Wednesday, March 23, 2011

just had to add it

Hope you enjoy the teacher video as much as I do.  I watch it over and over!  Makes you proud to be a teacher, doesn't it?  If you aren't a teacher, you probably have a skill or something worth passing on to others, so teach a class or write a textbook or a novel that brings to life a valuable truth.  St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Gospel.  Use words if necessary."  There are many ways to be a teacher.  Be a good one.  Make a difference!

Taylor Mali on what teachers make

Monday, March 14, 2011

forty days and forty nights

Lent is my favourite time of year.  I know it's crazy.  Most people dislike it because of the tradition of giving up things we like to do or eat or whatever.  I've given up chocolate and coffee and alcohol in the past.  But I don't usually have enough of any of these things to make it any sort of penance.  This year, I've given up playing solitaire on the computer.  OUCH!  I really have to slap my fingers hard.  It's how I get through reading boring emails. 
Lent is more about preparing for Easter.  This time last year, we were in England.  It was our last few days of a six-week trip, two weeks of which had been spent in the Holy Land. 
the view from the tram taking us up Temptation Mountain
Going through the check-out to leave Tel Aviv on February 16th, (an experience more arduous than entering Israel) my suitcase was scanned. "Did you go to the Dead Sea?" the Israeli woman asked me.  "Yes," I said.  "Did you get any mud from the bottom of the Dead Sea?"  "Yes," I said.  "Did you scoop it out yourself or did you buy it?"  "I bought it."  "Where?  What was the name of the shop?" she asked.  "Temptation Mountain," I said.  Temptation mountain, where Jesus spent the forty days and forty nights remembered each Lent.  I'll try and post the pictures here.
It's hard to photograph this place.  You can see it is desolate desert and mountainous.  There is a Greek Orthodox monastery near the top.  Long difficult climb from where the tram stops, leads to the small cave where it is said that Jesus slept for those forty nights.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

book reviewing tips

Now that I've written a few book reviews, I feel I should share some tips I've found for writing them.  So far the only reviews I've published have been on Suite 101, which has word limitations, no fewer than 400 and no more than 1000.  Some of the reviews I've done, I've felt should have been shorter and so I've padded them, others could have gone on longer and I've had to cut out parts I would have preferred to leave in.  Anyway, click on the links and see what others have to say as to how this job should be done.  I like what the Los Angeles Valley College link has to say about there being "no right way" to do it.  Still, I find it useful to see what others suggest and go from there.  Writing book reviews is an excellent way to see what editors and publishers look for when reading my manuscripts. 

Monday, March 7, 2011

reading the SideStreet series published by Lorimer

I was able to get two SideStreet books from the library: New Blood by Peter McPhee, and Final Takedown by Brent R. Sherrard.  I've finished Sherrard's book.  Really good.  Quite different from other books I've read.  I've just started the other book, and it's different again, so far.  Very edgy, both of them.  Could I write one?  Don't know.  I'll give it a try.  Right now I'm working on two other novels and have other projects on the back burners, too.  Coteau still has Angels, and Baker has the play.  Slow going on Suite 101 right now, but that's okay.  Squidoo is on hold, too.  Can't do everything all at once.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

book reviewing Matilda cont'd

I finally finished my book review of Matilda, and got it published in Suite 101 after a few technical glitches with their new system up uploading images.  Got it done, though.  And so, here it is: Matilda, by Roald Dahl.