Rochelle Campbell's Blog: The NoteBook Blogairy, page 11
August 23, 2015
Madder Than a Hornet on a Hot Day…But Darren Fixed It!
So mad. Got home from vacation. Was paying bills as it was that time of the month. I get through (yeah!). I see a pop up from MicroSoft about some new upgrade to Windows 10. I politely decline. I finish my business and close out. Do you know Windows 10 automatically updates??!!*@*!!
Do you know what happens to my laptop? Yes, the infinite loop of restore/restart point hell. So, I call MicroSoft. After a 45-minute hold to get to an agent with an accent that is not American I am promptly told that I should have done a compatibility test prior to updating to Windows 10. It is my fault and I must call the manufacturer of my laptop to resolve the problem.
I promptly call Dell. After a 10-minute hold time I’m told that since my laptop is booting up and attempting to fix the issue by offering the restore point option it is clearly NOT a hardware issue. Therefore, I must call MicroSoft back…
Yeah, NO!
I call up Darren of Digitron in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. He says it’s no problem to fix the issue. He has to wipe my computer and then reinstall my docs/pics/etc. He does it in less than 24 hours. I dropped off Friday late afternoon and it was ready by 3:00 pm yesterday (Saturday, 9/22).
Darren of Digitron Electronics in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, NY.
Did I mention Darren was awesome?!?! Darren has been my IT guru for years now and keeps my works in progress SAFE! If you need a trustworthy computer/iPhone/laptop/electronics guy Darren’s IT! (Ahh, pun definitely intended.)
Where is he?
7021 Fort Hamilton Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11228
718-491-4060
(He’s closed on Sundays only; open Mon – Sat.)
July 28, 2015
The Deciding Factor
Today is my birthday. And finally, after all of these years, it has settled in.
We don’t control our destiny.
Sure, we may plan, scheme, think, assess and devise a route that will get us to our purported plan(s). However, WE are not the deciding factor.
The trick is simple…we have to get in alignment with THE DECIDING FACTOR.
Every culture has its own name for THE DECIDING FACTOR and depending upon religion/faith/belief/etc. you will call it a different name.
But this is the way to ‘gain control’ of your life. By allowing oneself to find/renew the relationship between yourself and THE DECIDING FACTOR. Why? Because if you and your plans are not a fit for ITS plans…you’re screwed. Or, better stated, you will not reap what you think you should.
I read recently that our goal should be to mesh our breathing with the breathe of THE DECIDING FACTOR so that we breathe as one.
The beauty of this thought (or, reality) was awe-inspiring to me. It made me realize just how far from this beautiful poetic aspiration I am. But hey, once you know where you are that’s at least something. You’ll know where to go from that point on. (I hope!)
So, I leave you with one question…are you at one-ment with THE DECIDING FACTOR?
Ta-ta for now,
NB
June 22, 2015
[Quiet Thoughts] Grief Again
Kyra, I give my solidarity to you as well.
Without sounding trite, I say — Keep hope alive! We all must live to find the grace and favor of the most High.
Peace and light,
NB
Originally posted on Black. Bunched. Mass. Mom.:
Photo: I have spent a lot of energy nursing my transplanted daisies to health over the last 2 weeks. Here one has popped. Just the faintest bit of joy on what was otherwise an excruciating day.
I have been thinking about how to write this post since yesterday morning, when I turned on the news and learned about the massacre in Charleston. I considered my feelings, consulted the much more eloquent words of my favorite thinkers and writers…
and I’ve sat down to write this post multiple times. Sometimes by long hand, sometimes in my word processor…
I keep coming up empty.
I’ve started a draft by writing about my fear: Is there no sacred place for Blackness, no safe place? Then I chastised myself, throwing the paper away. If you give into the fear, Kyra, the terrorist wins. Don’t give him your fear. Don’t feed him with your…
View original 1,107 more words
June 12, 2015
The #IndieRoar Challenge Winners!
And the moment you’ve all been waiting for! And the winners are — wait! There’s a tie for first place!
Kelly Sedinger – @Jaquandor – 1st Prize
Rose English – @RoseEnglishUK – 1st Prize
T.W. Barton – @TyWadeBooks – 3rd Prize
AND, there’s one more surprise winner!
Bonus Winner for Participation & Enthusiasm: Phillip T. Stephens – @stephens_pt
What’s your book prize loot? Check them out below! To claim your prizes, please email: noveldreams2007 at gmail dot com.
Author Name
Book Title
Genre
Format
# of Copies
Barbo, Holly
Sunstone
Steampunk Thriller
Digital
1
Barret, Tabitha
The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness
Paranormal Romance
Print (Signed)
1
Caldwell, Angela
The Last Order
SciFi/Fantasy – YA
Print (Signed)
1
Caldwell, Angela
The Last Order
SciFi/Fantasy – YA
Digital
2
Campbell, Rochelle
Fury From Hell
Paranormal Thriller
Digital
3
Campbell, Rochelle
Making Dollars & Sense Work
Personal Finance/
Credit Repair
Print (Signed)
1
Cate, Marnie
Remember: Protectors of the Elemental Magic
Fantasy – YA
1
Chioffi, Barbara
Angel Mine
Erotic Fantasy
Digital
1
Chioffi, Barbara
Lycan Love
Erotic Fantasy
Digital
1
Comnick Straughan, Morgan
Spirit Vision
Christian Fantasy – YA
Digital
1
Dawn, CK
Cloak of Shadows
Fantasy – YA
Digital
1
Franklin, Michelle
Khantara: Volume 1
SciFi/Fantasy
Digital
1
Guy, Ryan
Atomic Aardvark
SciFi/Fantasy
Print (Signed)
1
Guy, Ryan
Atomic Aardvark
SciFi/Fantasy
Digital
2
Keller, K.J.
The Threes
Romance
Digital
3
Keller, K.J.
Africa Bush Creatures Safari Facts from A-Z
Educational – Children
Digital
1
Lynne, Patricia
Being Human
Supernatural – YA
Digital
1
Lynne, Patricia
Snapshots
Supernatural – YA
Digital
1
Mapstone, Deidre
Sigrun, The Bandamann Saga
Fantasy – YA
Digital or Print
1
Marsden, Kelly S.
The Shadow Rises
Fantasy
1
Marsden, Kelly S.
The Witch-Hunter Trilogy (The Shadow Rises, The Shadow Reigns, The Shadow Falls )
Fantasy
Digital
1
McFarland, KM
Song of the Vampire
Dark Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Digital
1
McFarland, KM
Under a Bourbon Street Moon
Dark Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Digital
1
McFarland, KM
Masquerade
Dark Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Digital
1
Montague, Rose
Norma Jean’s School of Witchery
Urban Fantasy/Romance
Print (Signed)
1
Morris, T.H.
The 11th Percent
SciFi/Fantasy
Digital (PDF)
1
Morris, T.H.
Item and Time
SciFi/Fantasy
Digital (PDF)
1
Norry, Jay
Walking Between Worlds; Book 1: Demons & Angels
Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Digital
1
Rockefeller, Laurel
Cathering de Valois
Nonfiction/History – All Ages
Digital
3
Rockefeller, Laurel
Mary Queen of the Scots
Nonfiction/History – All Ages
Digital
3
Rockefeller, Laurel
Boudicca: Britain’s Queen of the Iceni
Nonfiction/History – All Ages
Digital
3
Schneider, C.L.
The Crown of Stones: Magic-Price
Epic Fantasy
Digital (Kindle)
1
Shaw, Mark
The Keeper of the Wind
Fantasy – YA
Digital
1
Turner, Jacci
Bending Willow
Adventure – Middle Grade
Digital
3
Turner, Jacci Terry
The Cage
Adventure – Middle Grade
Digital
3
Vance, CE
How Maxwell Grover Stole My House
Adventure – Middle Grade
Digital (PDF)
3
Whitley, Lu J
BloodMarked
Urban Fantasy/Romance
Digital (Kindle)
3
Wright, Dan
Amanda Moonstone: The Missing Prince
Children’s – Action/Adventure
Digital
1
1st Prize (2) – $25 Amazon Gift Card + Choice of 6 Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
3rd Prize – Choice of 3 Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
Bonus Prize — Chose of 2 Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
Congratulations to our first ever #IndieRoar Challenge winners!
As a reminder, we would love for the winners, and all of the Challenge’s participants, to share the love and give a review, or two, for Indie books you like after you’ve read them!
You can also find this post on the following blogs:
http://indiebooksbeseen.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Comps%20Giveaways%20Promotions
https://thenotebookblogairy.wordpress.com/
June 10, 2015
Gluten Free Ramblings on the Way to a ‘Cure’
It’s been a while since I’ve penned an article about Celiac Disease &/or gluten sensitivity. I’ve been consumed with things of the writerly tweet-erly ilk. However, I am still completely devoted to a gluten free diet.
I go online and check candy companies to ensure that I don’t ‘accidently’ imbibe gluten with a thoughtless sweet treat. I ignore every single craving for Junior’s cheesecake. And believe me, there have been quite a few this week! I use GF sauces, seasonings, and flours. I limit my eating out to Mexican, Chinese (with LOTS of questions asked!), Indian and Thai (again, with a ton of questions). If the responses I receive back are in any way iffy, I decline and move on to another safe eating establishment, or go home and cook.
I’m still hopelessly bored with food. I cannot seem to shake the ennui and as a result eat the same things over and over because I want to ensure that I don’t become ill. Is this some kind of stage in the process of accepting issues with gluten?! If so, how long does it last? I’m going into my second year of knowing I have a deep-rooted issue with gluten.
Does the confusion/boredom begin to go away once you have a firm diagnosis? I’m still on the road to one. I am right now preparing for a second opinion/consultation with an expert on all things digestive/gluten/Celiac. This new doctor is affiliated with Columbia University’s Celiac Research program.
While I am thankful to my previous doctor for doing the blood work (over and over!) and getting the upper endoscopy done as well as a host of other tests I am glad to go to the next step. I have heard and read about other people’s journeys to their diagnosis and some of them sound horrific. Such as the one where a woman had to do over a dozen endoscopies to get to her diagnosis of Celiac Disease! That is totally inconceivable to me!! However, it shows this woman’s tenacity and determination in getting a diagnosis nailed down securely.
In part, I wonder if my ethnicity has something to do with my particular journey. After reading a peer-reviewed article by the , I see that Celiac in African-Americans can present differently. Additionally, this article showed that diagnosis in African Americans came much later on in life. There is also the matter of the limited amount of biopsiesdone in the United States. Biopsies (done via upper endoscopies) are the ‘final’ factor in the diagnosis of Celiac Disease.
I’m rambling to try and clear my mind but it’s so hard. For years I’ve eaten gluten and for years I’ve had extremely bad allergies, bad digestion, my nutrient levels were all quite low and when I was younger a very bad rash on my extremities. It sounds like Celiac to me. But, it could be something else. However, if not Celiac, then why when I remove gluten my allergies go back to normal where I only need Singular at the height of the season and a box of tissue lasts way more than 2 weeks? (I used to go through a box of tissue practically every day!)
I’ll leave it alone for now and let the new doctor pick up this tangled puzzle. Hopefully, he can help sort through it all and find a reason, and come up with coping mechanisms. Why? Because a ‘cure’ what whatever ails me is way too much for me to hope for!
#IndieRoar Challenge – Day 10! (Final Day)
Pen your own perfect first sentence to your “Great American Novel” and tweet it! #IndieRoar
Today is the final day of our challenge. Are you sad? Are you glad? Either way, we have to go out with a BANG. What kind of Indies would we be if we didn’t write something special for our readers?!
In honor of our collective readers, write the first line of your next novel, the novel you’d always dreamed you would write, the novel your mother/brother/teacher/mentor/friend/husband told you to write — write the first sentence of that book.
The end is nigh. The fat…ahem…the lady has sung the final aria and the curtain is about to fall. How will we remember you? Haunt us. Pleasure us. Entertain us. We’ll love you for it!
The winners are out there and the prizes are here…
1st Prize – $25 Amazon Gift Card + Choice of 6 Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
2nd Prize — $10 Amazon Gift Card + Choice of 4 Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
3rd Prize – Choice of 3Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
Winners will be announced on Friday, June 12th, 2015.
The books available for the winners to choose from, in addition to their gift cards, is posted on both blogs under “IndieRoar Challenge – Book Prize Listing & Catch Up!”
Remember, you can also find each day’s challenge pinned to the @NoteBkBlogairy Twitter account, and on the following blogs:
http://indiebooksbeseen.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Comps%20Giveaways%20Promotions
https://thenotebookblogairy.wordpress.com/
June 9, 2015
Book Review: Promises in Death by J. D. Robb
The 29th book in the In Death series, Promises in Death, does not disappoint. As with all of the In Death books, Lieutenant Eve Dallas goes through a transformation of sorts. She goes from a wily tough cop with Issues (yes, with a capital “I”) to a bewildered newlywed wife trying to balance on the shifting sands of a complex relationship with a former criminal to a begrudging true blue friend to a small army of people that see her for who she is – a heroic human being whose past molder her into the extraordinary cop (with razor sharp instincts!) she is today.
In Promises in Death, Lt. Dallas is confronted with a death that hits close to home…a fellow colleague. Further, it’s the cop who is in a relationship with a good friend of Dallas’. This case goes front and center immediately for Dallas as well as for Cop Central. Before long, it’s clear the murder was done by someone who knew the fallen cop. npleasant questions have to be raised to get to the truth which is Dallas’ unofficial religion.
There are several supporting characters in this series: Dallas’ other driving passion, her sexy and very technologically savvy hubby, Peabody, Dallas’ partner, and Feeney, Dallas’ mentor and the head of EDD (e-detective, read: hackers/e-geeks that are cops) – all work toward finding the fallen cop’s killer. All while trying to keep their sanity and their emotional equilibrium intact. A taxing proposition for the writer, J.D. Robb, but one the reader will enjoy tremendously!
Promises in Death will thrill you, cause you to put your own sleuthing skills to work, and it will bring you to the brink of tears as the characters’ actions, moods and desires flood each exciting page. Find out how Dallas and her motley crew of talented driven friends and colleagues solve this one! You’ll be ever so glad you did.
5 Blogairy Notebooks
@NoteBkBlogairy’s #IndieRoar Challenge – Day 9: My Top 5 Indie Authors
I am loving this IndieRoar challenge hosted on Twitter! It helps me to see the larger picture of what the Indie revolution is and how it looks. This is not a new thing. There have been authors that published their books and sold it out of the boot of their cars!
Nancy Cato, an Australian author, created a cooperative of authors who formed to publish their verse (poetry). The group was called the Lyre-Bird Writers. Now, how Indie is that?
Today, we do Indie a bit differently. We’re techno-geeks and publish singularly, individually and many times…silently. That’s what #IndieRoar is all about — taking the quiet out of Indie publishing.
Here are some of my top picks for great current Indiependent authors who are doing very well on Amazon charts. And, some others who may not have gotten to the charts but have the writing chops to do it!
T. S. Joyce – Bear Valley Shifters series (The Witness and the Bear, Book 1)
This is a hot series! The covers tantalize you with hard rock male abs and a backdrop of outdoorsy woods. Don’t run screaming…yet. The plot line will redeem the covers that may make you think there is gratuitous sex only between the pages. YES, there are at minimum, 3 really hot explicit sex scenes in each book but these add to the story line and actually makes sense. Why? The story revolves around humans who turn into real life grizzly bears. Ahem…no biting necessary. Bear shifters are entirely 100% a genetic issue. (Precisely — different!)
C. J. Archer – The Medium Series and The 1st Freak House Trilogy (The Wrong Girl, Book 1)
What can I say about this author and these two series that are linked by a character (or, two or three!)? I will give you the scenario of The Medium series. There’s a young woman who is on the marginal side of society due to her unusual complexion — she’s a mulatto. On top of that, she is purported to have an unusual talent — being able to see ghosts! With this combo of traits and the eccentricity of the tonne (their strict code of conduct and ethics in social ladder climbing!) we have a capricious adventure to save the son of an Earl from sure death in a manner you will never believe but it is so believable throughout The Medium series! A true page-turner!
C. K. Dawn – Cloak of Shadows
This series is set in the ever so not-too-distant future. The main character, Lourdes Reese, is the mega babe, badass chick that will kick some true a** if trouble rears its demonized head. We learn that the Knights of King Arthur’s table have descendants in our time that patrol Earth to keep it free from demons from another dimension that cause mind drifts and outright hallucinations while draining the human’s life essence. Lourdes is one of the best hunters on earth and she battles every day to keep humans ignorant. But, why is Lourdes seeing signs that things may not be as well as they seem? And, why is she the only hunter who is seeing these signs?
Lori Brighton – The Mind Readers series (The Mind Readers, Book 1)
Wow! Where do I begin with this series? What if you could read everyone else’s thoughts? What if you could manipulate time and matter? What would you do with all of that? This book series begins to answer your questions! And oh, the battles because, of course — there’s a good side — and a bad side!
Quanie Miller – The New Mrs. Collins
This is one of my favorite stories! It is a paranormal thriller set in New Orleans. How many stories have you read — well-written with round full characters! — which delves into characters who have ‘blood in their eye’? And, still live to tell about it!? This story does go into a bit of supernatural and touches on roots and the religion surrounding it and it all comes together beautifully! Well told, not too scary, just the right amount of humor and tons of suspense and good old fashioned human drama (when Black women fight over a man…watch out!).
I’ll even give you a bonus one! Faith Simone’s debut novel is a wonderful Christian love story with a different angle than you would expect – When the Real Thing Comes Along. It is an enjoyable read with an emotional angst religious factor, and depth, that I did not expect from a debut author.
Who am I? I’m an Indie author as well. I have three books that I’ve authored (one non-fiction) and one I co-authored with my son, a children’s modern day fairy tale. You can check out my Amazon page here.
#IndieRoar Challenge – Day 9!
It’s all about the read. We do all that we do as writers so that someone else out there can kick back on the beach, in the park, or snuggled in their bed with (hopefully!) our books.
So, which Indie authors, or Indie books inspire you? Pick 5 and tell us why. Post on your blog, or website and tweet out the link so we know which reads get your heart pumping!
We’re getting close! The winners are out there and here are the prizes…
1st Prize – $25 Amazon Gift Card + Choice of 6 Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
2nd Prize — $10 Amazon Gift Card + Choice of 4 Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
3rd Prize – Choice of 3Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
Winners will be announced on Friday, June 12th, 2015.
The books available for the winners to choose from, in addition to their gift cards, is posted on both blogs under “IndieRoar Challenge – Book Prize Listing & Catch Up!”
Remember, you can also find each day’s challenge pinned to the @NoteBkBlogairy Twitter account, and on the following blogs:
http://indiebooksbeseen.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Comps%20Giveaways%20Promotions
https://thenotebookblogairy.wordpress.com/
June 8, 2015
#IndieRoar Challenge – Day 8!
#IndieRoar Challenge – Day 8
Today is the #Selfie #IndieRoar Day! Show us your coolest, most chic, selfie!
What’s not to love? It’s a selfie! Get wild and crazy and do YOU in front of your camera!
I know you know what the prizes are but here they are…
1st Prize – $25 Amazon Gift Card + Choice of 6 Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
2nd Prize — $10 Amazon Gift Card + Choice of 4 Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
3rd Prize – Choice of 3Indie Books from participating #IndieBooksBeSeen Authors
Winners will be announced on Friday, June 12th, 2015.
The books available for the winners to choose from, in addition to their gift cards, is posted on both blogs under “IndieRoar Challenge – Book Prize Listing & Catch Up!”
Remember, you can also find each day’s challenge pinned to the @NoteBkBlogairy Twitter account, and on the following blogs:
http://indiebooksbeseen.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Comps%20Giveaways%20Promotions
https://thenotebookblogairy.wordpress.com/
The NoteBook Blogairy
Making you smile one blog post at a time!
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