jaymi elford

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through netgalley.com.

The two Lindseys are back with their second installment of their Ending series. into the Fire begins where book one left off. It's hard to talk about this book without spoilers so I will do my best. Dani and Zoe are back, along with the rest of the gang that they've travelled with across the states. In addition to the gang, we meet the darker side of this new world, those that live in Colorado Springs (which seems to be redubbed as The Colony). We're introduced to MG (and his real name), new characters with new abilities, and some new technology.

What I liked: I love dystopian books and this series give the genre a superhero bent to the whole end of the world thing. I loved seeing the characters pushed to their limits on what they'd do for one another. I loved seeing Dani's humanity come out in spades and how she treats others is amazing. The ending, once again, ends on a great cliffhanger that keeps readers waiting out for book 3.

So, if I liked all these things, then why did i give the book 3 stars? Well, it was the pacing and what I can only describe as the “second book” blahs. The first book was new and exciting and kept me reading from the first word to the end. In this book, the writing felt flatish, and it took me forever to get into it (and I was really looking forward to this). However, the last bit of the book made up for the trudging through parts.

Bottom Line: If you liked the first Ending book, and want to know what happens next, then you'll be surprised and happy for this book. If you've read this book first then you will be a bit confused but I think it's still new enough where you can understand where it's going.

Disclosure: I received a PDF ARC of this book from netgalley.com.

After the Ending surprised me. I started this book around midnight and for some reason, I kept going until 5am. It wasn't the writing, that was okay. It wasn't the way the book alternated between two best friends, I've seen books done like this before. But, overall, I guess it just had a very intriguing world that sucked me in and kept me wanting to find out what happened next.

After the Ending is a post-apocalyptic book that happens after a Virus wipes out most of the population of North America (and possibly the rest of the world). Two friends, Dani and Zoe, somehow survive and against all odds, decide to meet in the wilds of Colorado. Each one has to trek inwards from opposite sides of the continent. Along the way, they find allies and foes, and uncover what it means to survive.

I love post-apocalptic work. This book has a unique setting and premise that keeps you wondering what next. What I didn't like was the fact that apparently the Internet still works and electricity is spotty. I know, I'm not a electrician or whatnot, but it just seemed odd to me that the Internet and pockets of electricity could go maintained without daily supervision. Then again, maybe it can?

Bottom Line: If you want a good book to keep you up during the night, then give this one a shot. A good cliff-hanger ending ensures that the next volume, due out later 2013, will keep up the pace.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through netgalley.com.

The second book in a very awesome steampunk/urban fantasy series jumps right out from the gate. Once again we're treated to the awesome world that Schwarz has created for us in A Clockwork Heart. Elle and Marsh are married and things aren't going well. Elle is much more of a modern woman than her time period and she does not want to be tied down to duty between her man and the love of the open airways. However, when she decides she wants to be with Marsh, he goes missing and strange tickers are afoot. We're treated to old characters and some new friends and left with a heart-wrenching (get it??? hurr hurr) ending that just left me wanting more.

What I loved: clockwork zombies! Holy cow, what an awesome concept. Love this idea and it played out so well in this world. I loved the end battle with everyone pitching in to help save Marsh. The imagery of the Battle was just awesome.

What I disliked: Mz. Schwarz, duuuuude... the ending! How could you. Talk about having one's heart ripped out. I cried. Way to show how one morns for lost love; and now, I must wait another half a year or more to read more! Gaaah, how could you!!!! grins

Overall, A Clockwork Heart and this series is an amazing and fun tromp through imagination. I'm so looking forward to the third book and I just finished the second.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from netgalley in exchange for a review.

Clutter is a hot topic these days. From popular reality shows, to advertisements on helping clear the clutter, to even meditation music, we are in an age where more isn't better anymore. Enter Clearing Clutter by Alexandra Chauran. This book tackles the clutter discussion by dividing modern day clutter into three types: physical, mental, and spiritual. In this slim tome she defines the three areas, gives you a three step process for helping to make room in all the areas, and combines it with non-denominational practices and help to keep the weight off.

What I liked: I liked how Chauran uses her own experiences as examples. She has been there, done that and shows us how easy the way out can be. While most books choose to focus on the physical clutter, she takes the idea of clearing one step further and gives tips and tricks and tools for clearing mental space and honing in on the spiritual side.

What I didn't like: Honestly, decluttering is a one of my favorite topics to read and I sort of wished this book didn't end. It felt more like an introduction to the process and while Chauran gives a great 3-step process to keep the clutter at bay, I was hoping to see some case studies.

BOTTOM LINE: If you want a good book to introduce you to good ways to declutter your home, clear your mind, and find a spiritual focus, then Chauran's Clearing Clutter is for you.

Disclaimer: I received a eARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

If you can get past the similarities to “Cabin in the Woods,” you'll find that J.S. Leonard's Modern Rituals has the ability to become more than just a one off story. In a world where Gods made deals with people, and ritual killings (ala Cabin in the Woods) happen to prevent apocalypses, Modern Rituals introduces us to three unlikely heroes who have what it takes to change fate. Most of the book centers around how the rituals work, what goes on in them on the inside and on the “watchers” side, and what happens when an unknown party changes the score.

I liked the world that Leonard has created here. The tech, the paranormal, even the idea of “the old gods.” I expected this book to be a bit more horror-ish but I'm pleasantly surprised that it's more urban fantasy with a dash of Lovecraftian mythos. The cast of characters in this book seems to be a bit over the top but as the story progresses, we're treated to the main players' points of view, until it all comes down to everyone in the same line.

Bottom Line: Curious as to what would happen if Cabin in the Woods ended differently and gave humanity a fighting chance? Then you'll enjoy Modern RItuals.

Disclaimer: I received a eARC of this through netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Magic realism is one of my favorite writing genres. I spent a lot of time in college reading Angela Carter's works. Nalo Hopkinson's book expands on the tradition and creates a vivid world where a goddess hops into various women to understand the human conditions of love, oppression, and beating the odds. She weaves the stories of three independent woman from three different timelines in such a way that modern audiences can learn to appreciate what they have gone through.

I loved this storyline. It took me awhile to figure out what tied these three stories together. It was when I discovered the use of the “goddess” voice and went back to the beginning that I really understood what was going on. I found that my favorite tale was in Mer, and in Mari (Mary) and their journeys through enslavement and enlightenment.

This book can be a bit hard to grasp at first. But I recommend you stick with it. Hopkinson will draw you in and you'll be wanting to read parts out loud, the voice and lyrical prose is amazing

Thank you for allowing us into a brilliant glimpse of the human soul, and the oppression that the blacks went through and the stories of the woman who dealt with it.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC from netgalley in exchange for a review. I also purchased this book because highlighting PDFs are hard.

The Great Work by Tiffany Lazic is indeed a “great work.” This book is a year-long magical working that has the potential to change your life. It blends psychology, elemental working, divination techniques, breathing meditations, and alchemy in a workbook. It's a huge undertaking and I'm amazed at how well Lazic pulled in all these resources into a successful and cohesive book and program. Yes, this book is a year long program that includes journalling questions for you to answer daily.

It took me quite a long time to read; but it was so well worth it. In just a straight through reading I've learned a lot about myself, some of my own habits and where their source may have come from. Lazic distills the bits of alchemy down so well that I could begin to see the applications in my own personal life.

BOTTOM LINE: If you are looking for a group project book, or a way into doing your own version of The Great Work... then this is the book for you. I guarantee you'll learn something about yourself that helps you stay on your path.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Green's White World series answers the question to how people could survive during another ice age. She's put a lot of science into her scifi dystopian world where people navigate ice sheets via ships to survive. Our main character, Thirteen, is on the hunt for her sister. Separated at an early age from slavers, she's learned the skills to survive on the ice– and to hunt those who take innocents into slavery. A chance encounter with a man gives her the first lead on the location of her sister, and an alliance is formed. This series contains many twists and turns to keep the reader up late at night. I hope that we get more stories of Thirteen, Cord, and Miyu and their adventures across the Pacifica Ice.

What I liked: The world-building in this story is amazing. Green's done an amazing job at bringing a post ice age alive. People live near volcanos, and the technology, while advanced, also harkens back to pirates and steampunk. Food is always scarce, and the way people survive on limited food resources is interesting.

What I didn't like: Sometimes the story was hard to follow due to the nautical terms employed. I remember getting confused as I read certain action passages with the ships. I loved the idea of the prophets and how they blended science in with an almost religious fervor. I wished that we could've gone a bit deeper into their world and mythology. Perhaps Green can add a few tangental stories later? :)

Bottom Line: If you enjoy a little action adventure in with your science fiction, then grab the White World series. It's a fun story with lessons on love, betrayal, survival, and what it means to be human.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC from netgalley in exchange for a review. I also purchased a copy for my library.

If it's one thing I know in reviewing books it's “don't judge a book by it's cover.” I've said this before and I'm saying it now. Llewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot by Anthony Louis is a great book, filled with wonderful tarot tidbits for all tarot enthusiasts. However, this is NOT a complete guide. Louis even states this very clearly in his preface. Instead, this book takes the approach of guiding readers of all types into the broad spectrum of topics tarot contains. Louis sees the book as a complete course in tarot. He covers why study tarot; tarot history; tarot structure and the differences between RWS, Marseille, and Thoth; card uses; and the various meanings and correspondences the cards have.

What I liked: Louis has a great voice in his writing. There are many areas in the book that he made me laugh with his vernacular. The chapters are chock full of good information. As I read through the book, I found myself thinking about how “scientific” Louis makes tarot sound. He captures the essence of why we use the cards and has answers for many questions people ask about the origins. Louis isn't afraid to talk about the cards' Christian influences either (very few books touch on this subject). While describing each individual card, most books stick with meanings laid down by AE Waite or Aliester Crowley. Not in this tome, Louis includes a history of interpretation that dates back to Etteilla. Which is great for those of us who love doing meaning comparison and want to know how card meanings transitioned over time. Another aspect I enjoyed was the fact that Louis references many other authors and their works in the book. It's like you are also getting to know the wider tarot community while learning about the cards.

What I didn't like: There is so much in this book that it's a quick catalogue of topics. Louis doesn't go too deep with any one subject. Which is fine because otherwise this book would be huge. So, if you were looking for a true “Complete” guide to tarot, then look elsewhere.

BOTTOM LINE: Llewellyn's Complete Guide to Tarot is a great starter guide to the world of tarot. There's a lot of good information in this book. I loved how it went towards the sciencey side of the divination tool. Louis. Anthony has a friendly voice which invites you into learning tarot and becoming a member of the tarot tribe.

Disclaimer: I received a free eBook from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos comes alive in this YA tale of magic and mayhem. Our protagonist, Sean Wyndham finds some strange mythos-related books while visiting in Arkham. One thing leads to another and he's invited to become an apprentice to a master magician. He's tasked with summoning a servitor, and when things go awry, it's up to him and those closest to Sean to set things right.

Now I love the Cthulhu Mythos. Lovecraft's works are some of my favorite writings. I even devoted a whole semester to his weird tales in college. So, it was the back copy of this book that caught my attention. I loved how Pillsworth brought the mythos into “our world” in a way that retains some of the magic but also keeps a lot of the skepticism alive. This world felt alive in a way that Lovecraft's monsters could fit into it. Secret societies, magical summonings, and dark secrets are all here. I could see many of the characters reacting to the events just as a normal person would.

That said, my biggest beef was with Sean himself. He's 17 in the book, which almost makes him an adult. However, he's treated almost if he was 13 or so in the book. A lot of his characterization doesn't make him seem like he's a 17 at all. I kept wavering between seeing an adult or seeing a very young 13 year old who makes a lot of weird mistakes. Espeically around how Sean and Eddy dealt with one another. Their relationship seemed very young... as in, “ewww cooties” whenever they got close together. It's fine not to include romance in a book, but the closer you are to a person, sometimes you do develop feelings. Especially at that age.

Bottom Line: If you enjoy a good tale involving mythos characters then you'll enjoy this book. I recommend that young adults read a bit of Lovecraft first before reading this book. It'll make a bit more sense.

(Adapted from www.diyplanner.com)
One of my 2008 goals is to continue to build on my creative and writing life. I want writing and art to seep from every aspect of my being and help me grow as a writer and artist in this world. However, occasionally the daily grind of errands, doctor's appointments, and laundry push back the available time I want to devote to this practice. Then I heard about Write Free, by Rebecca Lawton and Jordan E. Rosenfeld. The title immediately drew me in. Finally, a book proposing to help concretely build, maintain, and attract a fully functioning creative lifestyle.

Write Free is an amazing guide into the world of the Law of Attraction. The The Law of Attraction, which isn't really a real law in the scientific sense, states that your thoughts (both conscious and unconscious), all the positive and negative emotions that run around in your head, help bring them into reality. For example, if I want a particular job, but send them my resume and think that they'll never call me back because I'm not good enough, smart enough, or just didn't think the phone interview went well enough, then the end result is that they won't call me and I will probably not get the job. Conversely, if I've submitted an essay for publication in a book and know that I've written a smart and thought provoking piece that'll help add to the book's premise and discussion, then when I submit the essay, all that good thinking and energy will aid it in being chosen for the space in the anthology. Yes, I realize that these two ideas are very generalized versions of the actual law in motion, but they do illustrate how this law works on a basic level. Books and movies, like “The Secret,” have helped to propel this notion into the public eye and if you want to learn more about this idea, you can refer to those references for more information and illustrations on how this principle works.

Write Free expands on the law of attraction by showing how you can use it to bring about more creativity and writing into your life (or art, if visual works are more your thing). In the introduction, the authors mention that to write free means: “writing done in an open-minded, openhearted state of consciousness... and that it expresses the state of writing our deepest desires.” With this definition in mind, the book then becomes a workshop where they use personal stories and exercises to help you define what it means to be creative and how to live a “more fulfilling and sustaining creative life.”

The book follows a four step outline to show you just how to do this. Each step of the process builds off the other and has the ultimate goal on freeing your mind from negativity which will allow you to focus on only the work and parts of a creative life that you want to include.

First, they take you through a cleansing process, that allows you to get rid of unwanted feelings ad thoughts. Lawton and Rosenfeld believe that in order to get what you want, you need to get rid of the feelings and things you do not want. Therefore, exercises in this section revolve around dealing with negative thoughts and how to turn them into positive counterparts. Once you've learned how to transform the negative thoughts into positive ones, the next step of this process is to figure out what you want in your life. They call this step revising, because it shows you what to cut or remove from your life so that you can begin living the life you want to have. So all the exercises in this section help you to define the life you want to have. You create the activities, thoughts, people, works, etc. here. Step three, teaches you how to focus on the positive in your life. The exercises here help motivate and inspire you to dream big and take small steps to reach your goals. Finally, the last step is to literally write free... to indulge in your imagination and use the power of positive thought to manifest your dreams into reality.

Each chapter begins with a story that happened to one (or both) of the authors that helps to illustrate the point the chapter teaches. The rest of the chapter, then, contains many exercises, or games, that give you the opportunity to explore how the principle works and affects your life. Now, if you've been on this site long enough, you'll realize that I love books that contain questions that can be used for journal prompts. This book does not disappoint. There are many games to try out and answer. What I also like is that Lawton and Rosenfeld do take you through an example of each exercise so you get an idea of how to perform the task that they're asking you to take.

Write Free contains one of the more interesting approaches to creativity and the writing life that I've read in a long time. I was amazed at the depth of personal experience and exercises that went into composing this manuscript. If you're into new ways of recapturing the writing/creative life, I highly recommend you get this book. If you are interested in exploring exercises that will help you build up your creative life, then you'll love this book. Bottom line is that this book will help you train your thoughts to aid your creative goals and endeavors with the power of positive thinking. Unfortunately, it's not available on Amazon.com but if you click the links to the book's image and title, you can get a copy directly from the publishers themselves.

(Adapted from www.diyplanner.com)
Part of the fun of owning a blank journal is the flexibility to use the blank page as a canvas for your ideas. You can choose to write or draw on the pages, sometimes at the same time. Most of the time, however, blank books go marked only with the printed word across the pages. Sometimes, rarely, do we ever think to decorate the pages with quick sketches of images our eyes have seen throughout the day. Even more rarely do we ever just practice the fine art of doodling around the entries with a basic pen.

Enter Doodling for Papercrafters, by Maelynn Cheung. Cheung has written a fun, creative, how-to guide to creating original, hand drawn embellishments to your paper arts. This fast paced and quirky book takes you on a crash course through the joys of doodling on paper. The book teaches you simple and complex ways to add some personalized art to your creative works. Learn simple techniques like making lines and squigglies to advanced flower and paisleys. Doodling for Papercrafters is heavily illustrated which helps to show the diversity of doodles artists have implemented in their own works.

Cheung is a scrapbook artist who believes that adding simple doodles gives paper projects a touch of personality. And this book delivers a lot of personality; starting with the cover–which caught my eye and compelled me to buy it. I imagine she wrote this book as if she were giving one of her classes in a creative room. Her tone is friendly and every step is illustrated with both hand drawn and real-life (with commentary) examples.

The book is broken up into six sections. Each section builds on one another and each one is color coded so you can reference the book easily. The first section, Introduction, gives you background information on what Cheung thinks doodling is, why bother learning how to doodle, and recommended tools. The next section, Doodles, begins to teach you how to make amazing and fun doodles using simple elements such as lines, circles, waves, swirls, vines and flowers. In Lettering, she then teaches you how to use the alphabet as a doodling technique. The next section, Journaling, builds off the last section and helps gives you ideas to doodle journalling work. The last how-to section in this tutorial covers advance techniques like creating paisleys and making your doodles 3-dimensional. The book closes with Inspiration, which is a selection of layouts and creations that showcase all the techniques Cheung presents in this book.

Curious about the book but don't want to invest in it? Go visit Cheung's website and download three sample PDFs of her doodling techniques. Each file gives you a condensed preview of the techniques she explores in-depth in her book:

* lines
* squigglies
* a mish-mash of techniques

Bottom line is that Doodling for Papercrafters is a fast, fun and practical introduction to doodling. While this book may seem focused on scrapbooks and their design, don't be fooled. The ideas within can be applied to all your creative projects. Expand your artistic abilities by applying these concepts to your own journals or scrapbook layouts as soon as you read about them. Many examples in the book also reinforce this idea as they range from traditional scrapbook layouts to CDs to fabric arts.

Doodling for Papercrafts is a quick read, at only 100 pages; but it's printed in full-color glory so you can see how to use color within each doodling example. It costs $19.95 but is well worth the purchase.

The second of three books I own on the Wraeththu series, this one focuses on several lesser characters from the original trilogy. It's told between the second and third books and ends briefly before the final events of the third. It not only expands a bit of Constantine's mythology but sort of also retells and gives more information on the events of what happened. I'm enjoying this and can't wait to see where the next book leads. I'm now 2/3rds done with my goal books! yay.

Developing Story Ideas, by Michael Rabiger, tackles the question that plagues most writers today: where do you get your ideas. This book is his valiant attempt at an answer. It's also a textbook, aimed for use in screenwriting classrooms. I saw it on the textbook shelves for the Art Institute of Portland while perusing books at Powell's. The title was enough to intrigue me and I knew that I needed a copy. Despite the book's goal to provide exercises and structure to fit a classroom setting, Rabiger recognizes that the work could be read and used by the solo writer. He also recognizes that the text can be used to apply to all sorts of storytelling formats: screenplays, novels, short stories, memoirs.

Rabiger's premise is that you can use your life, the situations you've been in, the people that have come into contact with you, your dreams (both goal based and night time meanderings), and your imagination to create amazing stories. The chapters are structured similarly: introducing a topic and then diving straight into three or four exercises (that you can do on your own or in a classroom setting) that show you how to use or develop the concept being discussed. Concepts in later chapters build off and use elements of earlier ones. Developing Story Ideas also includes chapters dedicated to the tools of the trade, reviewing current/past works of others, and revising your works into standard formats.

What I liked
The biggest benefit this book has to offer, to me, was the CLOSAT game. The game is a two step process. First, you keep track of 6 different subjects in your writer's notebook. These are Character, Location, Objects, Situations, and Actions. Each type gets labeled accordingly (Rabiger explains how to do this extensively in the book). Each subject gets transferred down to an index card which is then used in the game. The game is played by shuffling all the same card types together and then drawing a mix of cards to create a scene. For example, you draw two Character cards, a Location card, and a Situation card. You are then given a few minutes to craft a story together using these elements before you present the premise to others (or, I suppose if you're working alone, writing it down in your writer's notebook).

I also liked how Rabiger brings the idea mining process to a personal level by suggesting that everyone's life histories can provide fertile ground for great stories. There are many questions and exercises in this book that are geared towards capturing details and past memories, that can then be used as central pieces in your own works. He invites the reader to create a list of important themes in their life and then use them to develop stories that help cater to the themes.

Developing Story Ideas gives plentiful exercises to explore all the concepts presented within its covers. Long-time readers on this site know that I love books with exercises. Yes, it's fun to read and learn more about the theory and various aspects of my writing craft, but when it comes right down to it, give me exercises. They help reinforce the theory and give me a chance to work out the techniques. And this book definitely delivers on the exercises, over 50 of them.

What I didn't like
On the other hand, I found the text very clinical, and a bit hard to read. I recognize and understand that the book's primary audience are film school students. But as a textbook its written a bit matter-of-fact-like where he says things and does not expand upon them as much as I would like. Sometimes the text makes assumptions and conclusions that the reader is supposed to understand. Maybe I'd have no problem understanding where Rabiger is coming from, if I were a screenplay writer. But, as a fiction writer, I felt lost in trying to understand why he put some items in the book.

The book's structure varies a bit for my tastes. Rabiger begins the book strongly in showing you how to develop ideas from your past and then using the CLOSAT game. It then deviates to delve into the benefits of reviewing and disseminating previous works. He writes a few chapters that relate to the fine art of dissecting scenes and stories to see how it was all put together. I can see the benefits from including such examinations but I also did not expect to find in a book on story idea mining. If Rabiger had used the reviewing of movies and other stories as a means to backup his own ideas, I'd have understood how this fit in, but on its own, it left me puzzled. Thankfully, he returns back to the quick-fire mode of showing you how to mine stories from your past, news, dreams, and myths for more ways to come up with story ideas.

With the core book telling the reader how to use the tools of a dramatist and reviewer before they get into writing their own stories, I felt that the book tended to jump away from providing solid ways to develop one's own story ideas. Even though Rabiger explains it in his overview and introduction, I had a problem just seeing why we needed to delve into scene breakdown in a book that is supposed to help students generate story ideas.

Bottom Line
Overall, I liked Developing Story Ideas. There's a lot of good exercises and suggestions in this book. However, I'm not convinced that it provides the definite answer to the age old question of where writers get their ideas. Instead, it provides a dialogue between the various ways of idea generation and how to present them to a modern audience. I'm sure that if used in a college setting, this book and its theories and group exercises would provide a wonderful syllabus. Developing Story Ideas contains good suggestions and exercises in this book to appease any writer.

I've just started a new writing group with a friend and we've had our first meeting the last week of July. We're a small group, 6-8 people who have varied interests and goals. So I got this book to help me get a bit of focus on what types of groups are out there and how we should approach our own group. I have the feeling that ours is going to be a mix of the types Reeves spoke of, with a sprinkle and dash of our craziness and silliness. :) All in all a good book that gave me much to think on.

As a fiction writer, I'm charged with creating characters that my audience will enjoy. Ballon's book takes writers thru the process of creating well-rounded characters using various psychological techniques. She describes lots of ways to make quirky, real characters by allowing yourself to examine them as they interact the real world. This books has lots of exercises and does get into how to make villians (shadow characters) as well. It was a good read and I'll be using many techniques in my own stories to make my characters more real.

Lately I've been reading a lot of books on Tao and Buddhism and when I heard about this book (which combines my love for tarot in with the eastern side of things), I knew I had to get it. It's an interesting blending of eastern and western thought patterns. It follows the Tao Te Ching rather than the traditional structure of the cards themselves and tries to tie the tarot in with this ancient book of tao. Slightly different than what I expected... this book gives in-depth interpretations on how one would read tarot cards with a eastern mind (it also includes the more traditional western meanings as well). I'm hoping to attempt to incorporate some of these ideas into my own readings.

(Adapted from www.diyplanner.com)The ultimate dream for any artist and crafter is to be able to open up a shop where they can sell their creations and make a living from their passion. Thanks to sites like Ebay and Etsy, crafters can do just this. For those of you who think you might want to eventually swap out your 9-5 job to pursue a business based off your creative designs, then Craft, Inc.: Turn your creative hobby into a business, by Meg Mateo Ilasco, is your guide into getting your business startedMateo Ilasco uses Craft, Inc. to hit all the major points of starting your own crafty company. Her writing is crisp and tailored perfectly to today's crafting audience. The chapters are loosely organized around topics such as: starting a new business; overview of business topics; making your product identity; marketing (with heavy emphasis on internet and trade show techniques); production and pricing; and how to live beyond the dream. She teaches you how to make business and marketing plans and how to act when you're invited to trade shows. The book also contains many internet resources to help you along the way to turning your crafting hobby into a profitable business.Craft, Inc. contains a lot of good information over a very broad scope. Mateo Ilasco covers a lot of ground in 160 pages. I'd almost recommend that you read this book twice. Once to see the variety of information in the book and a second time to really understand what to do with the information. There are lots of check lists to make sure that you have what it takes to open shop or successfully attend a trade show. She also includes some very good questions to ask yourself about why you are doing what you are doing with your craft and business. The book includes many positive success-story interviews, illustrating that craft businesses can and do make it in the real world.I personally loved the final chapter, “Ups, Downs, and Next Steps”. While knowing business plans and marketing styles is important, this chapter goes into the specifics of what to do if your design gets plagiarized, or if you burn out quickly, or want to end your business because it's not doing as well as expected. These are important things that happen to new entrepreneurs and usually get glanced over or forgotten from most business-oriented books.On the flipside, while the book contains a lot of information, the information it does contain tends to be broad and generalized. This is a book that caters to craft-people but it should be read in conjunction with other business books out there. For example, the book talks a lot about marketing and where to go to market your wares. But it doesn't really tell you the specifics of making a great marketing plan that grows with your business over the years. I also would have liked to see more interviews with crafters; especially one or two where turning their hobby into a full-time business didn't live up to their expectations. Adding a touch of realism to all the bright and shiny [b:success stories 3228917 Outliers Malcolm Gladwell http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41bbHmtqpQL.SL75.jpg 3364437] would ground this cheery, “can do” book back into reality. Craft, Inc. also focuses mostly on US markets and techniques, so I'm not sure how useful this book would be on a global scale; even though Mateo Ilasco does mention outsourcing globally.The bottom line is that Craft, Inc. is a good, solid book to introduce basic business principles to crafters who think they want to open shop and sell their items. It gives you a complete view of the business process from creation to ending your business gracefully. Like most craft books on the market, this one has a nice graphic design and color scheme that seems to cater to woman crafters over men. But don't let that fool you as Mateo Ilasco does illustrate that the book works for anyone.

I'm drawn into books that help better myself. I borrowed this book from the library after being recommended it by amazon. Mary Anne Radmacher is an artist and a wordsmith whose book reflects upon several tenants on how to live one's life. She says this book is a commonplace book... a book of reflections over life events, teachings and thoughts. It's mapped over one of her more famous poems (her work can be seen everywhere. She's also a Oregon Coast artist) and includes many quotable passages as well as exercises.

Writing is my trade. Words are the currancy and writing help books are market watchers. Page After Page discusses and promotes a whole writing lifestyle. Sellers writes about how she came to her writing by meeting the trade, page after page, each day. She gently nudges you to the page by telling you stories of her triumphs and failures to meet the page every day. Through her stories and almost memoir-like writing, the reader learns how meeting the blank page and writing can lead to a writer's life; that words, written and read, along with surrounding oneself with chearleaders and other writers, builds a blooming writing lifestyle that will last an entire life. Exercises help broaden the writing life and help you write every day, building one one another until you're able to get the building blocks to keep up with writing daily. This is a great book... Sellers doesn't sugar coat any aspect of a writer's life. She lays all her cards on the table, telling you what is good about writing and a writing life and warns you against the bads... and what happens to writers when they drop out or lose the passion. This is a true writing life– it's dirty, gritty and helps you cultivate something real... which is how to be a writer and sit your butt in the chair every day to write. This book fits into my summer goals by removing it from one of the three stacks I have laying around my writing desk. It's now going back home in my art/writing studio. (So I can use it to write daily.)

We all long for the simple life, where we surround ourselves with just enough things to not weigh us down; and time to enjoy the greater things in life. Does it mean stripping her life to the bare minimum of items around her? Does it mean moving from the life in the city to out in the countryside where she grows her own foods? In a day and age where many people take the idea of a “simple life” to the extreme (they move away from places they love, grow their own food, and get rid of countless treasures) Simple Days is Schiwy's attempt at looking inside herself and trying to understand what a simple life really means. Schiwy kept this journal over the course of a year in which she determined what she wanted to gain in “simplifying her own life”. At first she wonders if simplifying life means getting rid of just stuff or if there's a deeper meaning to it all. The journal, then follows her path as she sorts out just what sort of a simple life she wants. It details her comfort zones of what she needs to retain in her life and also reminisces about her family life and how that shaped her view of living. In the end, she finds that she already lives a simple life; it's mostly just clearing out clutter and preparing herself for a long move from the East Coast to the West that she needs to get a handle on. This book was another long ago purchase that helps to clear it off a stack.

Interesting course on combining tarot with aspects of majick. It not only gives many spreads and interpretations for the cards but also gives physical and meditative examples to apply lessons to one's own life. Each chapter had some personal story that introduced a core concept, presented an original spread, then discussed the card(s). Each chapter ended with a personal exercise that involved getting away from the deck and meditate or practice some energy/perspective exercise. Seeing that this book is also British, it was refreshing to hear different interpretations on what each card means. It's a quick read, but I'd recommed this book for tarot enthusiasts who already know a bit about tarot, its structure and the meaning of each card. This fits into my overall goals for the summer, but I realize I need to read more fictiion books. This book DOES remove one book OFF a stack of books that I keep on a t.v. tray behind the sofa; it now rests peacefully back on its spot on one of my bookcases.

The idea of tagging has always fascinated me. I wish OS X had tagging built into the file system so I could classify and recall files, images and music based on how I relate to them. When I heard about this book, I hoped that it would help shed some more light on tagging.

I imagined that the book would help expand upon various tag methodologies and how one could get more out of using a tagging system or site. There IS a little bit of that in this book, mostly in the first chapter.

The rest of Tagging caters to the coders. It gives guidelines, business aspects, and code rules to help programmers design and develop their own tagging system for an Intranet or home-brew web application.

While I found it all very interesting, I'm not a coder, so much of the tech was lost to me. I'll be giving this one to kender to read, maybe he and his company can get more out of it than I did.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC from netgally in exchange for a review. However, I did purchase the book because I was going to do so anyways. Also, Courtney Weber is a good friend of mine.

I am new to Brigid. I've heard a lot about her, many of my friends devote energy to her and there are many rituals dedicated to her around Imbolc. Since Courtney wrote this book, I felt it was time to see just what she was all about. Needless to say, I'm pleasantly surprised. Brigid has a lot more to offer people than just using her as a goddess head for Imbolc rites.

Brigid is a multifaceted goddess who has roots in Celtic, Christian, and Hoodoo lore. Originally the goddess of the hearth, smith, and springtime, she was elevated to Saint status so that the incoming Roman empire in the British Isles could keep the locals under control. Brigid's domain is wide and she's not just the crafts-hearth-happy goddess that many think her as.

Courtney did her homework for this book. You get a bit of historical lore, and location for Brigid in her homeland of Ireland. You also get to read tales and snippets from the traditional myths discussing the goddess. Most of each chapter and each section begins with a short tale about Brigid and how she fits into being a goddess of war, or of springtime, etc. I loved this because it ties her into the culture AND makes a potential devotee think about the source material and how it can relate back to modern applications. Courtney also weaves practical magic into the book by giving you meditations, rituals (for groups and solo work), and spells to help bring creativity, focus, and other aspects of Brigid into your world.

BOTTOM LINE: If you want to know more about Brigid, the “roles” she takes, and have a good foundation (and breadth) of spells, meditations, and rituals to devote to Brigid, then this is the book for you. A side note, author Lunaea Weatherstone is coming out with a book on Brigid this fall and I'm looking forward to seeing her perspective of Brigid and how the two books work together.

Bases on the work of Joseph Campbell: This is Christopher Vogler's interpretation of Mystic Structures for Storytellers & Screenwriters.I have not yet applied this book yet it was a real eye opener. This book is not only for the aspiring writer but is a good insight to existing stories and movies. The content goes way beyond Campbell with contemporary movies as subjects.He covers heroes and journeys down to a science. I think I'll put the story together first then come back to this book for the polish. If nothing else this is a good companion to “[b:The Lord of the Rings 34 The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1) J.R.R. Tolkien http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156043001s/34.jpg 3204327]”