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Book Review: Karma Bites by Erin M. Leaf
Karma Bites
by Erin M. Leaf
M/M Contemporary/Light BDSM
Evernight Publishing
5 Stars
Book Blurb:
Boyd will do anything to avoid his cousin Coco—even pretend to be gay. He's visiting his dad who's got a broken arm, and all he wants is for her to leave him alone, so Boyd calls his best friend for help. His father swears that karma is going to bite him on his butt for lying, but Boyd can't think of any other way to extricate himself from Coco's clutches.
Harrison will do anything for his best friend—even pretend to be his boyfriend, because he's awesome like that. Once he arrives, though, Boyd surprises him with a "practice" kiss, which is just totally uncalled for. Before Harrison can fend him off, they're on the bed making out. How does he get into these crazy situations? Oh yeah, Boyd and his wacky ideas. Harrison's going to make him pay for this (even if he kind of secretly enjoyed it), because that's how karma works.
Originally posted at The Romance Reviews
A wonderful, friends-to lovers fun story with two great lead characters.
Boyd made a promise to his grandfather when he was a child that he would always look after his cousin Coco. What he didn't anticipate was the amount of times he had to bail her out in dangerous situations that she'd somehow managed to get herself into. In high school, Coco knew she could always count on Boyd to bail her out and not tell her mother.
Now, older, but not necessarily any wiser, Coco has set her sights on Boyd as boyfriend material. Seeing no way out of it, Boyd blurts out that he's gay and has no interest in dating women. Thinking he's home free, Boyd despairs when Coco insists that Boyd invite his boyfriend down for the weekend and she can take them to the nightclub, Karma Bites.
Harrison has been best friends with Boyd for years, ever since they shared a college dorm and Boyd took the rap when Harrison accidentally set fire to the dorm. But he is still shocked at the phone call from Boyd, wanting him to pretend to be his boyfriend. They're just friends, they aren't gay, how are they going to pull this deception off?
When Boyd suggests they practice being boyfriends before Coco arrives, that's when they realize that perhaps they weren't as straight as they had thought.
After reading quite a few angsty stories lately, this one was a breath of air. It was a fun, lighthearted read with lots of banter between the characters.
Although short, the author doesn't skimp on characterization or detail and you know you are reading a complete tale. The make out scene with Boyd and Harrison on Boyd's bed was so hot, and when they were caught by Boyd's dad and Coco, you were embarrassed on their behalf.
Karma Bites turns out to be a bit of a kink club, and Coco's motives for taking them there aren't exactly pure. Coco is in trouble with the owner, glamorous drag queen Karma and owes the club a scene. Boyd refuses to do a scene with her, but will do one with Harrison instead. And the scene that follows is one of the most sensual and emotional scenes I've ever read in any book. It isn't about the physical aspect, but more how connected they are to each other and it doesn't really matter about the audience, because all Boyd and Harrison see are each other. The reader doesn't just know it, they feel it, too.
I enjoyed every minute of reading it, despite the 'love you' declarations that seemed a bit sudden. Short, but hot and sweet.
Books Spotlight: Sacrifices by Chris T. Kat
Sacrifices - PROMO Blitz
(A Jeff Woods Mystery); Sequel to Attachment Strings
By Chris T. Kat
M/M Mystery/Suspense
Date Published: 4/28/2014
When he was outed on the local news, Jeff Woods gave up his dream job as a detective to become an on-air radio personality. The sacrifice was worth it to keep Alex and Sean in his life, but Alex lost his job, too. Jeff can tell Alex worries he's pressuring Jeff too much, first with Sean and now the lack of money, but he has no idea what that will lead Alex to do. Desperate times bring out the stupidity in some people, and when Jeff discovers Alex is in over his head in a situation he can't handle, he needs all his self-control to stay calm.
Life is not easy with the Church of Virtue still spouting venom wherever they go, homophobes at the police department, a gangster who wants Alex in the worst possible way, and a bed that barely holds one grown man, much less two (and a child), but Jeff is there to stay for good, and he'll do what it takes to make Alex believe him.
After wishing Sean a good day at school, which he answered with a sullen look, I made my way over to Alex. He got up from his chair and threw himself into my open arms.
I held him tight, felt him tremble slightly. He whispered, "I don't want him to make a fuss when the school bus arrives. I can't handle this shit anymore."
He was almost sobbing the last sentence. Sean had given him hell since school had started. We both understood Sean's refusal, but St. Christopherus School was the only one available for him.
Sean never wanted to get on his school bus, which he showed everyone in no uncertain terms. He screamed and cried and thrashed around in his wheelchair so violently that he'd managed to flip the wheelchair onto its side on several occasions.
His new bus driver, an elderly woman named Patricia Cornell, was an incredibly patient person. Somehow she always convinced Sean she'd take care of him and got him on the bus. By the time the bus left, Alex was either crying or close to tears. I'd witnessed all of this several times in the past weeks and generally sat with Alex afterward while he tried to compose himself.
Today he'd be on his own.
Tightening my grip, I whispered back, "He'll get over it eventually. His therapist said as much."
Alex snorted. "Yeah, Burnes also said he'd get over his nightmares eventually. Do you see that happening? Because I damn well don't."
His trembles increased and fast puffs of breath tickled my throat. Not a good sign. Helplessly, I murmured his name.
Sean whistled sharply, obviously not happy about being excluded from the conversation. Alex jumped in my arms and tried to push away from me. I held on, keeping him crushed to my chest.
"Jeff, I need—"
"No, you don't," I cut him off. "Sean will survive not being the center of your attention for a moment. Relax."
"Relax?" Alex snapped, again struggling to get free from me.
Lifting him off his feet, I carried him over to his chair, plonked down on it, and settled him on my lap, all the while ignoring his protests. "Hush now, I'm in charge here."
"No, you're not."
"But yes, of course I am. Who else could be in charge here other than me?"
Sean laughed from the other side of the table. I winked at him. Alex finally stopped struggling and leaned against me instead.
"How about me?" he asked.
"You?" I countered, doing my best to sound sufficiently horrified.
Alex bumped a fist against my chest, smiling a bit. "Yes."
"Well, for one, I like to be in charge and you don't."
"That's not true!"
"Don't interrupt me," I said. The corners of my mouth curved upward, even though I tried to keep a straight face. "I'm having a really good daydream right now."
"Really? What's it about?"
"Oh, just that you're acknowledging my awesomeness and—"
"All right, all right, you're awesome and in charge and I was short of having a meltdown. Yet again." He sighed.
"Hah! I knew someday you'd say it!"
"Yeah, yeah, don't let it go to your head. We don't want you to be distracted while you're on your way to work," Alex muttered.
And that was the real problem, or at least part of it. Alex feared something could happen to me—on my way to work, at work, on my way back, anywhere.
I couldn't blame him. Resting my cheek on top of his head, I pulled him closer to me. Alex shuddered, then trailed a finger over my shirt, tracing the large scar hidden under it.
Chris T. Kat
Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there's any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks, or does cross stitch.
Author Links
Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads
Buy Links
Guest Post & Giveaway: Double Alchemy by Susan Mac Nicol
Guest Post - Role playing
by Susan Mac Nicol
I have to confess that this is one of the things that confuses the hell out of me on Facebook. Of course, with it being an online world anyone can be what they want to be. David Gandy seems to be a popular choice as well as Tom Hardy and Tom Hiddleston. The thing is, you never know when you're talking to a real person or someone who is real behind the scenes but who you see isn't the real them.
I was chatting away the other day to someone who then told me they were a dog. Yep, that's right. An animal. Apparently one of the other characters I chat with (a male model but I still don't know if he's real or not although he's very convincing) has a dog who is a model and she has her own Facebook account for promotional purposes. Blow me down with a feather but I felt like a real idiot.
I think I might be one of the few people who's a real person. You can see what I look like, see a little about where I live, when you send me a message it's the true person Susan Mac Nicol responding on the other side. I know people use aliases to protect their privacy, and in the genre in which I write, gay male Romance, a lot of authors use nom de plumes to protect themselves from scrutiny and vilification. Sad but true and they have to do what they need to do to keep their family and their personal affairs safe from ignorant, bigoted tossers. Luckily I don't have to do this because everyone knows if they give me grief I'll wait for a quiet moment, when they've forgotten they insulted me, and then get my own back. I'm a Capricorn -it's how I play the game.
I've seen cartoon characters playing along in role play forums along with famous athletes, actors, porn stars, strangely named individuals that you just know can't be real, and as my characters, Shane Templar and Matthew Langer, I've been invited to many orgies and BDSM themed weekends. Of course Shane encourages all that so it's very much my fault, but oh, it's such fun. Until people really think you are real then it's not so amusing. Shane has had his fair share of stalkers and it can get pretty scary when women and men try to proposition him thinking he's an actual person and getting upset when you give them the cold shoulder.
It's an entertaining way to spend time and when I first released Stripped Bare, it was a great forum in which to get the story out and led to this book doing very well and becoming my first best seller.
Just make sure you know who your real friends are. :)
by Susan Mac Nicol
M/M Paranormal Romance
Boroughs Publishing Group
Released 25th March 2014
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K91KLzo5-Og
Powerful yet tormented modern warlock Quinn Fairmont must initiate the silver-eyed Cade Mairston into the world of witchfinders, Withinners, and what can happen when two men fall truly, madly, deeply in love.
In modern London there lurks a warlock, Quinn Fairmont. Dangerous, powerful, tortured, sharing his body with the soul of an ancient Welsh sorcerer, Quinn is never alone—and never wholly himself. He fights against all those who would exploit his kind. He takes pleasure where he can find it.
In the forest of Hampstead Heath, Quinn's hometown, Cade Mairston appears to him like a waking dream. Lithe, lean and silver-eyed, he evokes feelings in Quinn unlike any other: lust with true affection, immediate and shocking. Cade is clearly more than he seems. And yet, if a man of the world, Cade is innocent. He knows nothing of warlocks, witchfinders or Withinners. He knows nothing of what he is, what he might be, or what he might feel. For him, the story is just beginning. Magyck, peril and passion await.
Praise for Double Alchemy
"I love Paranormal stories & I'm a huge fan of Susan Mac Nicol's M/M books. In this book, she brings both genres together & gives us this amazing story. With her master storytelling, she takes us into the mystical & magical world of Witches, Warlocks, Withinners & Feys. A world where danger lurks in the shadows." - Maria Recchia
"I stayed up all night reading this story. Susan has a way of writing that is different than anyone else. She's uniquely brilliant at weaving a tale that brings out my emotions. I have laughed in every one of her stories. That's incredible for me. Not just a smile, but a laugh. I love that. This book needs to be read. You won't be disappointed." - Author Kindle Alexander
Praise for Susan Mac Nicol
"We have to re-iterate that this Author will always be an automatic one-click for us. Her writing is flawless and her flawed characters are completely lovable. There's always something quirky and fun in her stories as well as drama, angst and heaps of passion! We can highly recommend!!" - Gitte & Jenny - Totally Booked Blog
"Susan has been hailed as a genius writer of male/male literature. Her Saving Alexander has been nominated for several awards and has been reviewed widely. Congrats on all your success, Susan. You have earned it." - Gay Lit Authors
Susan Mac Nicol was born in Leeds, UK, and left for South Africa when she was eight. She returned to the UK thirty years later and now lives in Essex. Her debut novel Cassandra by Starlight, the first in a trilogy, was published last year by Boroughs Publishing Group in the US. Sue's latest story, Double Alchemy is her fifth m/m romance.
Sue has written since she was very young, and never thought she would see herself becoming a Romance writer, being a horror/psychological thriller reader all her life. But the Romance genre is now something very close to her heart and she intends continuing the trend.
Sue is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Romantic Novelists Association here in the UK.
Susan Mac Nicol is also author of The Magick of Christmas, Confounding Cupid, Cassandra by Starlight, Together in Starlight, Stripped Bare, Saving Alexander, Worth Keeping and Waiting for Rain.
Social Links: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest
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Series Spotlight: Scarlet and the White Wolf by Kirby Crow
The Pedlar and the Bandit King
Scarlet and the White Wolf #1
by Kirby Crow
M/M Fantasy Romance
Torquere Press
Available from Allromance
Scarlet of Lysia is an honest peddler, a young merchant traveling the wild, undefended roads to support his aging parents. Liall, called the Wolf of Omara, is the handsome, world-weary chieftain of a tribe of bandits blocking a mountain road that Scarlet needs to cross. When Liall jokingly demands a carnal toll for the privilege, Scarlet refuses and an inventive battle of wills ensues, with disastrous results. Scarlet is convinced that Liall is a worthless, immoral rogue, but when the hostile countryside explodes into violence and Liall unexpectedly fights to save the lives of Scarlet's family, Scarlet is forced to admit that the Wolf is not the worst ally he could have, but what price will proud Scarlet ultimately have to pay for Liall's friendship?
Scarlet and the White Wolf #2
by Kirby Crow
M/M Fantasy Romance
Torquere Press
Available from Allromance
In this second book of the Scarlet and the White Wolf trilogy, Scarlet the pedlar and Liall the bandit find themselves among hostile company aboard a Rshani brigantine headed north through icy waters. Liall has been summoned home to Rshan na Ostre by way of a cryptic message. Scarlet, after a near-fatal encounter with bounty-hunters seeking Liall's head, recklessly follows Liall into danger. Now the unlikely pair -a slight, honorable Hilurin and a giant northern rogue- are relentlessly pursued over rough seas on a perilous journey for Liall to reclaim his past, but what new dangers will await them in the fabled Land of Night?
Scarlet and the White Wolf #3
by Kirby Crow
M/M Fantasy Romance
Torquere Press
Available from Allromance
Struggling to come to terms with his new life in Rshan na Ostre, young Scarlet is trying to find his place in a decadent, foreign society that bears an ancient hatred for all Hilurin. As Liall is pulled away from Scarlet and into the jaded intrigues of a royal court, the young pedlar wonders if they've made a terrible mistake in journeying to Rshan. Each passing day, Liall seems more like a stranger, more like one of the haughty Rshani nobility and less like the bandit leader Scarlet knew in Byzantur. As Liall contends with the aristocracy to uphold his fourteen-year-old brother's claim to the throne, an infinitely more dangerous enemy draws nearer, determined to part the lovers forever.
Book Review: The Thief Taker by William Holden
by William Holden
Thomas Newton #2
M/M Historical/Erotica
Bold Stroke Books
Review copy from Netgalley
3 Stars
Fleeing London, Thomas Newton reaches Paris full of hopes for a new life with Pierre Baptiste. The hopes are quickly shattered. There are unsettling rumors about Pierre's past and very real threats in the present. Arrested on false charges, thrown into a dank prison, Thomas must decide whether he can trust Pierre's help to winning back his freedom. But freedom will bring other risks, especially if it requires a return to London and all that he fled. The men from his past whom he betrayed—and who might well want revenge. His avowed enemies, the bigots that chased him across the channel. And, worst of all, everything he doesn't know about his family. To survive, he will have to play both sides of the life—as a thief taker.
When I started this book, it felt as I had been dropped in a story that had already started and I was a bit lost. Looking on Goodreads, I realised it was a sequel, so that explained a few things.
The first quarter or so of the book takes place in a horrible prison and asylum where Thomas Newton is thrown into on false charges.
Now, I did realise this was an erotica story before I started, but the sex scenes in the prison squicked me completely (not because of the sex scenes, LOL!) but because all I could keep thinking of was the rats and the filth, with Thomas beaten, half-starved, dying of thirst, almost raped at the hands of a different prisoner and yet he still wanted to have sex? It just seemed off to me. Maybe it's a male thing, I don't know.
The parts in the prison were so awful and depressing, angst heaped upon angst, and I wasn't sure I could keep reading, but once Thomas was freed by his friend Pierre Baptiste, things started looking up.
They returned to London to try and find out who had arranged for Thomas to be sent to that awful place in Paris and discover more than they bargained for.
I've never heard of the Society for the Reformation of Manners before, which appears in the book, but on further research it seems to have been set up to act as moral guardians and get people arrested who didn't fit in with their views, such as prostitutes and homosexual men. Sodomy was a capital offence then, so Thomas and his friends were rightly in fear of the noose.
I liked Thomas as a character, even though he has done some things in the past to save his own skin, but he is still a sympathetic character.
The book is a mix of action/mystery and erotica, with it landing heavily on the erotica side. I found myself skimming some of the sex scenes to get to the next part of the mystery :) The erotica is on the harder side than most of the M/M historicals I've read, with a lot more explicit and earthy language. I have one major quibble with the sex scenes, in nearly every one Thomas uses the word 'ass'. He's British, I don't think he would use 'ass' in that context, and it really jarred me out of the scenes altogether.
It was an interesting book, well-written and true to the historical aspect as far as I could tell, but I think readers would enjoy it more by reading the previous book in the series first. There are hints as to what has happened previously, so you aren't completly lost, but I think it would have added more depth if I'd read the previous one first.
If you like your m/m erotica with a bit of a harder edge, then this might be for you.
Book Spotlight & Bargain Book: The Chosen by Annette Gisby
by Annette Gisby
M/M Romance/Fantasy
Cover art by Ravven
Get the ebook for only 99 cents this week (Normal price $4.99)
Amazon | Amazon UK | BN | Smashwords
The neighbouring kingdoms of Oscia and Arcathia have been at a tentative peace for three years after centuries of warfare. Prince Severin of Arcathia has been brought up to put duty before all else and as the only son of the King and Queen, it is his duty to marry and produce an heir. His parents want him to marry an Oscian princess to cement that tentative peace. Unfortunately Severin isn't interested in princesses. Now, if he had his pick of princes that would be another matter.
Havyn has been a slave all his life. When his aptitude for wizardry is discovered, he finds himself purchased and freed by Prince Severin and apprenticed to the royal wizard, Ildar. His duty is to stay chaste to keep his powers strong, but his feelings for Severin sorely test his resolve.
With kingdoms at war, the throne hanging in the balance, magic in the air, and outside forces trying to keep them apart, can the two men find happiness together, or is duty more important than love?
There was a small table, which had a candle, a sponge, and a basin with a jug of water sitting atop it. The jug was cracked, but Severin didn't mind. As soon as Halan left them alone, he stripped down to his breeches and began to wash his face and chest. Despite being a little thinner after his bout of seasickness, Severin knew he was in good shape and wanted to show off his body to Havyn. Severin lifted his arms to wash under them, stretching his body taut. Havyn gasped behind him. Severin smiled to himself and turned around, his face impassive once more.
"Havyn, don't you need a wash too?" asked Severin, holding out the sponge, the water dripping with small 'plops' onto the wooden floor.
Havyn visibly swallowed as he took the offered sponge and began to wash his face without removing any of his clothes.
"Shirt off," said Severin. "You're probably so sticky after the horse ride. The water's wonderfully refreshing."
Severin wondered if Havyn would make any objection, but considering they would both be naked to the waist, perhaps Havyn didn't mind because he set the sponge down on the table while he removed his tunic and undershirt. Severin let his gaze travel from Havyn's head to the waistband of his leggings. He felt like whistling in appreciation.
"Your chest is so smooth," said Severin, lifting the sponge and beginning to wash Havyn's chest without asking. Havyn didn't protest, and Severin wondered if it was because the boy was used to doing what he was told without thought for his own needs or desires. Perhaps he didn't really want this? Didn't really want Severin?
Havyn closed his eyes and swayed slightly, his hands fisted at his sides.
"Ildar said it's because of the Aldari. They are smooth too, no hair except for their heads and eyebrows."
"Really?" Severin glanced down at Havyn's groin, noticing the growing bulge there. He smiled again. It seemed that despite Ildar's anti-sex lessons, Havyn was still capable of desire. What would happen if he reached out and kissed Havyn? Would Havyn push him away? Severin's mouth watered at the thought of kissing those delectable lips. He set the sponge down and dipped his hands in the water before returning to Havyn's chest and rubbing the water all over his neck and chest again. Havyn moaned and swayed against him.
Havyn's nipples stood up in little points, but Severin didn't know if it was because of the chill of the water or because he was enjoying the caresses. Severin's own nipples peaked in sympathy. He caressed the smooth planes of Havyn's chest. The blood pounded in his ears and pooled in his groin. Halan had finished bringing all the pallets and they wouldn't be disturbed until the others returned, but Severin went to the door and latched it just in case.
Havyn's eyes flew open at the noise. "Master Severin?"
"When we're alone you may call me Severin," he replied, turning back to Havyn, it was quite an uncomfortable walk. "I'm not a king with you, Havyn. I'm just a man."
"I—" Havyn began, but Severin stopped him by pressing a forefinger to Havyn's lips.
"Sssh. No words. Not now. I just want you to feel."
Severin had kissed his fair share of girls at all of the balls his parents had hosted at the palace, but until now, he had never dared to contemplate kissing a man. Havyn looked up at him with something akin to awe, his eyes bright, and Severin relished it. "You know I can't lie to you," whispered Severin. "I want you, Havyn. Do you understand?" Havyn was a little bit younger than him, and Severin wondered if perhaps Havyn hadn't yet understood what two men could do together.
Havyn nodded, his eyes fluttering closed, his mouth hanging half-open. Severin took that as an invitation, and he leaned closer to Havyn, so close their chests were almost touching. He cupped Havyn's face in his hands and pressed his lips softly against Havyn's. His eyes closed at the sensation while the two of them stood there stealing the breath from each other. Severin knew he wanted a lot more than kisses, but he didn't want to scare Havyn away with too much too soon, despite his own desire. Severin let his hands wander down Havyn's back, trailing softly over his skin. He held back the moans that wanted to fly free from his throat.
Severin only pulled away from the kiss when his need for air became too great. Havyn stared at him with wide eyes, his fingers trailing along his lips, as if he couldn't quite believe it had happened. "You kissed me," Havyn said with a sigh.
"I'd like to do it again if you will permit it," said Severin. "I only want what you are willing to give me."
"Everything," breathed Havyn. "But Lord Ildar said I mustn't."
"What Ildar doesn't know won't hurt him," said Severin. "I won't take your virtue, Havyn. There are other ways we can take pleasure with each other."
Author Interview & Giveaways The Unwanted by Jeffrey Ricker
About the Author:
Jeffrey Ricker's first novel, Detours, was published in 2011 by Bold Strokes Books. His second novel, The Unwanted, will be published by Bold Strokes in 2014. His writing has appeared in the anthologies Paws and Reflect, Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction, Blood Sacraments, Men of the Mean Streets, Speaking Out, Raising Hell, The Dirty Diner, Night Shadows: Queer Horror, and others. A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, he is pursuing an MFA at the University of British Columbia.
(Hi! Thanks for doing this, by the way.)
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
It's a little of both. For the first 50 pages or so, I'm a total pantser. (That is, I write by the seat of my pants.) Once I get to that point, I can more or less tell if the story has legs. That's when I sit down and start writing a plan. It's not a formal outline so much as a general roadmap. It leaves room for taking the scenic route along the way.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
Not really. Since I'm the one making them up, they'll pretty much do whatever I tell them to.
What drew you to the M/M genre in particular?
Well, I'm gay, so....
Do you write in other genres besides M/M?
I do! I've written mainstream contemporary fiction, some horror, and I'm working on a science fiction novel at the moment. A lot of gay short fiction I've written has also been a mashup with another genre: noir, horror, science fiction, and so on.
What is your favourite food?
It's a tossup between chocolate and cheese.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I'm a reformed night owl who occasionally backslides, but for the most part I'm a diehard morning person. I'm up by six every day and my idea of sleeping in on the weekends is 7am.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
Mars. Frankly, I just want to get off this planet sometimes.
Do distant places feature in your books?
My answer to the above question might give away the answer a little. I've written a short story that takes place on Mars and another that takes place on a planet at the edge of colonized space. The Unwanted starts in St. Louis and ends in an Amazon homeland outside of regular space and time.
Do you listen to music while writing?
I love listening to music, but when I'm writing, I really need either indistinct background noise (cafés do well for this, as long as there's not that one person whose voice you just can't tune out) or silence. I do get inspired by music, though, so when I'm working on a long project like a book, I usually end up putting together an iTunes playlist of songs that put me in the frame of mind to work on that project.
The Unwanted is a YA fantasy about a teenager who discovers that the mother he always thought was dead is actually alive—and she's an Amazon. Naturally, complications ensue. I didn't set out to write a YA specifically, but I read a lot of it, so I suppose it's inevitable that my own writing interests would veer in that direction. Plus, when I was a teenager back in the '80s, there weren't a lot of options when I looked hesitantly for books with queer characters my age that I could relate to. On top of that, I loved reading fantasy and science fiction, and finding a book in those genres with queer characters just wasn't happening. The Unwanted is the sort of thing I wanted to read when I was a teenager.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
That editors are the best people in the world. (And I don't just say that because in my secret double life I've also been a copy editor.) Seriously, editors will tell you when your story is going off the rails, they'll ask you questions designed to help you find your way back, and a good copy editor will keep you from making yourself look like an idiot. (I say this as an admitted idiot.)
Is there anything you would do differently?
Not a thing.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
I think of influence in terms of inspiration, and I can be inspired by just about anything or anyone—the last great book I finished, random bits of conversation, things I read in passing, eavesdropping. I just tend to jot them down to have them on hand for future reference. I've also written stories based on parameters in calls for submission. I try not to limit myself. One thing I've learned from my editor and mentor, Greg Herren: as long as it's a topic or a genre I'm interested in, I'll give it a go. And if I say to myself, "Oh, I can't write that; I've never tried," I try to follow it up with, "Well then, how do you know?"
Basically, I believe in putting the Muse on staff and making him keep regular hours.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
Don't listen too much to the advice given by other writers. :) Just write, don't stop writing, and you'll figure out what works for you.
What are three words that describe you?
Grumpy, contrary, snarky
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
My favourite book, hands down, is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I won't say that my writing resembles his (because I wouldn't want to insult his memory), but this book and its writer are what inspired me to want to write.
List of previous books if any
Detours, which was published in 2011, also by Bold Strokes Books.
Any places readers can find you on the web:
Lord, I've left a trail of self-promoting carnage all over the web. Here are the ones where I'm most active:
blog: http://jeffreyricker.wordpress.com
website: www.jeffrey-ricker.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/rickerje
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rickerje
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4022611.Jeffrey_Ricker
Red Room: http://redroom.com/member/jeffrey-ricker/
Jeffrey Ricker
Genre: Gay YA fantasy
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Date of Publication: March 18, 2014
Number of pages: 264
Word Count: 91,556
Cover Artist: Sheri
Indiebound | Amazon | BN | Indigo
Jamie Thomas has enough trouble on his hands trying to get through junior year of high school without being pulverized by Billy Stratton, his bully and tormentor. But the mother he was always told was dead is actually alive—and she's an Amazon!
Sixteen years after she left him on his father's doorstep, she's back and needs Jamie's help. A curse has caused the ancient tribe of warrior women to give birth to nothing but boys, dooming them to extinction—until prophecy reveals that salvation lies with one of the offspring they abandoned.
Putting his life on the line, Jamie must find the courage to confront the wrath of an angry god to save a society that rejected him.
GiveawaysTour wide giveaway 5 ebook copies of The Unwanted
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The Unwanted
by Jeffrey Ricker
Giveaway ends April 16, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Series Spotlight: The Enlightenment Series by Joanna Chambers
by Joanna Chambers
Enlightment Book 1
M/M Historical
Samhain Publishing
When a man loses his heart, he has no choice but to follow…
Lowborn David Lauriston lacks the family connections needed to rise in Edinburgh's privileged legal world. Worse, his latest case—defending weavers accused of treason—has brought him under suspicion of harbouring radical sympathies.
Troubled by his sexuality, tormented by memories of a man he once platonically loved, David lives a largely celibate life—until a rare sexual encounter with a compelling stranger turns his world on its head.
Cynical and worldly, Lord Murdo Balfour is more at home in hedonistic London than dingy, repressed Edinburgh. Unlike David, he intends to eventually marry while continuing to enjoy the company of men whenever he pleases. Yet sex with David is different. It's personal, intimate, and instead of extinguishing his desire, it only leaves him hungry for more.
As David's search for the man who betrayed the weavers deepens, he begins to suspect that his mysterious lover has more sinister reasons for his presence in Edinburgh. The truth could leave his heart broken…and more necks stretching on the gallows.
Warning: Contains mystery and danger set in 1822 Scotland, and a forbidden love between two men that will leave you on the edge of your seat—until the next book.
by Joanna Chambers
Enlightenment Book 2
M/M Historical
Samhain Publishing
"A fleeting pleasure is the sweetest seduction..."
David Lauriston couldn't be less interested in King George IV's first visit to Edinburgh. But with Faculty of Advocates members required to put on a minimal show of patriotism, David makes an appointment with his tailor for a new set of clothes-only to run into a man he hasn't seen for two long years.
Lord Murdo Balfour.
Much has changed since their bitter parting, except their stormy attraction. And when Murdo suggests they enjoy each other's company during his stay, David finds himself agreeing. After all, it's only a temporary tryst.
Amidst the pomp and ceremony of the King's visit, Murdo's seduction is more powerful than David ever imagined possible. But when other figures from David's past show up, he is drawn into a chain of events beyond his control. Where his determination to help a friend will break his body, threaten his career, and put at risk the fragile tenderness he's found in Murdo's arms.
Warning: Contains a lowborn Scottish lawyer with no love for the aristocracy, but more than enough passion for this highborn lord. Political intrigue, kilts, explicit m/m trysts, and men who epitomize "knight in shining armor.
by Joanna Chambers
Enlightenment Book 3
M/M Historical
Samhain Publishing
Five months ago, David Lauriston was badly hurt helping his friend Elizabeth escape her violent husband. Since then, David has been living with his lover, Lord Murdo Balfour, while he recuperates.
Despite the pain of his injuries, David's time with Murdo has been the happiest of his life. The only things that trouble him are Murdo's occasional bouts of preoccupation, and the fact that one day soon, David will have to return to his legal practice in Edinburgh.
That day comes too soon when David's friend and mentor takes to his deathbed, and David finds himself agreeing to take on a private mission in London. Murdo is at his side in the journey, but a shocking revelation by Murdo's ruthless father leaves David questioning everything they've shared.
As tensions mount and the stakes grow higher, David and Murdo are forced to ask themselves how far they're prepared to go—and how much they're prepared to give up— to stay together. And whether there's any chance of lasting happiness for men like them.
Visit the author at http://joannachambers.com/
Book Review: Becoming a Man by Paul Monette
Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story
by Paul Monette
Open Road Media
5 Stars
LGBT Memoirs
Paul Monette grew up all-American, Catholic, overachieving . . . and closeted. As a child of the 1950s, a time when a kid suspected of being a "homo" would routinely be beaten up, Monette kept his secret throughout his adolescence. He wrestled with his sexuality for the first thirty years of his life, priding himself on his ability to "pass" for straight. The story of his journey to adulthood and to self-acceptance with grace and honesty, this intimate portrait of a young man's struggle with his own desires is witty, humorous, and deeply felt.
Before his death of complications from AIDS in 1995, Monette was an outspoken activist crusading for gay rights. Becoming a Man shows his courageous path to stand up for his own right to love and be loved.
Growing up in the 50s and 60s, Paul Monette strives to be what everyone expects him to be: a straight A student, polite, kind, normal and straight. But even as a child Paul knew he was different, but he did everything in his power to push that difference deep down where no one could see it or even suspect him of being queer. He lied to himself, to his parents, to everyone around him so that he could fit in and not be singled out for the bullies and the haters.
I can hardly imagine how hard it must have been to grow up gay in the 50s and 60s. Even now, there are still such stigmas attached to being outside the norm as it were.
The book is well-written and heartfelt and pulls at the heartstrings, it's even more poignant reading it knowing that the author has died. The story is so raw and emotional at points that I just had to stop reading for a while and dry the tears.
As a straight woman, I suppose I can't really understand what gay people went through to be accepted, and even these days that isn't universally true. I was upset on Paul's behalf at what he had to do, had to pretend to be in order to be accepted by his peers.
I was always the odd one out at school, picked last for sports teams, rather be reading a book than playing sports. One day, I think I was around ten or eleven, the bullying got too much and I walked out of the classroom, out of the school and never went back. My parents refused to send me back there.
If only Paul's parents had been as understanding when they found his stash of magazines. His dad said it was fine to look at the girlie magazines, that was natural. But the others, the homosexual ones, that wasn't normal or good.
What is normal? What is natural? Homosexuality happens in nature and what is more natural than Nature itself?
The book reminds me a little of a gay version of Dead Poet's Society. It's a fascinating read on what it was really like to grow up gay in those times. Everyone should read it.
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text:
Name: Charbagh Residential
Location: Unit No.3 -Hatami st. Shanzdah metri aval st. charbagh-e-gharbi blv.Janat abad ave.Tehran, Iran
Architecture Firm: NOIR Group
Architect in Charge: Mohammadreza Marashi
Design Associates: Mohammadreza Marashi, Babak Taghikhani
Site Area: 286 sqm
Ground Floor Area: 168 sqm
Built Area: 1000 sqm
Date: 2009 - 2011
Type: Residential
Civil engineer: Amirhosein Pirghatari
Mechanical engineer: Ali Ghavibazou
Executive Manager: Hamed Kalantari
Client: Abass Kalantari
Photographer: BabakTaghikhani
- 1th prize of the second architecture façade award in Iran held by Architecture & Constrcution Magazine.
- Projects selected to attend the Venice Biennale
There is no rule such as composition to conduct the process of design but in contrary the way that inner spaces are juxtaposed naturally make the rule for the outer façade. In this 5 unit residential complex each and every level has its specific design and characteristics.
It is not limited to the inner spaces and has been displayed in the outer shell. By designing the building in a way that is a result of calculations made out of restrictions, we can inject a new rule to the city facades.But the point is that this new rule is of behalf of architects, neither the client nor the municipality.
Because of the narrow size of the entrance lobby, stairs in the ground and first level are designed in a way that vertical space has been extended. Transparency through first two levels boosted the quality of the entry space.
Our patio inside the building is smaller than the legal size that we are obliged to make, so we compensate the area by making VOIDS and terraces in the façade.
By doing so the main theme of the design was created!. At a short glance it seems to be a composition making the openings and terraces in the design of the façade. But indeed the variation in the interior spaces and variety of juxtaposition between bedroom, kitchen and living room is one of the foremost generators of the DESIGN concept.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thakar, R., Addison, R. and Sultan, A. (2005) Management of urinary incontinence in the older female patient. Clinical Geriatrics, 13(1), pp. 44-56. ISSN (print) 1095-1598Full text not available from this archive.
|Item Type:
|Research Area:
|Other hospital based clinical subjects
|Faculty, School or Research Centre:
|Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences (until 2013)
|Depositing User:
|Lucinda Lyon
|Date Deposited:
|31 Oct 2008
|Last Modified:
|17 Nov 2008 17:24
Actions (Repository Editors)
|Item Control Page


text:
Here is an excellent overview of how health has been used to promote eugenics. Inform and prepare yourself.
December 30th, 2014
Here is an excellent overview of how health has been used to promote eugenics. Inform and prepare yourself.
World Health Daily is published by World Health Team. The Editor and Chief is J. Patrick Green.
12 Deadly Foods
The 10 Bad Foods To Avoid + 2 1. Wheat - bread, pasta, sauces, pizza, baked goods, crackers, etc.
2. Barley - beer, soups, etc.
3. Rye - bread, bourbon, whiskey, etc.
4. Oats - cereals, breads, cookies, etc.
5. Cooking Oils - sunflower oil, corn oil, olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, etc.
6. Fried Foods - chicken, meats, stir frys, french fries, onion rings, etc.
7. Nitrates / Nitrites - cold cuts, bacon, processed ham, etc.
8. Potato Skins - Skins of potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes Processed Foods - anything in a plastic container, box or can, etc.
9. Burned Fats / Well Done Meats - barbeque, char broiled steaks, etc.
10. Carbonated Drinks - soft drinks, bottled water, beer, champagne, etc. around meal time
11. Corn Syrup / High Fructose Corn Syrup
12. Artificial Sweeteners and Additives
Our Commitment To You
90 Necessary Nutrients
60 Essential Minerals


text:
The ultimate goal of the County Adult Probation and Parole Departments of Pennsylvania is to protect the safety of the public by embracing and providing a balance of prevention, intervention and advocacy. Under the jurisdiction of the President Judge of the County or Judicial District, the Chief Adult Probation and Parole Officers and Directors of Adult Probation and Parole Services are responsible for:
Managing the department's planning process;
Developing policies, procedures and protocols to meet the changing needs of community corrections;
Managing methods of delivering services to the courts, community and offenders;
Managing personnel, finances, information, facilities and equipment;
Ensuring that the day-to-day challenges are done responsibly, effectively and efficiently.
The goal of this website is twofold:
To provide information to the public to better understand the challenges of probation and parole work, and;
To provide a clearing house for the professionals in the field for timely information regarding the Association.
For those of you, who are just visiting, feel free to explore. You will find:
A Welcome from the Association President;
The Association's By-Laws;
Listing of current Officers, Board Members and Committee Chairs;
Links to other sites of interest in law enforcement and community corrections;
Links to County websites.
Members of the Association may access:
Meeting minutes and an archive from previous years;
Directory of Chief Adult Probation Officers/Director of Probation Services;
Up-Coming Events;
County Transfer Information.
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the application of science into operational practice for services and programs for offenders. The goal is to use practices that have been empirically tested and have been shown to reduce recidivism among offenders.
Based on numerous studies and meta analyses of offender rehabilitation programs, researchers have outlined a set of principles to guide the implementation of EBP.
The evidence-based principles for effective services and interventions with offenders are:
Conduct an assessment of offender risk and needs using an actuarial instrument and determine the drivers of criminal behavior;
Enhance intrinsic motivation through use of constructive communication techniques, such as motivational interviewing and goal setting;
Apply risk, need, and responsivity principles (i.e., target high-risk offenders, focus on changing criminogenic factors, provide services that match needs.) provide the appropriate dosage of services; and, deliver treatment and other services as part of the sentencing and sanctioning process;
Employ programs and practices grounded in scientific evidence (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy) and delivered by trained staff
Utilize community support networks to reinforce pro-social behaviors and help offenders establish prosocial contacts in the community
Routinely monitor and assess offender and staff performance


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- Today
Hi all, Can somebody who owns a Helix or HX Effects check something for me before I buy an HX Effects, please? I jumped on to the Helix bandwagon a couple of years ago but sold it shortly after because I found a bug that had all the tech support guys stumped and I'm hoping it's fixed now in firmware updates, Line 6 are usually great with this. What I was trying to achieve was splitting my signal path so that I could send the same signal to 2 seperate stereo outputs, 1 with an IR block inserted going to Front Of House, the other going to my onstage cabs without the IR block. I found that when an IR block hosting 3rd party impulse responses was inserted after the FX, it collapsed the signal path to mono, defeating any stereo chorus, delays etc in the signal path before it. Does somebody have the time to set up a patch and insert the IR block with a 3rd party IR in at the end of the chain and check that it doesn't collapse to Mono? Thank you in advance and much appreciated. Cheers, Rick
HX Effects Expression Pedal Issue
mikiiabuel replied to mikiiabuel's topic in HelixYeah Same thing, I just recently bought an HX stomp for home use and did similar method. Both units worked out well with this method
Advice on live setup with Helix LT.
schuha_at replied to gordiegords's topic in HelixThis! I agree that a small mixer with vocal effects is a very good and inexpensive solution. Above all, it is versatile and quickly adaptable to different situations. At least a monitor mix should be possible to connect an active monitor box on larger stages. Thus the individual systems are independent and it doesn't matter if Helix, Headrush or other is used. You can concentrate on the requirements of the guitar. Helix has a rich interface for integration into a complete system.
POD HD500 Foot switch FS3 broken
ascari82 replied to ascari82's topic in POD HDThank you very much for suggestions, will have a try and let you know!
Let's put the real name to the presets
Berserker26 replied to MusicGeek's topic in HelixNice one, I took your presets and just pasted the Presets 2 into Sheet 2 of the same file. Going to start using this.
Hello, is it possible to put Firehawk fx in by pass mode with one touch?
mckens2 replied to fmachin's topic in FirehawkI am also struggling with this issue when using Firehawk with my amp. is there any way that I can just have the clean tone of my amp without any FX ? it sounds like there is no bypass button or pedal on the Firehawk so, as the question suggests , how do I set a 'neutral' or 'dry' patch ?
Helix Ideascale Community Submissions
gatgod77 replied to TheRealZap's topic in HelixI find the input gate to be inadequate for high gain tones, I'd like to have the option to choose between the normal gate and the hard gate,the latter being better for high gain,at the input stage Also the tuner,I'd love to be able to access it with a long press of any button A combined overdrive/amp block would be handy. The ability to have a combined Amp/Cab block where you can split a signal from between the amp and cab and send that to an onstage amp Combined reverb/Delay block I would personally find these changes very useful.
New HX Stomp Bricked after failed update
rjshama replied to Mattb4rd's topic in HelixI managed to get mine updated too. Here's what I had to do after I installed the USB drivers & the Line 6 Updater: 1) download the HDX firmware file into the local Line6 updater location: C:\program files (x86)\Line 6\Line 6 Updater 2) turn my computer speakers on so I could hear the actual connection over USB being made. I was expecting to see something change on the HX Stomp display and that doesn't happen. 3) power the Stomp on holding down the right page arrow button. You will here the sound your computer makes when it finds new hardware. 3) run the Line 6 updater and tell it to run in offline mode. If you have a USB connection to the Stomp it will ask you if you are updating an HX Effects or an HX Stomp 4) pick the HX Stomp 5) click the browse button and you should see the hdx file, run it and enjoy.
- Yesterday
Advice on live setup with Helix LT.
rvroberts replied to gordiegords's topic in HelixThere are just too many ways to do what you seem to want to do. These will be different depending whether you are working solo through your own sound system, or at a venue with a sound system and a mixer. You could work all this through the Helix - but balancing levels and other demands of live sound like feedback control would get very messy. You could use your computer as the hub for all this and use the Helix as an interface for your guitar (but probably not your Vocal) - but latency (in the computer not the Helix) would get to be a problem. I would always use a mixer. There are very good and cost effective mixers out there - some probably more aimed at DJs - that would give you the kind of control you need live. Then you can have a great vocal sound with it's own effects (most of these mixers have OK digital effects built in), your Helix sound easily adjusted for the room without need to fiddle with the Helix interface, and all your computer supplied content feed into it's own input. Depending on what you are trying to do, you might need Midi to keep say timed delays synced. Can you run all this through the Helix - well kind of yes, but not with the flexibility you need live. The Helix (and Headrush) is built round the idea of presets which is great for repeatability, but bad for the variables of a live gig. (not bad for guitar - but it does not have real mixing capabilities and that's what you are going to need.) The above setup does nothing to help you decide if you want a Helix or Headrush. Helix floor can take a Mic. It has the ability to pass through computer audio coming in on USB - which can all be adequate for say home practise - but nowhere near as controlable or practical as a small mixer. In a venue with a soundie, you'd just let him handle the vocal chores directly (assuming you aren't doing anything too effects oriented) and give him/her a stereo line out from your mixer. Where there is no soundie you just plug your mixer into the venue system or a powered speaker system and away you go. If your aim is to have one thing that does it all - neither Helix or Headrush is really it - that's my opinion - as I said - in theory - but not in practical real world I say - yes the Helix can be your hub. I think someone on this list is or was doing it all with the Helix - expect to hear from them for the other argument!
Tip: Make a Mute Button for Multiple Paths
codamedia replied to craiganderton's topic in HelixIt's really nice to see you here Craig... I look forward to seeing what kind of creative solutions you'll come up with and share with the group.
Tip: Make a Mute Button for Multiple Paths
craiganderton replied to craiganderton's topic in HelixThanks, seems like a good group of folks here! Helix was love at first sight for me, so I've been working with it a lot.
markyglam replied to markyglam's topic in Spider JamMillion thanks for your reply and support my dear friend. I've been using the amp for more than 4 years with a 110 to 220 v (300w) power transformer without any problem.- Always wanted to replace the original internal 110 w transformer to don't have to use both. but I was afraid of doing damage to the amplifier being not an official service here in mi country.- Do you think it can be a transformer problem??? Do you know some transformer datasheet to know if i can replace it for a new one with the same values??? I attach a picture of the converter and the internal transformer.- Million thanks again
I would be very grateful to receive a template from you... but I will give your recommendations a go right now :-)
JTV-69S Review
arislaf replied to variDude's topic in James Tyler Variax Guitars / Workbench HDYou should be proud. As a wiseman said, <<The uglier woman in the world is always better than your hand>> Not proud about it, but for me no woman at all at the moment :P
Advice on live setup with Helix LT.
gordiegords posted a topic in HelixHello all, thanks for anyone reading this, I'm looking for advice so i'll get straight to the point. I would like to play live music, which is basically, a guitar, mic, Native instruments Maschine, a macbook, and a multi effects pedal. Im looking at either the Helix LT/floor or Headrush Pedalboard/gigboard. my setup is essentialy using maschine as an instument.playing pads etc, using some kind of software to load backing music, guitar into which ever effects unit i buy and vocals into the interface, the vocals isnt a massive deal if that cant happen as i'm sure i could just use the venue mic system. Where i'm a little stuck is the interface side of things, would i be correct in thinking that the Helix also doubles as an audio interface? i have read that the Helix floor also has a mic input, so lets say i use the Helix floor, as an audio interface is it good enough to handle a guitar, mic, maschine and backing track. Any advice on this i would be grateful as i'm just starting out with this project so i'm hoping that the more i discuss it the more it will come together. Thanks for any help. Gordie.
For the Pre/Post Eq's, I will generally keep them the same. My reasoning for that is to set a solid foundation at the beginning, and send a solid spectrum of frequencies to the board on the output. For my 'lead' boosts, I use a combination of EQ/Drive blocks before most my amps. Which drive block changes based on the amp I'm using and how it interacts with the amp feel wise. I have another Parametric EQ setup (leaving the low/high cuts alone this time) and I usually boost somewhere between 800hz-1.5khz to help push the mids before the amp, which are then carried forward throughout the sound. I may boost the mids on the amp a bit more as well, but usually just slamming the front end of the amp with a mid boost into a drive is good enough for rock patches. So typically my chain is: Path A: PEQ - (Drive - Wah) - [PEQ - Drive] - AMP in this line the (Drive - Wah) combo are auto engaged with the EXP Pedal and the [PEQ - Drive] are my lead boost Path B: Speaker IR's - Reverb/Delay - PEQ - Compressor (Sadites LA Comp Style) - Volume - Output Theres some splitting of the IR's into parallel paths and only one of them gets the Reverb which then joins back before the PEQ in the chain. If I remember correctly. I could do that same boost in the 'pre-eq' block, but I haven't experimented to know if I get the same response. I'm sure I would as there usually isn't a lot between the 2 EQ blocks really, except my drive/wah combination.
System requirements doubt - Helix Native
datacommando replied to malgani's topic in Helix NativeHi, Well, I would go with "base". Under the thread named " Helix Native FAQ" there is this section: System Requirements Q: What are the supported Mac/PC System and Hardware Requirements and which Digital Audio Workstations are Helix Native be compatible with? Mac Computers: · Mac OS X 10.10 and 10.11 & macOS 10.12 · 64-bit AAX Native, Audio Units (AU), VST3 host DAW software · Supported Sample Rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz Minimum Hardware Requirements · Dual-Core 2.0GHz processor or faster · 4GB of RAM · 100MB of free disk space · Internet connection required for license authorization (and for trial version) Windows Computers: · Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, & Windows 10 (64-bit only) · 64-bit AAX Native, VST3 or VST2 host DAW software · Supported Sample Rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz Minimum Hardware Requirements · Dual-Core 2.0GHz processor or faster · 4GB of RAM · 100MB of free disk space · Internet connection required for license authorization (and for trial version) Everybody loves a hot rodder wanting to try something new, but deviate from the published requirements and you're on your own. There are no guarantees! A few weeks back there was a guy on here with a similar idea of using a mini pc and HX Native instead of using a branded laptop. I guess some people think it's possible to create a very cheap version of a full blown Helix by sticking the Line 6 software brain into a small transportable PC. I don't think so. Have a trawl through the posts on here for the one with the guy wanting to put Native on a Stick or a NUC.
Tip: Make a Mute Button for Multiple Paths
reginaldStjohn replied to craiganderton's topic in HelixGood to see you here Craig. I also follow you at the Cakewalk and Presonus forums
That would be so great, thanks a lot:-), and one more thing: Do you differ in your cutting settings when you set up rhythm vs. solo/lead ?
Yes, I have the Pre EQ as the first block in my chain as it will help 'clean up' the signal's low end for further processing by the blocks down the line. I think I read that the Parametric EQ has the steepest slopes on the low/hi cuts.....which means if you set it to 120hz, it rolls off pretty quickly <120hz. WHere as some of the other style EQ's have a more gradual rolloff, so there is more of the frequencies you are trying to cut out. For the Pre Eq portion I leave the parametric frequencies alone, other than the Low Cut one. in the preset I will again add in the bass to just short of being too much, then in the Post EQ Parametric block, I will add my 120hz spike that I like for some good chunky/percussive palm mutes, and then adjust the low cut there as well....that can range anywhere from 80-200 hz as well. Depends on the amp, but usually I end up around 100-120. It just helps retain the low cut you set earlier in the preset, but allows the amp's bass parameter to do what it should be doing, and then retaming the muddy bass stuff before being pushed out......if that makes sense. I know it sounds counter intuitive, but don't be afraid to (in my case, yours may differ) raise that low cut....as long as it counds good. I have some presets where I do my 120hz spike thing, but have the low cut up closer to 200hz. Bonus trick: this is where the 'looper trick' really helps. Put the looper in the front of your chain, and record something you intend to play through that preset/snapshot.....then as its playing back what you recorded you can edit the preset without having to play, edit, play edit, play edit, etc.....easier to really fine tune the cuts in the EQ's so you can hear them real time with the recorded playing. Once I'm there with that, I'll stop the looper and play and listen to make sure I didn't dial out any sort of 'feel' from the preset. I'm not at home right now, but if you want, I can shoot you a preset I have that's just sort of a template so you can see what I'm explaining.....if not, that's ok too. :)
Helix No-Boot w/ ":-28" Problem
josander replied to ozanerkal's topic in HelixHi folks, the same happened for me today. First, the HELIX froze, then I tried to start it twice and got the ":-28" two times. Now on the Helix are running at the fourth attempt. This has never happened for me before.
Thanks,- I seem to be a novice in EQ... Do you just use the high/low cut block in the Pre? and when its pre - is it the very first block you use? Pre Wah, comp or OD/Distortion?
Tip: Make a Mute Button for Multiple Paths
craiganderton posted a topic in HelixIn the process of creating my preset pack of 128 multiband presets for Helix, several of the presets used four bands, so it became a problem to tweak one band in isolation. I couldn't figure out a way to have a "solo" button for a path/band, so the next best thing was to be able to mute the other bands. Referring to the screen shot of a 4-band preset, I added a Volume block in each path (outlined in orange), and set the gain parameter to -120. Enabling the Volume block would then mute the sound; bypassing it removed the mute. The Volume block has a very low CPU hit, so after developing the presets I often left the mute button in anyway. This allowed creating Snapshots that had only some bands, which were musically useful as well as the main preset. I thought the mute button concept was a helpful diagnostic tool, and worth sharing in the forum. If you find this kind of thing useful, I'd be happy to post some more tips.
Relay G10 USB input poor design
snipedoguk replied to Driheaves's topic in Relay Digital WirelessHello all, I have been offering a power supply socket upgrade service in the UK for the past year or so. It consists of adding a standard "Boss" type power socket directly below the existing mini USB socket, and installing a small voltage regulator board inside the receiver which drops the standard 9 volt pedal supply voltage to the 5 volts the receiver requires. If the USB socket was working before the mod, it will still work after it, but I am not including repair to the USB socket if it is broken, the sockets are poor quality, and do not tolerate the solder iron heating well enough ) I have modified around 14 G10s this way, all were successful. Drop me aline if you'd like to know more. I am only doing this for UK customers at the moment, but could consider shipping overseas repairs if the demand is sufficient. Update, the mod is essentially identical to that posted by a2dconverterguy earlier in this thread, but available in the UK. Steve Coates www.redtapemusic.biz
hx stomp Error when transferring files from HX Stomp to HX Edit
LesT replied to LesT's topic in Helix NativeThank you very much - that explains it! I'll have to copy individual blocks.


text:
School Days: First Day Jitters by Julie Danneborg
"Sarah, dear, it's time to get up for school," Mr. Hartwell said, poking his head through the bedroom doorway. "You don't want to miss the first day at your new school, do you?"
"I'm not going," said Sarah. "I don't want to start over again. I hate my new school!"
It's a seasonal rerun of the first day of school. Sarah burrows back under the covers and pulls the pillow over her face. Entreaties about all the wonderful new friends waiting to be made cut no ice with her.
"That's just it. I don't know anybody and it will be hard and . . . .I just hate it, that's all."
Mr. Hartwell reminds Sarah that the school is expecting her, and amid visions of police cruisers unloading search parties, and schoolkids peering under desks and into lockers, she grumpily begins to yank her shirt over her head. Mr. Hartwell hands over some toast and a full lunchbox and, still watched by their bemused cat and dog, stuffs her quickly into the car. Sarah ducks low in her seat, and barely able to breathe, suffers first day jitters all the way to the door of the school.
There's no escape when Sarah arrives, though, as Principal Burton spots the car and bustles over, surrounded by a hoard of excited kids, to propel Sarah down the busy hall and into her new classroom, where a room full of curious kids swivel around to stare at her arrival. Mrs. Burton leads Sarah to the front of the room and clears her throat.
Class, attention, please!" she intones.
"Class, I'd would like you to meet...your new teacher, Mrs. Sarah Jane Hartwell!"
Illustrator Judy Love does a great job of cleverly keeping most of Sarah Jane under wraps and out of sight as she is hustled along all the way to her place at the head of her class. Although there are perhaps a few hints that Sarah Hartwell is more than a kid, we see mostly her bare feet sticking out of the covers, and the top of her head as she is bustled into the car and into the school. Julie Danneborg's First Day Jitters has a hilarious surprise ending as the reader realizes that it's a new teacher who is in the throes of those familiar first-day fears, suffering along with her students as they worry about starting all over again with a new class. A great read aloud for the night before the first day or for a new teacher's break-the-ice read-along for the beginning of a new school year.


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The Brooklyn Museum is preparing to return about 4,500 pre-Columbian artifacts taken from Costa Rica roughly a century ago.
Costa Rica had made no claim to the objects, which were exported in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Minor C. Keith, a railroad magnate and a founder of the United Fruit Company. And there were none of the conflicts, legal threats or philosophical debates that sometimes accompany arguments between museums and countries that claim ownership of antiquities in their collections.
Instead, the museum simply decided that its closets were too full, overstuffed with items acquired during an era when it aimed to become the biggest museum in the world. So it offered the pieces to the National Museum of Costa Rica, which accepted but has yet to raise the $59,000 needed to pack and ship the first batch.
The objects that the Brooklyn Museum plans to let go are primarily made of ceramic and stone; they include bowls and other vessels, figurines, benches and ceremonialmetates, or grinding stones. They are among 16,000 artifacts, some made of gold and jade, that Keith and his workers found on his Costa Rican banana plantations. About 5,000 of these pieces ended up in Brooklyn. The museum's plan to transfer some of the collection to Costa Rica was first reported in ARTnews.
The museum plans to keep some of the most valuable pieces, including gold and jade animals and anthropomorphic figurines and pendants. It is unlikely that many of the items being returned have ever been exhibited, although the museum's records are not precise in that regard. Earlier efforts to give them to Costa Rican and American museums were unsuccessful.Continue reading the main story
"It's exciting to find a home" for the objects, the museum's curator of the arts of the Americas, Nancy Rosoff, said. "Hopefully they can come up with the money."
The decision to part with most of the Keith objects is part of a culling of the Brooklyn Museum's collection that has been under way for a decade. Museum officials once estimated the size of its collection as 1.5 million items, although they are revising that downward as records become computerized.
The goal of the culling is to remove works that are not being exhibited or do not fit the museum's mission, and to reduce storage costs and to conserve staff members' time. Kevin Stayton, the Brooklyn Museum's chief curator, said it was an effort, at a time of strained budgets, to make sure that "we're not overextending ourselves."
The largest group of items to leave the Brooklyn Museum so far is its collection of costumes, 23,819 that were transferred to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2009. About another 4,400 objects have been deaccessioned already, including 983 Keith pieces. Ms. Rosoff said she expected ultimately to transfer 90 percent of the museum's Keith objects to Costa Rica.
Like many American museums founded in the late 19th century, the Brooklyn Museum had an almost insatiable appetite for material. Known in its early years as the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, the museum was conceived as Brooklyn's answer to the Metropolitan, and then some, with departments focused on natural history and the sciences as well as on art. It was designed to be the largest museum in the world, but after Brooklyn was consolidated into New York City in 1898, the effort lost momentum, and only a sixth of the planned structure was finally built.
The museum acquired the Keith collection in 1934, five years after Keith's death. Keith, who was born in Brooklyn, had gone to Costa Rica in 1871, at 23, to join his brother in building a railroad from San José to the Caribbean Sea. During the project's construction — which took two decades — Keith also established himself as one of the biggest growers and exporters of bananas in Central America. It was on one of his Costa Rican plantations, called Las Mercedes, that his workers first came across pre-Columbian gold ornaments, spurring the start of his collecting.
When the Brooklyn Museum first contacted the Costa Rican museum several years ago about the possibility of transferring most of its Keith objects, it received no response, so it reached out to American museums that had their own Keith collections: the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of the American Indian. Perhaps unsurprisingly, since the Brooklyn Museum was planning to keep the cream of the collection, the other museums were not interested.
The Brooklyn Museum reached out to the Costa Rican museum again last year and that time got a positive response — though, in the absence of money to ship the objects, it leaves the timing of a transfer up in the air.
Since beginning a review of the Keith objects in Brooklyn several years ago, Ms. Rosoff has tackled only the ceramic materials and has not gotten through all of those. Among the objects she has chosen to keep are a vessel ornamented with the head, feet and tail of a tapir (a hoglike mammal with a long snout) and another piece, of unidentified function, embellished with a sculptured figure of an armadillo. The objects being sent back to Costa Rica are not of exhibition quality, at least not in an art museum, Ms. Rosoff said, but do have potential value to students and researchers.
To the Costa Rican museum, though, the transfer seems to be of primarily symbolic importance. Sandra Quirós, director of the National Museum of Costa Rica, said in a telephone interview that the museum did not have immediate plans to display the objects, even if it found the money to ship them. Instead the items would probably go into storage, where they would be available to researchers. She was enthusiastic, however, about regaining part of the country's cultural patrimony.
"This wasn't an initiative of ours — it came from outside — but once we were informed of it, of course it was of interest because this is part of Costa Rica's history," she said, speaking through an interpreter.
In some ways the transfer is not unlike the Metropolitan Museum's recent decision to return to Egypt 19 artifacts from Tutankhamen's tomb. In that case the Met concluded that the objects had come to the museum in violation of an agreement intended to keep the contents of the tomb in Egypt. However, the objects' minor significance — some were little more than bits of wood — made the return seem to be partly an easy way to garner some goodwill with Zahi Hawas, the forceful secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt.
Ms. Quirós said there were no legal issues surrounding the Brooklyn Museum's ownership of the objects, since they left the country before a 1938 Costa Rican law restricting export of archaeological artifacts. Still, she said, she looked forward to repatriating the pieces whenever the museum could find the money.Continue reading the main story


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Jack Gledhill Centre, Withernsea, HU19 2BU
Photography club 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month
Hornsea Town Hall, Hornsea, HU18 1PA
The club runs on Fridays on a fortnightly basis from 11am until 1:30pm at Hornsea Town Hall. The cost is £5.00 per person for entry to the club, lunch and tea or coffee. Alternatively, you can just pay £1 for entry and tea or coffee. Each week ther ...
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Stud Farm, Meaux, HU17 9SS
Model Aircraft Enthusiasts All Club Members must Have BMFA (British Model Flying Association) Membership
Bishop Burton College, Bishop Burton, HU17 8QG
Friendly riding group for the disabled . Beverley Riding for the Disabled meet from March to November at Bleach Yard Stables from 1.30pm until 3.30pm
Platform 6 Railway Staion, Bridlington, YO15 3EP
Model Railway Club
Carlton Village Hall, Carlton, DN14 9PB
Model Railway Club
Hotel Forty One, Driffield, YO25 6TN
Group of Railway Enthusiasts who meet on the second Monday of every month, with presentations of slideshows and Films
Classic Car Club
enjoy the countryside?
get fit and be healthy?
make new friends?
join in other social events?
If so … read on … we are the group for you! We are a friendly and sociable walking group, part of the Ramblers. Aimed at people in their 20s, 30s ...
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Goole Waterways Museum, Goole, DN14 6ET
Model Boat Club
Walton Street Leisure Centrfe, Hull, HU3 6JB
Friendly Model Railway Club based in Hull but will welcome East Riding Residents
Flat 2, Hessle, HU13 0RW
Weekly acting and musical theatre classes for children, young people and adults across Hull and East Yorkshire . We also run drama days in the holidays and a theatre school


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Joe has a problem, he is Mediterranean... and lurking deep within those Mediterranean roots, emerged the inevitable Mediterranean yearning, that wells up within the psyche of every Mediterranean man.: the need to build a pizza oven.
"Darling, I've been thinking about that corner in the backyard; You know the one where you wanted the Balinese daybed retreat. I thought perhaps we could go with something a little more... Mediterranean, how about we build a pizza oven!"
And so it was.....our pizza oven journey began.... and the Balinese daybed retreat with spa and flapping white sails in the cool summer breeze, suddenly ended.
Of course, the yearning to build a pizza oven is not exclusive to Mediterranean stock, and so, its quite possible that one day you may find yourself experiencing a similarly sudden urge, so we thought it only fair to share our oven building experiences with you.
Some preliminary notes on building a Pizza oven
Building a pizza oven with friends can be great fun... (I've heard). Making an oven with children can be a freeking nightmare. But if you are like us and your children have scared all your friends away, then children will simply have to do. In actual fact, we had a great time making it with our kids... ok I'm lying, but they enjoyed it... and it will endure as a lasting family memory, and that's what counts. If you make an oven with your kids, remember, while your hosing clay out of your children's eye, or mopping up hardened clay footprints from your polished floorboards, it will all be worth it when you take your first bite of your delicious home-cooked traditional pizza.
|MIXING THE COB... with friends.
The structure of our oven is made entirely from clay, straw and sand. It's what is better known as a cob oven. Cob is a mixture of clay or soil, straw and sand. The quantities of which will vary according to the size of the oven you build. We used approximately 8 bags of powdered clay, a bail of hay, and a cubic metre of sand.
We also purchased some proper fire bricks for the cooking base, and constructed a platform for the oven using bessa-blocks and railway sleepers.
Step 1: Choosing a spot
We chose to build our oven under cover, to protect it from the weather. This said, you can build it in the open if you like, or even build a canopy for it.
Step 2: Making the platform for your oven
Before you begin mixing your clay, you need to construct some kind of platform or base for your oven to rest on. What you choose to make this out of is up to you, so long as it is able to support a heavy load and is reasonably level.
Once you have a sound platform to build on the fun begins.
step 3: Insulating base layer
Mix a combination of straw, clay and sand at approximately 3 parts sand to 1 part clay. Add as much straw as you can without the cob mix loosing its stickiness. We placed a tarp on the ground and mixed it with our feet. The kids loved it. It's easiest to sprinkle handfuls of straw on as you go, mixing it with your feet and rolling the tarp over regularly to keep the mix in the centre. Once its mixed, roll it into large balls about the size of softballs.
Roughly mark out the diameter for the base of your oven on your platform. We made ours about 90cm in diameter. Use the clay/sand/straw mixture to create a base like the one shown below. This acts as an insulating base, keeping the heat in the oven. You will notice a lip around the perimeter, this is to hold a layer of sand, about 5cm deep.
|the cob base
|the fire bricks on a bed of sand, on the insulating cob base
Step 4: Sand castle form.
Using wet sand, it is time to build the form for your oven, by basically making a big sand castle on top of your fire bricks. Our sand mound ended up being about 60cm high. Once you are happy with the shape, lay wet news paper over the sand castle form.
Step 5: building the thermal layer
Time to get mixing again - 1 part clay to 3 parts sand, just like before and rolling into large balls, as before. But this time don't add any straw. Begin packing the balls of clay/sand around the base of your sandcastle form, working around the base, then working your way all the way up to the top in a coiling fashion. The thermal layer should be about 10cm thick. This is the layer that retains the heat and keeps the oven hot. The thicker it is the longer it stays hot.
We built our oven door beforehand and pressed it against the sand form so that we could build around it as we went. The edge of the door is bevelled to make it easy to take in and out. This is probably easier than cutting a hole out of the cob wall at the end and then trying to make a door that fits. An important note about the door is that it must be 2/3 the total height of the oven interior. This provides the proper air flow for the fire to breath and let out smoke at the same time. We made our door out of wood and we soak it in water before using it on the oven to stop it catching alight.
Step 6: Outer insulating layer
Its back to the tarp for some more mixing, but this time we also added straw again. The basic rule of thumb here is to add as much straw as you can without the cob loosing its structure. In other words, you should still be able to roll it into balls and drop it without it falling apart.
Mixing with your feet can be hard work and its definitely worth while having some friends to help. It makes it MUUUUUUUCH easier... doing this solo, may break your spirit.
Once the cob is mixed, its time to add the final layer, much in the same way as before; working around the base first and then working your way to the top. This layer acts as an insulating layer, the straw eventually burns out, leaving air pockets in the dome, which acts as insulation. The smaller the hay pieces, the better. Make this layer nice and thick, around about 10cm.
step 7: let it dry... be patient... not like me
We learned this the hard way... and dug ours out after 4 days...
...and yep, it collapsed a few minutes later. I was a broken man, and so was my cob oven.
After several days of counselling for PCPOS (Post collapsing Pizza Oven Syndrome), we resurrected our collapsed cob from the ashes. Jo called her brothers on my behalf, and a few other mates, who came around to help with attempt number 2. This time around, we attempted a slightly less ambitious design, opting to go without the chimney, and also slightly reducing the scale of the oven.
We left it to dry for about 3-4 weeks. We removed the door, cut through the newspaper, and dug out the sand, (which we used to make the kids a sand pit) ... Success, it didn't fall down!
We had a fully functional, home-made, hand build, authentically Mediterranean (with a touch of Greek tragedy) pizza oven! I hugged the kids, and thanked them for their help, and mentioned that if they even laid a feather on our new, 2nd pizza oven, I would kill them!
We let it air dry for another week, and then prepared with great ceremony for our very first pizza night with the kids. It was fantastic! We fired it up and let it heat for about 3 hours to get it nice and hot. (about 300 degrees Celsius). The pizzas were Amazing, cooking in under 5 minutes, and tasting incredible.
In hindsight, we are so glad we made our oven... twice. Since it has given us many wonderful nights with friends and our own little family, and it looks great. So far we've made oodles of pizzas, but we've also cooked our sourdough and slow-cooked lamb shanks for a dinner party for 10... and each time we're more impressed by our amazing cob oven.
If you are keen on the idea of making your own, there are some good videos online which are worth watching for those finer details.


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Lafayette's Greenbush Cemetery
Several week, or months ago, on the Monon Railroad Historical - Technical Society's List Serve there was a discussion about some Union soldiers that were killed in a train wreck at Lafayette, Indiana, also known as the Crane Train wreck of 1864. The subject was discussed and I learned that several of the soldiers were buried in Greenbush Cemetery alongside several Confederate prisoners who perished at Camp Tippecanoe in 1862. September 11, 2004, I found myself in Lafayette and decided to stop by and attempt to locate the grave site of these former warriors. I have posted several pictures. To view larger images, just click on the image.
The monument. Sorry for the poor lighting. This monument sits under a tree.
Left: Detail of the top section of the monument. Right: Looking west down the row of headstones. Rounded stones are Union soldiers and the peeked ones are Confederate soldiers.
Left: Closer look at a Confederate headstone. Right: Close up of a Union headstone.
Left: Close to the Civil War graves, I found some graves of Revolutionary War Veterans. Right: Monument to other Revolutionary War Veterans.
| Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society |


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It's so fun to mess around with recipes when making baby food. My baby is at a fun age and he is loving trying all the different things I've been making him. He loved this one!
- 1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
- 2 apples, peeled and chopped
- Handful of spinach
- Wash, peel , and chop your apples. Either put them into a pot of boiling water and steam until soft or use the microwave steamer bags. Steam your blueberries as well.
- Throw all of the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth and the consistency you want. You can add water if needed.
- Use a tablespoon to fill ice-cube trays with the mixture and then place in the freezer.
- Once frozen you can pop them out and put into freezer ziploc bags to store in the freezer until you need them.
- This recipe made about 2 1/2 ice-cube trays for me