Lobisomens: fé dos lobos

  Tendo em conta que a sua espécie foi concebida por entidades divinas, os lobisomens têm surpreendentemente poucas crenças religiosas, contudo, estas possuem uma grande influência no modo como interagem com o mundo.

  Os pilares da fé licantropa são: - venerar Fenris, o fundador da raça fenrisniana. 

                                                 - honrar os mortos, vingando-os quando necessário. 

  Agora, só para chatear, deixemos as explicações para outro post.

When Dreams Bleed by Robin Cain

Synopsis From Back Cover:

A software genius with a knack for business, Frank’s been living the dream his whole life. He’s amassed money, success, and is now accumulating women, but someone out there thinks he’s gone too far.

Who is seeking revenge and why? His wife? His mistress? Or the shadow who’s been following his every move?

Just when he thinks he has anticipated his opponent’s next move a tragic car accident leaves him paralyzed, his life’s work is being stolen and his wife has disappeared. Just how far will someone go to teach him the correlation between deception and despair?

WHEN DREAMS BLEED examines temptation and the ensuing consequences in a contemporary world. It’s no secret that dreams come at a price, but what happens WHEN DREAMS BLEED?
 
I've been sitting on this review for a while now trying to figure out what I want to say about it.  When I first started this book, I was already in a bad mindset because I had just finished reading two books I didn't really like, one of which I absolutely hated, plus a third book that I couldn't finish.  So needless to say I wasn't in the best mood when I started this book.  I was wanting this book to get me out of my slump and unfortunately it didn't.
 
I was wanting to like this one and the makings of a really good mystery were there.  I found the storyline, overall, to be well crafted and meticulously thought out.  The hard work that the author put into this is obvious on every page and I appreciate the author's abundance of talent.  The complex relationships between the characters was interesting to read, and I never felt that the characters were acting in such a way that went against who they were. 
 
Now comes the two aspects of the book I didn't care too much for and I'm afraid that it's tainted my overall impressions of the book.  I'm not one that normally minds a large body count, which this book has, but when the two most important ones are done off page, I feel that the deaths don't mean as much.  That their wasn't much thought put into the deaths themselves, which is a disappointment when you can read all the thought put into the rest of the storyline.  I'm also not a big fan of "throwaway deaths" and the one that takes place in this book cements that for me.  One of the minor characters that I never really liked all that much anyway, dies in such a manner that you're left trying to figure out what the point of it was.  There was no reason to kill her, and to kill her in such a way, after she finally makes a serious decision about her life, is just puzzling.  Even the death of the murderer is done in such a way that I'm more confused than anything else.
 
The death of the killer is a nice way to bring up the second aspect of the book that I didn't quite get.  While the killer is dying at the end of the book, they are talking to a picture of what I assume is long dead family member.  You are supposed to understand the motivation of the killer through this conversation, but I was at more of a loss then I was before it.  The motive is fuzzy and unclear to me and I'm not sure why the killer did what they did.
 
After all that being said, I can't say I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone else.  While I may not have enjoyed it as much as I would have liked, I would feel confident that others would. The author is wonderfully talented and I will be on the lookout for her other novels.
 
This will qualify for the Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge 2010 hosted by Carolyn of Book Chick City.

Mailbox Monday for 5/31/2010

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page

Just one book this week.  I purchsed a paperback of  The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie.

Remember

Memorial Weekend 2010, we fly our flag proudly on most sunny days and fortunately this weekend is proving perfect for the Stars and Stripes. Ray's sons - Chris and Kevin - are Marine veterans. They fortunately served and survived their five years of commitment to the Armed Services. Sadly, many do not and for that we remember and honor service, duty, and all soldiers who serve(d).

Oh, Ray and I grill burgers and float in the pool, and yeah, we take in a Memorial Day sale. However, we do truly salute all of our fighting men - living, dead, past, and present. My Uncle Bill fought in WWII and lost a leg and a year of his life in service to the United States. He turned ninety this month - a humble, great man, I'm proud to know. Ray's Uncle James served in Vietnam. He came back from that war a different person, and ultimately succumbed from post-war trauma - he was a delightful man and a hero our family remembers.

So many enlist for the United States of America and all it stands for. I shall mention freedom of speech, because obviously that is dear to my heart. I'm grateful I can post this blog. I'm grateful I can publish without fear of reprisal. Thinking about patriots cranking out words on printing presses, I'm in awe.

And in today's world, the publishing industry is in flux and yet survives with banter. Here's a quote from Garrison Keillor (Chicago Tribune/New York Times), " I think the publishing industry is about to slide into the sea. "

In turn, Jon Stewart said at the New York Book Expo, "I think the most surprising thing about the Keillor op-ed is that I thought he was dead." Ba-zinga (as Sheldon would say on Big Bang Theory)

Publishing shall flourish and the Internet is a potential friend and not enemy. Printed books versus e-books is still up for debate and perhaps both can live in harmony. And that's the joy of America. Choices. Freedom.

Memorial Day - I bow my head in remembrance

Sunday Funnies

Font Conference

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Em que crêem os Ocultos?

Tendo em conta a longa e atribulada relação entre as criaturas sobrenaturais e a religião, não existe uma resposta simples a esta questão.

Algumas espécies de Ocultos foram sacralizados por determinadas crenças e demonizados por outras, havendo mesmo aqueles que se viram veneradas como deuses.

Contudo, o que fica após a remoção desta percepção externa? Como é que cada espécie ou indivíduo de origem sobrenatural vê o divino?

The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie

Synopsis From Back Cover:

A conjurer of skill with an instinct for detection, Mr. Harly Quin has an almost magical flair for appearing at the scene of the most remarkable crimes.  But is it just a trick of light that haunts his shadow with a ghostly apparition?  Is if fate that invites him to a New Year's Eve murder?  And what forces are at work when his car breaks down outside Royston Hall, an isolated estate with a deadly history?

Well here I am finishing up another book on my Agatha Christie self challenge and I must say that I'm still not sure what I'm really thinking about this one.  This is a collection of 12 short stories that she wrote over a long period of time that while they are mysteries, there is a very strong supernatural element to them.

They all feature Mr. Satterthwaite, a older gentleman who has lived his life through the observation of others.   When he encounters Mr. Harly Quin for the first time, he knows he's met someone that will bring about the "dramas" he so craves. 

Without an exemption Mr. Harly Quin arrives on the scene or in some other fashion and Mr. Satterthwaite through his own skills of observation is able to discern the truth of the crime involved.  I thoroughly enjoyed all the stories and am most appreciative of the fact that Mr. Harly Quin is not quite human, which is obvious from almost the beginning.

Now whether he is a angel or some sort of spirit who speaks on behalf of the dead is left up to your own imagination.  Either way he is an enigma of a character and I wish that Agatha Christie would have wrote more about him. 

Now from a mystery standpoint I found the stories to be thrilling and captivating.  Each one presents a new set of circumstances and challenges for Mr. Satterthwaite to figure out and come out on top of it.

I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to read really well crafted mystery writing with a tinge of the supernatural.

This will qualify for both the Thriller & Suspense 2010 Reading Challenge and the Typically British Reading Challenge 2010, both of which are hosted by Carolyn of Book Chick City.

Favorite Fictional Character --- Ben from Grizzly Adams

When I'm sitting down to write these posts, my mind has been wandering back to some of my favorite childhood TV shows.  I seem to have had a fondness for shows that either took place in the Wild West or shows that featured animals.  So I figured why not talk about one of my favorite characters from a show that not only took place on the frontier but featured one of the coolest animals ever to grace a television screen.

The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams was loosely based on the life of Capen "Grizzly" Adams, who was a frontier trapper.  Now I'm sure that most people who remember this show would consider Grizzly Adams to be the main character of the show.  Now while I agree that his character was interesting to watch and his kindness to animals was to be admired, the reason I watched was to see Ben, the orphaned Grizzly bear that he adopted when he was just a cub.

Growing up (at least part of my childhood) on the North shore of Lake Superior, I had some great opportunities to see bear cubs in action, so bears have always been a fascination of mine.  Ben was the kind of bear that every little boy and I'm sure quite a few girls, would have loved to have around.  He was gentle and kind and you could just imagine yourself curling up with him and falling asleep.  He was that love able family dog that you could fall asleep in front of the TV with, taken to the next level.  Ben taught me, at a young age, the importance of taking care of our environment and the animals that we share this planet with.  He will always have a special place in my heart, and I always think of him when I happen upon a really cute Teddy Bear.

Fazedores de magia - especializações: magia atmosférica ou ambiental

  Relacionada com a manipulação ou criação de condições climáticas. 

  Os fazedores de magia que nela se especializam podem, por exemplo: mudar a temperatura dentro de um determinado espaço ou invocar chuva, relâmpagos, neve, etc. 

  Como acontece com a maioria das especializações, existem várias sub-especializações dentro dela, que o fazedor de magia é livre de escolher dependendo dos seus talentos e objectivos. O que também significa que é quase impossível alguém dominar todos os aspectos da magia atmosférica.

Hidden Talent

Wandered the historic neighborhoods of Arlington Heights, Fort Worth on Sunday on the Hidden Garden Tour. It's fun to "sneak" into backyards (albeit with paid admission) and judge others' hard work. This process made me think about how agents must approach a slush pile - no doubt with hope of finding hidden talent, and with trepidation - i.e. incurring poison ivy or tangled in weedy words.

This bungalow had an outdoor chandelier - rather kitschy cute. Not my taste and probably back into the slush pile for me. Otherwise, the backyard had a lot of interesting corners with various plants, lawn ornaments, statues, and hidden treasures. If I dismissed the yard based on my first viewing, I would have missed a lot.

Sunday was swampy. No other way to describe a humid 92 degree day. We glistened as we strolled, eager for a breeze. This wall dragonfly caught my eye, and like a great opening sentence kept me yearning for more delights. I came away with a favorable impression of the owner's viewpoint.

Xeriscape, when done right, offers another avenue in gardening world. The outer perimeter of this garden was a bit grassy and messy, but inside the fenced area this turtle reminded me to trod slowly and enjoy the small details. Again, agents wading through the grass don't have time to encounter turtles. Back to the dragonfly opener - flap the wings of wild words to grab attention. Plenty of time to plod along with backstory and character sketches.

My friend, Ann, and I were far more critical of the garden tour this year. Were we delirious from the heat? Or did we have more garden tours under our belt to use as comparison? It was a mixture. That's true for agents, I'm sure. There are days of delirium when nothing written suits, and there are plenty of books - really well-written material in their library that shine.

As a writer, I must pull weeds and let the flowers garner aclaim.

A-traveling we will go!

My niece Bronte will be graduating from high school June 9, so I'll be making a special trip to Texas for a week! I'll be there from June 7-12, and sister-pal Mary will be taking the week off too, so you can bet there will be LOTS of Texas birding to be done! I might see that Golden-Cheeked Warbler yet!

Before that, though, AB and I will be driving up to New Paltz, NY, to stay in a vacation rental home with her parents and her sister and brother-in-law on the weekend before I go to Texas, so there will be more out-of-PA birding to do there! AB's mom is a big hiker and wildflower lover, so I'm hoping to see lots of photo-worthy sights!

In the meantime, I'll be squeezing in some birding whenever I can.

This past weekend, I walked in a fundraising walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. My friend Amy's daughter Zoe was diagnosed before she turned 2, and another friend's son was diagnosed at age 5. I also have a friend named Molly whose daughter Lucy was diagnosed. All these kids were young and active, otherwise healthy, until suddenly they weren't anymore. Once doctors figured out what was wrong, their lives have been better, but they deal with daily "I've gotta check your sugar" requests, finger-sticks, insulin shots/pumps, and dietary control. So walking a couple of laps around Beaver Stadium and raising some money was the least I could do. Speaking of which...

Thank you, Susan of the blog Lake Life, one of the original Flock members! for your online donation! And to my old Domino's Pizza pal and Facebook friend Chris Stant for your online donation! (I worked at Domino's Pizza for a year before moving up to PA back in 2003.)

So--vacation plans are firming up, my new job at MegaCorp is going well (9 sales for the month so far, which is really good!), and life is sweet with Niblet and the kitties. By the way, think good thoughts for little Owen, who's spending the night at the vet in preparation for having his teeth cleaned and a bad tooth removed tomorrow. I know just how he feels.

Here's a pic of all three babies in happier times:That's Owen, looking cool for the camera in the gray, Maya on the left -- no doubt headed for the food bowl -- and Nib working on some fresh timothy in the back.

Mailbox Monday for 05/24/2010

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page

This was another small week for me.  I won two books from Terri at Alexia's Books and Such... Spiral Hunt and Wild Hunt both by Margaret Ronald are ARC paperbacks.

Digiscoping brainstorm!

What if, instead of using a spotting scope for digiscoping, you used a monocular? Admittedly, the zoom capabilities would be lessened; for instance, if you used a 10x25 monocular, you wouldn't get the same zoom capacity as if you used a typical zoom setting of between 20 and 30x (the lower end of a spotting scope's ability, as recommended by digiscoping god Mike McDowell). Still, it might be a viable (not to mention low-cost) alternative to the big spotting scopes.

Oh wait... what about mounting to a tripod? Perhaps there is something that could be done to join the monocular--or WAIT! the camera!--to the tripod! Of course!

I love thinking out loud on my bloggy because everyone offers great advice! So please feel free to offer some advice.

The monoculars I'm considering. Note the large eyepiece lens on the cheaper one--critical for alignment of camera lens for digiscoping.

The digiscoping adapter I'm considering.

What do you think?

Sunday Funnies

Necromantes, os senhores dos mortos

Não quero entrar em grandes pormenores sobre estes fazedores de magia pois isso seria enveredar por spoilers. Quando conseguir publicar o segundo livro de Crónicas Obscuras voltaremos a falar...

Contudo, desde já, gostava de esclarecer uma coisa sobre os necromantes em Crónicas Obscuras: eles controlam os mortos, nomeadamente os fantasmas e outras variantes (de novo ainda não quero ir por aí), porém, não os vampiros. Sim, os filhos da noite são mortos-vivos, mas a sua natureza específica coloca-os longe do controlo dos praticantes de necromancia.

Quando aos senhores dos mortos é tudo o que tenho a dizer por agora, mas espero em breve poder contar-vos mais sobres estes fazedores de magia com tremendo potencial literário.

Speed-birding

After work this evening, I speed-birded a couple of spots today: the Scotia Barrens and the Julian Wetlands. I only had twenty minutes to a half-hour in each place, so it was pretty quick.

I went back to Julian because people have seen as many as four Red-necked Phalaropes there in the last few days! That would mark the last phalarope for my lifelist, having seen the Red Phalarope in Texas and the Wilson's here at Julian--in my opinion, the most striking of the three. I didn't see the phalarope, but I did get some good pics at both places.

I Birdjammed a Brown Creeper! Look:
See him there, on that diagonal slash-scar on the bark near the middle of the tree? No?

How about now? I realize it's just a blurry bird-shape, but I was working the Birdjam and the camera at the same time, and it was evening light. Here's a little hint:
I'm just glad I got him. (That IS the bird, right? it's not just a branch?) I know it was the actual bird; I called him in, watched him flit from trunk to trunk, traded little call phrases with him. It was awesome!

I also saw some nice flowers:

No idea what this flowering tree is, but the flowers smelled just like orange blossoms.

Forget-me-nots at the Julian Wetlands

Wild Geranium (I think)at the Barrens

Barren Strawberry! (I think) The leaves and flower type/color match.

And look at this little guy, a (I think) Long Dash Skipper

One of the things I love about being in the woods is seeing young trees, just starting their lives, fighting for sun and water and life:

young aspen

young maple

young oak

I also saw this little couple, pondering the future of their family:I wonder what they're thinking about.