MaryAnn Bernal's Blog, page 318

The Phil Naessens Show LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Mount Rushmore

http://phillipnaessens.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/the-phil-naessens-show-lebron-james-kevin-durant-and-mount-rushmore/

 On this edition of the Phil Naessens Show J.R. Wilco joins Phil to discuss who you can trust as far as NBA rumors are concerned. Zeb Benbrook joins Phil to discuss statements made by Lebron James concerning his place on a basketball “Mount Rushmore, Kevin Durant nipping at his heels and the Miami Heat/Golden State Warriors game. J.A. Sherman stops by to chat about the Oklahoma City Thunder, Derek Fisher, Jeremy Lamb and Sherm gives Phil installment two of his "Kiwi Test" and much more NBA talk.

History Trivia Britain's deposed Richard II murdered in Pontefract Castle

February 14

44 BC, Julius Caesar was made dictator of Rome for life, which turned out to be one month and a day.

1014 Henry II, the last of the Saxon dynasty of emperors, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 

1400 Britain's deposed Richard II was murdered in Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire.

1556 Thomas Cranmer, leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, was declared a heretic when staunch Catholic Mary I became Queen.

Spotlight on Karenne Griffin novels - New Voices in the Valley and Beyond the Island

Polish-born Danuta escapes her violent husband and leaves Cardifffor good. But she only gets as far as Allt-yr-Coch, where she is offered a job in the village pub. It’s the prime venue for local rock bands. She soon forms the opinion that the people of the Welsh Valleys are mostly eccentric, mad about music, and have a language of their own. But Danuta is undaunted. Just as she starts to feel at home strange things begin to happen, and when Allt-yr-Coch hits the headlines everything changes.




Amazon Link:
http://viewBook.at/NewVoicesInTheValley 
What people are saying:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, well-written and Welsh
By Spice
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

New Voices in the Valley is a gem. From the enigmatic arrival of the Polish bombshell, Danuta, in a small Welsh town, to the discovery of a unexpected evil residing in the heart of the community, I was aware that this was going to be a book about real people living real lives. And what lives! Some of the residents of Allt-yr-Coch are quite outrageous! I was hugely entertained by Linda and Carole as I followed their impetuous escapades. I was rooting for Danuta in her search for love, and I loved the portrayal of the trend-setting, London band `Atonement'.

With several compelling storylines, and characters who you will care about, this is a very pleasing way to spend an afternoon or two, confident in the knowledge that you are in the hands of a fine storyteller. If you've never been to Wales, you'll learn a thing or two and if you have, you might be surprised at what goes on behind closed doors!
5.0 out of 5 stars A rocking romp in the Welsh Valleys!
By Ms BTI
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Quite a random bunch of characters find themselves thrown together in this tale. Some have known each others for years, then there are the newcomers. Things are not all that they seem in this unremarkable Welsh village. There is plenty of humour along with the drama. A recommended read.

  
Imagine Bridget Jones has an Australian cousin – that could easily be Robyn Trescowe. When Robyn visits England her father asks her to investigate their family tree. She hooks up with various relations and uncovers some amazing stuff. Robyn’s new job presents unexpected challenges, and she is attracted to a colleague’s flatmate. But Robyn’s sojourn in the UK is not all cocktails and cake, for her absence has its consequences …
 What People are Saying


5.0 out of 5 stars Unputdownable
By Nicola
 Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

 The Author of this book has a very descriptive and flowing writing style which allowed me to be easily transported into the scenes. This is a beautiful story of intertwined lives that involves enduring love, passion, family, friendship and bravery and it certainly covers the full spectrum of emotions. I especially found the double journey of the storyline to be really fascinating and extremely enjoyable. This is truly an absorbing story with characters you can easily warm to.
This book kept me reading until the early hours of the morning and I only begrudgingly put it down due to work commitments.  5.0 out of 5 stars  By Ginny Vere Nicoll Format:Paperback 

There is something about an island that has a magical pull; the title and cover for a start. Beyond the Island came up to all expectations. It does have a mystical element. At the beginning, I wondered if the quick change between past and present would detract from concentration, but I soon became used to this interesting way of writing. It works well and Karenne manages, seemingly effortlessly, to keep on top of both stories until they merge entirely into the present. The location descriptions are excellent; I could see the places and colours, as I read, also the main characters who quickly became real - and I loved the 'upbeat', often amusing, dialogue. Karenne leaves the novel open for a sequel which I hope she's working on at present as I much look forward to the continuation of a well formed and much enjoyable story.  Amazon Link   http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Island-Book-1-ebook/dp/B007X4N52G
 

Diane Turner - London Rocks - 13.02.2014

The Phil Naessens Show Should the Oakland A’s Extend Yoenis Cespedes?

http://phillipnaessens.wordpress.com/2014/02/12/the-phil-naessens-show-should-the-oakland-as-extend-yoenis-cespedes/

 On this edition of the Phil Naessens Show Alex Hall joins Phil to discuss the Oakland Athletics extension of OF Coco Crisp and give reasons for and against extending Yoenis Cespedes. Rush Olson joins Phil to discuss the top 10 MLB offensive teams and Mark Berman joins Phil to share their memories of Ralph Kiner, the signing of RP Kyle Farnsworth and the Mets front office lying about their payroll constraints and much more MLB talk

History Trivia Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, executed

February 13
 Tamzin Merchant as Catherine Howard - The Tudors
1542 Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, was executed for adultery.

1633 Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome for his trial before the Inquisition.

1689 British Parliament adopted the Bill of Rights.

1692 Massacre of Glencoe Scotland where 38 members of the MacDonald clan were murdered by soldiers of the Campbell clan for not pledging allegiance to William of Orange.

The Darnley Sycamore An arboricultural impostor?

Queen Mary came to Glasgow early in 1567, having left Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh on 24 January to collect her husband, Lord Darnley.. Darnley had reportedly contracted small-pox and the Queen intended to bring him back to Holyrood on a litter as he was too weak to ride a horse. Darnley returned with his wife, only to be murdered a few days later on 10 February
The Darnley Sycamore  
Located incongruously in the heart of urban Glasgow, the once rural setting of this named sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) has been heavily encroached upon in recent decades by urban sprawl.  An isolated survivor of a bygone age, it is now surrounded on all sides by modern housing estates and retail developments.
Mary, Queen of ScotsAs its name suggests, it is one of the many trees in Scotland which are claimed to have links with Mary, Queen of Scots. 
A plaque erected by Glasgow City Council on the iron railings which encloses the tree reads “Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots, sat under this great sycamore tree when she nursed him back to health after an illness”.  Darnley and Mary married in 1565 and are reputed to have stayed at nearby Crookston Castle.
An arboricultural impostor?The sycamore is not especially large in terms of height or girth, with a trunk diameter of 1.3 metres (4 feet 3 inches), a girth of 4.09 metres (13 feet 5 inches), and a height of 18.8 metres (61 feet). 
It seems unlikely that this particular tree was around at that time to support this romantic tale.  For it to have been of a stature large enough to make it attractive for Scotland’s queen to sit under would require it to have been around since about 1450, suggesting that it would now be about 550 years old.  This is clearly not the case.  Something of an arboricultural impostor, it serves as a good example of how trees can assume a false pedigree with the passage of time.
A fine figureThe tree, nevertheless, cuts a fine figure as an open-grown specimen, with long, spreading limbs and an attractive dome-shaped crown typical of the species.  The crude removal of lower limbs in the past has resulted in the formation of a number of well developed cavities on the main trunk, from which emerge impressive brackets of the Dryad’s saddle fungus (Polyporous squamossus), suggesting that the process of internal decay is well advanced. 
Where stubs have been left, these are now completely calloused over to form outlandish protrusions on the trunk.  Numerous nails hammered into the trunk by children to facilitate access into the tree is not doing it any favours, and is part of the price it has to pay for its prominent urban existence.
Where to see the Darnley Sycamore:At the busy junction of the A726 Nitshill Road and Kennishead Road, in the Nitshill district of Glasgow.  The tree stands on an area of public open space enclosed within circular iron railings and is readily accessible at all times of the year.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6U8J4E

Ngaire Elder: IN THE NEWS World Book Day 06th March 2014

Ngaire Elder: IN THE NEWS: JUST TO LET YOU KNOW ...  World Book Day  06th March 2014 x-X-x

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW ... 
World Book Day 06th March 2014



x-X-x

 SCHOOL VISIT - SEELY PRIMARY SCHOOL, SHERWOOD, NOTTINGHAM - Nov. 2013
I visited Seely Primary School in Nottingham in November 2013 and had a wonderful time. There were two assemblies where I read excerpts from The Adventures of Cecilia Spark: the Brimstone Forest.  



Link Nottingham Post - http://www.nottinghampost.com/Pupils-hear-character-s-exploits-told-author/story-20038656-detail/story.html

Mr. Chuckles is proud to present The Fantastic Four

Mr. Chuckles is tweeting the fabulous four authors profiles on Authors Database.  Why not do the same?  Click on the links below to view and share.



Mark Barry
http://www.authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1438-mark-barry

Ngaire Elder
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/6064-ngaire-elder

Bill Jones, Jr.
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/6284-bill-jones-jr

Mary Ann Bernal
http://www.authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1446-mary-ann-bernal

The Phil Naessens Show The Dodgers are Loaded and Healthy….For Now!

http://phillipnaessens.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/the-phil-naessens-show-the-dodgers-are-loaded-and-healthy-for-now/

  On this edition of the Phil Naessens Show Zeb Benbrook joins Phil to talk about the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phil decides to go off on the Knicks, Eric Stephen joins Phil from Spring Training to talk about the Los Angeles Dodgers and Aaron Stampler joins Phil to answer listeners questions about the San Antonio Spurs plus much more