I had to re-write many of the sections as they worked as a story, but to work as a script additional character interaction was required.  The story is set up in Manchester and surrounding areas and is a ghost story with a twist for 2012.  I’m excited about this and aim to send it to the BBC by the end of the month, I do not know their turnaround times, but am keeping my fingers crossed.  Could this be the start of a new career?

With my two busy times with work, I’ve not yet prepared the fifth part of the Unicorn saga, but hope to do so tomorrow, and will publish this as soon as possible.

Now that ‘The Rage’ is nearing submission, I am deciding on my next project and a couple are springing to mind, just trying to decide which to go for – one links directly, but superficially, to ‘The Rage’, the other to a novel that is very much at idea stage – though I have had a stab at the first chapter.

Reading : I’ve done a lot of this recently, re-reading one of Lee Child’s novels and starting my first David Baldacci book, reading in full ’Divine Justice’ and just starting ‘Simple Genius’ – very readable and encompassing.

My diary started on the 1 January 2012 and the first part can be found at : http://writinghood.com/online-writing/an-aspiring-authors-diary-one-january-2012-what-if-unicorns-were-evil/

Later parts are linked through the diary.  Thanks for reading, and for any comments.

SUMMARY

Detective Chalice is called into action when a unconscious man is found in Central Park. Barely alive, John Doe is clad only in a torn bed sheet and has sustained a life threatening wound. His body is covered in scars, essentially a tapestry chronicling his history as a torture victim. Stranger still, a human skull lies just inches away. Chalice has just two leads in this case, a skull that has been sterilized and found to be evidence free, and an comatose witness to a murder—tough odds, even for NYPD’s best and brightest.

The opening chapter of this book plays out like the opening scenes of an episode of Bones – feisty, flirty dialogue between the two characters, skulls popping out, and a perp attack with a Taser! 

I love crime thrillers, the grisly the better and as one of the baddies turns out to be reminiscent of the freak in Creep, complete with dark train tunnels and the odd rat, this book satisfied my appetite and then some. Stephanie Chalice (Cha-lee-see) is a formidable girl in blue, complete with hot body, penchant for gym sessions and an uncanny sixth sense which never lets her down. Team that with FBI Agent Ambler and her sexy partner, Lido and you have yourself a fantastic book. Realistic, gripping, gritty, this meaty story is easily one of the best books I have read for a while. My only regret is not reading the books in order. Not that this detracts from the story in any way, but I shall be checking out the other works in the series as soon as I can. Kelter is a master, pure and simple. Stephanie is right up there with James Patterson’s character, Lindsey Boxer, and we all know how strong a female she is…

Rachel Dove, The Kindle Book Review

Does every relationship deserve a second chance?

When chief romantic Rose Delaney scores her dream job at London’s quirkiest new attraction, The Museum of Broken Hearts, she thinks she’s got it made. Sure, it’s a little depressing dealing with relics of failed relationships each day, but Rose is determined not to let it break her ‘love conquers all’ spirit. After discovering the museum’s handsome curator is nursing a broken heart of his own, Rose steps in to fix it. Can Rose heal the rift, or will this happy ending go awry?

Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts is a novella of 20,000 words.

I have to admit that I have all of Talli Roland’s works on my Kindle, languishing with many other must read books whilst I work through my huge TBR pile, but this weekend I could not resist buying this novella. Well, I not only devoured it, I inhaled it. I loved the characters and the story flowed so well it fit like a comfy fluffy dressing gown. I adored Rose from the get-go, and instantly dismissed Gareth as a feckless, selfish git. Rose, being the romantic she was though, did not see through him as quickly as I did, but after working with the gorgeous curator, who not only smoulders and looks sexy in a suit, also smells like Christmas cookies. What more can a girl want?

I loved, loved, loved this novella and can’t wait to read the rest. My only question is, how do I get my man to smell like cookies?

A short story by number 1 best-seller, Rosen Trevithick.

Having a celebrity in the family can be challenging, especially when your sister’s famous for being a missing child.

The disappearance of Millie Jones has dominated the news for eight years, ever since the mediagenic toddler was snatched from a department store at Christmas time. 

Certain that Millie is alive, her mother puts family life on hold to fight for the search to continue. 

However, this Christmas things are changing. A shocking development causes the police to reopen the investigation and a new hope dawns.

REVIEW

This short piece is amazing. With Natascha Kampusch, Jamie Bulger and Madeleine McCann all being names of children that we are aware of in the media, this fiction tells the tale of a family who are dealing with the aftermath of their 3 year old daughter Milly being kidnapped from a family shopping trip. 8 years have passed, and husband, wife and younger daughter are all suffering and dealing with the trauma and day to day grind in different ways. Then they hear on the news, another child, an 8 year old, has gone missing….

When a knock at the door comes, and the police say that they may have found Milly, alive, the family now have a whole new set of emotions and problems to deal with…..

This tale captivated my attention from the start and I could not put it down. Given that it is such a relevant and sensitive story for many, it is handled delicately and you really get a sense of the parents feelings of loss, anger and hurt. Stunningly written, this tale has a few twists and turns and a bittersweet ending. Very thought provoking stuff. I look forward to checking out this author’s other works. 

Rachel Dove, The Kindle Book Review

For years, people just joked that Chris was a bad speller, with Chris himself even offering this assesment. Eventually, though, a specialist was able to discover the source of Chris’s problem, that he was partially dyslexic. In time, with a little help, Chris got over his problem and became ever stronger academically. He even went to college on a full academic scholarship, and thrived there as well. Today, he does highly-placed government work, and it’s doubtful any of his colleagues know he once pronounced the word Phoenix as “Puff Uh Neex”

Kids like Chris show the benefits that specialists can offer. No longer is the word special just applied to slow children when referenced in terms of education. No, smart kids, as well, can benefit from the occasional powwow with reading tutors, speech therapists, and other educational professionals.

Ahead of the first trip to see a specialist, here are a few ways to help children read better:

1. Be cognizant, not dismissive, of any struggles a child may be having: It can be easy to chalk a kid’s educational shortcomings up to general imperfections, and certainly, it’s typically good practice to recognize that no one’s perfect academically. But as Chris’s case shows, what may be seen as a lovable quirk can also be a sign of a deeper, addressable issue, one worth tackling early lest it snowball. Pay attention to it.

2. Don’t tolerate bullying by other children: Chris had a good enough head on his shoulders and a secure enough sense of self to take good-natured ribbing from his friends in stride. If all the teasing fazed him, it was never outwardly apparent. For many other kids, though, getting chided for their literary struggles can have a noticeable and stifling effect on their desire to read. Any parent or teacher would do well to be on the lookout for bullying or teasing, being quick to nip it in the bud.

3. Work diligently on reading with a child: A parent may have their work cut out for them on helping their child boost their literary abilities. Besides simply reading with their children and helping with test prep, parents have a lot of other things they can do to help them in this regard. It’s important to show kids that it’s okay to learn at their own pace. And while it may be a struggle, good parents are also those who are patient as their children struggle through seemingly basic words. With enough patience, maybe these children will be in their shoes eventually.

Denise James is a retired teacher and now opens a small tutoring center offering <a href=”http://tutorspot.com/professional-state-tests-tutor.html”>test prep</a> courses to help students study for the SAT or other K-12 class exams They have math, science and <a href=”http://www.tutorspot.com/professional-reading-tutor.html”>reading tutors</a> to help kids prepare and improve their skills. During her free time she loves to write and travel around Asia.

1. Do not let them do their homework with a computer/phone/electronic device nearby. This will obviously distract the student to get off task from what they are supposed to do. Make your kids study at somewhere more quiet such as a local library or maybe in a peaceful room. 

2. Try to help your children as much as you can (for ex. studying for a test, helping them memorize vocab words, etc.). This will really help the student get good grades because recently it has been scientifically proved that kids who study on their own usually end up getting a lower grade on a test or quiz compared to someone who studied on it with a friend or parent. 

3. Do not let your children “hang out” with their friends too often. (The Maximum time to let your kids play with their friends each week should be: 6 hours). If kids are with their friends more than once a week it may lead to your kid in-completing his/her homework on time or having enough time to study on a test in the future. 

4. Study for a certain test in the future little by little instead of studying for the whole thing the day before.                     Here is an example:

(TEST ON FRIDAY; TODAY IS MONDAY)

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY: Spend about 30 brief minutes in these 3 days

THURSDAY: Spend an hour (Look over all the things you went over the last few days)

FRIDAY: You will get an A on the test/quiz no doubt.

Synopsis: Corinne lives an average teenage life working at her dad’s cafe, hanging out with her best friend, and trying to forget a falling-out with her almost-boyfriend Mason. Things take a strange turn when she uses her late grandmother’s food dyes for a bake sale, and her customers suddenly find her irresistibly alluring. Then she discovers she and Mason are haunted by the same dreams of a dark force that consumes everything in its path. 

Pursued by shadowy figures and a crazy woman with secrets from the past, Corinne must find out who her grandmother really was. In her quest to unravel her family’s history, she learns she is destined to protect this world–and the dark world of her dreams. She races to find the answers she seeks before her nightmares break free.

I loved this book. I devoured it, it was a plain speaking engaging read, and I felt like I was chatting to an old friend when I was reading it. I instantly loved the characters and storyline, and I can’t wait for the next instalment. The cover alone is worth a closer luck. A brilliant read, have no qualms about recommending this book to anyone!

The first thing that I always do is to READ my notes.

Yes, read. Not browse and never memorize. Even though I run out of time to review my lessons well, I still make sure that I can read all of them. This is to familiarize myself with its content. It helps me to refresh my memory from the previous topics which my professor discussed. You should also assure yourself that you understand what you read.

Next, use KEYWORDS.

This is one of the most effective ways to remember what you have just read. Keyword can be a single word or a phrase. It helps me to recall the terms and definitions easily without bothering to memorize the whole sentence or paragraph.

Lastly, in order for you to pass your exams, you should READ AGAIN.

READ. READ. READ. Well, based on my own experiences, reading really helps a lot. It’s not that because I’m a bookworm or because I love to read. It is because reading helps me to remember my lessons, at the same time, understand them without stressing myself out. You may find it boring, tiring and time consuming but it’s effective and it’s worth it.

—-

I only use these techniques whenever I lack out of time to make a real review of my lessons. And I can say that it is effective. Why? I can still get good grades from using it. But, it is still best to study your lessons ahead of time to get not only good but great grades.

Speed reading is becoming a more valuable skill every day. With the use of computers and electronic communication, we have virtually eliminated the need for pen, paper and printed materials from our lives. That doesn’t mean we have eliminated the need for reading skills. Quite the opposite, with the vast array of texts available on the internet, we spend more time than ever reading. Think of how much more productive and informed you would be if you learned to read at double or triple your current rate There are many methods of learning to speed read, but the most effective are based on one of two basic methods, or a combination thereof.
Skimming is the practice of scanning through text and picking out the relevant information. Most people do this naturally, especially on web pages. This casual skimming usually isn’t done with the intention of absorbing all information on the page, and it often leads to misunderstanding facts. Speed reading programs and techniques utilizing skimming focus on teaching you how to — on the fly — determine which words or sentences are inconsequential. Chunking requires training your eyes and brain to take in several words at once.. Natural sequential reading involves focusing on a single word and
comprehending its meaning, then the next word and the next. Your brain then connects the sequence to determine the meaning of the sentence. However, when you see a common, short phrase such as “Happy New Year” you probably recognize the message at a glance, without separately reading each word. Chunking allows the reader to take in unfamiliar phrases and word combinations in the same way.
There are a wide variety of speed reading systems developed by experts. They are usually taught via book or a computer program. Although most utilize the basic techniques described above, they each have their own unique spin on the idea, and specific ways of learning. This is usually faster and more efficient than self-teaching. If you choose to purchase a speed reading guide, beware of fantastic claims. With effort and practice, most people can achieve double to triple their current rate, usually around 500 WPM. World champion readers average between 1,000 and 2,000 WPM, so programs claiming to help the average reader achieve these rates or higher are most likely scams. Additionally, look for one which heavily emphasizes comprehension. You can easily increase speed, at the price of comprehension.
If you choose self-learning, it may be more difficult but not impossible. You can work on refining your skimming technique and developing the skill of chunking text. One of the most important points stressed by any method of speed reading is practice. No matter how you approach it, your visual and comprehensive reflexes need to be sharper and faster. Most software programs accomplish this by moving text across the screen at an increasing rate forcing the reader to process information faster. A simple effort to read as quickly as possible every time you read can accomplish the same goal over time.

If you want to learn how to speed read, persistence really is the key ingredient. Whatever method you choose it will take time to develop the skill, and require regular practice to maintain it.

Reading motivates people and gives them the energy and capability to become the people they dream to become. Characters in the book help them to learn from their lives as to how to overcome problems and become a winner.