Blog-A-Licious Directory 2012

Blog-A-Licious Directory 2012

(Updated on 17 September 2011)
List a blog. Read a blog. Join a blog.
Compiled by Pandora Poikilos
http://pandorapoikilos.com/

Join The Blog-A-Licious Directory 2012 & Win A Kindle
more info & to sign up, please go to
http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/2011/07/join-blog-licious-directory-2012-win.html

Featured

Carolyn Gibbs - http://www.tuesdayschildnovel.com/ | David M. Brown - http://blog.elenchera.com |
Derek Jones - http://www.derekjones.co |  Donna Brown - http://bookbagsandcatnaps.com/ | 

Janet Beasley - http://jlbcreatives.blogspot.com | Marie Crist - http://www.mariecrist.com/ | 

Sonia Rumzi - http://soniarumzi.com/

123
40 Blog Spot, Muriel Jacques | http://mumugb.blogspot.com/

A
About Books, Writing & More, Sue Santore | http://suesantore.com/
Alchemy of Scrawl, Coral Russell | http://alchemyofscrawl.wordpress.com/
aobibliophile™ | http://aobibliosphere.blogspot.com/
Armand Rosamilia | http://armandrosamilia.wordpress.com/

B
Back of the Book Reviews, Kate & Ashley | http://backofthebookreviews.com/
Beth-Ann Mason, Romance Author | http://www.bethannmason.com/blog/
BlogNostics, Jessica Brant & Alejandro Guzman | http://blognostics.net/ 
Bongo Is Me, Bonnie Panter Gayadeen | http://bongoisme.blogspot.com/

Book Savvy Babe | http://www.booksavvybabe.com/
Bookish Type, Casey Blackwell | http://thebookishtype.blogspot.com/ 
Bookworm Family | http://www.bookwormfamily.com/
Boxoffice Online, Daniels | http://perfectmovie4u.blogspot.com/ 
But What Are They Eating, Shelley Workinger | http://bookfare.blogspot.com

C
Citizen Chronicles, The by Marie Crist | http://www.mariecrist.com/
Hot Spot http://twitter.com/#!/mariecristbooks
In the first installment of The Citizen Chronicles series, Citizen Out, Marie Crist introduces her readers to the personalities and the mission of the ARC organization, both through a new couple’s invitation to join the fight for justice and through the mind of a killer who the group has in their crosshairs. In an artful integration of action and emotion, Crist creates a work that keeps you turning the pages and personally investing in the success of the mission.

Close Encounters | http://closeencounterswiththenightkind.blogspot.com/

{Special Feature}

Caring for Eleanor by Sonia Rumzi

Is it true that if we are abused, we turn around and abuse others? Not always. 

A story of courage, caring and starting over. 

Courage to face life, caring for others in the process and beginning again when all seems lost.

When Salma is assigned to Eleanor, she did not expect a life coach. Frail and sick Eleanor opens her eyes to truths that seemed to slip out of her own grasp.

Reader review: "Ms Rumzi you are a lady with extraordinary talent. This is the most touching story of courage and strength that I have ever read." - Elizabeth Marshall, author "When Fate Dictates"

  
Available @ Amazon & Smashwords

Author Sonia Rumzi's website @ http://soniarumzi.com/

Hot Spot http://twitter.com/#!/SRumzi

 D
David M. Brown, The World According to Dave | http://blog.elenchera.com
Hot Spot http://twitter.com/#!/elenchera
Personal website of Fezariu's Epiphany author David M. Brown. Includes film, game and book reviews, writing news, regular guest posts and features such as 36 Lives, Cat Observations and Journey of the Writing Pilgrim.

Derek's Home and Business Blog, Derek Jones | http://www.derekjones.co
Hot Spot http://twitter.com/#!/djones1509
Founded in 2010, Derek's Home and Business Blog is dedicated to helping small business owners, affiliate marketers and bloggers in providing tips and helpful information on Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Dames of Dialogue, Betty Dravis | http://damesofdialogue.wordpress.com/
Darlene Foster | http://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/
DG Services, Danielle Gambrell | http://www.dgyourvirtualassistant.com/

E
Everyday Gyaan, Corinne Rodrigues | http://www.everydaygyaan.com

{Special Feature}

In the first installment of The Citizen Chronicles series, Citizen Out -
Marie Crist introduces her readers to the personalities and the mission of the ARC organization,
both through a new couple’s invitation to join the fight for justice and
through the mind of a killer who the group has in their crosshairs.
In an artful integration of action and emotion,
Crist creates a work that keeps you turning the pages and
personally investing in the success of the mission.
Buy Citizen Out @ Amazon
Read more about Marie Crist at
http://www.mariecrist.com/ | http://mariecristbooks.blogspot.com/
Hot Spot http://twitter.com/#!/mariecristbooks

F
Fade Into Fantasy, Theresa Cole | http://fadeintofantasy.net/
Few Miles, Saravana Kumar | http://pendownmythought.blogspot.com/ 
Frugal Living by Rachael | http://rachaels1recipes.blogspot.com/ 

{Special Feature}

Fezariu’s Epiphany by David M. Brown

“The story revolves around the main character, Fezariu, who suffers a betrayal as a young boy that leads him to turn his back on his family. He joins the Merelax Mercenaries, convinced that their way of life will offer him a way to avoid any ties and leave his past firmly behind. In his quest to prove himself, he is forced to forge new alliances in order to survive the dangerous assignments in the colonies but works hard to distance himself emotionally. Despite his determined focus to move on his thoughts are constantly drawn back to Clarendon where the White Oak, an infamous brothel, holds the secret to his past and the childhood friend he abandoned still remains.”

Reader review: “You must read this book.
Once you open the cover you will lose yourself and forget about the real world. 5/5.”

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords
The Elencheran Chronicles http://blog.elenchera.com
Author David M. Brown http://www.authordavidmbrown.co.uk
Hot Spot http://twitter.com/#!/elenchera

The World According to Dave
Personal blog of Fezariu’s Epiphany author David M. Brown.
Includes book, game and film reviews, writing news, guest posts and regular features.

G
Garden Gate, The | http://gardengatewares.blogspot.com
Geek Girl Books, Cindy Bennett | http://cindybennett.blogspot.com/
Gin Diary, Reiza Dejito | http://gin-diary.blogspot.com/

H
Hardline Self-Help, Paula Renaye | http://hardlineselfhelp.com/
Holes In My Soles, Jim McIntosh | http://holesinmysoles.blogspot.com/

I
Invisible Art, The - Abhisek | http://filmedit.blogspot.com/

{Special Feature} 

Tuesday's Child by Carolyn Gibbs 

Lane Harris should be the heir to the family fortune, but the entire town hates her, and everybody's got an ax to grind. Brutalized, left to die, and ignorant of her attacker's identity, she awakes in a Seattle hospital and begins a cycle of flight designed to do nothing more than keep her alive. Lane's life depends on how quickly she figures out the rules to the game, and she's about to find out exactly what she's willing to do to live. Hers is a struggle for just the slightest shred of normalcy and trust. 

Awards

Runner Up in the 2011 Beach Book Festival 

Honorable Mention in the 2011 Hollywood Book Festival 

Read more about Carolyn Gibbs @ http://www.tuesdayschildnovel.com/ 

Hot Spots 

FaceBook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tuesdays-Child-a-Novel/135245369823142 

Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/AuthorCG

J
JLB Creatives, Janet Beasley| http://jlbcreatives.blogspot.com
Hot Spot http://twitter.com/#!/JLBCreatives
Stay up to date with Janet's creativity encompassing her epic fantasy novels and scenic nature photography. Enjoy weekly videos, links, interviews, Janet's photos, guest author spotlights, and more! How have others described the JLB Creatives Blog? Informative, educational, interesting, fun, and best of all...it's designed for the whole family. You'll certainly be encouraged by this woman's passion and dedication to her crafts as she battles daily with chronic pain and illnesses she won't allow to defeat her! Starting over in life at age 50, Janet's a real trooper who can some how always bring a smile.

John Rhodes, Author - John D Rhodes | http://johndrhodesauthor.wordpress.com



K
Kathy Robbins | http://robbinswrites.blogspot.com
King’s Daughters | http://kingsdaughters21.blogspot.com/
Kriti Mukherjee | http://kriti-howaboutthis.blogspot.com/

L
Library of Clean Reads | http://libraryofcleanreads.blogspot.com
Lucy Lastica | http://lifethrulucylasticaslense.blogspot.com/
Lyric Fire, Tameka Mullins | http://lyricfire.typepad.com/

M
Marie Crist, The Citizen Chronicles | http://www.mariecrist.com/
Hot Spot http://twitter.com/#!/mariecristbooks
In the first installment of The Citizen Chronicles series, Citizen Out, Marie Crist introduces her readers to the personalities and the mission of the ARC organization, both through a new couple’s invitation to join the fight for justice and through the mind of a killer who the group has in their crosshairs. In an artful integration of action and emotion, Crist creates a work that keeps you turning the pages and personally investing in the success of the mission.

March House Books Blog, Barbara Fisher | http://marchhousebookscom.blogspot.com/
Hot Spot http://twitter.com/#!/MarchHouseBooks
Celebrating children's books and more! Book illustration, vintage books, insights in the life of a book dealer and other bits and bobs. If you are looking for a unique gift or trying to find a book which remains in your memory from childhood you may well find it amongst our stock. Our online catalogues allow you to peruse our unique and diverse assortment of rare and hard to find books.

Memoirs, Sulekha | http://sulekkha.blogspot.com/  
Memoirs of a Homemaker, Janu | http://janukulkarni.blogspot.com/  
Motifs On The Wall, Alpana Prasad | http://motifsonthewall.blogspot.com/ 
My Life. One Story at a Time, Donna | http://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com

N
NDulgent Bloggers | http://guiltyindulgencebookclub.blogspot.com/
Nolan Wilson, Freelance Copywriter | http://nolanwilsonfreelance.com/
Not a Notting Hill Mum | http://www.notanottinghillmum.co.uk

P
Peace from Pieces, Pandora Poikilos | http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/
Hot Spot http://twitter.com/#!/pandorapoikilos

Patricia Lynne's Journey Through the Pages | http://plbjourney.blogspot.com/
Paul D. Dail | http://pauldail.com/
Photography Tips, Mari Sterling Wilbur | http://mariscamera.blogspot.com/ 
PottsPost, Steve Potts | http://www.thepottspost.blogspot.com/

R
Read It, Review It - Amanda Wilson | http://www.readitreviewit.com
Reading Romances, Nat | http://readingromances.wordpress.com/ 
Review Girl, Komal Mansoor aka Komz | http://komzreviews.blogspot.com/
Roy's Garage, Roy Durham | http://royd-spiltmilk.blogspot.com/ 
Ryder Islington's Blog | http://ryderislington.wordpress.com/

S
Scattered Musings of a Creative Mind, Deborah | http://www.scatteredmusings.net/ 
Secret Lives of Fiction Lovers | http://secretlivesoffictionlovers.wordpress.com
Sensitivity, Sancheeta Biswas | http://anshsaransh.blogspot.com
Stuart Aken | http://stuartaken.blogspot.com/
Stuart Land | www.stuartland.com/blog

Stuart Nager, Story Teller | http://www.bornstoryteller.com/

Sugarpeach | http://sugarpeach.wordpress.com/

T
Tbaoo, Hi Tbaoo | http://www.tbaoo.com

Todd Russell Horror, Thriller Author - Todd Russell | http://toddrwrite.com/blog/
Tork's Blog, Torkona Exon | http://torkona.blogspot.com/ 

U
Unknown Gazette, Donmakles | http://theunknowngazette.blogspot.com/

W
The World According to Dave, David M. Brown | http://blog.elenchera.com
Hot Spot http://twitter.com/#!/elenchera
Personal website of Fezariu's Epiphany author David M. Brown. Includes film, game and book reviews, writing news, regular guest posts and features such as 36 Lives, Cat Observations and Journey of the Writing Pilgrim.

Weathering the Storm, Jan Neel | http://jovanecatharticmusings.blogspot.com/ 
Written in Blood, John Mountain | http://jmountswritteninblood.com

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10 Panda Facts

This post is in conjunction with Rhyme A Smile's Sociology Study #8. She was one of the first few bloggers I met when I joined the blog-sphere and she's absolutely Blog-A-Licious. Be sure to check her and the other participating blogs HERE. 

Sourced from WWF.org

10. The first panda came to the United States in 1936 – a cub to a zoo in Chicago. It took another 50 years before the States would see another.

9. A newborn panda cub is 1/900th the size of its mother and is comparable to the length of a stick of butter.

8. A panda’s paw has six digits – five fingers and an opposable pseudo-thumb (actually an enlarged wrist bone) it uses merely to hold bamboo while eating.

7. Of all the members of the bear family, only sloth bears have longer tails than pandas.

6. Pandas rely on spatial memory, not visual memory.

5. Female pandas ovulate once a year and are fertile for only two or three days.

4. The giant panda’s genome was sequenced in 2009, according to the journal Nature.

3. The WWF logo was inspired by Chi-Chi, a giant panda brought to the London Zoo in 1961, when WWF was being created. Says Sir Peter Scott, one of those founders and the man who sketched the first logo: “We wanted an animal that is beautiful, is endangered and one loved by many people in the world for its appealing qualities. We also wanted an animal that had an impact in black and white to save money on printing costs.”

2. Historically speaking, pandas are one of the few animals whose parts have not been used in traditional Chinese medicine.

1. Approximately 99 percent of a panda’s diet – bamboo leaves and shoots – is void of much nutritional value. Its carnivore-adapted digestive system cannot digest cellulose well, thus it lives a low-energy, sedentary lifestyle but persists in eating some 60 species of bamboo. Pandas must eat upwards of 30 pounds of bamboo daily just to stay full.

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He's Not My Lover, He's My Soulmate

This post is in conjunction with the 'blog collage' that was put together by Sulekha. Yes, I missed the deadline of 7 September to link up but here's my two cents worth on what I think about "Soulmates". There's a whole host of other blogs taking part as well, so be a gem and have a peep at their thoughts HERE.

By Pandora Poikilos

A few days ago Peas got back from work and told me that some "old bird" was on a talk show releasing her new women's fiction novel and the book appeared to be doing quite well. The "old bird" turned out to be Barbara Taylor Bradford who was releasing her 27th novel and is currently the 31st wealthiest woman in all of Great Britain. Grand. But here's something even better, her husband has been her friend, agent, producer when her books were made into movies and a central part of her life for 46 years. No, that's not a typo. It really is fourty six YEARS. 

Which of course led me to the topic of soulmates. In an era where superficiality reigns and sincerity is forced to take a backseat, a relationship that survives for that long is as rare as a four leaf clover, just like soulmates. How does a soulmate change your life? Let me tell you.

He doesn't announce his arrival and sneaks into your life packaged as someone you'd never expect. Then, you'll start noticing small changes in yourself. You're already so broken, you're convinced that this person is just one more person to stomp on the broken pieces of you. Everyone else has walked out on you and he'll do the same. He doesn't. He picks each piece up ... mending, fixing, healing.

You'll want to push him away, even pick fights so he'll change his mind about you. He'll persevere. And he'll win. But you haven't lost, you've gained - a friend, a lover and a soulmate. He'll let you love him back. He'll teach you and then he'll inspire you. He'll push you out of your comfort zone. He'll give you strength to believe in yourself and the important lesson that there are people still worth believing in. You'll cry, laugh and grow - together.

He'll be waiting for you when the doctors are done putting a tube in your brain, reminding you that brain surgery is not a walk in the park but a journey he'll take with you. It doesn't matter that you look worse than the stray cat you saw by the bin, he'll still call you gorgeous and he'll still love you, even more. More importantly, when you are beyond frustration about explaining how hard it is to look at a screen to work and when you feel that no one understands you, he'll patiently be your eyes and he'll understand you when you've run out of words.

Rest assured, a soulmate is not the the person who will complete you. Even if he has to carry you from one lesson to another, he'll make sure you learn to complete yourself. He'll let you be your own person but he'll be the one standing next to you, whatever the situation.

You will grow with every lesson he has taught you to the point that when God calls you home, you'll leave with the sense of achievement that you've given life your best save for a few regrets. You'll rest with the gift that so many crave and only a few are blessed enough to receive, unconditional love. Love and light. 

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I Wish I Could Do That

By Paula Renaye

I love handcrafted jewelry made with crystals, stones and natural materials, and I greatly admire the skill and artistry it takes to do that work. It’s one of those things that I think I’d like to know how to do myself and have said so quite often.

 
About four hours from where I live here in Arkansas, USA, there is a lovely historic town built on the side of the mountain. Founded in the early1800s around dozens of natural springs, the place was known for its healing waters by the original occupants long before that—as is the town where I live. Both places have similarities, but are quite unique in their personalities and “feel,” and I love them both.

 
On a weekend trip not long ago, I was wandering through one of the unique little shops and found a handmade pair of earrings with yellow-green turquoise, sticks, bamboo and beads. They “spoke” to me and I absolutely had to have them. Being a bit of a “things have to match” girl, I asked the owner of the shop to make a necklace to go with them. She did, and when I came back an hour later I was amazed how it turned out and wanted wear it immediately. However, without a chain or something, I wasn’t going to.

 
Gold and silver just didn’t work with the tone of the natural materials, so I opted for a brown cord. I expected her to just tie the ends of the cord together and be done with it, but instead she began fashioning a two-sided slipknot arrangement, explaining that it would be easier to adjust the length and the knots would add interest as well. She whipped the cord around this way and that, and in about a minute, I was wearing my new jewelry. 

 
I’ll admit I was baffled by how easily she did all this—the jewelry making and the cord knotting. I am equally baffled each time I put the necklace on. I have to stop and figure out which of the cords to pull to make it adjust and then pull the different one on the opposite site.

 
No, it probably isn’t nearly as complicated as I make it, and I keep saying that I’m going to take the time to stop and really figure it out so I can at least adjust it more quickly. But I don’t. Why? There’s only one reason—it just isn’t important enough.

 
When we don’t do what we say we want to, it doesn’t mean we’re lying. There really is a part of us that wants what we say; we just don’t want to badly enough—something else is more important. 

 
When I’m getting dressed and in a hurry to be somewhere, I use that excuse for not taking time to figure out the slipknot secret. But the truth is, if I really wanted to learn how to make jewelry—or even operate the cord better—I would have already taken the time to do it. I haven’t and odds are I won’t. Other things are more important. 

 
And that’s okay! What’s not okay is when we keep saying we’re going to do something and then don’t ever do anything toward making it a reality. So, here’s the deal, we either do what we keep saying we want to or quit saying it. 

 
I don’t care if it’s lose weight, get another job, move, eat better, be less critical and judgmental, exercise more, get a divorce, whatever, we either need to do it or simply admit that we don’t want to and stop putting it out there as if we do.

 
Saying it may keep it as a real possibility in our minds, but what it’s actually doing is teaching that deeper part of ourselves that the conscious “me” can’t be trusted to do what we say.

 
So, if at some point the words “I wish I knew how to do that” or something similar slip out of my mouth, I will immediately follow it with “actually, I just really admire the skill, talent and effort it takes to produce such beautiful products.” And, I would admire myself if I did.

 
Even though this scenario may seem inconsequential—it isn’t. Every time we come clean with ourselves and speak truth in one area, we take one step closer to owning all our truths. 

 
Once we truly know ourselves and are really good with it, the words “I wish I could do that” won’t be in our vocabulary because anything we truly wish we could do we are.

Paula Renaye is the author of the multi-award-winning Hardline Self Help Handbook. Visit her website for more how-to tips at http://hardlineselfhelp.com.

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Love Led The Way

By Harriet Savitz

I am 68 and I am still learning about love. When I was younger, I loved most everything. I loved chocolate sundaes, dancing, my new typewriter and also included in my loving list were my parents, my husband, my children, and my pets. I loved each day, and the busyness of it, and I loved filling it with challenges. "I love this," I would say easily. And then the next minute, I would love something else also. There seemed no limit to the loving. It came so easy and there was so much to love.

But now I am more careful about my love supply. I know what it is like to love and lose a partner. The loving becomes painful. I know what it is like to love and lose a friend. The loving leaves an ache somewhere inside me. I know what it is like to make a mistake about those I loved. Perhaps they do not deserve this gift I offer... I have wasted my love, thrown it away, misplaced it, used it, and misused it. And often when I think it has gone forever, love surprises me by returning, stronger then ever and with a larger supply. As if it were off somewhere preparing for the shortage.

I know I would learn something if love could answer a few questions. One would be, "Where do you come from when you enter without knocking, and where do you go when you leave without warning?" "How do I keep you by my side?" I see love in people my age as they crochet afghans for their children, stitching their love into a pattern. I see it in hours spent waiting for a telephone call, a visit, a loving reminder that they are needed. People fall in love and out of it, love desperately, love eternally. The words, "I love you," can shake a dynasty, affect worldly decisions, change one's lifetime. At this end of my calendar years, I know no more about love than I did at the beginning. Except that I dare not be without it.

I was recovering from a stomach virus at my daughter's home. And feeling quite sorry for myself. Television annoyed me. I was impatient with well-wishers on the telephone. I didn't want to look out the window and watch other people enjoy the day. I thought of all the bleak things I could remember and piled them up in front of me. One day passed into two. Reading material lay scattered on the bed, but remained ignored. I had more important matters to attend. Self pity was one of them. I felt old, spent, used up, discarded, and mean. I was angry at my body, at my age, at all the things I hoped yet to do but couldn't, at the energy that played tricks on me, and at the unpredictability of life. Such as a virus coming in, attacking without warning, and claiming victory.

On the third day, as I lay on the pillow, realizing I felt better and yet, unwilling to reenter life's merry-go-round with all the responsibilities waiting for me, a paper airplane glided into the room and landed beside me on the bed. I looked up. The room was empty. I picked up the airplane and inspected it. A message written on its wings, said, "Get well soon Grandmom. I love you. Ryan."

I heard activity outside the room. A snowstorm was brewing. Everyone was in the attic getting out sleds and boots. I left the bed and walked toward the doorway, carrying my paper airplane.

It was time to reenter the world. Love led the way.

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