1) Take a long overdue first vacation with the kids & my boytoy, someplace warm, where we can relax on the beach, watch sunsets and collect shells.
Check out the new cover for the next Devon Falls Book!
Check out the wonderful cover Celia Kyle did for me at AMP. She captured the story completly in the cover. I am so thrilled over it and I hope you will be to! Check out Fiery Magic on July 4th, 2008 from Aspen Mountain Press.
Blurb:
Damien Dracon is back in Devon Falls, and he is about to woo the one lady he left three years ago. Family secrets and youthful pride forced him to give up the one good thing in his life: the love of Alicia Stevens. What he doesn’t expect is that Alicia has a secret of her own, and it may just tear them apart. Can two former lovers find it in themselves to forgive one another and let love grow between them? Or will past secrets haunt them and tear them apart? This 4th of July is about to get explosive in Devon Falls.
In the Spotlight: Pamela Thibedeaux
Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder/President & Treasurer of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”
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Getting to know Pamela:
Tell us about your latest book and what you think readers will get out of it.
By latest book, I’m not sure if you mean Latest Release, Latest Contracted, or Latest Written so I’ll answer in general about all of my books. My prayer is that everyone who reads my books and/or short stories will gain a new perspective on a relationship with Jesus Christ. So many people, Christians included, love, honor, and respect God and Jesus but do not indulge in or take advantage of a personal relationship with Him. They don’t know what they’re missing! God is very real to me. He is a very personal God and desires to for us to walk and talk with Him on a daily –even moment by moment- basis. I try to show this type of relationship through my characters in lieu of them being ‘saintly’ or ‘religious.’ There is a difference. J
Can you describe your characters to us? Do you pattern them after anyone you know or is it pure imagination?
I’m sure every author patterns characters after someone they know—to a certain degree. I can’t name any one person about whom I can say “this character is so-and-so to a T.” However, any character can be described as a combination of many people I know. For instance, he or she may have one friend’s eyes, another’s personality, another’s grit, etc.
What genre have you not done but want to in the future?
I would LOVE to do a historical romance one day and possibly a time travel.
Tell us about your most erotic romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
Oh boy, you are really trying to get me in trouble here LOL! Fantasy right? George Straight, someplace exotic and secluded, just sit and listen to him sing and talk. Honestly! There is something about the man that intrigues me. Why he comes off this way to me, I have no idea but IMHO he’s the epitome of all things good. Maybe it’s the songs he sings, or that he appears to be humble and gracious in spite of his obvious success. He sticks to his personal beliefs and style of music…I don’t know but I’d love to have 24 hrs to sit and chat and listen to him sing.
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be? The ability to change hearts and impact lives in a way that made all people realize the power of love and forgiveness.
If you could visit any time and place, where and when would it be and why? Jerusalem, at the time of Jesus, to sit at His feet and listen; to visit with His mother and His followers; to touch the hem of His garment and be a first-hand witness to His miracles.
Who’s more fun to write about, bad boys or perfect gentlemen and why? Well, I’ve never written about a really bad boy as some would describe and not in the way that some do. I think it’s more fun to write about a man who has deep-seated reasons for his current feelings and to watch him grow and evolve into the gentleman that he truly is beneath the rough and tough façade he portrays.
Do you watch reality TV? If so, what is one of your guilty pleasures? If not, then what do you prefer to watch? I’m not a big fan of reality TV. I do however; occasionally sit with my husband when he watches things like Cops, Ocean Force, and other “actually” shows. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of TV, period. I will sit through a good movie or biography or animal show, but TV is just not my thing. Give me a good book, good music or just leave me alone with my computer. J
VIN Diesel or Gerard Butler?
Uuuhhh, who?
Where can readers reach you?
Website: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com
Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com
Email: pthib-7@centurytel.net
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/pamelasthibodeaux
And any number of networking sites like, Amazon, Bebo, Inspired Author, Good Reads, Shoutlife, etc. Just Google my name, I’m everywhere LOL!
Where are you published?
My ‘Tempered’ series is published through ComStar Media, LLC http://www.comstar-media.com and are available in Ebook and Print.
My debut single title novel, The Inheritance as well as 3 short stories are published through The Wild Rose Press http://www.thewildrosepress.com The Inheritance is available in Ebook and Print and the short stories are available as downloads only.
My upcoming release, The Visionary will be published later this year by Enspiren Press http://www.enspirenpress.com
Thanks for stopping in and I hope you enjoy yourself. J
Thank you for inviting me! I have enjoyed myself immensely. J
Pamela S Thibodeaux
“Inspirational with an Edge!”
Excerpt Day: Falling to Pieces
Here is a glimpse into my Romantic Paranormal Comedy called Falling to PIeces. I had a little help from author SJ Willing so let me know what you think! 
Blurb:
What do you get when a power mad neo witch, a spell gone wrong and a day from hell combined? Why love of course! Meet Melinda McCabe, a woman about to meet her destiny…..except he has one slight problem: he falls to pieces around her…literally! She has no idea that Darius St. Cloud never expected that the witch wannabe would get enough power to transform him into a zombie of all things. When Melinda comes to his aid, he finds a woman who will go to the edge of the world and back again to save a soul that is lost, for a love so powerful it will transcend hell itself.
UNEDITED EXCERPT:
Darius St. Cloud should have known something was wrong when Bud didn’t come dashing around the garden to welcome him home. The small beagle never failed to come yelping around the ranch style building, leap up at him, then proceed to cover him with large dusty paw prints—all in an effort of canine loyalty and affection.
Today though, coming through the freshly painted picket fence, Darius was greeted with an unusual silence. A silence intermingled with an odd sense of foreboding from his normally welcoming house—as if it had somehow inherited an evil presence.
Which meant Nita must be here. Great.
Darius now regretted the trip into town to buy the Armani suit he was wearing. The journey had delayed his return home and left Bud at the mercy of a self-styled Neo-Witch with a perchance for practicing strangely named spells that seemed to never go the way she wanted.
He tucked a strand of hair back behind his ear. Deep black and lanky, the eighteenth century pirate look was often frowned on in board meetings but fitted in perfectly with the nightclub Goth crowd. With it, he was able to mingle freely with his customer target base and research what the latest craze would be in Goth gear and accessories. As for the board meetings, well, he owned the company; he’d just fire anyone who complained too loudly.
A muffled whimper from the basement set him in motion again. Nita, one of the people who had acquired him on a nightclub research trip, had a habit of doing torturous things to his dog. Bud was already scarred emotionally because of it and the poor hound was in a constant frenzy whenever Nita was around. It was, Darius thought regretfully, time for Nita to move on—in spite of the great sex and good times they’d had, though if he really though on it, the good times meant sex instead of movies, dinners and other things couples do. No one could hurt his dog and be forgiven.
The atmosphere in the house was even heavier and wafted out with a sickly purple hue. Darius coughed softly; whatever she was doing in the basement, Nita must be burning at least a ton of incense to cover it up. Bud began to whimper even louder, Darius realized he didn’t have much time left to act.
He threw his jacket on the wall hook by the door and walked quickly through the kitchen to the basement stairs. He almost ran down the wooden steps, incense smoke billowing around him as he moved. Covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket, Darius stormed towards the game room, and then stopped, shock etched over his chiseled face.
Nita stood at one side of the room. Darius’s brand new black satin bed sheet that if he remembered correctly was on his bed this morning—daubed with white painted occult symbols—was draped over her shoulders, face and arms which she waved, windmill like, through the incense burning before her. Every now and then, she’d stumble in her chanting to hitch the slipping sheet back up. Black, red, green and gray candles had been lit at various parts about the room, making the basement more like an ancient dungeon than the simple game room it was.
In the middle of the room, Nita had drawn an occult pentagram and circle. Bud lay in the middle of this, subdued and whining meekly. He quickly stood up, barked and began wagging his tail sadly—scrabbling madly against some invisible wall—when Darius moved closer to him.
“Nita this is enough,” Darius snapped. Taking a bottle of water from the refrigerator he poured it over the incense burners, strangely the smoke grew more intense rather than diminishing. “Stop it this instant,” he demanded. “And leave my house. You’ve done one too many ‘experiments’ on Bud and I’m finished with you.”
Nita said nothing but continued with her ragged chant, head lolling forward, hands gesturing wildly.
“Nita,” Darius reached forward and pulled the sheet from her. “I said…”
What happened next, Darius could never explain. He could tell Nita was in a kind of transubstantive trance. Yet before he had time to consider what it meant, Bud, finally free from the strange trap he’d been placed in, bounded forward with a hearty howl, and leaped into Daruis’s arms.
Then the light hit.
Bright blue light, more like a tunnel really. A long, chilly, let’s get this over with and get the hell out of Dodge kind of tunnel.
He and Bud found themselves standing in another basement. The same odd candles and overindulgence of incense burning around them; along with a batch of astonished men. The men, dressed in brown gowns marked with gold symbols, staring at him.
In the Spotlight: Cynnara Tregarth
Born in the Windy City of Chicago, Illinois, Cynnara Tregarth learned to read and write at a very early age. As she puts it—when you can’t trust your parents to read EVERY page of a story, you got to do it yourself. But then she got into the whole storytelling thing—and her mom told her to write down the stories she couldn’t tell out loud at play time. Little did her mom realize that she had given Cynnara the best gift of all- the love of writing.
When Cynnara held her first female author fantasy novel (Mercedes Lackey), she had also read her first romance novel. At that moment—Cynnara knew what she wanted to do for a living and she knew where she wanted to dip her feet in genre-wise. So, in 2003, she did just that.
Nowadays, you can find Cynnara living in the Penis State, aka Florida and enjoying the warm sunshine and the interesting male creatures as they go by on their daily duties. Though she plans to have homes all over the world—she wants two things now—a personal assistant and someone to massage her aches away.
Links:
www.leagueofamazingwriters.com
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Getting to Know Cynnara:
Tell us about your upcoming release and what you hope readers will enjoy about it. My current release out is Shades of Fyre at Red Rose Publishing(www.redrosepublishing.com). I hope readers enjoy it because I do something I’ve always wanted to do—take one of history’s mysteries and explain some of it in which I wish would be the case. I adore Amarna and the 18th dynasty of Egypt was one of the most tumultuous times ever. Nothing is ever sacrosanct since so much was destroyed, so by putting the Elemental Guardians in that time and allowing myself to give Pharaoh Akhenaten a new place to live— it indulged in one of my favourite fantasies.
What do you like to do when you’re not working? I love to read, catch up with TV programs (I’m a BBC America fanatic!), and spend time with my male. Then there’s the phone yapping as I call it. LOL
What season is your favorite and why? I don’t really have one favourite season—though I dislike winter. I do NOT enjoy being a frozen Cynsicle. It’s not polite. But I will say that spring in Florida is fantastic and summer, though really hot, is just one way to enjoy all the cool indoor stuff you never do any other time of the year!
What would we find on your bookcase if we looked? What is one of your favorite authors? If you looked at only one bookcase, I’d giggle. I’ve got 3 of them and need about 3 more. You’d find research binders filled with archaeology stuff and other history research. You’d find fiction, nonfiction and more. Authors? Hmm there are so many….but I’m finding myself delving into Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden books again recently after having done a huge Laurell K Hamilton Merry Gentry read. You’ll see a lot more erotic romance and fantasy stuff on my shelves with tons of paranormal romance thrown int.
What was the last book you read (e or print) and did you like it? Just finished Small Favors by Jim Butcher—the latest Dresden Files book. OMG, it ROCKED! I still am pissed at what was done to Ivy, the Archive…but the one liners and everything just flowed perfectly. Then there’s the happy part for Harry. That made me smile. Now if only we can get Thomas’ story already—I COULD be even happier!
What makes a good book? Hmm, this is hard, because I’m picky. Seriously. I love authors who’ve done their research and manage to layer in information in such a way I have this craving to know more on certain topics. The plot has to really suck me in and leave me wanting to keep the book going, even when it’s finished. The characters have to be strong and seem real to me. I hate wimpy ass characters—especially when they’re TSTL (too stupid to live). Then I throw the books and find myself rejecting future works by that author oftentimes. I know in a romance novel, it’s all about the romance—but to me, I find that a bit…boring at times. Give me a good plot and having the characters fall for each other as they’re trying to get through what’s happening—and I’m SO there. It’s hard to explain, but I’m more attracted to stories where falling in love happens because it happens, but it’s not the main plot. *shrugs* I’m a mainstream reader who likes really hot kinky sex in her books. LOL I’m also an author who does the same. Who knew?
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done? Define interesting. *grins evilly* I’ve done a LOT of interesting things—from jumping out of an airplane with my boyfriend (we were skydiving), to going to fetish clubs, to singing at the local theatre. Many a thing I have done, which interesting thing you wanna know?
Boxers or briefs? *blinks* Umm boxer briefs or commando.
Ben Affleck or Matt Damon to save the world? Ryan Reynolds. Hugh Jackman. Keanu Reeves. But not Ben Affleck or Matt Damon. If I HAVE to choose between them……*sigh* Ben Affleck.
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work? I like pushing boundaries—both sexually and emotionally in my work. I like to show there is so much more to life than the boxes we live in. By reading, we get to stretch and grow in ways that we might not have the opportunity to do otherwise. I also appreciate my readers very very much. They’ve stood by me for the past 2-1/2 years when they could’ve walked away. They’re my heroes for being there when my mom died and I thank the gods and goddesses for them every day.
Where are you published?
Loose Id—www.loose-id.net
Red Rose Publishing—www.redrosepublishing.com
Thanks for coming and I hope you enjoyed yourself!
Join me at Cata Delurking day May 8th!
Join me as well as many other authors, readers and publishers at Cata Readers loop May 8th as they have a HUGE delurking day planned with many prizes, excerpts and other goodies going on. So check them out and I hope to see you there!
Check out Dark Roast Press!
I found this new GBLT publisher that is showcasing the darker side of GBLT and erotica. So without further ado, I introduce you to one of their authors, Jesse Fox and her brand spanking new book, Shadows Beneath.
Tell us about your new book and what inspired it?
Shadows Beneath is a GBLT-erotic/paranormal story set in the fictional town of Bauman’s Creek. The central character is grad-student and historian Tristan Pryce who volunteers for as a member of a group led by a retired professor. Their job is to catalogue the inventory of a home that was left to the State of Illinois by the final member of Evans family. It’s a professional opportunity for all the members and when Tristan comes into town, he fights his instincts to back out after he meets Jake Bauman the sexy, bad boy grandson of the professor in charge with a dark past.
Throughout the story, Tristan fights both his attraction to Jake who he deems dangerous and the supernatural forces that have inhabited Evans House for over a century. It’s a story of lost love, reincarnation, and possession. However, it’s also a story about the strength and endurance of the human soul that crosses gender lines. It gives a glimpse into how small communities have the ability to ignore the skeletons in their closets no matter how horrifying they may be.
The initial idea for the story was inspired by a true ghost story from the Columbia, Missouri area that I read over a decade ago in a collection of ghost stories from the Mid-west.
How did you name the characters? Were they after friends, other people you knew or just pure imagination?
Some of the names such as Tristan I just love, others are names of people that have touched my life in some way. I named one of the characters after my father who passed away 15 years ago.
How much research was done for this book?
I couldn’t begin to tell you to be honest—definitely hours. I actually live in St. Louis and travelled along the Great River Road on the Illinois side of the Mississippi. It’s a beautiful, scenic place with tons of small river towns along it. Growing up in a town of 400 in Missouri gave me first-hand experience when it comes to small town America. As far as the paranormal/paganism aspects go, I’ve got a huge collection of reference books on the subject. Since I was a child, I’ve been obsessed with the paranormal. I grew up in a haunted house and I think that’s part of the reason the subject fascinates me. I’m a solitary practitioner of Paganism that focuses on my Celtic/Gaelic roots and that came in handy when creating the character of Jake.
What do you do to relax when not writing?
Writing is my relaxation actually. It’s always been my escape that and reading. I also adore horror movies and spend time torturing my friends with them. LOL
Finally, where are you published and what do you have coming next?
Dark Roast Press is my publisher and you can check them out at http://darkroastpress.com
I’m working on my next GBLT/Paranormal novel entitled Le Jardin de la Lumière. I’m actually working my proverbial and literal butt off because it was originally a short story. My publisher and I are aiming for a May 2008 release date. Wish me luck and keep your fingers cross.
Sneak peek into Shadows Beneath:
Tristan stood, walking to the kitchen sink, where he emptied his barely touched cup down the drain, and watched the dark liquid swirl away. His gaze lifted to the window above the sink, his thoughts muddled as he studied the garden beyond. He wasn’t even really seeing anything. “Do you believe the dead can speak to the living?” He refused to look at Jake, ashamed of the warm tears that threatened to fall.
“I know they do, Tristan. I’ve heard them often when I’m alone at night.” He moved behind Tristan and wrapped his arms around his waist, causing him to flinch as if the touch had burned him. Beneath his embrace, Jake could feel Tristan’s stomach convulse as he tried to swallow back his tears, and fought the urge to pull away from the intimacy of the embrace. “Is that what happened in the attic, Tristan? Did she speak through me?’
“Who the hell is she?” Tristan turned and pulled away from Jake’s embrace.
“I told you something was here, but you refused to believe. Why is that so hard for you? Why can’t you believe? Deep inside I know you believe what I’m saying is the truth.” Anger tinged Jake’s words.
“I’ll lose myself.” Tristan turned away, eyes glazed over. “Don’t you understand? For just a moment, I felt myself slipping. She took my control away!” Swinging his arm out, Tristan sent everything clattering from the counter to the floor. Shattering glass and the tinkling of metal echoed in the kitchen, then faded, leaving only Tristan’s harsh breathing audible in the silence. Fists clenched he fell to his knees as he tried to catch a breath.
With a soft sigh, Jake knelt next to him among the broken glasses and scattered silverware. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around Tristan’s trembling body again and rested his chin on his slumped shoulder. Lifting his head, Tristan looked straight into the eyes of the man who had terrified him less than an hour ago. That was when he realized it. He wasn’t alone in this nightmare; he never had been.
“Our secret, Tristan, our secret, and no one else will ever know.” He hummed softly, fingers sliding up along his back. “Together we’ll discover what she wants.” Jake’s fingers lifted and tangled in his hair, pulling him close.
“She wants me…” Tristan whimpered as their eyes met.
“Well, she can’t have you.” His lips lowered to Tristan’s in a whisper of a kiss.
Sweeter than any taste that had ever touched these lips before, Tristan thought.
“You belong to me now, Tristan.” Something flashed in Jake’s eyes, something Tristan wasn’t sure he could put a name to.
His arms moved to surround Jake, their kiss intensifying, lips parting with a faint sigh. In his embrace, the fear began to melt and Tristan’s body shivered with need. Jake’s touch was addictive, yet still terrifying. Tristan knew that he was right, that he belonged to him now, even if that scared him like nothing else.
In the Spotlight today: J. M. Snyder
J.M. Snyder writes gay erotic/romantic fiction and publishes with Amber Quill, Aspen Mountain, and Torquere Presses, as well as self-publishes through Lulu Press. Snyder’s short fiction has been published online at Ruthie’s Club, Tit-Elation, and Amazon Shorts, and has also appeared in anthologies by Aspen Mountain Press, Cleis Press, and Alyson Books. Free fiction, book excerpts, and monthly contests can be found online at the author’s website: http://jmsnyder.net
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Getting to know JM Snyder:
Tell us about your latest book and what you think readers will get out of it.
My latest book is Conflict of Interest, released in e-book format by Torquere Press on April 26th (and in print format through Lulu Press in May). When Alex Hitchner signs up to volunteer at a local youth shelter, he is not prepared to be introduced to Jamie Owens, an 18 year old boy with a bad attitude. Just two years younger than Alex, Jamie is nervy, precocious, and damn sexy, to boot.
But Alex sees himself as a mentor to Jamie, someone to look up to, someone to prove to the kid that being a gay man does not mean casual sex in crowded clubs. He tries to keep his distance, both physically and emotionally, but Jamie becomes a part of his life in a way Alex doesn’t expect. Alex must choose between giving into his desires or leaving the program—and Jamie—behind.
I hope that readers will enjoy the characters’ relationship as it blossoms into romance, despite Alex’s best efforts to keep Jamie at bay. I think that there is a level of budding eroticism throughout the story, a newfound excitement in falling in love for the first time, that readers will enjoy.
Can you describe your characters to us? Do you pattern them after anyone you know or is it pure imagination?
My characters are an amalgam of people I’ve met or have known throughout my life as well as my own traits and characteristics. There isn’t any one person who has inspired a particular character; rather, they are a combination of so many different aspects that they become their own unique people. I think that using people you know as a building block to start creating a character helps make that character “real,” but there comes a point when the character takes on a life of his own and becomes his own entity.
What genre have you not done but want to in the future?
Well, all my books revolve around gay characters. I wouldn’t necessarily call them romance or erotica (particularly my longer stories), but homosexuality is present in every story I write. My favorite genres are contemporary and futuristic, but I would love to write more epic fantasy (with magic and knights and kings) or outer space sci-fi (with aliens and spaceships). I’ve done some but nothing really involved. I would also like to write more historical stories, particularly those set during wars (the American Revolution or Civil War, World Wars I & II, etc). Those are the kinds of stories I’d like to read, so I want to try my hand at them some day.
Tell us about your most erotic romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
I would really prefer to skip this question, as my erotic fantasies all involve gay men and not myself. Even in my daydreams, I play the role of author. My fantasies are written out in my books; I spend a lot of time playing out my stories in my mind, which is just one of the ways I write. By the time I’m ready to put pen to paper, the gist of the tale is already in place and I just have to write down what I see on the screen in my mind’s eye.
If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
I would like to have telekinesis (the ability to move objects with my mind). That would allow me to write while I mentally clean the house, or better yet, I could be asleep and mentally typing on the computer, working on my next story, at the same time. Actually if I could do that, I’d invest in an old-fashioned typewriter, so I’d be able to listen to the keys clack clack clack continually as I went about my other daily chores.
If you could visit any time and place, where and when would it be and why?
I’m a huge history buff, and would love to be able to visit Colonial America. Either during the Revolutionary War or the Civil War—those had to be exciting times in which to live, times of tumultuous change, when a person had to take a stand and fight for their beliefs.
Who’s more fun to write about, bad boys or perfect gentlemen and why?
Bad boys, definitely. Even my “perfect gentlemen” have hidden secrets and flaws. That’s what makes a character memorable, what allows readers to connect with them: their imperfections, their insecurities, their human nature. I think perfect characters are boring.
Do you watch reality TV? If so, what is one of your guilty pleasures? If not, then what do you prefer to watch?
I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I love American Idol. Sometimes I will also watch America’s Next Top Model, but that’s the extent of my reality TV fix. Otherwise I watch the History Channel.
VIN Diesel or Gerard Butler?
They’re both attractive in different ways, but neither really my speed. I’m more of a River Phoenix type, I think. Not so much action hero as tortured artist.
Where can readers reach you?
Blog: http://jmsnyder.com
Website: http://jmsnyder.net
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/jmsnyder23
LiveJournal: http://jmsnyder.livejournal.com
Yahoo! Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jmsnyder
E-Mail: jms@jmsnyder.net
Where are you published?
Aspen Mountain Press: http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/
Amber Quill Press: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/bio_Snyder.html
Torquere Press: http://www.torquerebooks.com/zencart/index.php?manufacturers_id=92
Lulu Press: http://www.lulu.com/jmsnyder
Fictionwise: http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/JMSnydereBooks.htm
Ruthie’s Club: http://www.ruthiesclub.com/fold.php?pg=author&a=86
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/My-books-amp-stories/lm/R258C1KIVI8Z68/
Thanks for stopping in and I hope you enjoy yourself. J
JOYFULLY REVIEWED CONTEST GOING ON NOW!!!
Joyfully Reviewed’s 2008 Bunny Hunt is still open!! Tons of prizes to be had!
The contest closes late Friday, April 25. There’s still time to enter!
With books (Print and E-Book) and many more prizes from…
and more????
or if you’d like to see the participating authors & prizes.
Happy Earth Day 2008!
Happy Earth Day to you! I hope you have a wonderful day and that you can celebrate the goal of saving our planet.
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Earth Day is a time to celebrate gains we have made and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress. Earth Day is a time to unite around new actions. Earth Day and every day is a time to act to protect our planet.
What you can do at home to help the earth:
Save Energy:
Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room. Use the microwave to cook small meals. (It uses less power than an oven.) Purchase “Green Power” for your home’s electricity. (Contact your power supplier to see where and if it is available.) Have leaky air conditioning and refrigeration systems repaired. Cut back on air conditioning and heating use if you can. Insulate your home, water heater and pipes. Keep in mind that every trip adds to air pollution. Learn more at It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air (http://www.italladdsup.gov). Replace incandescent light bulbs with Energy Star qualified Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL). If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with a CFL, it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road. (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls) Use the Energy Star program (http://www.energystar.gov) to find energy efficient products for your home. The right choices can save families about 30% ($400 a year) while reducing our emissions of greenhouse gases. Whether you are looking to replace old appliances, remodel, or buy a new house, ENERGY STAR can help. ENERGY STAR is the government backed symbol for energy efficiency. The ENERGY STAR label makes it easy to know which products to buy without sacrificing features, style or comfort that today’s consumers expect.
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Use less water:
Don’t let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth. Take short showers instead of tub baths. Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool. Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads. Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine. Buy high-efficient plumbing fixtures & appliances. Repair all leaks (a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons a day). Water the lawn or garden during the coolest part of the day (early morning is best).
Reduce/reuse/recycle
Practice the three R’s: first reduce how much you use, then reuse what you can, and then recycle the rest. Then, dispose of what’s left in the most environmentally friendly way. Read the tips below and explore the Consumer’s Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce/catbook)
More tips and other information is at http://www.earthday.gov/index.htm
On the anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970, the federal government is cleaning the air, promoting land conservation, and improving water quality.
rainedelight