U is for Unwritten

Sometimes life seems to spin round and round, and hardly have my toes touched the ground, it takes off again.

Ever woken up and felt as if everything seemed to be repeating itself like the previous days, months, or years before? Feel as if you neither moving forward not back, always standing in the same place, sinking, sinking into the quicksand called life?

Yep. I felt that way today. Sort of like that movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. Alarm went off, woke up, zombie-shuffled into the bathroom, took a shower, drank my tea and dashed out of the door to catch my bus at 6am. Yesterday was the same, and the day before, and the day before (I'm really glad I have some off days coming up..phew. :D)

Anyway, once I plugged my earphones in my ears, and pressed a song from my mobile and relaxed, I realised it was one of my favourite songs. And I haven't listened to in a while: Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. Not only are the lyrics uplifting, she has a fantastic voice.

Later on I thought  about my morning. Every morning I get the gift of waking up, watch the sun rise (or the drizzling rain). What I choose to do about my day, is up to me. I have the ability to decide if it will be as boring or consuming as the previous one. Open a blank page, write. No one else can write it for me. With that I'd like to share Natasha's song from Youtube. Hope it brightens your day. :)




Ever felt as if you are having Groundhog Day? What do you think about 'writing the unwritten'?

T is for Tsavo

In mood for a safari? Tsavo National Park is the place to be.

Tsavo National Park is Kenya's largest parks. It is divided into Tsavo East and Tsavo West. The difference between these two is the terrain. Tsavo West has more hills and mountains than East. This park is managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). The climate is warm and dry, ideal for any safari fan. Tsavo East is patrolled by large herds of elephants. The largest lava flow in the world, about 300 kilometres in length can be found in this area. There is an abundance of lodges and camps, whichever one prefers.

From 1996 to 2001, I worked in one of the most beautiful lodges in I have even been to and seen. Salt Lick Lodge in the Tsavo West. At that time they were owned by Hilton Hotels, but now belong to Sarova Hotels.  This beautifully built lodge is divided into two wings. A bridge connects the two. The restaurant and reception are at the centre.

The area around the Salt Lick Lodge is not fenced in, so the wildlife strolls by and during the dry season, come in search of water. (There is a water hole at the front)



The other attraction is, watching the sun rise while flying inside a hot air balloon. This was one of the best experiences ever for me.  It gives one a whole new dimension of game viewing, as well as this exhilirating feeling that I can't just describe.

Man Eaters of Tsavo (The scary and dangerous times)

Written by Colonel JH Patterson, it is a true story and tells of when he was in charge of building a bridge for the Uganda Railway over the Tsavo river in 1898. During the night some of his workers were continually being dragged from their tents and then killed by to large male lions. After some time the workers started to believe that because the lions were so fearless, it was actually the Devil in the shape of a lion that was doing this.

In December 1898, after the death toll had risen to 28 Indian workers and a large number of locals, work on the bridge was brought to a halt, until the lions had been shot. After many nights of waiting, Colonel Patterson did eventually kill the lions, which are now on display in the Chicago Natural History Museum in the USA.Source

Author Interview with T. Michelle Nelson

Today I have the pleasure of hanging out with another talented Inkspeller, T. Michelle Nelson, on my blog. Welcome, T. So glad you are here, it being Sunday and all. :)


CeCe: Please tell us your name

Michelle: T. Michelle Nelson

CeCe: Please tell us about your book. When will it be released and by which publisher

Michelle:.The Life and Death of Lily Drake will be coming out in August and is published by Inkspell Publishing. It is the story of a single mom, Lily Drake, who is your everyday hard-working single mom…until a gorgeous vampire shows up on her front door who she mistakenly assumes is her blind date for the evening. As one crazy scenario after another unfolds, she finds herself falling in love with two vampires, slaying the evil ones, and being prophesied as the savior of the entire undead race.

The Life and Death of Lily Drake is not your typical vampire love story. It’s a tale about the humorous mistakes a woman makes simply trying to survive not only life, but the dating scene. How will Lily manage working full-time, taking care of her young son and fighting the undead at every turn? Lily will have to figure it out, but who better to save the world than a mom?

CeCe: Lily Drake sounds like a wonderful character. :) And a mom? I'm all in.What project are you working on?

Michelle: Currently I am working on a sequel to this novel. Several of the original characters will be making appearances. It was too hard to let them go!

CeCe: Oh, I know what you mean. The characters we create are part of us, so hard to let go. :) How much research did you do for this project?

Michelle: The majority of research involved was getting historical facts straight. I love history, but I wouldn’t call myself a history buff. I do well to remember my own birthday! Some of my vampires are very old, so I had to get dates and time periods correct.

CeCe: Oh, I do love a story with some Vamps in it. And it sounds like a blast. How did you come up with the story idea?

Michelle: Actually, it started as a dream then it gradually developed into the story it is now. Lily Drake is a little bit of me, and a little bit of who I’d like to be, and has traits like some of my best friends. It was really important to me to write a story that of course, was fantasy, but had a realistic main character that was relatable.
CeCe: Which genre is the book?

Michelle: I’d call it a paranormal romance for lack of a better term.

CeCe: Which genres do you enjoy reading and writing?

Michelle: I enjoy reading almost everything short of instruction manuals. I’m a “wing-it” kind of gal! But as far as writing, I don’t necessarily mean to write romance, it just happens… and it always does!

CeCe: Where can readers and fans find you - online that is?

Michelle: Website is coming soon, and I’m on facebook and twitter under T. Michelle Nelson.


 Definitely looking foward to The Life and Death of Lily Drake in August . Thanks for the interview, T. Have a wonderful Sunday!

S is for Schönnbrunn (Schoenbrunn Palace, Vienna)

Schönnbrunn (Schönnbrunn means, 'beautiful spring') Palace is one of the most beautiful and historical sites to visit in Vienna. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens, fountains, statues and mazes, which illustrate the interests and tastes of the Habsburg Monarchy. 

Palace

At the end of the 17th century Emperor Leopold I commissioned the gifted Baroque architect Bernhard Fischer von Erlach to built a palatial hunting lodge for the heir to the throne. On the site of the old imperial château de plaisance a splendid edifice was to arise.

Half a century later under Maria Theresa Schönbrunn Palace was to become the magnificent focus of court life. From that time onwards it played host to the leading statesmen of Europe. Although Austria is now a republic, Schönbrunn has remained a place of political encounter at the highest level.

The magnificent architecture and the exquisite décor of its state rooms marks Schönbrunn out as a cultural treasure and tourist attraction of the first order.
Who owns the palace?

In the possession of the Habsburg dynasty since Maximilian II, the palace passed to the ownership of the Republic of Austria at the end of the monarchy in 1918. source

The History of Schönnbrunn is quite extensive, and goes way back to the beginning of 14th century. Click HERE for more info.

The Palm House which is located in the the Schönbrunn gardens. It hosts mediterreanean, tropical and subtropical plants.

Emperor Franz Joseph commissioned the construction of the Palm House in 1882. Architect Franz Segenschmid had his hands full: with a length of 111 meters, 2,500 square meters in area and 4,900 square meters of glass, it is the largest Palm House on the European continent. 45,000 glass panes were installed.

The Palm House is divided into three pavilions and three climate zones, which are connected to each other by tunnel-like corridors. The tallest room exhibits plants from the Mediterranean region, the Canary Islands, South Africa, America and Australia. The northern room houses plants from China, Japan, the Himalayas and New Zealand. Tropical and subtropical plants grow in the third area. Plants on display in the Palm House include a23 meter-tall palm and in spring/summer the largest water lily in the world (with a leaf diameter of 1.20 meters). Temperatures range between 8 and 17 degrees Celsius. Source

Sunshine Blog Award

A week ago, I received the Sunshine blog award from Martina, a good friend and blogger. Sorry Tina, took me this long to post.

Here are the rules…
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1. Include the award logo in your post or on your blog

2. Answer 10 questions about yourself – You can made up your own or you can use mine

3. Nominate 5 – 10 other wonderful bloggers

4. Let the other nominees know they are nominated and include links to their blog

5. Link the person who nominated you

I'll go ahead and use your Qs. :)

1. What book are you currently reading?

I'm reading two books.  The first one is Deadly Pleasures by Mary Firmin and the second on is Destined by Jessie Harrell.
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2. Vampires or werewolves?

 No Dragons? I love dragons!
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3. How many books have you read so far this year

I'd say about 10. I'm the slowest of readers.

4. Who is your favourite character in a book you’ve read?

I have a few of those. I loved Dhiren from Tiger's Curse, loved Barron from Fever Series, Clay from Whitney, My Love..
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5. Heels, sneakers, flip flops or clogs?

Sneakers

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6. What’s your dream vacation?

Cruise ship. And I look forward to fulfilling that dream in August. :D

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7. Who is your favourite author?

Nalini Singh, Karen Marie Moning, Casandra Clare, Judith McNaught, Terry Pratchett


8. Favourite book/series?

The Highlander Series, Fever Series, Mortal Insturments, 

9. Tea or Coffee?

Tea.

10. What are you doing in your sparetime (besides reading)?

My day job, Spend time with my kids, knitting, (when I can), cleanining, laundry, napping (Oh I love this one) hang out with friends, watch tv.... 

So, here are my nominations.

Shadow of The Witte Wieven Release Day + Giveaway

Book Title: Shadow of the Witte Wieven 

Author: Debbie Peterson 

Genre: Paranormal Romance 

Publisher: InkSpell Publishing 

Publication Date: April 21st 2012 

Format: eBook, Kindle, Paperback

Book Synopsis:

Despite a contract on her head, lone Drug Enforcement Agent, Aliyana Montijo must ferret out a mole and stop the assassination of top DEA officials, as so ordered by the Colombian drug lord she seeks to take down. The task is a daunting one, for there is no one she can trust. No one that is, until she encounters a most unlikely ally.

Former seventeenth century captain of the Dutch West Indies Company, Wolfaert Dircksen Van Ness, now from a parallel dimension, encounters the beautiful agent during an unearthly storm in the Bermuda triangle. Drawn to the Spanish beauty he rescues, he pledges his assistance, despite her reluctance to accept either his help or his heart.

Can Wolf bridge both space and time to claim the woman he loves?

Purchase the book:

From the Publisher: http://www.inkspellpublishing.com/4/post/2012/01/shadow-of-the-witte-wieven.html

From B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-of-the-witte-wieven-debbie-peterson/1037946827?ean=9780985011536

Giveaway 5 eBook copies Shadow of Witte Wieven

a Rafflecopter giveaway

R is for Rumpelstiltskin

In Grimm Fairy Tales, Rumpelstiltskin is potrayed as the Villain of the story. The story themes revolved around greediness, cunningness as well as lies.

Here is the Plot Summary:

In order to make himself appear more important, a miller lied to a king, telling him that his daughter could spin straw into gold. The king called for the girl, shut her in a tower room with straw and a spinning wheel, and demanded that she spin the straw into gold by morning, for three nights, or be executed (other versions have the king threatening to lock her up in a dungeon forever). She had given up all hope, when an impish creature appeared in the room and spun straw into gold for her in return for her necklace, then again the following night for her ring. On the third night, when she had nothing with which to reward him, the strange creature spun straw into gold for a promise that the girl's first-born child would become his.

The king was so impressed that he married the miller's daughter, but when their first child was born, the imp returned to claim his payment: "Now give me what you promised." The queen was frightened and offered him all the wealth she had if she could keep the child. The imp refused but finally agreed to give up his claim to the child if the queen could guess his name in three days. At first she failed, but before the final night, her messenger discovered the imp's remote mountain cottage and, unseen, overheard the imp hopping about his fire and singing. When the imp came to the queen on the third day and she revealed his name, Rumpelstiltskin lost his bargain. Source

According to Grimm tales, the story ends with Rumpestiltskin, in a state of rage, stamped his foot on the floor until it sank to his waist and used both his hands to pull it out. Then made his way off, while the nurse laughed and the court jeered.

Lessons learned:

Boasting leads to only more problems.

Greediness is a sin.

Being cunning and greedy isn't a very good combination.

After rereading the story a few more times, I began to analyse it. Was Rumpel the only Villain in the story? mmm I don't think so. Maybe he was just a businessman -imp - going about his usual business, being his usual cunning self and providing services expecting payment in return. What about the greedy king? What do you think?