Lada Ray's Blog, page 86
November 10, 2013
A Lioness Hugging the Kind Man Who Rescued Her
Source: Daily Mail
Unbelievable manifestation of #love and #kindness by a man and rescued lioness in #Africa! When I see this, I feel there is hope for humanity...
Chinese Teenager Dies Saving Three Children
By the time he returned to the water to rescue the third child, a local man, Wan Sun, 31, had rushed to help.
Sun said: 'He handed me the 11-year-old and I dragged her to the shore, but when I looked for the young man I could not see him. He must have slipped in deeper water.
'When we pulled him from the water he was dead, there was no chance to save his life.
How does one become a #hero?
An inspiring, if heart-wrenching, story.
November 7, 2013
Out of This World Live: #Sochi #Olympics Torch Visits #NorthPole and #OuterSpace
Hello, everyone! I’ve successfully moved to my new home and am settling down. The Internet is back on and I’m back in cyberspace! Meanwhile, the #Sochi #Olympics Torch relay is continuing its record-shuttering journey through #Russia and #OuterSpace. As you see, we both are not sitting idle. 
Read my original post: #Sochi #Olympics and Olympic Torch’s Record Journey Through #Russia and #OuterSpace, complete with awesome images of Sochi… and lots of other cool stuff!
As promised, I’m continuing my Olympic torch relay coverage. This torch relay is unprecedented in history. Today, we’ll be watching several historic events: the Olympic flame’s trip via an ice-breaker to the North Pole; after that, the Sochi Olympic torch’s record journey to the International Space Station #ISS, where it will make a historic walk in open Space with Russian cosmonauts. Spacewalk odyssey will be shown live on RT on Saturday and I’ll add it to this post.
A feat never attempted before!
Ice-Breaking video: Olympic Flame reaches North Pole
Video: Soyuz spaceship with Olympic torch on board blasts into space
Olympic Orbit: #Sochi 2014 torch delivered to International Space Station + Outer Space journey update
This truly is a historic moment. For the first time in history there are 3 spacecrafts docked simultaneously outside the ISS and there are 9 cosmonauts on board, including Russians, Americans and Japanese. It’s great to see people cooperating so nicely at least in Outer Space, if not on the surface of the planet. Perhaps their example will be contagious and they’ll pass on the torch to humans here on Earth.
Related articles
Details of Sochi Olympic torch’s trip to outer space (olympictalk.nbcsports.com)
Russia sending Sochi Olympics torch into space (newsday.com)
November 3, 2013
Excerpt Sunday: Not All’s Kosher in Idyllic Stepford, USA
Not all conspiracies are global…
Some are hidden in small towns with flawless facades
Great news! Last week’s experiment with posting an excerpt from THE EARTH SHIFTER proved to be so successful that I decided to continue this new tradition (read ES excerpt here). So, going forward on Sundays, I’ll be posting excerpts from my various books.
This particular scene from STEPFORD USA (Accidental Spy Small Town Adventure) is set at a mental clinic located in the seemingly idyllic town of Stepford in the midst of the picturesque Berkshire Mountains, Massachusetts. The name of the town is fictional, but bears resemblance to the real local towns, namely Sheffield, Lenox, and especially Stockbridge, MA. While writing STEPFORD USA I lived in the area before moving back to New York. I wrote the setting in real time based on my observations and experiences, and perhaps because of that it appears so vivid, down to the smallest details.
The surreal scene at the Berkshire Hope Clinic reminds me a little of the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; and more (of course, this applies to the whole book) – of The Stepford Wives. But you be the judge!
In this scene the heroine, Jade Snow, and her friend, Rachel Weise, visit Rebbecca at the clinic where the mute victim of the long forgotten, and conveniently swept under the carpet, rape has been a long-term patient… um… prisoner. Until Jade shows up and starts questioning things that haven’t been questioned before in this town of conformity and behind the scenes deals.
In addition to whodunnit and howdunnit, STEPFORD USA contains social satire, psychic visions, adorable and pretty amazing kitty & doggie, as well as a generous helping of humor. Oh yeah, and how could I forget the Gossip Central of the Berkshires: the infamous STEPFORD KNITTING CLUB, who unwittingly help Jade solve the puzzle! Sorry – no robots, if you don’t count some Stepford residents .
Chapter 10
In Stepford, every edifice of any significance seemed to be located on Main Street. So, not very surprisingly, the Berkshire Hope Clinic was just a few short blocks down the road from the Blue Peacock Inn. The towering red brick mansion, complete with a grand, white columned entrance, was thoroughly in line with the town’s old colonial mystique.
Nurse Blake met us at the front desk with a perfunctory smile.
“Hi,” she said. “I am the head nurse and I understand you are…” She paused, looking inquiringly at Rachel.
“Rachel Weise,” Rachel extended her hand. “Thanks for allowing me a visit on such short notice.
“No problem, Dr. Weise,” said Nurse Blake. “Although our chief physician is on vacation till next Monday, we are very familiar with Professor Strauss’s work and any of his associates are welcome here.”
She turned to me. “And you would be?”
“This is my friend, Jade Snow,” introduced me Rachel, “who is hosting me here, in Stepford. She has graciously agreed to drive me to the clinic and I’d feel uncomfortable leaving her in the lobby after everything she’s done. I hope you don’t mind if she joins me?”
“Jade Snow?” asked nurse Blake. “Aren’t you a part of the Stepford Knitting Club?”
“Guilty as charged,” I said.
“My daughter, Shawna, attends it too. She spoke very highly of you. It’s very nice to meet you. I am Janet Blake.” I shook nurse’s hand as she ushered us into the long-term ward.
“I’m actually very glad to see anyone visit Rebbecca,” confessed Nurse Blake, as she led us down the long corridor. “She’s been here so long, almost thirteen years… And very few people come to visit her any more. Just our local guys, Marc Catcham and Jack Maloof. Chief Nordini comes sometimes and I saw Peter Burns a few times, but not too often. Very nice people they all are, God bless them.” She opened the door at the end of the corridor, inviting us in.
The narrow room we entered had a simple bed by the window, a bunch of flowers in a small vase atop a bed stand, a side table with photographs and a chair in the corner. Another chair was brought in for us. Through a slightly open window, the upbeat chirping of birds could be heard from the garden, as the gentle breeze delicately fluttered the white curtain.
The room itself didn’t stand out in any way, but our eyes immediately drifted to, and fixed on, the still figure draped in a long hospital gown. The figure sat on the edge of the bed, looking straight ahead with unseeing eyes.
Mrs. Blake’s demeanor changed dramatically once she entered the room. She was now a caring nurse, no longer an efficient administrator we had met in the lobby. She checked the pulse on the limp, painfully thin arm and spoke kindly to the still figure on the bed, “We like it when someone comes to visit us, don’t we Becca?”
She pointed at us. “These two nice young ladies wanted to talk to you for a bit. You don’t mind, do you, Becca?”
The gaunt figure on the bed didn’t move, nor produced a sound to indicate she heard or noticed us. She just lowered her eyelids with long, curved eyelashes and continued sitting still, now with her eyes closed.
I recognized those eyelashes right away. I saw them on the picture from the old yearbook, a picture of a happy, healthy and beautiful eighteen year old girl. Those eyelashes seemed to be the only thing that still remained of the old Rebbecca, a sad reminder of what could have been.
As we sat on our chairs, Nurse Blake tiptoed out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her.
“Hello, Rebbecca,” said Rachel cheerfully. “Do you mind if we talk with you for a while?”
The figure on the bed didn’t move, sitting as still as before, her eyelashes lowered.
Rachel and I looked at each other, trying to decide how to proceed. I cleared my throat.
“Hi Rebbecca,” I started quietly. “My name is Jade Snow. And this is Rachel Weise. We live in New York City, but I am staying here, in Stepford, to write my book. And Rachel is visiting me for the weekend.”
It seemed nothing has changed, but did I detect a slight flutter of the eyelashes? I almost dismissed the thought as wishful thinking, when I noticed Rachel’s intense gaze fixed on Rebbecca. Did she notice it, too?
I continued, while observing Rebbecca closely. “I am a journalist and I’ve worked in Iraq and Afghanistan for the past two years. But then I got married. My husband, who is traveling in Africa, suggested I move to Stepford while he’s away.”
It was unmistakable this time, the flutter of the eyelashes, the slight opening of the eyes.
Rachel and I stared at each other.
“Keep talking,” mouthed Rachel.
“Rebbecca, my husband thought that it would be good for me to be here, while he is traveling. This being such a paradise and all. Because I am pregnant, you see.”
The figure continued sitting still on the bed, but something in her has changed. The eyes were now open. Then, they shifted slightly to the right, towards the open window. Rachel and I exchanged glances.
“The window,” mouthed Rachel. “She wants it closed.”
I got up and maneuvered past the still figure on the bed. I closed the window, conscious of Rebbecca’s eyes on my back. Then, I smoothed out the curtain and started back to my chair. As I passed the bed, someone grabbed my left forearm so forcefully that I jumped. I looked down, perplexed. Rebbecca was holding on to me with such strength that I would have never suspected from those limp fingers.
Her eyes were now looking up straight into mine. Her lips were moving, but no sound came out.
“Can I help you, Rebbecca?” I said, alarmed.
The lips moved once more and as I leaned closer to her mouth, trying to listen, it hit me again. A quick flash, but this time much clearer. Night grass was damp and the moon in the sky was bright. The young woman in a summer dress turned to rags fought with every last bit of strength left in her. But what could she do, sprawled helplessly on damp ground, against two strong men? One of them slapped her hard, and kept slapping, till she bled. Another kicked her. And then, right before the lights went out and her tortured body, mercifully, felt no more, another, large and menacing form appeared, blocking the stars and the moonlight…
I gasped and jerked my hand out of Rebbecca’s grip. Swaying dangerously, I tried to steady myself. The next thing I knew, Rachel’s arm was around me, keeping me from falling. A sudden fit of excruciating coughing made me bend forward, toward Rebbecca, while holding on to the bed frame for extra balance. As I did, I glanced at the woman sitting on the bed. Her pose was now more relaxed, eyes fully open, gaze fixed on my face. It occurred to me that we were making progress and that, if I continued talking, we would soon get somewhere. But first, I needed to get back to my chair and rest a minute or two, because I felt exhausted and sick after yet another shocking encounter with Rebbecca’s rape.
Rachel, her arm still around me, and I, still bent over next to the bed, were about to start moving back to our chairs, when the door suddenly opened and Nurse Blake hurriedly entered the room. Rebbecca immediately shrunk back, fear registering on her gaunt face. The nurse frowned, throwing a quick glance around the room. It was hard not to notice the changes and it was clear, she didn’t like what she saw. The window closed; both visitors out of their chairs and in very strange poses; me, holding on to the bed frame and both of us leaning toward the woman, who appeared to shrink away in fear. God only knows what passed through the nurse’s mind when she caught us like this, but one look at her face told me that ours was a lost cause. Her words confirmed it.
“I am afraid, Becca had enough excitement for the day,” said Nurse Blake coldly. She avoided looking in our direction, while forcefully opening the door to let us out. “She needs her rest now.”
It was clear that nothing we could say or do would change the fact that we were no longer welcome in this establishment. Nurse Blake accompanied us in silence to the front door and stood in the open doorway, like a sentinel, while we walked to the car. As we drove out of the clinic, we noticed a security vehicle following us to the exit, making sure we left for good.
STEPFORD USA, as well as all my other books (both paperbacks and ebooks), can now be purchased from multiple sources, including Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, Sony, Apple, etc. Profits from my book sales go to America’s oldest no-kill animal shelter, Tompkins County SPCA in Ithaca, NY; and to Siberian Tiger rescue project in Russia. Read more about that here!
Buy Stepford USA ebook: Barnes&Noble Smash Kobo Sony Apple too
Buy ebook/paperback: Amazon US UK DE CA
Find buy links for al l my books here
Excerpt Sunday: Not All’s Kosher at Stepford’s Berkshire Hope Clinic
Not all conspiracies are global…
Some are hidden in small towns with flawless facades
Great news! Last week’s experiment with posting an excerpt from THE EARTH SHIFTER proved to be so successful that I decided to continue this new tradition (read ES excerpt here). So, going forward on Sundays, I’ll be posting excerpts from my various books.
This particular scene from STEPFORD USA (Accidental Spy Small Town Adventure) is set at a mental clinic located in the seemingly idyllic town of Stepford in the midst of the picturesque Berkshire Mountains, Massachusetts. The name of the town is fictional, but bears resemblance to the real local towns, namely Sheffield, Lenox, and especially Stockbridge, MA. While writing STEPFORD USA I lived in the area before moving back to New York. I wrote the setting in real time based on my observations and experiences, and perhaps because of that it appears so vivid, down to the smallest details.
The surreal scene at the Berkshire Hope Clinic reminds me a little of the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; and more (of course, this applies to the whole book) – of The Stepford Wives. But you be the judge!
In this scene the heroine, Jade Snow, and her friend, Rachel Weise, visit Rebbecca at the clinic where the mute victim of the long forgotten, and conveniently swept under the carpet, rape has been a long-term patient… um… prisoner. Until Jade shows up and starts questioning things that haven’t been questioned before in this town of conformity and behind the scenes deals.
In addition to whodunnit and howdunnit, STEPFORD USA contains social satire, psychic visions, adorable and pretty amazing kitty & doggie, as well as a generous helping of humor. Oh yeah, and how could I forget the Gossip Central of the Berkshires: the infamous STEPFORD KNITTING CLUB, who unwittingly help Jade solve the puzzle! Sorry – no robots, if you don’t count some Stepford residents .
Chapter 10
In Stepford, every edifice of any significance seemed to be located on Main Street. So, not very surprisingly, the Berkshire Hope Clinic was just a few short blocks down the road from the Blue Peacock Inn. The towering red brick mansion, complete with a grand, white columned entrance, was thoroughly in line with the town’s old colonial mystique.
Nurse Blake met us at the front desk with a perfunctory smile.
“Hi,” she said. “I am the head nurse and I understand you are…” She paused, looking inquiringly at Rachel.
“Rachel Weise,” Rachel extended her hand. “Thanks for allowing me a visit on such short notice.
“No problem, Dr. Weise,” said Nurse Blake. “Although our chief physician is on vacation till next Monday, we are very familiar with Professor Strauss’s work and any of his associates are welcome here.”
She turned to me. “And you would be?”
“This is my friend, Jade Snow,” introduced me Rachel, “who is hosting me here, in Stepford. She has graciously agreed to drive me to the clinic and I’d feel uncomfortable leaving her in the lobby after everything she’s done. I hope you don’t mind if she joins me?”
“Jade Snow?” asked nurse Blake. “Aren’t you a part of the Stepford Knitting Club?”
“Guilty as charged,” I said.
“My daughter, Shawna, attends it too. She spoke very highly of you. It’s very nice to meet you. I am Janet Blake.” I shook nurse’s hand as she ushered us into the long-term ward.
“I’m actually very glad to see anyone visit Rebbecca,” confessed Nurse Blake, as she led us down the long corridor. “She’s been here so long, almost thirteen years… And very few people come to visit her any more. Just our local guys, Marc Catcham and Jack Maloof. Chief Nordini comes sometimes and I saw Peter Burns a few times, but not too often. Very nice people they all are, God bless them.” She opened the door at the end of the corridor, inviting us in.
The narrow room we entered had a simple bed by the window, a bunch of flowers in a small vase atop a bed stand, a side table with photographs and a chair in the corner. Another chair was brought in for us. Through a slightly open window, the upbeat chirping of birds could be heard from the garden, as the gentle breeze delicately fluttered the white curtain.
The room itself didn’t stand out in any way, but our eyes immediately drifted to, and fixed on, the still figure draped in a long hospital gown. The figure sat on the edge of the bed, looking straight ahead with unseeing eyes.
Mrs. Blake’s demeanor changed dramatically once she entered the room. She was now a caring nurse, no longer an efficient administrator we had met in the lobby. She checked the pulse on the limp, painfully thin arm and spoke kindly to the still figure on the bed, “We like it when someone comes to visit us, don’t we Becca?”
She pointed at us. “These two nice young ladies wanted to talk to you for a bit. You don’t mind, do you, Becca?”
The gaunt figure on the bed didn’t move, nor produced a sound to indicate she heard or noticed us. She just lowered her eyelids with long, curved eyelashes and continued sitting still, now with her eyes closed.
I recognized those eyelashes right away. I saw them on the picture from the old yearbook, a picture of a happy, healthy and beautiful eighteen year old girl. Those eyelashes seemed to be the only thing that still remained of the old Rebbecca, a sad reminder of what could have been.
As we sat on our chairs, Nurse Blake tiptoed out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her.
“Hello, Rebbecca,” said Rachel cheerfully. “Do you mind if we talk with you for a while?”
The figure on the bed didn’t move, sitting as still as before, her eyelashes lowered.
Rachel and I looked at each other, trying to decide how to proceed. I cleared my throat.
“Hi Rebbecca,” I started quietly. “My name is Jade Snow. And this is Rachel Weise. We live in New York City, but I am staying here, in Stepford, to write my book. And Rachel is visiting me for the weekend.”
It seemed nothing has changed, but did I detect a slight flutter of the eyelashes? I almost dismissed the thought as wishful thinking, when I noticed Rachel’s intense gaze fixed on Rebbecca. Did she notice it, too?
I continued, while observing Rebbecca closely. “I am a journalist and I’ve worked in Iraq and Afghanistan for the past two years. But then I got married. My husband, who is traveling in Africa, suggested I move to Stepford while he’s away.”
It was unmistakable this time, the flutter of the eyelashes, the slight opening of the eyes.
Rachel and I stared at each other.
“Keep talking,” mouthed Rachel.
“Rebbecca, my husband thought that it would be good for me to be here, while he is traveling. This being such a paradise and all. Because I am pregnant, you see.”
The figure continued sitting still on the bed, but something in her has changed. The eyes were now open. Then, they shifted slightly to the right, towards the open window. Rachel and I exchanged glances.
“The window,” mouthed Rachel. “She wants it closed.”
I got up and maneuvered past the still figure on the bed. I closed the window, conscious of Rebbecca’s eyes on my back. Then, I smoothed out the curtain and started back to my chair. As I passed the bed, someone grabbed my left forearm so forcefully that I jumped. I looked down, perplexed. Rebbecca was holding on to me with such strength that I would have never suspected from those limp fingers.
Her eyes were now looking up straight into mine. Her lips were moving, but no sound came out.
“Can I help you, Rebbecca?” I said, alarmed.
The lips moved once more and as I leaned closer to her mouth, trying to listen, it hit me again. A quick flash, but this time much clearer. Night grass was damp and the moon in the sky was bright. The young woman in a summer dress turned to rags fought with every last bit of strength left in her. But what could she do, sprawled helplessly on damp ground, against two strong men? One of them slapped her hard, and kept slapping, till she bled. Another kicked her. And then, right before the lights went out and her tortured body, mercifully, felt no more, another, large and menacing form appeared, blocking the stars and the moonlight…
I gasped and jerked my hand out of Rebbecca’s grip. Swaying dangerously, I tried to steady myself. The next thing I knew, Rachel’s arm was around me, keeping me from falling. A sudden fit of excruciating coughing made me bend forward, toward Rebbecca, while holding on to the bed frame for extra balance. As I did, I glanced at the woman sitting on the bed. Her pose was now more relaxed, eyes fully open, gaze fixed on my face. It occurred to me that we were making progress and that, if I continued talking, we would soon get somewhere. But first, I needed to get back to my chair and rest a minute or two, because I felt exhausted and sick after yet another shocking encounter with Rebbecca’s rape.
Rachel, her arm still around me, and I, still bent over next to the bed, were about to start moving back to our chairs, when the door suddenly opened and Nurse Blake hurriedly entered the room. Rebbecca immediately shrunk back, fear registering on her gaunt face. The nurse frowned, throwing a quick glance around the room. It was hard not to notice the changes and it was clear, she didn’t like what she saw. The window closed; both visitors out of their chairs and in very strange poses; me, holding on to the bed frame and both of us leaning toward the woman, who appeared to shrink away in fear. God only knows what passed through the nurse’s mind when she caught us like this, but one look at her face told me that ours was a lost cause. Her words confirmed it.
“I am afraid, Becca had enough excitement for the day,” said Nurse Blake coldly. She avoided looking in our direction, while forcefully opening the door to let us out. “She needs her rest now.”
It was clear that nothing we could say or do would change the fact that we were no longer welcome in this establishment. Nurse Blake accompanied us in silence to the front door and stood in the open doorway, like a sentinel, while we walked to the car. As we drove out of the clinic, we noticed a security vehicle following us to the exit, making sure we left for good.
STEPFORD USA, as well as all my other books (both paperbacks and ebooks), can now be purchased from multiple sources, including Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, Sony, Apple, etc. Profits from my book sales go to America’s oldest no-kill animal shelter, Tompkins County SPCA in Ithaca, NY; and to Siberian Tiger rescue project in Russia. Read more about that here!
Buy Stepford USA ebook: Barnes&Noble Smash Kobo Sony Apple too
Buy ebook/paperback: Amazon US UK DE CA
Find buy links for al l my books here
October 29, 2013
#Indie #Publishing Update: What’s Happening at #Kobo?
I have received this informative email from Kobo (read below) and decided to re-post it here for the benefit of all Indie authors. It appears that Kobo Writing Life -the Indie publishing arm of the company – has received bad press in the United Kingdom for allegedly not screening the books they have on sale and therefore violating their own guidelines. As a result, Kobo initiated a massive Indie book removal and inspection. If you publish with Kobo in the UK and were affected by mistake, the email below is straight out of the horse’s mouth and explains Kobo’s position.
I understand the books targeted by this removal are basically hard-core erotica and such. I must say that regardless of the type of books Kobo is presently reviewing, I for one am very happy they are actually taking an interest in addressing some of their problems, which are many. I sincerely hope they become more responsive and more responsible about their Indie publishing service soon.
Although my rant below may seem slightly off topic, but it illustrates vividly Kobo’s desire to jump on the ebook and indie publishing bandwagon, while failing to take their responsibility seriously. The only reason I’m writing this is that I sincerely hope someone at Kobo sees it and finally takes action!
Here goes: I opened an account with Kobo Writing Life a while back, planning on listing with them directly, however, the royalty info page refused to take my bank aba, although I tried several different options on multiple occasions. Because of that, I was unablle to complete my registration process. Glitches happen, you say. I thought so too, until I realized that the Kobo Writing Life website contained no customer service email or phone number whatsoever, which made it impossible to advise them of the problem and to resolve it. After an extensive Google search for any contact info, I gave up on trying to work with Kobo Writing Life. Although I do list my books with Kobo, I presently do so through Smashwords. Another problem is that they are very slow to list titles. It seems, books easily fall between the cracks with Kobo. To this day, one of my books is still not listed, although it was submitted several months ago!
I’d love to work with them directly, but they really have to get their act together!
If anyone at Kobo is reading this, please correct your royalty/bank info glitch and list a customer service email on your site! Thank you!
We, Indies, talk a lot about the need to broaden our reach through diversification via different sources and the need to create a healthy competition for the Amazon/ Kindle near monopoly. Yet other retailers are not making it easy! To this day, only Amazon, with the exception of Smashwords, answers emails promptly, updates book content quickly and does everything else with decent turnaround. I love Barnes&Noble, but they take their sweet time answering email inquiries and correcting problems. Although, I must say their reply time has decreased significantly from several weeks in the past to just a week or so. That’s already a huge improvement! Hope Kobo takes the leaf from BN’s book soon!
Kobo, I want to work with you – please make it easier to do so!
A Kobo Writing Life UpdateI’d like to give our authors a quick update on Kobo Writing Life in the UK and elsewhere.As you may be aware, in the face of some fairly intense media scrutiny, we launched a major review of the books we offer for sale to make sure they comply with our content policy on offensive material. We cast a wide net across our catalogue that included genres and books coming from self-published authors, aggregators, and publishers, and we quarantined many of these while we conducted the review which made them unavailable in the UK during that time. The review had to happen fast, and we didn’t enjoy it, but with our esteemed 300-year-old retail partner on the front page of major newspapers and some content clearly in violation of our posted standards, we needed to move quickly. Almost everyone on the Kobo Content Team, spread across a dozen countries and time zones, was involved at one point or another. The urgency was driven by our desire to make sure we were running a store that met our own expectations and equally by the need to get our authors back up and available for sale again in the UK as fast as possible.The good news is that the vast majority of self-published Kobo Writing Life titles are once again available on Kobo.com in the UK, with most authors experiencing a gap of only a few days before their books were once again in the catalogue. As well, we have been working closely with our self-publishing aggregation partners. Most of their titles are once again available in the UK or will be in the coming hours. If your book is still unavailable and you think it shouldn’t be, send a message to writinglife@kobo.com and the team will get on it.For those few titles that remain unavailable, some feel that we chose a path of censorship. All I can say is that if your dream is to publish “barely legal” erotica or exploitative rape fantasies, distribution is probably going to be a struggle for you. We aren’t saying you can’t write them. But we don’t feel compelled to sell them. And yes, many titles live in a grey zone with far more shades than the fifty that sold so well in the past year, but that is what makes this all so challenging and so interesting. Many of our readers have no problem with an erotic title in their library next to their romance, literary fiction, investing or high-energy physics books. And we are here for the readers, so erotica stays, a small but interesting part of a multi-million-title catalogue, in all of its grey-shaded glory. My thanks go out to Mark Lefebvre and the whole Kobo Writing Life team and to all of our authors who have been so supportive and understanding in the past two weeks. We will continue to work on reviewing processes and author education about what we can take and what we can’t. It will never be perfect, but our belief continues to be that if we focus on readers and growing our business around them, we will get it right much more often than not.Sincerely yours,
Michael Tamblyn
Chief Content Officer
Kobo
@mtamblyn
Copyright © 2013 Kobo, All rights reserved.
You are on this email list as an account holder with Kobo Writing Life.
Our mailing address is:
Kobo
135 Liberty Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
Toronto, ON M6K 1Y7
Canada
What’s Happening at #Kobo? My 2 Cents: Kobo’s Mass Indie Book Inspection
I have received this informative email from Kobo (read below) and decided to re-post it here for the benefit of all Indie authors. It appears that Kobo Writing Life -the Indie publishing arm of the company – has received bad press in the United Kingdom for allegedly not screening the books they have on sale and therefore violating their own guidelines. As a result, Kobo initiated a massive Indie book removal and inspection. If you publish with Kobo in the UK and were affected by mistake, the email below is straight out of the horse’s mouth and explains Kobo’s position.
I understand the books targeted by this removal are basically hard-core erotica and such. I must say that regardless of the type of books Kobo is presently reviewing, I for one am very happy they are actually taking an interest in addressing some of their problems, which are many. I sincerely hope they become more responsive and more responsible about their Indie publishing service soon.
Although my rant below seem slightly off topic, but it demonstrates vividly Kobo’s desire to jump on the ebook and indie publishing bandwagon, while failing to take their responsibility seriously. The only reason I’m writing this is that I sincerely hope someone at Kobo sees it and finally takes action!
Here goes: I opened an account with Kobo Writing Life a while back, planning on listing with them directly, however, the royalty info page refused to take my bank aba, although I tried several different options on multiple occasions. Because of that, I was unablle to complete my registration process. Glitches happen, you say. I thought so too, until I realized that the Kobo Writing Life website contained no customer service email or phone number whatsoever, which made it impossible to advise them of the problem and to resolve it. After an extensive Google search for any contact info, I gave up on trying to work with Kobo Writing Life. Although I do list my books with Kobo, I presently do so through Smashwords. Another problem is that they are very slow to list titles. It seems, books easily fall between the cracks with Kobo. To this day, one of my books is still not listed, although it was submitted several months ago!
I’d love to work with them directly, but they really have to get their act together!
If anyone at Kobo is reading this, please correct your royalty/bank info glitch and list a customer service email on your site! Thank you!
We, Indies, talk a lot about the need to broaden our reach through diversification via different sources and the need to create a healthy competition for the Amazon/ Kindle near monopoly. Yet other retailers are not making it easy! To this day, only Amazon, with the exception of Smashwords, answers emails promptly, updates book content quickly and does everything else with decent turnaround. I love Barnes&Noble, but they take their sweet time answering email inquiries and correcting problems. Although, I must say their reply time has decreased significantly from several weeks in the past to just a week or so. That’s already a huge improvement! Hope Kobo takes the leaf from BN’s book soon!
Kobo, I want to work with you – please make it easier to do so!
A Kobo Writing Life UpdateI’d like to give our authors a quick update on Kobo Writing Life in the UK and elsewhere.As you may be aware, in the face of some fairly intense media scrutiny, we launched a major review of the books we offer for sale to make sure they comply with our content policy on offensive material. We cast a wide net across our catalogue that included genres and books coming from self-published authors, aggregators, and publishers, and we quarantined many of these while we conducted the review which made them unavailable in the UK during that time. The review had to happen fast, and we didn’t enjoy it, but with our esteemed 300-year-old retail partner on the front page of major newspapers and some content clearly in violation of our posted standards, we needed to move quickly. Almost everyone on the Kobo Content Team, spread across a dozen countries and time zones, was involved at one point or another. The urgency was driven by our desire to make sure we were running a store that met our own expectations and equally by the need to get our authors back up and available for sale again in the UK as fast as possible.The good news is that the vast majority of self-published Kobo Writing Life titles are once again available on Kobo.com in the UK, with most authors experiencing a gap of only a few days before their books were once again in the catalogue. As well, we have been working closely with our self-publishing aggregation partners. Most of their titles are once again available in the UK or will be in the coming hours. If your book is still unavailable and you think it shouldn’t be, send a message to writinglife@kobo.com and the team will get on it.For those few titles that remain unavailable, some feel that we chose a path of censorship. All I can say is that if your dream is to publish “barely legal” erotica or exploitative rape fantasies, distribution is probably going to be a struggle for you. We aren’t saying you can’t write them. But we don’t feel compelled to sell them. And yes, many titles live in a grey zone with far more shades than the fifty that sold so well in the past year, but that is what makes this all so challenging and so interesting. Many of our readers have no problem with an erotic title in their library next to their romance, literary fiction, investing or high-energy physics books. And we are here for the readers, so erotica stays, a small but interesting part of a multi-million-title catalogue, in all of its grey-shaded glory. My thanks go out to Mark Lefebvre and the whole Kobo Writing Life team and to all of our authors who have been so supportive and understanding in the past two weeks. We will continue to work on reviewing processes and author education about what we can take and what we can’t. It will never be perfect, but our belief continues to be that if we focus on readers and growing our business around them, we will get it right much more often than not.Sincerely yours,
Michael Tamblyn
Chief Content Officer
Kobo
@mtamblyn
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October 25, 2013
THE EARTH SHIFTER Excerpt: Tantalizing Mystery of the Key and Spy Conspiracy
Hello, everyone! I’m settling down at my new house and don’t have the Internet yet. Presently, sitting at the nearby Starbucks and catching up on things. As soon as I get my Internet connection back, I’ll again be my usual social self. Till then, please enjoy an excerpt from THE EARTH SHIFTER. Chapter 6 is one of the pivotal parts of the book, where the NWO conspiracy gets first hinted at and the spy intrigue starts gathering steam. This is also the chapter where the metaphysical mystery of the Key is tantalizingly dangled before an evil power seeker, who’ll stop at nothing to accomplish his clandestine goals. Will he succeed? This is a trillion-and-a-half dollar question!
One of my wonderful readers, Patricia Tilton of the Children’s Books Heal blog, has recently remarked that she enjoys my “cliffhanger writing style.” What can I say, I love to create a twist here and a turn there, which no one would expect. Many such twisty turns are weaved into the fabric of THE EARTH SHIFTER – promise!
Enjoy your weekend and read on, dear friends!
“Sir, there is a Chinese woman from New York on the phone, who swears she knows a secret that will make America the most powerful nation on the planet forever, if we spare her son.”
“What son?” replied Assistant CIA Director, Aloysius Drakley, irritably. He wasn’t having the best of days and had no time to listen to some old woman’s rantings. “Tejay, how many times do I have to tell you not to bother me with this kind of crap?”
“I apologize, sir. I wouldn’t, except her name is Yuun Lin and she is the mother of the suspected Chinese spy, Hao Lin. She says that it’s about some sort of key…”
This singular word made Drakley sit up and listen. She knows about the Key? But that can’t be… or can it?
“Perhaps, she is crazy, sir,” the assistant went on. “Perhaps the trauma of having her son accused of espionage has been too much for the old woman to bear?”
Drakley heard a note of compassion in his assistant’s voice, and didn’t like it. He made a mental note to get rid of him as soon as possible. Compassion? Humanity? This guy was definitely in the wrong business.
“She says…”
“I’ve heard what she says,” interrupted Drakley sharply. “Okay, write down everything she says and give me the transcript.”
“She says, sir, she’ll only talk to you—alone.”
Drakley frowned. Such confident forcefulness from an old woman, a spy’s mother, and a nobody, could only mean that she was either also a Chinese spy… or else, that she really had something. He silently mulled over all this information. Bring her in? Not very wise. No one at the agency was supposed to find out about the existence of the Key. Even if he was absolutely discreet, there were just too many people around. The woman’s presence at the agency was bound to leave a trace, and his conversation with her would leak out one way or the other. It always did.
See her at her place? But what if it’s a trap? What if his assistant was right and the aggrieved woman really lost it? What if she decided that taking Assistant CIA Chief hostage would be a good move? What if she felt she could negotiate for her son’s life this way? No, that didn’t seem probable. You’d expect something like this from an American. But Chinese… they were so much more pragmatic. And she did say the word. If she knows about the Key, then…
Drakley made a decision. “Where is she located?”
“New York Chinatown. She has a small business near Canal Street and she lives behind her store.”
“Locate snipers on roofs and several sharp agents on the ground. Surround her residence. Report of any activity in and out of her place.”
“Consider it done, sir.”
“Very well, get me the helicopter.”
******
It was almost seven. As Chinatown’s incessant traffic and frantic daily activity died down and streets became deserted, Yuun got up from a tiny kitchen table where she was having a lonely dinner: a small bowl of fried rice and a cup of tea. The bowl of rice remained practically untouched. She had no appetite.
Yuun’s entire life revolved around her feng shui business, as well as the Lee family. She had neither time nor the desire to have a life of her own. The only indulgence she allowed herself, if you could call that indulgence, was her son Hao. She loved his father, who had never promised to marry her. But she had wanted a child so badly! So, when she became pregnant, she kept the baby. Sure enough, his father disappeared into thin air as soon as he heard the news, and she was left to fend for herself. Only Dao-ming and Chang Lee were always there for her.
They were always her best friends, in actuality, her only real friends, since others only came when everything was wonderful, promptly disappearing when things became dicey. Like now, when her son had been arrested for espionage, again, only the Lees had been there for her, inviting her over, visiting her all the time and trying to cheer her up. So naturally, when Dao-ming had the twins, Yuun had repaid the kindness by nursing her back to health and watching over the boys.
Hao was already eight at the time the twins were born. He was a good boy, respectful and helpful, but he became jealous of all the time Yuun spent with the Lee brothers. He felt neglected and there was never any love lost between him and the twins. When he was eighteen, he enlisted in the army. As many Chinese, he was good at science, math, and computers. He was quickly assigned to the Army Intelligence unit, which serviced the U.S. advance weapons technology. Yuun was very proud of her son, telling everyone she knew how the U.S. army trusted him with state secrets.
And that’s when disaster struck. Hao downloaded secret information and sold it to the Chinese government. At least, that’s what the U.S. government was saying. Whether it was true or not… He was accused of spying and was now in jail, awaiting trial. Yuun hired an attorney, who spent a whole month researching the case and talking to officials. The verdict he presented to her was crushing. The attorney advised her that the United States still practiced the death penalty for espionage. There was a strong chance Hao could be executed as traitor.
Yuun felt that it was all her fault. She had neglected her baby, while spending so much time with other people’s kids. She made her son feel unwanted and unwelcome. She never saw the signs. And now it was too late. Or was it? She had to do something, she had to bargain for her son’s life. That’s what the Chinese did: they bargained. She was as good a bargainer as any of her compatriots, but what could she offer in exchange for her son’s life? She didn’t know any important foreign government secrets; she wasn’t privy to any information of that magnitude. Despite her big title—Famous Feng Shui Master—she was just a humble Chinatown merchant, with a modest income and small nest egg. She had nothing to offer in exchange for her son’s life.
But then she remembered! Yes, there was something she could offer. Something very big! In fact, something much bigger than just a mere government secret! It was the secret that affected life on Earth as we know it!
It was something she was never supposed to know. But when she was nursing Dao-ming back to health after the difficult delivery of the twins, she overheard her speak in her sleep. At first, Yuun dismissed these strange, feverish utterings of the sick woman, but after she kept hearing the words Key, karma, and the future of mankind over and over again, she started listening. That’s how she learned the secret of the Key. Dao-ming soon got better, but Yuun never mentioned to anyone what she overheard, having solemnly promised herself to take her friends’ secret with her to the grave. Yet, the circumstances changed and now she was ready to betray them in order to save her son’s life.
The sound of tires coming to a halt outside interrupted her train of thought. She glanced at the wall clock. Seven. To make sure, she opened a curtain just a notch and peered outside. In the lengthening shadows, on the other side of the street, stopped a tank-like, very official-looking black car with dark tint. That was him.
A knock on the store’s back door made her jump. A stocky man stepped through the threshold wearing a trench coat, hat and dark shades that partially concealed his face.
He took off his shades and hat to reveal a balding head with an oversized forehead and sharp eyes. Then, he hung his coat on a coat hanger in the corner, remaining in a gray jacket with white shirt, white-red-and-blue tie and an American flag pin in his lapel.
“I was expecting you, Mr. Drakley,” uttered Yuun.
“What was it that you wanted to share, Ms. Yuun?” said Drakley without preamble, depositing his large body into the kitchen chair. The old chair made a pitiful screech.
“I have important information which I want to exchange for my son’s life and freedom. It is something that affects not only the United States, but life on Earth as we know it.”
Drakley scanned the surroundings skeptically. Somehow, he still doubted that this woman could have such earth-shattering information. But on the slim chance that she did, it was worth the visit.
“I can tell you all about a special person that will serve as the Key to open the new era of human civilization… in exchange for my son’s life and freedom.”
Drakley observed the Asian woman intently, trying to figure out whether this was a ploy, and whether he was dealing with another Chinese agent. His eyes drifted to Yuun’s hands. They were trembling, as her fingers nervously crumpled the hem of her red Chinese jacket. That convinced him more than anything else did that she was for real.
“I am listening,” he said.
“First, I need assurance that my son will be released.”
“Ms. Lin,” said Drakley impatiently. “If your information proves to be of value, I will do everything in my power…”
“This is not good enough!” The poor woman almost shrieked. “You have no idea what it cost me to make this step! What I had to sacrifice…” She stopped, her breathing heavy.
Drakley observed the woman with surprise. What if his assessment was incorrect and she was really losing it? What if she decided to take him hostage, if he wasn’t too cooperative? He surreptitiously felt for his gun.
Should she make the wrong move, I’ll shoot her, he decided. But that was his very last option. He’d only do it if there were no alternative left. He would much prefer to leave here discretely, and without any unnecessary complications. Besides, if she really knew something about the Key, then this woman was invaluable; therefore, he needed to appease her. It was imperative to find out whatever he could. The Society knew miserably little about this subject of utmost importance.
He took a steadying breath and said in the most calming tone he could muster, “Please understand, Ms. Lin, I cannot guarantee anything until I know that you really have the goods.”
“No,” stubbornly repeated Yuun. “I will not tell you anything until you promise me that my son is safe.”
“Fine,” said Drakley, shrugging his shoulders. “I promise. Your son will be safe, if your information proves valuable.” He made this promise lightly. It was nothing off his back. After all, it was a verbal promise, the one no one heard but this woman and himself. It would be his word against hers. And who would believe this silly old woman…
“No,” Yuun shook her head. “Not like that.” She took out a clean sheet of paper and pen. “Write: I, Assistant Director of the CIA, Aloysius Drakley, guarantee that Hao Lin will be exonerated from all charges of espionage against him and set free in exchange for the valuable information provided by Yuun Lin.”
Drakley wrote everything down obediently, but in the end, instead of: “in exchange for the valuable information provided by Yuun Lin,” he put down: “if the information provided by Yuun Lin proves valuable enough to warrant such actions.”
“Look, Ms. Lin,” he said in his most soothing voice. “I want to work with you, I really do. But you have to understand my position. I can’t just promise something like this out of the blue. This is a matter of American National Security! I can’t throw around such promises. I have to be sure first that the information is really worth it.”
“Trust me, it is.” Yuun carefully folded the piece of paper containing the promise of her son’s life. She opened a Chinese box with painted dragons on the lid, which was displayed on the nearby shelf, and hid the paper inside. She closed the box, which made a very distinct clicking sound as it locked in place.
Drakley observed her movements with avid interest. If need be, later he could always raid the place and retrieve this compromising piece of paper. But for now, he wanted his information. That’s what he came for. He had to make this woman trust him.
“Fair enough,” he said soothingly. “And now, why don’t you start from the beginning, Ms. Lin.”
Yuun took a deep breath. “When I was nursing Dao-ming Lee back to health after her delivery of the twins Kei and Win, she kept talking about the Key and the future of the Earth in her sleep. I didn’t listen at first, but the more she repeated these words, the more I became interested. According to her, there are two very special children, who were born exactly thirty days apart, and who would open a door into the new era of unbelievable achievement for mankind. They must come together, because however powerful each of them is, together their power multiplies so that it can either propel the Earth forward or destroy it. That’s why together they are called The Earth Shifter.”
“So, who are these children?”
“I believe that one of them is a Lee boy.”
“But you said they were twins. Which one is it?”
“Of that I cannot be one hundred percent sure,” replied Yuun evasively.
“Are you saying that you don’t know which one?”
“No,” repeated Yuun, averting her eyes, “you would have to discover that for yourself. However, if you follow the twins, I am confident you’ll eventually find out, because the other half of the Key will have to make contact. As soon as it happens, you’ll know.”
“That’s not good enough, I’m afraid.” Drakley got up. “I really need to know which one of them is the one. Otherwise, I can’t help you.”
Yuun looked at Drakley, her eyes slowly filling with tears. She had already gone so far! In her self-deception, she was so hoping she wouldn’t have to go to the very end, as if stopping at this point would make her betrayal of her best friends not as real. With all her heart, she really didn’t want to say the name! But this man was in no mood for half-truths, and as her only son’s life hung in the balance, she had no choice but to go all the way.
She looked straight into Drakley’s steel eyes and whispered the name.
“Very well,” said Drakley, getting up with a satisfied smile and heading for the door. “I will see what I can do for your son.”
“When will he be set free?” Yuun flew to the door and, despite her fear of this powerful and ruthless man, she blocked his way. “I must know when he will be set free!”
Drakley stared at this annoying woman. Who did she think she was? Blocking his way out? She was really playing with fire! But he contained himself. He was famous for his ability to control his emotions and act in a levelheaded way even in the most strenuous of circumstances.
“Ms. Lin,” he said calmly, “I promise you, I will personally deal with your son’s situation first thing tomorrow morning. And now, if you’ll excuse me…” He took the woman by the shoulders and shifted her aside. Then he opened the door and stepped out of her apartment.
He had no intention of letting Hao Lin go. But she didn’t need to know that.
Just a short while ago, Aloysius Drakley would have used the earth-shattering information he just extracted from Yuun Lin for the good of the United States of America. But things had changed—he had changed. Now he understood that he had achieved everything he could in this country, and there was no point in banging his head against a glass ceiling. So, going forward, his eyes were set on a much bigger prize, and with this new bargaining chip, he was confident the prize was his. He knew exactly who should be made aware of these incredible developments—those who possessed real power. It wasn’t the CIA, nor even the United States President. The power was concentrated elsewhere, and that’s where he was heading.
Read more about THE EARTH SHIFTER
THE EARTH SHIFTER, as well as all my other books (both paperbacks and ebooks) can now be purchased from multiple sources, including Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, Sony, Apple, etc. Profits from my book sales go to America’s oldest no-kill animal shelter, Tompkins County SPCA in Ithaca, NY; and to Siberian Tiger rescue project in Russia. Read more about that here!
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October 9, 2013
And the Oscar For the Funniest Book Review Goes To…
I recently received this 4 star review for GREEN DESERT (Accidental Spy Iraq Prequel) on Barnes & Noble.
fernweh428 Posted September 28, 2013
I don’t quite know what to make of this book, and I mean that in the best sense. It captures my attention and I will re-read it soon.
This review made me giggle, but it certainly was a giggle meant in the best sense!
I guess I should be flattered that Green Desert captured someone’s attention and made them think. This was my intention you know. So, a funny review – yes; but I’ll take it! Perhaps my ideas and thoughts will be mainstream one day. Like with the 100 Monkeys Theory, it takes only a small percentage of people to shift to a new way of thinking – and acting (!) – in order to create a massive paradigm shift for humanity.
Till then, I’ll keep dreaming, writing and speaking out…
As Jade Snow, the heroine of Accidental Spy Adventures, said in conclusion of Green Desert, “One day, desert will be a garden again…”
Our beautiful Earth is a garden, not a military battleground! This is the message of Green Desert, and of my other books.
From GREEN DESERT description on Amazon: “The Butterfly Effect with an unexpected twist, this short, but full of action and drama read explores how interconnected we really are in this world.“ Ebook is currently available #FREE from Barnes & Noble #Nook, Amazon #Kindle, as well as from other retailers. See all buy links here!
All my books (both paperbacks and ebooks) can now be purchased from multiple sources, including Barnes&Noble, Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Sony, Apple, etc. Profits from my book sales go to no-kill animal shelter in Upstate NY, USA: Tompkins County SPCA; and to Siberian Tiger rescue project in Russia. Read more about that here!
Click on book cover images for all buy links!
September 29, 2013
#Sochi #Olympics and Olympic Torch’s Record Journey Through #Russia and #OuterSpace
Sochi Olympics venues. Black Sea in the foreground and magnificent Caucasus Mountains in the background. (Click on image to see more detail)
In February 2014, Sochi, the unique Russian resort on the Black Sea will be hosting Winter Olympics. What makes it unique? While the climate on the Black Sea coast of Sochi is sub-tropical, with palm trees and warm sea even in the winter, the nearby Caucasus Mountains have snow caps even in the summer. It is here, in the Caucasus Mountains, at Krasnaya Polyana (meaning, Red Meadow or Beautiful Meadow), that the Winter Olympics 2014 will take place.
In Sochi, for the first time in history, The Winter Olympics will be held in a sub-tropical climate!
Historic Soviet resort, Sochi, Russia
Sochi, Black Sea, Russia
more Sochi
Sochi sea and fun
The Olympic torch ceremony for the Sochi Olympics is just as unique and record-setting as the host city itself. The Sochi torch relay has started in Olympia, Greece and will continue through the entire Russia, whose territory stretches through 9 time zones. It will visit Russia’s 83 regions and almost 3000 cities and villages. The Olympic torch will pass through many beautiful and unique nature spots, including the Earth’s largest body of potable water, Lake Baikal in Siberia, featured prominently in my metaphysical fantasy thriller THE EARTH SHIFTER. In addition to trains, planes and boats, the torch will be traveling through Siberian wilderness in a reindeer sleigh and in hot air balloons!
Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana on the map. Notice Odessa on the other side of the Black Sea and Crimean Peninsula in the middle.
From there, for the first time in the history of mankind, the Olympic torch will leave the confines of our planet to fly to Outer Space via a Soyuz rocket. The Sochi Olympic flame will be a welcome guest at the ISS, where it will take a historical Space Walk with Russian cosmonauts.
Another record: Sochi to host the greenest Olympics ever
It will take 123 days, 65,000 kilometers and 14,000 torch bearers to cover the entire Sochi torch relay. This is by far the longest and most spectacular journey the Olympic torch has aver made, which has never been attempted before. The idea is to showcase Russia’s history, nature and many achievements in science, art and economy; to celebrate its vibrant, diverse and forward-looking culture. According to organizers, throughout this journey, every Russian citizen will be close enough to the Olympic torch to enjoy it live.
Sochi, Olympic Rings Island at night
During this breathtaking torch relay, many interesting videos are planned. I’ll be posting some of them on my blog as they become available. Till then, enjoy first reports and vids about the Sochi Olympics Torch Relay, courtesy #RussiaToday!
Olympic torch lit in Greece before epic journey to Sochi. The first Russian torch bearer is the hockey star Alexander Ovechkin.
Olympic Torch Relay: RT’s Special Coverage (Promo)
********
Also check out the related post on Futurist Trendcast blog:
Venture Capital: Oligarch Money Games and Sochi Olympics
Read my analysis of the history of the Russian oligarchs and their present day evolution. What secret agreement was reached between Putin and the oligarchs behind the closed doors? What does the future hold?
The attached video is about Russian oligarchs’ investments in Sochi, including new sports complex, ski launch, Olympic village, hotels, new airport, marina, resorts and many other things. The cost of the entire Sochi Olympic project is so far 4 times over budget and is the record-setting $50bln compared to planned $12bln. The question the interviewer asks is whether investors will ever see their money back? It is a very interesting discussion – must watch!
Also, this vid is well worth watching for the beautiful views of Sochi. A lot has changed since I was there last. Can’t recognize the place!
Ah, and here’s is a nice surprise contributed by Darlene Foster @ Darlene Foster’s Blog, a children’s author from Vancouver, British Columbia, CA and a friend of #LadaRayBlog.
Darlene’s photo taken at the Sochi Olympics pavilion at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. The view looks like real, even got me fooled for a sec.
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Also read my posts about Odessa, another beautiful city on the Black Sea, where I grew up:
Odessa, the Pearl of the Black Sea
Childhood Memories: Sun, Black Sea, Fun, Odessa
