Book Blast: The Super Seeders

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Miles Hillmann will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Super Seeders is based on first-hand accounts from the scientists, breeders, and curators who have built the seven pillars of today's plant genetics revolution. It begins with the guardians of global gene banks, conserving the rare and diverse crop genes that form agriculture's safety net. From these collections, plant geneticists are now unlocking hidden traits with fast-moving genome technologies, transforming the possibilities of crop improvement.

International research centres and the groundbreaking Plant Treaty have opened the floodgates for the free exchange of genetic material, enabling a new wave of discovery. Crop breeders are translating these breakthroughs into reality, delivering drought- tolerant, disease-resistant, and higher-yielding varieties for farmers.

The book raises a pressing question: will this revolution reach the 70 percent of Africans who still depend on subsistence farming? The answer will shape not only the future of food in Africa, but the future of food security worldwide.

A story of ingenuity and urgency, The Super Seeders captures the hopes and challenges of the women and men driving a genetic transformation of agriculture—and the farmers whose lives depend on its success.

Read an Excerpt

In the cool, rolling hills of southern Ethiopia’s Wolaita Highlands, the sun crested the teff and barley fields and coloured the red soil with long shadows. Selam, widow and mother of four, wrapped her scarf around her tightly and came out into the morning light from her thatched tukul house, her hands clasped around a woven basket.

She headed for the community seed bank, a mud-brick hut just outside the school, amidst the eucalyptus trees. Inside the hut, the scent of dried grain and neem leaves filled the air. Wooden shelves ran around the room, where clay jars and gourd containers were labelled neatly in Amharic: Aba Dula wheat, Dabo barley, Red sorghum of Wando. Each had a history, some passed down from grandparents, others brought by farmers like her.

“Selam, good morning!” said Abebe, the seed bank coordinator and the village elder. His weathered face creased into a smile behind his grey beard. “We’ve just finished processing the new batch of the sorghum seed. Strong stalks. Early maturation. Your father preferred this variety.”

Selam smiled. She remembered sowing that very same red sorghum as a child alongside her parents. It had been gone for years only to reappear thanks to the gene bank.

About the Author: Miles Hillmann is a lifelong entrepreneur with a career that bridges scientific curiosity and hands-on innovation, from his early work at the Kabanyolo Agricultural Research Station in Uganda during Idi Amin's fall to experiencing food shortage and famine in the Ethiopian Central Highlands. His workencompassed everything from agricultural development to building flash flood irrigation food-for-work systems.

His first company developed processes for food industry materials. Concurrently he pioneered real-time organic material analysis. He then created one of the UK's major pollution control companies supplying specialist materials to companies in Europe, Nigeria and the Middle East. This led him to establish companies in e-commerce, accredited pollution control training and flood control.

This book is the story of the scientists, curators, and plant breeders leading this movement, told in their voices, through his lens.

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1834188350
Articles: https://superseeders.co.uk/articles-insights/
Goodreads: https://www. goodreads.com/author/show/70074419.Miles_Hillmann

Book Blast: Wedding Planning

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kathy Forbes will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

This book has everything you need to know to plan your perfect unique wedding.

This is not your typical wedding planning book. Chapter titles alone will tell you what needs to be done, and the subtitles break it down further. The book includes tips, advice, stories, templates, and notebook to keep track of everything.

All the other books, magazine articles, Instagram and Pinterest timeline posts state on the "day of" to have a good breakfast. They don't mention the people that take care ofall the duties and tasks throughout the day so you can be VIP guests at your own wedding.

The five easy steps and how they relate to each other is the foundation of this book, which will make sure you have an educational, memorable, stressless, wonderful experience throughout the whole process:

1) Timeline
2) Budget
3) "Day of" schedule
4) Duties and tasks
5) Lists and assignments

The secret is having a planned schedule that catches everything, and a specific person in charge on the "day of" that pulls it off while you enjoy with the guests. Let me show you how to perfect your wedding planning experience.

Waiting to your wedding day is just too late to realize the importance of this thought process and having a specific/special go-to-person working the "day of" on your behalf.

You will enjoy the days up to the wedding as much as the day itself, as this book helps make it all come true.

Read an Excerpt

Wedding Planning 101

This book has everything you need to kThis is not your typical wedding planning book. Chapter titles alone will tell you what needs to be done, and the subtitles break it down further. The book includes tips, advice, stories, templates, and a notebook to keep track of everything.

All the other books, magazine articles, Instagram and Pinterest timeline posts state on the “day of” to have a good breakfast. They don’t mention the people that take care of all the duties and tasks throughout the day so you can be VIP guests at your own wedding.

There is more to planning a perfect “day of” than you think – believe me.

So, you can enjoy the days up to as much as the “day of”, this book will help.

The Reality is: 3 things are kept – your spouse, the ring, and your photographs. All the rest is but a fading memory over time. You most likely have read the saying “don’t sweat the small stuff” or as I suggest, we rewrite it for wedding planning to state “plan for the small stuff details and you won’t sweat”.

now to plan your perfect unique wedding.
I have been married since 1973 – the oops, challenges and happenings - they all happened at our wedding and at least one of them happens at every wedding. Some things never change. This book will help you Plan for them, Minimize them and Smile through them.

This wedding planning book will help you to succeed in putting on a memorable, unique, and stress free wedding. Forge onward through these pages to discover the secret to learning how to pull it all together by just following the easy 5 steps.

Included is the industry insider stuff such as what the vendors and suppliers would like you to do, ask them and the reason why it is important. Through this direction you will acquire the knowledge of what questions to ask your vendors and suppliers. All you must do is fill in the blanks on the easy to complete templates supplied for all the steps.

As I said earlier, this is not your typical wedding planning book filled with wedding dress styles, centerpiece designs and how to walk down the aisle at the ceremony. Everyone has access to that in books, internet, and visuals on Pinterest. This book has the real stuff you need to know. It is a gift you give yourself to be happy and successful in the whole exciting process of your wedding planning.

This book shares real stories (to make a point, relate to real people and tips to make it easy) and of course professional advice.

About the Author: I knew that our youngest daughter was going to be engaged soon, so I enrolled at BCIT and got my wedding and event planning credentials in 2005. I changed careers from corporate sales analyst to something that puts meaning and joy into my life every day. In no time I put it to good use: one daughter married in 2006 and the other in 2007. I retired in 2020 but continued to expand my world. I paint and am a miniature hobbyist—both produce a connection with a memory that I want to preserve and share. I wrote this book as a memory for me, and as an educational reference book to educate you all. My goal is to make planning a wedding a wonderful experience.

My life's motto is: be interested and interesting.

Websites:
http://www.kathyforbesauthor.com
http://www.anewpaigeevent.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237476373-wedding-planning

Buy Link: https://a.co/d/cnjW6AP

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Blurb Blitz: Align Your Business with the Real You

 

ALIGN YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE REAL YOU

Jennifer Musser

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GENRE: Nonfiction

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BLURB:

Is the exhilaration of entrepreneurship tainted with exhaustion? Discover more for your business and yourself.

Do you feel like your professional and personal lives are out of sync? Maxed out trying to juggle work and family? Are you unsure where you belong or how to create a roadmap to get there? Global business consultant and passionate creative Jennifer Musser has spent decades helping high-functioning corporations solve complex puzzles, reduce risk, and increase profit. And now she’s here to show you how to refresh your perspective and fuel the future you want.

Align Your Business with the Real You: Connect with Yourself, Create What Matters Most, and Define Your Success is a groundbreaking paradigm shift for anyone interested in running a company. Well aware of common concerns and struggles faced by every founder, Musser delves into finding your true goals with help from practical exercises, empathetic stories, and easy-to-apply insights. And as you use her ego-free blueprint, you’ll delight in a bounty of unique takeaways that let you stay grounded no matter the situation.

In Align Your Business with the Real You, you’ll discover:

- Strategies for staying honest with yourself that keep you on the right track

- Tips for writing your own definition of success, so your personal and professional life is fulfilling

- Ways to healthily engage with your emotions and feel good about your everyday

- How to remember that you're the boss and permit yourself to funnel time and money toward your ultimate objectives

- Tools that you can instantly put to use, ideas for renewing your commitment, and much, much more!

Align Your Business with the Real You is a fresh and candid guidebook for entrepreneurs. If you like relatable teachers, down-to-earth chats, and heartfelt advice, then you’ll adore Jennifer Musser’s straightforward approach.

Read Align Your Business with the Real You to start getting results right now!

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EXCERPT:

Understanding your role and your learnings in your journey is so critical and powerful.

There isn’t a distinction between who you are as a business owner and who you are in all the other roles you play. As business professionals running around all day, it is challenging to view yourself in a big picture way when you are faced with a constantly growing list of to-dos.

Have you felt like your work environment is growing stagnant and mundane? Have you felt like you’re drained by unhelpful personalities in your environment?

If so, that can turn into feeling like:

• I’m understaffed.

• I’m overutilized.

• I’m undervalued.

• I’m bogged down.

• I’m stressed out.

• I’m tired.

Some days you feel too exhausted to be kind. You’re not alone. This is a flashing red light that you are operating in your survival zone rather than your strength zone. Perform for another day. Quelch the work fires. Keep multiple balls in the air.

Meanwhile, you’re not a trained circus act

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AUTHOR:

JENNIFER MUSSER shines a light on the financial operations of businesses where it is needed most to raise profit, solidify processes, save time, optimize talent, reduce risk, and help business leaders achieve meaningful growth with results they can see—and feel.

Jennifer knows how to lead businesses. She holds over twenty years of experience in global consulting, corporate finance, and entrepreneurship. Jennifer is the founder of JLM & Associates Consulting, LLC, where she applies her big company expertise to steer high-achieving business leaders with financial and operational tools and support for growth with less stress.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (Finance) from Villanova University, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, and multiple certifications in business strategy, Jennifer is committed to helping small businesses succeed.

She loves life (and coffee) with her family and two dogs, Penny and Rockie, in New Jersey.

Website

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Jennifer Musser will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Book Blast: The Atrocities of Hope

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michael Olukayode will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Nigeria is dealing with a level of disorderliness that is neither compatible with functionality nor with long life. Our problems did not start today; they have been with us for as long as we have existed as a country. But just like a disorder left untreated, our problem has incapacitated us, and the rate of deterioration is currently becoming alarming.

The long-term survival of our country is no longer as assured as it used to be. We are on a slippery slope with nothing to hold on to.

This book attempts to answer the 'what', 'why', 'who', and 'what is next' of our problems. As is always the case when truths are discussed, be ready to be offended.

But if you are open-minded enough to be offended and not switch off and open-minded enough to be offended and keep reading – you might learn one or two things at the end of this book.

Read an Excerpt

We live in a disordered world. However, each society presents with different types of disorders and varying levels of disorderliness. And just like in individuals, some disorders are compatible with functionality and life, while some are neither compatible with functionality nor with life. Caution: If you are not a Nigerian—before you read beyond the title, the book’s table of contents, and this introduction to the preface above— beware that this is an analysis of a country.

This is like a clinic letter, like a psychological evaluation of an individual, solely addressed to that individual: You can still drop this book right away and not read it or you can proceed and read it. After reading this, you might feel happy and think you now have points to use against Nigerians, or you could be a smart person and reflect on how these apply to your own country and all its inadequacies.

Nigeria (and, to be honest, like most of the other sub-Saharan countries of Africa) is dealing with a level of disorderliness incompatible with functionality and long life. Our problems did not start today; they have been with us for as long as we have existed as a country. But just like a disorder left untreated, our problem has festered, and it has incapacitated us. The rate of deterioration is currently alarming.

And the long-term survival of our country is no longer as assured as it used to be. We are on a slippery slope with nothing to hold onto, with nothing to pull us up, and each day, we are sliding closer to the edge of oblivion. The leaders are in denial of reality as they feed fat on the commonwealth, while the majority of their followers are distracted by frivolities and immaterial innuendoes. Even the followers—who yesterday seemed in touch with reality and were crying aloud about hardship—have forgotten how to think the moment they have the opportunity to sit at the table where decisions are being made.

This book is an attempt to draw our attention to the what, the who, the why . . . and the what is next of our problems. My hope is that this book will open eyes and stimulate conversations on the causes of our problems and the possible ways to get ourselves out of our current predicaments.

About the Author:

Michael, a self-described realist with a touch of cynicism, is a UK-based, Nigerian-trained psychiatrist and the author of The Atrocities of Hope: An Analysis of the 'Nigeria Problem.'

Michael's lived experience in Nigeria, his inquisitive mind, and his ability to pull back and observe despite being involved combine well with his skills as a mental health expert to create this work.

Michael is a fellow of the West African College of Physicians, the Faculty of Psychiatry, and is an affiliate member of the Royal College of Psychiatry. He plies his trade as a psychiatrist in the Northwest of England. He describes himself as a member of a speciality that helps you in the fight against your worst enemy: yourself.

Michael is a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, a friend, a neighbour, a member of the public, a lover of music, and a lover of movies and books.

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/drkay18
Twitter: http://www.instagram.com/drkay18
Theads: https://www.threads.com/@drkay18

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1779626762
Better World Books: https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/9781779626769
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/9781779626769

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Book Blast: God and Petroleum

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Roberto Aguilera will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

It's been many years since God planted in my heart the idea to author this book. To do so I relied on science and engineering, looking deep into the earth a few thousand feet, dreaming of petroleum reservoirs I could not see, and evaluated them using mostly indirect sources of information. Petroleum hydrocarbons in earth are of organic origin (they form from dead plants and animals) and are intimately related with water. I also had to look to a different scale deep into the universe when it was created 13.77 billion years ago to try to understand the origin of hydrogen, the birth of the first hydrogen star (the seed star), its explosion in a supernova, and the repetitive births and explosions of subsequent stars that led eventually to the formation of elements such as carbon and iron and to hydrocarbons in the universe. These are hydrocarbons of inorganic origin.

Then I moved into the micrometer scale of human cells and to top research informing us that we are very close to chimpanzees, and a very persuasive discussion about evolution that I agree with. The book of Genesis tells us that God created man and woman in the sixth day, and that he formed man in the seventh day of the dust of the earth and woman of the rib of man. At first glance all of this seems contradictory, but it is not. This book shows that available science supports Genesis' seven days very well. They do not contradict each other.

Read an Excerpt

Following Monsignor Georges Lemaître’s mathematical demonstration showing that the universe has expanded since the Big Bang, many scientists have produced data from the Hubble telescope corroborating the expansion. The observations by Hubble in 1929, proving galaxies are moving away from the earth at speeds proportional to their distance, has traditionally been known as Hubble law.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted in 2018 to recommend amending the name from Hubble law to the Hubble-Lemaître law, and in fact, this is how it is called now by the IAU. This is a recognition of the contributions of both Hubble and Monsignor Lemaître to the development of modern cosmology. The amendment recommendation stemmed from the fact Lemaître was the first to come up with the idea of an expanding universe in 1927, previous to Hubble’s contributions in 1929. Although Lemaître was first, his ideas received little attention at the time.

The galaxies outside of our solar system are moving away from us. One theory indicates that the farthest the galaxies are away from us, the faster they move (Library of Congress, 2019). Another theory based on data collected by the Planck satellite indicates that the cosmos is expanding at a slightly slower rate than was thought, making the universe around 13.82 billion years old rather than the 13.77 billion years formerly given for the age of the universe (Siegel, 2018). For the purpose of this book there is a slight difference.

About the Author: Roberto Aguilera is professor of petroleum engineering at the University of Calgary (Canada) and president of Servipetrol Ltd. He specializes in the evaluation of naturally fractured, tight and shale petroleum reservoirs worldwide. He has authored and co-authored six books dealing with petroleum engineering subjects and over 300 technical papers. He has rendered training and/or consulting services in over 40 countries worldwide. This is his first book linking God, His creation, and the benefits of petroleum to humanity while debunking alarming claims about its use.

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1779622619
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/475304.Roberto_Aguilera

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Book Blast: The Art Online Dating

 

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Fleur Lamot will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A step-by-step guide to navigating dating and finding love on the World Wide Web, written by someone with firsthand experience on the topic, and who has also tested the theory on a number of case studies and through research. Authored from a female perspective, directed to a female audience, although potentially an eye opening and helpful read for a male reader too.

This book is not about making you a better person, nor is it a self help book. It is about changing your mindset when embarking on singledom and internet dating to not fear it, by equipping you with the understanding of people's actions and motives.

Throughout the book you will be guided in setting up your online profile, picking your match, the all important art and the do's and don'ts through every step of courting someone, all the way to going forward with your ultimate love match!

Reading this book will bring you confidence and or at least clarity. It will make you think about your past experiences and open your eyes to see where they may have gone wrong, and more importantly to ensure the same mistakes don't happen to you on future experiences.

Read an Excerpt

Long gone are the days of meeting a potential partner in a bar or at a music festival or at parties. You might be lucky enough to do so, but as time goes on and you get older, or as you and your potentials rely more on technology to meet someone, or as you lose the skills to do so by becoming accustomed to technology, the chances are getting thinner. There will be fewer parties with fewer single people, or there will be more awkward interactions at these parties, or your friends will grow old and become tired of attending music festivals and going to bars. Also, let’s face it: as we get older, the music at venues become too loud and we simply just want to have a good conversation, good food, and good wine which brings on more occasions like dinner events and dinner parties. These are the least likely type of events to meet someone, unless you are lucky enough to be set up by a mutual friend.

So, you might find yourself single and at a loss. Maybe it simply might be that all your friends are in relationships and you have no one to go out with. This is where online dating comes into play. Online dating has such a bad stigma, but if you look at it at another way, whilst your friends are becoming old and boring or are in relationships and/or just don’t want to go out anymore for whatever reason, you have an infinite number of potential new people to meet and play with who are in the exact same boat as you.

About the Author: I successfully found love online using historical principles, understanding people's motives and actions, listening to the right people, as well as trusting my own instincts. I am now married and a mother. I am a business woman with a very successful business, built from extensive networking and relationship management experience. I have received professional mentoring and coaching, which has helped me achieve all of this.

INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/fleurlamot
AMAZON.COM: https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-Online-Dating-Fleur-Lamot/dp/0228867509
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Cover Reveal: How to React When Woken at 3am by Drunk Argentinian Backpackers While Staying in a Youth Hostel

GENRE:

Non-Fiction Humorous Memoir 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 BLURB:

Book 4 of an original and hilarious book series of travel misadventures and dubious personal

introspection by Australian author Simon Yeats, who from an early age learned that the best

way to approach the misfortunes of this world is to laugh about them.

Simon shares his comedic insights into the unusual and uproarious elements of living life as an

Aussie ex-pat and having a sense of Wanderlust as pervasive as COVID hysteria in the early

part of this decade.

From how to negotiate traffic in Los Angeles when your car can only drive at 5 miles/hr, to what

to do when locked out of your hotel room in your underwear, to the emotions of attempting the

world’s second highest bungee when you have a pathological fear of heights, to how to deal

with the trials and tribulations of staying in a youth hostel with travelers who have no respect for

the other guests.

Simon Yeats has gone into the world and experienced all the out of the ordinary moments for

you to sit back and enjoy the experience without the need to empty your bank account, get

squeezed sitting in a middle airline seat, or deal with border security at the Ukraine/Russia

boundary.

EXCERPT:

I stagger out of bed. I am barely able to stand. It is not the effects of the alcohol in my system,

but the ungodly bodily confusion of being abruptly woken from a rapidly achieved deep sleep.

The decline in physical coordination is no different than pounding six whiskey shots with beer

chasers over a two-hour period and then waking up the next morning with a massive hangover

after passing out in a large coil of rope in the parking lot of a casino.

My mind swirls fretfully with questions. Is it Con? But why would he be pounding on the door if

he has a room key? Was the self-serve burrito from 7-11 that far past its due date that he got

Salmonella and lost his mind?

Was it hotel security coming to notify me they found my wallet on the floor of the front lobby?

Surely they would be more discreet at 1 am than to take to my room door like they were Seal

Team 6 bursting in on Osama bin Laden.

Was it Jack the Ripper?

Of the three possibilities, the final one seemed to be the most probable as I stumbled across my

hotel room in my underpants.

I pull open the door to reveal a completely naked man standing in the hallway outside.

Sweet mother of God!

That was not one of my three options.

Pre-Order

AUTHOR:

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he

has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a

quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen

wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and

being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling

on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were

survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.

Author Page

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GIVEAWAY 

The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Book Blast: One of the Most Expensive, Iconic and Kinetic Maps of Australia in the World

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

 

Dream without fear. When dreams are nourished with faith and actions, dreams bloom into realities.

Jose, a self-taught artist, had no formal training in art, no scholastic qualifications and had very challenging life experiences as an international sailor, chef, watchmaker and stone mason. How can one be multi-skilled and pass international standards without proper educational training?

This book will make you rethink how adversity, grief and loss can cause so much pain, and yet these life challenges can facilitate creativity, and be transformed into gifts and blessings for a meaningful and productive existence.

Get inspired by faith and determination that changed the course of life, and be entertained by the unconventional ways Jose educated and equipped himself with skills to achieve dreams and goals. The one-of-a-kind masterpieces in this book and Jose's life are testimonials that creativity can really transform lives. Miracles do happen, and anyone can manifest miracles if they sincerely believe in themselves and in the intervention of the unseen power of the Supreme Creator.

Read an Excerpt

Creativity means many things to many people, but the most common understanding is that creativity happens when someone creates something unique, new, artistic, beautiful and often valuable, an enhancer to our lives. No doubt, creativity is one great way to win in life’s arena of challenges.

The reality is people have different kinds of creativity, and children can be very creative as they do not know the limitations of their imagination. There are adults, too, who are determined to create what has never been done before, hence perhaps Einstein’s famous quote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there will be to know and understand.”

Jose’s creativity started to manifest when his father encouraged him to make his own toys out of some spare watch parts and other odd pieces he had kept. His school projects were also a great outlet for his growing creativity. Nonetheless, this creative influence almost got lost when he had to deal with his mom’s passing and pursue his own life travelling around the world as a sailor.

About the Authors:

Jose Tugaff Amoloria is a man of multi-talents and skills. He is a professional watchmaker who had mastered most phases of watches: mechanical, automatic, quartz technology and modern watches. He created one-of-a-kind kinetic masterpieces made of collectible time pieces and watch parts, enhanced withmicrolights. He became a chef, and was personally taught a French masterchef's family secret of French liquored ice cream.

Jose mastered stone masonry in record time. His experience in watch repair helped him to gain a feather touch to accomplish his masonry works. He is also an avid martial art practitioner of arnis, a Filipino martial art, and he is also a second-dan black belt in Karate, with a champion's trophy to prove it. With so many other skills and abilities, Jose thanks God for the gifts and talents given to him.

Email: jjamoloria@gmail.com

Lourdes Villena Amoloria is an Amazon international best-selling author for her book Kiss From an Angel: How to Turn Your Grief Into a Gift From Heaven, published in Sydney, Australia, 2014.

Lourdes holds a bachelor's degree in mass communications from La Salle, Bacolod City, Philippines, with a post graduate in counselling from the Australian College of Applied Psychology in Sydney, Australia.

Lourdes is on a mission to help others find the gift behind their grief, help with mental health issues, and live more productive lives with faith, self-responsibility and love in action.



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Cover Reveal: The Script is Not Enough

This post is part of a Cover Reveal organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn commenter will win a $10 Amazon gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Script is not Enough takes a unique look at the making of four different independent feature films. The author takes you through every stage in development from writing, to financing, and to distribution and marketing. Find out how you can learn from the hard experiences and challenges that face the filmmaker along the way.

About the Author:

Jamison LoCascio is an award-winning feature film director. In 2012, Jamison LoCascio began to write the screenplay for his first union short, "Midnight Catch," which garnished much acclaim at the New Jersey International Film Festival and Manhattan Film Festival. LoCascio decided to form his production company, Halcyon Valor Productions Incorporated. Graduated from Montclair State University with honors winning the “Excellence in Filmmaking” award for his numerous successful productions which premiered in film festivals around the world. LoCasio's short films have since been honored by the Screen Actors Guild and screened at such festivals as the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival, and NewFilmmakers New York. LoCascio's shorts "Track 3," "A Stranger's Confession," and "Powerless" were all official selections of the Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner. His films have been anthologized in the prestigious Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan, distributed worldwide on DVD, picked up for online distribution by Film Bay. DIRECTV & AT&T distributed 6 of LoCascio's short films on their new International short film platform. LoCascio's first feature film, "The Depths," starring Michael Rispoli and Patch Darragh won Best Feature Film at the 2017 Manhattan Film Festival and had a strong critical reception. The film also won Best Feature Film and Best Director at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Awards and received domestic distribution with Sony Pictures and The Orchard releasing on all major platforms including Amazon, Itunes, DVD and more. LoCascio's second feature film "Sunset" starring acclaimed actor Austin Pendleton received rave reviews and won multiple awards including Best Dramatic Feature Film at the 2018 Manhattan Film Festival, Best Ensemble at the 2018 Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Leading Actor (David Johnson) International Independent Film Awards. "Sunset" also received domestic distribution with Sony Pictures and The Orchard. LoCascio and Adam Ambrosio have recently launched their latest initiative by filmmakers for filmmakers called Film Valor, a youtube channel with over 3,000 worldwide followers and over 250,000 views, a behind the scenes look at their filmmaking process. "Know Fear," his latest feature film, received critical acclaim and stars Amy Carlson. The film had a limited theatrical release. His next feature film "How Dark They Prey," a unique horror anthology, has been released on major streaming platforms including Amazon Prime, Tubi, Plex, Udu, Mometu and many more with critics hailing the film as "Horror at its best". His latest feature film release “7x7” is a collection of many of LoCascio’s award-winning short films brought together for one viewing experience on major platforms including Tubi and Amazon Prime.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com /channel/UCYMpC0IdUggTr1xMMEqsCPw
Twitter: https://twitter.com/filmvalor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filmvalor/
Website: https://jamisonmlocascio.wixsite.com/mysite
Jamison LoCascio’s Social Media Links: https://linktr.ee/filmvalor

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Book Blast: Signed

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Tim Burris will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

It's time to get serious and start preparing to take your football talents to the next level. But understanding the multiple recruiting pathways and signing to a postsecondary football program can be challenging. Don't worry, though . . . Coach Burris of IRONWILL Football will help guide you through the recruiting process.

Signed is a guide for Canadian football players in Grades 9 to 12 who aspire to play post-secondary football. Coach Burris gives you the football recruiting blueprint so you can make informed recruiting decisions for your future.

With a dedicated chapter for parents, Signed breaks down everything you need to begin your journey toward the U Sports, NCAA, Junior football, CEGEP, and Junior college.

Read an Excerpt

Canadian prep high school

Another option that is becoming popular for high school players is attending a Canadian prep high school. You might be asking yourself, “What is a prep school?” Well, it’s a high school football program that focuses on preparing student athletes academically and athletically to Setting the Tone 10 play at the NCAA or U Sports level. In addition, prep high school helps the student athlete prepare to write the SAT, and to achieve the academic entrance requirements to attend an NCAA and/or U Sports program.

The reason Canadian players are starting to play at prep high schools is that games are played against American high schools. This provides a lot of exposure opportunities and the chance to play at a higher level of high school competition.

High school prep schools play good competition and that’s what the US college coaches look for when it comes to Canadian kids. They don’t know if they can play American ball. So that gives them a platform, for real.
~Justin Sambu
University of Maine
Canadian Prep School Alumni

What you need to know

• There are fees involved in attending Canadian prep high school.
• If you will live out of your home province, you will need to find room and board unless the school has arrangements.
• You will require a passport to tBenefits of a Canadian prep high school

The following are potential benefits of prep high school, depending on what type of high school football experience you want:

1. Academic learning in a small-class setting
2. The opportunity to play against American high school teams
3. Increased exposure, because games are played in the United States against American high school football teams
4. The opportunity to gain experience playing American rules football
5. Opportunities for NCAA scholarships or U Sports offers

About the Author:

Coach Tim Burris is a former U Sports student athlete and is a Vanier Cup Champion. He has coached at the U Sports level and has over a decade of coaching experience ranging from bantam level to the university level. Coach Tim Burris has worked with more than a thousand players across Canada. He also had the honor of coaching on the Alberta U18 Team for three years, in addition to running his football performance camps and defensive line academy program.
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Book Blast: The Adventures of a Southern (Baptist) Buddhist

 GENRE: Non-Fiction, Autobiography

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB:

This true story is about a girl who is born up north; into a conservative, 

fundamentalist/evangelical family—but then becomes a Liberal Buddhist.

Her family moves back to their roots in the Appalachian south, where Pam is molested by her 

grandfather. She later owns her sexuality by becoming promiscuous; beginning a pattern of 

serial dating, marrying, and divorcing.

She is first married at 18 to another 18-year-old, who gives her a beautiful son—but he is a 

redneck and they have nothing else in common. Her second husband is a talented musician but 

turns out to like sex with men. Her third husband speaks five languages and is a Pakistani, but 

he beats her up. Her fourth husband is a chef who makes delicious meals but turns out to be a 

felon and a crackhead. Finally, the love of her life neglects to tell Pam for seven years that he is 

married.

In the meantime, Pam completes two degrees and works as a counselor, and then 20 years as 

a hospice social worker. She begins her hospice career in Southern California, where she has 

moved to get away from the DEEP South. That is where she converts to Buddhism. From that 

point, she begins to look inward for the answers to her questions about life’s meaning. 

Pam leaves the country after two failed relationships, some years apart. She spends a year 

teaching English in South Korea and goes from there to Pakistan with her third husband. In 

between, her dad dies and Pam reconnects and bonds with her mom, backpacking on the 

Appalachian Trail. When she leaves the love of her life, she goes on Pilgrimage to India and 

Nepal. The meaning of her life is coming into focus.

At the end of the book, Pam goes on a trek in the Himalayas, on the Annapurna Circuit. Just 

over the three-mile high pass is a magical Pure Land in Muktinath, with a Buddhist temple that 

is dedicated to the female Buddha Vajrayogini. With a new perspective, Pam has the realization 

that her Enlightenment is ensured; she WILL become a Buddha someday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

I was born on a Sunday and attended my first (of many) church services that Wednesday. My

first memory was gazing up at a bright globe of light, mesmerized. It was a church light and I

was a babe in mom’s arms.

At the end of many sermons, our beloved pastor would give an altar call. Many would go down

to the altar (a bench that one knelt before and prayed). I remember it sounded like a loud

beehive: the sounds of many praying out loud; crying, shouting and whispering all over the

church.

I would look around, noting the distress and fervor on the parishioner’s faces. At that point, no

one was paying any attention to us kids. It seemed endless. Toward the end, someone might

‘feel the spirit’ and start jumping around or even running up and down the aisles, shouting

joyfully:

“Hallelujah!”

“Thank you, Jesus!”

After that, folks would be called to stand up and testify about what God had done for them.

The standard testimony for us kids was:

“I love Jesus with all my heart and I want to go all the way with him.”

We were ‘saved’ after confessing our sins and letting Jesus into our hearts as our Savior.

There was another, higher level, called being ‘sanctified.’ That was when the Holy Spirit entered

you. I was saved at about five years old; sanctified at about nine. I felt full of the love of Jesus

and began reading The Bible and praying.

Pamela McConnell, MSW, LCSW was raised in a fundamentalist/ evangelical Christian church

and family. At age 34 she converted formally to Buddhism. She has recently completed a

Pilgrimage in India and Nepal. Earlier, she spent two years in Asia: a year teaching English in S. Korea and a year in Pakistan with her 3rd husband. She worked as a counselor after earning a

B.S. in Psychology. She worked as a hospice social worker for the last 20 years of her career

after earning an MSW degree and becoming licensed as an LCSW. She is an avid backpacker 

and trekker, having done 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail and more than half of the 

Annapurna Circuit in the Himalayas. 

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Excerpt Tour: Light, Dark, and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

 GENRE: Non-Fiction (SCIENCE / Physics)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB:

Since the dawn of time, electromagnetic energy has permeated through the universe,

surrounding and interacting with everything it touches, illuminating, destroying and giving life.

The colourful section of the electromagnetic spectrum we see in the form of visible light,

rainbows and other phenomena is tiny when compared to its vast entirety. Using many parts of

the electromagnetic spectrum have become common everyday occurrence for the majority of

people on Earth, as it's been integrated into our lives in ways that we don't even think twice

about it.

This book illuminates many parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and its effects, the endless

ways we have harnessed its energy, and how we interact and live with its influence.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

EXCERPT:

Fireworks

Everyone loves fireworks, but how do they produce light and colour? Whether the fireworks are

ground operating or aerial shells propelled into the air before they explode, the colours are

generally made with the same chemicals and compounds.

The first fireworks come from ancient times at approximately 200 B.C. with the outer casing

made from bamboo. They have changed and evolved over thousands of years to what they are

today with many different shapes and colours.

The Colours of Fireworks

Colours from fireworks are formed by either incandescence or luminescence. Incandescent light

is produced when a substance is heated so much that it begins to glow. The exact temperature

can be adjusted to create differently coloured light from the same material.

The light is produced from electrons inside atoms. The electrons absorb energy from heat,

moving them to an excited state. The electrons, wanting to return to their original lower-energy

state, release coloured photons (light), corresponding to the chemical or metal the atoms are

made from.

Listed below are some of the common metals and chemicals associated with the creation of

coloured light in fireworks manufacture.

White – magnesium, aluminium, titanium

Gold – incandescence of iron (with carbon), charcoal, or lampblack Silver – extremely hot

magnesium and aluminium

Red – strontium salts, lithium salts, lithium carbonate (Li2 C03) Bright Red – strontium

carbonate (SrC03)

Orange – calcium salts, calcium chloride (CaCI2)

Yellow – sodium salts, sodium chloride (NaCI)

Green – barium chloride (BaCI2)

Blue – copper chloride (CuCI)

Purple – strontium and copper mix

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scott's passion for light and the electromagnetic spectrum began in his early teens while

tinkering with electronics as a hobby. He was formally introduced to the lighting industry while

studying Electrical and Electronics in Sydney, Australia, and in 1998 he started his career

making custom light fittings and lamps in his dad's garage. Formal lighting design qualifications

expanded his opportunity to help project-manage and design on many industry levels.

Twenty-two years on, and Scott has worked on many major infrastructure, commercial and

architectural lighting projects. He is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of

Australia & New Zealand, the Colour Society of Australia, the International Dark Sky Association

and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

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Book Blast: The Rise of the Last Beast Kingdom

The Rise of the Last Beast Kingdom - the Reason for Capitalism

by Loves GOD

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 GENRE: Non-Fiction

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB:

Enslaved by a system of its own creation, humankind desperately seeks to free itself from the 

Beast. Lacking the knowledge, having refused the truth, all hope is gone…or is it?

Examining our history from creation to the present, this book provides insight as to why we are 

where we are today. Using the Hebrew Scriptures as its guide, we are taken from the cause of 

our plight to the ultimate ending. Although the Hebrew Scriptures are used, this is not a book 

supporting any major religion. There are only a few people in the world today who actually follow 

and obey the WORD of God – YeHoVaH. Most of the world follows man made religious 

practices. This book explains how this came about and how the present day systems evolved. 

This book provides a means for hope for the world, something surely needed now and 

especially in the coming days.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Excerpt

The failure of man to trust and obey the Commands of YeHoVaH resulted in the first of mankind

being corrupt and filled with violence. To end this corruption, YeHoVaH flooded the entire world.

Genesis 6:17-22 “Then I myself will bring the flood of

water over the earth to destroy from under heaven every

living thing that breathes; everything on earth will be

destroyed. But I will establish My covenant with you; you

will come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife and your

sons’ wives with you. “From everything living, from each

kind of living being, you are to bring two into the ark, to

keep them alive with you; they are to be male and

female. Of each kind of bird, each kind of livestock, and

each kind of animal creeping on the ground, two are to

come to you, so that they can be kept alive. Also take from

all the kinds of food that are eaten, and collect it for

yourself; it is to be food for you and for them.” This is what

Noah did; he did all that God ordered him to do.”

And after Noah obeyed YeHoVaH and built the Ark and the animals were on it, the Flood came.

Author Bio:

As a child in elementary school, only attending church on Easter, the author did not feel strange

when getting down on their knees and praying to GOD. Entering high school, the pull to

understand GOD became greater and greater. A study of various religious books began - the

Bible, Islam, eastern religions and thoughts were all examined. After reading the Hebrew Bible

and particularly Isaiah 56:7

“I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt

offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of

prayer for all peoples.”

The author determined that the GOD of the Hebrew Bible was in fact GOD. The author then

began following the Hebrew traditions.

After earning an undergraduate degree from an Ivy League University and a law degree, the

author began a successful law practice, joining the ranks of the millionaire’s club while living in

Brentwood, CA near Beverly Hills. Life continued with marriage by a Rabbi and a family - until

disaster hit. Business fell apart and bankruptcy left the author with nothing except faith in GOD

which continued. A period of moving back and forth across the USA, 6 times in 8 years, finally

resulted in settlement in the eastern USA. Upon finally deciding to stay in the east, one last trip

was needed to the west by the author. During this trip, GOD brought an understanding to the

author which changed everything and led to the writing of this book.

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Giveaway

Book Blast: The Democratization of the Private Market

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Carine Schneider will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Facebook, Uber, Robinhood: all were private companies at some point. Historically, there has been no way for investors to easily buy and sell shares in private companies. With the introduction of blockchain technology, digital securities, and decentralized financial solutions, the ability to grow the private market is on the horizon. Regulators around the world are rushing to catch up and understand how to protect investors who want to participate in this market. This book reviews the regulatory, technical, and societal challenges to open this asset class to more investors in the future.

Read an Excerpt

Currently, US residents who want to invest in the private market need to have a certain net worth to participate. Under the cover of this exclusive private club is access to investment opportunities, supporting innovation, and extreme risk. As the private market has grown, the types of investment instruments and the complexity of the investment structure has increased significantly. Unlike investing in the public market, investing in private ventures can be complicated and requires an understanding ofsecurities law, tax strategy, and, in many cases, future technology that can only be envisioned by innovative entrepreneurs. The key characteristics of the private market are: • Less company regulation • Limited public reporting requirements, especially for smaller companies • A lack of information symmetry • Only investment professionals, or the ultra-wealthy, can invest (accredited investors) With the changes in technology solutions, the advent of new financial solutions, and a change in the way some founders approach building their companies, these characteristics may change as the private market grows. Dan Gallagher, General Counsel of Robinhood and a former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner, describes the private market as “a vibrant ecosystem.” Capital is key to growth in a private company, and it can come from various sources — professional individual investors (sometimes called “angel investors”), venture capital firms (VC firms), friends and family, and crowdfunding campaigns. Private equity (PE) is sometimes confused with private company investment. PE firms tend to acquire mature companies and recapitalize and re-organize their targets. PE firms generally aren’t looking to make individual investments alongside other investors. For the purposes of this book, we will mostly focus on non-PE owned companies, although we do discuss liquidity in PE funds. The private market is attractive because investors in privately held companies hope to quickly increase the company’s value, then sell their stakes later through a buyout, trade sale, recapitalization, or listing on a public market via initial public offerings (IPOs).

About the Author:

Carine Schneider, FGE (Fellow of Global Equity) is an experienced and well-connected leader in the private market and global compensation industry with deep experience working in consulting, technology, and financial services. She is the President of AST Private Company Solutions (AST PCS). She was named one of the 100 Influential Women in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley Business Journal and one of 17 “Women to Watch” in 2017 by Brown Brothers Harriman Center on Women and Wealth. Carine was formerly the President, Nasdaq Private Market and has been the founder and CEO of Global Shares, CEO of Certent, and Partner at PwC. She has also held senior level positions at Morgan Stanley and Willis Towers Watson. She was the founding Executive Director of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP) and founded the nonprofit Global Equity Organization (GEO) where she is now Chair Emeritus, after serving as Chair for eighteen years. She 103 started her career as Manager of Shareholder Relations at Oracle Corporation where she assisted in the IPO. Ms. Schneider was born in The Netherlands and received her degree in psychology and sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is a frequent speaker at conferences around the world, including at President Obama’s 2016 Global Entrepreneurial Summit, and has authored various articles and chapters in industry publications. She currently serves as a member of the Board of ProfessionalBusiness Women of California (PBWC). In 2019, she received the UK ProShare Award for Service to Employee Share Ownership.

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