of time you sent your only Son to be our Savior. He was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, a man like us in all things but sin. To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation, to prisoners, freedom, and to those in sorrow, joy. In fulfillment of your will he gave himself up to death; but by rising from the dead, he destroyed death and restored life. And that we might live no longer for ourselves but for him, he sent the Holy Spirit from you, Father, as his first gift to those who believe, to complete his work on earth and bring us the fullness of grace.” Why NOT let the laity — the congregation — say these beautiful words out loud during mass? For too long, the conservatives running the Church have tried to maintain the pre-Vatican II notion that the clergy dispense God’s graces and the laity’s job is to seek passively these ministerial graces from clergy – in a process ultimately controlled by the Vatican. Yet, in 1965 towards the end of the Vatican II council, Pope Paul VI noted that the passive nature of the laity had changed. Outside of mass, Vatican II sought to codify and recognize the laity had spiritual gifts equal to (if not greater than) the spiritual gifts of the clergy. How welcome indeed then are the scenes depicted in CARDINAL MAHONY, in which the Church in California, and eventually across the country, rallies around the renegade nun, forces the conservative hierarchy to back down, and demands a greater say in the administration of the church and the accountability of its bishops. The novel explains the concept of an autochthonous church – which is 100% Catholic and loyal to the pope, yet retains for itself certain decision-making power. As Kaiser explains, autochthony does not mean autonomy; it means “home grown.” According to Kaiser, as of 2007, the Vatican recognizes twenty-one autochthonous churches inside the Catholic Church. These churches include the Melkites in Lebanon, the Maronites, and an Eastern European branch that has maintained married Catholic priests from its first existence. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church in Africa and Latin America today already has “home grown” elements in the prevalence of priests with unofficial companions. “It’s an open secret that many Roman Catholic priests — especially in African and Latin American nations — have taken common-law wives,” wrote Don Lattin in a nationally circulated religious article for the San Francisco Chronicle in 1994. Reading CARDINAL MAHONY will cause readers to reexamine their faith and what they have been taught about the church since childhood catechism classes. Whether it is greater accountability of diocesan finances or censorship of dissenting views by the Catholic press, genuine reforms are still needed worldwide in the Roman Catholic Church. Hundreds of millions of Catholics left the church during the long reign of Pope John Paul II, because they were spiritually unfed. Similarly, the results of polling on religion in America released in late February 2008 by the Pew Foundation showed Roman Catholics were more likely than any other denomination to abandon their faith. The Roman Catholic Church depicted in CARDINAL MAHONY is so hopeful and inspiring that it comes as a let down when the book is finished, and the reader [...]
Can anyone point me to some good Southern fiction?
Posted by admin on July 31st, 2010
I love southern women writers. Some of my fav authors, unsuspecting treasures that I found quite by accident. Dixie Carter (wrote her autobiography that is very very touching) Bailey White Barbra Kingsolver. Does anyone know these gals and their style, and more importantly, can you point me to some more great Southern fiction?
Resurrection or Deception?
Posted by admin on July 31st, 2010
The story of Jesus’ resurrection is a compelling one, but is it true? How can we in the twenty-first century account for this Gospel story? Possible Explanations: Mass Hallucinations Could it have been a mass hallucination? That’s not a likely answer. Too many people saw the resurrected Jesus over too long a period of time to dismiss it as a mass hallucination. Besides, hallucinations don’t have physical bodies to touch, and they don’t eat and carry on prolonged conversations. Moreover, mass hallucination does not explain the empty grave. No, mass hallucination is not a satisfactory answer. Swoon Theory Some speculate Jesus was still alive when taken down from the cross. He had merely fainted and gone into a coma. Aroma from the burial spices revived him in the tomb. He got up, rolled back the stone, and walked away. Somewhere along the way, he happened to find some clean clothes. Dressed in his new apparel, he ran into Mary Magdalene and her friends. They were startled, so much so, they ran off and spread conflicting rumors about his return from death. Then Jesus dropped in on his disciples. They misinterpreted the entire event thinking he was a ghost. Jesus attempted to convince his friends he was still a man. He even had them touch his crucifixion wounds. Despite his efforts, they would not be persuaded. Eventually he gave up and set out for some unknown destination where he lived the rest of his life anonymously. He never taught, preached, or performed another miracle. And no one ever discovered his true identity. It’s a wonder, Hollywood hasn’t picked up on this idea and made a film about “The Great Deception.” Maybe they have and I missed it. That theory has a few holes in it, large gaping holes at that. It is rather apparent that Jesus did die on the cross. That’s what the soldiers breaking legs said, and that’s what the soldier with the spear made sure of. That is also what the centurion reported to Pilate. These men were familiar with death and they were well-acquainted with crucifixion. They could tell the difference between an alive and a dead man. Furthermore, they knew how to make sure a man is dead. In other words, the crucifixion detail knew its grisly task. But just for the sake of argument, let’s say Jesus wasn’t dead, even after the spear thrust in his side. In that case Joseph and Nicodemus placed an unconscious, badly damaged, bleeding body in a cool tomb and wrapped spices around him. But he still wouldn’t have a chance. Shock would more than likely kill him; if not, he would certainly bleed to death. Those large nail holes through his wrists and heels would render his hands and feet useless. He wouldn’t be able to move himself, to say nothing of the heavy stone at the entrance. No, the “swoon theory” doesn’t work. Let’s go back to Friday. Friday evening before 6 pm, Joseph rolled a heavy stone closing the entrance to the tomb. Inside is Jesus’ disfigured dead body wrapped in linen and covered with seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes. Early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene, her companions, the apostles Peter and John, and even the guards and the chief priests all seem to agree: The body is missing. So what happened to Jesus’ body? There are only two possible answers. Either someone removed the corpse, or Jesus arose from death. Someone Stole the Corpse Let’s consider the first possibility. Someone took Jesus’ body away. Who would want it? Certainly not the religious or civil authorities. They were the ones who had the tomb secured, specifically so no one would tamper with the body. What about the disciples or maybe even grave robbers? Could they have stolen the body? No. The sealed tomb and guards were adequate protection against theft. But didn’t the chief priests and soldiers claim, “the disciples stole the body while the guards were asleep”? (Matthew 28:12-13) That’s what they said; but it doesn’t make sense. How would the guards have known the disciples took the corpse if they were asleep? And how could the disciples have rolled back a sealed, or even an unsealed, heavy stone without awaking the guards? Remember the chief priests spoke of shielding the guards should Pilate hear that they slept on duty? (Matthew 28:14) Those were Roman soldiers. The usual punishment for a Roman soldier who fell asleep at his post was death. Considering those consequences, it’s very unlikely they were all asleep at the same time. If they had been asleep, they would be the last ones to admit it. What’s more, why should the same Jewish leaders who asked for the guard detail be eager to cover-up for the guards who went to sleep on their requested assignment? The most that can be said for it is that it is an awkward story that doesn’t pass scrutiny. Nobody got past the guards and the sealed tomb to steal the body. Disciples Bribed Guards and Took Corpse If that idea doesn’t fly, let’s try something more plausible. Maybe the disciples bribed the guards and got Jesus’ body out with the help of the Roman soldiers. Certainly, the Jews proved the soldiers could be bought for a price. Bribing the Roman guards has its own set of problems. The first problem is the disciples themselves. They were frightened and disillusioned. They were not in a frame of mind to bribe the guards for Jesus’ corpse. Even if they had been, the disciples were not noted for their wealth. And the guards risk their own lives by taking a bribe of that sort. It follows they would require a very large payoff to take such a gamble. Let’s face it, offering a bribe to the guards would be risky business. If negotiations with the soldiers broke down, the [...]
Finance Summary VI – Economics and Its Great Men,Macroeconomics,Accounting and auditing
Posted by admin on July 31st, 2010
Economics and Its Great Men. Economics is a science concerned with how people use available resources to satisfy their wants through the process of production and exchange.Adam Smith was the founding father of modern economics as an academic discipline. He was born in 1723. For most of his life he was a professor of philosophy in Glasgow, Scotland. His first and only economic book, The Wealth of Nations, was not published until 1776, when he was 53.Smith tried to explain why some nations become wealthier than others. He believed that a free market would maximize the welfare of population. For his opinion the role of government in the economy should be minimal, because the government restraints on competition did more harm then good. He thought that competitive business the best way to increase the wealth of nation and only market intervention should be to prevent monopoly and to promote competition.Adam Smith argued that technical progress, division of labour and free trade between nations were central to economic growth. If a country wished to improve its standard of living it had to export more than it imported. Macroeconomics Economics is a science concerned with how people use available resources to satisfy their wants through the process of production and exchange. The founding father of modern macroeconomics is Adam Smith. Economics is divided into microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics studies economic relationships of individuals, I mean household and business. And macroeconomics studies nation’s economies and global world economy.There are financial system, world financial and commodity markets and major laws of economy analyzed by macroeconomics. Inflation, GDP, economic balance, economic growth, employment – are the main definitions uses by macroeconomics. It also tries to fix role of the government in the economy and reviews its fiscal, monetary, taxation and social policies.Macroeconomics is very important branch of economics. Its aim is to helps governments keep inflation low, find ways to destruction economic imbalances, to improve employment opportunities and to maintain economic growth. Accounting and auditing Accounting is language of finance which all business decision-makers must understand. It is the process of capturing, possessing and communicating financial information. So it is an information system that accumulates, records, classifies, summaries and report commercial transactions. The aim of this process is to show the financial condition of a business entity.Bookkeeping is a small part of the system and deals with record-keeping.Accounting information are uses by managers, investors, and different groups in society such as tax authorities, labour unions, local governments, financial analysts and others.There is public, private and governmental accountings are the major branches of accounting. Private accountants are employed by business firms. They prepare budgets and performance reports witch are needed to decision-makers. Public accountant are people who provide services for a fee. One their main functions is auditing. They analyze financial information, statements and offer their opinion on their accuracy and reliability. Governmental accounting is the accounting function performed for central and local governmental institutions. More Articles on this topic SEE HERE
Posted in Historical Fiction Books Tags: auditing, Economics, Finance, Great, MenMacroeconomicsAccounting, Summary Comments OffPerk Up Your Business With a ‘persistence Review’
Posted by admin on July 31st, 2010
Copyright (c) 2008 Linda Feinholz The common element everywhere in life and in business seems to be Persistence. My clients are using their new management skills to create different results. My new MasterMind buddy Maritza Parra is getting her book published. And I’ve been holding the focus on getting three separate web sites designed and launched for different purposes. Each of those endeavors requires deliberate attention in order to achieve the tasks of the goals we’ve set. And that attention leads to taking specific actions that achieve the overall Vision itself. With the topic of persistence showing up in conversations daily I thought you’d appreciate my Top 5 Tips for Using High Payoff Persistence. Each of them has been instrumental in creating results to cheer about. Tip 1 – Notice ‘The Way’ You’re Persistent Persistence shows up in many ways in our lives. That relative who insists on making a request over and over until you say ‘Yes’ is living in one state of persistence we might call nagging. While that trait can be annoying in interpersonal relations, that’s exactly the trait you want in a staff member responsible for collections or new product design. It’s important that you know if your style is to be persistent towards an agree-upon goal, or as an obstacle to an effort others are trying to accomplish. Once you recognize your style you’ll be better able to describe the actions that are needed to accomplish your goals. Tip 2 – Uncover Your Beliefs About Persistence Your beliefs color the actions you choose. One of my clients shared his view that he’d be annoying and rude if he asked others to update him about the Human Resources progress on his six open positions twice in the same month. As a result of that belief, he never asked and it was often two to three months before he’d see a single resume. When we shifted his belief to one that declared the issue was ‘just a normal business topic to discuss’ he got the departments attention and was interviewing appropriate candidates the following week. His persistence was the grease that got other wheels turning. Tip 3 – Identify Whether Persistence is Serving You or Getting In Your Way Many years ago I offered to bring science fiction books to the daughter of a friend overseas. She’d been learning English and found the books fun reading and helpful in building out her vocabulary. At my request she sent a list of over 30 books she’d love to have. Well I spent three weeks covering all of southern California’s used book stored looking for every last one of them. I wanted to help and felt I’d said ‘Yes’ to getting her the entire list rather than ‘Maybe.’ I lost sight of the fact that any six books would have been appreciated. And also I’m clear that my clients approve of my persistence when they bring me in to disentangle complex business issues and find their solutions. While it’s nice to be known by my clients and colleagues as ‘dependable’ and ‘thorough’ it’s also useful to know when enough is enough. Tip 4 – Practice Persistence Everywhere It Is Needed The papers piling up on your office desk might get labeled ‘messy and disorganized’ even if you know what’s where. Your team member who never delivers work on time might be labeled ‘overworked’. In either instance, it usually requires very little time to manage your paper or to manage yourself or your staff on an ongoing basis. Practice persistence by calendaring a daily block of 15 minutes to organize and deal with your papers and another block of 15 minutes to set goals and get the status of projects with your staff. Tip 5 – Distinguish Whether It’s Persistence Or Procrastination One of the lessons I teach my clients is that procrastination, putting off an action that your mind says you should be doing, is actually usually a signal that some issue needs solving. Very often my clients are facing a staff member’s lack of performance on the job. Ironically, all of these might be labeled procrastination – yet they’re clearly a form of persistence – persisting in not dealing with uncomfortable situations. Rather than criticize procrastination, probe your reason for putting things off. It might just be that information is missing that’s required before you’re ready to take action. Once you know that, you can get the information and step forward to solve the situation. Use these five tips and you’ll be able to give yourself high marks for mastering persistence!
Single in Arizona? – Book a Date Online Today!
Posted by admin on July 31st, 2010
Arizona, a land of rolling grasslands, tall pines, desert landscapes and rugged mountain scenery. Travel the roads and discover the metropolitan area of Phoenix, home to 4 million people and America’s fifth largest city. Phoenix has seen an explosive growth in the last decade and there are numerous holiday resorts all over the valley. Here you will find some of the most fashionable activities for outdoor enthusiasts, include hiking and golfing, and trips out to the nearby desert or a scenic mountain town. Phoenix has a lot of first-class restaurants, theaters, museums and sports venues that provide you with lots of opportunities for that first date. Not too far from the city is Lake Pleasant, with its scenic mountain lakes popular for power boating, water skiing and fishing. There’s a bounty of activities and interests to keep you occupied in Phoenix and if you are single then you are going to be spoilt for choice. For those too busy to spend a lot of time going to bars and clubs seeking out like-minded singles or lack the confidence of asking for a date, then just take a look online and discover the multitude of singles that use the services of free local dating services. There are all types of people getting to know each other in the chat rooms, and singles in Phoenix and Arizona are searching for potential partners, whether they are single Asian women, older men, Jewish or African American. A higher number of people are registering online to find a partner and it is the norm these days, particularly with anyone too busy to get out and about on the social scene, and those who aren’t keen on going to bars and clubs. It makes a lot of sense to sit in the comfort of your own home, make a profile and start to form relationships in an easy and informal manner. Then you are free to arrange any meeting at your own pace, so much easier than waiting around for the possibility you might bump into someone that interests you and also likes the look of you! The process of online dating is similar for anyone regardless of whether you live in the city or the countryside. Increasingly popular with all types its popularity is mainly due to how difficult it is in today’s society to find a suitable partner. Living in the city you are much more likely to arrange to meet a date in a local bar or restaurant, whilst those in more rural areas will have the opportunities to meet up for a country walk, or a local show. Online dating websites offer the chance meet singles in Arizona and Phoenix with the same kinds of plans and ideas, they are also great places to find someone appealing and build a rapport with them. Online dating websites enable you to study other singles at your leisure and check out profiles and photos before making any kind of contact. Once you decide you would like to get to know this person then it is simply sending an email. Singles chat rooms are perfect for chatting with any number of users and forming relationships with those you have a connection with. Check out free Phoenix Arizona singles online dating sites for romance. Easy to use just fill in a few personal details and register online and you are set to go. Access is allowed to a huge database of available singles and by entering your zip code they are not too far away if you do decide to meet. Stop wasting time, take action today and let the search begin.
Online Dating Secrets to Help Succeed in Internet Dating
Posted by admin on July 31st, 2010
Many online relationship councilors are always faced by the question of writing introductory dating e-mail. May be you have just decided to try out online dating and just by good luck you have one interest. I know you would pay anything for online dating secrets at this stage. The ball is in your court and you really want to play it safe. Do not reduce your chances of getting yourself a date by giving out too much information in your first mail or sounding vague and disinterested. The key thing is to always remember while writing your response is originality. Do not be tempted to copy eloquent and romantic lines from the Internet or romantic novels. Do not be surprised that the person you are writing to has ten similar e-mails. This automatically cancels you out of the competition. While writing an e-mail, among online dating secrets is to read your own written words and listen to how they sound. If you feel like anybody else anywhere can write the same message, delete it and do something else more original. Always make a point of avoiding to cut the chase. Tell your new interest about something new. Don’t waste your time by saying the obvious. Try your best to be flirty, unique and let your words speak confidence. Make the stranger you are writing to believe that he/she is chasing a valuable person. Create an impression that anybody would be extremely lucky to have you. Do not complement your potential date a lot in the first e-mail. You might come out as desperate and not worth knowing. Online dating secrets constitutes the aspect of being funny, coy and interesting in your message. Your online dating profile is the selling point. What the initial dating mail does is to pique the interest of someone you like. To come up with something quite original and flirty you have to be good at studying her profile. It is the only way that you are going to stand out from the rest of the pack of online dates. Men who treat every woman special stand higher chances of receiving many responses. Find the most tick thing in her profile. This has to be the line or word that could not be written by anybody else in the whole wide world. It might be how she hates doves or birds or how funny she finds modelling. Whatever it is, turn it from a tidbit to a romantic pick up line. It is amazing how you can play with words and make them work for you. Take the tidbit and turn it into fictional fashion. The more stupid the joke the more over-the-top your e-mail will be. Do not explain your joke and it will just come out nicely. People are attracted to people who make them laugh so even if you fail to compliment her photo make a joke and she will always be eager to get back to you. Among the most important online dating secrets is to try and use common sense as much as possible. People would tell you a lot if you promised them not to get mad. Now that you can remain anonymous, tell them something silly that they have never heard from someone else.