Pump Up Your Book: "Why I Don't Lose Weight" by Dr. Wilfred Aguila Blog Tour/Guest Post

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ABOUT WHY I DON’T LOSE WEIGHT

Why I Don’t Lose Weight is a unique perspective to the battle of the bulge. Dr. A gets to the heart of the struggle with weight loss by identifying the root causes that keep you in a cycle of overeating; he then gives practical solutions for overcoming that struggle and losing weight for good. Wonderfully clear and simple steps to permanent better health from a physician who has lived it.

Purchase Link:

AMAZON

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ABOUT DR. WILFRED AGUILA

Struggling for almost a decade with his own weight problem, Dr. Aguila gained a personal understanding about the process of obesity. He remembers his battle with binge eating and the lessons he learned that allowed him to finally break the cycle of overeating. He shares with his patients these lessons so that they may break their own Cycles.

Dr. A is an author, radio show host, and national obesity expert. He has appeared on numerous morning TV shows and as a regular expert segment on Telemundo. He is also a regular contributor to the Huffington Post as well as other publications. Through his weekly syndicated radio show (The Dr. A Show) and his motivational speaking engagements, Dr. A touches the lives of those suffering with serious weight problems and empowers them with the knowledge that they need to win their struggle.

My Story (Guest Post by the Author)

As a physician, I couldn’t understand why I allowed myself to become overweight. In my training I learned all about nutrition and health, yet I chose to ignore these benchmarks. I felt tired, fatigued, and short of breath all the time. My blood pressure was up and my blood sugars were on the borderline. I also felt embarrassed and vulnerable.

I tried multiple times to lose weight but I couldn’t keep it off. Intuitively I knew that in order to be successful I had to change the very fabric of my life... and that is what I did.

I looked deep inside and found the courage to face the real issues that were making me use food for comfort. I had always been a perfectionist and afraid to fail. Now with lack of time and working very long hours I was always afraid that I would not meet the expectations that I had placed on myself; not the ones that others placed on me which were far more lenient. I always tried to be all things to all people because I wanted people to like me. I realized, however, that I could not live like that and that I had to learn to accept good or good enough. I had to do my best and be satisfied with that.

Learning not to be perfect was no easy task, but I realized that I had to take it in spurts. First thing was to find a way to make more time for my family and for myself so that I could lessen the burden of never having enough time. We need to slow down; making more money is not worth missing the treasure of watching your kids grow up. Relieving the pressure of time allowed me to accept giving things my best effort and not pushing to be my definition of the best. I took a while but I learned that my best was far more than what was really needed and existed only in my mind. I still have my moments, but I can reason with myself now…and I listen!

Controlling my perfectionism also allowed me to understand that I will never be able to please everyone and that, as long as I do my best, I will help many. It felt like a boulder was taken off my shoulders and I am in a better place now to fight off the stresses that invariably come in life…but not with food.

You see what I now realize is that I had to go through being overweight and sick in order to understand why it happens in the first place, even to a doctor. No one is immune to this even if they think they are.

Later, after I had lost the weight I was looking for an explanation as to why I gained so much weight and, more importantly, why I was able to keep it off this time. I realized that it wasn’t about the eating at all; it was about the reasons why I was overeating. Now don’t get me wrong, I worked at it and I changed my diet as well as exercise, but in the past that wasn’t enough to keep it off. This time I found the root causes and I fixed them. It was then that I discovered the Cycle of Obesity. 

I understood the cycle when one day I was in my office and I started writing down the different culprits that I thought made me obese. I searched deep inside myself, almost painfully to find them, but what emerged was something that made intuitive sense. The anxiety, the depression, and the guilt all came together in a cycle that was treated with food. The cycle is easy to follow and anyone can identify with it at first glance if they are struggling with their weight.

It wasn’t until a year later that I was able to really identify the root causes that put us in the cycle in the first place. What helped me with this was taking care of so many patients with the same problem that I had and empathizing with them every step of the way. More time passed until I gathered enough insight to find solutions to all the root causes and put it all together with the cycle to help others with it.

Discovering this cycle also led me to discover my newest cycle, which is the cycle of success. This cycle is a roadmap to achieving success in setting goals.  What I found is that these two cycles are intimately connected and explain why sometimes we get complaisant and ultimately fail to keep our goals.

I have used both of these ideas with many of my patients with great success. Despite diets and/or surgery, if you don’t eliminate the root causes, the weight will come back. I know that the weight can be conquered...I am living proof.

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Pump Up Your Book and Dr. Wilfred Aguila are teaming up to give you a chance to win a new Kindle Fire HD!

Enter to win this here. You will also be able to follow the entire schedule from that vantage point.

RABT: "Ice Blue" by Susan Rae Guest Post/Promo

Romantic Suspense

Date Published: 3/15/13

When lives are on the line, sometimes the wrong thing is the right thing to do.

Born into a Chicago cop family, Angela DeLuca gets her rush from saving lives while her brothers get theirs from catching the bad guys. A tough beauty with a heart perhaps too big, she champions the underdog because, as the youngest of six siblings, she often felt like one.

ICE Special Agent Troy Deavers became a cop to prove he wasn’t like his father—a southern politician who brought his family down with greed and corruption. He doesn’t suffer victims well. At first intrigued by Angela’s passion, he soon fears that the fire in Angela’s heart will be her undoing.

What happens when Troy falls in love with the lovely but infuriating Angela, the Chicago paramedic who insists on protecting a young witness and her unborn baby—a witness who could break his case wide open?

You met the DeLuca family in heartbeats, now come to know them even better in ICE blue.

I write, basically, because I just can’t help myself.  I can't resist the challenge of taking the intriguing characters and storylines that pop into my head and fleshing them out into compelling manuscripts.  Romantic suspense is a natural to me, because it allows me to combine a sexy, passionate love story with a gritty suspense tale—in my opinion, the best of both worlds. It also lets me express my appreciation for the outdoors in the settings which I recreate on the page.

Freefall, my second novel, takes place in Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine Forest and beautiful Door County. ICE blue returns to the busy streets of Chicago and the shores of Lake Michigan to continue the story of the DeLuca family which began in my award winning first novel, heartbeats. I am currently working on the third book in the DeLuca series, TRUE blue, due out in 2014, where it seems my characters must take a trip to Montana’s majestic Glacier National Park.

When I’m not sketching characters or working out plot problems, you might find me on the golf course working on my handicap. I also enjoy traveling around the country seeking out new settings for my novels with my husband and my empty nest puppies, Ginger and Nikute.  To read more about my novels and the writing life, please visit my website/blog atwww.susanrae.com

What Does Your Office Look Like? (Author Guest Post)

Picture an expansive Mahogany desk with a brightly polished surface.  No stacks of papers or manuscripts clutter the top, only my open laptop, waiting for my pristine words.  Now picture a comfy leather chair and behind it a divided light picture window through which you can see a beautiful wooded landscape filled with evergreens, maples, and birches and where I can turn to to watch the seasons go by as I contemplate my novels.  Now pan to the right of my desk, to the credenza against the wall and the hutch where my many volumes of books are awesomely displayed.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?  Yes, but that’s not my office.  That’s Nora Roberts’ office.  I saw it during an interview she did a couple of months ago for, I don’t remember the show, 60 minutes, CBS Sunday Morning, ABC’s 20-20? It doesn’t matter.  All I remember is staring enviously at her desk.  Where are her stacks of research files? Where are her piles of manuscripts in various stages of completion? Where are her notes and check lists and marketing materials and files of blogs to write and interviews to do?  Where are the writing tips and articles she keeps at hand to glance at when she gets a little stuck in the work and needs a jump start?

Oh, that’s right, it’s Nora Roberts’ office.  I’m sure she doesn’t need all that stuff now.  I long for the day when I clear away all the clutter and it is just me at my desk, alone with the words.   Right…

What does my office look like?  It depends on what stage of the book I am in.  I took a picture when I was finishing up the final draft of ICE blue.  How can a person work in that clutter?  I asked myself. But, it my defense, it was organized clutter.  My desk had not one, but two computer displays on it—my laptop and its connection to my regular keyboard and monitor.  You see, my main computer died about a month before I finished ICE blue’s first draft.  ICE blue was locked inside it!  Luckily though, the computer was acting up the day before it died so I decided I’d better back up the file on flash drive.  Thank God I did, or I would have lost a full month’s worth of work.  That’s about one hundred pages! I have a new computer now, but whenever I am working on a novel, I back up the work to a flash drive before I leave the desk.  

What else was in that picture I took?  Stacks of research files, stacks of various critiqued chapters from my critique partners, my check list, pictures of my hero and heroine taped to my hutch, chapter and page number lists of what happens in each chapter so I can quickly go back and edit something when I needed to, stacks of other chapters on the floor which I had already gone through, and, the pile that I loved, crumpled up notes that I had made during the final draft which I was now done with and never had to look at again!  But back to the items on my desk: a three tier file stack devoted to the business of writing—royalty statements, time schedules, business receipts for items spend on promotion, etc.; on the accompanying hutch, the notebook for the next novel, waiting to be filled; my dictionary and thesaurus—even with the computer I still love to thumb through those for the perfect word; and, oh yes, the still relatively small collection of my books.  My books.  Awesome.  It may not be as large a collection as Nora Roberts, but heck, I wrote those!

And that’s just my desk area.  We’re not even talking about the closet with more shelves filled with more manuscript drafts, envelopes, computer program CDs, paper, print cartridges, marketing materials—book marks and post cards, etc., all very haphazardly arranged.  I really need to neaten that up.  To the left of the closet sits a book shelf that goes from floor to ceiling.   The top shelf holds my literature collection from all my courses I took in college.  The second holds paperbacks of my favorite romance authors, mostly read, although there is a stack I just don’t seem to get to with all the writing and promotion that needs to be done.  The third shelf holds hardcover copies of what I call classic contemporary literature—the fantasies of Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, some of the works of John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, Jayne Ann Krentz, to name a few.  I’m an eclectic reader, when I get the chance to read.  And I still have a collection of The Hardy Boys novels which I read when I was in grade school.  

And that window? I do have a window in front of my desk.  I can even look out at trees, but more important, I can see the delivery trucks that pull up or anyone else who might pull into the drive and decide if I want to answer to the door, or just keep writing.  Mostly, the blinds are turned up to shield the sun so it doesn’t interfere with my writing.  

So you get the picture.  My office is definitely not as neat as it could be, although I vowed when I was done with ICE blue and before I started the next book in the series, TRUE blue, that I would clean it up.  Get rid of all the clutter.  Make my office look like Nora Roberts’ office so next time it’d be just me and the words.  I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. Although I have eliminated some of the clutter, filed away the notes, manuscript drafts, and research specific to ICE blue, I am busy trying to get the word out about ICE blue and am already writing notes and organizing the research for TRUE blue.   Honest, there is no time to tidy.  

But in the end, that’s okay, because when I really get down to the writing, it is just me, the words, and the world I create on the page.  Everything else around me evaporates.  And that’s when the magic happens!

Thank you to our host for giving me the opportunity to give you some insight into my writing life and to for you for spending this time with me.  For more information on my writing and my books, please visit me at www.susanrae.com

Happy Reading!

Susan Rae   

BUY LINKS

Musa

Amazon

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RABT: "Tower of Obsidian" by L.T. Getty Blog Tour/Giveaway (ends 3/31) WW

Historical/Mythological

Date Published:2/4/13

When Kale mac Tadhg is betrayed by his lord’s men, he is sent on an impossible quest: to slay a witch in a tower, and end a people’s curse. Both Kale’s best friend Aaron Smithson and former betrothed Aoife of Westgate set out to rescue him, but their journey takes them into the uncharted waters and Nordic colonies, to a land cursed and all but forgotten as they begin to realize that there is some truth to old legends. Kale’s rescue comes at a price – for by the time Aaron and Aoife know where to search, like so many before him, Kale becomes bound to the ancient tower’s fate.

Excerpt

You know how the tale is supposed to go. The maiden is seized, captured by some foul villain. The hero gives chase, defeats the villain, and rescues her. The maid and hero wed and live happily ever after.

But suppose it doesn’t go like that. No doubt there have been countless stories of maidens taken by villains. Some are rescued, others are killed, and however tragic their stories, they are ended.

What if one of these maidens lingered in darkness, with puzzles unsolved, her dragons unslain?

She was stolen, like so many before her and many who came after. Was she a goddess, a nymph, or a common girl of great beauty? It matters little. He seized her and forced her into a dark tower, which even the gods could not destroy. Oh how they tried, sending their sons to battle him. All failed.

The wicked sorcerer enticed her, tried to trick and confuse her, but she would never submit. In rage, or perhaps when it seemed the tide was turning, and perhaps her true love finally came, the

sorcerer, rather than lose her, cursed her. He locked her in a prison, and she and the tower became one.

At last, the sorcerer was destroyed, but not sent forth to the land of the dead, or chance his evil would survive the grave.

Undying, he remained a fragmented wraith, a wicked creature, the villain in countless stories. Perhaps, that was why his defeat did not undo her curse, for she remained a prisoner in the dark spire.

Her would-be hero, defeated at the end, died of a broken heart. The lands around the tower grew dark, as if the world itself knew the tale was too sad. Surely, she was worth rescuing? Surely, there was another who could save her?

Imagine then, if you were she: your beauty, your curse, and your true love stolen from you. Imagine your father playing one suitor off another. All the while, the other women despise you.

Imagine being changed—much like how a god would turn a nymph into a cow, a goddess into the body of a mortal. Confined to a prison, and even if it were the finest castle in all the lands, heaven, earth, or the underworld, still a cage. All the while, you wait for a rescue which never comes. The spell will not allow you to die nor to grow old. You are stagnant in a world where stories of old become legends, and legends forgotten—dismissed as childish fancy.

No, child, surely you do not wish to know that story.

Maidens must be rescued, the good endure, and evil smote. Even though you know what is true or fair is not so in your life, you expect nothing else in your story. It is how the story is supposed to go. You

will accept nothing but a proper ending. Content yourself then with stories of long hair and spinning wheels.

Leia Getty

Author Bio:

L.T. Getty obtained her degree in English from the  University of  Winnipeg , and has studied creative writing both there and at the  Canadian  Mennonite  University.. She is an open-water scuba diver, has studied kendo, and currently works as a paramedic.

http://ltgetty.wordpress.com

Buy Links

Amazon

Burst (Publisher)
http://burstbooks.ca/product.php?id_product=90

Kobo
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Tower-Of-Obsidian/book-SIIj0vmDhka4TJV1WhnYLw/page1.html?s=5aT-giHJN06yfKiczYhYbw&r=1

Guest post (by the author)

5 Reasons to Write Fantasy

5) You’re in Great Company – Two stories written by a little someone called Homer, The Illiad and The Oddysey, have set the bar for many of our great stories – they were so influential in their time, there were rip-offs (you probably haven’t heard of but should consider reading The Aneid). Still not convinced? How about the one of the oldest known poems, The Epic of Gilgamesh? Tales of fantastic adventure and wonder are found in every culture – from The Voyages of Sinbad, the tradition of Wuxia, the poetry of Beowulf to traditional Native Canadian story telling of creatures such as The Windigo, fantasy has a history it should take pride in.

4) You’re Only Limited by Your Imagination – Don’t like the traditional J.R.R. Tolkien or the Robert E. Howard settings? Fine – we can set your fantasy in any era you like, including the future – in fact, fantasy and science-fiction usually get along swimmingly. Want something a little closer to home? Not to worry – Urban Fantasy is one of the hottest genres right now, placing mythic characters in today’s society, either in the world behind the curtains or wrecking havoc on the streets in plain sight.

3) It’s Not Just For Kids – While fantasy, especially fairy tales, are popular among children, adult-orientated fantasy has its popular market as. If you want brutal worlds, go for George R.R. Martin, Steven Erikson, or Glen Cook. How about a little bit of classic Carribean Culture with Nalo Hopkinson? Want historical fiction – check out Guy Gavriel Kay, or try N.K. Jemisin.

2) Even Shakespeare Wrote Fantasy – I don’t know what else you’d call A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream or The Tempest (or the ghost of Hamlet and the witches of Macbeth, for that matter). Fantasy can cross-borders and by definition, will accept a variety of stories in the following forms: Slipstream, magic realism, – and often times, you can have fantastical elements that are explained away as all part of a character’s psyche.

1) It talks about something bigger then the plot – this is pure opinion, but while I think that while we can agree that science-fiction is for the most part about humanity’s struggle, I’d argue that fantasy is about our moral state. So even though your character might be battling huge odds and wondering if the world is as black and white as it seems while riding a magic shark-dog, it’s really about the character overcoming strife in a world where there are no easy answers.

Verdict’s out on what that shark-dog is about; I’d have to read it.

So there you have it – what are your reasons for writing fantasy?

The author will be awarding 2 $25 gift cards to Indigo Stores (a large chain of bookstores in Canada that also ship internationally).  She will award to two random comments!

"Replacing Gentry" by Julie N. Ford Book Tour/Guest Post (Ends 4/30) U.S.

Tour Schedule

Read my 5-star review.

Replacing Gentry

When Marlie agrees to attend a cadaver ball at Vanderbilt Medical School, she did not expect to actually see any cadavers. Or, that a strange apparition would issue her a chilling message.

Despite the cadaver's warning, Marlie is married a year later to Tennessee State Senator, Daniel Cannon, and living in a plantation-style mansion with two step sons. Add to the mix her growing suspicion that something is amiss with the death of Daniel’s first wife, Gentry; and newlywed Marlie is definitely in over her pretty Yankee head.

What begins as an innocent inquiry into her new husband’s clouded past, ends with Marlie in the midst of a dangerous conspiracy.

A modern twist on the classic Gothic romance novels of Rebecca and Jane Eyre, Replacing Gentry follows Marlie’s precarious journey as she learns the truth about the man she married.

Where Does the Author Get Inspiration for Stories?(Guest Post by the Author)

This is a very easy question. I’m inspired by everything around me. Mostly by dreams, but also by a random word or phrase. Hearing myself, or someone else say something like, “wouldn’t it be weird—cool, strange, interesting—if . . .?” will get me thinking. For example, the inspiration for Replacing Gentry was ignited by a question my daughter asked regarding spirits. The paranormal elements I’d originally included in this text were edited out but still, the plot originated with her inquiry. The concept for my current WIP started with a lustful comment my baby sister made regarding her hunky, much younger physical trainer. The idea for my next project dawned during book club when a friend of mine mused aloud as to why no one ever writes books about women who have more than one husband, instead of the other way around. Had me thinking, “Hmm?” I literally get dozens of new ideas all the time. Since I’m sort of a slow writer, I have to file the majority of them away. But once I hit on something that won’t let me rest, all I have to do is allow myself to start thinking about it. One impression morphs into another and another, until a basic plot starts to unfold and then I begin making notes. Once I start drafting, the plot and characters start to sink deeper, the story taking root and growing as I write. 

Grab a copy!

Replacing Gentry is just $1.99 on Amazon

Author Julie N. Ford

Julie N. Ford graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in Political Science and a minor in English Literature. In addition, she has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama. Professionally, she has worked in teaching and as a Marriage & Family Counselor. She is the author of two women’s fiction novels, The Woman He Married and No Holly for Christmas, published in 2011. In addition, she wrote a romance/chick-lit novel, Count Down to Love, also published in 2011. Count Down to Love was a 2011 Whitney Award finalist. Her next novel, Replacing Gentry, is due for release April 9th, 2013.

Currently, she lives in Nashville, TN with her husband, two daughters and one hedgehog.

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James Mace, Author of "I Stood With Wellington" and "Forlorn Hope" Guest Post

Read more about this blog tour and his books here and here.

A Day in the Life of author James Mace

Though I make a comfortable living as an author, my daily life may not be quite what one envisions when they think of the stereotypical writer. I do live by myself in a decent house; however, while it is commonly thought that authors are introverted and sometimes reclusive by nature, I find that I am the exact opposite. A friend told me once that he cannot believe I’m a writer, because I’m the most outgoing person he knows. I confess that working from my house can make this a difficulty, because if I’m not careful, I can go days without any sort of human interaction at all. I’m sorry, but email, texting, and Facebook don’t count. So what does a ‘typical’ day look like for James Mace? Well, aside from drill weekends with the Army Guard, and my summer holidays to Europe, it might look something like this:

7:30 to 9:00 (varies) - Wake up. Okay, so I know you want to have a good sleep routine, and some days, especially in winter, it is difficult to leave my warm bed. But the nice thing about being a self-employed author is you can be more flexible on your get-up time. Shave, shower, brush teeth, the usual things that any self-respecting individual does first thing.

Unless there is something pressing, I will head downstairs to make breakfast, feed the cats (yes, I’m a cat person), take my vitamins and other supplements. One stereotype I seem to buck here is that I don’t drink coffee. I know many writers, and people in general, who need their liquid fix first thing; I’m just not one of those. About the only time I do drink coffee is during drill weekends with my Army Guard unit. Breakfast is almost always eggs, bacon, with a protein shake for later in the morning. And while my breakfast is cooking, I’ll have a glass of vegetable juice and a bowl of raw spinach.

After breakfast I’ll log on and check my email, Facebook, Twitter, as well as glance at sales rankings and any new reviews for my books. As I am currently writing my eighth book, I have a bit to keep an eye on. If the Muse is cooperating, I’ll get some work done on my next novel.

Around 10:30 I down my morning protein shake and get my workout clothes on. I live just outside of Boise, and the gym I do CrossFit at is clear across town. There are others much closer I can use; however, I have friends who use this particular facility and I like the people that work out with me there. That’s my extroverted nature coming out. At 11:00 I head to the gym. Usually I will do about a mile on the treadmill and a few minutes on the rowing machine to warm up. We then subject ourselves to whatever brutality the CrossFit instructor throws at us. Last year I competed in the Spartan Races, a series of savage obstacle courses ranging from three to fifteen miles, and I look to use this program to greatly improve my performance this coming season. My first competition this year will be the Las Vegas Super Spartan in April, so my training during the offseason is crucial.

Around 1:00 I head home, and after a shower, a post-workout shake, and light lunch, I sit back down in the office, check for any email or social media updates, and get back to work. A high-intensity workout gets the blood flowing, both to the muscles as well as the brain, and while my body continues to cool down, I find that I can often do some of my best creative writing during this time. This is also the time when I will check and see how my actual sales are looking. I admit I am a bit obsessive about this, but of course since this is how I make my living, one cannot exactly fault me for it. I check Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Kobo eReader, as well as my print sales via CreateSpace. Barring any other commitments, I then return to my work.

Something that is an ever-present part of my writing is music. This is actually a little tricky. I need to make certain that whatever I listen to does not become a distraction from my writing. This is why music with lyrics is often avoided, unless I keep it turned down low. Also, even though my passion is Heavy Metal, I do need to have something playing that is relevant to whatever I am working on. Example: When writing my novel about Waterloo, “I Stood With Wellington”, I listened to instrumental or baroque music from the time period. As much as I love Iron Maiden, it just does not go with the genre. Mind you, when working on my Soldier of Rome books, anytime there is a battle scene being written, you can bet I will have something crushing and brutal playing in the background. I’m willing to bet that my typing speed also increases during this time. About the only type of music you will never hear me play is country. It simply does not work for me…ever! And if I’m feeling really eccentric, usually when writing at night, I may throw on some oldies. You would not believe what I have written when listening to Bobby Darin or Paul Anka! A good failsafe is a solid composer like Hans Zimmer or Basil Poledouris.

Afternoons and evenings are often a time for meeting up with friends, as well as the ever-hopeful lunch / dinner date. In the summer months I’ll often take my bike onto the Boise Greenbelt, or go for a jog in the foothills. Monday nights I usually hit the trails with my running club, the Boise Hash House Harriers; that is when the weather is not so cold!

Since I don’t have a set schedule for working, I may do some writing at night. Some of my best work has come after the sun falls, under the soft glow of a lamp, with inspiring instrumental music filling in the gaps of time and space. At 10:15 I check my final sales figures for the day. Don’t ask me why I chose 10:15, that is just what I do. I suppose if I wanted to be really daring, I could go with 10:17.

It is then time to shut down the computer, do my evening hygiene, climb into my ever-comfortable king size bed, and try and do a bit of reading before drifting off to sleep.

Keep in mind that my days are often filled with other commitments, though about the only thing I am not flexible on is my workout time. Example: the week I am writing this, I am having lunch with a close friend from the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, meeting with a lady from the Jane Austen Society, who want me to do a presentation for them on the Napoleonic Wars, having a release party for my latest book, and there may be a dinner date worked in as well. All in all, it is a good life and I would not change it for going back to the proverbial Rat Race.

Guest Post: How to Have a Safe, Fun and Educational School Trip with Your Students

School field trips can be rewarding, but more often than not, you get an earful off parents, because little Jimmy fell over and sprained his wrist. Unfortunately, you’re not god, and incidents will happen when you leave the classroom. But you shouldn’t let that deter you from bravely booking tickets to see a Hamlet performance or visit the Science museum. Everyone benefits from an informative day outside of the classroom.

Reign In Challenging Behaviour

Before the field trip goes ahead, make sure that every child is aware of your behavioural expectations. Level with them. Children respond well to being treated maturely; not patronised because of their age. Treat them like brats and they’ll act accordingly.

Tell them that you hope it can be a fun day for everyone, but that you expect adult behaviour. Let them know that you’re taking a zero tolerance stance towards any disruptive attitudes and that their parents have been notified that, by allowing their child to take part on the trip, they’re responsible for picking up their kid, should their child act out. 

Once all the heavy stuff is out of the way, focus on the positive, and say that you have every faith that they’ll make you proud in public. Maintain that you think no-one will be a problem.

Kit List

Kit lists are so important. Make sure that everyone has weather-appropriate clothing, water, snacks, and backpacks to carry all the necessities. Sopping wet, cold kids really won’t enjoy themselves.

Always Enlist Help

Ideally, you’ll want help from fellow teachers and parents on this trip. They can help you keep the class in order and you can play off each other’s strengths. A fierce teacher that strikes fear into the hearts of the children is a necessary ally, as well as an empathetic soul that can deal with any emotional problems.

If you’re taking parents, sit down with them and let them know how much jurisdiction they have over the children. Tell them what to do in certain situations, so they don’t feel uncomfortable about taking control of problematic incidents. Parents should know the protocol, in the event of an emergency, and be notified of any special needs a child has in the group, whether someone is diabetic or allergic to a substance.

Set Up Buddy Teams

Before the day, draw up buddy teams, so no child (however unpopular) is left out. Keep the list to hand and make sure everyone stays together. Severely reprimand those who leave their partner alone.

Give every child your phone number, so they can contact you in an emergency or if they’ve been left behind. No matter where you plan your school trip, no-one should be wandering around by themselves.

Allow Freedom

Obviously, every field trip is unique, and an element of freedom should be granted. On the other hand, don’t allow any unacceptable behaviour on the trip, such as physical violence or swearing. Excitement is fine, but get ready to reign in exuberant behaviour before it escalates.

Where you can, tire out students by playing games in nearby parks. Get them to burn off some beans.

Composed for Knowsley Safari Experience, helping convey insightful points to people who are preparing a school trip at Knowsley Safari Park.

Guest Post: Helpful Hints to Remember to Take Your Vitamins Every Day

Taking vitamins is great. Actually remembering to take your vitamins is another thing, especially if you take different vitamins at different times of the day. It's safe to assume that you have a lot on your plate each day, keeping track of your vitamins isn't always your first priority. Here are some helpful hints to remember to take your vitamins every day.

Can You Streamline Your Vitamins?
If you find yourself struggling to keep track of your vitamins each day, maybe you're taking too many vitamins. Consider taking a multivitamin or a supplement instead. This makes it easy to remember to take it everyday. If, however, that's not an option for you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see if you can eliminate some of the vitamins you take. Some vitamins even come in weekly doses.

Use Your Computer As a Reminder
There are plenty of free daily scheduling programs you can use to remind you to take your vitamins when you log onto your computer each day, which you probably do at about the same time each day anyway. Some programs even have an alarm option if subtle reminders won't do the trick for you. An easier fix is to put the reminder right on your screensaver.

Put Your Vitamins in Can't Miss Location
Location is everything. This is true when it comes to remember to take your vitamins too. Keep your vitamins in a can't miss location where you know you will find them each day. If you usually take your vitamins with breakfast, for instance, put them where you keep your coffee cups.

Use Your Daily Wake Up Service
If you have a daily wake up service that you normally use to remind you to get to the office on time, ask them to add a vitamin reminder to your message too. Most wake up services are willing to make special accommodations like this.

Use a Pill Sorter
Pill organizers aren't just for senior citizens. You have compartments for each day, which works fine if you take the same vitamins at the same time each day. Just put your vitamins into each compartment and leave the pill sorter in a spot where you can easily find it and you should be all set.

Take Your Vitamins at the Same Time
Unlike medications most vitamins can be taken at the same time each day. If you're not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist to make sure it's all right. It's easier to develop a habit if you do something around the same time each day.

Get a Reminder Device
Remembering to take something everyday, whether it be a vitamin or medication, isn't a new or unique problem. You'll find a number of devices you can use to remind you to take your vitamins everyday, from vibrating watches and automatic dispensers to beepers and special alarms. Epill.com is a good site to find a variety of reminder devices.

There's an App for That
Yes, there are plenty of apps you can use to be reminded to take your vitamins. Most of the pill reminder apps are for medications, but work just fine as vitamin reminders too. Many of the pill reminder apps you'll find have both a free version and a paid version. If you just need a simple reminder each day, the free version should do just fine.

Ask Family Members/Friends to Remind You
If you're not the only one in your household taking vitamins, remind each other to take your vitamins. The same goes for your friends or co-workers. It's not a lifetime commitment though. Once you get enough reminders, you should be able to get into the habit of taking your vitamins without daily reminders.

Use Post-its or Reminder Notes
Old school reminders can still be just as effective in the age of apps and smartphones. Place a Post-it note at your breakfast table by your laptop. If you take your vitamins before you start your day at work, put a reminder note or Post-it on your computer screen before you leave each day so that you'll see it when you get into work. Just remember to leave another note for the cleaning crew when you first start doing this.

Author Bo

Ron Thompson writes for Del-Immune V®, a unique probiotic supplement made from the lactobacillus rhamnosus which is a natural immune system booster and offers how to treat sinusitis. Try a Del-Immune VitaminSupplement as your multivitamin!

RABT: "A Little Bit of Madness" by Sheryl Browne Blog Tour/Guest Post

Read my review.

Contemporary Romance / Comedy

Title: A Little Bit of Madness

Author: Sheryl Browne

Date Published: 2/14/13

Celia Summers, intrepid mother of two, loves her work as an art therapist at The Harbour Rest Home.  She’s proud of her elderly independents’ artwork, even if her partner, Martin, is disparaging of their efforts.  But then, Martin is preoccupied, trying to get his hands on his mother’s home, Charlton Hall, to bail himself out of debt.  To which end, he has to get Celia on side with a fabrication of lies.

Meanwhile, Celia fights to keep The Harbour from being closed.  She’s ready to abseil from a church steeple to bring attention to the plight of her old people, no matter that she might fall and end up splattered all over the flagstones.  When she does fall, however, it’s much more painfully.  Police Constable Alex Burrows, son of Colonel Burrows, is considerate, caring and chivalrous.  He has a wicked sense of humour, which makes Celia laugh, though when she learns of the circumstances surrounding his disabled daughter, she wants to cry.  Alex also has a reputation as a womaniser, which Celia tries to ignore.  His trying to influence his father’s Will though, she can’t.  Alex, who little by little has stolen her heart, appears to be just as much a liar as Martin. 

Will Alex be able redeem himself?  Or is evicting Celia from Charlton Hall, which she and her elderlies have laid siege to, the final straw?

Excerpt:

Celia rounded a bend, one eye on the speedometer and one on Ben strapped in the back. He was kneading his eyes, tired and miserable, poor mite. ‘Never mind, sweetheart,’ she soothed, ‘we’ll be home soon and Daddy will read you Greenwill … Oh, shit! Shit!’

She slammed on the brakes. Too late, something hit the windscreen with a sickening thud—black and wild-eyed like a bat out of hell. Celia flinched and squeaked.

The car swerved.

She grappled with the wheel, but it wouldn’t …

‘G-- … d-- … it, STRAIGHTEN UP!’ She found herself bellowing above the screech of the brakes, the terrifying squeal of rubber on wet tarmac. She’d been driving too fast. Much too fast. ‘Oh, dear G--!’ The car veered, teetered for an agonisingly slow second on two wheels, then came to an abrupt, stomach-wrenching halt.

All was suddenly quiet. Deathly quiet. No sound at all except for the pounding of her heart in her ears.

 It was on a slant, Celia realised, dazed, as if lost in some terrible dream. It was going to turn over. She tore at her belt, her eyes blinded by tears. ‘Ben!? Oh, please, please … ’ With strength she hadn’t known she possessed, she heaved the driver’s door up and scrambled out. She fell. Grazed her knee, but didn’t feel it.

‘Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare take my baby!’ she yelled, struggling with the tailgate, jabbing at the release button, pushing it, shoving it and finally, finally, yanking it wide enough to crawl inside.

‘Ben?’ she said again, her voice barely a whisper.

‘Thit!’ said Ben, his eyes like saucers.

‘Oh, my beautiful, beautiful baby.’ Celia unbuckled him, scooped him over the seat  into her arms, and deeply breathed in the pure scent of him. ‘Naughty Mummy. Naughty word.’ As she shuffled back out, she laughed a hysterical laugh, which caught in her throat, then turned into a sob that came from her soul.

Ben blinked, stunned for a second before his surprise at his roller-coaster ride turned to out-and-out shock. Mummies didn’t cry. Celia knew she was turning his little world upside down twice in a row, but she couldn’t stop. The tears rolled down her face until, in snotty-nosed unison, mother and son sobbed together.

Even when a gentle arm wrapped itself around her, a concerned voice asked if she was all right, she couldn’t stop. Ben clutched to her breast, she turned and sobbed even harder, right into a stranger’s shoulder.

‘Hey, hey,’ he said as she cried mascara all over his shirt, ‘come on. You’re safe now. It’s not the end of the world.’

‘It is,’ Celia assured him, her body shuddering from her head to her toes. ‘I could have killed him!’ It came out a scream. She couldn’t help it. People had thought her mad to have another child so late in life, but they couldn’t have known that from the moment she’d felt him growing inside her she would have killed for him. The raw hollowness she’d felt fifteen long years back, when she’d walked away from the special care baby unit, leaving her second child—so cruelly stolen from life in too short a time—washed over her afresh. For the first time, in  a long time, she let it—and cried harder.

‘Well, you didn’t,’ the man said, his tone firm. ‘Sounds to me as if he’s very much alive and kicking.’ He pulled her close, stroked her hair, as if she was a child in need of comfort—and she was. Oh G--, how she was. Then, carefully cajoling Ben as he did so, the stranger persuaded Celia to part with him.

‘I hit something.’ Celia sniffled, immediately at ease when the man nestled Ben’s head on his shoulder as only a father would. ‘I must have … It must be dead?’

He met her eyes. His were kind, she noticed, and sincere. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I think it might be. You couldn’t have avoided it,’ he added quickly as Celia’s eyes filled up all over again. ‘I was behind you. It launched itself from the hedge like a bloody cat out of he--.’

Celia swiped her hand under her nose. ‘Not a bat then?’ She emitted something between a laugh and a hiccup then squeezed her eyes shut. As if it made any difference what animal it was. She’d still caused it unnecessary suffering. ‘It could have been a cyclist,’ she said. ‘Or someone else’s child.’ That thought had her clamping her hand over her mouth and crying all over again.

‘Do you—hiccup—think it might—hiccup—still be alive?’ she asked a minute later, quivery-voiced and all cried-out.

‘I doubt it,’ he said gently. ‘I’ll go and take a look, shall I?’

She nodded.

‘Come on.’ He turned for his car. Celia followed, unable to do much else with his arm wrapped around her son.

‘The emergency services are on their way,’ he said, seating her authoritatively in the passenger seat, handing Ben over, and then reaching over the back for his coat. ‘I’ll be two minutes.’ He draped the coat about her. ‘I’m guessing it belongs to the people whose garden it flew out of. It might be good idea to let them know.’

Celia nodded, feeling wrung out, wretched and cowardly. She should go, not him. She should own up and see the distress she’d caused its poor owner. Somehow she doubted he’d let her. Doubted also her wobbly legs would carry her that far. Better to stay here, she thought, closing heavy eyes and leaning her head against the headrest. Keep Ben safe.

Safe?! Lo--, she didn’t know this man from Adam! Yet she’d just climbed into his car! He could be a maniac on the loose. A mad axe murderer! Her eyes shot open to find his face disturbingly close to hers.

(Guest Post by the Author)

As part of my book blog tour I was invited to offer you a peek into my writing space.  

Meet my co-writer:

The Editorial Staff:

And star of my debut book (nominated for Innovation in Romantic Fiction), Recipes for Disaster.
RAMBO!  Don’t you just love him!

 Sheryl Browne

Author Bio:

Now residing in Worcestershire, Sheryl Browne grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design. She wears many hats: a partner in her own business, a mother, and a foster parent to disabled dogs. Creative in spirit, Sheryl has always had a passion for writing. A member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, she has previously been published in the US and writes Romantic Comedy because, as she puts it, "life is just too short to be miserable."

Sheryl's debut novel, RECIPES FOR DISASTER - combining deliciously different and fun recipes with sexilicious romantic comedy, is garnering some fabulous reviews! Sheryl has also been offered a further three-book contract under the Safkhet Publishing Soul imprint. SOMEBODY TO LOVE, a romantic comedy centring around a single policeman father’s search for love, his autistic little boy and the boy’s Autism Assistance Dog, launched July 1 with an immediate 5* review.  WARRANT FOR LOVE, bringing together three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly, released August 1, and A LITTLE BIT OF MADNESS releases on Valentine’s Day 2013.

A loveahappyending Editor and featured Author 

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