The book introduces the reader to some unique animals. I am always open to learning new things and reading, Still More Animals, introduced me to many new animals. One in particular is the Cassowary bird. The Cassowary is one of the largest flightless birds in the world second to the ostrich. All authors must find a way to market and brand themselves.

Carnita Groves’ use of humor is an ingenious and effective way to write about a topic that most people find boring. The author’s humor drew me in right away. I absolutely love the section about the Kiwi bird. I never knew such a bird existed.

“Oh sure! Kiwis are delicious as fruit, but once they hatch and become mammals — turns out they are not so tasty. And fruit smoothies? Forget about it! Just try cleaning fur out of a blender. Just leave these little guys be and let them roam the farmyard, barns, cow pens, and wherever in the world it is they roam. They are totally harmless. Gently pet them now and again, while humming a lovely tune.”

I plan to read all of Carnita Groves’ books. Her writing style is very refreshing. Therefore, if you like learning about animals and want to get entertained at the same time, I recommend you purchase a copy.

Article tags animal lovers • animals • Carnita Groves • farmer

After reading Jan Haas’ book, Moving Mountains: One Woman’s Fight to Live Again, I am even more convinced God has us go through many hardships for a specific purpose. We all encounter challenges in life. In the case of Jan, she faced death and by prayers from her community, church and loved ones, her story of tragedy became one of triumph.

We are not promised to have a perfect human experience, but when tragedy strikes, we must find the strength to move forward. Jan became deadly ill with invasive strep A infection, which should have killed her after giving birth to her third child. Her story re-affirmed that God is good and he is willing to answer our prayers even when we are too weak to pray for ourselves.

Personally, I have never crossed paths with death, but my daughter and youngest son did. Like Jan, the only alternative is to let others help you embrace the pain through prayers. Lucky for my children and me I had an army of people praying and through their intercessions, both my daughter and son survived the storm of death.

Jan Haas’ story is a great reminder that though we may not fully understand God’s motives, but he is always willing to turn us from victims to victors. The one thing that resonates well with me is Jan’s attitude of gratitude. Yes! Instead of being bitter, she embraces life.

So, if you find yourself needing inspiration to remove the mountains of trouble you might be facing, I encourage you grab a copy of Jan Haas’ book. Her prose will alter your heart forever and leave you feeling hopeful and grateful.

Article first published as Book Review: Moving Mountains by Jan Haas on Blogcritics.

Can you tell our readers about your background? What led you to become a producer?

I’m originally from Washington, D.C. I received a BFA in Dramatic Writing from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and an MFA in Directing for Theater, Video and Cinema from California Institute of the Arts.

My background is more in the creative realm than producing. I’ve taken the role of Producer to get my work produced and will gladly relinquish it to someone else as we progress. It’s been a great learning experience – laying a foundation for the production. At CalArts, we were required to take classes in all disciplines, not just directing. We had acting and cinematography classes. As a director, you need to speak the language when explaining your vision. Therefore, it’s helpful to know what your producer is facing when planing production.

I understand you have also written music.

For a period of time, I really got into producing music at home. Into the wee hours, I would use music samples to create songs and even did vocals. It was another creative outlet – one that I had only scratched the surface of previously. This led to me shooting a couple of music videos.

Have you won any awards?

I was nominated for a Grammy for Best Long Form Video. I directed a music video, “Melinda,” that was featured on a video album, Where’d You Hide the Body, by singer James McMurtry. The video is available on iTunes. I attended the Grammys. It was sort of surreal and definitely a high point in my career.

What is the inspiration behind the webseries Bennington Gothique? What is the series about?

I’ve always been a horror fan, especially old school horror like the films produced by the Hammer Studios in England. I’ve also been a fan of daytime dramas like Edge of Night and Guiding Light. When the original Dark Shadows series premiered, I was quite young, but knew I loved the series. That adoration has always stayed with me. I knew that I wanted to do a series that combined horror/suspense with romance as Dark Shadows did, but with a modern sensibility and my own voice.Bennington Gothique is centered around Bennington House, an exclusive boarding school for girls. Angela Wentworth has learned that she is adopted and the answer to her parentage lies at Bennington House. She enrolls and encounters mean girls, cute boys (there is an all-male prep school nearby), ghosts, witches and vampires.

Can you tell us why many producers are filming webseries? What do you hope to accomplish with the series? Are you hoping a major network will pick it up?

I think producers are attracted to webseries because of the control that you have every step of the way. It’s usually a group of creative friends who want to work unencumbered by the studio system to create their vision. Also, your audience potential for the web is huge. Ultimately, for me, it’s about entertaining people and storytelling. The greatest compliment an artist can receive is someone giving their opinion, whether positive or negative, about their work. It means that person took time to think about your work. If a major network came caling, that would be fantastic. For now, I’m focused on making Bennington Gothique the best it can be for potential viewers and with the cast and crew that I have assembled it will be.

Do you have a website?

It is still under construction and will launch soon.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview. Good luck!

Article first published as Interview: Bennington Gothique Webseries Producer, Gregory Connor on Blogcritics.

I believe it is a good idea to give teachers ample opportunities to receive feedback on techniques that will enhance learning for all students. However, one must keep in mind not all schools are created equal. Consequently, school districts have a monumental job in figuring how they should implement and measure effective teaching.

Imagine working in a school where most of the students get very little support from home. Is it  fair to assume teachers are not effective because students do not fare well on standardized tests? On the other hand, what happens in a school where students get ample support from home? Research has shown that there is a huge correlation between student achievement and parental support. Even though, it is a great idea to measure teacher effectiveness, but we must consider all the facts before moving forward.

There is one more important factor that I think is critical in helping teachers become effective leaders. To set students up for success a teacher can’t do it alone. He or she needs the support of the principal. The principal sets the tone. During my 25 years of teaching, I experienced firsthand what it is like to have a bad principal. Teaching is hard, and it becomes more challenging when you get very little support from administration. A little bit of encouragement from a caring principal goes a long way.

I consider myself very lucky to be working at a high school where there is a lot of parental support. I love Denver South High School, where I currently teach French and Spanish. There are several reasons why I love my new job:

· The principal is a great leader who treats me with the utmost respect
· The parents are very supportive of their children
· The student body is very diverse
· The faculty and staff are very supportive of each other

I have a great amount of respect for Mr. Gates and his dedication to support the Measures of Effective teaching, or MET, project. Go here to find out more about the MET project.

When applied, the advice in the book holds the potential to transform one’s perception of life, thus making it easier to handle life’s curve balls.

On a personal note, reading the book opened my eyes and ushered me through the doors of deliverance and a new way to live life.

Examples of my favorite stress advice:

#41: Are You a “Take Everything Personally” Addict?

As a child, I was verbally abused, and because of it, I suffered many years with low self-esteem issues. Reading section 41 made me realize I have to assume the position of the observer not the reactor. Miller drove her point in a very succinct and easy to understand fashion. In fact, I have a copy of the following lines taken from page 76 of her book engraved in my soul:

“The bottom line; don’t give your power away to any human being. You only feel inferior by your own consent; you can apply this to any emotional response.” 

#42: It’s Not Rejection, It’s Just Direction

February 2012, I lost my teaching position to a less qualified younger teacher. Needless, to say I was devastated. It took me three months to find a new position. What appeared to have been a major blow turned out to be a major blessing. I now teach at a school twenty minutes from my home. More importantly, my principal treats me with the utmost respect and I love working with the diverse student body. As a polyglot who speaks fluent Creole, English, French, and Spanish I feel very lucky to be working at a high school where the students speak sixty different languages.

 Along with the inspirations came many hours of non-stop tears. Can you imagine at the young age of 38 going through a divorce and at the same time fighting for your life? Well, Lauren Miller was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer: Invasive Ductal Carcinoma two weeks prior to her final divorce court date.

The author chronicles her conversations with Jesus before, during, and after her divorce and cancer experience. All women should read Lauren’s book. It is a story about surviving even though the prognosis was very dim. It is a story of hope that will change you from an atheist to a believer. The author skillfully brings the bible to life allowing the reader to enter the experience of believing God when all else fails.

My favorite passage in the book:

Page 194- “What I have learned through this experience is that it has taken cancer to wake me up to the truth that with or without cancer… my life, my breath, the lengths of my days on earth are all ultimately out of my control…now What does this realization lead me to? Freedom! Lord, you are leading me into a freedom to be and to live just as I am, not because of anything I accomplish or achieve or any way I dress or physically look in this world.”

The above passage rings so true to me because we have zero control of how long we all have on this earth. The best you can do is to be thankful for each day. The words in Lauren’s book give hope and encouragement to those seeking refuge from trials that are too much to bear.

If suddenly life decides to throw you some unexpected curb balls, I recommend you read Hearing His Whispers so can you find hope and peace.

For more information on Lauren Miller, please visit her website.

Article first published as Book Review: Hearing his Whispers: A Journey Through Cancer and Divorce by Lauren Miller on Blogcritics.

This quote makes so much sense to me. I began reading Angel’s and Eric’s book with an open mind, even though I am not an official business owner. I am a children’s author and the one thing I need help in is finding ways to brand myself as an expert in the field of foreign language. I was pleasantly surprised with all the real-life advice and tasks anyone wanting to change for the better can do.

For example, in chapter 13, the authors talk about hosting your own workshop. This is, in my opinion, a brilliant idea. As a trilingual children’s author I can see the benefit of hosting a free workshop for parents interested in teaching their children a foreign language. I love this explanation as to why it is a good idea to host your own workshop: “Hosting your own workshop sets the stage for the most perfect form of marketing: Customer conversation. Customers will draw attention to the benefits, and ask questions that allow you to show off your expertise.”

After reading this section in chapter 13, I knew right away what I need to do to help expand myself as a trilingual children’s author. My second favorite chapter is chapter 18, “Tools for the Trade.” I think we all can use some common sense advice when it comes to staying organized. Again, the authors used a very powerful example to simplify the necessity of staying organized. I am a visual learner, and the example drove the point home for me. Angel and Eric used the following quote taken from author Stacey Platt’s book, What’s A Disorganized Person To Do?:

“If I came into your home and asked you to show me your birth certificate, would you know where to find it? What about a safety pin, an extension cord, or your checkbook? You might be able to find most of these without too much digging around. But if I were to ask you for a fork, you would know exactly where to find one. The system for organizing your flatware demonstrates four organizing principles:
1. Forks are kept with forks.
2. Forks have a single and consistent home.
3. Everyone in the household is in agreement about where the forks belong.
4. Forks are put away after they’ve been used and washed.”

I plan to implement the principles I have learned from reading Lists that Saved My Business because I believe I will benefit greatly from doing so. If you are a business owner, and you need some fresh, practical ideas on how to take your business to the next level, I recommend you buy a copy of Angel’s and Eric’s book. If you would like to learn more about Angel and Eric, please visit their website.

Article first published as Book Review: Lists that Saved My Business by Angel Tuccy and Eric Reamer on Blogcritics.

Her book won The Halloween Book Festival Award. After reading her book, I wanted to find out more about what inspired her to write such a riveting story.

1. Do you consider yourself to be a born writer?

Absolutely! I have always had an extremely vivid imagination, which is the magic behind my writing. I wrote my first book when I was just six years old! Throughout my childhood there were many “signs” of my inner writer; it just took me a while to discover her. It wasn’t until I was 13 that my inner writer really began to emerge. Since then, there’s been no stopping me. Writing is in my heart and soul.

2. Tell us about your recent release. What was your inspiration for it?

My most recent release is My Beginning, a young adult dystopian adventure about 16-year-old Ivory, a girl who has spent her entire life sealed in an institution. A devastating plague wiped out scores of people and animals, polluting the earth and requiring that children never venture outside. Or is that all a lie? Ivory and Aidan decide to find out. They escape the institution and find a world unlike anything they had ever known. My Beginning won the 2011 Halloween Book Festival Award! You can find the gripping book trailer and more here

3. What do you do for inspiration and unleashing your creativity?

I enjoy using various creative methods to make my characters come to life. For My Beginning, I created character sketches and collages, built an institution scene using miniatures, and collected props including uniforms, textbooks, Ivory’s necklace and institution keys. I use these tools for visual inspiration and fun! You can view these and other character creations on my website.

4. What are you working on now?

My second young adult novel, titled Storm, will be released this winter, so I have been hard at work getting ready to launch! Storm is a captivating true-to-life novel laced with mystery, romance and intrigue. Beneath the juicy drama and colorful characters, the story has a beautiful message – one that I believe both teens and adults can relate to. It’s ultimately about relationships, connections and overcoming obstacles. Because it deals with many issues that teens today face, I am donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale to youth organizations – something that is very important to me. You can find a full synopsis and more information aboutStorm on my website. I am very excited to share this book with the world!

5. What advice would you offer aspiring writers?

Believe in yourself and never give up! Create a platform, network and promote yourself as a professional. Embrace yourself as a writer and go for it!