Contemporary Romance Reviewed by Chicklit Reviewer

Book: Pass the Hot Stuff

Author: Dana Page
Author’s site/buy links: 
www.facebook/passthehotstuff
www.danapage1.blogspot.com
www.createspace.com/3867996
Also available on Amazon.com and Kindle
ISBN: 1477625348
Genre: Contemporary Romance; Chick Lit
Rank: 5 stars~ Sassy read

Reviewed by Nikki Mason originally for  BestChickLit.com

Pass the Hot stuff is a fun, fast-paced romance novel that will show you the importance of letting yourself find the love you deserve. Surrounded by strong, inspirational women such as her artistic mother Katie, her fun-loving friend Trisha and her adored Grandmother, Sweetie, who all want the very best for her, Blythe is struggling to let herself be loved without compromising on happiness. But when two new attorneys appear at the boyfriend's office, Blythe's head, heart and soul are given a good shake.

Pass the Hot stuff is Dana Page's first novel but she has written it with such confidence and gusto, that it will leave you feeling warm and optimistic about love. Page has really captured the all-consuming sexual tension of a budding relationship and contrasts it perfectly with the stagnant claustrophobia of being stuck with the wrong man. The vibrancy of her New Orleans setting leaves you bright-eyed and ready for adventure.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

The Ferryman's Dream Highly Recommended

The Ferryman's Dream (Paperback)

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

· Paperback: 166 pages

· Publisher: Abandoned Ladder (April 6, 2012)

· Language: English

· ISBN-10: 0615613004

· ISBN-13: 978-0615613000

· Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches

· Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces

· List Price: $10.95

 

Review: By Emmanuel Karavousanos

Once in a while one reads a book that not only is a wonderful read, but has a magnet drawing a reader into it and fills the mind with at least a bit of wisdom and good sense. The Ferryman's Dream is such a book with one difference: it delivers a good deal more wisdom than one might expect. Often when reading a book one quickly (perhaps all too quickly) dismisses much of what one reads, hastening to get to "the good parts" or even just to finish. Here, the reader cannot but go back and read once again the fully packed package of ideas this work contains.

 

Aside from the story, which itself is joyful to read, ideas emerge right from the very beginning. The author, Dr. Bitkoff, can be recognized as one who has reached a state of consciousness that we call mystical. We see the wisdom begin to flow. Bitkoff quickly notifies us of a flaw almost all of us have. It is that the instructions given by spiritual teachers is often "denied or overlooked". Near the end of the book we are reminded that "while our journey through life is filled with trouble and tears, it is filled also with laughter and joy." Too many of us, too often, forget this and we become cynical, and sadly, not very pleasant to be with. Bitkoff knows well that greatest of all gifts, the gift of mystical insight. He recognizes that even "in the most highly attuned" this gift comes and goes depending upon "the requirements of the situation." If one chooses to become enlightened and to care to reach for that higher, wiser mind, this book will add greatly to reach that goal. Particularly distinctive was Bitkoff's use of brief, wise poetic endings to each of the chapters in the book which actually enlighten the reading mind. One brief example: "This moring as I slept,the sun caressed my lips...then I awoke to brighten the day." The Ferryman's Dream is a must read.

To order copies go to: http://www.amazon.com/The-Ferrymans-Dream-Stewart-Bitkoff/dp/0615613004/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333935885&sr=1-1

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Book Lover and Blogger Gives Mainstream Novel Kudos

--Title: Wander Home

--Author: Karen A. Wyle
--Author’s web site: http://www.KarenAWyle.net
--Genre or category: Fiction: Mainstream with mystery elements
--Reviewer: Jill Elizabeth
--Reviewer’s rating: Amazon five stars

Reviewed by Jill Elizabeth for her blog and for Amazon

Oh do I have a treat for you today! Today I am proud to bring you the latest from author Karen A. Wyle – and you’re going to LOVE IT.

I first met Karen almost a year ago, through Book Blogs. She was looking for reviewers for her sci-fi novel Twin-Bred (review available here), I responded with interest, and then after reading the book, responded with even more interest. Karen knows how to tell a great and original story, and I can say with absolute conviction that I will read any- and everything she writes from here on out…

Her latest, Wander Home, is not only a lovely tale about the after-life and after-world, but also a lovely vision of what I hope that life/world looks like. The book came to me at a particularly auspicious time – a wonderful, kind, generous man, one whose children I have babysat and who I’ve also had the privilege to toss back a beer or two with over the years, passed away recently (we miss you Marty S, and always will). Reading a book about untimely death and its aftermath was a little bittersweet, to say the least. But hopefully Karen Wyle knows something the rest of us don’t, because reading her imagining of what happens after we pass made things a little more poignant and left me a little more hopeful.

Let me explain.

To begin my explanation, I’m going to give you the synopsis of the book. First, because it’s easier and more concise than my retelling it, and second because I want to focus this review on my reactions and the writing, rather than on a recitation of the plot. From Karen:

Death is what you make it. . . .

Eleanor never wanted to leave the daughter she loved so much. The overpowering urge to wander — to search, without knowing what she sought — drove her away. She left little Cassidy in her family’s loving care. But Cassidy and the others died in an accident before Eleanor could find her way home.

Cassidy has her grandparents, and her Great-Grandma. And all of them have what may be eternity. Memories can be relived, or shared. The wonders of the world they left behind are only a thought away. The one-way tyranny of aging is no more — a white-haired and stooped great-grandmother one moment can be a laughing young playmate the next. But nothing can ease Cassidy’s longing for her mother; and Eleanor’s parents know better than to hope that Eleanor’s life has been a happy one.

Now, they are all reunited, with the chance to understand and heal. But the restlessness that shaped Eleanor’s life still haunts her in death. Somehow, she must solve the mystery of her life — or none of them will be at peace.

There’s a lot in that summary, so read it again. I’ll wait.

Okay, now that you’ve read it twice, think past what it says a little. This is the story of an after-life in which we are whatever age we want to be, surrounded by whatever people we want around us. It is a story about how death, even untimely death, doesn’t have to be the end of everything. It is a story about the consequences of the choices we make, and the difficulty even we can have in understanding – and living with – the reach of those consequences. Wyle’s isn’t the first vision of the afterlife that addresses these concepts (Richard Matheson’sWhat Dreams May Come springs to mind), but it is one of the loveliest.

Eleanor’s life is tragic and heart-breaking; not only for the things she lost, but for the things she spent so long trying to find. There is a nice twist hidden in the layers of family drama, redemption, and the quest for understanding, and it’s handled deftly and with a unique spin that keeps it from feeling in any respect derivative, even if it’s not a brand-new construct. (Sorry that is so obtuse, but I don’t want to give spoilers!) Wyle has a lovely way with language, weaving characters and setting together into a seamless tapestry of an after-life that I personally hope bears more than a passing resemblance to what’s really out there.

I started the book in the morning, on a sick day. I read through until it was finished, that evening. Even with my cold medicine-addled brain and eyes I could barely keep open, I couldn’t put it down. Don’t miss this one. It’s a beautiful story, well-written and smoothly paced with characters you can’t help but fall in love with (especially Cassidy and Great Grandma Amanda). Thanks for another great novel Karen – I can’t wait for the next one!

----- The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Multi Award-Winning Author's New Mystery Reviewed

Title: For Keeps: A Sam Moore Mystery

Author: Aaron Paul Lazar
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
eBook: $4.99
ASIN: B008OXZLR2
Author’s website: lazarbooks.com
Author’s blog: aaronlazar.blogspot.com
Amazon buy link

I turned the last page of For Keeps by Aaron Paul Lazar and sat with my mouth open repeating the word “wow” over and over again. I was mentally exhausted from the waves of emotion that I had just ridden for the past two days. I had traversed from intrigue to shock to anger to grief and back again. I actually had to take a few days after finishing the book before I started this review because my heart and mind were racing so fast that I’m sure the review would have just been a bunch of random babbling. I had to let myself settle down before putting my thoughts to paper. Now that’s a reaction to a book if I’ve ever heard one!

Sam Moore thought his life would be quiet after retiring from his practice as a family doctor in East Goodland, New York and planned to fill his time with gardening and spending quality time with his family, but after finding himself caught up in two mysteries over the past year, it has been anything but quiet. Now, a body has been found at the Twin Sisters Inn, and the coroner wants Sam on the scene right away. Why him? Lou knows that he’s retired, but for some reason she has asked specifically for him. Arriving at the inn, Sam’s past comes back to haunt him when he finds out that the murder victim is a flame from long ago. Ginger Kennedy was her name, and she lit up his world one Spring Break in Miami during his senior year of medical school. Ginger Kennedy was just a fling though before he met his future wife, and he has been a happily married family man for many years now, so why would Ginger have showed up in town and circled Sam’s number in the phone book? That’s what the police are beginning to wonder too. What follows is a whirlwind mystery where once again Sam’s brother, Billy, reaches out to him from the beyond to guide Sam to the identity of the killer. All Sam has to do is take hold of the green marble in his pocket when it grows hot and Billy whisks him into the past or another location in the present to provide Sam with the clues he needs to solve the mysterious deaths that begin to pile up. But will Sam be too late this time? Will Billy’s clues be able to save Sam from the ultimate heartbreak?

I met and fell in love with Sam Moore and his family in book one of this series, Healey’s Cave, and now two books later I am more deeply attached to this family than ever. Sam is honestly the most warm and caring character that I have ever encountered in a book, and I am always drawn to him like a bee to honey, and the relationships that he has with his wife, Rachel, and his children and grandchildren, touch me to my very core. I feel like if I could somehow jump into the story and walk into Sam’s home, he would welcome me with open arms. I know what you are thinking – he’s just a made up character from a book – but Lazar is such an incredibly talented writer that Sam has become as real to me as the people I encounter in my everyday life. I feel like I know him personally. I can feel his warmth and love, and through Lazar’s almost photographic descriptive skills, I feel like I have walked through the rooms of his home and visited his favourite haunts in East Goodland. This is because Lazar makes Sam very observant of the world and people around him, and we get to see everything very clearly from his point of view. Lazar describes everything in such detail and so convincingly that even if you had no interest in gardening, for instance, you would probably want to try it by the end of the book because you can actually feel the joy and satisfaction that Sam gets from working outdoors. I also love the fact that in each successive book in the series, Lazar provides us with more and more details of Sam’s past from different angles (this time being the women in his past) which help us to understand how his character has been shaped throughout his life.

 

What I will remember most about this book was how it affected my emotions. When an author can bring me to tears more than once in the course of a story, he has achieved the ultimate goal in my mind, to make the reader connect to the characters on all levels, so that it becomes almost personal. Never has the climax of a book taken me so by surprise and made me so upset with an author, but then with the true talent of a gifted writer Lazar redeemed himself by taking an idea the average mind would not want to accept, that if written by anyone else would probably just come across as silly, and breathed magic into it in a way that made me believe unconditionally. I was truly mesmerized by this book, and I can honestly say that I have never been so blown away by the ending of a novel. I actually felt a painful wrench when I turned the last page of the book as if I was being physically torn away from the Moore family.

 

What is the secret to Lazar’s success? Besides his amazingly addictive storylines, the one thing that always leaps out at me is his secret combination of a close knit and loving family centred on Sam’s warm-hearted character set against a good old-fashioned murder mystery which provides the perfect contrast between good and evil.

When an author writes so many different series and churns out the individual books with lightning speed, I often wonder if they are going to start getting repetitive or boring, but not so with Aaron Paul Lazar. He always seems to have a bottomless well of ideas from which to draw his stories, and each one is fresh and new. Lazar, as a writer, has perfected the ultimate recipe which appeals to all readers’ palates, whether mystery lovers or not. I can honestly say that he has quickly risen to the top tier of my favourite authors list, and I now anxiously await each new novel that he writes.

 

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More About the Author

Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. An award-winning, bestselling Kindle author of three addictive mystery series, Aaron enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his website at http://www.lazarbooks.com and watch for his upcoming Twilight Times Books releases. His other books are:

LEGARDE MYSTERIES

DOUBLE FORTÉ (2012, author’s preferred edition)

UPSTAGED (coming 2012 author’s preferred edition, eBook and print)

TREMOLO: CRY OF THE LOON (2007, AUDIO BOOK 2011)

MAZURKA (2009, AUDIO BOOK 2012)

FIRESONG (2011, AUDIO BOOK 2012)

DON’T LET THE WIND CATCH YOU (coming 2012)

MOORE MYSTERIES

HEALEY'S CAVE (2010, AUDIO BOOK 2011)

TERROR COMES KNOCKING (2012, AUDIO BOOK 2012)

FOR KEEPS (JULY 2012, AUDIO BOOK coming 2012)

TALL PINES MYSTERIES

FOR THE BIRDS (2011, AUDIO BOOK, coming 2012)

ESSENTIALLY YOURS (2012)

SANCTUARY (coming, 2013)

LAZAR'S BOOK ON WRITING:

WRITE LIKE THE WIND, volumes 1, 2, 3 (AUG 2012)

AWARDS: WINNER 2011 EPIC Book Awards, BEST Paranormal * FINALIST 2011 FOREWORD BOOK AWARDS * WINNER 2011 Eric Hoffer BEST Book, COMMERCIAL FICTION * 2X FINALIST Global eBook Awards 2011 * Preditors & Editors Readers Choice Award – 2nd place 2011* Winner of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s 9th Annual Noble (Not Nobel!) Prize for Literature 2011 * Finalist Allbooks Editor’s Choice Awards 2011 * Preditors&Editors Top 10 Finalist * Yolanda Renée's Top Ten Books 2008 * MYSHELF Top Ten Reads 2008 * Writer’s Digest Top 101 Website Award 2009-2012

 WEBSITES/BLOGS:

http://www.lazarbooks.com
www.murderby4.blogspot.com
www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Maggie Lyons Publishes New Children's Fiction

Title: Vin and the Dorky Duet

Author: Maggie Lyons
Author Website http://www.maggielyons.yolasite.com

Genre of Book: Children’s Contemporary Chapter Book Adventure
Publisher: Halo Publishing Int. & MuseItUp Publishing (Canadian e-book publisher)
ISBN: 978-1-61244-091-0 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-77127-073-1 (eBook)

Reviewed by: The World of Ink Network

About the Book:

A twelve-year-old boy named Vin, goes on a mission—reluctantly. He doesn’t share the optimism of the knights of old who embarked on impossible missions without a doubt they’d succeed. When magnetic compost heaps, man-eating bubble baths and other disasters erupt, Vin comes close to packing in the whole ridiculous business. He calls it Operation BS, his code name for a mission to introduce his sister to a boy she has a crush on. He doesn’t want to play matchmaker, but Meg’s promise to reward him with a David Beckham autographed soccer jersey is a decisive incentive.

The story is about the disasters that pile up when a seventh-grader’s brilliant plan to meet his sister’s challenge takes more than one wrong turn. Life tosses challenges at all of us. It would be incredibly boring if it didn’t. What matters is what we learn from them.

Get a sneak peek of the book at http://youtu.be/Qtgtp_rnAZ4

Available wherever books are sold and online.

About the Author:

 

Maggie Lyons was born in Wales and brought up in England before gravitating west to Virginia’s coast. She zigzagged her way through a motley variety of careers from orchestral management to law-firm media relations to academic editing. Writing and editing nonfiction for adults brought plenty of satisfaction but nothing like the magic she discovered in writing fiction and nonfiction for children. Several of her articles, poetry, and a chapter book have been published in the children’s magazines Stories for Children Magazine and knowonder. Author Website http://www.maggielyons.yolasite.com
Twitter @maggielyons66

You can find out more about Maggie Lyons’s World of Ink Author/Book Tour at http://tinyurl.com/9t24kgy

To learn more about the World of Ink Tours visit http://worldofinknetwork.com

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

New Eileen Granfors Novel Based on Tale of Two Cities

Title: Sydney's Story By Eileen Granfors http://www.authoreileengranfors.blogspot.com Historical fiction based on a classic (A Tale of Two Cities) Originally reviewed for Goodreads and Amazon Available on Amazon Reviewed by Mike Duron From the very first sentence to the very last, Sydney's Story was a pleasure to read. I won't give you a synopsis of the story, since other reviewers have already done that, but I will tell you the writing is tight, smooth, and brilliant throughout. Eileen Granfors, I got the sense almost every time I turned a page, wrote the book only she could write so well. Her writing is brilliant for many reasons, but the main reason for me is the efficiency with which she can paint an entire scene and add depth to character. With a brief tag in the dialogue attribution, or a simple sentence describing what a character sees or how a character moves, she paints the scene like a masterful artist using a few well-placed black lines on a white sheet of paper. It's really the sort of writing any novice would do well to study and emulate. The plot develops smoothly with no stagnation or lurches, and I was transported into Sydney's world and life as if I were on a great airliner piloted by an expert. Even though real-world events interrupted my reading (day job, dry cleaners, errands) I was always happy to return to Sydney's Story to see what happened next with the characters. I loved the way Ms. Granfors developed the characters throughout and even though many of the scenes were heartbreaking, I wasn't left at the end with a feeling of hopelessness, but, instead, with a feeling of hope in mankind. True evil makes an appearance more than once in this story and Ms. Ganfors doesn't blink once in her description of it. This isn't an unrealistic fairy tale, don't get that impression. There is real tragedy and cruelty in this book, but there is also great joy and kindness. Though there are some scenes that are obviously not appropriate for young children, I would recommend this book enthusiastically to any adult or older teen. It's just the right length. I wouldn't add or delete a single sentence. In the interest of full disclosure, I should say I did get a free version of this book, but I would have paid for it and been happy to do so. I'm happy to have discovered this highly-skilled author and look forward to reading more of her work!

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Goodreads Reader Reviews Teresa Morrow Book

Title - Life Lessons from the Heart
Author - Teresa Morrow
Author's Web site link - http://teresamorrow.com
Genre or category - inspirational nonfiction /personal development
ISBN - 9781476264196
Publisher: Smashwords
Review originally published on Goodreads
Reviewer's rating 5 of 5 stars

 
Reviewed by Darin Godby


Author Teresa Morrow does a fantastic job of helping the reader think
outside the box and look for opportunities that abound around us. She
helps the reader understand there are many influencers around us that help
mold us into their thinking, but also consider that we can be an
influencer and affect those around us concerning our thinking.

She discusses how we must learn to release control as well as understand
that we can't change someone. When a person realizes they need to change
then the opportunity for change comes, but not before then. There are many
personal stories and illustrations to help the reader learn from issues
within the author's life and thus easy for the reader to stay focused and
learn without it reading like a textbook. This is a very enjoyable,
valuable and rewarding read.

There is a section on focusing on the positive as well as the blessings we
find surrounding us. Also, there is a section on asking for help and not
trying to go the journey alone. How many of us can relate and learn from
this?

She also discusses how anger can eat one alive and destroy their
opportunity to be the best person they can become. Then she challenges the
reader to get past their past and move forward in life. Again, I must ask,
how many readers wouldn't need this material at some point within their
life?

This book is so relational and helpful. I would recommend it to anyone who
desires to improve their own life and make a positive influence in the
lives of others.


More About the Author:

Teresa Morrow is an inspirational author and poety and author of "Life Lessons for the Heart, available on Smashwords. Find her Web site at http://www.teresamorrow.com . She networks socially at Facebook,   http://www.facebook.com/teresamorrow and Twitter, @teresamorrow.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :