Riley Amos Westbrook's Blog, page 127
May 7, 2015
Soo….a little bit of an update on the weight loss front.
Figure I haven’t done one of those in awhile. Sara and I started doing daily walks in the morning, to attempt to jump start my weight loss from this prolonged plateau, but so far no luck. Still 515 pounds, but I’m still having people tell me I’m slimming. So it’s not all bad, just annoying.
I have been seeing some Training Mask around the internet recently, and seeing how fat is expelled from the body as carbon dioxide, I thought I’d check it out.
I’ve only had the thing one day, but I can tell you that I think it works and very effectively. Being a bigger guy, I have tons of people that try to talk to me about losing weight. They all say the same thing, Walk! And while I completely agree it is the best method to lose weight, when you’re a quarter ton and struggling with each step, not the best advice to give. I don’t have a problem walking, (other than it’s boring to me) but when I do, I struggle to breathe. The pain hurts, and is a major part of why I continue to struggle, but when I’m gasping for air it’s hard to keep walking even when I want to.
I struggled for a way to explain this before, but once I opened their instruction booklet and started to read, I found a passage that explains it perfectly.
The booklet says “The best example of this is a person running for the first time in three years. They start off fine, their breathing isn’t labored. But, before long, they start breathing deeper and faster, and for a short time this works. Once they get halfway down the block, they notice they are breathing faster and shallower, and despite the fact they are breathing faster, they notice they are short of air, winded so to speak. Their legs start to burn, their back gets tight, they start to slow down, and then those beloved side cramps kick in.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but this explains my excistence. I go to take a walk, and before I reach the end of the block, I’m just find myself falling apart. I’m hoping to keep a running update on this, as I use it longer, and continue to walk with Sara. Hopefully I won’t forget about updating it. (Like I did with the Kombucha! Love that stuff, but it’s not an everyday thing anymore. Maybe once a week.)
ADDED BONUS: Something I didn’t consider when I purchased it though, it is a breathing trainer. I meditate on a regular basis, and have for years, but even to this day I struggle sometimes to master my breathing. This helps with that. It forces you to slow down your breathing, making for a nice even inhale and a nice smooth exhale. I used it when I meditated this morning, and now my stomach burns like I’ve been doing sit ups. So not only will it help strengthen your lungs and diaphragm, it will teach you how to breath properly for meditation.
I know I’ve only had it a day, but so far I would happily recommend it to people looking to improve their breathing capabilities. You WILL notice it the first day.
Filed under: Musings, Riley Amos Reviews, weight loss Tagged: musings, Riley Amos Reviews, Weight loss
Cruisin through books ’cause books make life worth livin’ with Aly #RileyAmosReviews, 5/7/2015 ARC part!
Well, I have not read any other books from this series. I can say I liked this book. I will check into the rest of the books in this series. I like the characters Cloud and Lucas and I like the story line. Being that I have not read the series and this was my first book from this author, in the beginning I was a little lost but once I caught on it was a good book. I love to read about witches! * I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review* 4/5
Filed under: Riley Amos Reviews, Support Indie Authors Tagged: Book Review
May 6, 2015
#SupportIndieAuthors, #SupportOurTroops edition!
My new friend today is a man with some military time under his belt. Hope he’s raising his kids right, teaching them the discipline and training that I ignored from my own father(Except for how to be a smartass…that lesson stuck.) Anyways guys, I give to you Tom Mykytiuk.
The Beaten Zone:
“In May of 1943, German paratroops attack the small Bosnian town of Drvar, hunting the Yugoslav general, Josep Brez Tito. But, as leutnant Willie Moltke discovers, there is more hidden in Drvar than the partisan commander. 54 years later, Rena Moore, the granddaughter of British secret agent Captain Simon Moore is on a quest to fulfill her dying grandfather’s wish to return a religious artifact, looted by the Nazis during WWII, toits rightful guardians. Rena enlists the aid of marine salvage operator and part time security consultant Cole Samson. They become trapped in a deadly mix of political and criminal intrigue orchestrated by themysterious Tibor. Old enemies clash when Moltke returns to claim the prize that slipped through his fingers during the battle for Drvar.”
Bio. Tom Mykytiuk has been a career infantry officer in the Canadian Army for the past 25 years. In December 2014, he swapped his “sword” for a “pen” and took up writing full time. He includes John Le Carre, Steven King, and Nikos Kazantikus among his literary influences. He enjoys writing about his favorite people-soldiers and ex soldiers, and his personal experiences often find their way into his novels. He admits to dabbling in short stories, but his major works are thrillers with a historical theme. He currently lives on the outskirts of Melbourne, Victoria, with his family.
http://tnmmykytiukwriter.blogspot.ca/
https://www.amazon.com/author/tommykytiuk
https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NJSEJ6G
1. What do you do to keep your spirits up after a bad review? I am still wating for one. It sounds presumptuous but I have only got about 4 reviews so far and they have been good. If I get a bad one, I’ll just shake it off. If the reviews are consistently poor, then it indicates a real problem with the story that needs to be fixed.
2. What has been your greatest inspiration for writing your story? My experiences in the military and a desire to write that I have had since elementary school. As well, I have received so much satisfaction from reading good authors, I wanted to pay it forward as best I can with a story that people will enjoy.
3. Any people deserve a shout out for supporting you? My family ( my wife Brenda and kids Veronica(12) and Michael (10)) for giving me the mental and emotional space to do this and my friend and fellow author Rick Turner who has mentored me along the self-publishing route.
4. Has self-publishing taught you any lessons that you feel will help you in life? Just keep pounding away. Book sales are as much about marketing as writng and even if your work is not a best seller, doesn’t mean its trash.
5. What’s your favorite color? Green.
Remember, if you’d like to be featured in the #SupportIndieAuthor series, please drop me a line at RileyAmosReviews (@) Gmail (Dot) com. Until next week, keep writing!
And don’t forget to check out my Breath Of the Titans: The False Titanbriger series.
*FREE* Little Black Stormcloud
A Mother’s Love
War of the Chiefs
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A Space to Write
I need to get one of these.
Originally posted on Myths of the Mirror:
Spring has arrived in the mountains. It’s always a couple weeks later than down in the valley, and though the mornings are still frosty, the leaves have unfurled, and the dogwood wears its white petals. I’ve filled the hummingbird feeders and opened the windows to capture the afternoon sun.
And my writer’s room beckons.
In 1929, Virginia Woolf wrote that “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”
Well, that money thing would be convenient, wouldn’t it? Yet, it’s not a prerequisite for writing in my mind. Time strikes me as the rarer commodity.
But what about that room of her (or his) own, that “must” for the imagination to bloom? A sacred space of quiet and solitude without the common daily distractions of television, movies, and videogames? A space where a writer can shut the door?
When I moved to…
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Originally posted on 
Cruisin through books ’cause books make life worth livin’ with Aly #RileyAmosReviews, 5/6/2015
Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein
I loved watching ” I dream of Jeannie” when I was younger. I wish I had those powers sometimes. This book was a new twist on this type of Genie world. Becoming Jinn was a good book for me. Yes, the author changed the rules for me in this book but I think that makes this series exciting. Just like with so many ideas of vampires out there, new books have to bring new ideas to keep me wanting to read more. This is just what this book did for me. I loved the characters of Azra and Henry, these were my favorites. What is a best friends for if not to know ALL your secrets? I enjoyed the little twist ending in this book but I did have it figured out with the author by the end. I will look forward to book two. I’m wondering what other trouble Azra can get herself into. I will be waiting!
5/5
Filed under: Riley Amos Reviews, Support Indie Authors Tagged: Book Review
May 5, 2015
#RileyAmosReviews, couple of SciFi classics here edition, part 2
Promises of Eden by Charles Hash
I think this will be an instant classic. You need to read this book if you enjoy a well written tale.
I didn’t know what to expect walking into the book. They style is rough, the grammar isn’t always the greatest(But it is solid, I am not disparaging the writing, you can tell it’s the style.), but damn me if I wasn’t compelled to keep reading it. He does an excellent job with his characters, showing complex emotions and such. Being a visual thinker, I saw this as a conglomeration of several different styles transposed beautifully one atop the other. And I feel like the author has magic he’s not sharing, because he put a spell on me when I read it. *I received this book from the author in exchange for a honest review.*
Filed under: Riley Amos Reviews, Support Indie Authors Tagged: Book Review, Riley Amos Reviews
#RileyAmosReviews, couple of SciFi classics here edition, part 1
The Power of Six (Plus One) by Nicholas Rossis
This was a good read. It was so good, I’m going to be jumping to the Pearseus series after reading this one. Being a visual thinker, I saw each story with very distinct and sharp images. Each piece seemed to have it’s own visual flavor. An excellent addition to the timeless masterpieces from classic science fiction. 4/5 *I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*
Filed under: Riley Amos Reviews, Support Indie Authors Tagged: Book Review, Riley Amos Reviews
May 4, 2015
The Fountain Of Pots – Featured Art Print
Just awesome.
Originally posted on thewallgalleryblog:
I just completed a new art print for my Gardens Gallery titled: The Fountain Of Pots. In this wall art print, I used a fauvism oil technique creating this scene. This technique uses bold abstract brush strokes and strong, bright surreal colors. The wall art print is of a fountain next to a potted palm plant.
The setting is a patio fountain created using pots stacked on rocks top to bottom creating the trickling water effect. Next to the fountain is a potted palm, which adds an additional element to the scene. I chose to do the print in an abstract style reminiscent of fauvism to really pull out the shapes of the main element of this art print, the fountain itself. The abstract approach and surreal colors create a fun, playful image of this patio fountain. Thoughts?
I invite you to visit my Gardens Gallery
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Cruisin through books ’cause books make life worth livin’ with Aly #RileyAmosReviews, 5/4/2015 part 9
Letters to Nan by Matthew Wooding
A wonderful story about a grandmother and grandson’s relationship. This story had me laughing and crying all the way through. The book had me thinking about the relationship between my mom and my nephew. My mom loves her grandson very much but he is now old enough to not spend as much time with her as he did growing up and it breaks her heart. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review* 5/5
Filed under: Riley Amos Reviews, Support Indie Authors Tagged: Book Review
