text:
Rachel's Dream Book Blast
Rachel Kauffman and Jarred Zimmerman seem to have nothing in common. She's the outgoing youngest of a large, close-knit Amish clan, while Jarred is a young veterinarian who trusts the animals he heals far more than he trusts people. However, when Rachel's horse falls ill, Jarred's struggles to save him show Rachel he's a man who cares deeply. And the respect he feels for her gentle warmhearted ways soon becomes an irresistible bond. When Rachel tries to help Jarred reunite with his parents, it's an unexpected blessing...with one complication. If he takes this chance to put his past to rest, it could separate him and Rachel for good. Now, with prayer, love...and her hope chest's small miracles, Jarred and Rachel must find the courage to reconcile their wishes into a joyous life together.
After finishing her chores, Rachel bounded through the open doors and shouted, "Old Sam!"
He looked up from his workbench and smiled. "Rachel, I was wondering how you were. I haven't seen you for awhile."
She plopped herself down into the chair opposite him and caught her breath, pushing some loose hairs back under her kapp.
She launched into an explanation of her dilemma. As she did so, Buddy whined for her attention, making himself comfortable on her shoes. Automatically, she stroked the canine's head.
As she related the brief contents of Jarred's letter, her heart pumped faster to keep up with her desperate words, which started to run together. When she'd finished, she said, "Old Sam, you've got to help me. I don't know what to do."
Don't forget to visit the remaining stops on the tour.
Lisa Jones Baker is a multi-published author with Kensington Books. Her debut book of THE HOPE CHEST OF DREAMS series, REBECCA'S BOUQUET, won a Publishers Weekly starred review. A former teacher with a BA degree in French education, Lisa has been on 5 out of 7 continents, is a dog lover. She enjoys positive thinkers , volunteering in her church's food pantry, and strong female characters.
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Labels: Amish, Book Blast, Giveaway, Inspirational Romance
Bishop Blurb Blitz
Fyra is on the run. Permanently. Pursued by fellow underworld demons—and one very angry vampire, she's running out of options. After failing her last mission of forcing vampire, Bishop, to give the demon world the information they want, Fyra knows she's as good as dead. Too bad she's no good at hiding. Everywhere she goes, fires break out. Her combustible personality is more than annoying—it's going to get her killed. Tracked by the random fires reported on the news, her enemies can easily find her—unless Bishop can find her first.
Bishop Laurent has to free himself of the bond Fyra tricked him into…and do it without exposing his own icy secrets to anyone, especially his team. But after he captures her, he sees past her fiery demeanor. Her knowledge of the underworld would be a huge asset, a perfect reason to keep their bond intact. Only Fyra overhears them and refusing to be a pawn, goes on the run again. Bishop has to find her first, and this time, he must admit his real feelings for her…at least to himself. Can he find her in time to save her life and make their bond last forever? Or will they be killed fighting Hell with fire and ice?
Sirens wailed, disrupting the silence of the night. Ahead of Bishop, an orange glow carried through the moonless night. Must be a fire, a mile, maybe two, away.
Bishop almost dismissed it until he remembered the seared plastic tape at the house.
His demon was hot.
Pressing on the accelerator, he aimed for the blaze. Firetrucks zoomed in front of him, racing to the scene.
Bishop stopped a block away, blending in with other late night rubberneckers. Smoke rolled from a building. A gas station. And not a building, but a car parked at the pumps was engulfed in flames. Did she really have to pick the most dangerous place for open flame? If it was her. But his old friend, intuition, curled through his gut like a tendril of smoke.
Yes. It was her. He'd catch her and finish her. Cover his mistake before she threatened his team. The dependable, calm Bishop had royally messed up. He'd make it right. His friends had been through a lot and Bishop would mop up his own mess and keep them protected, while protecting himself. He'd do it to honor his mam.
Firemen hopped out, but Bishop remained in his vehicle. Hoses were unraveled and they battled the fire as people fled the premises but stayed within watching proximity.
Bishop scanned the crowd. His demon should be in her own form. Could she possess another human without the help of the humans who would summon someone like her? It was possible, but his pull to her was stronger, likely not from being muted in a host. He had no clue what she looked like, but he studied the crowd closely.
His bond didn't ping, didn't tighten his gut sensing her proximity. She wasn't among the spectators.
You can't hide from me, demon.
Marie Johnston lives in the upper-Midwest with her husband, four kids, an old cat, and a young dog. After trading in her lab coat for a laptop, she's writing down all the tales she's been making up in her head for years. An avid reader of paranormal romance, these are the stories hanging out and waiting to be told, between the demands of work, home, and the endless chauffeuring that comes with children.
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The book is on sale for $0.99.
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Labels: 99c sale, Blurb Blitz, Giveaway, Paranormal, Romance
A Step Beyond Blurb Blitz
Dr. Brigitte Sheen, an ambitious scientist, and her colleague develop a gene therapy system to extend human life spans. Money owed by a Chinese investment conglomerate for bearer bonds taken from the shadow government known as the Horsemen never gets paid—but for good reason. The Chinese want the anti-aging system, but so do the Horsemen. In a fierce battle of East versus West, the future of mankind is at stake. Pursued by a crazed super soldier with enhanced physical abilities, Dr. Sheen, with help from her husband, Jeremy Hughes, Nikita Patel, and others, must overcome dark intentions of unseen powers... But are those intentions really that evil?
Brigitte had a look of wonder and astonishment. It was as if all the world stretched before her like the open palm of her hand.
Again, they silently gazed at each other for a reaction.
Brigitte spoke first. "Look, I know how this might sound…" She looked at Gerald for assurance. "But we've decided that the treatments, the anti-aging system, will be offered at a reasonable and affordable price so that the largest amount of people possible can benefit from it." She paused for effect, then looked at the webcam. "We're looking at two thousand dollars for the initial epigenetic therapies, with an additional five to seven hundred dollars per year for the maintenance, which is my piece of the puzzle and contains the mRNA anti-glycoxidation boosters."
Gerald nodded his head in a spastic manner. His thick neck flapped in and out like Jabba the Hutt scarfing down chicken nuggets. "Yes, yes. This is our mission, Mr. Faber. Like my esteemed partner here, I would have it no other way." He took a quick look at Brigitte, and with straight faces they both nodded in confirmation.
Ken, the astute lawyer, thought for a moment and got up from his desk. He stood, placing both hands on the desk. Peering straight down into his MacBook Air's webcam, he sighed and then said, "That's all well and good, guys. Honestly, I think your intentions are admirable, to say the least, but"—he paused—"and it's a big 'but', not as big as, say, Kim Kardashian's, but it's a big 'but' nonetheless." He looked up. "Like I said, there will be some real heinous opportunists that are going to be coming at this thing like leviathans afloat. So, I'd watch your backs if I were you."
Gerald gulped while Brigitte nodded.
"Look," replied Brigitte. "I think you know that I am quite capable of defending myself."
Ken waggled his eyebrows. "You got that right."
"And, well, I'm just saying that as long as we can maintain tight control of TSS, and thoroughly vet each and every one of our potential investors, then I see no reason why we can't get these therapies out to everyone at the best possible price. In fact, I see TSS actually lowering its prices as new and
improved methodologies come into place."
"And competition," reminded Ken, "but, until there is another fundamental breakthrough, any me too systems will need to pay you royalties. That patent is good for twenty years."
Brigitte smiled. "I have a feeling that both you and Roger will be quite busy in the next few years assisting us getting our baby off the ground."
Ken nodded. "I look forward to it." He paused and smiled. "Today marks history. The beginning of an entirely new way of thinking about our lives, our futures and on what we can accomplish." He hesitated. "The legal issues and eventual opportunists, some with spurious agendas, well, these challenges will not take away the magic that is this moment, for you two, and for the rest of the world."
He picked up his MacBook and brought it up to eye level. "Congratulations, guys! Now, go make us all live to a hundred!"
"Two hundred," replied Brigitte in an unblinking stare.
John grew up in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor's degree in economics, and has worked in numerous corporate finance and project management positions in the consumer electronics and IT industries. In 1990, he took an extended backpacking trip of the South Pacific before attending graduate school. He met his future wife in New Zealand, and they were married in 1991. They settled in Laguna Niguel, California. In 2003, John and his family (now with two kids in tow) relocated to Christchurch, New Zealand.
John's interest in writing began when he was a student at UC Davis and worked as a feature writer for the California Aggie newspaper. Possessing the desire to write again and with a goal on his bucket list to eventually try his hand at thriller novels, he took the plunge and began writing his first novel, The Fiduciary Delusion, in 2014.
John's interests also include science, existential philosophy, health, and both Western and Eastern holistic medicine. John also plays guitar, piano, sings, and writes music. In addition, a self-confessed "gym rat," John can be regularly found lifting weights, trudging up hills, sea kayaking, and getting out and about enjoying the beautiful wild outdoors.
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Labels: Blurb Blitz, Giveaway, Thriller
Lake of Destiny Blurb Blitz
Helping her aunt organize a Beltane Festival in a picturesque Highland village seems like the perfect escape from Anna's second broken engagement and the meltdown that wrecked her legal career. But to succeed, she'll need to wrangle kilt-wearing villagers, dangerous sheep, a disaster of a dog, and the reclusive laird who refuses to open his property to the public for the ancient tradition of "Sighting."
For centuries, Loch Fàil in Balwhither has been known to locals as a 'thin' place, one where the veil between worlds peels back on Beltane morning to reveal the face of a person's one true love. The tradition could draw tourists by the busload, but that's exactly what Connal MacGregor fears will expose the two secrets he's been desperate to keep hidden.
As Anna struggles to mediate between the needs of the village and Connal's need to protect his identity and his child, she finds herself falling in love with all of them: Connal and his daughter, the magical glen, the villagers. But day by day, opening herself to love exposes deep scars from Anna's childhood, and confronting those wounds could finally set her free--or endanger her every chance of happiness.
The problem wasn't just that Connal was pretty. Brando was pretty. Brando was also smart, considerate, more complex than she'd imagined, and—as Elspeth had repeatedly pointed out—looked darn good in a kilt. Brando had a sense of humor. For all she really knew, Connal MacGregor had none of those things. So what was she doing, standing here gaping at him with her stomach tied in knots and her heart beating faster?
Being an idiot, that's what.
She really needed air.
What was it that Brando'd said? The loch finds a way to make things happen even when the head won't listen.
Don't forget to visit the remaining stops on the tour.
Martina Boone is the award-winning author of the romantic southern gothic Heirs of Watson Island series for young adults, including Compulsion (Oct '14), Persuasion (Oct '15), and Illusion (Oct '16), from Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse, and heartwarming contemporary romances for adult readers beginning with Lake of Destiny. She's also the founder of AdventuresInYAPublishing.com, a three-time Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers Site, and YASeriesInsiders.com, a site dedicated to encouraging literacy and reader engagement through a celebration of series literature. She's on the Board of the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia and runs the CompulsionForReading.com program to distribute books to underfunded schools and libraries.
She lives with her husband, children, shetland sheepdog, and lopsided cat, and she enjoys writing romance set in the kinds of magical places she loves to visit. When she isn't writing, she's addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.
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PRAISE FOR MARTINA BOONE'S COMPULSION
"Skillfully blends rich magic and folklore with adventure, sweeping romance, and hidden treasure . . . An impressive start." — Publisher's Weekly
"Eight Beaufort is so swoon-worthy that it's ridiculous. Move over Four, Eight is here to stay!" — RT Book Reviews, RT Editors Best Books of 2014
"Boone's Southern Gothic certainly delivers a compelling mystery about feuding families and buried secrets, not to mention a steamy romance." — Booklist
"Darkly romantic and steeped in Southern Gothic charm, you'll be compelled to get lost in the Heirs of Watson Island series." — #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout
"The perfect Southern family saga: charming and steamy on the surface, with cold-blooded secrets buried down deep. — Kendare Blake, NYT bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns and Anna Dressed in Blood
"A fresh twist on the Southern Gothic—haunting, atmospheric, and absorbing." — Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of A Thousand Pieces of You and the Evernight and Spellcaster series
"A stunningly magical debut with a delicious slow burn to be savored. I want to live in this story world!" — Wendy Higgins, NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy
"Beautifully written, with vivid characters, a generations-old feud, and romance that leaps off the page, this Southern ghost story left me lingering over every word, and yet wanting to race to the compelling finish. Martina Boone's Compulsion is not to be missed." — Megan Shepherd, NYT bestselling author of The Cage series and The Madman's Daughter
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On sale for $0.99 at Smashwords with this tour specific coupon code: FF83K – expires the final date on the tour.
Labels: Blurb Blitz, Contemporary, Giveaway, Sweet Romance
Sheik's Rescue Book Blast
Zafir Al-Nassar knows everything about Jade Van Everett. He's studied the cases she's worked for his family's company and for the FBI. And it's hard not to notice that she's absolutely gorgeous. Teaming up for a routine security detail, Jade is desperate to prove herself and Zafir can't help but admire her determination. But when their assignment turns deadly, it becomes difficult to stay focused on the job. Because although they were hired to protect a Morrocan royal from a trained assassin, Zafir also has every intention of keeping Jade safe and by his side. Forever.
She sank below the railing as she put the Colt down and pulled her phone out of her pocket.
"Zafir," he answered with a concerned tone, for this number was never used except in case of an emergency.
"Code red," she said simply. "I'm pinned down at the client's apartment. Shots from across the street at the client's balcony. The client's secure."
"Last count?"
"Unknown shooter. Three shots fired. Four, if you count mine. He has a silencer." She looked where the planter used to stand. "It's been quiet for over two minutes."
"Nothing," she interrupted. "No visual. Like I said, I got one shot in, that was it. I never had a clear shot, and on a public street, well, that's just made it difficult."
"I can imagine," he said. "Keep it contained if you can. I'll be there in five."
The call disconnected as abruptly as it had begun.
Keep it contained if you can.
With gritted teeth, she shoved the phone into her pocket. For a second she really wished she could shove it somewhere else.
The Canadian prairies are my home and while the prairie landscape is blessed with beautiful blue skies, it also has four seasons that come on full throttle – especially winter and because of that I like to travel. Often on those trips, stories are born.
In 2011 I won my city's writing award, and was the first romance writer to do so since its inception. In 2013 my romantic suspense was a semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Awards. Published in historic romance and paranormal romance as well as romantic suspense, in February 2016, my first novel was published by Harlequin Intrigue.
There's no lack of places to set a story as my imagination and the too long prairie winters may find me seeking adventure. The memories of those worlds both near and far, the words of a stranger, the furtive look one man gives another, often become the catalyst for a suspenseful story with a deadly villain and an intrepid hero and heroine who must battle for their right to love or even their right to live.
When not dreaming of other stories, I can be found scouting out a garage sale or two, dusting off my roller blades or just thinking about the next adventure that may be miles away or in my own backyard.
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Labels: Book Blast, Giveaway, Romance, Suspense
The Unlikeable Demon Hunter Book Blast
Bridesmaids meets Buffy.
The ago-old story of what happens when a foul-mouthed, romance impaired heroine with no edit button and a predilection for hot sex is faced with her worst nightmare–a purpose.
Ari Katz is intelligent, driven, and will make an excellent demon hunter once initiated into the Brotherhood of David. However, this book is about his twin Nava: a smart-ass, self-cultivated hot mess, who is thrilled her brother is stuck with all the chosen one crap.
When Nava half-drunkenly interrupts Ari's induction ceremony, she expects to be chastised. What she doesn't expect is to take her brother's place among the–until now–all-male demon hunters. Even worse? Her infuriating leader is former rock star Rohan Mitra, whose sudden retirement in his early twenties now seems a lot less mysterious.
Convinced that her twin still has a shot at his destiny, Nava hatches a plan to convince the Brotherhood to bring the other Katz sibling into the fold. It's too bad Rohan's guarding her so closely that she might not be able to put it into action.
And it's really too bad Rohan's exactly what Nava's always wanted: the perfect bad boy fling with no strings attached, because he may also be the one to bring down her carefully erected emotional shields. That's as dangerous as all the evil fiends vying for the bragging rights of killing the only female ever chosen for Demon Club–or the one demon in particular out for payback.
Odds of survival: eh.
Odds of having a very good time with Rohan before she bites it: much better.
The red wine on the modular coffee table gleamed in a shaft of sunlight like its position had been ordained by the gods. I snatched up the crystal decanter, sloshing the liquid into the glass conveniently placed next to it. Once in a while, a girl could actually catch a break.
I fanned myself with one hand. The myriad of lit candles seemed a bit much for my brother's romantic encounter, but wine drinking trumped curiosity so I chugged the booze back. My entire body cheered as the cloyingly-sweet alcohol hit my system, though I hoped it wasn't Manischewitz because hangovers on that were a bitch. I'd slugged back half the contents when I saw my mom on the far side of the room clutch her throat, eyes wide with horror. Not her usual, "you need an intervention" horror. No, her expression indicated I'd reached a whole new level of screw-up.
"Nava Liron Katz," she gasped in full name outrage.
My cheeks still bulging with wine, I properly scoped out the room. Mom? Check. Dad? Check. Ari? Check? Rabbi Abrams, here to perform the ceremony to induct my brother as the latest member in the Brotherhood of David, the chosen demon hunters?
I spit the wine back into what I now realized was a silver chalice and handed it to the elderly bearded rabbi. "Carry on," I told him. Then I threw up on his shoes.
A global wanderer, hopeless romantic, and total cynic with a broken edit button, Deborah writes adult urban fantasy to satisfy her love of smexy romances and tales of chicks who kick ass. She is all about the happily-ever-after, with a huge dose of hilarity along the way. "It takes a bad girl to fight evil. Go Wilde."
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Labels: Book Blast, Giveaway, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Danced Close and Intoxicating Blurb Blitz
Blurbs:
Danced Close
Portland, Oregon, is one of the hottest cities in America. Just ask all the hard-working men sweating it up behind the counters of the restaurants, boutiques, and cafés all over town . . .
Newly clean and sober, Todd's taken a shine to his job at Portland's most talked about bakery. It's not just the delicious desserts they sell, but the tasty treats who keep walking through the door. That certainly includes Kendall Rose, a wedding planner with eyes the color of brown sugar and skin to match. Todd doesn't try to hide his attraction to Kendall's elegant confidence and unique style, even as he worries about exposing the secrets of his past.
For Kendall, the attention is just part of the anything-goes Portland he's grown to love. But he's still looking for that special someone who will embrace all of him—including his gender fluidity. So he takes a chance and asks Todd to be his partner in a dance class leading to a fundraiser. When the music starts and he takes Todd in his arms, Kendall is shocked at how good it feels. Turns out taking the lead for once isn't a mistake. In fact, it might be time to take the next step and follow his heart ...
Intoxicating
In the second book of Heather Heyford's series, set in Oregon's wine country, having a crush takes on a whole new meaning when a lady sommelier teams up with the hottie from her high school days . . .
The Girl Most Likely
. . . to be a waitress at her hometown café. That's what Clarkston's high school yearbook said about Poppy Springer ten years ago and that's where the beauty queen is today. But that's about to change now that Poppy has been offered a position as a lady sommelier at a cutting-edge new restaurant. Only Poppy has an embarrassing secret that could keep her from landing her dream job. A secret her high school crush seems determined to help her with . . .
The Man Most Wanted
In high school, Heath Sinclair may have been voted most likely to blow something up, but these days the sexy science prodigy is a self-made success story with his popular microbrewery and chiseled good looks. So why is Clarkston's most-eligible man so hell-bent on helping Poppy prove that she is more than her reputation? Could it be the enigmatic bachelor has a hankering for the girl who got away?
Excerpt from Danced Close:
I could have kissed him right then for that reaction. He didn't go all dude bro about the prospect of being led by someone wearing high heels or get embarrassed that I owned said shoes.
"Can I ask something?" he asked after a few more turns. He had that serious look again, but he'd been so cool so far, I was more than willing to risk some discomfort.
"Your lips . . . they're so shiny . . . You do a gloss, right? Ever do color?"
His eyes were indeed locked right on my mouth. I got a little thrill knowing that he thought about my mouth.
"I've been known to." At this point, it had been enough years that I wasn't going to apologize for the contents of my makeup case. But unlike when a lot of people asked me about it, I didn't get all defensive with Todd, who seemed more . . . thoughtful in his curiosity than some. "Why? Would you like that next week?"
He was silent a long moment, gnawing on his own lip. I was seriously going to have to get the guy some balm the way he abused the poor things. "Yeah, I think I might." He sounded a bit surprised at himself, giving me a shy smile.
Annabeth Albert:
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she's not adding to her keeper shelf, she's a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.
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Heather Heyford
Heather Heyford is the author of contemporary romances set in the wine country. See what inspires her writing on her many Pinterest boards, read more about her on HeatherHeyford.com, and connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.
Labels: Blurb Blitz, Contemporary, Giveaway, LGBT, Romance
Moments Book Blast
Take a moment to delve into tales from the dark side, have fun with fantasy, dabble in dystopia, and court danger in a little science fiction.
These tales touch upon death, grieving, war, fresh starts, hope, courage, change, choices, and encouragement.
And then, after all that, you'll find the poems.
From the lonely echoes of an empty house to the soaring heights of unexpected love and joy and learning to live as free as clouds and water.
For each of us, a moment encompasses a lifetime and, yet, passes in but the blink of an eye. In but a moment, everything can change. And in this very moment, life beckons in all its potentiality.
When the shadows fall, what will you do?
Excerpt From 'Twenty-Niner":
The pounding in my skull wakes me. I rather wish it hadn't. Not much, at least that I can think of, can be worse after a night of over-indulging than waking up next to a stranger.
Unable to recall his name.
Or how we met.
And—perhaps, most important of all
—why he's dead.
That realisation snaps me out of my hung-over fog. With a groan, I roll onto my side and push myself upright. Once I have my feet on the floor, I prop my elbows on my knees and cradle my head in my hands. Please, please, please tell me that I didn't do it again.
Is it too much to ask for a normal life? A normal relationship? A normal lifespan?
I pray, dear reader, that you're not a Twenty-Niner. That your birthday doesn't fall on the 29th of February. That you don't age four times slower than everyone else. Or suck the life out of other folks to do it.
Don't forget the remaining stops on the tour.
Indie Author Harmony Kent is an award winning multi-genre author. Her publications include:
The Battle for Brisingamen (Fantasy Fiction) AIA approved
The Glade (Mystery/Thriller) AIA Approved/BRAG Medallion Honouree/New Apple Literary Awards Official Selection Honours 2015
Elemental Earth (YA Fantasy Fiction)
Polish Your Prose: Essential Editing Tips for Authors (Writing/Editing) New Apple Literary Awards Top Medallist Honours 2015
Finding Katie (Women's Fiction)
Slices of Soul (Contemporary Poetry)
Interludes (Erotic Romance short stories)
Moments (Short Stories and Poetry)
As well as being an avid reader and writer, Harmony also offers editing, proof reading, manuscript appraisal, and beta reading services. As well as reviewing and supporting her fellow indie authors, Harmony works hard to promote and protect high standards within the indie publishing arena. She is always on the look out for talent and excellence, and will freely promote any authors or books who she feels have these attributes.
For all books available from me, check out my author pages at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Labels: Book Blast, Giveaway, Poetry, Short stories
Team Russian Book Blast
Lyrical Press Contemporary Romances Blurb Blitz - ...
The Castle Book Blast
Between Heaven and Hell Book Blast


text:
PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA FRIEDMAN "First acts: A Doll's House REMIX" took place at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum on Feb. 8 and 10.
QC promotes social change through theater remix
by Brandon Hernandez
PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA FRIEDMAN
"First acts: A Doll's House REMIX" took place at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum on Feb. 8 and 10.
"First Acts: A Doll's House REMIX" offered audiences a different look at the original play. It used perspectives of minorities instead of the traditional Western view.
The event took place at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum on Feb. 8 and 10. It is a project developed by the Kupferberg Center of the Arts to use historical plays and modernize them.
"A Doll's House", written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, was written in 1879. It deals with issues like marriage, oppression and tradition values. The plot focuses on a money scandal. But the remix of it shifted to a secret love for belly dancing.
This is one example of how the project works. Queens College worked with the Epic Theatre Ensemble, a diverse group of artists exploring social issue, for the remix. Students could write, watch and act in plays on and off campus.
The ensemble works not only with students, but also artists to demand social change. The plays written engage the audience to get feedback on the participant's creativity.
Caitlin Cassidy is one person who worked as both a writer and actor. She said the play offered a voice for people often ignored.
"It is always vitally important to promote minority voices and, I feel, at this particular moment in history, we are in dire need of women's voices from Middle East, North Africa and the Arab world," Cassidy said.
But "A Doll's House" helped inspire other plays among the group. Others include "The Visit" and "Democratic Dickism," which focused on homophobia in society.
Cassidy found the time rewarding and surprising with other people in the group.
"It is so rare that, as an actor, I have the opportunity to meet the person I am playing. It has been an experience nothing short of extraordinary to be able to engage so closely with these women and their stories. Many times playing it out in real time as they were being shared," Cassidy said.
Director Noelle Ghoussaini said it is vital for the theater to use minority perspectives in plays.
"It is incredibly important that we are hearing the stories of Middle Eastern women, especially in a time when so much bigotry and xenophobia is occurring in our country. To bring light the stories of women who have been marginalized in this country is essential to creating an equitable cultural landscape," she said.
But Ghoussaini said how the audience reacts is the most important part of it. If not, the message is lost.
"I hope some of the audiences are able to connect with the material and feel that in the sharing of these stories," Ghoussaini said. "They see themselves, their history and cultural landscape, be present and heard."
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A group of three design students, with the guidance of Professor Dustin Grella, started an interactive

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Fireglass patent, moderustic us patent no 8,419,505 c1, custom fire and water fountain with led light system, wine barrel fire pitout door fire pit*, out door fire. Parker homes renovations: custom water and fire fountain. Custom outdoor stainless steel fire and water fountain.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Ryan Murphy Apologizes to Female Directors on Behalf of Hollywood
"I am sorry. I am going to do better. "
Dec 8 2016, 1:32 pm EST
Hollywood's gender pay gap and its overall lack of opportunities for women have been major topics of discussion throughout 2016. Directing is one of the fields in which women are most sorely underrepresented—a damning study last year found that female directors were attached to just seven percent of top-grossing movies—and Ryan Murphy is one of the industry heavy-hitters who's vowing to change things.
Taking the stage at The Hollywood Reporter'sWomen in Entertainment breakfast, the creator of Glee and American Horror Story began his speech with an apology. "I'd like to tell the women in this room a few things I am guessing no man in your life or in Hollywood has ever said to you lately, or in combination: I am sorry. It was my fault. I could have done better. I am going to do better. And I have no interest in sleeping with you, I just like you a lot."
Murphy was introduced by Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon, who both star in the upcoming Feud, his latest project for FX. He went on to share an anecdote about shooting "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia," the standout episode of The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story which focuses on the sexism Marcia Clark (Sarah Paulson) endured during her time as lead prosecutor on the OJ trial.
"It was important to me to have a woman direct that episode," Murphy explained, but the female director who was slated to direct had to drop out due to a medical emergency. With only two weeks left until shooting began, Murphy stepped in to direct the episode himself, but later felt ashamed for making that decision.
"I felt I had failed," he said. "I have always had female directors on my shows, but why here didn't I feel I had a roster of women around me who I could turn this important episode over to? Why weren't these women on speed-dial? Why did I make the choice that was easier for me, but not for the material, or the world in general?" He compared Hollywood's existing roster of go-to directors to "a very straight, white, male, middle-aged McDonald's menu" from which you make a selection based largely on habit and laziness.
Realizing he was part of a flawed hiring system, Murphy decided to make a change. In February he launched the Half Foundation, vowing to have 50% of the director slots on his various shows (American Horror Story, Scream Queens, American Crime Story and Feud) filled by women, people of color or members of the LGBTQ community by the end of 2016. Ten months on, he has exceeded that goal with 60% of the directors on his shows falling within those criteria.
Just in case you needed another reason to feel great about your American Horror Story obsession.
Emma Dibdin Contributor Emma Dibdin writes about television, movies, and podcasts, with coverage including opinion essays, news posts, episodic reviews and in-depth interviews with creatives.
More From Film, TV & Theatre
The True Events That Inspired 'One Night in Miami'
Here's Everything Coming to Netflix in February
Jules's Euphoria Episode Arrives on Friday
How Kingsley Ben-Adir Became Malcolm X
Hugh Grant "Can't Even Remember" 'Love Actually'
Will 'Bridgerton' Get Another Scandalous Season?
Jennifer Hudson Wants 'Sex and the City' Role
The 15 Most Iconic TV Wardrobes
Selena: The Series Part 2 Arrives in May
Sanaa Lathan Joins the 'Succession' Season 3 Cast
Ryan Murphy and Janet Mock Talk Making 'Hollywood'
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Maria Grazia Chiuri Confirmed at Dior
Could Hollywood Get a Season 2?
Fabulous at Every Age: Carolyn Murphy, 40s
#ManCrushMonday: Cillian Murphy


Dave Martin - April 16, 2019, 4:31 p.m.
> @@ -87,7 +87,21 @@ used to get and set the keys for a thread.
> +these userspace flags are checked before enabling pointer authentication.
> +enabled independently of one another.
> +on VHE mode to be present.
> +result in an UNDEFINED exception being injected into the guest.
Nit: (arm64 only) would be less verbose.
> +	  Must be requested if KVM_ARM_VCPU_PTRAUTH_GENERIC is also requested.
> +	  Must be requested if KVM_ARM_VCPU_PTRAUTH_ADDRESS is also requested.
>  	- KVM_ARM_VCPU_SVE: Enables SVE for the CPU (arm64 only).
I'd say "for now" here, since we might relax this rule later on.
> +	 * features are requested by the userspace together.
Amit Daniel Kachhap - April 17, 2019, 8:17 a.m.
>> @@ -87,7 +87,21 @@ used to get and set the keys for a thread.
>> +these userspace flags are checked before enabling pointer authentication.
>> +enabled independently of one another.
>> +on VHE mode to be present.
>> +result in an UNDEFINED exception being injected into the guest.
> Nit: (arm64 only) would be less verbose.
>> +	  Must be requested if KVM_ARM_VCPU_PTRAUTH_GENERIC is also requested.
>> +	  Must be requested if KVM_ARM_VCPU_PTRAUTH_ADDRESS is also requested.
>>   	- KVM_ARM_VCPU_SVE: Enables SVE for the CPU (arm64 only).
> I'd say "for now" here, since we might relax this rule later on.
>> +	 * features are requested by the userspace together.
@@ -87,7 +87,21 @@  used to get and set the keys for a thread.
+these userspace flags are checked before enabling pointer authentication.
+enabled independently of one another.
+on VHE mode to be present.
+	  Must be requested if KVM_ARM_VCPU_PTRAUTH_GENERIC is also requested.
+	  Must be requested if KVM_ARM_VCPU_PTRAUTH_ADDRESS is also requested.
+	 * features are requested by the userspace together.


text:
Hebrew Khazars
QLost Ten Tribes
Were Khazars really Jewish?
https://www.quora.com/Were-Khazars-really-Jewish/answer/Yair-Davidiy
(27 April, 2018, 12 Iyar, 5778)
The Khazars were mostly referred to in Russian Chronicles as Hebrews which was the common term they used for Jews. They were recorded as keeping the Jewish Faith. The name given to them by the Arabs is the equivalent of Jesse indicating that their ruling house was descended from David son of Jesse. The oldest Jewish sources (e.g. Eldad Ha-Dani) as well as a Midrash and possibly also one reference in the Talmud identify them as from the Tribes of Simeon and Manasseh. Other Jewish sources mentioned other Israelite tribes. One source describes them as Jews fleeing from persecution who intermixed with the descendants of Israelite Tribes and Gentiles from Gomer son of Japhet. Later sources say they were converts descended from the offspring of Gomer or of Mesheck. Even if they were descended from Israelite Tribes conversion to Judaism may have been required to obviate doubt and complications (cf. Talmud Yebamot 17).


The Hisense R6107 is an easy, convenient way to stream what you love. Watch just about anything whenever you want from free channels, paid subscriptions, or rent or buy — all on demand. Access 100,000+ movies and TV episodes including blockbuster films, primetime shows, live sports, news, kids' programming and music across thousands of free or paid channels like Netflix, Spotify, Google Play, and many more.
Roku TV* is an easy way to stream what you love. Access 100,000+ movies and TV episodes across thousands of free or paid channels. Get features like fast and easy cross-channel search. And use the Roku mobile app to turn your iOS® or Android™ phone into a handy remote.
Don't get rid of your Blu-ray collection. Experience your favourite 1080p resolution movie in a new way. The upscaler will convert your movie to near 4K picture quality to give you the best viewing experience possible.
Turn your smart phone or tablet into the ultimate streaming companion. Use your mobile device to quickly find something to watch, control your Hisense Roku TV and so much more! This app works with your iOS® and Android™ devices. Never worry about losing the remote again.


text:
Rick Case Alfa Romeo - Serving Boca Raton
Boca Raton Driving Enthusiasts Turn to Rick Case Alfa Romeo for Thrills
When you're ready to upgrade to a joyful, inspiring ride, Rick Case Alfa Romeo is just a 45-minute drive to the southwest of Boca. We're here to ease your transition into the heavenly world of legendary Italian performance car ownership.
Treat Yourself to a New Alfa Romeo
Seen everything there is to see at the Boca Raton Museum of Art? Point your eyeballs at a new Alfa Romeo 4C coupe and you'll have a whole new appreciation for beauty. It's a stunner, and one test drive will have you delighted with its turbocharged supercar performance.
The Giulia is breathtakingly alluring in its own right, and it has the added convenience of a rear seat and trunk. Enjoy a high-powered, elegant, and luxurious driving experience every morning on your way to work. Or on the way to the beach.
For an extra dose of practicality with your divine automotive indulgence, opt for the Stelvio. You can fill it with treasures from the Town Center at Boca Raton or easily toss the golf bags in back and head to the club. It's the perfect family SUV, if your family happens to love vehicles that are both thrilling and sophisticated.
We also carry excellent-condition, pre-owned Alfa Romeo models and other gently used premium brands for the discerning car shopper.
Let Rick Case Alfa Romeo Take Care of You
We're happy to secure great financing options for you. We can handle all of your Alfa Romeo maintenance and repairs. If you're a proficient technician yourself, just come to us when you need parts.
Please visit our showroom in Davie to learn everything you'd like to know about these vehicles. The best way to get familiar with these race-bred performance cars, of course, is to test drive one.
Get Directions From Boca Raton
Davie,	FL	33331
Your Street
Sunday 11:00-5:00


text:
Home > World Regions > Asia Pacific News > Ajit Seth To Lead India's Government Senior Selection Board
Ajit Seth To Lead India's Government Senior Selection Board
By Winnie Agbonlahor on 18/08/2015
Former Indian cabinet secretary Ajit Seth has been appointed chair of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), which advises the government on senior appointments.
Seth stepped down from his cabinet post on 13 June this year.
He had taken over as Cabinet Secretary on 14 June, 2011 with a two-year fixed tenure until 13 June, 2013, but he had his tenure extended several times, most recently with a six-month extension in December last year.
Seth will remain in his new role for three years, until he turns 65, the Statesman reports.
He is replacing Atul Chaturvedi, who has completed his tenure.
The PESB advises the government on appointments to their top management posts and is tasked with giving priority to internal candidates.
The organisation states on its website: "Unless markedly better candidates are available from outside, internal candidates will be preferred for appointment to board level posts."
Ajit SethAPACAppointmentappointmentsCivil serviceDepartureEmploymentgovernanceGrowth & EmploymentIndialeadershipPolicy & GovernancePublic SectorPublic servicesRecruitment
About Winnie Agbonlahor
Winnie is news editor of Global Government Forum. She previously reported for Civil Service World - the trade magazine for senior UK government officials. Originally from Germany, Winnie first came to the UK in 2006 to study a BA in Journalism & Russian at the University of Sheffield. She is bilingual in English and German, and, after spending an academic year abroad in Russia and reporting for the Moscow Times, Winnie also speaks Russian fluently.
Falling trust and the rise of populism require governments to rethink citizen engagement
New report by WPP Government & Public Sector Practice identifies how governments can better connect with citizens in the changing political landscape Intensified political polarisation, fragmented groups and rapid digital disruption risk undermining governments' efforts to effectively engage with citizens, concludes a new report by WPP Government & Public Sector Practice. The Leaders' Report: Increasing […]
Making Artificial Intelligence accessible: the Finworks approach
Many government organisations must gather and process large amounts of information – traditionally a labour-intensive job, resulting in periodical data reports. Artificial Intelligence and Process Automation can strip the legwork out of this process and provide real-time data management, giving public servants a much more detailed and accurate view of their sector. But adapting AI […]


Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale: the area is surrounded by Green Belt and is regulated by Borough Local Plans and National Policy guidelines. But it is still under constant threat. The National Planning Policy Framework published in March 2012 now eases the path for developers, with a stated presumption in favour of sustainable development.
With the relaxation in planning regulations, owners of "brownfield" sites will be encouraged to promote their properties for housing development. Similarly, land in the Green Belt will be promoted to the councils for such housing expansion. This will result in councils being under pressure to approve rather than turn down planning applications, with some threatening to destroy the character of the area.
The Society for the Protection of Ascot and Environs (SPAE) is concerned about such initiatives and the potential impact they may have in respect of housing development in the local area. SPAE has been the planning watchdog for the people of Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale for 40 years and represents the views of 1,500 members including individual, household and residents' association memberships on an apolitical, semi-charitable basis monitoring every planning application in the area. We cooperate with national and nearby area organisations with similar aims.
We are particularly concerned to preserve the Metropolitan Green Belt, which accounts for about 70% of our area and is fundamental to its character. Although the non-Green Belt area has been substantially developed, there is constant pressure by developers for in-filling, especially in gardens. We are represented at many public enquiries and, if developers go to appeal, we regularly make representations to the Department for Communities and Local Government.
SPAE is not opposed to all development. Everyone needs a place to live and work, but new homes, offices, factories and roads should fit in with approved local development plans, should be sited in the right place and should be built in keeping with the character of the area.
Join SPAE to protect the area. By becoming a member, you can join a pressure group established for the public benefit and which has been in existence for 40 years protecting the area in which we enjoy living. With your help we can speak with an even more powerful voice.
© Society for the Protection of Ascot and Environs.


Engaging patients in their care is crucial to ensuring the best possible outcomes, that all the information given to a provider is correct, and that the will of the patient is understood. Remember also that the government can punish hospitals for not doing it.
Medicare Condition of Participation (CoP) §482.13(b)(2) for hospitals says that patients have the right to make informed choices about their care and be involved in crafting their care plan. And CoP §482.13(a)(1) requires hospitals to take reasonable steps to decide who the patient's designated surrogate is when the patient is unable to make the decision.
So what's the best way to keep patients informed about their care? What documentation does CMS require to show it was done? Can a hospital ever override a patient's decision?
And how much information is enough?
Diana Topjian, a patient safety coach with Studer Group, says that when providers talk to patients about their care plan, it must be clear that the patient understands the risks and benefits of agreeing to or declining the treatment regimen.
"It's incumbent upon us as providers to ensure we present the plan of care in such a way that the patient (and/or family) understand and clearly can follow the information we used in reaching those decisions," Topjian says.
Thomas Dahlborg, a patient safety coach with Studer Group, says trust is important.
Dahlborg recommends using the AIDET Plus the Promise mnemonic as a way to build trust and rapport with patients.
Shipley is a big supporter of educating patients about their health even outside the hospital's walls. Making resources available for patients outside the hospital to learn about their care has been shown to be effective in improving outcomes.
There was a time commitment for this program, she admits. That said, babies from the program were healthier on average in their first six months than those whose parents didn't get the proactive education.
The only time CMS lets a provider overrule a patient's care wishes is if the patient is deemed to lack decision-making capacity. And when this happens, decision-making responsibility is passed to the healthcare surrogate (HCS).
If a hospital has reason to believe the HCS isn't making the best decisions, then the facility should perform an ethics consultation. In extreme situations, a guardian-ad-litem is appointed by the courts.
There are situations where a crucial care decision needs to be made but the patient or the patient's HCS aren't available to discuss it. In the absence of any legal document (advance directive), healthcare organizations are allowed to make their best judgment.
The laws around who is appointed the healthcare surrogate (HCS) for a patient are stringent. Unless a patient names his or her HCS, each state has its own hierarchy for deciding what family member or relation gets legal authority. Click here to see a state-by-state chart of HCS priority.


Happy New Year! We all know that 2017 brought on the crypto-currency hype and with it, more people doing Facebook Lives. Whether someone was at a concert, talking about their newest weight loss system, a great workout to tighten those abs, or how much money they made with Bitcoin, we saw more people coming out of the woodwork to be Live on Facebook.
Bloggers – Yes, you folks are amazing at the written word and can absolutely make some loot via Facebook lives. You are our champions of research, knowledge, and wisdom! We look for your content via Google, so why not have a Facebook live you've done talking about certain plugins you use for your WordPress site or perhaps how you know what to blog about? When you finish your Facebook live, you can edit the video and upload it to Youtube, where you get even more traction and exposure to your content.
Business Coaches – Okay, so…while we are appreciative for your cheat sheets, blueprints, and ebooks, you need to be sure you're sharing that very same content via live video for Q&As or "Ask Me Anything" sessions. Present your live stream video from your personal page and share it to your business page, a group you admin, and of course, go live on multiple platforms. Doing a live stream from your business page brings more organic traffic to your business but also, you can run ads using that very same video to promote a product or free webinar you have coming up. The more engagement you already have with that video, the better your conversion rates will be when you run a video views ad or even a traffic ad. A great software that I use to share my screen during Facebook Lives is Zoom, through The Influencer Network. I pay only $45/mo and can get up to 1,000 webinar attendees.
Affiliate marketing – You do NOT need to have a business in order to be an affiliate marketer, which is why I left this one last. Affiliate marketing is my absolute favorite way to make a few extra hundred or thousand dollars per month in passive income. An affiliate marketer is simply someone who uses a product that they really like and makes a commission by sharing it with their audience. In order to become an affiliate, you can just go to the website of the company, scroll to the bottom of the screen, and look for the tiny link that says affiliates. You'll need to complete their information and once you're signed up, they provide you with a link that is just for you to use and give to people so when they buy that thing, you make a commission. Now, not all affiliate programs are made public, so if you have a product or service that you love and you're not sure if they have an affiliate program, just call them and ask! Most times they are happy to compensate you in some way for promoting their products/services. Just a few ideas for affiliate marketing include Amazon Affiliates, GoDaddy, Clickfunnels, car dealerships, and insurance companies. Don't complicate this. You use a thing every day, you can do a live video talking about it. Be to include a call-to-action telling your audience to comment "Me" if they want the link. Then message them your affiliate link and ask any questions they may have. You can repurpose your Facebook Live into a simple 2-page funnel, using Clickfunnels. Clickfunnels is an awesome software program that I use for my lead magnets, courses, and membership sites. To help you out a bit with this, I'm sharing my affiliate marketing funnel with you HERE.
I hope you found this blog helpful to you. Please know that the links I've shared are my affiliate links for the products I have suggested and recommended. If you use those links to purchase the products, I will make a commission.
Happy New Year to you all. Be on the lookout for my next blog in a week! Happy live-streaming!
I love these tips! I have put of going live but gathered the courage to do it today. I followed your tips from a previous facebook live in a group I am in. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and I had engagement it was exciting. I hope to implement these tips in my future live videos. Thank you for awesome advice and tips.
Excellent! Stay at it and just be YOU!


text:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html" charset="ISO-8859-1">
<title>LogoProvider</title>
<meta name="date" content="2014-10-03">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../../../../stylesheet.css" title="Style">

JavaScript is disabled on your browser.

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com.gsma.android.oneapi.logo

Class LogoProvider

java.lang.Object

com.gsma.android.oneapi.logo.LogoProvider

All Implemented Interfaces:

LogoCallbackReceiver

public class LogoProvider
extends java.lang.Object
implements LogoCallbackReceiver

Main class with library methods. Implements LogoCallbackReciever

Constructor Summary

Constructors

Constructor and Description

LogoProvider()

Constructor

Method Summary

Methods

Modifier and Type
Method and Description

void
clearCacheLogo()

Method to clear the saved logo information.

android.graphics.Bitmap
getCacheApiLogo(java.lang.String operatorName,
               Apis api,
               Size logosize,
               BgColor color,
               AspectRatio ratio,
               android.content.Context context)

Gets saved Bitmap object with the specific logo.

java.util.ArrayList<LogoCacheItem>
getCacheLogo(android.content.Context context)

Gets an array with the complete saved logo information.

void
getLogo(java.lang.String serviceUri,
       java.lang.String consumerKey,
       java.lang.String consumerSecret,
       java.lang.String sourceIP,
       java.lang.String mcc,
       java.lang.String mnc,
       Size logosize,
       BgColor color,
       AspectRatio ratio,
       LogoListener listener,
       android.content.Context context)

Gets the logo information.

void
getLogoAutomaticMCCMNC(java.lang.String serviceUri,
                      java.lang.String consumerKey,
                      java.lang.String consumerSecret,
                      java.lang.String sourceIP,
                      Size logosize,
                      BgColor color,
                      AspectRatio ratio,
                      LogoListener listener,
                      android.content.Context context)

Gets the logo information.

void
receiveLogoData(java.lang.Object result)

Internal use.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Constructor Detail

LogoProvider

public LogoProvider()

Constructor

Method Detail

getLogoAutomaticMCCMNC

public void getLogoAutomaticMCCMNC(java.lang.String serviceUri,
                          java.lang.String consumerKey,
                          java.lang.String consumerSecret,
                          java.lang.String sourceIP,
                          Size logosize,
                          BgColor color,
                          AspectRatio ratio,
                          LogoListener listener,
                          android.content.Context context)

Gets the logo information.

Parameters:

serviceUri -

consumerKey -

consumerSecret -

sourceIP -

logosize - (SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE)

color - (NORMAL, BLACK, REVERSED)

ratio - (LANDSCAPE, SQUARE)

listener - It is necessary to implement logoInfo(LogoItemArray li)
 and errorLogoInfo(JSONObject o) to wait the response.

context -

Throws:

java.lang.Exception

java.lang.NullPointerException

getLogo

public void getLogo(java.lang.String serviceUri,
           java.lang.String consumerKey,
           java.lang.String consumerSecret,
           java.lang.String sourceIP,
           java.lang.String mcc,
           java.lang.String mnc,
           Size logosize,
           BgColor color,
           AspectRatio ratio,
           LogoListener listener,
           android.content.Context context)

Gets the logo information.

Parameters:

serviceUri -

consumerKey -

consumerSecret -

sourceIP -

mcc -

mnc -

logosize - (SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE)

color - (NORMAL, BLACK, REVERSED)

ratio - (LANDSCAPE, SQUARE)

listener - It is necessary to implement logoInfo(LogoItemArray li)
 and errorLogoInfo(JSONObject o) to wait the response.

context -

Throws:

java.lang.Exception

java.lang.NullPointerException

receiveLogoData

public void receiveLogoData(java.lang.Object result)

Internal use. Method from the LogoCallbackReciever interface to wait the response.

Specified by:

receiveLogoData in interface LogoCallbackReceiver

Parameters:

result -

Throws:

org.json.JSONException

java.lang.NullPointerException

clearCacheLogo

public void clearCacheLogo()

Method to clear the saved logo information.

getCacheApiLogo

public android.graphics.Bitmap getCacheApiLogo(java.lang.String operatorName,
                                      Apis api,
                                      Size logosize,
                                      BgColor color,
                                      AspectRatio ratio,
                                      android.content.Context context)

Gets saved Bitmap object with the specific logo.

Parameters:

operatorName -

api - (PAYMENT, OPERATORID)

logosize - (SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE)

color - (NORMAL, BLACK, REVERSED)

ratio - (LANDSCAPE, SQUARE)

context -

Returns:

Bitmap

Throws:

java.lang.NullPointerException

getCacheLogo

public java.util.ArrayList<LogoCacheItem> getCacheLogo(android.content.Context context)

Gets an array with the complete saved logo information.

Parameters:

context -

Returns:

ArrayList<LogoCacheItem>

Throws:

java.lang.NullPointerException

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text:
Krypto Labs partners with Sandooq Al Watan for The Bridge Program
Krypto Labs' new startup program bridges the gap between incubators and accelerators
Press Release - 03-Nov-2019
Invest AD launches a new asset management boutique in ADGM
New asset management boutique with a focus on investing in MENA equity markets
The Saudi Gazette - 29-Jun-2019
AGM approves 7.5 % dividend for 2018 following net profit of AED 145 million
Shareholders of Waha Capital PJSC (ADX: WAHA), a leading Abu Dhabi investment company, have approved a cash dividend of 7.5 fils per share, equivalent to 7.5 percent of its paid-up capital, at the company's annual general meeting (AGM)
Press Release - 25-Mar-2019
AD Global Investors LimiteD incorporated and licensed in Abu Dhabi
ADGI is a specialist active fixed income manager serving institutional investors.
Press Release - 07-Jan-2019
TABLE-Mideast funds wary on 2019, will favour Saudi Arabia, Kuwait
Middle Eastern funds are cautious about prospects for regional markets as a whole in 2019 but expect to pour sizeable amounts of money into Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti equities
Reuters News - 31-Dec-2018
Invest AD sells stake in concessionaire of Jordan's Queen Alia International Airport following successful development programme
The divestment of Invest AD's stake is for $230mln.
Invest AD and Brookfield establish real estate joint venture
Creating institutional quality investment products comprising UAE real estate, including a real estate investment trust (REIT).
Press Release - 16-Oct-2017
GCC fixed income shows promise as asset class
The supply side of the market has witnessed a substantial surge in recent times, with sovereign issuances by GCC countries rising by 73%
Gulf News - 03-Jun-2017
Mideast Debt-Gulf insurers drawn to bonds as sovereign issuance surges
Traditionally, Gulf insurers have shown little interest in bonds, partly because of a lack of supply of highly rated debt issued by governments or blue-chip corporates
Reuters News - 23-May-2017
Consortium led by UAE's Invest AD completes expansion of Amman airport
The total investment in the project stood at $214 million (Dh785 million).
Gulf News - 08-Sep-2016
Mr Hareb Masood Al-Darmaki joins the board of directors of Global
Capital Markets Authority of Kuwait approved appointment of Hareb Al-Darmaki as a board member representing NCH Ventures.
Press Release - 13-Jul-2016
Invest AD appoints new CEO
ABU DHABI, May 05, 2016 - Invest AD - Abu Dhabi Investment Company, has announced the appointment of Faras Al Ramahi as the company's new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Al Ramahi joins Invest AD from Masdar, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, where he has been Advisor to the Chairman since January 2014.
Press Release - 02-May-2016
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Concludes its Promotion Campaign In the City of New York -USA
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - As part of its efforts that are geared toward achieving one of its main strategic objectives, and in support of Abu Dhabi Government's Economic Vision 2030 that aim to attract foreign investment, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange has concluded its annual promotion campaign for the current year of 2016. The Campaign was held for two days (Wednesday, March 9th to
Waha Capital recommends cash dividend of 20 percent
H.E Hussain Jasim Al Nowais, Chairman of Waha Capital, said: "Thanks to our increasingly diversified portfolio of investments, Waha Capital produced a
Press Release - 28-Feb-2016
Shell and Emirates Foundation Host Social Investment Workshop in Abu Dhabi
Organised jointly between Shell and the Emirates Foundation, the event
Press Release - 16-Dec-2015
Invest AD bullish on Egypt, Nigeria despite economic challenges
Abu Dhabi-based Invest AD said it is bullish on Egypt and Nigeria, two of the biggest economies in Africa despite economic challenges.


text:
Transforming summary justice
By Jonathan Rayner18 May 2015
Will the latest initiative to make magistrates' courts more efficient actually work? Jonathan Rayner gauges opinion.
Transforming Summary Justice (TSJ) is the unwittingly pejorative name of a joint criminal justice system initiative, that includes the participation of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), to make magistrates' courts more efficient. The CPS seems unaware that 'summary justice' has connotations of justice made faster by omitting formalities required by law, which is no justice at all, of course. It also has overtones of vigilante law.
Not so, protests Barry Hughes, CPS national lead for TSJ and chief Crown prosecutor for south-west England. The new initiative, he insists, 'will bring real benefits for victims and witnesses. Our aim is simple and one that we all want to achieve: swifter justice, fewer hearings and more effective trials'.
Sadly, the criminal law solicitors who spoke to the Gazette do not share Hughes' enthusiasm. In fact, they are universally sceptical about an initiative they characterise variously as 'an under-resourced bureaucratic exercise' and 'impractical'.
Saving time and money through having fewer trials, while still bringing more defendants to justice, sounds a consummation devoutly to be wished, but how does TSJ hope to achieve all this?
A CPS spokesman explains: 'TSJ involves listing cases where a guilty plea is anticipated – known as GAP cases – in dedicated magistrates' courts 14 days after charge and dealing with as many as possible at that first hearing. Those courts are expected to get through a higher number of cases [than would courts not specifically dedicated to GAP cases].'
NGAP cases, which are cases where a not-guilty plea is anticipated, are to be listed in dedicated case management courts 28 days after charge, with the aim of much greater review and preparation happening before the first hearing. 'By getting much of the case management done at the first hearing,' he says, 'cases can proceed to an effective trial without interim hearings.' Experienced prosecutors will 'frontload' what they need to do before the first hearing and speak to the defence to find out what the issues are.
Says Hughes: 'By trials being heard more quickly, victims will see swifter justice, and suffer less anxiety and inconvenience, because more trials will go ahead on the day.'
Law Society criminal law committee chair Richard Atkinson (pictured), however, has an ambivalent attitude towards TSJ. 'At least it's a practitioner-based initiative,' he says, 'signed up to by the CPS, police, courts and defence lawyers. Previous attempts to make the process more efficient were top-down ideas conceived by the senior judiciary and imposed on practitioners.'
So will TSJ achieve its objectives? 'Unlikely,' Atkinson replies. 'The CPS is under-resourced and the Treasury is not promising extra money. The CPS will find itself in the transitional period between the old and new ways of working, continuing to firefight at the expense of carrying out the early case management required by TSJ.
'There is also a role for the police in TSJ, but training is an area of policing where cuts are having a big impact. The new scheme will be massively over-stretched and there is a real danger that the whole thing will collapse.'
Does Atkinson have a view on the two-tier system of one court for guilty pleas and another for not-guilty pleas? He responds: 'Less than 50% of people detained in police stations are represented by a lawyer, which means that most have to decide what to plead without having had legal advice. Some may bow to pressure from the arresting officer and plead guilty. Others may plead guilty even if they are innocent of any offence rather than risk paying the new set of criminal court charges that, since 13 April, can be as high as £1,000 in the magistrates' court.'
The Gazette next speaks to Bruce Reid, a criminal law consultant at London firm Steel & Shamash. He believes the new initiative is 'just tweaking' the existing order. 'The earth is not moving at all. We wait with bated breath, of course, but TSJ looks like a bureaucratic exercise whose only faint hope of succeeding is if people have less work to do and more time to commit to it. Without disparaging my CPS colleagues, they are overworked and underpaid and, frankly, won't be able to cope.'
Another member of the Law Society criminal law committee, who asked not to be named, was not quite so dismissive of TSJ's potential to achieve results. 'TSJ is one of many attempts over the years to improve casework efficiency in the magistrates' courts,' he tells the Gazette.
'The problem has previously been seen as intractable, whereas TSJ appears to be the most promising scheme yet. But we must see TSJ in the context of budget cuts at the CPS. So many local offices have been closed that most areas now rely on a central hub for case preparation. Will that help or hinder the frontloading that TSJ requires? Will it make the CPS more or less efficient?'
The final word goes to the CPS spokesman: 'We know we need to do more with less. TSJ, through fewer and more effective hearings, will ensure that less effort will be required to get the same results.'
Jonathan Rayner is Gazette staff writer
The need to promote the benefits of family mediation has never been greater.
The US experience warns against thinking that a populist politician could not emerge here and deliberately seek to undermine the rule of law.
More Practice points
Brexit: Supplementary Protection Certificates in the UK
Complexities arising from the Northern Ireland Protocol.
How legal tech can drive economic recovery in the new normal
From digital adoption to technological innovation.
Insulating sentencing from politics
A new report from Transform Justice published today argues that the Sentencing Council needs to raise its game.


Those that have driven a Defender know that the end is a relative concept; in a Defender, you can always go further.
The Land Rover Defender 2.2 TDCI XS Station Wagon 'The End Edition' undoubtedly goes further in every way, allowing you to take sophistication and style to places where others would not dare venture.
All bearing the signature of Afzal Kahn, this distinctive run of 25 'The End Edition' Defenders each feature stunning details and dramatic flourishes which ensure every vehicle is a tasteful twist on a style icon.
The striking French Racing Blue paintwork on this particular model sits elegantly on the imposing body, which has benefitted from the fitting of subtle front and rear wide wings with integrated vents and bolt apertures.
The familiar Defender facade has assumed a commanding presence with the addition of an X-Lander front grille and the alluring shine of the LED diamond bright headlights. Lower down, a striking new aluminium sump guard ensures 'The End Edition' remains the last word in raw, rugged ability.
This muscular frame sits theatrically on 9x20\" Mondial Volcanic Black alloy wheels which are encompassed by purposeful 275x55x20\" tyres. The elegant black satin roof complements the wheels beautifully and creates a leaner, more focused stance compared to the standard model.
The overhaul extends inside the cabin, with luxurious GTB sport seats finished with distinctive quilted and perforated leather elevating the cabin to extraordinary levels of comfort and style.
Like the attractive inner lining of a well-made suit, the unique striped fabric seats add a flourish of colour and charm which reflects perfectly the car's individuality.
An expansive panoramic glass sunroof brightens the elegant interior, allowing the occupants to fully appreciate the spectacular details which complete the makeover. These include attractive leather upgrades to the dashboard and instrument binnacle, Churchill time clock facia insert finished tastefully in black, machined aluminium vented foot pedals and an eye-catching billet and leather steering wheel.
Each thoughtful adaptation secures this Defender's place as one of the most exclusive and formidable cars on and off-road.
Although 67 years of Defender production recently came to an end, with the Chelsea Truck Company, 'The End' is just the beginning.


text:
Tag Archives: Surrealism
Two days left to catch the Burra Bug
By now, you've probably all seen the documentary and read about the Edward Burra exhibition which opened at Pallant House in October. Various things have conspired against me and yesterday I realised how close I had come to missing this show. So, off I went on a very Mini Adventure. If I can't take the car via the Strand and Waterloo Bridge then I tend to navigate via The Stoop (Harlequins' home ground) and this was the way I zoomed yesterday.
This is the first major show for over 25 years of Burra's works and he is finally getting a smidgeon of the recognition he deserves. As well as his work being included in Tate Britain's watercolour show, Zoot Suits fetched a record £1.8 million at Sotheby's sale of the Evill/Frost Collection. But, the art world elite have always been aware of his work. It's to everyone else that he has remained a mystery.
Edward Burra, Zoot Suits, 1948. Image via www.voltcafe.com.
The Edward Burra exhibition provides an opportunity to study Burra's extraordinary creativity. Burra was remarkable; suffering from severe arthritis and rheumatism, he was barely able to move his claw-like hands at the end of his life and grasped a paintbrush with his swollen fist. Serious anaemia also left him debilitated and subject to collapse with no energy but, notwithstanding his constant ill health, he never wanted to be defined by this as it was something that he abhorred. Burra was fortunate to be born to a wealthy family and to have humour and an indomitable spirit, qualities that allowed him to rise above his many illnesses. For Burra, art was his drug and his escape; the only time that he didn't feel any pain was when he was painting.
Edward Burra, The Snack Bar, 1930. Image via www.tate.org.uk.
Burra lived in Rye, Sussex but he travelled far and wide drawing inspiration from diverse sources, creating complex artworks often redolent of the time in which he lived. His sharp eye combined with a love and knowledge of art history that is often evident in his works. He was fascinated by modern urban life – the cheap glamour of tarts and prostitutes who congregated in the Mediterranean seaports and the boulevards of Montparnasse and by the black culture he saw in Harlem where he was intoxicated by the violent colour, noise and heat.
Edward Burra, Harlem, 1934. Image via www.tate.org.uk.
Apart from his collages, almost all of Burra's incredible works are executed in watercolour and he was one of the most skilled exponents of the medium. Initially, it's hard to believe that they are not painted in tempera as the handling of the medium is so tight and the works lack the fluidity and tonal quality one would normally associate with watercolour. It's probable that he worked so heavily with this medium as it allowed him to paint at a table rather than being forced to stand at an easel.
Edward Burra, The Straw Man, 1963. Image via www.guardian.co.uk.
Burra is an eccentric artist who resists categorisation. The characters in his paintings jump out at you from their frames. His compositions are often playful, provocative and powerful – nowhere else will you find such dynamism and life. The Danse Macabre works look at Burra's experimentation with collage; his strange composite beings are almost Surrealist and further heighten the confusion as to what movement Burra should be 'shoved' into.
Edward Burra, Dancing Skeletons, 1934. Image via www.tate.org.uk.
The Pallant House exhibition is ordered by theme – High Art/Low Culture, Danse Macabre, A Sense of Unease, The Sussex Landscape, Late Landscapes and Painting The Stage – which works quite well because it is hung in relatively small rooms off the main gallery space. It's a difficult exhibition space to work and although a thematic display is successful sometimes the rooms feel too isolated and self-contained.
Most of the works here are on loan from private collections and are rarely seen. The exhibition includes some very unusual Burra works, particularly the Sussex landscapes with which I wasn't really familiar; these are rare as the majority of Burra's work did not deal with Britain. The room of Late Landscapes includes Burra's painting materials and colour tests from the '70s. Amidst these is an envelope that had become a testing page and a shopping list; in his distinctive writing Burra has scrawled 'anchovies, paste, sardines, coffee, BRD, 4 batterys, savlon'. This is a really lovely human detail. In fact, as I write there is an envelope next to me that I have commandeered as a to-do list.
Edward Burra, Landscape near Rye, 1934-5. Image via www.pallant.org.uk.
Burra was able to create an incredible atmosphere of suspense with heightened drama. Although his subject altered radically over the years, there is always a sense that something isn't quite right as he imbues even happy scenes with a sinister quality. His works are humorous but disquieting, both comic but tragic; we are always left with questions and never quite know what Burra wanted us to think. But that is the point. After all, he famously said that he never 'never tell[s] anybody anything' so he wanted us to work it out for ourselves – or maybe not.
I was pleased to see how busy the exhibition was. It is Burra's seedy depictions of social scenes that grab us, opening windows into the underbelly of a world we have not visited. John Rothenstein suggested that they may 'constitute the most grand and the most vivid interpretation of the least reputable seams of society by any painter of our time'. Although I'd have liked to see a few more of his idiosyncratic bustling urban scenes, the exhibition is great to allow an overview of the Burra that few people know.
Edward Burra, Three Sailors at a Bar, 1930. Image via www.hh-h.com.
I'm not sure you'd leave Chichester loving Burra if you don't already but if you have the Burra bug, like me, then it's definitely worth rushing down to this. I hope that before too long there will be another opportunity to talk more about Burra but, right now with only two days left, I urge you to jump on the train or head over via The Stoop and see his work for yourself.
Edward Burra is at Pallant House Gallery until 19th February 2012. Also, in room four is a small David Dawson exhibition which includes his wonderfully intimate photos of Freud – some of which are at the NPG – and his own lesser known paintings. David Dawson: Working with Lucian Freud is on until 20th May 2012, www.pallant.org.uk.
Tags: art, Chichester, collage, David Dawson, Edward Burra, Evill/Frost Collection, exhibition, Harlem, Harlequins, landscape, loans, Lucian Freud, Mini, National Portrait Gallery, painting, Pallant House, Sotheby's, Surrealism, Sussex, Tate Britain, The Stoop, watercolour, Waterloo Bridge
Categories Art, National Portrait Gallery, Pallant House Gallery, Sussex, Tate Britain


FNN is reporting (J) on a dramatic rice field in Aomori prefecture.
Hokusai Katsushika's image of waves and Mt. Fuji is recognized worldwide, but the village of Inakadate produced what may well be the largest tribute ever: A rice-field sized version of it. Every year for the past 15, the town has planted a field with many different varieties of rice that produce a massive work of art as the rice plants mature. One field features "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," while an adjacent field has "Red Fuji," which is part of the same series of prints by Katsushika.
The reproduction measures 143m by 104m (470 by 340 feet), and took about 700 people to plant. The field isn't just for show; the rice will be harvested at the end of September.
In one of those oddities of "nature never gives up," FNN is reporting (via Yahoo! News – J) on an interesting traffic mirror in Ooiso-machi, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Convex traffic mirrors on orange poles are a common sight across Japan, thanks in part to the country's cramped roads and countless blind corners. At first glance, this particular one seems no different from any other, but if you look closely it appears to have sprouted a tuft of bamboo leaves on top—rather like the mirror is wearing a wig.
In fact, a tenacious bamboo sprout forced its way through the concrete beneath the mirror, and grew right on up through the 7 cm (3 inch) hollow center of the 2.5 m (8 ft) tall pole. Because it's so funny-looking, this leafy mirror has gotten quite a few fans in the neighborhood.
Ooiso-machi has gone on record as saying that they're going to leave it be, so long as it doesn't create a hazard by blocking the mirror.


for over 2 years i've been coming to this space sharing recipes, thoughts, ideas, things learned, but it ceases to amaze me that somewhere along the line this blog turned from showing my family members what i'm up to, to sharing and interacting with a community of people. in that light, i'm so happy and humbled to say that this little blog here has been nominated in the special interest category for the saveur blog awards! this space has come to mean so much to me, and for it to be recognized in such a way touches me deeply. so thank you to all who voted; those who pop over here from time to time and read or take something away from what's shared - thank you, thank you! there are over 75 awesome blogs being recognized, so if you would like to vote, you can do so here.
i've been in and out around here, not posting as frequently as i have in the past. and while i've felt somewhat disconnected because of that, i come back to this space yearning for that connection with you all. things will continue to be a little less frequent for the next couple of months as i'm in the process of writing my very own cookbook which will be published by The Experiment! right now it will hover around 100 seasonally friendly recipes, all gluten-free and dairy-free recipes, many of which will also be vegan :) it's been a crazy process so far, met with daunting challenges, gleeful moments when a recipe i've envisioned turns out the way i wanted it to, and also times where i'm just plain wrecked. i generally tend to be a little on the anxious side about most things, so taking this on has definitely pushed me in ways i've never been pushed before. this book is being written and developed with heavy doses of bob marley tunes/vibes, mornings full of yoga and meditation, and the constant and undying support of my dear husband. it's still in the development/testing stages, but the book is coming together little by little, and i am beyond excited to share it with you in mid-2016!
but really, there's no celebration if there's not some sort of carb, or veggie flatbread masquerading as a pizza, is there? this is one of my favorite go-to's as far as pizza/flatbread is concerned, it's super easy, suuuuper tasty, and actually good for you. i had the chance to run over the farmer's market, where my favorite vendor has returned from hibernation, and was lucky enough to score some freshly plucked spring onions, beautiful pink radishes, and a variety of herbs. i've also been growing some really special microgreens courtesy of a local farm here in new york, Good Water Farms who was kind enough to offer me 6 flats of microgreens, so we're consuming them in just about everything! spring has most certainly sprung, well wishes for a lovely season to come, all!
besides the base of the flatbread this recipe is a little of this, little of that, kind of a deal. the beginning of spring is always an inspired time of year where i love picking up what's fresh and beautiful, coming home and creating a meal. feel free to substitute what's available to you/what you prefer. i really love these flatbreads charred a bit, so i have simple instructions on how to do that on your stovetop.
preheat oven to 400° F and place a baking stone (or baking sheet) on a rack placed on the bottom third of oven.
whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper. drizzle in oil and milk; mix using your hands until crumbly. 1 tablespoon at a time, drizzle in the water until you have a uniform dough. knead dough for 5 minutes, until smooth; cover dough with a damp paper towel, let rest for 10 minutes.
place a large piece of parchment paper on a flat work surface, dust it with sorghum flour. divide dough in 2 equal pieces, place the other piece back under the damp paper towel. roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness, turning and dusting as you go along so dough doesn't stick to surface. carefully transfer dough to baking stone (or baking sheet) and bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp.
turn a stovetop burner to medium-low, place flatbread over top lightly charring each side. set aside and repeat process with remaining dough.
while the flatbread is baking, place a skillet over medium heat; brush with olive oil, and place onions in an even layer. sprinkle with salt and cook each side for 2-3 minutes, until soft and lightly browned; remove from heat. once cool slice into 1-inch pieces, set aside. toss pea tendrils, radishes, and greens of choice with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
top flatbreads with pesto, onions, salad toss, and pine nuts.


Your donations purchased 1,800 coats for all students at Warner, Baltz & Pulaski elementary schools. In addition to a small coat closet for Richey Elementary. THANK YOU!
DE KIDS Fund 5K 2018 Results!
Good intentions are great. Giving is even better. Our work at the Delaware KIDS Fund is not possible without your support.
2017 Delaware KIDS Fund Ambassador of the Year Karl Richeson (Karl Richeson Photography). Karl has supported the Delaware KIDS Fund since 2011 and has donated his photography services for almost every single Delaware KIDS Fund Fundraising Event.
30 brave campers took on chilly conditions and slept out, overnight in Newport for two nights. All in an effort to collect donations that purchased 1,800 new winter coats for local children in need. Mission accomplished! Thanks to our 200 donors and "Camp Champs" for visiting and rooting us on each day!
Thank you for a record year on and off the course at the 9th Annual Delaware KIDS Fund 5k!


Hace unos días os conté que había hecho pesto con la cosecha propia de albahaca y claro, algunos platillos salieron a raíz de esa maravilla.
Llevan un pan de cereales a la base, encima queso de cabra fresco de lecha cruda (lo trajimos de Francia), un tomatito cherry y un poco de pesto por encima.
Estos canapés los hice para el 80 aniversario de mi padre y triunfaron…pruébalos y verás.
Este plato es muy facilito: partes las berenjenas por la mitad a lo largo y las asas al horno a unos 170 ºC hasta que te queden cocidas. Dejas enfriar.
Preparas un plato con las berenjenas asadas, pones tomate cortadito por encima, unas olivas negras, pesto esparcido por encima las berenjenas, aceite de oliva, un chorrito de limón fresco y a disfrutar.
Si tu tienes otras ideas en las que usas el pesto, me encantará que me dejes comentarios y podamos compartir ideas.
A few days ago I told you that I had made pesto with the basil harvest and of course, some dishes came out of that wonder.
It has cereal bread on the base, on top fresh goat cheese made out of raw milk (we brought it from France), a cherry tomato and a little pesto on top.
These bites I made for the 80th anniversary of my father and it was big success … try them and you will see.
This dish is very easy: split the eggplants in half lengthwise and then bake at about 170 ° C until cooked. Let it cool.
You prepare a dish with the roasted eggplants, you put cut tomatoes on top, some black olives, pesto scattered over the eggplants, olive oil, a splash of fresh lemon and enjoy.
This year we have many cherry tomatoes in our organic garden, that's why I put them everywhere. Also the eggplants are from our orchard.
If you have other ideas in which you use pesto, I will love to leave comments and share ideas.


text:
Backwoods Killings Haunt a Loner Lawyer
By Zoe Dare Hall, Sunday Express, May 15, 2000
Andrew Pyper is leading the way among the bright young things of new Canadian writing. His superb debut novel – a supernatural legal drama which has drawn comparisons to Stephen King and John Grisham – has been snapped up by the film company that made Erin Brockovich and Pulp Fiction.
And while Pyper entertains thoughts of Jude Law in the lead role, the 32-year-old author from Toronto is relishing his first taste of the London literary circuit. "It's so exciting signing books, giving readings, doing what you've dreamed of since you were 14." His first choice of career – as a lawyer in Toronto's equivalent of Wall Street, "all suits, towers and American Psycho. I had to get the hell out of there" – may have left him jaded with the legal world but his experience makes for narrative of great acerbity.
In Lost Girls, lawyer Bartholomew Crane, a complex loner who subsides on "nasal breakfast" of cocaine, is sent to a backwater town for his first murder case: defending a teacher accused of murdering his two pupils whose bodies have never been found.
"I'm fascinated by the subject of missing people because it's sadly so common. Canada has so much land that it's an ideal spot for psychopaths to dispose of people. I'm always reading about remains being discovered in the woods," says Pyper.
"The standard psychological and sociological explanations of why certain men do this are inadequate, so I had to bring in the uncanny to explain the inexplicable."
Pyper's ghost/thriller bestseller is a striking departure from Canada's literary tradition, "quiet earnest novels where not a whole lot happens", he says. He moved to a remote town in Ontario to write – and it provided the perfect setting for Lost Girls. "It was full of the walking wounded on the edge of boundless Gothic wilderness. There's nothing but the sense of endless North. That scares me and other Canadians. "Multi-generational Ontario people tend to be Presbyterian no-nonsense stock. If they ever saw a ghost, they'd keep quiet about it," he adds. It's a more generous description than Crane's vision of the jury he faces: "An unsightly logiam of humanity, their faces set by experiences and gene pools I'd prefer not even to consider."
But for all his callousness, the orphaned, impotent Crane is a compelling hero. "He's a survivor who has developed a disdain for convention in order to survive," says Pyper. "I pushed him to an extreme place, but he stands for a lot of people who don't feel connected to community. He becomes more likeable, but I wanted to create a character who didn't make the right decision at every turn."
Pyper portrays Crane's derision of the characters he encounters with wonderful with – one that suggests he has known such types as the despicable employers Lyle and Gederov (aka Lie and Get "Em Off) or the social misfit schoolboy, Laird.
"I worked for a Gederov, an abusive old man for whom I also had great respect. We worked on a case together where we were the bad guys, defending a gravel company who wanted to dig up a natural habit to all kinds of wildlife. It's too easy to say all lawyers are awful, but we create them – we pay them virtually to lie. It's more a criticism of human nature."
As for the character of Laird, the obsessive friend of the missing girls, Pyper says: "He sums up what adolescent maleness is all about: a theoretically sexual perosn who hasn't a clue where to put that energy.
"Sexuality is about the strange way we concentrate on another person for a period of time. Most people keep this side of the line that separates harmless desire from psychopathic obsession, but it's a finer line than you think. We have to understand these actions. None of us truly believe that if we simply tinker with the serotonin level of a killer's brain, everything will be okay."
Pyper is now working on his second novel. He can't give much away, but he says it's thrillerish, totally different from Lost Girls, and partially set in the Brazillian jungle. "And there are no lawyers," Pyper states, with relief.