S.R. Booth's Blog, page 17
December 27, 2013
Looking for a new book to read?
ebooksoda.com will send customized book choices to your email. Check it out!
December 22, 2013
December 21, 2013
This looks Christmasy!
Polar Bear family pic.twitter.com/I3OhWF19Fr
— Animal Planet (@MeetAnimals) December 20, 2013
December 20, 2013
December 16, 2013
Do You Review?
So many people, myself included, buy and read a book then move on without another thought. Whether you enjoyed the book or not, leaving a review is so helpful, not only to other potential readers but to the author as well. Reviews don't have to be long or professionally edited ; >) Anything you liked or didn't like about the book will be beneficial to the next person who's considering reading it. It can also help the author improve his or her writing. If there are things that you really enjoyed or didn't enjoy about the book, leaving a quick review noting a couple of things, good and/or bad, can let the author take another look at what they've written. Perhaps even leading to changes that make the book even better.
Not much can be done about personal taste. If you don't like the style of writing or if there is too much or too little of things you are or aren't looking for (sex, drugs, violence), it's okay to make mention of that in your review too. It might help someone else decide if the book is something they want to read.
I think the main thing to remember is that every book is written by a human being. Please be kind in your reviews! You don't have to sugar coat anything but you don't have to tear the work to shreds either. ; >) A simple "The book had too many typos for my taste." as opposed to "The book must have been written by a five year because no adult could write that bad." would be good. See the difference. The first statement can be improved upon. The second, well unless the book was written by a five year old, that's just degrading the author without adding any useful input that could help improve the work.
If you usually don't, start leaving a review for every book you buy. "Great plot." "Great characters." "Slow start." "Lots of typos." If you feel like leaving something longer and more detailed, all the better! If you already do leave reviews, that's great! I'm sure every author you've left a review for appreciated it! (Unless it's the five year old comment from above. ;>)
Not much can be done about personal taste. If you don't like the style of writing or if there is too much or too little of things you are or aren't looking for (sex, drugs, violence), it's okay to make mention of that in your review too. It might help someone else decide if the book is something they want to read.
I think the main thing to remember is that every book is written by a human being. Please be kind in your reviews! You don't have to sugar coat anything but you don't have to tear the work to shreds either. ; >) A simple "The book had too many typos for my taste." as opposed to "The book must have been written by a five year because no adult could write that bad." would be good. See the difference. The first statement can be improved upon. The second, well unless the book was written by a five year old, that's just degrading the author without adding any useful input that could help improve the work.
If you usually don't, start leaving a review for every book you buy. "Great plot." "Great characters." "Slow start." "Lots of typos." If you feel like leaving something longer and more detailed, all the better! If you already do leave reviews, that's great! I'm sure every author you've left a review for appreciated it! (Unless it's the five year old comment from above. ;>)
December 14, 2013
Bubonic Plague?
We've all heard of the Bubonic or Black plague that claimed many, many lives in Europe during the middle ages. But that's a thing of the past, right? Well, it looks like it's trying to make a reappearance. Although it sounds like there are medical treatments for it now, it's not something anyone would want to get. According to the online report by Fox news, 50% of those with the plague in Madagascar this year have died. Yikes! ( http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/12... )
With my interest in natural health and nutrition I've done a lot of reading over the years and stumbled across a very interesting story (it's hard to discern if it is true or not) about a group of thieve who were not affected by the Black Plague. The story says that the thieves doused a scarf or kerchief over their nose and mouths with an herbal vinegar concoction. According to legend, the thieves did as their name implied and stole from the dead without ever becoming infected themselves. When they were finally captured they were offered a deal. If they shared the secret of how they avoided contracting the Plague, they could go free.
They shared the formula for the medicated vinegar they used which contained things like garlic and Rosemary and cloves. If the story is true, their formula worked very well. Here is a link to a recipe for Thieves Vinegar and a more detailed story of the original Four Thieves. http://nourishedkitchen.com/four-thie...
More recently Young Living Essential Oils developed a formula called Thieves Essential Oil by Young Living Essential Oils - 15 ml
containing a combination of essential oils proven effective against certain bacteria and mold.
The Thieves Oil has a pleasant cinnamony smell and as potent as it is, I have no doubt it is effective in killing the bacteria and molds that it claims. (This is not medical advice, simply my opinion.) Unfortunately it is very expensive. If you can afford it I think it would be great to have on hand during cold and flu (or Plague) season. The oil can cause irritation on sensitive skin so test a small bit first to make sure it's not too strong for you then it can be applied to the neck or the insides of the wrists or even to a tissue that you can hold over your mouth and nose to breath the vapors. If it does cause irritation it can be diluted with a little bit of olive or coconut oil or you can just apply it to a tissue and never let it touch your skin. http://www.secretofthieves.com/
Another alternative is to mix up a batch of your own oil following some of the directions you can find online.
Stay healthy this winter and let me know if the oil or vinegar work for you!
With my interest in natural health and nutrition I've done a lot of reading over the years and stumbled across a very interesting story (it's hard to discern if it is true or not) about a group of thieve who were not affected by the Black Plague. The story says that the thieves doused a scarf or kerchief over their nose and mouths with an herbal vinegar concoction. According to legend, the thieves did as their name implied and stole from the dead without ever becoming infected themselves. When they were finally captured they were offered a deal. If they shared the secret of how they avoided contracting the Plague, they could go free.
They shared the formula for the medicated vinegar they used which contained things like garlic and Rosemary and cloves. If the story is true, their formula worked very well. Here is a link to a recipe for Thieves Vinegar and a more detailed story of the original Four Thieves. http://nourishedkitchen.com/four-thie...
More recently Young Living Essential Oils developed a formula called Thieves Essential Oil by Young Living Essential Oils - 15 ml
containing a combination of essential oils proven effective against certain bacteria and mold.
The Thieves Oil has a pleasant cinnamony smell and as potent as it is, I have no doubt it is effective in killing the bacteria and molds that it claims. (This is not medical advice, simply my opinion.) Unfortunately it is very expensive. If you can afford it I think it would be great to have on hand during cold and flu (or Plague) season. The oil can cause irritation on sensitive skin so test a small bit first to make sure it's not too strong for you then it can be applied to the neck or the insides of the wrists or even to a tissue that you can hold over your mouth and nose to breath the vapors. If it does cause irritation it can be diluted with a little bit of olive or coconut oil or you can just apply it to a tissue and never let it touch your skin. http://www.secretofthieves.com/
Another alternative is to mix up a batch of your own oil following some of the directions you can find online.
Stay healthy this winter and let me know if the oil or vinegar work for you!
December 13, 2013
Are you ready for Christmas? Isaiah 9:6
Isaiah 9:6
King James Version (KJV)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
King James Version (KJV)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
December 9, 2013
December 8, 2013
The Scinegue Series
Buy books 1 and 2 now to get ready for book 3, The Forest!
Book one, Scinegue (The Scinegue Series (Book 1))
, introduces us to Billy and Sarah Roth and the secretive company Billy works for, appropriately named Scinegue. Coded messages and an evil conspiracy take Billy and Sarah through a whirlwind of revelations and hard choices.
Book two, The Pledge (The Scinegue Series (Book 2))
, finds evil targeting the Roth's unborn child! Evil has an assignment and is determined to complete it. Billy, with help from The Protectors, is even more determined to stop it. Even if it means walking away from his destiny.
Book three, The Forest, opens with a wedding and ends with a funeral. In between, Scinegue is under attack by a eugenics company with evil intent. It wants Scinegue's medical records in order to target those people for elimination. The Protectors are once again busy trying to track down the evil and find a way to stop it. Even at great loss to themselves.
I hope you'll enjoy all three books. Leave a comment and let me know which is your favorite. And don't forget to leave a review on Amazon or wherever you purchase your books!
Book one, Scinegue (The Scinegue Series (Book 1))
, introduces us to Billy and Sarah Roth and the secretive company Billy works for, appropriately named Scinegue. Coded messages and an evil conspiracy take Billy and Sarah through a whirlwind of revelations and hard choices.Book two, The Pledge (The Scinegue Series (Book 2))
, finds evil targeting the Roth's unborn child! Evil has an assignment and is determined to complete it. Billy, with help from The Protectors, is even more determined to stop it. Even if it means walking away from his destiny.Book three, The Forest, opens with a wedding and ends with a funeral. In between, Scinegue is under attack by a eugenics company with evil intent. It wants Scinegue's medical records in order to target those people for elimination. The Protectors are once again busy trying to track down the evil and find a way to stop it. Even at great loss to themselves.
I hope you'll enjoy all three books. Leave a comment and let me know which is your favorite. And don't forget to leave a review on Amazon or wherever you purchase your books!
December 6, 2013
A Treasured Christmas Tradition
The Christmas season is a wonderful time for upholding annual traditions and starting new ones. One of my favorite 'traditions' started as a craft project when my girls were little bitty. I would make a batch of what we called salty dough (I'll add a recipe at the end) and instead of hand prints we made foot prints. I then made them into Christmas tree ornaments!
(Yes, the ornaments are heavy. They put a pretty big strain on the branches the last time we had a real tree. I have no trouble with them on our artificial tree, though.)
I love to pull out the prints every year and marvel at how tiny my girls were.
Not exactly a tradition you probably want to start if your 'little' one already wears a size 10, but if those feet are still little bitty, trust me, it makes for a fun memory.
Salty dough recipe:
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup water
Mix the ingredients (This is also a fun dough for the kids to play with if they don't have issues with gluten. If you're making it to play with, you can divide it and add some food coloring to make it even more fun.)
Add a bit more flour or water to get a good consistency for the dough. Shape the dough the way you want it. I used circle and rectangles but stars or hearts would be nice too.
Capture your little wiggly one (or was it only mine who were wiggly?!). Press their foot gently but firmly into the dough and make sure you're happy with the print. If not, just smush up the dough and start over. Is so, add a small hole to the top for the ribbon and it's time to dry your print.
You can patiently wait for it to air dry or pop it in a 250 degrees F oven for about 2 hours (Time will vary depending on thickness so just keep an eye on it.)
When it's really dry (maybe even wait a day or two), paint it with acrylic paint in the color you choose (I used gold). When that dries you can add any information you want to the front or back with a paint pen: name, date, age, a bible verse?
Thread a ribbon through through the hole and you're ready to add a new ornament to the tree and a new tradition to your holidays. Repeat every year until those little feet just aren't quite as cute ; >) and you'll make some memories you'll treasure forever.
(Yes, the ornaments are heavy. They put a pretty big strain on the branches the last time we had a real tree. I have no trouble with them on our artificial tree, though.)
I love to pull out the prints every year and marvel at how tiny my girls were.
Not exactly a tradition you probably want to start if your 'little' one already wears a size 10, but if those feet are still little bitty, trust me, it makes for a fun memory.
Salty dough recipe:
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup water
Mix the ingredients (This is also a fun dough for the kids to play with if they don't have issues with gluten. If you're making it to play with, you can divide it and add some food coloring to make it even more fun.)
Add a bit more flour or water to get a good consistency for the dough. Shape the dough the way you want it. I used circle and rectangles but stars or hearts would be nice too.
Capture your little wiggly one (or was it only mine who were wiggly?!). Press their foot gently but firmly into the dough and make sure you're happy with the print. If not, just smush up the dough and start over. Is so, add a small hole to the top for the ribbon and it's time to dry your print.
You can patiently wait for it to air dry or pop it in a 250 degrees F oven for about 2 hours (Time will vary depending on thickness so just keep an eye on it.)
When it's really dry (maybe even wait a day or two), paint it with acrylic paint in the color you choose (I used gold). When that dries you can add any information you want to the front or back with a paint pen: name, date, age, a bible verse?
Thread a ribbon through through the hole and you're ready to add a new ornament to the tree and a new tradition to your holidays. Repeat every year until those little feet just aren't quite as cute ; >) and you'll make some memories you'll treasure forever.
