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“A wise and inspiring fable about the pilgrimage that life should be.” - M. Scott Peck, M. D., author of The Road Less Traveled

Paulo Coelho’s enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure buried in the Pyramids.

Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an Alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a meditation on the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts. Continue Reading »

Do you know your history? I recall a teacher back in high school asking me this question. However, it’s all relative isn’t it? I mean, what history is he referring to? There are oodles of it to know, regarding a million different things. Okay, so maybe he was talking specifically about American history, since that was the class I was sitting in.

Anyway, I think it’s fair to say that we can’t all know the history of everything. That would be just way too much to absorb. However, you can pick a few subjects to acquire history on. My father was always interested in the history of Native Americans. When I was little, I never really understood why. But, now that I’m older, I know that my grandmother, his mother, is half Native American. Continue Reading »

Growing up in northeastern Pennsylvania very close to Elmira, New York, I heard about Mark Twain my whole life. He didn’t live there for all of his life, but he lived there with his wife, and did some of his writing there. There are many things in Elmira with his name, including a golf course and a not so special motel, but he is revered in the area, and Elmira is proud to have been his home.

What really surprises me is that despite living close to Elmira, New York, I only remember read a few Mark Twain books in school.

I’m not even sure how many Mark Twain books there are out there, but I do of course remember reading Huckleberry Finn. It was a charming book, and it’s a story that most kids remember once they have read it. It is definitely a taste of life from way back when, and it continues to be a classic. Of all of the Mark Twain books there are, this one seems to be the one that everyone remembers. He certainly painted a vivid picture.

I was recently talking to a friend who is in her last year of high school. She was talking about books that have been at one time or another banned from high school reading lists. I was surprised to hear that Mark Twain books were among some on the list. The reasoning, as far as I can tell, is the use of certain words that are not acceptable in society at the present time. Though I can certainly understand this, I don’t understand why this would cause Mark Twain books to be banned. 

I may be of the minority, but I think this is a perfect time to explain to your children the differences between people, why those differences are good things, and the fact that the world has come a long way since those books were written. It is important to know our history, and to see how far we have come as a people. Not everyone is as enlightened, of course, but many of us have long grown past such things.

The most important thing about history is that we learn from it. Children are smart. If they are reading Mark Twain books, read along with them, or ask them about it and see if they have any questions. This is the perfect opportunity to teach them how you view the world, and what you think it right and wrong.

Is it just me, or are playwriters really dropping the ball these days? Instead of producing original, creative plays that I actually want to see, it appears that most theatres are content to churn out remakes of existing plays. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked out of a theater shaking my head in disappointment at what I just saw and telling myself that I could do better than that if only I could learn the basics about how to write a play script.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I know that it’s not easy to write a play script, so I’m not knocking the craft itself by any means. But the fact that the theatres consistently choose to stage rehashed material makes me think that perhaps they don’t have a towering stack of quality playwriters at their fingertips. I believe that I have several great ideas, and I want to learn how to write a play script so I can get these ideas on paper. Continue Reading »

If you have a business, you likely already know that marketing and advertising are ongoing jobs.  In fact, in the beginning of a business your marketing campaign can be the determining factor as to whether your business is going to become profitable or not.  This applies whether you have an online business, a work from home business, or an actual office with employees bustling about.  A newsletter is one of the many ways that you can promote your business but if you are not familiar with newsletter writing, this can be a daunting task. Continue Reading »

A new and growing trend among many people, especially those who have problems with their eyesight, is the option of audio books. With the growth of the internet there are many different ways to find audio books online.

Most come as mp3 book downloads making them easy to listen to in a variety of different ways. Depending on where you may be, you can listen to books directly from your computer, as files on your mp3 player, or you can even go as far as burning your favorite novel to a disc for playback virtually anywhere. 

Either way, purchasing or renting audio books online is rapidly becoming a perfect solution for those who have vision impairments. Downloadable audio books make for a simple and fast way for all book lovers to enjoy award winning stories.

 Mp3 Audio Books - ipod Audio Books Continue Reading »

When you write papers–sometimes for high school and almost always for college, you will be concerned with writing according to a particular documentation style—APA writing style included.  The rationale for using a documentation style is so you—the writer—can credit your sources where the ideas, findings, or exact wording are not yours and so your readers can if they wish research further using your source citations—which point to the original authors and titles.

First, here is a brief description and purpose for each of the major styles:

MLA (Modern Language Association) documentation style is used most often, for language, arts, philosophy, composition, and communications/media works.  Bibliography, end notes, embedded citation, and more are the hallmarks of this traditional documentation style. Continue Reading »

On my 18th birthday, my friend Kelly and I made appointments at our local tattoo parlor to celebrate our adulthood. Kelly already knew what she wanted to get. She had forever been a fan of Tigger, and that is exactly what she felt she needed to have permanently drawn on her.

I thought that a childish tattoo wasn’t exactly a celebration of adulthood. I didn’t really know what I wanted, but I knew that I wanted it to be something that meant something to me. Perhaps something that symbolized who I was. We arrived an hour early for our appointments so that I could look through the stacks and stacks of tattoo books.

I was not sure what I was hoping those tattoo books would show me, but I knew that I would know it when I found it.

The first tattoo books I glanced through had some incredibly scary looking artwork that I couldn’t imagine anyone would ever want. Apparently, people did though. I wanted something feminine and simple that would look attractive on my ankle.

I wasn’t really sure what exactly would represent me for years and years but I knew those tattoo books would show me something perfect. For the first 30 minutes, I thumbed through pages of hideous tattoos as well as really brilliant ones. Still, nothing jumped out at me and said “Pick me.” I was feeling incredibly discouraged. One of the tattoo artists joined me in my search, asking me tons of questions about what I liked and my beliefs.

Finally, after trying to explain who I was for 5 minutes, he stood up and dug through some of the tattoo books that I have not yet had the opportunity to look through. He flipped through several pages as well until he smiled. He brought it over to me and pointed. I smiled as well. He was showing me a dainty and attractive small dolphin. It represented me in many ways.

I was an artist and this dolphin had a rainbow of colors on it. I loved the ocean and dolphins were my favorite of all of God’s creatures. It was perfect. I nodded and laid down the other tattoo books. I’d found what I’d wanted.

Last weekend, I helped another friend of mine look through tattoo books for something that would be perfect for her. She had the same pains of finding something that I’d had. After she’d found what she wanted, I sat there and glanced through the tattoo books for the sole purpose of passing time. In the very first of the tattoo books that I opened, I smiled.

Here we go again! My friend and I walked out of the tattoo parlor a few hours later, with smiles on both of our faces. If you’re planning on getting a tattoo, consider yourself warned, sometimes those stacks of tattoo books can be rather addictive.

Born in Britain, Saira Shah was inspired by her father’s dazzling stories to rediscover the now lost life their forebears knew for 900 years within sight of orchards, snow-topped mountains, and the minarets of Kabul.

This is Saira — part sophisticated and sensitive Western liberal, part fearless (even fierce) life-gulping Afghan, falling in love with her ancestral myth, chasing Afghanistan. Saira, at 21, becoming a correspondent at the front during the war between the Soviets and the Afghan resistance. Then Saira, self-imprisoned in a burqa, risking her life to film Beneath the Veil — her acclaimed record of the devastation of women’s lives by the Taliban.

Saira discovering her extended family, discovering a world of gorgeous family ritual, of community, of male primacy, of arranged marriages, finding at last the (now war-ravaged) family seat, discovering at last what she wants and what she rejects of her compelling heritage.

In a remote, frozen corner of New Hampshire, a Navy SEAL team and the elite security experts of Troubleshooters Incorporated are going head-to-head as fierce but friendly rivals in a raid-and-rescue training exercise. Despite the frigid winter temperatures, tension smolders between SEAL Petty Officer Mark Jenkins and former cop turned Troubleshooter Lindsey Fontaine after an impulsive night of passion goes awry. And then suddenly Tracy Shapiro, the Troubleshooters’ new receptionist, vanishes while playing the role of hostage during a mock rescue operation.

Teaming up with the FBI to launch a manhunt in the treacherous wilderness, Jenk and Lindsey must put aside their feelings as a record snowstorm approaches, dramatically reducing any hope of finding Tracy alive. The trail is colder than the biting New England climate until a lucky break leads to a horrifying discovery - a brutally murdered young woman wearing the jacket Tracy wore when she disappeared.

Suddenly there is a chilling certainty that Tracy has fallen prey to a serial killer - one who knows the backwoods terrain and who doesn’t play by the rules of engagement. In a race against time, a raging blizzard, and a cunning opponent, Jenk and Lindsey are put to the ultimate test. Risking everything, they must finally come together in a desperate attempt to save Tracy - and each other.