#a book as a steppingstone

[cygnetbrown]

A Baker’s Dozen of Reasons You Should Write a Nonfiction Book

Have you ever thought about writing a nonfiction book? I have written several and I am glad I did. If you have thought about writing one too, here are several reasons that might help encourage you to write your own nonfiction book. You’ll Enjoy Being Called an Author Writing a nonfiction book about what you know is easy. I find that nonfiction books are easier to write than novels. Back in…

[imamotherfuckingstar-lord]

fate

opla!sanji x reader, fluff

a/n: gif request by @sweetheartlizzie07

The ship rocked steadily; waves quiet as the moon lit the small ripples. Staring out to sea, you thought of all the little steppingstones that lead you to this ship. To the crew that took you in like the lonely orphan you are. Were. A smile made its way to the corner of your mouth, and you wondered if luck finally was turning its head your way. A cool breeze sent a shiver down your spine and then a warm blanket fell onto your shoulders.

“You’ll catch a cold and while the idea of healing you back to good health is enthralling…” Sanji tightened the wool blanket around your body and smiled, hands falling to his side. “I’m sure Chopper would disapproval.” “I don’t know, a week in bed sounds great.”

A charming smile graced the cook’s face, and he angled you back toward the sea, the two of you quietly staring out into the dark abyss. For minutes, a peaceful silence played between the small space left between Sanji and you. Neither of you needed to say much, quiet company had often been what you offered each other. He’d be cooking in the kitchen while you read at the counter, occasionally looking up from your book to steal a mental imagine of Sanji. Sleeves rolled up, a concentrated fiery in his eyes, a relaxed pout on his face – it was your favorite painting.

“Can I ask you something, Sanji?”

His eyes drew away from the sea to you. “Anything.”

And he meant it.

“Do you believe in fate?”

“Not really.”

Your facial expression must have looked disappointed because he began to backtrack, but you stopped him with a laugh. “You’re allowed to have your own opinion.”

He relaxed and edged closer to you, shoulder against yours. Watching as he pulled out the small tin, he kept his cigarettes in, you waited patiently for him to offer one up. When he did, you took a slow inhale and gave it back, once again staring out beyond the waves. “I always felt like my life would always just be. I was stuck on this island, waiting to be married off to someone I would never love. Have children that I would try to love. Just like my mother but then, Luffy found me.”

Sanji nodded, letting out a low chuckle. “He sort of found all of us, didn’t he?”

“That he did,” you replied. Turning to face Sanji, you asked him if he thought this was his fate. “Being on this ship, with this crew? Do you really think this is where you’re supposed to be?”

“Yes,” he answered swiftly, his hand moving to find yours. When his fingertips touched the outside of your wrist, you held his stare. “We can think we don’t deserve better than what we had, but maybe the universe has a way of remedying things.”

His hand moved down to lock with yours and he crushed the cigarette into the ledge – freeing himself to grab a hold of both your hands. Sanji held them gingerly, rubbing his thumb against your skin.

“So, you do believe in fate then?”

He shrugged playfully with a grin. “If fate led both of us to this moment, on this ship, then I guess I believe in it. What do you say?”

The waves gathered some courage to make noise against the ship, rocking it ever so gently as you held your balance – hands in Sanji’s. The moon shined brightly; the smell of sea salt filled the air as you squeezed your palm against his. All your life, you had begged and pleaded for something more than you had. A life worth living for, a family worth dying for. A love worth loving…

“I say I’m all in, if you are.”

Sanji let out a sigh of relief, gathering you in his arms. He kissed your forehead, rocking you under the gathered stars and for what seemed like a wonderful lifetime – the two of you remained that way, enjoying the little moment fate had gifted you.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: John McWhorter

Published: Dec 21, 2023

Harvard’s president, Claudine Gay, should resign.

I don’t love thinking so and hoped we would not reach this tipping point in the controversy over whether she should be retained in her position. But a tipping point it is.

Harvard has a clear policy on plagiarism that threatens undergraduates with punishment up to the university’s equivalent of expulsion for just a single instance of it. That policy may not apply to the university’s president, but the recent, growing revelations about past instances of plagiarism by Dr. Gay make it untenable for her to remain in office.

As a matter of scholarly ethics, academic honor and, perhaps most of all, leadership that sets an example for students, Dr. Gay would be denigrating the values of “veritas” that she and Harvard aspire to uphold. Staying on would not only be a terrible sign of hollowed-out leadership, but also risks conveying the impression of a double standard at a progressive institution for a Black woman, which serves no one well, least of all Dr. Gay.

It has always been inconvenient that Harvard’s first Black president has only published 11 academic articles in her career and not one book (other than one with three co-editors). Some of her predecessors, like Lawrence Bacow, Drew Gilpin Faust and Lawrence Summers, have had vastly more voluminous academic records. The discrepancy gives the appearance that Dr. Gay was not chosen because of her academic or scholarly qualifications, which Harvard is thought to prize, but rather because of her race.

There is an argument that a university president may not need to have been an awesomely productive scholar, and that Dr. Gay perhaps brought other and more useful qualifications to the job. (She held the high-ranking post of dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard before the presidency, and so may have administrative gifts, but that job is not a steppingstone to the modern Harvard presidency.) But Harvard, traditionally, has exemplified the best of the best, and its presidents have been often regarded as among the top in their given fields — prize winners, leading scholars, the total package.

As such, the academic writings and publications of a Harvard president and other top university presidents matter, including the integrity of that work. It might seem counterintuitive that university presidents typically begin their careers writing dozens of academic papers and multiple academic books. One might see their current duties — as administrators, fund-raisers, troubleshooters, meeting-havers — as only diagonally connected to the publish-or-perish realm of being a college professor.

This is especially because the world of academic papers and books is a weird and often gestural thing. Beyond the work of the occasional star, this academic material is often read only by a few reviewers (if even them) and university library shelves groan under the weight of countless academic books engaged by essentially no one. As to one of my own academic books — my favorite one, in fact — I am aware of a single person who has actually read it. And that’s about normal in this business.

But the allegations of plagiarism leveled at Dr. Gay come on top of her thin dossier and present a different kind of challenge.

There are indeed degrees of plagiarism. The allegations against Dr. Gay do not entail promoting actual substantial ideas as her own, but rather lifting phrases for sections of dutiful literature review and explicating basic premises without using quotation marks, or changing the wording only slightly, and, at times, not even citing the relevant authors shortly before or after these sections. This qualifies less as stealing argumentation than as messy. Much has been made of the fact that even her acknowledgments section in her dissertation has phraseology transparently cribbed from those of others. Sloppy, again — but still, this is not about her actual ideas.

But there are two problems here. One is Harvard’s plagiarism policy for students, its veritas image and other standards of integrity and conduct. Second is the sheer amount of the plagiarism in her case, even if in itself it is something less than stealing ideas. If the issue were a couple of hastily quoted phrases in one article, it would be one thing. But investigations have shown that this problem runs through about half of Dr. Gay’s articles, as well as her dissertation. We must ask how a university president can expect to hold her head high, carry authority and inspire respect as a leader on a campus where students suffer grave consequences for doing even a fraction of what Dr. Gay has done.

That Dr. Gay is Black gives this an especially bad look. If she stays in her job, the optics will be that a middling publication record and chronically lackadaisical attention to crediting sources is somehow OK for a university president if she is Black. This implication will be based on a fact sad but impossible to ignore: that it is difficult to identify a white university president with a similar background. Are we to let pass a tacit idea that for Black scholars and administrators, the symbolism of our Blackness, our “diverseness,” is what matters most about us? I am unclear where the Black pride (or antiracism) is in this.

After the congressional hearing this month where Dr. Gay made comments about genocide and antisemitism that she later apologized for, and now in the aftermath of the plagiarism allegations, some of her supporters and others have argued that the university should not dismiss Dr. Gay, because doing so would be to give in to a “mob.” However, one person’s mob is another person’s gradually emerging consensus among reasonable people.

I, for one, wield no pitchfork on this. I did not call for Dr. Gay’s dismissal in the wake of her performance at the antisemitism hearings in Washington, and on social media I advised at first to ease up our judgment about the initial plagiarism accusations. But in the wake of reports of additional acts of plagiarism and Harvard’s saying that she will make further corrections to past writing, the weight of the charges has taken me from “wait and see” to “that’s it.”

If it is mobbish to call on Black figures of influence to be held to the standards that others are held to, then we have arrived at a rather mysterious version of antiracism, and just in time for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in less than a month. I would even wish Harvard well in searching for another Black woman to serve as president if that is an imperative. But at this point that Black woman cannot, with any grace, be Claudine Gay.

And if Harvard declines to dismiss her out of fear of being accused of racism — a reasonable although hardly watertight surmise — Dr. Gay should do the right thing on her own. For Harvard, her own dignity and our national commitment to assessing Black people (and all people) according to the content of their character, she should step down.

[finishinglinepress]

FLP CHAPBOOK OF THE DAY: A Litany of SHE Poems by Davida Kilgore

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A Litany of SHE Poems weaves together themes of #disability, #race, and #gender of both humans and imaginary creatures with threads of sensuality and sexuality, Christianity and spirituality, deeply-felt love and equally felt lust. Like Sheila and SHE, the characters in these story/#poems challenge not only societal norms and expectations but also navigate the complexities of living at the crossroads of multiple marginalizations. Whether exploring love here on earth or there on Mars, illustrating love between #Black Mary and her husband G-Man, examining the self-love of their children Sustah or Brutah, or caring about the creature Igboo, each poem invites the reader to explore the transformative journeys that celebrate differences, advocate for equality, and amplify silenced voices. A Litany of SHE Poems is a tapestry of love songs whose melodies reach the highest octaves of the struggles and triumphs of a diverse slice of humanity.

Davida Kilgore is the author of a short story collection, Last Summer and, as Davida Adedjouma, the editor of an award-winning book of poetry, The Palm of My Heart: Poetry by African American Children written by children ages 5-13 who she taught in afterschool programs in St. Paul and Minneapolis. Her work has been produced by SteppingStone Theatre, read on Broadway at Symphony Space, adapted for film, and published nationally and internationally. Davida’s fiction recently appeared in the Water~Stone Review, midnight & indigo, and Fantasy Magazine, her monologues appeared in 2022 Best Women’s Stage Monologues and 2022 Best Men’s Stage Monologues, and her poetry appeared in I Am, I Can: Poetry About African American Minnesotans with Different Abilities, the Blue Collar Review and the anthology Let the Black Women Say Ase’. She has been the recipient of fellowships and grants from the Bush Foundation, the Jerome Foundation, and the Minnesota State Arts Board.

PRAISE FOR A Litany of SHE Poems by Davida Kilgore

Davida’s powerful prose takes us on a cosmic trip through a she lens. She transports us in a mythical fever dream “by the strength of her voice alone.”

–Karen Gormandy

Please share/please repost #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #poetry #chapbook #read #poems

[thebl00dmaster]

Limbus Tamers 2

Time for a part 2 of this unlikely crossover ! This time around I've given partners to the rest of the limbus crew and to some bosses. I might do some of the NPCs as well as rework Rodya and Hong Lu's partners since I wasn't wholly sastified with these. For part one go here

First off everyone's favorite amnesiac clock. I felt there was no way they wouldn't have Clockmon somewhere in their line, as for the rest: any rookie that was listed could have done the job but lego Agumon won my heart, Mamemon 'cause it's kinda goofy and CatchMamemon because gatcha.

For Charon I focused on transports with Locomon being the first one that came to mind and worked from there. Though with the Beach event you could make the argument that Submarimon could have made the cut.

Ol' man Vergil being our guide to hell I felt like giving him a hellhound would be appropriate and his ruthlessness made Plutomon more fitting than Anubismon (Yes this is the same line as in Digimon Survive). Though imagining this monster of a man with this Olympos XII adjacent mon sending the goon squad with rookie level mon to deal with the retrieval of golden boughs is even more hilarious.

Now for the first "boss" well since Canto 1 is mostly Abnormality fights and we don't have that much info on Hermann&co I fell back on Old G Corp Bugman. There's not much to be said, bug digimon for a bug man. Funnily enough Olg G Corp man is the first "major" non abnormality fight in canto I and Kuwagamon is the first threat in the digital world for the digidestined in the OG Adventure.

Now unto La Muralla de Canto II Aida. Same as above as there were Abnormalities boss fights, I had no idea for Sonya (yet) and Tingtang boss. Ponchomon was the first mon that popped to mind because, you know, mariachi then I remembered that Togemon X antibody also rocked a sombrero/poncho so elicited to put both, even though it's regular Palmon that evolved into it but hey, and BanchoLillymon is there because she's Syndicate boss.

For Guido I choose beefy and knightly looking Digimons. Craniummon is there because it's evil looking plus I gave Kromer LordKnightmon (aka Crusadermon) and they were both part of the antagonist faction in Cybersleuth.

Speaking of the bitch devil I made two lines for her. Base Kromer got a bunch of holy/angel digimons plus Crusadermon to go with "holy inquisition" theme plus LordKnightmon is known to be a dick amongst the Royal Knights. As for the distortion-like form I considered that she's so juiced up by the golden bough that her partner goes straight to Apocalymon with Ladydevimon being a steppingstone for it once we reach the "realm of darkness" phase of the fight, probably with her fighting us with "only" Angewomon on phase one and then it falls to Ladydevimon. I amsp considered giving Lilithmon because Kromer looks like a lust pecatula but Apocalymon is more messed up looking. Either way this means Demian pulled up with some powerful stuff to one hit kill Kromer.

For Dongbaek I focused more on the Spicebush E.G.O than the Sunshower one with Renamon paying lip service to it, though I imagine it'd go along the traditional line with or without the color swaps, with Lotusmon represented the fully manifested E.G.O with the two previous forms appearing as she steels her resolve before that.

Dongrang's line is disjointed because I tried to combine both his distorsion and his E.G.O.. Nohemon is for the farmer and scarecrow imagery plus the fact his achievement are fake, OG Falcomon is to contrast with Yi Sang's 06 Falcomon also I didn't find a cow rookie (plus the K Corp infinite chicken hack), Jyagamon continue agricultural theme being a crop ( a potato if the reference book is to be believed) that kinda look bovine-ish (?) to represent his distorted form and finally Machinedramon ... not really linked to the Farmwatch E.G.O. but I went with the angle of "I'll burn the past and anyone to pave MY future!" and what better choice than a giant death robot lizard ! .... ok Parasimon could have worked too, still it's messed up that this potatomon can turn into both. If I were to hazard a timeline for the evolution I'd say he would have Nohemon as a permanent champion kinda how Gatomon is in Adventure and 02 while Falcomon only appears in the dungeon for flashback part then both the ultimate and mega forms for both boss fights under the influence of the golden bough.

And that's a wrap. I'll do other NPC when inspiration strikes me again though maybe not full lines for everyone.

[tuiyla]

this one’s a long one but saw you talking about the tslocg finale and i have to some things to say (if u don’t mind)

im really upset with how they handled the leighton x tatum situation. like fine, maybe tatum was always meant to be a steppingstone for leighton’s eventual understanding for who and what she’s really looking for in a partner. i never really imagined them to be endgame, especially because leighton’s a freshman and she has plenty of time to explore relationships. break ups happen and their split is really far from the actual issue. a lot of actions just felt very out of character/unfair and the rushed pacing really didn’t make anything settle any better. i mean really what was the purpose of building up tatum’s (jackson’s tbh) characters and qualities just to rip them away in literal minutes.

obviously the show’s pacing has always been a major issue, but there’s never been a mention of the women’s center ever since leighton and alicia ended things so why are we acting like leighton and the other volunteers (employees ?) were so close. it just doesn’t make sense that leighton, who was literally so awful toward the women’s center last season, would be so quickly to dismiss someone who wasn’t fully understanding the significance of it/its members. i mean leighton, of all people, should understand that the environment is one that takes getting used to especially coming from such a privileged, conservative background. perhaps it was the annoyance of having to volunteer there, but leighton’s initial reactions were arguably worse than tatum’s little comments.

it just sucked to see tatum being so patient and willing to work things out with leighton even when she was closeted (which yk, bar is on the floor but still very sweet in comparison to alicia’s reaction) and tatum’s reassurance to leighton lying about the gallery party and doing so much to impress her. but god forbid tatum show some poor qualities, and now leighton immediately dismisses her and their relationship. it’s just really cruel for her to have zero grace for tatum’s ignorance when she was, again, far worse last season. i really don’t mind alicia, but #justicefortatum because leighton really just ignored the literal heartbreak and trauma that alicia caused her but drew the line at tatum making some (distasteful) comments when she really could’ve shown her the same patience everyone at the center showed her last sem.

all of the sensitivities she learned about the members of the center and the relationships she built with everyone there took time!!! but she refused to give tatum that :/ she really had more patience with that conservative kappa alumni than she did her own girlfriend.

(and just realistically it made sense to keep tatum around because at least midori is busy with grey’s now, gracie deserves to be booked too!!)

ps: maybe it’s the santana lopez/quinn fabray supremacist in me but a mean girl never really hurt anybody so my girl tatum deserved a better ending

By all means preach away Anon because I'm clearly not over it either. So frustrating when a story could work but it's so lazily done. And I am starting to call it lazy because I know they can do better and I don't see why the writers weren't willing to leave Leighton's story on a sort of cliffhanger like with the other girls. Why did we need a speedrun of this in two episodes? Really cheapens her character and I hate saying that because I love Leighton and I would love to be wholeheartedly happy for her.

I agree, it didn't seem fair and you're so right that Tatum was hardly anything like Leighton was beginning of last season. And okay fair, maybe Leighton doesn't wanna put in the emotional labour of educating someone like she was educated. But then bitch patiently explains inclusive language to gen x Kappas! And it's not like this was Tatum's third strike or anything. Hate to say it but the way it was written makes Leighton seem like she was looking for a reason to dump Tatum because Alicia reentered the picture. And I know it in my bones that wasn't the intention, but intentions don't mean much to me when you lower your standards of writing. Can you tell I'm really mad when writers choose laziness haha.

It's so convenient for the show to act like it's been building on where we left Leighton at the end of season 1 but it hasn't and it can't lie to me. Leighton has not been missing the women's center or its peeps, that's a big fat lie. Not once did she indicate otherwise. And to be clear I don't have an issue with Alicia nor do I wanna get into the dead horse convo of her breakup with Leighton, but it's true that Tatum proved herself to be understanding, patient, and reassuring, only to be discarded like that because she's a fraction of how rude Leighton used to be.

Had they portrayed her as a bitch all this time and gave any signs that Leighton was uncomfortable with that, fine. I'd still find it a little uninspired but I would have bought the whole "foil to Leighton" thing. But that didn't happen! They just pulled that out of their ass at the last minute. I mean ffs they discussed a safe word 😭 Cause Leighton presumably knew very well that this wasn't Tatum's scene. And you won't hear me say that Tatum wasn't being bitchy, but my god was it really that bad that with no preamble she deserves that talking to and dumping? I don't think so. The writers didn't create the bitch they thought they did in Tatum, not in her relationship with Leighton. And if one more person says we were just "blinded by the chemistry of Gracie and Reneé" I'm THROWING HANDS. Fuck you, I know what I saw, I know what was actually written. I care about storytelling and this was ain't it.

So you could say I also have some things to say, Anon. Idk where they're going with this, if Leighton and Alicia are gonna breakup early on in season 3 anyway. I truly don't much care for that because I think the damage to Leighton's ch has already been done and it's not like Alicia was the cause of that or anything. I'm just bummed that instead of seeing her arc unfold organically in season 3 we had this lackluster speedrun and now, what? I'm sure they have plans for her but now every time she gets on her high horse it will feel empty. Unlike her friendships with her roommates, Leighton's change of heart here did not feel like a natural progression at all. And I love me a bitch with a heart of gold, like, loooooooove, but goddam give her time.

[sallygcronin]

Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair - December Book Reviews Round Up - #Memoir D.G. Kaye, #Romance Stevie Turner, #Fantasy #Fairies Colleen M. Chesebro, #Food #Environment David Moscow, #SocialMedia Alex Craigie

Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair – December Book Reviews Round Up – #Memoir D.G. Kaye, #Romance Stevie Turner, #Fantasy #Fairies Colleen M. Chesebro, #Food #Environment David Moscow, #SocialMedia Alex Craigie

A reminder of the books that I have enjoyed and reviewed during December. About the memoir This book is a collection of stories about some of Kaye’s first-time experiences with life’s most natural events. Told through the intimate conversational writing we’ve come to know from this author, poignant personal steppingstones to learning moments are revealed. She encompasses the heart of each matter…

[aemoglobin]

the sunken library (unfinished)

so the topic of repeated dreamscapes came up on twit recently. here’s one of mine. it’s a library/bookstore that’s located in a circular glade-type of sunken cliff location. i don’t know how to really describe it lol. it’s built into the cliff but it’s also sinking. don’t ask how i know. 

anyways it’s like. a faded cream/white building with dark open windows and huge front entrance. parts of it are cracked and covered with plants. there’s only one path in and out, a path of cracked/old white stepping stones that go past a lake/pond thing (it’s one of those REALLY deep ones that you can see bands of color in all the way down. don’t fall in. the dream will end if you do.)

the cliff is made up of dirt but in a banded way like sedimentary rock. but it’s dirt. it’s in a forest at the edge of the sea, which is why the sky is so blue behind the trees (the ocean is on the other side of the cliff. not a great location for a library but whatever). if you’re standing on the first steppingstone, everything is very very Blue. like deep bright Blue. the sun is Bright. and i really want to visit the library.

(i’m not ever going to draw the interior but it’s very Modern and....mauve. lots of sharp angles and ramps up and down to the various levels, with black railings, bookshelves, and ladders. it’s got a few museum-type displays of Stuff inside it as well in different rooms. i’ve gotten lost inside it more dreams than i can count. don’t ask how the books are catalogued bc it’s been like 10 years and i still don’t know. the library goes underground at some points (there are no stairs, it’s all ramps! or ladders if you’re going up and down bookshelves)).

[them2therockshow]

What sets Michael Molthan - M2 The Rock's story apart is the realization that there wasn't just one rock bottom; there were many. And from those challenging moments, he emerged stronger and more determined than ever. Today, he leverages his personal experiences and magnetic, relatable personality to inspire others to embark on their own transformative journeys. Michael Molthan - M2 The Rock is proof that even in the darkest of times, one can find a path to fulfillment and purpose, using rock bottom as a steppingstone rather than an endpoint.

Michael Molthan's mission is to raise the meaning of “Rock Bottom” sharing his relatable stories for everyone by rebuilding the “Spirit, Mind, and Body”. When this is “Out of Order” our life is full of chaos and confusion.

Michael Molthan doesn't shy away from talking about his painful past of trauma, drug, alcohol, and work addiction. On his talk show called The M2 The ROCK Show, he interviews inspiring people with inspiring stories.

For over 2o years, Michael Molthan has been known as one of the most well-known Luxury Homebuilders in Dallas, Texas - The Park Cities and also in the country until 2009.  Michael Molthan finally hit rock bottom. Drugs. Alcohol, and crime. And absolute chaos. He accumulated 27 mugshots in four years and was about to enter a place he swore he would never go: prison. Addiction was Michael’s temporary solution to heal from a dark childhood trauma secret. Little did he know that being imprisoned and reading and writing for inmates that could not read or write. On October 13, 2017, Michael was miraculously released 2 years early from prison before completing his sentence. He traveled 300 Miles back to Dallas, Texas, to see Judge Jennifer Bennett to turn himself in.  For the first time Judge Bennett could see this miraculous change that had taken place in Michael’s life, so she pardoned him and told him to go “pay it forward”.  That’s what Michael Molthan has been doing for the last 7 years.

Michael is the host of The M2 THE ROCK Show, one of the fastest growing shows/podcasts in the country that dives into the topic of self-improvement, spirituality, health, mind, and many more.  Michael Molthan is the author of two books, “300 MILES – Memoir of Michael Molthan” and “Today, I Realize - Daily Devotional 2025” being released in 2025.

Michael’s main passion is simple and profound: “That Everyone Is An Addict”.

FOLLOW M2 THE ROCK BELOW:

WEBSITE: https://m2therock.com/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/m2therockshow/

[ginaraemitchell]

Falling For a Smart Cowboy (Vargas Ranch #4) by Karen Baney  #Audiobook #BookReview #CowboyRomance #ChristianRomance @authorkarenbaney @iReadBookTours @acornsireadbooktours

She’s on a mission to bring orphaned children hope. He wants off his family’s ranch for good. Will they survive his shocking family secrets? Devon Vargas longs to be more than just a cowboy. After finishing his teaching degree, he plans to leave his family’s guest ranch for good. Between his growing affection for the new children’s program director and a huge family secret revealed, he second guesses everything about his life. Raina Crawford lost her parents at a young age. Through the grace of God, she survived life in the foster system. She desperately wants to bring children the life-changing faith that gave her hope. The job at Vargas Ranch was supposed to be a steppingstone. Except she’s losing her heart to the smart, ambitious cowboy bent on leaving his family’s ranch—and her—behind. Will Raina finally find the family she’s always wanted? Will family secrets unravel his new dreams? Will those same secrets tear them apart? Enter giveaway for a chance to win! @authorkarenbaney @iReadBookTours @acornsireadbooktours #cowboyromance #contemporaryromance #smalltownromance #romance #westernromance #cowboy #romancenovel #romancereads #adultromance #romancereader #romancebooks #romanticsuspense #alphahero #instalove #smalltown #romanticcomedy #secondchance #romanceauthor #childhoodsweethearts #christianromance #christianfiction #cleanreads #cleanromance #christianauthor #christianauthors #christianbooks #christianbookstagram #indieauthor #sweetromance #inspirationalfiction

Falling For a Smart Cowboy (Vargas Ranch #4) by Karen Baney  #Audiobook #BookReview #CowboyRomance #ChristianRomance @authorkarenbaney @iReadBookTours @acornsireadbooktours A book blog tour from iRead Book Tours. Thank you to the author, publisher, & Lauren at iRead for providing me with the information for this tour. Quick Summary Falling for a Smart Cowboy is Karen Baney’s fourth book in the…

[kristinawkelly]

When my external hard drive died, I almost gave up my dream of releasing a poetry and photography book. I lost nearly all of my photography. But I’m excited to share I’m releasing the poetry collection!

Get ready for Imaginari - A sci-fi, science, and fantasy poetry collection paired with my photography. Can I count you in?

Backers who pledge in the first 48 hours of the launch will get the ebook of The Lady’s Crownbearer and an exclusive sticker not available in the pledge levels.

My favorite level has an 8x10 print of my favorite fall photo taken in Brown County Indiana, the paperback and ebook of Imaginari, a sticker, and bookmark. There’s options to gift a copy so I can gift it to libraries, options to get all of my books or add on a book of your choice. Lots of combos!

Here’s a preview page - photo is from this year’s total solar eclipse paired with an eclipse poem.

Imaginari is a glimpse of human experience disguised in fairytales and stardust. Often poetry is hard to sell. People think it's not for them. But I think poetry is for everyone. Poetry doesn’t have to be complicated! It’s a way to connect. Communicate. Feel. And I hope with me using sci-fi and fantasy it’s a familiar enough steppingstone for you to dip your toes into it.

[anotheruserwithnoname]

Happy Harriet Quimby Day!

(Harriet Quimby, left, with her fellow pilot and buddy Matilde Moissant - who at some point autographed this photo. Many versions of this pic crop Matilde out of the image. Harriet's outfit was brilliant purple - her trademark.)

Friday, August 2 is the official Harriet Quimby Day! So, with her being my most recent historical crush, I couldn't let the day go unobserved.

The date marks the occasion on August 2, 1911 when 36-year-old Harriet, an acclaimed New York City investigative journalist who was basically a prototype of Lois Lane, became the first woman in North America (and only the second on the planet) to be officially awarded a pilot's licence. She would go on to become the first woman to fly solo across the English Channel (a major accomplishment in those days and considered a major steppingstone to flying across oceans) before dying in a flying accident in July 1912 (many early aviators met tragic ends given they were riding essentially flying bicycles with minimal safety gear; ironically, Harriet wrote articles on the importance of flight safety gear).

Before the tragedy, Harriet was the Taylor Swift of her day, a major celebrity who at the end of her life was able to command the 2024 equivalent of millions of dollars just to do short flights at air shows. She often performed alongside Matilde Moissant, her best friend (pictured above) who was the second woman in North America to be licensed. Decades before Monty Python came along, the two were members of what was called a "flying circus".

The more I read about Harriet the more I wonder why there hasn't been a movie - if not a full-out TV series - made about her yet (all I can find is a lost TV production from the 50s and a character loosely based on her appeared in a TV movie spin-off of the Anne of Green Gables-esque TV series Christy some years ago). And there have only been a handful of biographies and a couple of children's books about her exploits. And even then I'm reading the latest one called Fearless and it is a frustrating experience as the writer spends most of his pages writing about OTHER people, not her. She's a guest star in her own biography.

But I guess that's par for the course given how Harriet, while not forgotten, certainly has not had the same level of notoriety as, say, Amelia Earhart, who credited Harriet as an inspiration. Having the bad luck of doing her English Channel flight the day after the sinking of the Titanic (which got all the media attention) didn't help, nor is the fact only a couple of minutes of newsreel footage exists of her along with a relatively small amount of photographs (including some attributed to her that I don't believe actually show her). That has made being a Harriet Quimby fan (and trying to make posts about her) something of a treasure hunt.

[stacielauthor]

Personal Growth through Professional Challenges: Lessons Learned from Workplace Struggles

It's not a question of if, but when, difficulties will arise during one's career. Regardless of their size, these challenges can demoralize and overwhelm you. It's crucial to understand, nevertheless, that every challenge presents a chance for improvement.

This article will help you understand the important lessons that might be drawn from challenges faced at work and how they can help you become stronger, more capable people.

Embracing Adversity: Turning Challenges into Opportunities

It's not always easy to get along at work. Conflicts may emerge, projects may fail, and deadlines may be missed. What counts most, though, is how we handle these challenges. Consider difficulties as chances for personal development rather than as obstacles to overcome. Every challenge offers an opportunity to grow, learn, and adjust. We may turn failures into steppingstones to success if we embrace hardship.

Cultivating Resilience: Thriving in the Face of Setbacks

The capacity to overcome hardship and emerge from it stronger than before is resilience. It's a skill that can be improved with practice and experience. It's critical to develop resilience in the face of professional failures by keeping a positive outlook, asking for help from peers, and concentrating on solutions rather than problems. By developing resilience, you may persevere through adversity with dignity and resolve.

Harnessing Conflict: Transforming Disagreements into Positive Outcomes

In the workplace, conflict is an inevitable component. Conflict, whether it arises from opposing viewpoints, personality conflicts, or conflicting priorities, can be both difficult and advantageous. Learn to use disputes for good rather than avoiding or intensifying them. 

Through a receptive mindset, attentive listening skills, and a readiness to make concessions, we may transform discord into a chance for cooperation and creativity.

Learning from Failure: Leveraging Mistakes for Future Success

Failure is just a roadblock on the way to success, not the conclusion of the journey. Errors happen in the business, but they also teach you important things. Rather than wallowing in the past, consider what went wrong and how you might improve for the future. You can use your failures as a springboard for future achievement if we adopt a growth mindset and see failure as a teaching opportunity.

Although overcoming obstacles at work is difficult, it is necessary for one's personal development. Through accepting hardship, developing resilience, managing conflict, and taking responsibility for your mistakes, you can transform obstacles into chances to grow and become better people.

If you are looking for a compelling read, 'The Elephant Hunter, Speaking Truth in Organizations' by Stacie L L Morgan is a treat for you. This captivating book is the first in an innovative, creative nonfiction series. Join The Elephant Hunter on an organizational safari™, where you'll track and tag the elusive elephants in the room. Navigate through the chaos and waste these creatures create and discover the powerful tools and techniques needed to address them. 

Experience a 360-degree immersion using deep metaphor to learn how to speak truth in organizations. Slog through the mess these elephants leave behind and utilize the Elephant Hunter's Paraphernalia™ to liberate their Handlers and Colluders. 

This insightful adventure mirrors your own workplace struggles and triumphs, bringing the world of work to life as it truly feels. Embark on this transformative journey to uncover the hero within you. Don't miss out—embrace the adventure, become an organizational truth-teller, and start reading today to revolutionize your approach to work. Head to Amazon and order your copy today!

[johnhmcintosh]

THE END OF BELIEFS

JOHN MCINTOSH

Whatever beliefs one has … however beautiful … they are ALL ‘of’ the mind [the false self], and ‘must’, at some point, be dropped completely for the full return of the Awareness of the ONE SELF YOU Really Are to occur.

This does not mean they have no value … as a steppingstone ‘away from’ the belief in separation [the root cause of the Grand Dream most call reality], they have a temporary use. However, eventually ALL beliefs must be dropped in favor of the ‘Silence’ that Truth ‘is’. The ONE SELF is Emptiness with infinite potential and when one finally and totally ‘surrenders’ completely a ‘space’ becomes available for ‘pristine’, in the moment guidance HOME to arise. Anything one ‘clings to’, no matter how exquisite – colors that guidance. ‘If you shoot for the moon and miss by 1% … you are still lost in space.’

-image by Solveig Larsen

SELF DISCOVERY books by John McIntosh https://www.johnmcintosh.info/copy-of-books

[smithpublicity]

How Do Book Reviews Impact Your Book's Publicity and Sales?

Could the key to your book's success lie in the hands of reviewers? In the bustling literary marketplace, it's not just about writing a great story or compiling a compelling work of non-fiction; it's about getting people to take notice. Smith Publicity, a leading book PR and author promotion agency, has seen firsthand the power of book reviews. But how exactly do they shape an author's fortunes?

Have you considered the impact a well-worded review has on a book's destiny? Reviews are powerful; they can send your book soaring up bestseller lists or see it forgotten on a dusty shelf. In the dynamic world of book publicity, what role do reviews play in influencing sales and the overall success of a book?

The Power of Peer Persuasion: In a digital era where consumers are bombarded with countless choices, reviews act as a trusted guide. A rave review serves as social proof, reassuring readers that their time and money will be well-spent. Reviews create buzz, driving interest and discussions on various platforms.

Visibility and Discoverability: Search engines love fresh content, and reviews are a form of content that keeps giving. Each new review increases a book’s online footprint, making it more visible to potential readers. This enhanced discoverability is crucial for new authors and seasoned writers alike.

Credibility and Authority: A positive review from a respected source can significantly boost an author's credibility. It's about more than just selling copies; it’s about building a reputation. When it comes to non-fiction works, particularly self-help, business, or educational material, the backing of reputable reviewers can establish an author as an authority in their field.

Sales and Marketing Synergy: Remember, reviews are a marketing tool. People are more inclined to make a purchase based on recommendations. The reviews your book garners can feed into marketing strategies, adding testimonials that entice new readers. Book marketing and promotion agencies understood early on the symbiosis between sales and genuine reader endorsements.

Quality Feedback for Future Success: With each review, authors receive feedback that can inform future work. Constructive criticism provides valuable insights on writing style, character development, and what readers truly want – information that's worth its weight in gold for any writer's craft.

Encouragement for Mandatory Practice: The motivational power of reviews should not be underestimated. A great review confirms the writer's efforts, while even the critical ones are steppingstones to improvement, urging authors to refine their skills and enhance their storytelling.

Are you ready to harness the power of reviews and witness how they can amplify your book's presence in the marketplace? Smith Publicity has been on the front lines, championing authors and elevating books above the noise. Discover how this seasoned agency can breathe life into your book promotion efforts and help you build a lasting author brand. Reach out to Smith Publicity to learn more about their wide range of book marketing, promotion, and publicity services tailored for authors just like you.

Book reviews are invaluable in orchestrating a successful book marketing campaign. They are not only confidence boosters for authors but also powerful vehicles driving sales, visibility, and authority. In the quest to leave a mark in the literary world, reviews are one of the strongest tools available to authors—but only if leveraged strategically and creatively by experts who know the terrain.

Whether you’re promoting your first novel or seeking fresh avenues for an established series, mastering the art of securing and utilizing reviews should be a top priority. And with the right partner, like Smith Publicity, your book's potential is boundless. Why not join the ranks of authors who have watched their work rise from quiet whispers to resounding acclaim? Your story deserves to be heard – make sure it’s echoed through stellar reviews.

[sweethoneychildbookclub]

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

Author & Illustrator: Vashti Harrison

Age Range: 8-12 years

Theme: Empowerment, History, Inspiration

Step into the pages of “Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History” and meet the trailblazers who have shaped our world!

Description/Introduction:

Prepare to be dazzled by the stories of 40 phenomenal Black women who have carved their names into the annals of history. Vashti Harrison crafts a mesmerizing mosaic of biographies that showcase the indomitable spirit of these heroines. From the courage of aviators who soared past the clouds to the perseverance of activists who stood tall against the winds of opposition, these narratives are an arsenal for ambition.

With every stroke of her pen, Vashti Harrison not only sketches portraits but also paints dreams, making the past a vivid canvas for the future. As these women step out of history and into the hearts of young readers, they whisper a timeless message: “Believe in yourself, and you will be unstoppable.”

Quotes/Reviews:

“An essential book for inspiring self-confidence.” - Booklist

“Vashti Harrison tells the stories of both iconic and lesser-known female figures of Black history with extraordinary care.” - Time Magazine

Each biography is a steppingstone to greatness, encouraging our young readers to climb with confidence and leap with faith. The charming illustrations are windows into souls that danced to the rhythm of change, eyes that gazed beyond barriers, and hearts that beat to the drum of defiance.

Join the Journey!

Grab your copy and embark on a journey through time with “Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History.” Let your little ones meet the women who have walked the path of challenge with grace, turning every stone of adversity into a milestone of progress.

Share your thoughts, reflections, or even your own illustrations inspired by these incredible stories with us. Let’s keep the legacy of these leaders alive— one page, one day, one dream at a time.