tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8689102027778514842024-03-19T10:19:48.309-07:00History, Knights, Ladies, and RomanceWhere History, romance, fantasy, knights and ladies collide. Come experience the middle ages through the mind of talented and knowledgeable authors who will transport you back in time.Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-66494364167056761002023-12-24T07:55:00.000-08:002023-12-24T07:55:24.812-08:00Happy Yuletide, everyone<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1-fDNe5CmxYdtgfPpm_Kejk44zVHwXstgRxQzogEWJSIzk1JZlqhoJLSzNOT0YLLrdoekhA9YfUmIW6TA3h786IvZ7osniKVgMRqIB_JNfwnN3NtlGZP_WkvQumXX_UCn_HnNfxgMlfrcqt3kpK8Kj-HbuAXd9GMqKCQ1zgjyGnZZbc_PrGvStkfjmJk/s259/holiday%20traditions%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1-fDNe5CmxYdtgfPpm_Kejk44zVHwXstgRxQzogEWJSIzk1JZlqhoJLSzNOT0YLLrdoekhA9YfUmIW6TA3h786IvZ7osniKVgMRqIB_JNfwnN3NtlGZP_WkvQumXX_UCn_HnNfxgMlfrcqt3kpK8Kj-HbuAXd9GMqKCQ1zgjyGnZZbc_PrGvStkfjmJk/s1600/holiday%20traditions%204.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Happy Holidays, everyone. This winter solstice tradition is found all around the world. Although baby Jesus was born in the spring (announcing the age of the Pisces) the early Church decided to celebrate on the winter solstice, in part to replace the Pagan celebrations of Saturnalia with a Christian holiday.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas season.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Vijaya Schartz, author</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com" target="_blank">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</a> </span></p>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-5866679483391505862023-05-02T01:00:00.001-07:002023-05-02T01:00:00.133-07:00Writing the series - How long should it be? - by Vijaya Schartz<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Creating an entire universe, with its inhabitants, its rules, its technology, is exciting but a lot of work. And as I create a universe for a story, I usually fall in love with it, which makes it difficult to let go of it to write something completely different. So, I tend to write series.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Although I write each book as a standalone, long series sometimes discourage the readers. Who wants to start with Book 8? And buying all the books that came before in one sweep may seem overwhelming.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Other readers want to wait until the series is finished to read all the books in one sweep. I understand that.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Curse of the Lost Isle series, based on Celtic legends, has eight books. It can be a challenge or some readers.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgtibMY0iHjqjUpwUEn9mUSpY2oFdZabvFObWtFEYmKiOdjP224eUwlTZs7UtAhTJCvwn2u9R1fT8ZP4JxDzF4GfjKwN2tvO20Up1LBofLOtPeDL4x--dhgbAIhH4gLxo1N9WT07EuDQh9Lx5DaoKWAyLKRDypxi2y65Whw-wJcan_UUnrptH-iNQLw/s640/cursecompleteseries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgtibMY0iHjqjUpwUEn9mUSpY2oFdZabvFObWtFEYmKiOdjP224eUwlTZs7UtAhTJCvwn2u9R1fT8ZP4JxDzF4GfjKwN2tvO20Up1LBofLOtPeDL4x--dhgbAIhH4gLxo1N9WT07EuDQh9Lx5DaoKWAyLKRDypxi2y65Whw-wJcan_UUnrptH-iNQLw/w640-h480/cursecompleteseries.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">amazon </a><span style="text-align: justify;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">B&N</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Kobo </a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Chronicles of Kassouk science fiction series has six. Still too long for some readers.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzWFsk9H9mJPIK76HN-4UYM1zJ9YUSWNWAmZeaW5cQvfXHeGXOSWxMZE2kdMgXQsrHlmQG60nqIOj-LCs5JAqeUkruHbNicXmPbJktXw7eL0k8-GuxQU-sQTQmIJqwxwMxELP9f_o5pDZ3Istl-b0ell1vvIKuXjQRpou0GBUnOn2E_uSBmL51GUnVg/s1296/Kassouk%20series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1296" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzWFsk9H9mJPIK76HN-4UYM1zJ9YUSWNWAmZeaW5cQvfXHeGXOSWxMZE2kdMgXQsrHlmQG60nqIOj-LCs5JAqeUkruHbNicXmPbJktXw7eL0k8-GuxQU-sQTQmIJqwxwMxELP9f_o5pDZ3Istl-b0ell1vvIKuXjQRpou0GBUnOn2E_uSBmL51GUnVg/w640-h640/Kassouk%20series.png" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">amazon </a><span style="text-align: justify;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">B&N</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Kobo </a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, I recently decided to limit each series to three or four books. But then, I start another series, set in another part of the same universe.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sometimes, I fall in love with a secondary character in my story in progress, and I decide he or she deserves their own book. So, I use the secondary character from the current book as the protagonist for the next one. Or I introduce the next protagonist at the end of a story. It provides a link, and the reader feels grounded in the new series.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">That way, I can enjoy writing new stories in the same universe I love so much, like the Azura Universe. Azura is the angel planet featured in the Azura Chronicles. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfqROKmy5rrjE8G_St_b-m5vPEl1WTk0QZBRTZmfEDj6hL5tOnRnZu3wwP04IY5pLd3W4BQGchAyhhsR1r6ZL3eza-hCdU8OT86ZGCoYRUDngDto7ZS0VVOKbpEy8L-GAEcEBeDZkQeVu3Tm9xHmKxFM9ofAjofCzXb7uiymHDq15OAZaQ8UsVuPHoQ/s2775/Azuratrilogy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="2775" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfqROKmy5rrjE8G_St_b-m5vPEl1WTk0QZBRTZmfEDj6hL5tOnRnZu3wwP04IY5pLd3W4BQGchAyhhsR1r6ZL3eza-hCdU8OT86ZGCoYRUDngDto7ZS0VVOKbpEy8L-GAEcEBeDZkQeVu3Tm9xHmKxFM9ofAjofCzXb7uiymHDq15OAZaQ8UsVuPHoQ/w640-h320/Azuratrilogy.png" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">amazon </a><span style="text-align: justify;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">B&N</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Kobo </a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">But the Byzantium Space Station series is also set in that universe, where Azuran angels cross path with human, alien, cats, and cybernetic characters.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvimrGdbdnFShYroocNap-VO6eV7OOZUb9IqakW6sSD_Zf2tUWOOTTGWa5eYIDeJZgbW-3afWAV9_1HnAkJqROuadlmMUmDPY5ztZflqlQZad138jIT_dk6bpafLGsq4nf7pCY2RydGAQkPROBdD1qya9KxY1gffYrjNpVUb-NQmPu7wpS8-mHihyxrg/s1394/Byzantium%20trilogy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1394" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvimrGdbdnFShYroocNap-VO6eV7OOZUb9IqakW6sSD_Zf2tUWOOTTGWa5eYIDeJZgbW-3afWAV9_1HnAkJqROuadlmMUmDPY5ztZflqlQZad138jIT_dk6bpafLGsq4nf7pCY2RydGAQkPROBdD1qya9KxY1gffYrjNpVUb-NQmPu7wpS8-mHihyxrg/w640-h322/Byzantium%20trilogy.png" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">amazon </a><span style="text-align: justify;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">B&N</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Kobo </a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">And the Blue Phantom series also stems from Azura, as the Angel Ship sails alone about the universe, rescuing the worthy and fighting the forces of evil. I'm currently writing the second book, ANGEL GUARDIAN, set for release in October 2023. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">From series to series, the Azura universe evolves. The forces in power at the beginning may be defeated, evil rises, an authoritarian regime falls and lawlessness follows. Evil never misses an opportunity to insert itself into the mix. We discover new corners of the universe, new planets, and special places, like Byzantium, The Land of Many Waters, or the Pandemonium Space Station, ruled by a powerful crime lord.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The advantage is that the universe is consistent for the reader, who, like me, enjoys spending time there. I noticed that, once hooked on one series, my readers will check out the other series in that same universe. All the books in the Azura universe feature cats. It’s evident on the covers for the Byzantium Space Station series. For the Azura Chronicles, and for the Blue Phantom series, all the titles start with Angel. The style of the covers may vary from one series to the next, but the theme remains. Angels, strong heroines, and cats, protecting the universe from evil forces.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/Angel-Ship" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="496" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVYDzRFzsFM2Rp2sGVvsoeZI78FzZ8aVP652leeZ-Vp2Xx55_LvAlXEwAcKyZ9230Q9NTpvqLg7d2Y1S0lgKabARuSkUbdZ3AiHqqBF1E6dCMhjltvgeWoY8M0b5AztlHoe_k1UBkpBoFgQXgOt1fXZOYENRJEmhwg60MdmsBBh7jx0O2RFPtTsgdNw/s320/Angel%20Ship%20paperback.jpg" width="214" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Desperate to save her people from the Marauders swarming her space freighter, Kefira prays for a miracle. Blake Volkov, legendary captain of the Blue Phantom hears her plea and deems her and her refugees worthy of his help. Grateful for the rescue, Kefira finds his price shocking. Despite his glowing wings, handsome looks and impressive abilities, Blake admits he is no angel… although Kefira’s feline bodyguard strongly disagrees.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, an old enemy bent on revenge against Blake unleashed an unspeakable evil on the galaxy. Time to face past mistakes… time for innocent blood to flow. Nothing prepared Kefira for the upheaval ahead.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Can Blake find redemption? Can Kefira save her people? Can either of them ever trust again?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">"Unique and memorable characters who travel throughout the galaxy battling the forces of evil in a truly epic novel. There are so many unique aspects to this book and not just the world building. The characters are well rounded, the description on point, and the surroundings are awesome. The plot of "Angel Ship" will grip readers from the first page and keep in a talon-like grip until the very last page... Fans of Science Fiction will love this offering and will be drawn to read more books from this talented and capable author." Ind'Tale Magazine</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Happy reading!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank">amazon </a>- <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank">B&N</a> - <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> - <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank">Kobo </a>- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank">FB</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /></div>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-40608233776672392182023-04-17T01:00:00.001-07:002023-04-17T01:00:00.175-07:00Sleeping too much or not enough? By Vijaya Schartz<p> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Every time the subject of sleep emerges in a conversation, I get different opinions. Sources differ about what’s not enough, what’s right, or what’s too much.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Recent studies on children have demonstrated that shortening sleep by 40 minutes adds significant stress to a child’s day. Adults who don’t sleep enough are also stressed… and stress affects the mood and the immune system.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I used to sleep 8 hours or more each night. Then I was told it was too much, so I reduced my sleep to the standard 7 hours. Soon, I realized it wasn’t enough. My body craved more.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sleep quality is also a factor. Thanks to Yoga, Meditation, and Tai-Chi, as soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m in dreamland. Eliminating noise and light also contributed to better sleep.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Still. 7 hours weren’t enough. I realized I needed 7.5 hours minimum to feel refreshed and ready to face the new day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvI3U4uiBHQ29rsu3F7hu7bNmVTW_6wLArUCFscqwgNZqN3hV_OlMkgxrjaRX7fTqNRmsZgjGJqwebFx-qcc7MYtaZXE2OWHK0XtoVltBkGTOgZC5AObgP_If78zCQZaNdAJGm0NIIQI7R_jtc5t0ukVVoWfC0rRmE2WHo4v3oxvGpJsonvUZqSBDuGA/s612/sleep%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="612" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvI3U4uiBHQ29rsu3F7hu7bNmVTW_6wLArUCFscqwgNZqN3hV_OlMkgxrjaRX7fTqNRmsZgjGJqwebFx-qcc7MYtaZXE2OWHK0XtoVltBkGTOgZC5AObgP_If78zCQZaNdAJGm0NIIQI7R_jtc5t0ukVVoWfC0rRmE2WHo4v3oxvGpJsonvUZqSBDuGA/w640-h426/sleep%201.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I now understand that despite varying medical guidelines, each person is different and has different needs. It also depends on how much coffee you drink. I only have one large mug in the morning, and no caffeine during the day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Screen time can also affect the quality of your sleep, so turn off the TV, the cell phone, or the kindle ½ hour before bed time. Warm milk also helps.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I used to be a night owl. But over the years, I discovered that I was more productive and inspired to write in the morning. So, I had to discipline myself to go to bed earlier.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Don’t tell me I sleep too much for an adult. I sleep just the right amount to be healthy, happy, and inspired. That’s what works for me.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, don’t listen to the nay-sayers. Everyone should find their own balance in life. Sleep, work, recreation. That’s the secret of happiness. Cats already figured it out. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoD6GPMMqekDb2KI6sNtNsp2gVzR-jfLr18RdLUliPtAy3Oss8YDWgRsxn9SezYP9nRf9Pl5WDyDXmRST68Tw30x1YSRk-cJdVzcApFG1JazosZxEZUBPLWw6pVGRez9T1GaMhFIz7Ke5uqSJR5SzLRMXyN6vyInP8epie6WmA_iZOFbp-QMWG9LTYQ/s2048/2023%20Pasha%206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1955" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoD6GPMMqekDb2KI6sNtNsp2gVzR-jfLr18RdLUliPtAy3Oss8YDWgRsxn9SezYP9nRf9Pl5WDyDXmRST68Tw30x1YSRk-cJdVzcApFG1JazosZxEZUBPLWw6pVGRez9T1GaMhFIz7Ke5uqSJR5SzLRMXyN6vyInP8epie6WmA_iZOFbp-QMWG9LTYQ/w611-h640/2023%20Pasha%206.jpg" width="611" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I wish you all the sleep of the just.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XwPoDEU9V442_fLmMXpwMzQUuVti6PhFGI9F8CYHjHcZhDkqHOPB35ByYVZyvynzXNS0iFz8__uf-_RmvVX8oVuxNH-Fqpg191Kf86Q6h2py7hSlqBxTPvf0pTcn-kBR8vUY1yv69qqQgfbFDOv4Gp0MVdPCwqFH4gejsDEY-dAeG4BRVEACEkv9xw/s1296/Kassouk%20series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1296" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XwPoDEU9V442_fLmMXpwMzQUuVti6PhFGI9F8CYHjHcZhDkqHOPB35ByYVZyvynzXNS0iFz8__uf-_RmvVX8oVuxNH-Fqpg191Kf86Q6h2py7hSlqBxTPvf0pTcn-kBR8vUY1yv69qqQgfbFDOv4Gp0MVdPCwqFH4gejsDEY-dAeG4BRVEACEkv9xw/w640-h640/Kassouk%20series.png" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px; text-align: justify;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px; text-align: justify;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px; text-align: justify;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo</span></a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">FB</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;" /></div>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-4629880058554437642023-03-17T08:58:00.002-07:002023-03-17T08:58:16.534-07:00Happy St. Patrick's Day - by Vijaya Schartz<p> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"> I always was fascinated by traditions, legends, and their origins. St Patrick is known for having brought Christianity to Ireland and cast the snakes out of the island.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sMPHL3J7OfIKcVJcnlTQqIy-YqZi7YozUSF59RHQ4ZcvYbTfVlSPdbWOhjphyW8kSInZ3vIs9FVL0wwf-3E8UvabaEfSt93ImCYc2rVvNa-VHCjz86v9YC7_Xh8c-MT7Bpr3qqUm8qyrJqzuu6qcw-BfmAecrA18klrrvWPoPL9wInSi5quVM3KBhA/s620/st-patrick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="620" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sMPHL3J7OfIKcVJcnlTQqIy-YqZi7YozUSF59RHQ4ZcvYbTfVlSPdbWOhjphyW8kSInZ3vIs9FVL0wwf-3E8UvabaEfSt93ImCYc2rVvNa-VHCjz86v9YC7_Xh8c-MT7Bpr3qqUm8qyrJqzuu6qcw-BfmAecrA18klrrvWPoPL9wInSi5quVM3KBhA/w640-h360/st-patrick.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Legend has it that Patrick stood on an Irish hillside and delivered a sermon that drove the island’s serpents into the sea. While it’s true that the Emerald Isle is mercifully snake-free, chances are that’s been the case throughout human history. Water has surrounded Ireland since the end of the last glacial period, preventing snakes from slithering over; before that, it was blanketed in ice and too chilly for the cold-blooded creatures. Scholars believe the snake story is an allegory for St. Patrick’s eradication of pagan ideology.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although the knights of St. Patrick wore blue, green is the color of the Emerald Isle. It's also the color of the shamrock.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHQXi1rAFnUC5hNZU7aiStfaw35Svlanx3kffC8aMFHIQ9kVfpXR4zknbsXcr-lLBQ-xgYaVlEC2OaQQNuIYq02W6shKWxfAi1eblRrUEnDO_xEVmyRK3zNNlRzxQ8lsP-5JgJpPyP0MHbnORfftYy6vAjgeYHhwvYXroNkOWz5jOJs9UeaY9FRuEGA/s1200/St%20patrick%20food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1200" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHQXi1rAFnUC5hNZU7aiStfaw35Svlanx3kffC8aMFHIQ9kVfpXR4zknbsXcr-lLBQ-xgYaVlEC2OaQQNuIYq02W6shKWxfAi1eblRrUEnDO_xEVmyRK3zNNlRzxQ8lsP-5JgJpPyP0MHbnORfftYy6vAjgeYHhwvYXroNkOWz5jOJs9UeaY9FRuEGA/w640-h380/St%20patrick%20food.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As for the traditional food, I suspect it was different in the days of the saint. And the green beer is definitely a modern tradition.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But today, everyone is celebrating, and everyone is Irish. Enjoy the celebrations!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-25872778507924359142023-03-07T06:58:00.000-08:002023-03-07T06:58:23.863-08:00Read a Book a Week event at Smashwords<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> Don't miss this opportunity to sample the CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE series and other books, during the special Smashwords event. <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><b>Click HERE</b></a> to check it out. Happy Reading.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Many of my titles are free, this week only. This is your chance to discover new worlds of Epic Fantasy and Historical Romance.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcshBib3IT_1Kui5io7i65tddZSkIwseyPXJvNlXy6U5OOBkmdO474FiT0UkP4VhntevKf2hwRiZGdpwjtDIJMABl1TgB3es84-ULgA4uYv-ude2UsQEPGDGVpuMtvJbL830VxHgNKpjgMeU2SSOqQkuISkoIvfrmhrZzYsrL5oZ7QsHynOH-mXSIxA/s800/cursecompleteseries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcshBib3IT_1Kui5io7i65tddZSkIwseyPXJvNlXy6U5OOBkmdO474FiT0UkP4VhntevKf2hwRiZGdpwjtDIJMABl1TgB3es84-ULgA4uYv-ude2UsQEPGDGVpuMtvJbL830VxHgNKpjgMeU2SSOqQkuISkoIvfrmhrZzYsrL5oZ7QsHynOH-mXSIxA/w640-h480/cursecompleteseries.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-52306566438616313422023-01-02T00:00:00.001-08:002023-01-02T00:00:00.150-08:00Happy New Year traditions from all over the world - by Vijaya Schartz<p> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">At the very end of December, after all the holiday parties, the family gatherings, the excessive eating, the drinking, and the sugar comas, we tend to reflect on why we gained five pounds… And new-year’s-eve is still ahead. But with the New Year comes new hope.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Also called St Sylvester’s night in Europe, New Year’s Eve, and New Year's day, include many traditions to ease the transition and generate good luck and prosperity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In the US</b>, whether you are, from the East to the West coast, you will probably have or attend a party, count the seconds to midnight, and watch the ball drop in Time Square. You will have a drink and sing Auld Lang Syne, and some will stand under the mistletoe, for a chance of a kiss at midnight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NCwJYqykVs3f-sOOBqpUk9Pxlj3TNSq8xB93v6_JopB5W6f8LqUxHS1uqb1_IwJt2OoVGuDKv9o6_M0Vat9QZ1zuMvNwteEDjFFQG9j-T50DaTDbVkyGnsPIXGNnBYGEouqmn8YoWEGGXHrPdtygL6Tf3urGIrOZBWHch_CwUMbgl3W0fnVxvCWL7Q/s700/NY%20Canada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="700" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NCwJYqykVs3f-sOOBqpUk9Pxlj3TNSq8xB93v6_JopB5W6f8LqUxHS1uqb1_IwJt2OoVGuDKv9o6_M0Vat9QZ1zuMvNwteEDjFFQG9j-T50DaTDbVkyGnsPIXGNnBYGEouqmn8YoWEGGXHrPdtygL6Tf3urGIrOZBWHch_CwUMbgl3W0fnVxvCWL7Q/w640-h336/NY%20Canada.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Canada</b> the fireworks are magnificent. And some of the most popular New Year’s Day traditions are the Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver, and to go ice-fishing. Brrrr!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Japan</b>, December 31st is a national cleaning day. The houses are scrubbed from floor to ceiling and decluttered, to start the new year in a favorable setting. On New Year’s Eve, it is also the tradition to eat buckwheat noodles called Toshikoshi soba. Just before midnight, Buddhist temple bells ring out 108 times, representing the 108 earthly temptations a person must overcome to achieve nirvana and get rid of last year’s bad luck.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBVEx_WnkzbZx-vVWb3PcAh5io1fc7M_KAHaX0khziv3o3SJ6ix8G11EjirTzzqM7aW2M0ImSetkd5nMAUOHcQVuCoJZLK5cVOMHJpECm-1VT91dKdSc0aTaJJuRzHQ_0973pBFEWPGe4Tnijd_Bcrx7de1weQhTYOQGlNpAF_H-5Cok8DGb5Zr5fkA/s800/NY%20Japan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="800" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBVEx_WnkzbZx-vVWb3PcAh5io1fc7M_KAHaX0khziv3o3SJ6ix8G11EjirTzzqM7aW2M0ImSetkd5nMAUOHcQVuCoJZLK5cVOMHJpECm-1VT91dKdSc0aTaJJuRzHQ_0973pBFEWPGe4Tnijd_Bcrx7de1weQhTYOQGlNpAF_H-5Cok8DGb5Zr5fkA/w640-h424/NY%20Japan.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The enormous bell is rung with a strong pole, pulled by several people with ropes.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Brazil</b>, everyone wears white on New Year’s eve for good luck and peace. They also run to the beach and throw white flowers into the ocean. Of course, it’s summer and beach weather in Brazil that time of year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Mexico</b>, at midnight, people drop a gold ring into their glass to bring good fortune in love and money. Then on January 1st, they go door to door, offering home-made tamales to friends and neighbors. I’ve also seen it done in Arizona as traditions migrate.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUy3GFnFwmOnYF2blWHlvFuLRX6wtpEeZkAz9v8PXtzSd8qyYQ-UflMQZZ_ViChCUU8m64Mzg9V2VFiF0qybQVbyHpHqr3HfmYqLvSvSAzTdVr46Z5wLrLfcrv14nfj8Bytv6STdXC3UK68bxPGuv_j_tOLP-c1GJi6HqhZy796dXxKKR953WItS-q8A/s800/NY%20Greece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUy3GFnFwmOnYF2blWHlvFuLRX6wtpEeZkAz9v8PXtzSd8qyYQ-UflMQZZ_ViChCUU8m64Mzg9V2VFiF0qybQVbyHpHqr3HfmYqLvSvSAzTdVr46Z5wLrLfcrv14nfj8Bytv6STdXC3UK68bxPGuv_j_tOLP-c1GJi6HqhZy796dXxKKR953WItS-q8A/w640-h426/NY%20Greece.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Greece</b>, onions are a symbol of good luck and fertility, so, on New Year's Eve, they hang bundles of onions above their doors to invite prosperity into the home. Then, on New Year's Day, parents wake up their children by gently knocking them on the head with the onions that were outside.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Singapore</b>, revelers let wishing spheres containing their hopes and dreams float down the river. Thousands of them on the Singapore River make for a magical sight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Puerto Rico</b>, they dump a bucket of water from a window to ward off evil spirits. I hope it’s not on the pedestrians below. They also sprinkle sugar outside their houses for good luck.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Russia</b>, New Year's Eve revelers write a wish down on a piece of paper, burn it and add the ashes to their champagne or vodka glass. Then they drink the entire glass quickly at midnight, in less than a minute, to make their wish realize.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Mxp7RW9t6YuZ1OXHX3PH6LaPzRgmG83yugRdOat1Bd3tHQshVaaBfGZ62M-LVXe4WY49m9LIpwSZMjd-Zt9KD_oK6oP-MaYbFdvH3wcm3AQ_DBUbM4ZoIJz1EVHA8AdGbCx8Sfegl8FmerQt3hsUyvEn48XXZhPO67ZRogN6plTn-KEYvT2FVoPpew/s588/NY%20France.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="588" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Mxp7RW9t6YuZ1OXHX3PH6LaPzRgmG83yugRdOat1Bd3tHQshVaaBfGZ62M-LVXe4WY49m9LIpwSZMjd-Zt9KD_oK6oP-MaYbFdvH3wcm3AQ_DBUbM4ZoIJz1EVHA8AdGbCx8Sfegl8FmerQt3hsUyvEn48XXZhPO67ZRogN6plTn-KEYvT2FVoPpew/w640-h378/NY%20France.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In France</b>, Champagne is the drink de rigueur to ring the New Year, along with raw oysters on the shell, turkey, goose, and seafood, in an elaborate and abundant meal they call a reveillon. And in Paris, the Eiffel Tower lights up in a splendid show of lights for the occasion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Spain</b>, to get good luck in the New Year, you must eat 12 grapes on the 12 rings of midnight, and keep the pace… no sweat, just don’t choke!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vLvc2WVRiLP1WZAdoEahbM7X9TwdkQ7uvs8vh9aVceMXx6BLGrpIGyH3rIC7frg36AxQqKzrKFN_RINAtNqMDGTg-4EGoUYBLtCMpX4V4ROoJPRSm_Gq-PDGS5TbdDCIaOHfU7cT40fVAao-MhZr1IuW6t8QPtL3zXYTSqLVO0HdEGW4VP8pKp7hxQ/s800/NY%20Spain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="800" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vLvc2WVRiLP1WZAdoEahbM7X9TwdkQ7uvs8vh9aVceMXx6BLGrpIGyH3rIC7frg36AxQqKzrKFN_RINAtNqMDGTg-4EGoUYBLtCMpX4V4ROoJPRSm_Gq-PDGS5TbdDCIaOHfU7cT40fVAao-MhZr1IuW6t8QPtL3zXYTSqLVO0HdEGW4VP8pKp7hxQ/w640-h414/NY%20Spain.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Switzerland</b>, they summon wealth, and abundance by dropping ice cream on the floor at midnight. Personally, I think it’s a waste of delicious ice-cream.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In Denmark</b>, to celebrate the New Year, they smash old plates on the doors of family, friends, and neighbors, to ward off evil spirits. The more broken plates at your door in the morning, the more good luck in the New Year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In India</b>, they build an effigy of an old man and burn it at midnight, to symbolize the death of the old year with its struggles, to make room for the new and hopefully better year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Qh6WcVt7ofqXnqnAB_4oPKzLneTviVz3e8VaLrV5tmYQnAqdmpWSKEJ58w4WbGodJSsXUU1gM96wucHGLtTSOjQRnTM3BIhqzT6rgum85s4n7vvac4KPuAUt6-UokUwwoVrZZkv-bKfuXWUbwX2jWo8FfbH286aTQ1VvNsfT6sEHlA9i0DPgr98FrA/s800/NY%20China.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Qh6WcVt7ofqXnqnAB_4oPKzLneTviVz3e8VaLrV5tmYQnAqdmpWSKEJ58w4WbGodJSsXUU1gM96wucHGLtTSOjQRnTM3BIhqzT6rgum85s4n7vvac4KPuAUt6-UokUwwoVrZZkv-bKfuXWUbwX2jWo8FfbH286aTQ1VvNsfT6sEHlA9i0DPgr98FrA/w640-h480/NY%20China.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In China, they celebrate the New Year on a lunar cycle, in January or February, and the festivities last two weeks. Lots of dragons parading on the streets, food, fireworks, and the color red, for good luck.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wish you all a fantastic New Year, with success and happiness all year long.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Happy Reading</div></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank">amazon </a>- <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank">B&N</a> - <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> - <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank">Kobo </a>- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank">FB</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-64520530841717816182022-12-23T08:07:00.000-08:002022-12-23T08:07:05.620-08:00Happy holidays, whatever you are celebrating this season<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> Wishing everyone the best of holiday seasons, whatever you are celebrating. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Lunw90tee8_rlNDVrEz53neIbLR-wMo5RbP7A-UsdCqDRmaJXn4I8Axn9o6NnyU5HUnz51G9eWIp56_xl0KZfSJdvZrIR9U0VoYJoyVzm6g1cXFw086pFHAo39n8boBdFulHaGbnYQoQvnyP0pf9zS0kVWwlRXFGuOafLx5HXiKxbZAqFBNBbRhVEA/s259/holiday%20traditions%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Lunw90tee8_rlNDVrEz53neIbLR-wMo5RbP7A-UsdCqDRmaJXn4I8Axn9o6NnyU5HUnz51G9eWIp56_xl0KZfSJdvZrIR9U0VoYJoyVzm6g1cXFw086pFHAo39n8boBdFulHaGbnYQoQvnyP0pf9zS0kVWwlRXFGuOafLx5HXiKxbZAqFBNBbRhVEA/w320-h240/holiday%20traditions%204.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-11367540286927542282022-12-07T00:00:00.001-08:002022-12-07T00:00:00.164-08:00Books as holiday gifts - by Vijaya Schartz<p> </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://books2read.com/Angel-Ship" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="496" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1chFvN1z-zWH0mkJyTIWtbFpmB0zAAKqG0--lep-lc-u6i11uHJ46pUyTaxO8uIJ8AfZl1s9DdkzC3sSjjqTg0oiMPXHexYpumxijRdniPnoBsl6IXFeA-Mzr_XNhnceDsdt5PuxipmlrIYKJxL7m88_GLL9Ppe8VP8tpg3dvtxfIvxI-kTTVvgGDg/w268-h400/Angel%20Ship%20paperback.jpg" width="268" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/Angel-Ship" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Vijaya's latest release.<br /> Find it <b>HERE</b></span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Whether it’s a stocking stuffer novel, a kindle gift sent to a friend faraway, or the wrapped gift of a complete paperback series, if you know the favorite genre of the avid readers among your family and friends, books make wonderful gifts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Maybe it’s the story they talked about but never got to buy for themselves. Maybe it’s the new release in a series they started and loved. Or you can surprise them with a book you enjoyed and want to share with them. In any case, it’s becoming simpler and easier than ever to gift books.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">You can do it from your laptop or phone, order online from your favorite retailer, and have it shipped or emailed. It takes little time and effort. It will be appreciated on cold, snowy, or rainy days.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Going with a reliable publisher, like BWL Publishing, will ensure it’s a quality book. Other ways to select a good book is considering the author’s track record. Award-winning authors usually deliver consistent quality reads. You can also read the ratings and reviews shared by other readers on the retail sites.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The most difficult part of this process is selecting the right genre and the right titles. Find out if you friend likes cozy mysteries, romance, action/adventure, Historical novels, fantasy, science fiction, or a mix of genres.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I write in many genres and also like to mix them. From contemporary romance to realistic Celtic legends, to space opera and science fiction, including even felines in some of my stories. But each author brings his or her personal touch to the writing, and if you like an author in one genre, chances are you will like that author’s other writings as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Here are some suggestions from my popular writings:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Curse of the Lost Isle series (Celtic legends – Edgy medieval)<br /></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnVrqMo_R7fSolrr10eLKktW8gWm4F9cCzuACspWlbK9nyByVn0xFmrlpCbOFnxskKR1bOxSfHuGHfmyQeYQv0rYELTCWFaS5rcz2iJ7s-LjPRULAOvYNGYwwmyGXdTxW05JJr5SXixckoyy_O6M4r_7JKygz7c7Xpf00tSoDqXy6ZjR2KxEVHcw-4A/s640/cursecompleteseries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnVrqMo_R7fSolrr10eLKktW8gWm4F9cCzuACspWlbK9nyByVn0xFmrlpCbOFnxskKR1bOxSfHuGHfmyQeYQv0rYELTCWFaS5rcz2iJ7s-LjPRULAOvYNGYwwmyGXdTxW05JJr5SXixckoyy_O6M4r_7JKygz7c7Xpf00tSoDqXy6ZjR2KxEVHcw-4A/w640-h480/cursecompleteseries.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Chronicles of Kassouk series (Sci-fi romance)<br /></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKURnNagD6JpVnOZm2Q9Ef5iK7CRB2tVXYFfUUiCpP_SCHUCrqgwEugQ6SQI0ID6rkhH_FBFne6ns0pJAgTShRmoN5GlZeBcUTapYAzmc-u3fMEexPXjWXwCMZ192_0yMPqcl3sIYBGu-OpMQAGkLxHVfgMJtMu5JYFZ7tpbnrb-zJB0bsG4M8Fj0mQ/s1296/Kassouk%20series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1296" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKURnNagD6JpVnOZm2Q9Ef5iK7CRB2tVXYFfUUiCpP_SCHUCrqgwEugQ6SQI0ID6rkhH_FBFne6ns0pJAgTShRmoN5GlZeBcUTapYAzmc-u3fMEexPXjWXwCMZ192_0yMPqcl3sIYBGu-OpMQAGkLxHVfgMJtMu5JYFZ7tpbnrb-zJB0bsG4M8Fj0mQ/w640-h640/Kassouk%20series.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Azura Chronicles series (Set on another planet – includes cats - androids - romantic elements)<br /></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5SmLUw6eGpCMObnjmcnZfAk2D9bdh5Kt0yR11w_IzAKFXfk0DlQ7Iu4Qf68TCjaaHuqQbXH6BYuYuKO14rOeKB3JhNGpcLGRIqvl5zLv4cz6EVuXusxgBPO3l1Yf609rStDeztbJoJWtigT-rmj3F0boi9d-y6x138I3fLkNDMBA4ir3a99R857Rlw/s2775/Azuratrilogy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="2775" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5SmLUw6eGpCMObnjmcnZfAk2D9bdh5Kt0yR11w_IzAKFXfk0DlQ7Iu4Qf68TCjaaHuqQbXH6BYuYuKO14rOeKB3JhNGpcLGRIqvl5zLv4cz6EVuXusxgBPO3l1Yf609rStDeztbJoJWtigT-rmj3F0boi9d-y6x138I3fLkNDMBA4ir3a99R857Rlw/w640-h320/Azuratrilogy.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Byzantium series (Set on a space station - cats – action - sweet romance for all ages)<br /></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnfRqKXo_gKvWO07dGYIBgpAFGnBgrWOerRrh4LFODG5Rx2mSF23cVRRyuO18ZyNxKFyvXnWmQthvTAw2jq6lcmjgpyNp_MR0NwbS565z7OUAGUaaeeiyUP_rUfh4FECFm3jJZVKo2E-OCr9nxRZTbAhX7xSJjusMbWaII6XTQJEqt5LjrFWBXp3psw/s1394/Byzantium%20trilogy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1394" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnfRqKXo_gKvWO07dGYIBgpAFGnBgrWOerRrh4LFODG5Rx2mSF23cVRRyuO18ZyNxKFyvXnWmQthvTAw2jq6lcmjgpyNp_MR0NwbS565z7OUAGUaaeeiyUP_rUfh4FECFm3jJZVKo2E-OCr9nxRZTbAhX7xSJjusMbWaII6XTQJEqt5LjrFWBXp3psw/w640-h322/Byzantium%20trilogy.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Archangel twin books (Aliens and angels in a contemporary setting)<br /></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QWNhsoRdkwKnjR3cqA6fgHLOjUagasdC9hru01PzW7hU3gG7GU4ndFXNE-Ve8Hcqdu9Wn9IVt6B5ylRc3W3ifX38_ppWJyMjGE8SEk0CjwWMv19zuv7cLDqHEQyN5svnDmBaMoeZ96ooEaqQhGmZWHmzzzB11_H9pKFwyFx8lxh3th6LQ6bqePr9xA/s400/archangelseries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QWNhsoRdkwKnjR3cqA6fgHLOjUagasdC9hru01PzW7hU3gG7GU4ndFXNE-Ve8Hcqdu9Wn9IVt6B5ylRc3W3ifX38_ppWJyMjGE8SEk0CjwWMv19zuv7cLDqHEQyN5svnDmBaMoeZ96ooEaqQhGmZWHmzzzB11_H9pKFwyFx8lxh3th6LQ6bqePr9xA/w400-h300/archangelseries.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Romance (rated R)<br /></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: left;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8Zh9twTjh6YUvSzMfIqiJPthYNe4wPGn4pmhAAt4F1DaXtadNEzIH8bYAJRfVUVsFI5hJrLCqBtKMhbU4h-tqGzx_t-k43WISO--9XUShinLbycqirY1TA99_6yIsNlWq8Iz4TjVa9rgCyB_fKWTfopmOe7exQZ8BIcyWhqutA7wD9dCSSH7SshKTw/s300/ashes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8Zh9twTjh6YUvSzMfIqiJPthYNe4wPGn4pmhAAt4F1DaXtadNEzIH8bYAJRfVUVsFI5hJrLCqBtKMhbU4h-tqGzx_t-k43WISO--9XUShinLbycqirY1TA99_6yIsNlWq8Iz4TjVa9rgCyB_fKWTfopmOe7exQZ8BIcyWhqutA7wD9dCSSH7SshKTw/s1600/ashes.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqarjMIUNUV7LvHMC9k95FpL8K-RHE6U5MA8Zq8x0uTcZz2XI-Bjvsm7d0gWJVwolOYDLtiP_RrVSEC5XEpb3bMIFgBcJCy0_p3OS8vvTaB01hwc2VhM_MSOTr49-j7l-8fyekLFRDCwjWHxkKczMR58WYLfmhGvaBi0-YujpEucAYpcFUweleoo__A/s300/asleep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqarjMIUNUV7LvHMC9k95FpL8K-RHE6U5MA8Zq8x0uTcZz2XI-Bjvsm7d0gWJVwolOYDLtiP_RrVSEC5XEpb3bMIFgBcJCy0_p3OS8vvTaB01hwc2VhM_MSOTr49-j7l-8fyekLFRDCwjWHxkKczMR58WYLfmhGvaBi0-YujpEucAYpcFUweleoo__A/s1600/asleep.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Happy Holidays with books!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author<br />Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats<br /></span><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">FB</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-55404675925122600082022-10-12T09:03:00.000-07:002022-10-12T09:03:01.346-07:00The Curse of the Lost Isle entire series - 50% off at SmashWords, for a short time - by Vijaya Schartz<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Take advantage of this special sale. Perfect time to catch up with all the installments of the Curse of the Lost Isle series. <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank">Click here for the direct link on Smash Words</a> 5 stars on Amazon "Edgy Medieval. Yay!"</span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOkY9YrQomqW1gJZnSwcejlbhlrLhc-I2vJkHT-EX-gT1vZn6RBMixtwXsjI3ig8dZuA2mYtFay9i__MNGDatJ-RrYkwEXily0HACI_yVvUfwyj8T_9X1XYxG88b0o5YfhBTD18Ka_iaBlnSmg3nl72fiHjmpPi1Zd1X5hz1SqZSRAsxvdOrySScZYQ/s800/cursecompleteseries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOkY9YrQomqW1gJZnSwcejlbhlrLhc-I2vJkHT-EX-gT1vZn6RBMixtwXsjI3ig8dZuA2mYtFay9i__MNGDatJ-RrYkwEXily0HACI_yVvUfwyj8T_9X1XYxG88b0o5YfhBTD18Ka_iaBlnSmg3nl72fiHjmpPi1Zd1X5hz1SqZSRAsxvdOrySScZYQ/w640-h480/cursecompleteseries.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a></span><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: justify;">- </span><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a></span><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: justify;"> - </span><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a></span><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: justify;"> - </span><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo</span></a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">From history shrouded in myths, emerges a family of immortal Celtic Ladies, who roam the medieval world in search of salvation from a curse. For centuries, imbued with hereditary gifts, they hide their deadly secret, stirring passions in their wake as they fight the Viking hordes, send the first knights to the Holy Land, give birth to kings and emperors... but if the Church ever suspects what they really are, they will be hunted, tortured, and burned at the stake.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Schartz paints a realistic picture of life in a medieval castle, with all its smells, tastes, visuals, and feelings, and as always, all the primary, as well as the secondary characters are well-developed and interesting. I’m looking forward to the others in this series." - Manic Readers 4.5 stars</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The exciting battles and period details also drew me in as did the intrigue surrounding Elinas' son trying to prevent him from marrying Pressine. Overall, Princess of Bretagne was a solid story that I enjoyed reading. I'm very much looking forward to finding out what's next for Elinas and Pressine when the series continues with the release of Pagan Queen." - 4 stars - The Hope Chest Review</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The story is filled with action and danger and there are many interesting secondary characters that help drive the plot forward. I particularly like Gwenvael, Pressine's brother... Look for the just released PAGAN QUEEN, to continue the saga of these two lovers." - Four ribbons - Romance Junkies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Happy Reading</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Vijaya Schartz, author<br />
Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats<br />
</span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 107%;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></a></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 107%;">amazon </span></a></span><span style="line-height: 107%;">- </span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 107%;">B&N</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"> - </span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Smashwords</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"> - </span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Kobo </span></a></span><span style="line-height: 107%;">- </span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 107%;">FB</span></a></span></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-31211740833708878762022-05-10T01:00:00.001-07:002022-05-10T01:00:00.157-07:00Finding inspiration in history and myths - by Vijaya Schartz<p> </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpPaOgKsk_uIO31NOCOWmYOqm_MXvJqe_1Ch3uVnH_SdeF1N2kPgRqe4hf3hpSBDVvCY7s-A8TwCq1glMRyabcKz3tIU0I4DYrXAAbWkHO1p6hxmB9wZoEqKVTtG9c3eRtLQ1ApZYN3Myx9jHJw-DBhf-r82cxMKpwTHQAJnm40XMh64MhE46IMm6sw/s2775/Azuratrilogy.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="2775" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpPaOgKsk_uIO31NOCOWmYOqm_MXvJqe_1Ch3uVnH_SdeF1N2kPgRqe4hf3hpSBDVvCY7s-A8TwCq1glMRyabcKz3tIU0I4DYrXAAbWkHO1p6hxmB9wZoEqKVTtG9c3eRtLQ1ApZYN3Myx9jHJw-DBhf-r82cxMKpwTHQAJnm40XMh64MhE46IMm6sw/w640-h320/Azuratrilogy.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo</span></a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXCVGbn_iuTJBitlmuZTM5klRSXMIPLm4gBxHCiJTbQc_RkKAVkhyRgDHGAfqQJqpK9QfG-ltfw-EDbhglBIRTUEa-TQpF-gRvMKAmYGYC0pkOutSSCp8PUNfl2b-EksME0pov3_W6WZpmz9bjTd1BYDXdW1voifcNLFxy8L0-3vrUb-G1aK3Ckm1JQ/s1394/Byzantium%20trilogy.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1394" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXCVGbn_iuTJBitlmuZTM5klRSXMIPLm4gBxHCiJTbQc_RkKAVkhyRgDHGAfqQJqpK9QfG-ltfw-EDbhglBIRTUEa-TQpF-gRvMKAmYGYC0pkOutSSCp8PUNfl2b-EksME0pov3_W6WZpmz9bjTd1BYDXdW1voifcNLFxy8L0-3vrUb-G1aK3Ckm1JQ/w640-h322/Byzantium%20trilogy.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo</span></a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">All science fiction authors struggle to make their stories believable, because most of us only believe what we can explain and understand. Anything else is considered fantasy. And while we witness unexplained feats of magic and fantasy each day, like UAP (Unexplained Aerial Phenomena), ghosts, premonitory dreams, out of body or transcendental experiences, fiction writers are held to more stringent rules. Unlike reality, our stories have to make sense in the physical world.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">Readers often tell me I have a fertile imagination, but to imagine the future, you only have to study the so-called mythology of many Earth cultures.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQlQ9wCZ04r8ExcCyKe_d4vNtYI--C1_TmRzU_chlkluRP4ocK7Sod1ZJ9fOjFDB6ayXCvou1QmLuHn0kWCkHXx2Oqa8gE3gUq7W2M6mfMdwM12jL0SZQ5XZqpLklu4Qcc5UQN5_mKentLfev5ww6kMEO2nwWgW0ZKA6Gb9Ha0c1mNYiCYNl1ddhx2A/s800/shivanataraj.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQlQ9wCZ04r8ExcCyKe_d4vNtYI--C1_TmRzU_chlkluRP4ocK7Sod1ZJ9fOjFDB6ayXCvou1QmLuHn0kWCkHXx2Oqa8gE3gUq7W2M6mfMdwM12jL0SZQ5XZqpLklu4Qcc5UQN5_mKentLfev5ww6kMEO2nwWgW0ZKA6Gb9Ha0c1mNYiCYNl1ddhx2A/w640-h426/shivanataraj.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lord Shiva claimed to be from another planet<br />and traveled through the air on a vessel surrounded by flames</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Ancient civilizations worshipped gods who came come from the sky (heavens) in chariots of fire that rumbled like thunder. They were said to possess magical powers, like the power of flight, infinite knowledge, and incredible powers of destruction… powers we now understand as advanced technology.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">They lived in magical cities in the sky, cities we would now call motherships, and they flew down in smaller crafts they called Vimanas. They also waged violent wars in the sky, with terrible repercussions for our planet.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPylykDIrYcwrDHYmZ7hNEGjJBDrKTFmXJNI6YOnarUlU8HFoAxbvk0TWV-Lm4rFBjyz77L8EowT7JVgzB_GqL06ORZpSelhlUcudRU8nRKA2S0qwXrJs96x67TO59ahEl7Ct8Ls5yAmqMU2tWiZjQBrDdNisSDdbuDXJ9G3-HOnx_UW4sV-SvT-3hIw/s480/shiva2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPylykDIrYcwrDHYmZ7hNEGjJBDrKTFmXJNI6YOnarUlU8HFoAxbvk0TWV-Lm4rFBjyz77L8EowT7JVgzB_GqL06ORZpSelhlUcudRU8nRKA2S0qwXrJs96x67TO59ahEl7Ct8Ls5yAmqMU2tWiZjQBrDdNisSDdbuDXJ9G3-HOnx_UW4sV-SvT-3hIw/w640-h480/shiva2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">Shiva (the destroyer of worlds) wielded weapons that could destroy entire planets and fiery arrows that never missed the target. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2Z3tLSrzC-7RwnisPUvAN0SBBOOqzOeXnI38VcW9K1822aZwehG262WnBRolzaAWwnt1EyHry8KnGiWZlcOIRuV7d5KxVw_mAbuqEezd4bGwgDGrECIeWZzwGJD0Zxq1b0JA6GLbLm_QsupgI5WGfB1tIEyz6W1NjXMo4EeTgfwdxbX26QjSAXg1Qg/s2500/shivalingam.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1757" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2Z3tLSrzC-7RwnisPUvAN0SBBOOqzOeXnI38VcW9K1822aZwehG262WnBRolzaAWwnt1EyHry8KnGiWZlcOIRuV7d5KxVw_mAbuqEezd4bGwgDGrECIeWZzwGJD0Zxq1b0JA6GLbLm_QsupgI5WGfB1tIEyz6W1NjXMo4EeTgfwdxbX26QjSAXg1Qg/w450-h640/shivalingam.jpg" width="450" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">The Shiva Lingam found in a multitude of temples, and long discarded as a fertility symbol, was recently recognized as an accurate representation of a nuclear cooling tower. Lingering radioactivity in ancient ruins and bones, along with vitrification of the stone (that only happens with the kind of heat produced by a nuclear explosion), and ancient manuscripts describing epic battles of the gods with such weapons in the same area, support the fact that a nuclear event must have happened around that time… several millennia ago.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Zz475HBTu7g6usWeC2cIxzn21pB3V1qNX6wI6xRIWe7-KUkWne5xDc0aXHPJB6Cj0kzsfTp4usnzwXmHRXGH3K7JXz-zvtbEbyXTVsxAYzQZyqowLTnQhrUeMwBAyf86PMhxDAFDv96IVWi1avEAIudtH7Ao_xZBoiy9jNh1WIYY3tGm7vGTUsVrgQ/s720/Ganesha.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Zz475HBTu7g6usWeC2cIxzn21pB3V1qNX6wI6xRIWe7-KUkWne5xDc0aXHPJB6Cj0kzsfTp4usnzwXmHRXGH3K7JXz-zvtbEbyXTVsxAYzQZyqowLTnQhrUeMwBAyf86PMhxDAFDv96IVWi1avEAIudtH7Ao_xZBoiy9jNh1WIYY3tGm7vGTUsVrgQ/s320/Ganesha.jpg" width="266" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9C6QY8Rc6K_Xqu2caNeBCWTc2B9E-GyC8s0W5RRkL0fCvOVQFH98I14keakdIy81IST2LukpUL8KrHVSWCQ2qhaPTUJD3imSlS0gT2xO7TH5uIcAy_VwC4jsmfHqDYBw7w-T6XnEXaE0C2qdPgSDYJ-xypfBbXA1bMB8KLTBP1C25_nHypNrw5UklcA/s562/Hanuman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="401" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9C6QY8Rc6K_Xqu2caNeBCWTc2B9E-GyC8s0W5RRkL0fCvOVQFH98I14keakdIy81IST2LukpUL8KrHVSWCQ2qhaPTUJD3imSlS0gT2xO7TH5uIcAy_VwC4jsmfHqDYBw7w-T6XnEXaE0C2qdPgSDYJ-xypfBbXA1bMB8KLTBP1C25_nHypNrw5UklcA/s320/Hanuman.jpg" width="228" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">In the subcontinent of India, these powerful beings, who visited Earth and lived among men in the faraway past, were not human. They had blue skin, several pairs of arms, sometimes a third eye, monkey heads, elephant head, or snake bodies, and claimed to have come from other planets. To the people of India, they were not mythical or gods, but flesh and blood beings from another place. The epic adventures depicted in the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Mahabharata are not considered mythology but true ancient history and taught in schools as such.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jIPMUxD45gv4MmpVna9LrTNKewPwGiEwHb9L5KDN2ro2yq8VmeAFSh3cUqU34wQbVkdWVQAPBws877bVb6rykpiuNG2ExTYW6iUaUNSXz05xnIxj7B0zD-MHUUmEHpdP0NWPO5j1PsyaTlyHBp6fih0VGn_HpGI44BtES0KfAMjj0wN-EJHXr0WmiA/s375/hindu%20god.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="295" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jIPMUxD45gv4MmpVna9LrTNKewPwGiEwHb9L5KDN2ro2yq8VmeAFSh3cUqU34wQbVkdWVQAPBws877bVb6rykpiuNG2ExTYW6iUaUNSXz05xnIxj7B0zD-MHUUmEHpdP0NWPO5j1PsyaTlyHBp6fih0VGn_HpGI44BtES0KfAMjj0wN-EJHXr0WmiA/w504-h640/hindu%20god.jpg" width="504" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>But this phenomenon of alien visitors perceived as gods is not particular to India.<br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">In the Buddhist world, the stone stupa inside which the statue of buddha resides represents some kind of transport craft to take him to the “cities in the sky.” Spaceships?</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNhV1GHOuXZddi6JL1k3VhbC5IzPa1LXqhkwF9NeYEIf7hpR_so44vxZJgznv8qmVuxT1CykJcXLAEm3URIoMgZuj1FVNXwYM1vNlynLNTw4KdyLWAOlWlmOVAMQEsYAmvCmnLANXhWKu_F9Rlq2PO2UL3UiqIfdr9Y1675A5imgUzMdrpx-yg1w7BQ/s445/chinese%20yellow%20emperor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="445" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNhV1GHOuXZddi6JL1k3VhbC5IzPa1LXqhkwF9NeYEIf7hpR_so44vxZJgznv8qmVuxT1CykJcXLAEm3URIoMgZuj1FVNXwYM1vNlynLNTw4KdyLWAOlWlmOVAMQEsYAmvCmnLANXhWKu_F9Rlq2PO2UL3UiqIfdr9Y1675A5imgUzMdrpx-yg1w7BQ/w640-h576/chinese%20yellow%20emperor.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">In China, the first emperor descended from the sky on a flaming dragon and claimed to come from space. To this day, the dragon is the symbol of China.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYP07ccxM0d_TzNxZSkfF6DoNJEUN-DqbXC7mLZCtgDhGgn3sqn-Dh6UEvQLLU6jDjAnESFRlMUidWfdF0jVhD6iY9ZXnNqRxGqYRdqN5jlzYOFUdBh8VFLuIcA4SPqzzyfCTNpIjU_Vrn-50X1-HeRlsDGympFLLfcoBjPORLjiPPNNq-uUk-g-a3rg/s1024/chinese%20dragon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYP07ccxM0d_TzNxZSkfF6DoNJEUN-DqbXC7mLZCtgDhGgn3sqn-Dh6UEvQLLU6jDjAnESFRlMUidWfdF0jVhD6iY9ZXnNqRxGqYRdqN5jlzYOFUdBh8VFLuIcA4SPqzzyfCTNpIjU_Vrn-50X1-HeRlsDGympFLLfcoBjPORLjiPPNNq-uUk-g-a3rg/w640-h426/chinese%20dragon.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>In Japan, Amaterasu, the goddess of light, came down to Earth to start the ruling dynasty to this day.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhte7Mqg09WQEDT72JzRItquldbT2XwgiNSxLe3siVQD7WxjNGLavaW4zc7XGMbwNBcVFQO1zxssOunvAcamHfg4oIAKSP4lsYF0hTUqmln7YbDX7WS1QwfnVFBY1gy3qFwjDjh3-tlg49fJUCRaMFxelsqbnkUrmTz1vR1s83f247ow-_fzkrm9dnLrQ/s500/Amaterasu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="500" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhte7Mqg09WQEDT72JzRItquldbT2XwgiNSxLe3siVQD7WxjNGLavaW4zc7XGMbwNBcVFQO1zxssOunvAcamHfg4oIAKSP4lsYF0hTUqmln7YbDX7WS1QwfnVFBY1gy3qFwjDjh3-tlg49fJUCRaMFxelsqbnkUrmTz1vR1s83f247ow-_fzkrm9dnLrQ/w640-h302/Amaterasu.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">In my science fiction stories, my characters travel the galaxy, discovering new planets and cultures, or they are planet bound, visited by more advanced aliens. </span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rYiNKltFpzAglTaR_IluW075u11kuZ5PzyX1tQAE4nSGR9kgkPlYphiG8u4kavC_rb1W50D4Q5oWxkQiiU3mVFqbdaF6MFeWaYaPSRDqEBs7DqLj5iT-5LXqQNFGTjxqYcABkTS_m9PtDC8rW0sS5mnqppK3_qUjzs1ju50aLLkwHwJWWs5FLLGWoQ/s1296/Kassouk%20series.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1296" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rYiNKltFpzAglTaR_IluW075u11kuZ5PzyX1tQAE4nSGR9kgkPlYphiG8u4kavC_rb1W50D4Q5oWxkQiiU3mVFqbdaF6MFeWaYaPSRDqEBs7DqLj5iT-5LXqQNFGTjxqYcABkTS_m9PtDC8rW0sS5mnqppK3_qUjzs1ju50aLLkwHwJWWs5FLLGWoQ/w640-h640/Kassouk%20series.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo</span></a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /><br /></span></p><div><span style="background: white; line-height: 17.12px;"><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Vijaya Schartz, author</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">FB</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div></span></span></div>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-26673451981411787072022-03-05T00:00:00.004-08:002022-03-05T00:00:00.178-08:00Shakespeare would turn in his grave - by Vijaya Schartz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnHf21vtDpRy6VI4tiCjIGFJk76wK12cYZ-3h_YqdGdEi20DxJRbWCHuNFjoOd5EXoIrMpO4DMBvkj24CWYhpJpTdJpHH7hYIyVTtDgaw_2lvaAycMZewQG41J8C72BHB7wYDot_MSZkquBd7HENn7zR06S_o5XsJPmxz080UXPPGysApX7X_LpUMybQ=s250" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="250" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnHf21vtDpRy6VI4tiCjIGFJk76wK12cYZ-3h_YqdGdEi20DxJRbWCHuNFjoOd5EXoIrMpO4DMBvkj24CWYhpJpTdJpHH7hYIyVTtDgaw_2lvaAycMZewQG41J8C72BHB7wYDot_MSZkquBd7HENn7zR06S_o5XsJPmxz080UXPPGysApX7X_LpUMybQ=w320-h260" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank">amazon </a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">-</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank">B&N</a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">-</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">-</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Kobo</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">The conversation, on some Facebook groups for authors this month, turned to common mistakes in English grammar. As a wordsmith, I cringe at typos, misspellings, and grammar blunders in professional books. And I’m talking about simple mistakes, not wrong tenses, dangling participles, or run-on sentences. In the media arena, the language of Shakespeare is taking a beating. But it’s a lot worse than you would expect.</span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEid9S1-F1jR1-OKLUzxL4T9_fMKREi5_SdtciU4tmz2-s3EwaVH9u_662hCaN3UdzpVC0y-Sto7FI5TN3zRZ4IwASGync-sXzU_BAk_BeMWefGD6LWThxWOX37tvVr_vNxl4sTmw0kOYKjnKbt3nRIgbzClvEnHkdnMJdlY9dBX9LGcTT2q1SWdwxcEMw=s739" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEid9S1-F1jR1-OKLUzxL4T9_fMKREi5_SdtciU4tmz2-s3EwaVH9u_662hCaN3UdzpVC0y-Sto7FI5TN3zRZ4IwASGync-sXzU_BAk_BeMWefGD6LWThxWOX37tvVr_vNxl4sTmw0kOYKjnKbt3nRIgbzClvEnHkdnMJdlY9dBX9LGcTT2q1SWdwxcEMw=w520-h640" style="cursor: move;" width="520" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Here is a reminder of a few common mistakes… are you guilty of those? Maybe you should stick this note to the side of your tablet or computer screen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEAMcCDbQ1pQQ7h46MnrSphUAXMc35aSgHUUiqtEAwp3UtJWoS4ECrhW2aQFT8phQirFDiXqaWz4aIQkCmToHmaPGCue-4NWpM1lEyh3LoOLtkeSDtrxUTPZbM07zmg4vhfbEUHVTgvYh4rc3FIi4f5BBfTQrfHaXFH8LQRFIOCVsmRo8tzhlnHMKohw=s1438" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1438" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEAMcCDbQ1pQQ7h46MnrSphUAXMc35aSgHUUiqtEAwp3UtJWoS4ECrhW2aQFT8phQirFDiXqaWz4aIQkCmToHmaPGCue-4NWpM1lEyh3LoOLtkeSDtrxUTPZbM07zmg4vhfbEUHVTgvYh4rc3FIi4f5BBfTQrfHaXFH8LQRFIOCVsmRo8tzhlnHMKohw=w640-h482" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And these are only a few. There are many more. I particularly resent “it’s” instead of “its” and “than” instead of “then.” There is also “lie” and “lay,” “affect” and “effect,”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDH6KqZKiXPVFHPB6xITOZShm3ukPTqHn05Ft64-IjEuqYzGGpcphWnzpsPsXLajM_pXAYDdc-cIctW0LbUKIqXBydhZ_7kfavBKvZmj98_lF5A_OpobY88ibUl35Np9CJV5MWiKN44o8qeACddSLH0a_ApcaWrBFMWgaIVheb77op70VrXnNcbnxGUw=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1000" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDH6KqZKiXPVFHPB6xITOZShm3ukPTqHn05Ft64-IjEuqYzGGpcphWnzpsPsXLajM_pXAYDdc-cIctW0LbUKIqXBydhZ_7kfavBKvZmj98_lF5A_OpobY88ibUl35Np9CJV5MWiKN44o8qeACddSLH0a_ApcaWrBFMWgaIVheb77op70VrXnNcbnxGUw=w400-h250" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I can easily forgive readers and casual posters for not remembering their schooling. But if you make any of these common mistakes on your resume, for instance, you may well have forfeited the job.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoJC1lAiIJIoln2yhDDAYI9oA5RqsENOSbV6uubw8qCNc4_nBWvFDN1U1VNQyfQsc8EmuyOxKf62S9-YNrkDkArdHLovY5zy1wrdjfNtK7N0cTY8rvVrKlvVe6V68G0SL4U6mgyso9KxuBKpmSBoieSEiRToiuWYGS81wBMAzqbV_5Y9zR8GsbuHTjfg=s459" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="459" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoJC1lAiIJIoln2yhDDAYI9oA5RqsENOSbV6uubw8qCNc4_nBWvFDN1U1VNQyfQsc8EmuyOxKf62S9-YNrkDkArdHLovY5zy1wrdjfNtK7N0cTY8rvVrKlvVe6V68G0SL4U6mgyso9KxuBKpmSBoieSEiRToiuWYGS81wBMAzqbV_5Y9zR8GsbuHTjfg=w400-h300" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And if you run an ad for your business with a mistake in it, the return will be so low, you’ll lose your investment in advertising.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPSejvFDtE4rHmMU80RLSfr0Rpl-rcw9uWyWelU3qF9fViwbyfCa3UKvQDGwaCXY8gR1-6-z4WKj66wJvIFUpVaxTmHPwgGt0-KfajJTBCdHsn2c1xAcCGMKH4zGIaetHfpkTatg8XzbAUvbrO8QlIwSiG_sCKVKve0dmqh41VhBgR_84BtI_TCJKuCA=s251" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPSejvFDtE4rHmMU80RLSfr0Rpl-rcw9uWyWelU3qF9fViwbyfCa3UKvQDGwaCXY8gR1-6-z4WKj66wJvIFUpVaxTmHPwgGt0-KfajJTBCdHsn2c1xAcCGMKH4zGIaetHfpkTatg8XzbAUvbrO8QlIwSiG_sCKVKve0dmqh41VhBgR_84BtI_TCJKuCA=w255-h320" style="cursor: move;" width="255" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Furthermore, I see these common mistakes repeated by newscasters, on advertising spots, on printed ads, and in articles by news writers and other professional people of the spoken and written word.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiv58dgWGM6QrcABSsAX9uL8MOkTOYoqJ9UpOebklDZxxXx_os9mfHoftPcCALj2z16ZIhKkS6EsRyak9GJG7OfiP3DyTKJe0yt-LVftFJCDczGo0eNPF3RikfFf1ZvIgEJnNQonh-y5v38AqzyrqYb8fZSf6G6RVoxpCIazkpI2uwV-XAj6WpsJjd0Ig=s1210" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1210" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiv58dgWGM6QrcABSsAX9uL8MOkTOYoqJ9UpOebklDZxxXx_os9mfHoftPcCALj2z16ZIhKkS6EsRyak9GJG7OfiP3DyTKJe0yt-LVftFJCDczGo0eNPF3RikfFf1ZvIgEJnNQonh-y5v38AqzyrqYb8fZSf6G6RVoxpCIazkpI2uwV-XAj6WpsJjd0Ig=w640-h360" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">What about “verbing” or “verbification?”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is also the new tendency of making verbs with nouns, called “verbing” by the Oxford University Press, or also verbification. This is part of normal language evolution. When there is no verb to express the action, you can use a noun as a verb. “To parent,” for example, has become part of the vocabulary, like “to vacation.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjO-QKICymt5qbGMnQZh93CeLV04JyiiJ5ZLyJjoLq67t-c4sKZH-otHlqhNY6W5TntPWmxuB68z5rEjaaRdP1Py3x8OJkka-RjIRud_daBLjNqGcrkgVLzRYvYnaOBP8WdC47zSIIIoT6mn9fYh0kW3IYwgVT9cDENK4shHLpB6rkqieBBTPxkoo1HUg=s670" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="670" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjO-QKICymt5qbGMnQZh93CeLV04JyiiJ5ZLyJjoLq67t-c4sKZH-otHlqhNY6W5TntPWmxuB68z5rEjaaRdP1Py3x8OJkka-RjIRud_daBLjNqGcrkgVLzRYvYnaOBP8WdC47zSIIIoT6mn9fYh0kW3IYwgVT9cDENK4shHLpB6rkqieBBTPxkoo1HUg=w640-h346" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It used to be that the printed word was respected and valued. Nowadays, anyone can write and print anything, without any knowledge of proper language, grammar, or spelling. Worse, they do not hire an editor. If it’s important enough to say or write for the public at large, it’s important enough to be edited.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another way to improve your grammar is to read well written books. Here is the Curse of the Lost Isle series, Medieval Celtic legends come to life. Enjoy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOCPkLgY4AIhl1OHYBQ-pmq4Th_Ek401e0FzCUpvnZgVwnwRBUZkuxIobKwA2fG8hM2YYp3JOjwKlyTXr32QQrenW8M04fWxS84BGkTDaRhlifb9ZhhvfubG4q22SptY7cOe18Mwem6vielO6xBz9OfZ-mTGCQIdLz1vpKq2qv60i5ahQt8Sm0x1YY2w=s800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOCPkLgY4AIhl1OHYBQ-pmq4Th_Ek401e0FzCUpvnZgVwnwRBUZkuxIobKwA2fG8hM2YYp3JOjwKlyTXr32QQrenW8M04fWxS84BGkTDaRhlifb9ZhhvfubG4q22SptY7cOe18Mwem6vielO6xBz9OfZ-mTGCQIdLz1vpKq2qv60i5ahQt8Sm0x1YY2w=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank">amazon </a><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">-</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank">B&N</a><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">-</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">-</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Kobo</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Vijaya Schartz, author<br />Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats<br /><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</a><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank">amazon<span> </span></a>-<span> </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank">B&N</a><span> </span>-<span> </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><span> </span>-<span> </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank">Kobo<span> </span></a>-<span> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank">FB</a></span><p></p><div><br /></div><div><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /></div><p> </p>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-25476033209859799742021-11-23T09:55:00.002-08:002021-11-23T09:55:31.482-08:00Presenting at the 2021 Arizona Literary Awards Banquet, November 6, 2021, at the Glendale Civic Center Plaza<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Slowly the pictures are starting to surface from the November 6, 2021 Arizona Literary Awards Banquet. Here are the hosts, Toby Heathcotte, current President, and Vijaya Schartz, Former President, 2029 winner, and current Blogmistress.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mHFOv7bOf-njagW3MLs6kz6uz3UGxl30WYFnoDgatilKd90epxXNyO0XbmG5vm5b_wcXB8Shy9Qt8izZ-GTMB6x9lrAAaqMbTl4RUDFrMnZqwl2pEnHdMY6HC7IFKoy5qTMpekixy3g/s563/2021+awards+06+toby+vj.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mHFOv7bOf-njagW3MLs6kz6uz3UGxl30WYFnoDgatilKd90epxXNyO0XbmG5vm5b_wcXB8Shy9Qt8izZ-GTMB6x9lrAAaqMbTl4RUDFrMnZqwl2pEnHdMY6HC7IFKoy5qTMpekixy3g/s16000/2021+awards+06+toby+vj.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The theme was 'Those were the days, my friend..." and many attendees, mostly nominees for the awards and their guests, chose to wear a costume. Here is the costume contest winner, Miss Butterfly in all her splendor. The costume is based on one of her published children's books.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKT6zb3tUJg3W_mQ4-FWP4Nr2UZB9dP8uec-W9F9l0F89GkEDeqfUZi0SmGOEIqUwTLCvCd817TdBEGFs3eum0fiM9i9VP87ZDtSavBiElgSUOjyo-cCHI00WnvNPKGYcsld3ZN9EQAzc/s2015/2021+awards+07+butterfly.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKT6zb3tUJg3W_mQ4-FWP4Nr2UZB9dP8uec-W9F9l0F89GkEDeqfUZi0SmGOEIqUwTLCvCd817TdBEGFs3eum0fiM9i9VP87ZDtSavBiElgSUOjyo-cCHI00WnvNPKGYcsld3ZN9EQAzc/w458-h640/2021+awards+07+butterfly.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Costume contest winner - Maureen Scanlon</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other notable costumes:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wmHyMmke_foWE7UFSzAxGVp3aSKVjgYAzBC1UQXbp91GYQSjvH2HcPGeCN8yooPpaHDxwSO5XEwLp0vg7jv_RpcQJwLe_ffeoYbbddz3OHg2qybpJ4cDSqbODDrXjx_5Pp3bj4O5l_4/s2015/2021+awards+08+costumes.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wmHyMmke_foWE7UFSzAxGVp3aSKVjgYAzBC1UQXbp91GYQSjvH2HcPGeCN8yooPpaHDxwSO5XEwLp0vg7jv_RpcQJwLe_ffeoYbbddz3OHg2qybpJ4cDSqbODDrXjx_5Pp3bj4O5l_4/s320/2021+awards+08+costumes.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOICmFQFIzuWqYgmc04KGXMI9_EJMxG4NGYsTBWiLnITISOAmBj553gw-xR618sIO_F8AFLtL3ZAGKnxwfq1NAJrSf1hggJfFfZSEAQpEgXzUHBt2scqOkZck0zWZabJHtb1K9wqbnAOU/s315/2021+awards+04+Janet+Crum+%2526+husband.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOICmFQFIzuWqYgmc04KGXMI9_EJMxG4NGYsTBWiLnITISOAmBj553gw-xR618sIO_F8AFLtL3ZAGKnxwfq1NAJrSf1hggJfFfZSEAQpEgXzUHBt2scqOkZck0zWZabJHtb1K9wqbnAOU/s0/2021+awards+04+Janet+Crum+%2526+husband.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was a wonderful event. The Mexican buffet was fantastic, and the deserts divine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JhIhFniL9mQMbVyZfZ280vmBz5Wn-2iad4Pwan81SAYyqY8skma9AjkFRJW_YfExZquCBXVe0fl9mmDCZLlPgh3kU-CXrQDzGFENJjnlRpJbUzIHdyi3H595YbWPQaaAjjFpQ-berFo/s720/2021+awards+03.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JhIhFniL9mQMbVyZfZ280vmBz5Wn-2iad4Pwan81SAYyqY8skma9AjkFRJW_YfExZquCBXVe0fl9mmDCZLlPgh3kU-CXrQDzGFENJjnlRpJbUzIHdyi3H595YbWPQaaAjjFpQ-berFo/s320/2021+awards+03.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then came the time for the awards, recognition, and speeches from the winners. On the left, Janet Crum, and on the right, Maureen Scanlon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgNcI2xk55LULN3ayPkIhrhpverTsI1S8ghUrHLMCG1z9w3XGkujXUkFlvB63aEI7QybVvpsDTrqcO0sY4DsygplpOs4X-BoG0PDk2zi-9xxOfIS-8Jhj4Z7GP_HRzB4-LTyRxr9J_oo/s491/2021+awards+02+Janet+Crum.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgNcI2xk55LULN3ayPkIhrhpverTsI1S8ghUrHLMCG1z9w3XGkujXUkFlvB63aEI7QybVvpsDTrqcO0sY4DsygplpOs4X-BoG0PDk2zi-9xxOfIS-8Jhj4Z7GP_HRzB4-LTyRxr9J_oo/s320/2021+awards+02+Janet+Crum.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeD4cmbU_a5RyEI0qeE8Te3snFa-JbqtATziUsG5NbiHGyj8QMSEun07kRpTECiEHdSYiWs-9di5KRLCn_zf7kuobpLVJ6EUOEaA-EyGgcCg3uP3LoyTvc2dbnkdGPaUhCeS_1VPZU9k/s555/2021+awards+05+Maureen+Nelson+scanlon.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeD4cmbU_a5RyEI0qeE8Te3snFa-JbqtATziUsG5NbiHGyj8QMSEun07kRpTECiEHdSYiWs-9di5KRLCn_zf7kuobpLVJ6EUOEaA-EyGgcCg3uP3LoyTvc2dbnkdGPaUhCeS_1VPZU9k/s320/2021+awards+05+Maureen+Nelson+scanlon.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">More pictures of costumed guests: Here Marty Feess and guest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AmtyCSDihpoDUiVZiaaoBTVUmn92RaVKJXxzp43_RUJK-T434gMaMrFZTBycVjeLo18YAnKfGF-QDMvqV2Yf1_S2oP2PyidqaEKnCwrvfWcjEedLj44z500Vqg76WZEu8Y8bnbB8xcA/s1728/2021awards+Marty+Feess2.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AmtyCSDihpoDUiVZiaaoBTVUmn92RaVKJXxzp43_RUJK-T434gMaMrFZTBycVjeLo18YAnKfGF-QDMvqV2Yf1_S2oP2PyidqaEKnCwrvfWcjEedLj44z500Vqg76WZEu8Y8bnbB8xcA/s320/2021awards+Marty+Feess2.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKaBdj-T2YURfZW38PeZJr4cuEz1xUyZLwzqyEXZKKvhaz5ywtT8im8aKdmtsDDc99Eiq3y1BDIgLh5aeA43a11iCX4j90K3FUrIzJIwa4yXVvPb8EFj-4l7AE_sKh8bVTSKZUh7NIlo/s640/2021awards+Marty+Fees.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKaBdj-T2YURfZW38PeZJr4cuEz1xUyZLwzqyEXZKKvhaz5ywtT8im8aKdmtsDDc99Eiq3y1BDIgLh5aeA43a11iCX4j90K3FUrIzJIwa4yXVvPb8EFj-4l7AE_sKh8bVTSKZUh7NIlo/s320/2021awards+Marty+Fees.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And, of course, group pictures:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuVtKXTZn72E1GzlHeY7ql5adk44v92k47V19toryKtbV_tZBXGqjMc2OdyQi6SYNgQsOYUlxQvdz2USwBjn0eyXXH6eHuYI3Oa2P0ufd5d38xi2VN1K3U_enWsCFczgqitaZEVVz6Kg/s690/2021+awards+01.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuVtKXTZn72E1GzlHeY7ql5adk44v92k47V19toryKtbV_tZBXGqjMc2OdyQi6SYNgQsOYUlxQvdz2USwBjn0eyXXH6eHuYI3Oa2P0ufd5d38xi2VN1K3U_enWsCFczgqitaZEVVz6Kg/w486-h640/2021+awards+01.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was a wonderful event. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vijaya Schartz</div><div style="text-align: justify;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com </div></span>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-19344979651044589822021-09-24T08:52:00.000-07:002021-09-24T08:52:00.414-07:00An author's definition of success - by Vijaya Schartz<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Success means different things to different people. Even among writers, opinions vary. And your opinion of yourself as a writer will depend upon your personal definition of success.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjA9qmEfr941oiDmpkY1gEwlxi4JanJeXzrHnMMOuRmGgB1tXkZ5qOFsZdzbTnffAK9DqoLgUX7ox4QDsEGNh-LsTNzi0ZET4vOli7BMKLIev1PwaAimKuTs4swUZSv2t0cVyK5o2fiM/s641/success2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #cc6611; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="641" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjA9qmEfr941oiDmpkY1gEwlxi4JanJeXzrHnMMOuRmGgB1tXkZ5qOFsZdzbTnffAK9DqoLgUX7ox4QDsEGNh-LsTNzi0ZET4vOli7BMKLIev1PwaAimKuTs4swUZSv2t0cVyK5o2fiM/w640-h338/success2.jpg" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For some, it's about making lots of money, a common beginner's mistake. For nonfiction authors, it can be about sharing your experiences, reporting the news, or proving your worth to your colleagues or your family.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For novelists, it can be about finding a publisher, or getting their stories published and read some other way. It can also be about recognition. Winning awards is important for a fiction writer, since we work in isolation for months on end to write a novel.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We all have different goals. I always liked the saying "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." Writing to me is a passion, It fills my days with wonder.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The same way I loved studying so much as a kid, that I wanted to be in school for the rest of my life, I love writing. And I'm so happy that I can write every day.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The fact that I found a publisher who loves my books is the cherry on top. And when my readers tell me they love my stories, that's the sweetest reward. That's when I know I succeeded. Angel Fierce, Azura Chronicles Book 2, won the 2019 Arizona Literary Contest. Angel Brave, Book 3, is a brand new release this month.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">amazon </a></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">B&N</a></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kobo </a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmt2dQh7q0Twqipcmb1YFdRCDv6mdhcv9QRvkNwpFAR-QWVSV9AY4UbCfdSg9gI84hbedRzwnJVnrxBSckRXna8FsGL5oSvLfR8xevBwTUG0u7TlFNixEUYmaogOl19VsN1Js5mC1ZTU/s940/Azura+universe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #cc6611; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmt2dQh7q0Twqipcmb1YFdRCDv6mdhcv9QRvkNwpFAR-QWVSV9AY4UbCfdSg9gI84hbedRzwnJVnrxBSckRXna8FsGL5oSvLfR8xevBwTUG0u7TlFNixEUYmaogOl19VsN1Js5mC1ZTU/w640-h537/Azura+universe.jpg" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /> </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19.26px;">Vijaya Schartz, author<br />Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats<br /></span><span style="line-height: 19.26px;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 19.26px;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></a></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="line-height: 19.26px;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 19.26px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 19.26px;">amazon </span></a></span><span style="line-height: 19.26px;">- </span><span style="line-height: 19.26px;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 19.26px;">B&N</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 19.26px;"> - </span><span style="line-height: 19.26px;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 19.26px;">Smashwords</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 19.26px;"> - </span><span style="line-height: 19.26px;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" style="color: #cc6611; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 19.26px;">Kobo </span></a></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p><p> </p>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-40863425352343654302021-07-12T01:00:00.001-07:002021-07-12T01:00:00.204-07:00The importance of book covers, especially in series - by Vijaya Schartz<p> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNGngGc_01to7lgcEufliYCs1g_6KmoCz73ZmAqBKASusUX-3SYfOvdlJQ0e-d9n4ZJi6TtGfzJMOW8pz6TpAVywUKtFTg-XDG5rC_pQ6NzsaSuNUaNZd7uCdap7JGbhR65Un-YZA_Xzc/s1388/AB+medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="925" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNGngGc_01to7lgcEufliYCs1g_6KmoCz73ZmAqBKASusUX-3SYfOvdlJQ0e-d9n4ZJi6TtGfzJMOW8pz6TpAVywUKtFTg-XDG5rC_pQ6NzsaSuNUaNZd7uCdap7JGbhR65Un-YZA_Xzc/w426-h640/AB+medium.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This is the cover reveal for my October release</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Angel Brave, Azura Book 3</span></b></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">As an author, I see images in my head when I write. Like a 3D movie, with sounds and lights and special effects, and color, and smells, and heat, and cold… and all these elements end up in my story. So, I have a pretty good idea of what my characters look like, sound like… and I want my readers to see the same movie in their heads as they read the book. So I do make suggestions to the artist cover designer, here Michelle Lee, and this latest cover does reflect my vision perfectly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVHOR-WH7FsUmBH3kCDeS3yvNBt3QKdAsL6D6dllfqC3PPIyLVdgnCUbYy2M1FV851_U7ZnMJfn753SydfHiNLY8OvTwBp8QeE0pW9o6Pq3rmb4U_1q7Jfbz4MXe9okOu-qtmTzn6JeSA/s275/Chuck+Lorre+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVHOR-WH7FsUmBH3kCDeS3yvNBt3QKdAsL6D6dllfqC3PPIyLVdgnCUbYy2M1FV851_U7ZnMJfn753SydfHiNLY8OvTwBp8QeE0pW9o6Pq3rmb4U_1q7Jfbz4MXe9okOu-qtmTzn6JeSA/s0/Chuck+Lorre+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chuck Lorre, creator of The Big Bang, Young Sheldon<br />Two and a half men, The US of Al, and many award-winning sitcoms.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I remember something Chuck Lorre wrote in a vanity card at the end of a show. I paraphrase: “I learned over the years, not to obsess over whether or not the actor looks like the character in my head, but rather to find a talented actor who will make the character his or hers.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And here resides the secret of success. Learning to let go of the characters we created to let the reader re-imagine them. I’m certain authors whose stories make it to the screen struggle with the same problem. How the movie director, the screenwriter, and the producers see the characters often differs from what the original novelist had in mind.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMNYQla5TQ-nqWv7qOUlsqkKDIVM4BabDNTvKhyphenhyphensniac4TPBKS5RRXpgLuRXEt2qXR7n_3qAwM4qyp4KflhLuZpWCHs4Qe57uhKBBWK-JW6xnx4-YbQM1-XNUEeOzLqscUxRDgrZmbe6c/s400/archangelseries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMNYQla5TQ-nqWv7qOUlsqkKDIVM4BabDNTvKhyphenhyphensniac4TPBKS5RRXpgLuRXEt2qXR7n_3qAwM4qyp4KflhLuZpWCHs4Qe57uhKBBWK-JW6xnx4-YbQM1-XNUEeOzLqscUxRDgrZmbe6c/s16000/archangelseries.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Archangel Twin books<br />Evil has many faces, not all of them human...</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes, the book cover reflects my vision of the characters, and sometimes not. And who is to say which is best? My idea of Michael was very different, but I do love the new covers for the Archangel twin books.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHk3E6vtLzo6JNT3PoTtIfdmLvnbARHv1lD6GOl4SnvwCaWKFuXJAuMNUWHcsQI97DxOidW8tmJdrcsTQhuOiJmSrHWHssFKttH0Fe5w2WXs3f9GDXuRT8L2HnRSsdld9eHx8LnURmpUiy/s1394/Byzantium+trilogy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1394" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHk3E6vtLzo6JNT3PoTtIfdmLvnbARHv1lD6GOl4SnvwCaWKFuXJAuMNUWHcsQI97DxOidW8tmJdrcsTQhuOiJmSrHWHssFKttH0Fe5w2WXs3f9GDXuRT8L2HnRSsdld9eHx8LnURmpUiy/w640-h321/Byzantium+trilogy.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Byzantium (Space Station) series, action, romance, and telepathic cats</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Then, there is the cover without people on it, a trend which comes and goes with the seasons. It portrays adjacent scenery or an animal relevant to the story. Like in the Byzantium Space Station series, with telepathic cats as secondary characters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyS7_SRlBeA_uG01U061DoUwPeN8bh-AtAEDxLTfVUiZGwqxrKwk7OK8u-rmfZH8ZbBuZ4cZR64aaO5yekBuaA_ynm83LwmavRqIRn1AHX3P27sB0W-y7Yqs3TeCkFzR24Hsv301whlm8R/s1296/Kassouk+series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1296" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyS7_SRlBeA_uG01U061DoUwPeN8bh-AtAEDxLTfVUiZGwqxrKwk7OK8u-rmfZH8ZbBuZ4cZR64aaO5yekBuaA_ynm83LwmavRqIRn1AHX3P27sB0W-y7Yqs3TeCkFzR24Hsv301whlm8R/w640-h640/Kassouk+series.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chronicles of Kassouk - Sci-fi Romance with big cats</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In a series, there is also the concern for continuity. A long time ago, with another publisher, I received a cover that was unacceptable. It was book 3 in a series, and while the first two book covers featured photographs of male cover models (it was sci-fi romance) the cover of Book 3 was a comic book drawing with juvenile UFOs and little green men. It took me a while to figure out a nice way to tell the person in charge that this cover, while lovely, didn’t fit the mood of the story, and most importantly didn’t match that of the two previous books. Ooopsie!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOnpLpjb54MfR_AozAs3YKegFQB_B_hZBkqsoQDq95fMRCUFy9oCqqntxs3E7oO7PvSE4jOlUXes36OWNMBs2pzYWMX6tv7fLV59KS0JtGCDEVwMZhnVsE6H3OotOP-NOSFb4wrjvd5j7/s600/ancientenemy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOnpLpjb54MfR_AozAs3YKegFQB_B_hZBkqsoQDq95fMRCUFy9oCqqntxs3E7oO7PvSE4jOlUXes36OWNMBs2pzYWMX6tv7fLV59KS0JtGCDEVwMZhnVsE6H3OotOP-NOSFb4wrjvd5j7/s16000/ancientenemy.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ancient Enemy series - Sci-fi Romance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">All the book covers in a series should reflect the same palette, ambiance, font, design, etc. so the potential reader can recognize a book as belonging in a familiar series. Like The Curse of the Lost Isle, or the Chronicles of Kassouk.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJMqeCQR6FSZzL4WKz5o0HregzPg9m-OXti1EGu0eYyLGV5hhnmWH54vjWBt9vUnUYW4gdONqsjJni8zHAtmRxwa0QjVH4refpeDz01hF0hv6mVm_qRjtykge7ni_YFstO8BSH_QqYGkx/s800/cursecompleteseries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJMqeCQR6FSZzL4WKz5o0HregzPg9m-OXti1EGu0eYyLGV5hhnmWH54vjWBt9vUnUYW4gdONqsjJni8zHAtmRxwa0QjVH4refpeDz01hF0hv6mVm_qRjtykge7ni_YFstO8BSH_QqYGkx/w640-h480/cursecompleteseries.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curse of the Lost Isle, Celtic Legends, Paranormal Romance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This said, I hope you’ll check out all these titles on my pages below.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Happy Reading!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vijaya Schartz, author</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank">amazon </a>- <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank">B&N</a> - <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> - <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank">Kobo </a>- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank">FB</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-53799700300586501972021-06-10T01:00:00.001-07:002021-06-10T01:00:00.206-07:00Warrior women Part 3 - 16th Century to today - by Vijaya Schartz<p> </p><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxphdaxSQKvWzLdAUnKGkKEEogZ6Pl2rJ23CSC1fkzhaO0Rl_Tz7ult0aDMfyoXTkFlANCQlPZXu3nLsi8yo_qhUBrm08Pk9DRoDOzOx5AEoMkWVi-XpiGTRvpBXFAfVFHz3XZxYP1QcgZ/s1850/AF+banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="1850" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxphdaxSQKvWzLdAUnKGkKEEogZ6Pl2rJ23CSC1fkzhaO0Rl_Tz7ult0aDMfyoXTkFlANCQlPZXu3nLsi8yo_qhUBrm08Pk9DRoDOzOx5AEoMkWVi-XpiGTRvpBXFAfVFHz3XZxYP1QcgZ/w400-h145/AF+banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Find Vijaya's novels at BWL Publishing <a href="https://bookswelove.net/schartz-vijaya/" target="_blank">HERE</a> and on her website <a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><b>Amina, Warrior Queen of Zaria (1588-1589)</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Amina was queen in a part of Nigeria now known as Zaria, where women could inherit the throne on an even keel with men. Many city states dominated trans-Saharan trade after the collapse of the Songhai Empire to the west. At the age of sixteen, Amina became the heir apparent. Although her mother’s reign was known for peace and prosperity, Amina immersed herself in military skills from the women warriors of her tribe.</div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1u6OqBL72N83Tq_it90dzhiASbhwyBGnU1leqRKU6waH7FFlLmRr55R5OENgnNlX0QSOhwzQGBDF_EXY49dAbpjqbj6cG-kDWpiCmbPbGPGXNEThTrfeNxpGHvEWDOIsGVJHNmtFDBSxk/s1600/WW+Dahomey-Amazons+of+Queen+Amina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1600" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1u6OqBL72N83Tq_it90dzhiASbhwyBGnU1leqRKU6waH7FFlLmRr55R5OENgnNlX0QSOhwzQGBDF_EXY49dAbpjqbj6cG-kDWpiCmbPbGPGXNEThTrfeNxpGHvEWDOIsGVJHNmtFDBSxk/w400-h215/WW+Dahomey-Amazons+of+Queen+Amina.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Three months after her ascent to the throne, Amina started her conquests to expand her domain and open safe trade routes. She remained a warrior queen for 34 years until her death.</div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><b>India during the Raj (British occupation): Velu Nachiyar (1730–1796 AD)</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Queen of Sivaganga from 1780 to 1790, Velu Nachiyar was the first female freedom fighter against the British. Also known as Veeramangai (brave woman), she was trained in martial arts, horse riding and archery. She was also fluent in French, English and Urdu. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rm7YhZ0cJ4bGY_sZrm9_KSmZsCfnEbOMXfuBahMFxrzi6LvN0wrFejNV1V5o2C3CJFfqRUPzzbrKE6c6Es6i0aopY9phGWTvhOzKfcKFXsam7ut9wXqBeYoUuPprrBPPx8wYNO9gEFnS/s501/WW+Velu+Nachiyar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rm7YhZ0cJ4bGY_sZrm9_KSmZsCfnEbOMXfuBahMFxrzi6LvN0wrFejNV1V5o2C3CJFfqRUPzzbrKE6c6Es6i0aopY9phGWTvhOzKfcKFXsam7ut9wXqBeYoUuPprrBPPx8wYNO9gEFnS/w400-h400/WW+Velu+Nachiyar.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">After her husband was killed by the British army, she took refuge with Haider Ali, the Sultan of Mysore, then she launched her attack. When her daughter was martyred in the fight against the British, the queen formed a women’s army and named it after her daughter. Her fearlessness and gallantry on the battlefield are still remembered today.</div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><b>Nakano Takeko, last female Samurai of Japan</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">The last Samurai warrior woman, Nakano Takeko, was recorded in the 19th century. During the Battle of Aizu, she led a corps of female Samurai against the Emperor's forces. She fought with a naginata, the traditional weapon of choice for Japanese women warriors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6yPeW25dJC2j2yHwJNwJxioQ42UyrxJiXNtCn2gzHQ8I8DvWXYLwus9FyhYRdRejslVIOhYu1m3vToOEp-8VtoemH-uYFsDCowXhcRVP-p7RR3v7Z-8F5sccU0GWfium2P1w_CNUy86S/s677/WW+Nakano+Takedo+last+female+Samurai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="451" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6yPeW25dJC2j2yHwJNwJxioQ42UyrxJiXNtCn2gzHQ8I8DvWXYLwus9FyhYRdRejslVIOhYu1m3vToOEp-8VtoemH-uYFsDCowXhcRVP-p7RR3v7Z-8F5sccU0GWfium2P1w_CNUy86S/w426-h640/WW+Nakano+Takedo+last+female+Samurai.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Takeko was leading a charge against the imperial troops when she took a bullet to the chest. Knowing she would die, the 21-year-old warrior ordered her sister Yuko to cut off her head and hide it from the enemy. Yuko did as asked, and Nakano Takeko's head was buried under a tree.</div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><b>The struggle of 20th Century women to be accepted in the military.</b></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">I remember when I was a teenager, learning that the Israeli military accepted women in their ranks. Not wearing skirts and typing reports in an office, but in combat gear on the front lines. I was fascinated.</div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4OyxsIgU7LEolq0MsdLW1w9Pt6N6Ksk8UlILjdrekQFZVIjyKMzBimcD79EQWAjSLCffLo9gibs22RshgwrzLTG9OSpQEccveUVrTFRUGP-8kH1XDuYKwXBw5kOitu1ESzBug13umM6b/s220/WW+early+Israeli+women+soldiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="148" data-original-width="220" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4OyxsIgU7LEolq0MsdLW1w9Pt6N6Ksk8UlILjdrekQFZVIjyKMzBimcD79EQWAjSLCffLo9gibs22RshgwrzLTG9OSpQEccveUVrTFRUGP-8kH1XDuYKwXBw5kOitu1ESzBug13umM6b/w400-h269/WW+early+Israeli+women+soldiers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Israeli women in the military</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Since then, after much hesitancy concerning the battlefield, the US military is training women for combat. They are now fighter pilots, foot soldiers, Marines, and much more.</div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5eKS9t75ilygagRH31hTbQM17tt7Pz_UrpSmsTbohBO3vpq5HvdFtYaMXo21TaC6No-ut_8eKGJkBGLJEdbxMJkWNI_e99441-Q6lF2ABEBC6hXTF6SURfj5a8_s6xaFZCtS9MGHYvF0/s2048/WW+pilots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2048" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5eKS9t75ilygagRH31hTbQM17tt7Pz_UrpSmsTbohBO3vpq5HvdFtYaMXo21TaC6No-ut_8eKGJkBGLJEdbxMJkWNI_e99441-Q6lF2ABEBC6hXTF6SURfj5a8_s6xaFZCtS9MGHYvF0/w400-h261/WW+pilots.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US Fighter pilots</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXJgMpjrRB2Fz_GD8KA0hmrWoV0fyjJ9uTyLeevY4_L-6UV6g6TPIouf3Xldp8QcqgrcsnHvDND3bezJRDVjge2Loowhq2jpZ52TBbF7VwsVKR0rW5GQfp7nGZ9yiSqFSCbHqWF__1GfO/s620/WW+Navy+Seals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="620" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXJgMpjrRB2Fz_GD8KA0hmrWoV0fyjJ9uTyLeevY4_L-6UV6g6TPIouf3Xldp8QcqgrcsnHvDND3bezJRDVjge2Loowhq2jpZ52TBbF7VwsVKR0rW5GQfp7nGZ9yiSqFSCbHqWF__1GfO/w400-h269/WW+Navy+Seals.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US Navy Seals</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">But this is a phenomenon happening around the world. We see battalions of fighting Amazons in Russia, women soldiers in Africa, in India, in the middle east. The women have risen and are taking control of their own lives, to defend their freedom, their rights, their land, or their family.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrKCyCTX4Qjgfqmzdp1tiTo8iyoyj4eldz0b3_V4Yf0Niaq4RXpSvBMHVdoaNzVahEWfxBpcWTMwMc2Wy2XlRfVNlh6yAmoYxgX3w3lyLIEWYGXIvKAnN-_bakMoGmcWZl9kUW7iKkTr2/s1200/WW+kenya-defense-force.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1200" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrKCyCTX4Qjgfqmzdp1tiTo8iyoyj4eldz0b3_V4Yf0Niaq4RXpSvBMHVdoaNzVahEWfxBpcWTMwMc2Wy2XlRfVNlh6yAmoYxgX3w3lyLIEWYGXIvKAnN-_bakMoGmcWZl9kUW7iKkTr2/w400-h170/WW+kenya-defense-force.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warrior Women of Kenya<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjub_Uc-e7-5WZtXNd1oMReRS80rzybqB88ALS3yOb3v6GV-RKHKWXW5J3dGjSh8kJ6pm45bnVxWUC8SgYH87O7k3cWQ7l_kiicOjjfUr5krzMCzUXPA0cll0f4tp8k7wVzPz9Rij9Oh1Fd/s1280/WW+military+police+India.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjub_Uc-e7-5WZtXNd1oMReRS80rzybqB88ALS3yOb3v6GV-RKHKWXW5J3dGjSh8kJ6pm45bnVxWUC8SgYH87O7k3cWQ7l_kiicOjjfUr5krzMCzUXPA0cll0f4tp8k7wVzPz9Rij9Oh1Fd/w400-h225/WW+military+police+India.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Women in India's Military Police</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nzTWP6h1RwrKakFSQyZsqzsFw1LroULraqjCZT7TFwJHR8cvkgrcTZ7C14-2jW4wbKRSTpk1JnlLgcONw3shmaUHAQ4DazbPNbMWP6cIHhcTQ_MzGuDC_24wHgUA8xI6_aUhJWD_WtSt/s265/WW+Russia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="265" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nzTWP6h1RwrKakFSQyZsqzsFw1LroULraqjCZT7TFwJHR8cvkgrcTZ7C14-2jW4wbKRSTpk1JnlLgcONw3shmaUHAQ4DazbPNbMWP6cIHhcTQ_MzGuDC_24wHgUA8xI6_aUhJWD_WtSt/w400-h287/WW+Russia.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russia's battalion of Amazons</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgJoMqQIaPDs73B4gGK5T-OyPrVzF4nCKGO5pgRYc4BGoGf4TL8K8nfW07mItwyG0JagHgVfa2Lz6R_fHM_qfqaUQDHa0BsvO2kqY_gbL2RfrCh_CrApJ19_rebB4iUA7qiTbxdy3x6jt/s760/WW+kurdish-women+fighting+ISIS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="760" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgJoMqQIaPDs73B4gGK5T-OyPrVzF4nCKGO5pgRYc4BGoGf4TL8K8nfW07mItwyG0JagHgVfa2Lz6R_fHM_qfqaUQDHa0BsvO2kqY_gbL2RfrCh_CrApJ19_rebB4iUA7qiTbxdy3x6jt/w400-h233/WW+kurdish-women+fighting+ISIS.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kurdish women fighting ISIS</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">If you like strong heroines with a warrior slant, check out my books. In my novels, they are bounty hunters, law-enforcement officers, Avenging Angels, soldiers, starship captains, Amazons, and warrior queens. They are often in charge, and playing an important role in their society. Sometimes, they rescue the hero, and they are definitely his equal.</div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">I especially recommend these to lift your warrior spirits. Book 1, <a href="https://books2read.com/Angel-Mine" target="_blank">Angel Mine</a> is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CYWVHWG/" target="_blank">99cts in kindle</a>, Book 2, <a href="https://books2read.com/Angel-Fierce" target="_blank">Angel Fierce</a>, is an award-winner, and Book 3, Angel Brave, is coming in October.</div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCndxsiteAhjrrIbIm-69wf7DfrNgFWAT0mEY3YEHR866lfAvT9AMLIP7EL70Otlrb9hJmNKhfkxpTPpwGRX672-GiU5lmdvBg7OygJK9KSWvUcH4H1NBKnd9jgXNnbfYvLHzSSAdvWLRh/s401/Azura2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="401" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCndxsiteAhjrrIbIm-69wf7DfrNgFWAT0mEY3YEHR866lfAvT9AMLIP7EL70Otlrb9hJmNKhfkxpTPpwGRX672-GiU5lmdvBg7OygJK9KSWvUcH4H1NBKnd9jgXNnbfYvLHzSSAdvWLRh/w400-h299/Azura2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">There is a planet out in the universe, emitting a strange turquoise glow. A long time ago Azura refused to join the Trade Alliance. The Alliance sent their military fleet to destroy the Azurans, but their powerful supernatural abilities spread fear even among the fiercest Devil Dogs. Since then, records have been erased. Rumors and legends all but died. Azura is strictly forbidden, and the daring few who venture beyond the warning space beacons are never seen again...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Reading</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Vijaya Schartz, author<br />Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats<br /></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></a></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo </span></a></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">FB</span></a></span></span></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-32940364961292666432021-05-13T01:00:00.001-07:002021-05-13T01:00:00.414-07:00Warrior Women Part 2 - The Dark Ages and the Middle Ages - by Vijaya Schartz<p> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Queen Boadicea or Boudicca of Roman Britain</span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dGQ-Dx1V292u3s9QIhz1Rgo2pdJWn5I8RiBgsYkkuE7xYiNh5g7GbF4CdQ77fgWQ91ZhAJxB75CCgwwk6ipqXOOxeK7t-QpPndp3u7er_5FFE2bGPg4i7iOGfcZESPkz0pRuuH-4LgrQ/s590/WW+Celtic+queen+Boudica+of+Roman+times.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dGQ-Dx1V292u3s9QIhz1Rgo2pdJWn5I8RiBgsYkkuE7xYiNh5g7GbF4CdQ77fgWQ91ZhAJxB75CCgwwk6ipqXOOxeK7t-QpPndp3u7er_5FFE2bGPg4i7iOGfcZESPkz0pRuuH-4LgrQ/s16000/WW+Celtic+queen+Boudica+of+Roman+times.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Early on, Boudicca was publicly flogged by the Roman occupants for claiming her father’s crown and lands, and treated like a slave despite her rank. Then she was forced to watch the rape and torture of her two daughters, who were about 12 years old.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YYlUVqYe_AUg2cxPDmoaQDkdmeJ-7ny8EjpMPw34UM4L3wHtJJJ7fLbMAGWdK-VQ_DocMSdJS-eS96UPJshl75tsx89enJI7DHzMa0LUchrCXtbDV7l9MVjuAIV0S1pw_5tfrqNEEVX7/s403/WW+Boudica+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YYlUVqYe_AUg2cxPDmoaQDkdmeJ-7ny8EjpMPw34UM4L3wHtJJJ7fLbMAGWdK-VQ_DocMSdJS-eS96UPJshl75tsx89enJI7DHzMa0LUchrCXtbDV7l9MVjuAIV0S1pw_5tfrqNEEVX7/s16000/WW+Boudica+2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An ancient historian tells us that this Celtic queen of the Iceni “possessed greater intelligence than often belongs to women.” She is represented with waist-length, flaming red hair, wearing a gold torque and colorful clothing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With a piercing gaze and a harsh voice, she rallied the Celtic tribes into an army of 100,000 and killed 80,000 Roman soldiers with superior armament. With her daughters, she led the charge on her light chariot, carrying flaming torches, like raging Furies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVRI-ZVQEpXtnXv3hFtCpAczbJatf2-gijf_uIzUsuLAF0w_GEZdlJ2ibjLGLSLDJPccvkBLnZ9rpxNBbhGftDDrabjIY4Z-XKOtB1p4Zg_8zWYqSJ4aVtBhJ-5Z1jI_jiNEgUjBntUXA/s1024/WW+Boudica+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1024" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVRI-ZVQEpXtnXv3hFtCpAczbJatf2-gijf_uIzUsuLAF0w_GEZdlJ2ibjLGLSLDJPccvkBLnZ9rpxNBbhGftDDrabjIY4Z-XKOtB1p4Zg_8zWYqSJ4aVtBhJ-5Z1jI_jiNEgUjBntUXA/w640-h424/WW+Boudica+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Decimated at first, the Romans eventually received more reinforcements, the Celts lost and were exterminated. Boudicca, who survived the last battle, escaped, only to kill herself with poisonous hemlock. She refused to be paraded in Rome as a vanquished enemy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Norse mythology - Valkyries and shieldmaidens</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hJ8JejUX1UuRmvyXz1aOgbEDMk_IbxfcFwhECbgzzEa7t-XBLMnWQNkEcTpuF__LI8_XvNDZfg6Yz0Esz60Oxhraakn3xpaENDeP2qPppFMMLlMHq3oc_syWvgfH0wvii_iYubLTbjHv/s425/WW+Valkyrie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="301" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hJ8JejUX1UuRmvyXz1aOgbEDMk_IbxfcFwhECbgzzEa7t-XBLMnWQNkEcTpuF__LI8_XvNDZfg6Yz0Esz60Oxhraakn3xpaENDeP2qPppFMMLlMHq3oc_syWvgfH0wvii_iYubLTbjHv/w454-h640/WW+Valkyrie.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Norse legends speak of Valkyries, heavenly shieldmaidens, who flew over the battlefield and collected the souls of brave warriors slain in battle. So, for a long time, history assumed the stories of Viking Warrior Women to be legend as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15LJpzVx9p4ORfZZ-JPc6ltxE8IK46QNBjb74Sjq99GiB9CA82PiRh7Ek0YIfWsaXByFZy5CKtT58kS7ANNOPO9NCHSDC3jfDvY41GSPPdvaUvS3qhdYKmT4a4G6TuJ4LQi1SDj3JYt_c/s1908/WW+Viking+warrior+tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1908" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15LJpzVx9p4ORfZZ-JPc6ltxE8IK46QNBjb74Sjq99GiB9CA82PiRh7Ek0YIfWsaXByFZy5CKtT58kS7ANNOPO9NCHSDC3jfDvY41GSPPdvaUvS3qhdYKmT4a4G6TuJ4LQi1SDj3JYt_c/w640-h384/WW+Viking+warrior+tomb.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A Viking grave from the tenth Century in Birka revealed weapons, gaming equipment, and two horses. Assumed to be that of a powerful Viking warrior, the skeleton suggested the person was female. Recently, a DNA analysis confirmed the powerful warrior was indeed a woman.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLdhwz2apS5xiZQLTmmaV_Hj0m1oUZtmVmVATMzw9dCgU1Zt39DJXYTz84r_1jlAWM2Dv9iUrlyHMyVC47zBJBsujJyf_-uERDbofeddu2_aPIzCRoULaeEGq6kZ5suuqyUXHuXqpIIML/s500/WW+Viking+warrior+women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="473" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLdhwz2apS5xiZQLTmmaV_Hj0m1oUZtmVmVATMzw9dCgU1Zt39DJXYTz84r_1jlAWM2Dv9iUrlyHMyVC47zBJBsujJyf_-uERDbofeddu2_aPIzCRoULaeEGq6kZ5suuqyUXHuXqpIIML/w606-h640/WW+Viking+warrior+women.jpg" width="606" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In truth, the Vikings counted many shieldmaidens in their ranks. Many were mentioned throughout history. Now, we know they were real.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlEV4kT6BmzQQZ_aQ80hUas7ZSzpbK_KT3_0I3XZXwURIoc5v0Vui9BrsDGq8oCPKO1D2XjpkZPZSTw45mb0IGaGADjFgXpb0BighX7ImICCvH-38ac2JnG0ijxK4SiNr5TFTFzkxqbAk/s1400/WW+Viking+Lagertha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlEV4kT6BmzQQZ_aQ80hUas7ZSzpbK_KT3_0I3XZXwURIoc5v0Vui9BrsDGq8oCPKO1D2XjpkZPZSTw45mb0IGaGADjFgXpb0BighX7ImICCvH-38ac2JnG0ijxK4SiNr5TFTFzkxqbAk/w640-h320/WW+Viking+Lagertha.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the most famous Viking warrior women is Lagertha, wife of Ragnar, portrayed prominently in the History Channel series Vikings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Japan’s Samurai women</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since the 12th century, many women of the Samurai class learned how to handle the sword and the naginata primarily to defend themselves and their homes. In the event that their castle was overrun by enemy warriors, the women were expected to fight to the end and die with honor, weapons in hand.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGm-nwCP6yi9DxbC4dWKoLZlwK3Isd3YyRRxaxYMGJoYlMaKrgJxdJxNqt4m04mOJZED0OPU0SXaKh2sTA_x1iO-KFN84Qv9BCtd98nUbDaW3wzrNlI8s-kvLvWGNWUYdYzxswOlwOz6S/s640/WW+Onna+Bugeisha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGm-nwCP6yi9DxbC4dWKoLZlwK3Isd3YyRRxaxYMGJoYlMaKrgJxdJxNqt4m04mOJZED0OPU0SXaKh2sTA_x1iO-KFN84Qv9BCtd98nUbDaW3wzrNlI8s-kvLvWGNWUYdYzxswOlwOz6S/s16000/WW+Onna+Bugeisha.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The Onna Bugeisha were female Samurai trained to protect entire villages and communities, not only the family property. If a Samurai had no son, he reserved the right to train his daughters as full-time onna bugeisha.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhA1LZggL3mrjAL58oo9UDvfou2mpLJ5OkgyAv8TFpF8wPQKDcdiwHaviJPZ9M5r2Gt-vhrDV0NHwVwjOSfRL_14H9YF8BlhxhBH78IHmFURc8GJbnWykGtVxCpwZelWWa331QSciS64h/s400/WW+Onna+Bugeisha+female+samurai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="281" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhA1LZggL3mrjAL58oo9UDvfou2mpLJ5OkgyAv8TFpF8wPQKDcdiwHaviJPZ9M5r2Gt-vhrDV0NHwVwjOSfRL_14H9YF8BlhxhBH78IHmFURc8GJbnWykGtVxCpwZelWWa331QSciS64h/w450-h640/WW+Onna+Bugeisha+female+samurai.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Rather than sitting at home waiting for the fight to come to them, some young women with exceptional fighting skills rode out to war with the men. They behaved like Samurai. They had the strength to fight with two swords. They could enlist in the army of a daimyo and fight side by side with male Samurai. They wore the attire and the hairstyles commonly worn by the men of the army.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ugrGBCwW6IfOTwgfoqWWftdX_8aN3qUnpsaXjLIQs0S6LL8FrnTOOdGb8VSMg4cUBC4zlxlMH1akfYQcXU91AZwxy9avQyCPZtUD1d_u0D7PhNWxuwKmrUzPVa5zhUV-wtkfH8jh9POi/s488/WW+Tomoe+Gozen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ugrGBCwW6IfOTwgfoqWWftdX_8aN3qUnpsaXjLIQs0S6LL8FrnTOOdGb8VSMg4cUBC4zlxlMH1akfYQcXU91AZwxy9avQyCPZtUD1d_u0D7PhNWxuwKmrUzPVa5zhUV-wtkfH8jh9POi/s16000/WW+Tomoe+Gozen.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An example of such an onna-bugeisha is Tomoe Gozen. Of course, like many warrior women of her time, official history labeled her more of a legend than a real person. But nowadays, we know better…</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Joan of Arc - Medieval Warrior maiden – 1412-1431</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29YkxY4bBuLxpf3xFBRZdMBb4m-D5bZVUvKEW7pdqfnj44WEcVsQC_HnCst4w73xuGsJSeVDoBeB34V6q54QVoU_sal18K8U8cYwrCAcSDIG9jaP-lo42pNNsRN6B7Vz4X5dSp1-Z2jZs/s268/WW+Joan+of+Arc+statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29YkxY4bBuLxpf3xFBRZdMBb4m-D5bZVUvKEW7pdqfnj44WEcVsQC_HnCst4w73xuGsJSeVDoBeB34V6q54QVoU_sal18K8U8cYwrCAcSDIG9jaP-lo42pNNsRN6B7Vz4X5dSp1-Z2jZs/s0/WW+Joan+of+Arc+statue.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As France was losing at home against the English during the 100-year war, this teenage peasant girl, a maiden, managed to convince the heir to the throne of France to give her control of his flailing armies. Among the chaos of war, she secured and attended his coronation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpwM5y6vnwXCMkO9e_zsFtujB3aidB92y1vZhbFmZVSlyH4vgAd7sgweR-TI1JL1GM38m3vWqxveRaUpG-5ob47616wsRW0lwQEgul93WsmzTycOHK3UvCUy8uGW7B6kQV1_hDRU9y5ey/s728/WW+Joan+of+Arc+on+horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="728" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpwM5y6vnwXCMkO9e_zsFtujB3aidB92y1vZhbFmZVSlyH4vgAd7sgweR-TI1JL1GM38m3vWqxveRaUpG-5ob47616wsRW0lwQEgul93WsmzTycOHK3UvCUy8uGW7B6kQV1_hDRU9y5ey/w640-h480/WW+Joan+of+Arc+on+horse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As a keen strategist, Joan of Arc won many battles for the king of France. She didn’t hesitate to reprimand prestigious knights for swearing, behaving indecently, skipping Mass, or dismissing her battle plans. Personal attacks by the English, who called her rude names and joked that she should return home to her cows, upset her greatly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeB_WOhsZGGIWa519QHHnK9O7YKk_ZMhIDy9OiSbJ1eVvg3kE50IUPEmnvi0WftPGSvbV79JPJnCd537D4zVncd3YtP3nKjb8Z1zmiIGelhE8H6cgS4JMfO-UAChaeKxUX-8f7gkCl4Xo/s1630/WW+Joan+of+Arc+Orleans+siege.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1630" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeB_WOhsZGGIWa519QHHnK9O7YKk_ZMhIDy9OiSbJ1eVvg3kE50IUPEmnvi0WftPGSvbV79JPJnCd537D4zVncd3YtP3nKjb8Z1zmiIGelhE8H6cgS4JMfO-UAChaeKxUX-8f7gkCl4Xo/w471-h640/WW+Joan+of+Arc+Orleans+siege.jpg" width="471" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Joan of Arc wore weapons and armor and brandished a standard as she led her men to battle. But it is said she never killed anyone. She was wounded at least twice, taking an arrow to the shoulder during her famed Orléans campaign and a crossbow bolt to the thigh during her failed attempt to liberate Paris.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHojfiwxN-uUaKayLNxHIQJPGGkBmwRyafPEO5nbEyHu78sLoZ0QoKWU50sbhEZc6L6GwCyNxVgAITYAxXGSxjIdn2jEazYYhRlIh_Y88u_b9KsELvcuEyw5p-vGS47x7ylSwkVakJJ-cl/s450/WW+Joan+of+Arc+burning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHojfiwxN-uUaKayLNxHIQJPGGkBmwRyafPEO5nbEyHu78sLoZ0QoKWU50sbhEZc6L6GwCyNxVgAITYAxXGSxjIdn2jEazYYhRlIh_Y88u_b9KsELvcuEyw5p-vGS47x7ylSwkVakJJ-cl/s16000/WW+Joan+of+Arc+burning.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Betrayed and delivered to the English, she was imprisoned. After she made a solemn promise never to wear men’s clothes again, they stole her woman’s clothes, forcing her to dress like a man. With the complicity of a French Bishop, they condemned her for that crime. They also condemned her for cutting her hair like a man, hearing voices, and being convinced she was following the will of God. She was burned at the stake in Rouen in 1431. She was 19 years old.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In my writings, I like to portray warrior women. Here is my medieval maiden in the Celtic legends Curse of the Lost Isle series. Damsel of the Hawk is a standalone in the series. Find it on Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CH93SNM/" target="_blank">HERE</a> Find it at BWL Publishing <a href="https://bookswelove.net/schartz-vijaya/" target="_blank">HERE</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7_aNoSOx7IJiP2R-ezErpvVZjd3-YhPkm1Ylro5I47ttSsS9k3EB0-3VXC82149t-m8RJW8vLxXqWQHLCycb_V3DyNOZ64nJio8QX4V7f2pRloj9wT_7Dr5qJnp_Bt1RZefBDtcCuCxn/s300/damsel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7_aNoSOx7IJiP2R-ezErpvVZjd3-YhPkm1Ylro5I47ttSsS9k3EB0-3VXC82149t-m8RJW8vLxXqWQHLCycb_V3DyNOZ64nJio8QX4V7f2pRloj9wT_7Dr5qJnp_Bt1RZefBDtcCuCxn/w213-h320/damsel.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">1204 AD - Meliora, the legendary damsel of Hawk Castle, grants gold and wishes on Mount Ararat, but must forever remain chaste. When Spartak, a Kipchak warrior gravely wounded in Constantinople, requests sanctuary, she breaks the rule to save his life. The fierce, warrior prince stirs in her forbidden passions. Captivated, Spartak will not bow to superstition. Despite tribal opposition, he wants her as his queen. Should Meliora renounce true love, or embrace it and trigger the sinister curse... and the wrath of the Goddess? Meanwhile, a thwarted knight and his greedy band of Crusaders have vowed to steal her Pagan gold and burn her at the stake...</div></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Happy Reading</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Vijaya Schartz, author<br />Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats<br /></span><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">FB</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> </span></p></div></span>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-70121117199352008172021-04-12T01:00:00.001-07:002021-04-12T01:00:06.145-07:00Warrior Women of the Ancient World - Part 1 of 3 of Women Warrior in History - by Vijaya Schartz <p> </p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Ahhotep : Military Leader and Egyptian Pharaoh</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75BphbYWIAbFvmq5X8GmTgDDaCa4-2wkRZsCjS_q4lSQmE1ADVISL2gWqhUfuB78KBYoD2p1ygxTan6w0dQ1EQanBNufduzKsjCDYxqmUGC9o6BFkLh0sIwMI40tVqOZpwLiIn5Y1aiX0/s638/WW+ahhotep+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="638" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75BphbYWIAbFvmq5X8GmTgDDaCa4-2wkRZsCjS_q4lSQmE1ADVISL2gWqhUfuB78KBYoD2p1ygxTan6w0dQ1EQanBNufduzKsjCDYxqmUGC9o6BFkLh0sIwMI40tVqOZpwLiIn5Y1aiX0/w320-h240/WW+ahhotep+1.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EsTKoyTQTei0XlRHltEwU8OBu58vwGN0zUvFqeZC2GqYGe1X_Yu0F1ubBggvzXviyOjlRFptY__BGeQqJo74iNlPGIvjlMYUavTOL1Wzfg-u6dj2GD72ZQnlAVuxDK5P2NWcmF3oM7Kf/s1031/WW+ahhotep-jewelry-egyptian-gods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="749" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EsTKoyTQTei0XlRHltEwU8OBu58vwGN0zUvFqeZC2GqYGe1X_Yu0F1ubBggvzXviyOjlRFptY__BGeQqJo74iNlPGIvjlMYUavTOL1Wzfg-u6dj2GD72ZQnlAVuxDK5P2NWcmF3oM7Kf/s320/WW+ahhotep-jewelry-egyptian-gods.jpg" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">Ahhotep’s burial equipment included a dagger and an inscribed ceremonial axe blade made of copper, gold, electrum and wood. The decorations were characteristically Minoan. Also found were three golden flies, badges of bravery awarded to people who served in the army.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Fu Hao: China’s First Female General:</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIYiy2coNGt1vzS1YNuB65V_JQeJz09JbfT0KJL7C2diFdeBYsOIcSCh3lL3GN09hleM2zUR1AhgL-8UFW_ev3M9lrs-we_xwI6i0xsmLvo-gZ2t1UgcRC6jegdWW6V81YbH9Rs3aIYZc/s1200/WW+Fu+Hao.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="1200" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIYiy2coNGt1vzS1YNuB65V_JQeJz09JbfT0KJL7C2diFdeBYsOIcSCh3lL3GN09hleM2zUR1AhgL-8UFW_ev3M9lrs-we_xwI6i0xsmLvo-gZ2t1UgcRC6jegdWW6V81YbH9Rs3aIYZc/w640-h348/WW+Fu+Hao.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the earliest records of female warriors in China comes from oracle bones found in a tomb. The bones told the forgotten story of a ruthless military general of the Shang Dynasty in 1200 BC. The warrior was Fu Hao, queen consort of King Wu Ding, high priestess, and military leader. She defended the Shang dynasty in several battles. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOPxBnLgSEISQ7MB0KE-r0AdKcGUhPTcpArG7q8M5MybN_EPuWiwi7Sr0FnFA8uFlt-BtBu184JmqocY6LWDjH2x4rqqp0V8F-5S_H2Bu2Hsfp3d8lU8K0cZnADjRZGLRmmlYC4WZALKV/s600/WW+Fu+Hao+statue.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOPxBnLgSEISQ7MB0KE-r0AdKcGUhPTcpArG7q8M5MybN_EPuWiwi7Sr0FnFA8uFlt-BtBu184JmqocY6LWDjH2x4rqqp0V8F-5S_H2Bu2Hsfp3d8lU8K0cZnADjRZGLRmmlYC4WZALKV/s16000/WW+Fu+Hao+statue.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">At the time of her death, she was the first female Chinese soldier to be buried with the highest military honors.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Artemisia I Of Caria:</b> Commander of Ancient Halicarnassus</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnBD4HBjq8C4DL8QHeH0gH_UjbBZPlbPmt37OwyH115OcL0HCgan6yEeb8vNsx75ZtNlpgkXjZq9cVdtezsV11MdHRE-y0qDjIql2w_ELg_m6Ad3L_AgDhyphenhyphenQh61w1VQqRQ9WhoZpunMHb/s1646/WW+Artemisia+of+Caria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1646" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnBD4HBjq8C4DL8QHeH0gH_UjbBZPlbPmt37OwyH115OcL0HCgan6yEeb8vNsx75ZtNlpgkXjZq9cVdtezsV11MdHRE-y0qDjIql2w_ELg_m6Ad3L_AgDhyphenhyphenQh61w1VQqRQ9WhoZpunMHb/w640-h308/WW+Artemisia+of+Caria.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">According to Herodotus, Artemisia of Halicarnassus was a Greek queen in the 5th century BC, long before Alexander the Great. Artemisia wielded power during a time when Greek women couldn’t vote in Athens, the home of original democracy. She is described as a femme fatale, pirate queen, and played a role in the events of the 300 Spartans described in the movies. During the Greco-Persian wars, she fought for the Persians at Salamis and contributed her warships to the Persian Navy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Zenobia, warrior queen</b> of the Roman colony of Palmyra, in present-day Syria, from 267 or 268 to 272.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNoI0ACpsFPEv2TOHrznPgJ68Jq-dxVF_ACnXkv8IhGP5TkUe-V4aiQL2WLCyKftEa_e0mEpyJCDG_kKqVexWFMxBiRklPRgGjo4RFvMee0UmFlCnLF964erR6xJG5ybHCoOlnJSSvu8B/s386/WW+Zenobia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNoI0ACpsFPEv2TOHrznPgJ68Jq-dxVF_ACnXkv8IhGP5TkUe-V4aiQL2WLCyKftEa_e0mEpyJCDG_kKqVexWFMxBiRklPRgGjo4RFvMee0UmFlCnLF964erR6xJG5ybHCoOlnJSSvu8B/s16000/WW+Zenobia.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">She was described as a conqueror. In 269-270, Zenobia and her general, Zabdeas, conquered Egypt, ruled by the Romans. When the Roman prefect of Egypt objected to Zenobia's takeover, Zenobia had him beheaded. Then she sent a declaration to the citizens of Alexandria, calling it "my ancestral city," claiming her Egyptian ancestry. Zenobia personally led her army as a "warrior queen." She conquered more territory, including Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, creating an empire independent of Rome. After winning and ruling these Roman provinces, she was subjugated by Emperor Aurelian. She died in captivity sometime after 274.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Amazons:</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqcV6Th4j1hoT66A06ES7pJqdUhAb3ITHB3FRp8ogNtssmmcK3-XZ3hrnKv47IQgXtHOdjDo75lhaVK4z3tzwYRttidEw-wGt8l3KMk3A38O91M2t7lhy447ek-xSoYeJnOyAS2TsS5DE/s1054/WW+amazon+tomb.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqcV6Th4j1hoT66A06ES7pJqdUhAb3ITHB3FRp8ogNtssmmcK3-XZ3hrnKv47IQgXtHOdjDo75lhaVK4z3tzwYRttidEw-wGt8l3KMk3A38O91M2t7lhy447ek-xSoYeJnOyAS2TsS5DE/s16000/WW+amazon+tomb.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The Amazons were not the stuff of legends.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhab5ZYYMFkNeaioOrqK9NOaBSLC42uAVnUXZVrqfZNVULglNK-ANWAQmSvKLaZkNFkwsHRqDloqAJWDW_PJcw5g2IjEJlhA9D-kI3ZPgrOf7E_Czbyt18qurTo5mVIHDrqK3VL6muJZp/s500/WW+amazon+relief+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhab5ZYYMFkNeaioOrqK9NOaBSLC42uAVnUXZVrqfZNVULglNK-ANWAQmSvKLaZkNFkwsHRqDloqAJWDW_PJcw5g2IjEJlhA9D-kI3ZPgrOf7E_Czbyt18qurTo5mVIHDrqK3VL6muJZp/w640-h480/WW+amazon+relief+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Long believed to be purely imaginary, the Amazons were the warrior women described as the archenemies of the ancient Greeks. Recently, the remains of 300 warrior women were found in more than 1,000 excavations of Scythian kurgans (burial mounds), from Ukraine to Central Asia. This spectacular discovery gives credit to the myth of the amazon warriors.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHl4qnWT78K-cmyk4xDTKoxB0BCLutxP_B_8gF8AbKAKLI_r94eO1_mnrQ1pBsR4ZcVVBA9pKbzj66xhP6pmu5bkWUheFgXgCf5eGU44__9rTT4bNCWM4hoGPB2zQgbzaZbUSu7QxgORY/s1024/WW+amazon+pottery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="1024" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHl4qnWT78K-cmyk4xDTKoxB0BCLutxP_B_8gF8AbKAKLI_r94eO1_mnrQ1pBsR4ZcVVBA9pKbzj66xhP6pmu5bkWUheFgXgCf5eGU44__9rTT4bNCWM4hoGPB2zQgbzaZbUSu7QxgORY/w640-h458/WW+amazon+pottery.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">They were reported in the Greek writings of Herodotus as women the Greeks encountered on their expeditions around the Black Sea. They rode horses, hunted, fought, used bows and arrows, just like men. They were fierce, nomadic, and refused to remain sedentary. They lived without men, whom they only frequented for procreation. They kept the baby girls but when the boys reached the age of five, they returned them to their fathers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKO07ypTmwkVhrUHhPcZC0quLw6rNl5wAaXqbwb17mwafOb9f0vbUxTVQiUKF06xMvMSYJVGKhtoGJBvgw4N7sHf38DNIT_VU7lKtzCBAfPFeoiEuvZzKHxkrAItaKEF8fnONXjVl4MJB/s2000/WW+amazon+relief.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1583" data-original-width="2000" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKO07ypTmwkVhrUHhPcZC0quLw6rNl5wAaXqbwb17mwafOb9f0vbUxTVQiUKF06xMvMSYJVGKhtoGJBvgw4N7sHf38DNIT_VU7lKtzCBAfPFeoiEuvZzKHxkrAItaKEF8fnONXjVl4MJB/w640-h506/WW+amazon+relief.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Other writings relate similar stories of Amazons by travelers from ancient Persia, Egypt, and as far as China.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Warrior women of Ancient Japan:</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJJwiQZcsulodYiucYST81wbVv4DFTxZ5_XbG7j98IX66AhP3MhtpvnTwfljQcsfcQuRjxZZJ_09YBnIWEGr8HGqUMV5vPkcNiVEkrrhyYc306gFGgbKfsvzSXmFIMgdHb_d5d6wqZyza/s468/WW+Empress+Jingu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJJwiQZcsulodYiucYST81wbVv4DFTxZ5_XbG7j98IX66AhP3MhtpvnTwfljQcsfcQuRjxZZJ_09YBnIWEGr8HGqUMV5vPkcNiVEkrrhyYc306gFGgbKfsvzSXmFIMgdHb_d5d6wqZyza/s16000/WW+Empress+Jingu.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">For thousands of years, certain upper-class Japanese women have learned martial skills and participated in battles right alongside the male warriors. They were skilled with sword, spear, and bow.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFs29hEzJ365D0-8v7r-oBw7RqsHyktM6ia368m9_myrJPzpgrjntRBZQQMRm3mZgDDKYalVsV3Fp8x_yow8RpviBiieUIn8Kxae10BZZfMA5PeB-hLHpK5Sy8ItdCWY20aVPmgO4Xezxb/s535/WW+empress+Jingu+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="533" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFs29hEzJ365D0-8v7r-oBw7RqsHyktM6ia368m9_myrJPzpgrjntRBZQQMRm3mZgDDKYalVsV3Fp8x_yow8RpviBiieUIn8Kxae10BZZfMA5PeB-hLHpK5Sy8ItdCWY20aVPmgO4Xezxb/s16000/WW+empress+Jingu+2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">These include the legendary <b>Empress Jingu</b>, (169-269 A.D.) She ruled as a regent following her husband’s death in 200 AD. After seeking revenge on the people who murdered her husband, she invaded the Korean peninsula, the ancestral land of her mother, who was a descendant of a legendary Korean prince.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2NfDmFw-YWkKi0ao42YjTmBWMolRarhoLt-TCi4eEGwazSdHT8yEul-Bqlf0jblsnrFyDTJyZt9w-cGYDPh5-RmiFYUgfhwezOTBO2bOtZ9N3sHU2rhDjaw1bicYQVsz_y9ggkqWTm2X/s1000/WW+Jingu+banknote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2NfDmFw-YWkKi0ao42YjTmBWMolRarhoLt-TCi4eEGwazSdHT8yEul-Bqlf0jblsnrFyDTJyZt9w-cGYDPh5-RmiFYUgfhwezOTBO2bOtZ9N3sHU2rhDjaw1bicYQVsz_y9ggkqWTm2X/w640-h480/WW+Jingu+banknote.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Empress Jingū became the first woman to be featured on a Japanese banknote however, since no actual images of this legendary figure are known to exist, the representation of Jingū was artistically contrived from the photograph of a 19th Century Japanese woman.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I write about all kinds of warrior women in my novels. But if you like ancient warrior women, you may want to check out these, available in eBook and paperback on my links below.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDonZj8HxMXGpoUOBbU1-IUylAnHjcc9DLIef9Yq6g5Fq-7Da-fULhkck6TDwvrVdQUTItmehUXOnaAfJj3CePsvlVn7FssJ3sCIqtanZ6RAATJm1bOIVsJpALXvE-54SQYGdItA-8v1Z1/s600/Snatchedmedium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDonZj8HxMXGpoUOBbU1-IUylAnHjcc9DLIef9Yq6g5Fq-7Da-fULhkck6TDwvrVdQUTItmehUXOnaAfJj3CePsvlVn7FssJ3sCIqtanZ6RAATJm1bOIVsJpALXvE-54SQYGdItA-8v1Z1/s320/Snatchedmedium2.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdGtfCr4f20c0C-LfHVfkjVbBUKZYvwcBup5aiH6ZhbgsxbQjhhLUf1h3IsSmg2TILLjxWeSK2eXYXTCL3ixtEqqhuZQnQjQlJ0YB2Jeb8F8yfrGV39o2kjmndjeoVu046D-eZndZHRfq/s648/WhiteTigerCoverArtPaid72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdGtfCr4f20c0C-LfHVfkjVbBUKZYvwcBup5aiH6ZhbgsxbQjhhLUf1h3IsSmg2TILLjxWeSK2eXYXTCL3ixtEqqhuZQnQjQlJ0YB2Jeb8F8yfrGV39o2kjmndjeoVu046D-eZndZHRfq/s320/WhiteTigerCoverArtPaid72dpi.jpg" /></a> <br /><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Vijaya Schartz, author<br />Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats<br /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></a></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo </span></a></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 25.68px;">FB</span></a></span></span></span>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-42447164371615147422021-04-08T09:30:00.000-07:002021-04-08T09:30:17.877-07:00Review of Sunday's Child - a Regency romance by Rosemary Morris<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-UWCv-wH03NWlOmKwgl5c5ksQzuJDutxsk1y23w__SW5_9C3OC6-WJ-Y5F9CzNvy_3QQj1mbkvmWPacJNrDUKzaqudNGi2GkE9O2ZrSOHOWPuSWwo1xFzN9LJyGpWsoz_44JQSHff4lH/s1360/SundaysChildRosemaryMorris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-UWCv-wH03NWlOmKwgl5c5ksQzuJDutxsk1y23w__SW5_9C3OC6-WJ-Y5F9CzNvy_3QQj1mbkvmWPacJNrDUKzaqudNGi2GkE9O2ZrSOHOWPuSWwo1xFzN9LJyGpWsoz_44JQSHff4lH/w426-h640/SundaysChildRosemaryMorris.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://books2read.com/Sundays-Child" target="_blank">Find it at your favorite store HERE</a></span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I loved this Regency romance, with a young but feisty heroine fiercely protecting her siblings against a ruthless Earl who doesn’t accept rejection. Georgianne is also practical. Marriage is not about love but about her duty to protect and provide for her family. When Tarrant, a childhood friend back from the war, offers marriage and protection, she accepts. But in her innocence, she is not prepared to deal with a soldier whose wounded soul hurts worse than his physical scars.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte seems imminent, the war took its toll on British soldiers. Dead or wounded fathers and brothers left families in ruins. Yet, the fancy balls do not stop, but under the shiny varnish of silk ribbons, diamonds, and gems, the story unveils the ugly underbelly of British aristocracy… alcohol, laudanum, and unnatural appetites of the rich, who think everything and everyone is for sale, and whatever they desire must be theirs by right.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Review by Vijaya Schartz<br /><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</a> </div></span><p style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></p>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-25542701778056537782021-03-05T00:00:00.001-08:002021-03-05T00:00:03.589-08:00WHO WERE THE PALADINS OF CHARLEMAGNE - by Vijaya Schartz<p> </p><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJMqeCQR6FSZzL4WKz5o0HregzPg9m-OXti1EGu0eYyLGV5hhnmWH54vjWBt9vUnUYW4gdONqsjJni8zHAtmRxwa0QjVH4refpeDz01hF0hv6mVm_qRjtykge7ni_YFstO8BSH_QqYGkx/s800/cursecompleteseries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJMqeCQR6FSZzL4WKz5o0HregzPg9m-OXti1EGu0eYyLGV5hhnmWH54vjWBt9vUnUYW4gdONqsjJni8zHAtmRxwa0QjVH4refpeDz01hF0hv6mVm_qRjtykge7ni_YFstO8BSH_QqYGkx/w640-h480/cursecompleteseries.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Curse of the Lost Isle series starts in the time of Charlemagne and the Viking Invasions and ends during the Crusades.Find these books on my page at BWL Publishing <b><a href="https://bookswelove.net/schartz-vijaya/" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOwB6JdM_jUSVcuUTN74xi0MyeeVEkWpP8iP8XlRxliWaeOxosN9Jj3ICi9IKkIc4VecSMYUwgH-rM61MKZSmyjwfpnxj6aCgkKAaWQUatuQCb-3ThnVLWc8MCMb1kovJ9PMP3vnt4y4I/s426/paladins+charlemagne+portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">When Charlemagne ascended to the Frankish throne in 968AD, he designated twelve Paladins to help him rule the Frankish Kingdom. They were highly trained noblemen, expert swordsmen and fierce warriors. They, took a solemn oath of fealty and swore to abide by Christian rules. Some say they were the first chivalric Christian Knights. Others argue they were Charlemagne’s henchmen, extortioners and executioners… which, in these violent and troubled times might be closer to the truth.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOwB6JdM_jUSVcuUTN74xi0MyeeVEkWpP8iP8XlRxliWaeOxosN9Jj3ICi9IKkIc4VecSMYUwgH-rM61MKZSmyjwfpnxj6aCgkKAaWQUatuQCb-3ThnVLWc8MCMb1kovJ9PMP3vnt4y4I/w450-h640/paladins+charlemagne+portrait.jpg" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;" width="450" /></div></div></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Ending the Dark Ages, Charlemagne united Europe in the name of Christianity, against invaders from the north (Vikings) and the Saracens in Spain. He beat medieval Europe into submission and imposed strict Christian rule. He established schools, promoted education, the copy of illuminated religious manuscripts, art, architecture, and he also maintained a formidable army.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBDzZMjosmChYdEtZl5PLPIxj8UAKBnLpLs-4MJyxJC4QTDZug3uKC9XDBaQMHu4nZAVsFsBcXZ_KPzHaUteu9r0EvBeSsBhikuvuUvgNIDA4OTnv_91CUsESS97UTdqjK3esXWW2RdHh/s1143/paladins+with+Charlemagne+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="872" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBDzZMjosmChYdEtZl5PLPIxj8UAKBnLpLs-4MJyxJC4QTDZug3uKC9XDBaQMHu4nZAVsFsBcXZ_KPzHaUteu9r0EvBeSsBhikuvuUvgNIDA4OTnv_91CUsESS97UTdqjK3esXWW2RdHh/w488-h640/paladins+with+Charlemagne+2.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">On the battlefield, after a victory, Charlemagne gathered the surviving enemy soldiers, made them kneel, and gave them a choice. Convert to Christianity and join his army, or be beheaded on the spot. Of course, many converted, giving the new faith lip service only. Better be a live Christian than a dead Pagan, right?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTcPUaLAEJMUP6v3VgjoXyjmqL8VmYLYuF_4hAWiTN0Mv3ZCuiWdkzhBIGfH-ImHoXjjk0SEUT8_nefCS8m_lUXXmK-i8g9KVZVnncHek2n8OqR7qM2YUAJPfHPGaY760b0oGfQxk3GUT/s512/paladins+charlemagne+army.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="512" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTcPUaLAEJMUP6v3VgjoXyjmqL8VmYLYuF_4hAWiTN0Mv3ZCuiWdkzhBIGfH-ImHoXjjk0SEUT8_nefCS8m_lUXXmK-i8g9KVZVnncHek2n8OqR7qM2YUAJPfHPGaY760b0oGfQxk3GUT/w640-h264/paladins+charlemagne+army.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Still, a number of vanquished soldiers chose death over conversion. Pagan roots ran much deeper than Christianity in many places.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5c6Dat5c9BpPYMCJmhPWlb1CBuvLCJ1aWh2VZf3hLVgm8JAZVSJHW-2Q4UhxcuSFDXek0rrmAYR_-f6DNz-jtJ-WioZDu0pBKYGkb1RFAUJkWoiUHeUBLdcleKU32zADlfE7xOyy0XM_p/s400/paladins+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5c6Dat5c9BpPYMCJmhPWlb1CBuvLCJ1aWh2VZf3hLVgm8JAZVSJHW-2Q4UhxcuSFDXek0rrmAYR_-f6DNz-jtJ-WioZDu0pBKYGkb1RFAUJkWoiUHeUBLdcleKU32zADlfE7xOyy0XM_p/w640-h640/paladins+map.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The Celts, in particular, gave Charlemagne a difficult time. Especially the small kingdom of Brittany (French Bretagne) a bed of Celtic culture and legends, the birth place of Merlin, the place where legends of Vivian the Fae, Morgan the Fae, Pressine the Fae, Palatina the Fae, Meliora the Fae, and Melusine the Fae, still flourish, among other myths.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To deal with these pesky Celts, Charlemagne nominated his trusted nephew, the Paladin Roland, to administrate the Marshes of Brittany on the western frontier.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZa_efS8v4rVvXEJRzadKDCrbV-CiK1LNDZLFk8ShPAYvCaMdIVB5jPhklmt1tyqr3SsDcYD7KX7VBLytWoBAO3IRPhzd-zStCgfhQiR5GIpzhryP4dZWHPaTPzfBkBEznh6M6GRFo_w4/s1294/paladins+Roland+Metz+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="864" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZa_efS8v4rVvXEJRzadKDCrbV-CiK1LNDZLFk8ShPAYvCaMdIVB5jPhklmt1tyqr3SsDcYD7KX7VBLytWoBAO3IRPhzd-zStCgfhQiR5GIpzhryP4dZWHPaTPzfBkBEznh6M6GRFo_w4/w428-h640/paladins+Roland+Metz+2.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Roland is still famous in France and throughout Europe. This is his statue in Metz, France, not on a church or historical building, but at the train station.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The story of Roland:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRtt8zqyW-V3BzNXzvREe8z78YaZdlSTQwLrYy9b2hwwhxrOtCE6qSOsxd9Gap6sj5YXFzQjV77mDjQbjGCE2x_v0LMMpeFc4P2DyAz5QXAH_67LEBTv4LEwvNZCUQKggrl0dvOYTWowX/s333/paladins+Roland+fealty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRtt8zqyW-V3BzNXzvREe8z78YaZdlSTQwLrYy9b2hwwhxrOtCE6qSOsxd9Gap6sj5YXFzQjV77mDjQbjGCE2x_v0LMMpeFc4P2DyAz5QXAH_67LEBTv4LEwvNZCUQKggrl0dvOYTWowX/w576-h640/paladins+Roland+fealty.jpg" width="576" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Roland sworn in by Charlemagne as a Paladin knight</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Roland, and Olivier, his childhood friend, swore fealty together as Paladins of Charlemagne. Roland is poetically associated with his sword Durandal, his horse Veillantif, and his oliphant horn.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Song of Roland written much later, lists the twelve paladins as Roland, Olivier, Gérin, and Gérier (killed by the Saracen, Grandonie), Bérengier, Otton, Samson, Engelier, Ivon, Ivoire, Anséis, and Archbishop Turpin ...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is also mention of Fierabras (meaning proud with strong arms), a converted Saracen knight who seems to have served as the basis for the legend of Percival, of King Arthur’s legends. Yes, medieval romantic tales often tend to ignore chronology as well as historical facts and dates… unless you consider reincarnation or immortality.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDg99xF5kMbiRVoeNNnLK9cKuJSXesdzitf52FfmvisO7maaYjSADYQKtGR8Sac0MIIZ6BK8JHh5C3QPt4vH8DYGNNn87eB1wWWFWs5EW9UlD0c5ksMphAQdhjeq65nmGY0IMzkrKMYMo/s1199/paladin+death+of+Roland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="1199" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDg99xF5kMbiRVoeNNnLK9cKuJSXesdzitf52FfmvisO7maaYjSADYQKtGR8Sac0MIIZ6BK8JHh5C3QPt4vH8DYGNNn87eB1wWWFWs5EW9UlD0c5ksMphAQdhjeq65nmGY0IMzkrKMYMo/w640-h352/paladin+death+of+Roland.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While returning from fighting the Saracens in Spain, Roland, closing the long column through the pass of Roncevaux in the Pyrenees, was ambushed by the Basques. He sounded his oliphant horn, calling for help. But his conniving uncle at the head of the march pretended not to hear the oliphant and refused to turn back to help. Grossly outnumbered, Roland and his company fought bravely. Roland, at the end, broke his faithful sword, Durandal, on a boulder, so it wouldn’t fall into heathen hands. Roland and his company were killed to the last, in Roncevaux in 778AD.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigX0opHSE1AtPX-FCUeitgQEw04ccIz_bZ6ynXJ-ypHyMudkn5Eq0OZYc7ojSRKdqveVVpW8K56-2_RGJhaErubj3IzmYfNjt2JLmYzIb0TJa8qeHPXB5wpM-CU_ddg9VLC1d_5pGv6Xbd/s500/paladins+roland+breaks+sword.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigX0opHSE1AtPX-FCUeitgQEw04ccIz_bZ6ynXJ-ypHyMudkn5Eq0OZYc7ojSRKdqveVVpW8K56-2_RGJhaErubj3IzmYfNjt2JLmYzIb0TJa8qeHPXB5wpM-CU_ddg9VLC1d_5pGv6Xbd/w640-h426/paladins+roland+breaks+sword.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roland breaking his sword on a stone</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">On Christmas day in 800AD, in Rome, Charlemagne was crowned Roman Emperor of Occident by Pope Leo III. The great emperor died in 814AD. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LksYUZEkt_8cz0eTQrOmIqXvjF8-Lyspn5lzIGTYugdP_Qj7SVRUs8P55w9MQVVbVKwBDK8mdhCthZSTptaqPMZnZk7k96VZbRq3skeX8WweccNwkE9vjRCMCmWyU8p0SGvgJ5XXNhk0/s660/paladins+crowning+of+Charlemagne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="660" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LksYUZEkt_8cz0eTQrOmIqXvjF8-Lyspn5lzIGTYugdP_Qj7SVRUs8P55w9MQVVbVKwBDK8mdhCthZSTptaqPMZnZk7k96VZbRq3skeX8WweccNwkE9vjRCMCmWyU8p0SGvgJ5XXNhk0/w640-h340/paladins+crowning+of+Charlemagne.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">But his Paladin knights still fascinate modern youth and keep gathering fame in children’s books and videogames.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbwMvM9onpfSNwWxOGlx2c_yG9D4qIrMy_al5VCEI-RR-I-he2946CIPNb1Odt4YYZx85FmgFdmD0Fhhk9A63ag8MiqRa27-4maa6eznSMRQCNx4ycqM4PVxgmUg1W1JgS5bg7D8jlczW/s1280/paladins+videogame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbwMvM9onpfSNwWxOGlx2c_yG9D4qIrMy_al5VCEI-RR-I-he2946CIPNb1Odt4YYZx85FmgFdmD0Fhhk9A63ag8MiqRa27-4maa6eznSMRQCNx4ycqM4PVxgmUg1W1JgS5bg7D8jlczW/w640-h360/paladins+videogame.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">If you enjoy reading the heroic myths and legends of the time, I recommend The Curse of the Lost Isle series, based on the Celtic legends of Brittany. The first two books are set in Scotland during the Viking invasions. Then the story of this family of immortal ladies spreads to Luxembourg, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the middle East during the Crusades.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGnpd-LNahWQGJ_P5cwlW9Y4mAVkBAwUhuYZIYdkZklvhH1m-0E8hO65KEUA0o9E05vxXmaj-QYNMjyWlawsfUJlmI0fAC5NHYNYSZwuavZKXSsDiyHMf0OeIsI4or5xIODCIFs80_sIl/s600/POB+medium.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGnpd-LNahWQGJ_P5cwlW9Y4mAVkBAwUhuYZIYdkZklvhH1m-0E8hO65KEUA0o9E05vxXmaj-QYNMjyWlawsfUJlmI0fAC5NHYNYSZwuavZKXSsDiyHMf0OeIsI4or5xIODCIFs80_sIl/w426-h640/POB+medium.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Princess of Bretagne, Curse of the Lost Isle, book 1</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Currently $1.49 in kindle. Also available in paperback</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Find it at your favorite online store <b><a href="https://books2read.com/u/bOa6xA" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;"><i>"Well-written and researched, Vijaya Schartz's "Princess of Bretagne' is a joy to read. Although it is a fantasy, Ms. Schartz deftly weaves in historical aspects and customs of those times. One overriding theme is the clash between paganism and early Christianity during the Dark Ages.... </i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"><i>a worthwhile and entertaining read."</i> 5 stars review.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Happy Reading.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Vijaya Schartz, author<br />Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats<br /></span><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya%20Schartz%22" target="_blank">B&N</a></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">FB</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> </span></p></div></span></div>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-72983070667590621242021-02-08T00:00:00.007-08:002021-02-08T00:00:03.973-08:00How Medieval French influenced the English language - by Vijaya Schartz<p> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">According to Merriam Webster, there are over 7,000 French words today in the English language. The pronunciation and spelling might differ slightly, but they are plainly recognizable. </span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">So many familiar words in the English language are French, like: <b>attache, avant-garde, aviation, bachelor, ballet, bon voyage, brunette, bureau, cabaret, chauffeur, chic, cliché, cul-de-sac, debris, deja-vu, delegate, detour, dossier, elite, expatriate, façade, fiancé, film noir, gallery, gazette, heritage, homage, hotel, identity, illusion, insult, irony, liaison, literature, machine, magnificent, massage, metabolism, neutral, novel, occasion, parasol, recipient, reservoir, ricochet, rich, ridicule, risqué, sabotage, sentiment, silhouette, solicitor, souvenir, technique, uniform, variety</b>, etc. to name a few. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdyZZp-kDei635Q09aiAaRcJyue97uqj9H686z9XnC2FjC9jubUb1vgB77rWESl-dhD_5tRKR74SuaJiPujsei2aTuEf-LfWRFd3XOkBDEBarABvta7CnUmIMElK3JYw5RJJQYfxSFX2X/s770/French-hastings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="770" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdyZZp-kDei635Q09aiAaRcJyue97uqj9H686z9XnC2FjC9jubUb1vgB77rWESl-dhD_5tRKR74SuaJiPujsei2aTuEf-LfWRFd3XOkBDEBarABvta7CnUmIMElK3JYw5RJJQYfxSFX2X/w400-h229/French-hastings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Since the French and the British were enemies for centuries, why did so many French words make it into English? We all learned in school that the Normans, Vikings who had settled in Normandy, led by William the Conqueror, conquered England in 1066, by winning the battle of Hastings. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJArHhzmYxRRRrgt5EVtbvjO7I5gUc7FUmfhyphenhyphenRlHRTWEGiOa0vZg0mKWYpJJaSvr2xqHi7CZuWsfKtm23xSjKB7hCdLuuwww3H34robp_kWJBJyIpg7Q7Pg-0B4e8SYFn9EjEnH_Kyb3hF/s1024/French-Norman+fashion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="1024" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJArHhzmYxRRRrgt5EVtbvjO7I5gUc7FUmfhyphenhyphenRlHRTWEGiOa0vZg0mKWYpJJaSvr2xqHi7CZuWsfKtm23xSjKB7hCdLuuwww3H34robp_kWJBJyIpg7Q7Pg-0B4e8SYFn9EjEnH_Kyb3hF/w400-h206/French-Norman+fashion.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">After their victory, these French speaking Normans established a new nobility in England, and used French as the official language of the English court. And for two centuries, all legal and official English court documents were written in French. The Norman nobles took control of the lands by marrying into former English nobility. In time, the two languages and the two cultures melded. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4lvaYPwuobUq4KFg4BTUSgmrkDFyBD95MSPVmMkGMTWYhWWKSo_Hl8cjR51SxA61sM4Nvwwcd_NKT3MBe2x2hEYg_FapR0gfBDhCvrE0NWKGak3qISguMtZmz2xuf15m1Tw2FguHxA2l/s480/French-richartlionheart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="480" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4lvaYPwuobUq4KFg4BTUSgmrkDFyBD95MSPVmMkGMTWYhWWKSo_Hl8cjR51SxA61sM4Nvwwcd_NKT3MBe2x2hEYg_FapR0gfBDhCvrE0NWKGak3qISguMtZmz2xuf15m1Tw2FguHxA2l/w400-h265/French-richartlionheart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">During the Crusades, Richard Lionheart battled in France, to reclaim French territories previously owned by the Normans. This conflict about territory between the English and the French led to the 100-year war (1337-1453) during which English soldiers lived and battled in France, some of them for most of their lives. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvx1lHPd9-P-Hw4ue7pzxveoO8jd838qPe3u4fuH2LXCmJ8uLbLQGHRLkO5DPTIPb0LSIxY21P3MO0VLnq3QPenCverfBIguXX7mSJNxSbcmmLOdT6rkGLxTutoI66gIZJWzoetCYGrBh/s400/French-chivalry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="400" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvx1lHPd9-P-Hw4ue7pzxveoO8jd838qPe3u4fuH2LXCmJ8uLbLQGHRLkO5DPTIPb0LSIxY21P3MO0VLnq3QPenCverfBIguXX7mSJNxSbcmmLOdT6rkGLxTutoI66gIZJWzoetCYGrBh/w400-h294/French-chivalry.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">For these reasons, many medieval English words were derived from the French, and French words and expressions survived a thousand years into the English language. Words like <b>chivalry, majesty, archer, assault, court, dungeon, enemy, felony, honor, injury, judge, justice, liberty, noble, prison, parliament, quarter, royal, robe, sir, survive, tournament, treason, uncle</b>, among many others, are French words brought by the Normans.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdjQWsS-COMReOGBfXHhfBoOmsfAzXs5JxL4x-Rt6EHL-HJ4ODE4qUDtJ1xeTdPyNGU91ahA-yAh6RajzQkvVe77YGIzjoZIMYV149Wr4HvKG5ik9TnKJ1f_dalFdw-G0djrYrxqYvmwW/s416/French-cuisine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="416" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdjQWsS-COMReOGBfXHhfBoOmsfAzXs5JxL4x-Rt6EHL-HJ4ODE4qUDtJ1xeTdPyNGU91ahA-yAh6RajzQkvVe77YGIzjoZIMYV149Wr4HvKG5ik9TnKJ1f_dalFdw-G0djrYrxqYvmwW/w400-h266/French-cuisine.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />As for the modern French words in the English language, many come from cooking terms. Rather than making up an English word, it’s easier to use the original French word and Anglicize it. So, in a “<b>restaurant</b>” on the “<b>Menu</b>” you can have your potatoes “<b>sauteed</b>,” with a “<b>soup</b>” and a “<b>roux</b>,” eat an “<b>omelet</b>” a “<b>salad</b>” or “<b>escargots</b>” which are the most common variety of snails. But snails sound slimy, while “escargots” sound like a culinary delight. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A “<b>cuisine</b>,” in French, refers to a kitchen. By extension it also means what you cook in it. “<b>Four</b>,” for a French person has nothing to do with numbers. It’s just a baking oven. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPtporb_qOk7W7-jlHGWmbYf3q0hIyJLLuWNZaxr0JL85_FairLN-_xAGCNziv3nem9dHT_4263rqu2D6b19JRhFhFvc1P4KUBf-gK9ZurUmkqrI9JXaRUD_azmxVom4NBopGqpwYFGWM/s1068/French-frenemies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="1068" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPtporb_qOk7W7-jlHGWmbYf3q0hIyJLLuWNZaxr0JL85_FairLN-_xAGCNziv3nem9dHT_4263rqu2D6b19JRhFhFvc1P4KUBf-gK9ZurUmkqrI9JXaRUD_azmxVom4NBopGqpwYFGWM/w400-h217/French-frenemies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I first came to America, my husband asked me if I wanted my pie “<b>a la mode</b>.” When I asked him what it meant, he looked flabbergasted that I didn’t understand his French. You see, “a la mode” only means “in fashion,” which is nonspecific and doesn’t relate to pie, or, as I quickly discovered, vanilla ice cream. See, the French do not mix pie with ice cream and would consider this a “<b>faux pas</b>.” I quickly corrected my preconceptions in the matter. Since then, I always eat my pie “a la mode.” </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nbRd_aqul1lzPVhZE7lmwmKL3Hn_h0_DZvhpIBA6jJ0_GFHeN_8GD1LEODuXXSgOPWeTMc-RfwT6IfVOeC3F72NkKBgE8FibVR99lRhH0PNB80MI71H8WOMhNrKPSEG-wIEClTUj9_t_/s1200/French-piealamode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nbRd_aqul1lzPVhZE7lmwmKL3Hn_h0_DZvhpIBA6jJ0_GFHeN_8GD1LEODuXXSgOPWeTMc-RfwT6IfVOeC3F72NkKBgE8FibVR99lRhH0PNB80MI71H8WOMhNrKPSEG-wIEClTUj9_t_/w400-h266/French-piealamode.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I also wasn’t familiar with French fries, as there is nothing French about them. Fries were invented in Belgium, where half of the population also speaks French. Maybe that’s what created the confusion. But the French simply call fries “frites” or “pommes frites” as potatoes are “pommes de terre,” which translates as apples of the earth. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqvuOEYOSdUDWc5NrSkXjH7bVczLGj05pGck8LHcKiY4l15Jhm6BVtZWmMDljMHZsq3RppnFoYEStDdVhg2sIwz0gjob2xhpURsxM1X5QzuEFWJXXEu2XS4FpgQaOIlBhiFdfQUIr9ovz/s1000/French-frites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqvuOEYOSdUDWc5NrSkXjH7bVczLGj05pGck8LHcKiY4l15Jhm6BVtZWmMDljMHZsq3RppnFoYEStDdVhg2sIwz0gjob2xhpURsxM1X5QzuEFWJXXEu2XS4FpgQaOIlBhiFdfQUIr9ovz/w400-h200/French-frites.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Somehow, because the medieval English nobles spoke French, the French word tends to sound more luxurious. A “<b>mansion</b>” a “<b>mano</b>r” or a “<b>chateau</b>” sound like places where upper nobility “<b>resides</b>.” That’s probably why Cadillac calls some of their models “<b>deluxe</b>.” French makes it sound more expensive. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgMEuxeNf5uMZaUN1KuE3R4tQy443u-TSm0EHGuhXzsB6BsH7CvZRv4lgZ0-dDmgEVOvx3kk6D3Wnn0ByUHYlBO37fzUp8D2vpqs9eUF6Fm7zXrq0M_79F5iq6OfzdKvZLdDhnxTnDwD1/s2048/French-chaeau-manor-mansion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgMEuxeNf5uMZaUN1KuE3R4tQy443u-TSm0EHGuhXzsB6BsH7CvZRv4lgZ0-dDmgEVOvx3kk6D3Wnn0ByUHYlBO37fzUp8D2vpqs9eUF6Fm7zXrq0M_79F5iq6OfzdKvZLdDhnxTnDwD1/w400-h266/French-chaeau-manor-mansion.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Another French import is the modest “<b>beret</b>.” It was a traditional civilian cap for centuries, favored by the Basques, long before it was adopted by French Special forces in the 20th century. Shortly after, many other countries adopted the beret as military attire. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTmWZpdEv9YubsosV76TjMFRFFiqccZ8H7dCEhDiMQuDhvBK1WdbdTl0yQ1DQ6cPwCexi1cmEIm_DvX2klDHaJYaNGiRE4CJxzhHw8BhH2YSoJ_8-Y36K-eNK5LwU7ytVbnZNNVsLJI0-/s716/French-beret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="716" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTmWZpdEv9YubsosV76TjMFRFFiqccZ8H7dCEhDiMQuDhvBK1WdbdTl0yQ1DQ6cPwCexi1cmEIm_DvX2klDHaJYaNGiRE4CJxzhHw8BhH2YSoJ_8-Y36K-eNK5LwU7ytVbnZNNVsLJI0-/w400-h240/French-beret.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“<b>Cadet</b>” in French means “second son.” In the old days, to avoid dividing the lands, only the oldest son inherited the charge and the fortune of his father. So, the second son had to find a job, and for noble families, short of buying a bishopric, only a military position would do. It’s interesting to note that the American word has evolved to mean a student in a military or law enforcement academy… that they are no longer second sons, and some cadets are now women. Yay! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwR3ALRsdYMHVj55TImu3rZvh9F8QXrbGcyPYXFFN4gGfaLBm-5uWA_uWaqVrBeasDuzcO0v4ChvHBJmjZntRsmcm-gvpen82dPDFQ5O68OnBM9RBIMOAlJ8ZnkYGyseV08h1B49o_Q7Pp/s2048/French-cadets+westpoint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwR3ALRsdYMHVj55TImu3rZvh9F8QXrbGcyPYXFFN4gGfaLBm-5uWA_uWaqVrBeasDuzcO0v4ChvHBJmjZntRsmcm-gvpen82dPDFQ5O68OnBM9RBIMOAlJ8ZnkYGyseV08h1B49o_Q7Pp/w400-h266/French-cadets+westpoint.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once in a while, the French word has come to mean something else in the English language, just enough to confuse a native French speaker. “<b>Madame</b>,” for example, is a mark of respect in France. But when you speak of a Madame in the US, it’s usually the woman in charge of a house of ill repute. Same word, very different meaning. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9q3UNn_L77NWqSbFL4eTPp0LFB0YhApbXAbfVbNUDhapHv6TEpnhvm3o_uONOBb8iIaeE4zmMXQ6Csd_CY8kXU2nf2vsuNyOB_P3nk959RrhHnfDrQoSsFlZabbl22KlCuZ9K5tEbHfB/s625/French-madam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9q3UNn_L77NWqSbFL4eTPp0LFB0YhApbXAbfVbNUDhapHv6TEpnhvm3o_uONOBb8iIaeE4zmMXQ6Csd_CY8kXU2nf2vsuNyOB_P3nk959RrhHnfDrQoSsFlZabbl22KlCuZ9K5tEbHfB/w353-h400/French-madam.jpg" width="353" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I first saw a jar of “<b>Marmite</b>” on the shelf at AJ’s I wondered what it could be. Given that a marmite is simply a cooking pot in French. It didn’t tell me what was in it. After tasting it, I could only assume that it was made of the burned residue in old cooking pots, to give some taste to bland English food. In truth, it’s a condiment made from yeast residue in beer vats. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3MPTmLkRvk-6NbdoeabtzDjE1cHTnZ61rGUtZpCmnsnjqJH7Qxae6q96R1w5GO-2F5PjwlVauyHfwL7-wpRr5xG7SfZDpzXUqYor4QV21I5iYYGI5OqOCvUh6lhE3p4b3m5rBmlz2FPy/s1500/French-marmitejar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1344" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3MPTmLkRvk-6NbdoeabtzDjE1cHTnZ61rGUtZpCmnsnjqJH7Qxae6q96R1w5GO-2F5PjwlVauyHfwL7-wpRr5xG7SfZDpzXUqYor4QV21I5iYYGI5OqOCvUh6lhE3p4b3m5rBmlz2FPy/w139-h156/French-marmitejar.jpg" width="139" /></a><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwTDXW5FrGsxLsDW40JuZWKnyCwWTfcm6AKcfUKmsUNUfMRLYw_ZZNCB0hHvX1t5uweNj4tBLyenZ1Und0VKZIsjdSm9ZuVJd-VBjbWURF8GvQvlDohJ57ptTSU59jIEyqCivbOXGgTFI/s854/French-marmitepot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="854" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwTDXW5FrGsxLsDW40JuZWKnyCwWTfcm6AKcfUKmsUNUfMRLYw_ZZNCB0hHvX1t5uweNj4tBLyenZ1Und0VKZIsjdSm9ZuVJd-VBjbWURF8GvQvlDohJ57ptTSU59jIEyqCivbOXGgTFI/w267-h154/French-marmitepot.jpg" width="267" /></a></div></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“<b>Coin</b>” in French means corner. In English it’s loose change. This may come from the fact that coins used to be cut into halves and quarters to make change, which created corners. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mr_UWeClo4AmO17RsykCac_nz5KMUqggg0qdxu6az22DDS_mUXzkWMrMcJLHbrrw2MU2d6q8YhR0n6befNmadTPUyCVFf4UALCu0Z0DNK0r9q0staXdBYG9-qnpQHaIIy3t1mtZ1-PW1/s1359/French-splitcoin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="1359" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mr_UWeClo4AmO17RsykCac_nz5KMUqggg0qdxu6az22DDS_mUXzkWMrMcJLHbrrw2MU2d6q8YhR0n6befNmadTPUyCVFf4UALCu0Z0DNK0r9q0staXdBYG9-qnpQHaIIy3t1mtZ1-PW1/w400-h110/French-splitcoin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">“<b>Queue</b>” in French is an animal’s tail. Then it also refers to a waiting line (where impatient dogs would wag their tail). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqKB3r5m-MI4EMgrr_p6hUmTOmKGzWIzE1JBb_pXeL8kiViKvo8AkoW8gY69wv-LNVufdce6KHiz6eLaGnxqIMjTOOaH2ryawf4QiRt6aM51yphKQKz4nnZUB6s7alRK3ek2DaQpcPur6/s838/French-librairie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="838" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqKB3r5m-MI4EMgrr_p6hUmTOmKGzWIzE1JBb_pXeL8kiViKvo8AkoW8gY69wv-LNVufdce6KHiz6eLaGnxqIMjTOOaH2ryawf4QiRt6aM51yphKQKz4nnZUB6s7alRK3ek2DaQpcPur6/w400-h255/French-librairie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">“<b>Library</b>” is also a French word, but it means bookstore. For a French person, the familiar place that collects thousands of books you can borrow is called a bibliotheque. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Talking about books, you can find my Celtic legends everywhere online at the links below, or click on the covers in the right column to find them on amazon.</div></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vijaya Schartz, author<br />Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya+Schartz%22?Nrpp=40&Ns=P_Publication_Date|1&page=1" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo </span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">FB</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> </span></p></div></span></div>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-3832353162281944882021-01-20T09:39:00.000-08:002021-01-20T09:39:08.303-08:00Vijaya Schartz, BWL top ten bestselling authors for 2020<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCmvbo0xZdNI5ItZdeY2TpPYFvP_LLH3vUx7zCms_o6FJ4Mz38-p-6xCfDCdoehWqKcuhSeoiL1itrT8h1txqKII-JCEqRHhlNWmDDI5Gdqs7SzMvR4Sna9Ti9Xpr8KE3AoVHa5edwb4/s2048/BWL-logo-2020Award-Schartz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #ff9900; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="2048" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCmvbo0xZdNI5ItZdeY2TpPYFvP_LLH3vUx7zCms_o6FJ4Mz38-p-6xCfDCdoehWqKcuhSeoiL1itrT8h1txqKII-JCEqRHhlNWmDDI5Gdqs7SzMvR4Sna9Ti9Xpr8KE3AoVHa5edwb4/w640-h373/BWL-logo-2020Award-Schartz1.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Just learned that my Canadian publisher, BWL Publishing, named me as one of their ten top bestselling authors for 2020.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: justify;">BWL is a mid-size traditional press in print and ebooks. I have been published by them for ten years. They presently publish about thirty of my novels. They are not looking for new authors at this time. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Although 2020 wasn't the best year for me, I feel honored and happy to be part of the BWL family.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Vijaya Schartz, author</div></span><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</a></div></span>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-34889900037143061652020-10-29T01:00:00.001-07:002020-10-29T01:00:11.967-07:00The influence of the Moon on our daily lives - by Vijaya Schartz<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Nowadays, few pay attention to the cycles of the Moon, especially if they live in a city. But for others, including farmers and scientists, the Moon has always been a subject of wonder, and for good reason. The Moon affects our everyday lives in ways we do not always suspect.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This year, Halloween falls on a full Moon, the Hunters Moon, which is also a blue Moon. It doesn’t mean the Moon will be blue, only that it's the second full Moon this month, a rare occurrence in itself. And according to the Farmer’s Almanac, we will next see a spectacular Halloween full Moon in the years 2039, 2058, 2077 and 2096. Mark your calendars. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_aE7I2CzvTo6Nv1S1kV5L75zTAPf0qGNTPpcH4KrP5xRu9AvfU9pEiFJM1gIUhBAWmx10JeDticXXeed3U1WhCjZLQS-cSsDhoAhd2U7pFJBv5aainiyuXu0nlAzHvuKyBBWENQacsJY/s2048/hall+full+moon+cycles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="2048" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_aE7I2CzvTo6Nv1S1kV5L75zTAPf0qGNTPpcH4KrP5xRu9AvfU9pEiFJM1gIUhBAWmx10JeDticXXeed3U1WhCjZLQS-cSsDhoAhd2U7pFJBv5aainiyuXu0nlAzHvuKyBBWENQacsJY/w640-h334/hall+full+moon+cycles.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The first full Moon of October was the Harvest Moon on October 1st, the perfect time for a Harvest Festival. In the old days, for many centuries, and still in traditional farms following the Farmer’s Almanac, the Moon dictates the time of planting and Harvest. Using the natural cycles of dormancy, regeneration, blooming, ripening, etc. to their advantage. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoIt02Vw3_GfKlI2aAokhccBpxsPqhL1n7BzniyEf0jTPPiQj9CzXC8EHpbJEXIOEUb0pqz-WefgukasOC2csLBCV9XGC0sPwpLDKGF0CbL7SnaiBQMAxSwyUHv8kI5Cron-O-OEBbrLD/s1024/hall+migrating+birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="1024" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoIt02Vw3_GfKlI2aAokhccBpxsPqhL1n7BzniyEf0jTPPiQj9CzXC8EHpbJEXIOEUb0pqz-WefgukasOC2csLBCV9XGC0sPwpLDKGF0CbL7SnaiBQMAxSwyUHv8kI5Cron-O-OEBbrLD/w640-h432/hall+migrating+birds.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For many animals, particularly birds, the phases of the Moon are essential to navigate during migrations. Other species will time their reproduction to coincide with the lunar cycles. The corals time their spawning between October and December, right after a full Moon. The visual effect of this coordinated lunar timing is so dramatic that it can be seen from space. In Africa, Dung beetles navigate at night by the light of the Moon in a perfect straight line to their burrow. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Z586h9wqwAAGhq3e16UfT9G_5pwLcSkXgXjFniKC_WTKCx8IUzhbvH8ijgaxEorWALQ1U_o9agHrDS-xk9BwdjrR5q45FdmEMrZqQQusj9XsmHen1wR8uwUOb589DZioQ5r9wWNYwk9p/s631/Hall+-+dung+beetle+at+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="631" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Z586h9wqwAAGhq3e16UfT9G_5pwLcSkXgXjFniKC_WTKCx8IUzhbvH8ijgaxEorWALQ1U_o9agHrDS-xk9BwdjrR5q45FdmEMrZqQQusj9XsmHen1wR8uwUOb589DZioQ5r9wWNYwk9p/w640-h304/Hall+-+dung+beetle+at+night.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Moon also regulates the ocean tides and influences women’s reproductive cycles. Women are more fecund (assuming a natural cycle) during the full Moon, and both men and women experience increased libido, which leads to fertility. Ancient Pagan festivals celebrated this fact during the full Moon. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NMePuAWxFFPUKa_h4052YN36xhIgxMnfEaPrLhpSXj0zAXLxaJIIEGE51DGrAsx5ruh8Dsp_gWKD6J4DPDYYYAcnNTpFmE3QXTxym7hUAa2xvAYKdLwf8iPRM0_nhSm_15Lf7X8i9c1d/s2048/hall+coral+reef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NMePuAWxFFPUKa_h4052YN36xhIgxMnfEaPrLhpSXj0zAXLxaJIIEGE51DGrAsx5ruh8Dsp_gWKD6J4DPDYYYAcnNTpFmE3QXTxym7hUAa2xvAYKdLwf8iPRM0_nhSm_15Lf7X8i9c1d/w640-h480/hall+coral+reef.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If you take the time, you’ll notice that important movable events (like some religious holidays) are scheduled on or as close to the full Moon as possible, when people have more energy. It’s not a coincidence. It’s also true of certain conventions and conferences who want to attract more people, and these auspicious dates are often booked far in advance.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3O8LenSkHhzWgyJQvaU9FJQSh39wG1myVvuJoxHYZQ4sW9od54dzMF4htpkBjLfvS88j__Js8bLpwK4m5uSie_k9Txvo_Hrbu-kzV5Hzqc6KJCH52yybNq30uqkHoP3sm3W3Rw5mF6px/s620/hall+short+haircut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="620" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3O8LenSkHhzWgyJQvaU9FJQSh39wG1myVvuJoxHYZQ4sW9od54dzMF4htpkBjLfvS88j__Js8bLpwK4m5uSie_k9Txvo_Hrbu-kzV5Hzqc6KJCH52yybNq30uqkHoP3sm3W3Rw5mF6px/w640-h282/hall+short+haircut.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />My mother, who was a hairdresser, told me always to cut my hair a few days after the full Moon, because hair grows faster when the Moon is full, and if you wait, your haircut will look fresh longer. To this day, I still respect that rule. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Moon affects our circadian cycles as well. During the full Moon, people complain of not sleeping well and experience Increased energy. This wide-awake state is also responsible for full Moon madness in emergency rooms, and increased number of births in maternity wards – Even the babies want to come out and play. Ask any emergency doctor, maternity nurse, police officer, or EMT, and they will confirm this fact. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4jymaPNo533YlePB3kqLpikgY60y5qsI06_HitPWdEv0Ilr9raeInSdzrpeXYT1xlmlkKv3bO5VKN1TRRcwnfty9R38QrDIXSUwQ0RDbzDHB1KpAp9vk7K0oSbU16EzEKpOnYpLpu_Gn/s1600/hall+full+moon+births.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4jymaPNo533YlePB3kqLpikgY60y5qsI06_HitPWdEv0Ilr9raeInSdzrpeXYT1xlmlkKv3bO5VKN1TRRcwnfty9R38QrDIXSUwQ0RDbzDHB1KpAp9vk7K0oSbU16EzEKpOnYpLpu_Gn/w640-h360/hall+full+moon+births.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So, this year, we are expecting an energy-filled Halloween night. As for the repercussions in our backyards, coyotes will howl, dogs will bark, and cats will roam longer than any other night. If you plan to take part in the fun, be safe and enjoy. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXB9URM2jYShOlFjAQWMbyxVGOSBnlB0M5rDJARMJIbLDATgPmf0wTGhTEfeUp0oncXNjHxkaZ8gye16HBmkAOq038QMzHenmiX6Re-GNbIZp2UxdCBd_VtYyf-4L1H6vVCGyEsfB2g8R/s1880/Halloween-Full-Moon-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1880" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXB9URM2jYShOlFjAQWMbyxVGOSBnlB0M5rDJARMJIbLDATgPmf0wTGhTEfeUp0oncXNjHxkaZ8gye16HBmkAOq038QMzHenmiX6Re-GNbIZp2UxdCBd_VtYyf-4L1H6vVCGyEsfB2g8R/w400-h213/Halloween-Full-Moon-.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">But if you are looking forward to a good read with a cup of cocoa by the fire, here are a few suggestions:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdGtfCr4f20c0C-LfHVfkjVbBUKZYvwcBup5aiH6ZhbgsxbQjhhLUf1h3IsSmg2TILLjxWeSK2eXYXTCL3ixtEqqhuZQnQjQlJ0YB2Jeb8F8yfrGV39o2kjmndjeoVu046D-eZndZHRfq/s648/WhiteTigerCoverArtPaid72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdGtfCr4f20c0C-LfHVfkjVbBUKZYvwcBup5aiH6ZhbgsxbQjhhLUf1h3IsSmg2TILLjxWeSK2eXYXTCL3ixtEqqhuZQnQjQlJ0YB2Jeb8F8yfrGV39o2kjmndjeoVu046D-eZndZHRfq/s320/WhiteTigerCoverArtPaid72dpi.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://books2read.com/White-Tiger" target="_blank">Find it HERE</a><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> WHITE TIGER</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Chronicles of Kassouk</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> by Vijaya Schartz</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Sci-fi romance</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> $1.49 in kindle now <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6386912343147794659/4163277897269543853#">HERE</a></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On the frozen plains of Kassouk, where a few aliens rule a medieval Human world, Tora, Human warrior trained by tigers, seeks her father’s murderer. But what she finds at the point of her sword confuses her. How dare Dragomir, the handsome Mutant, question her bloodline and her loyalties? And could a new enemy control the savage hordes of the fringe?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Dragomir offers to help, but Humans and Mutants are forbidden to fraternize under penalty of death... Should Tora trust her mind, her instincts, or her heart?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In the vortex of war, treason and intrigue, among blizzards, avalanches and ambushes, Tora sets out to solve the mystery of her father’s death. When she unveils the secret of her birth, she realizes Dragomir is the key, and together, they must save their planet from the invaders and fulfill their destiny... if they can survive dire persecutions from those they mean to protect.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><i>"...an exceptional tale that belongs in a place of honor on keeper shelves everywhere."</i> Coffee Time Romance - 5-cups</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><i>"...this is one futuristic that you do not want to miss!"</i> Fallen Angels Reviews - 5 angels - Recommended Read</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><i>"...kept me enthralled from the first page...a thrilling science fiction romance"</i> Paranormal Romance Reviews</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">"I'm adding this to my 'keeper' shelf and on the 'to be re-read' list."</i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">The Road to Romance</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Vijaya Schartz, author</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader"></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader">amazon </a>- <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya+Schartz%22?Nrpp=40&Ns=P_Publication_Date|1&page=1">B&N</a> - <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz">Smashwords</a> - <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22">Kobo </a>- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/">FB</a></div></span></span></div>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-22733074845042515672020-10-09T00:00:00.001-07:002020-10-09T00:00:10.276-07:00How many books should there be in a series? - by Vijaya Schartz<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">First of all, the first book in each of my series is currently discounted to $1.49 in kindle on amazon. Enjoy the discounted reads!</span> </span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wrote many series, some as short as two books (the Archangel twin books), others as long as eight novels (like the CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE, based on Celtic legends). New authors, and sometimes readers, ask me how long a series should be. There is no universal answer to that question. A series, like a book, should be as long as needed to tell the whole story. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPIGCrxbF1c2A6-N_GEfQMb0YV42qaQ6mXHtg0QmwLgvwOuDy4RAiTpbwXfF9d02XEnejtkHpuEmaP_-J-oY0W2S8b4mv7X-Bbco28ylmIw-Ynf9q0x-8FWDehs3YJyZCUC9KGonB73xE/s800/cursecompleteseries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPIGCrxbF1c2A6-N_GEfQMb0YV42qaQ6mXHtg0QmwLgvwOuDy4RAiTpbwXfF9d02XEnejtkHpuEmaP_-J-oY0W2S8b4mv7X-Bbco28ylmIw-Ynf9q0x-8FWDehs3YJyZCUC9KGonB73xE/w640-h480/cursecompleteseries.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curse of the Lost Isle series - based on Celtic legends<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The number of books in a series can also depend upon the characters. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If they are the same characters throughout the series, is each novel a continuation of the previous book? The author cannot hold the reader without resolution indefinitely. That is how some TV series that started strong lost their momentum when the writers dragged the story too long before offering some kind of explanation or resolution. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the other hand, if each novel is a complete story, the series can go on much longer. A few authors have successfully published dozens of novels in the same series that way, some were later adapted for TV series, like Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli & Isles. Harry Potter also comes to mind, but as it features children, and children do grow up, that series was limited from the start. As for characters like James Bond, they can probably go forever with many different incarnations as each generation gives it a different twist. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes, each book come with its own set of fresh characters, in the same setting, with a link to the previous and future books. That’s the case for my CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK series, where each book is an independent story with a different hero and heroine. The six novels are set on the same planet, a few centuries apart. For those reading them in the right order, they get to see the evolution of a group of marooned human settlers into a fully grown society, with its particular culture, facing ups and downs, struggling for their independence and for their rights, amid defeats and victories, until the series comes full circle in its unexpected but logical ending. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMlXv2CxvVP5z0l6ZZk26Bud2ZOtpXCABOjcsv9DKV8PMoMf_oTuVisLq6_fI8KM51yYwwVtGcVMo9EG70LOCYHHK2WZQrWVeIAT-lA4tOo54UOoAUuyJLOe9Tp0XLVet3T51rYTl0HsJ/s600/POB+medium.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMlXv2CxvVP5z0l6ZZk26Bud2ZOtpXCABOjcsv9DKV8PMoMf_oTuVisLq6_fI8KM51yYwwVtGcVMo9EG70LOCYHHK2WZQrWVeIAT-lA4tOo54UOoAUuyJLOe9Tp0XLVet3T51rYTl0HsJ/w266-h400/POB+medium.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007K1EGAM" target="_blank">$1.49 in kindle click here</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />My longest series (eight novels) is The CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE, based on Celtic legends. Since my ladies are immortal (related to Morgan the Fay), they reappear in different times in history. The first two books tell the story of Pressine the Fay. In book two, she has three daughters, subsequently featured in the following books. Melusine the Fay has four books, as she appears in different places at different times in history (books 3-4-5-8). Her sisters, Palatina (book 6) and Meliora (Book 7) each have one story to tell, so they only have one novel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another technique is to write shorter series, related to each other. Three books is considered a happy number for a series. Easier to commit to for the reader. Some readers also like to only read series that are complete, as they do not want to wait until next year for the next book. The reader who enjoys a three-book series, will likely pick up the next series set in the same world they enjoyed the first time, like the Star Wars universe. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the case for my BYZANTIUM series and AZURA CHRONICLES, set in the same universe with a few crossover characters. Byzantium is a space station, and Azura is a planet, existing in the same universe at the same time. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most of my series novels are standalones, and the reader can pick up any book and thoroughly enjoy it without missing anything. Then he/she can go back and enjoy the other books as well, even if not read in the chronological order. But if you are like me, you’ll want to read them in the right order to fully appreciate the arc of the bigger story behind the novels.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Enjoy! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vijaya Schartz, author</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader">amazon </a>- <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya+Schartz%22?Nrpp=40&Ns=P_Publication_Date|1&page=1">B&N</a> - <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz">Smashwords</a> - <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22">Kobo </a>- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/">FB</a></div></span>Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-12371437121758651112020-08-04T01:30:00.000-07:002020-08-04T01:30:00.807-07:00Brief history of the written word - Part three of three - by Vijaya Schartz<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the two previous parts of this article, we talked about the origins of writing in Asia, India, cuneiform writing in the Middle East, and hieroglyphic writing in Egypt, and the gradual switch from graphic representation of objects to the use of sound symbols, then letters. The first alphabet, created by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC, was borrowed by the Greek then adapted by the Romans, and imposed through their conquest all over Europe. We now had the power of writing almost anything, any language, with an infinity of possibilities.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiGJp452TZvKt0DvcdyGw_Xc2sH9V0olMF5DrUKBY7Ej0W5ZfYa9fs1ZPjKFZf39WqiHsYDIGITTxDDe6bRM1LwewwLBxl5HTP-UITe2chao-y8O4Degz7y9XNW1C28PixMB10Auo_y2e/s1600/writing+monk+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="600" height="579" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiGJp452TZvKt0DvcdyGw_Xc2sH9V0olMF5DrUKBY7Ej0W5ZfYa9fs1ZPjKFZf39WqiHsYDIGITTxDDe6bRM1LwewwLBxl5HTP-UITe2chao-y8O4Degz7y9XNW1C28PixMB10Auo_y2e/s640/writing+monk+2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">During the dark ages and the early Middle Ages in Europe, only the clergy, nobles, and government officials could read and write. Educating the masses was considered dangerous and sometimes evil. Only the clergy was allowed to read the Bible, for fear of misinterpretation. Most religious and political documents were penned in Latin, which, after the downfall of Rome, was still understood, if not fluently spoken, by the nobility and the literate elite throughout the Christian world. Books were handwritten in calligraphy on parchment and heavily decorated, usually by monks. These books were labor intensive, very costly, and not available to the population at large. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQK3pgLwxYOr3UFmROEH0rwpjSk_XLRRGyyPynAQLoQ6yPfU-KaYEvF0y7AD_6eI7KvPivDgZJVUbom8RiM4BpzCVmul_pugBzMiEE_LAr1xh_1LfRA2yPamxPMa4Q3C6aOTVKZoNNBzgT/s1600/writing+medieval+religious+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="1200" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQK3pgLwxYOr3UFmROEH0rwpjSk_XLRRGyyPynAQLoQ6yPfU-KaYEvF0y7AD_6eI7KvPivDgZJVUbom8RiM4BpzCVmul_pugBzMiEE_LAr1xh_1LfRA2yPamxPMa4Q3C6aOTVKZoNNBzgT/s640/writing+medieval+religious+books.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The layman’s knowledge, however, was still imparted through oral tradition from elders to younger members of society. The intricacies of seasonal planting, weaving, sewing, tanning, preserving food, and other everyday activities were often condensed into how-to songs, learned in childhood and later taught to children and grandchildren. The rhyming and the melody made the task description easy to remember.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzN3hIUt6sQNj8XA_88CkeyEWUZbAb6gcMdYVxiF-Q5O-BTVLVWgx_RRQxx9kH6u78cSXLPgmE1qMLQDPYfBLZcUhrQI7BL84Xy7SRdCoopts10MQ5iGWa1EGct55M8vPM-3ld_T6nvxC_/s1600/writing+medieval+song+dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzN3hIUt6sQNj8XA_88CkeyEWUZbAb6gcMdYVxiF-Q5O-BTVLVWgx_RRQxx9kH6u78cSXLPgmE1qMLQDPYfBLZcUhrQI7BL84Xy7SRdCoopts10MQ5iGWa1EGct55M8vPM-3ld_T6nvxC_/s1600/writing+medieval+song+dance.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Storytellers memorized and retold in songs epic battles and important moments in history, like the song of Roland. Many African and Polynesian tribes still use song and dance to impart knowledge of historic events and storytelling. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeui3KcSGB12IHIpX0fL0NH4CIqnM6tWTVS9XDyZY1f-W9zyh66ufpfkEr0f8oOOAvMBvewQpBN5mCY0vqxq30eg2Eo0y5IWbC0YZ-AyflQMO8xgKvWHA4LY2VcqXwlXqekvBIIlrBFgK/s1600/writing+Medieval+manuscript.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1220" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeui3KcSGB12IHIpX0fL0NH4CIqnM6tWTVS9XDyZY1f-W9zyh66ufpfkEr0f8oOOAvMBvewQpBN5mCY0vqxq30eg2Eo0y5IWbC0YZ-AyflQMO8xgKvWHA4LY2VcqXwlXqekvBIIlrBFgK/s640/writing+Medieval+manuscript.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But the Latin alphabet also allowed writing in one’s native tongue. With the advent of commerce, trading and shipping companies required written records in everyday language. So did transmission of orders to armies far from home, and communication with conquered territories in the East during the Crusades. Hand writing on parchment spread among the higher middle class. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXRLFXgayATbex_0xCjF-yUYm7Zd2qyD_Q2hccK4lhF0W54KSFyza94PypmqUBxdwPfFIzE2hbZjob-YZLsCUIRdnNE29yurcPNTey3OwfENHMhyphenhyphenw3E-bi2BAJB9vDe43SsgAipdU8mSj/s1600/writing+printing+press+Gutemberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXRLFXgayATbex_0xCjF-yUYm7Zd2qyD_Q2hccK4lhF0W54KSFyza94PypmqUBxdwPfFIzE2hbZjob-YZLsCUIRdnNE29yurcPNTey3OwfENHMhyphenhyphenw3E-bi2BAJB9vDe43SsgAipdU8mSj/s640/writing+printing+press+Gutemberg.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1440, thanks to Gutenberg in Germany, and his invention of the printing press with removable characters, books could be mass-produced, and the written word became affordable. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYmpx2bphudF8Xsfxsg54T_xBawZzBndxBFDI44y8bTms9SeXGcEkgkJyglB9zvYVE_GTBSjBHXFvWrj8M2rg4gkt5ZRU5sAgP6LhX645ntD1ZvRzQxsQR__2oAIVprT_KTdnGfARS5hS/s1600/writing+medieval+school+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="750" height="637" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYmpx2bphudF8Xsfxsg54T_xBawZzBndxBFDI44y8bTms9SeXGcEkgkJyglB9zvYVE_GTBSjBHXFvWrj8M2rg4gkt5ZRU5sAgP6LhX645ntD1ZvRzQxsQR__2oAIVprT_KTdnGfARS5hS/s640/writing+medieval+school+2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Soon, the Italian Renaissance saw the creation of many new schools and rich patrons financed the arts. Then Europe saw an explosion of knowledge, culture, arts, and considerable advancement of science, engineering, mathematics, and philosophy. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMNEi07vO6Tq4EFew1binUl-NO-aAqkEWzoOJ9GdzMTPVc81hWy_DPXVAf4CvDV5IpC35JcBaSAPCQ8rHkvA4cxQhTR58GUSYURyErPthEVl9bu6CKpcqLJK8DB6zQwfm0sVxdAOorvCw/s1600/writing+leonardo+da+vinci+engineering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMNEi07vO6Tq4EFew1binUl-NO-aAqkEWzoOJ9GdzMTPVc81hWy_DPXVAf4CvDV5IpC35JcBaSAPCQ8rHkvA4cxQhTR58GUSYURyErPthEVl9bu6CKpcqLJK8DB6zQwfm0sVxdAOorvCw/s640/writing+leonardo+da+vinci+engineering.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Writing and designs of Leonardo da Vinci</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nowadays, most everyone can read and write and has access to books on every topic, but we are left with a different problem. We have come a long way from writing only the most important truths of our time. Writing has gone from sacred, to important, to artistic, to sometimes frivolous and trivial. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWrOpiL58EHEnzbpK8QNCkdB7QhinoRb3bzzjPKH2jACylp4_6MQcIDH1kQxv7-cN_svkcKOYjCwjs6fowXU0op14q89VX8_mdHMWWT2AxiC4wypyp7pJpAKSuroqwYVmouzgtbAGisqx/s1600/writing+tablet+modern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWrOpiL58EHEnzbpK8QNCkdB7QhinoRb3bzzjPKH2jACylp4_6MQcIDH1kQxv7-cN_svkcKOYjCwjs6fowXU0op14q89VX8_mdHMWWT2AxiC4wypyp7pJpAKSuroqwYVmouzgtbAGisqx/s640/writing+tablet+modern.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With basic education, anyone can express thoughts and opinions about everything in writing. We are dealing with an overload of information from an infinity of individual sources. Fortunately, our sophisticated computers can handle that immense load, and when someone cusses on social media in Canada, someone in Japan can let them know it’s not okay. 😊 </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPT47cCYGzxEV0jryFOavgiqRazrl0D8ZAinZXHxjGm-Gdu5ZUAuF21EsnCkVDxH7WUNg6AMZAb3I-JoT1alLqgmMDhb60_zIT1M40T5eKWi6bHAPhIwvGVt375A-fjLNnmW2gNSzq0hT/s1600/writing+SMS+language.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPT47cCYGzxEV0jryFOavgiqRazrl0D8ZAinZXHxjGm-Gdu5ZUAuF21EsnCkVDxH7WUNg6AMZAb3I-JoT1alLqgmMDhb60_zIT1M40T5eKWi6bHAPhIwvGVt375A-fjLNnmW2gNSzq0hT/s640/writing+SMS+language.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since the advent of Social Media, we also have derived other forms of written communication in abbreviations for texting, and emojis to express feelings. Universal binary language uses zeros and ones. Computers invent their own languages to communicate with each other. Someone even wrote an entire story in emoji symbols. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdF3-fyPzA235XZTWn-dzhTgTPx1oV-SllmabhnoxSZUDNQ5LjLTHKihNIRHWNAKHLVz673OQjRil7qYhBCZylidJcJ1neSOmdSXWuJ5x9HJNdEeevwMWhS42YP3KH_9Rc0kzaPGpEbaz/s1600/writing+imogis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdF3-fyPzA235XZTWn-dzhTgTPx1oV-SllmabhnoxSZUDNQ5LjLTHKihNIRHWNAKHLVz673OQjRil7qYhBCZylidJcJ1neSOmdSXWuJ5x9HJNdEeevwMWhS42YP3KH_9Rc0kzaPGpEbaz/s1600/writing+imogis.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also heard that some law-makers are thinking about getting rid of cursive and lowercase in schools to keep only block letters. Can’t wait to hear my characters screaming at me in ALL CAPS. What’s next? Getting rid of punctuation? Shakespeare must be turning in his grave. 😊 </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75kJQERIsMH7Dvlt0ZSXw7IMq3VtE8pHnr_aK2xtA01tPFcdNxXQxbhdnXBdL4Nn1vp3e-c85jwy-iaw1SEc8enZ5MS33b0RS0qUjCsBug_Vn5WTL1tGs3lUOFWcDunw4d6t3mDvvv0Na/s1600/shakespeare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75kJQERIsMH7Dvlt0ZSXw7IMq3VtE8pHnr_aK2xtA01tPFcdNxXQxbhdnXBdL4Nn1vp3e-c85jwy-iaw1SEc8enZ5MS33b0RS0qUjCsBug_Vn5WTL1tGs3lUOFWcDunw4d6t3mDvvv0Na/s1600/shakespeare.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As a writer of sci-fi and fantastic legends, I predict that one day, if we do not destroy ourselves first, Earth will have only one language made up of mixed words and abbreviations and writing styles from various old countries, with one unified alphabet of simple characters everyone will understand.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PQYqFs363ULVSA5u3jJO5hmCEOaXYe199av5MGoSLVjWnUr9r6hJuwv4TJk89Ar65Hh-y4lCD6fTNiS9CvFOKSmFJHDpFOvu64rFY_49UkNDGfdlCtfpnUAvvaeRs4mw907st90xCFSf/s1600/writing+Roswell+alien+I-beam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="779" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PQYqFs363ULVSA5u3jJO5hmCEOaXYe199av5MGoSLVjWnUr9r6hJuwv4TJk89Ar65Hh-y4lCD6fTNiS9CvFOKSmFJHDpFOvu64rFY_49UkNDGfdlCtfpnUAvvaeRs4mw907st90xCFSf/s640/writing+Roswell+alien+I-beam.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">alien writing on an I-beam fragment found at the Roswell crash site.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I only hope that despite this unification, we manage to keep the wonderful variety of cultures, and the colorful traditions of all the people of Earth, along with their best recipes, dances, costumes, and favorite games.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmCSnXoUPODKTFiC21CI48p43bxeygUGbwJyLN7zHg6-SHBK3UKMEM8LIfQHNit1-S_CNAqUnbVEjgx2KTEfrP9p9V7PURhoPX4MTyl4fpPWhIkTLdE_EUXvzS8gVTiJU1KjC0i0aI33g/s1600/writing+colorful+cultures.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1200" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmCSnXoUPODKTFiC21CI48p43bxeygUGbwJyLN7zHg6-SHBK3UKMEM8LIfQHNit1-S_CNAqUnbVEjgx2KTEfrP9p9V7PURhoPX4MTyl4fpPWhIkTLdE_EUXvzS8gVTiJU1KjC0i0aI33g/s640/writing+colorful+cultures.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the meantime, you are welcome to check out my books. Here is my Celtic Legend series, CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE. Find it everywhere in eBook or paperback. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank">Amazon </a></span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya+Schartz%22?Nrpp=40&Ns=P_Publication_Date|1&page=1" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank">Kobo</a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From history shrouded in myths, emerges a family of immortal Celtic Ladies, who roam the medieval world in search of salvation from a curse. For centuries, imbued with hereditary gifts, they hide their deadly secret, stirring passions in their wake as they fight the Viking hordes, send the first knights to the Holy Land, give birth to kings and emperors... but if the Church ever suspects what they really are, they will be hunted, tortured, and burned at the stake.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5 stars on Amazon "Edgy Medieval. Yay!"</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJMqeCQR6FSZzL4WKz5o0HregzPg9m-OXti1EGu0eYyLGV5hhnmWH54vjWBt9vUnUYW4gdONqsjJni8zHAtmRxwa0QjVH4refpeDz01hF0hv6mVm_qRjtykge7ni_YFstO8BSH_QqYGkx/s1600/cursecompleteseries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJMqeCQR6FSZzL4WKz5o0HregzPg9m-OXti1EGu0eYyLGV5hhnmWH54vjWBt9vUnUYW4gdONqsjJni8zHAtmRxwa0QjVH4refpeDz01hF0hv6mVm_qRjtykge7ni_YFstO8BSH_QqYGkx/s640/cursecompleteseries.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE - MEDIEVAL CELTIC LEGENDS - SERIES by Vijaya Schartz</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy reading.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 25.68px;">Vijaya Schartz, author<br />Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes</span><a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">amazon </span></a><span style="color: black; line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya+Schartz%22?Nrpp=40&Ns=P_Publication_Date|1&page=1" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">B&N</span></a><span style="color: black; line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Smashwords</span></a><span style="color: black; line-height: 25.68px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Kobo </span></a><span style="color: black; line-height: 25.68px;">- </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">FB</span></a><span style="color: black; line-height: 25.68px;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868910202777851484.post-39187590036221173542020-07-14T01:30:00.000-07:002020-07-14T01:30:15.625-07:00A brief history of the written word - Part two<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last month, I spoke about the origins of writing in China, Japan, India, cuneiform writing in Mesopotamia, and hieroglyphic writing in Egypt, as well as the gradual switch from graphic representation of objects to the use of sound symbols.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GEodtMKADEpaGuNOF2ru4LCnynXb9ShQI2LUaWVLPGk-bsfSx5LeQLyQtgxu_NYLnyv48FvkersDeXMM9rRFVLigxGhCVS8Dvf8SsLC7P-IRgMCqwFGCmZHC1FuwV4xhDEBjDCk6mCBr/s1600/writing+Phoenician+alphabet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GEodtMKADEpaGuNOF2ru4LCnynXb9ShQI2LUaWVLPGk-bsfSx5LeQLyQtgxu_NYLnyv48FvkersDeXMM9rRFVLigxGhCVS8Dvf8SsLC7P-IRgMCqwFGCmZHC1FuwV4xhDEBjDCk6mCBr/s1600/writing+Phoenician+alphabet.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Phoenician tablet</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the early 8th century BC, the Phoenicians, who traded throughout the Mediterranean basin, developed the first known alphabet. Instead of using imagery, the letters, some consonants and some vowels, were linked together to form phonetic words.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx3RhB6Rbm5hJjijcU6mLHbYGv0G7NJtT7uxohb5LP-iO7W-N0YXy-52wXlWt_eJhyphenhyphenHeVW0s-wjCzJ1VDlGO8Y01BVRL9wX1DCuNgx7ZJELIqBjo_VFgfEB8swbzntQJdRpvntTr8Zqyu/s1600/writing+greek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="750" height="443" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx3RhB6Rbm5hJjijcU6mLHbYGv0G7NJtT7uxohb5LP-iO7W-N0YXy-52wXlWt_eJhyphenhyphenHeVW0s-wjCzJ1VDlGO8Y01BVRL9wX1DCuNgx7ZJELIqBjo_VFgfEB8swbzntQJdRpvntTr8Zqyu/s640/writing+greek.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Soon, the Greek borrowed and adapted the Phoenician alphabet, and their culture flourished. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJty_o2nr_KlDdPxNwDaorMBSM615nyzblA9ndB3XE0Z8buua0D7voiIXAjwDXvT_eO95GMt-Mjjt9Zli1nnyBKwk3V6aDlNWlcHwGDV0-1aEERuamD7f7pY6ahsAuZ74sfLHDzgVGcTDG/s1600/writing+aramaic+alphabet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJty_o2nr_KlDdPxNwDaorMBSM615nyzblA9ndB3XE0Z8buua0D7voiIXAjwDXvT_eO95GMt-Mjjt9Zli1nnyBKwk3V6aDlNWlcHwGDV0-1aEERuamD7f7pY6ahsAuZ74sfLHDzgVGcTDG/s400/writing+aramaic+alphabet.jpg" width="382" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Aramaic writing</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many other alphabets developed after that, like the Arabic alphabet in the 6th century BC. The first Proto-Hebrew alphabet developed from the early Phoenician, then they adopted the Aramaic alphabet during the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman periods (500 BC – 50 AD). </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYvNzqttN5w1UDOgmUpKpGvkd7wAZJJI5srqtIsNSyzldemd4Yr8tgrSkzkny3z9Dx-0ivavb5fAbyC8enEcnikngEyAqzAc3o6Fh13V87a1RdkHFdSGUZ0HCaWqE2_PcL7SdOVZ8CtHU/s1600/writing+ancient+Hebrew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="750" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYvNzqttN5w1UDOgmUpKpGvkd7wAZJJI5srqtIsNSyzldemd4Yr8tgrSkzkny3z9Dx-0ivavb5fAbyC8enEcnikngEyAqzAc3o6Fh13V87a1RdkHFdSGUZ0HCaWqE2_PcL7SdOVZ8CtHU/s640/writing+ancient+Hebrew.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ancient Hebrew alphabet<br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the first century AD, the Viking and Celtic tribes of northern Europe also devised the Runes. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9m7nLovT4S6r_eK3rPlDR_hFFEyg-1B0SLMjsfB3gssoy82s2gH3gZumVu-BgRjImkFHktqqaqDay3HlNBDbrdrLlUwz-Z9aj6MZADX0_YyJy6ru5Wa5q3CvPc4j7atMQHtYFAU_O6Y0/s1600/writing+runestone-of-King-Gorm-the-Old.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="780" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9m7nLovT4S6r_eK3rPlDR_hFFEyg-1B0SLMjsfB3gssoy82s2gH3gZumVu-BgRjImkFHktqqaqDay3HlNBDbrdrLlUwz-Z9aj6MZADX0_YyJy6ru5Wa5q3CvPc4j7atMQHtYFAU_O6Y0/s640/writing+runestone-of-King-Gorm-the-Old.png" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Runic stellae</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then much later, in the 9th century AD, St. Cyril devised the Cyrillic alphabet derived from the Greek, and used until recently in Slavic countries like Russia.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCEZcXjzzu-VY1nntU4O9iY824-jme5t1W1hNFLSGQu5t9YzQVJfO0FiSO0sELl0OyPkiJEEjI3GSayLli5vmjEl5qMhK_aLiqQKoM9Sq8Mf5gkKFoUfG_U4gAY1-ebppX02YRYAjk0NS/s1600/writing+cyrillic+russian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="1600" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCEZcXjzzu-VY1nntU4O9iY824-jme5t1W1hNFLSGQu5t9YzQVJfO0FiSO0sELl0OyPkiJEEjI3GSayLli5vmjEl5qMhK_aLiqQKoM9Sq8Mf5gkKFoUfG_U4gAY1-ebppX02YRYAjk0NS/s640/writing+cyrillic+russian.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Add caption</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcdJu-4fVXKTydnHyzdr8PslgxkoEqW7_GrArV52kGrq8wyAvARfzKspxm0aemgqEC2fgBrZidSxrXTbUK1NJnxR5YTNm3m24VCdYEHs9wVXyMOZdUr6d8NVi0NRnxotyoIZKM5pA9AGl/s1600/writing+cyrillic+stone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="825" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcdJu-4fVXKTydnHyzdr8PslgxkoEqW7_GrArV52kGrq8wyAvARfzKspxm0aemgqEC2fgBrZidSxrXTbUK1NJnxR5YTNm3m24VCdYEHs9wVXyMOZdUr6d8NVi0NRnxotyoIZKM5pA9AGl/s640/writing+cyrillic+stone.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the 8th century AD, in China, where writing was done by hand with a brush (calligraphy) the emperor ordered some religious Buddhist texts to be carved on wood blocks, to be inked and pressed on parchment or paper, as an early form of printing. The blocks took a long time to carve, and could only be used a certain number of times before losing their sharp quality.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="267" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9DYAEjAmcvWf-dwmPCJTSrZtcxdKtNJYzzenfyRQcQwVb_y2T5CEK80lznm48-8SnLIMrCfUS-0uTpVmS8fNtJdOOuUINHjfN5VDZ0kVmaZtyQYvLLLxLrjeuL1AEcCtlsGfN6AJo1wp/s320/writing+wood+block+printing.jpg" width="320" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some ancient cultures, like the Druids or the Polynesian and Native American tribes, had a strong oral tradition but never developed a writing system. That is why so little is known about their history today. Still, very old pictograms, drawings, and symbols carved in ancient stones, cliffs, caves, or etched over miles of Andean desert, baffle the anthropologists. This only tells us that some kind of writing communication may have existed well before what we understand today.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiUUitA5FybTa1peAsb-40tABepCb8sydBxXKdX0zD5RPkU0ZnS7JCMGqMUKzA5OGy6F1GwNT0dXozgPr0_ssg2BYFfPhIAn7RrqBp_3nz-zFJk2UUqfpQM5Fs4EW2ciMCFW3urDx9Rao/s1600/writing+storytelling+oral+tradition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="597" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiUUitA5FybTa1peAsb-40tABepCb8sydBxXKdX0zD5RPkU0ZnS7JCMGqMUKzA5OGy6F1GwNT0dXozgPr0_ssg2BYFfPhIAn7RrqBp_3nz-zFJk2UUqfpQM5Fs4EW2ciMCFW3urDx9Rao/s1600/writing+storytelling+oral+tradition.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When the ancient Romans conquered the Greeks of antiquity, they borrowed and copied their culture, their religion, their arts, and adapted their alphabet to fit Rome’s needs, and for centuries, they thrived. Through conquest, the Romans imposed their culture and their Latin alphabet upon the defeated Frankish, Germanic, Saxon, and Breton tribes, overriding whatever local system they used at the time, and replacing it by the alphabet we are still using today in the west. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIu0SwmYYvSWBdZTP3RRwXsL0U9hxk1g_PD-JYYkRb6QqkTGS4FJPZDo8KtUjM52d4yUaMUiffD1GTyTmRx6gUNdsRLll5y_9Mqwebf_2yCWVcZSYaMXAdeFhcOe8aeXEhOUPs7lOD-SuP/s1600/writing+Roman+empire.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="400" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIu0SwmYYvSWBdZTP3RRwXsL0U9hxk1g_PD-JYYkRb6QqkTGS4FJPZDo8KtUjM52d4yUaMUiffD1GTyTmRx6gUNdsRLll5y_9Mqwebf_2yCWVcZSYaMXAdeFhcOe8aeXEhOUPs7lOD-SuP/s640/writing+Roman+empire.gif" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaq56PmSmSBmkaFsUDxcnyLgvCkYThLA9P2pp4kdYhS0lxLFmhEksq-WbUXYYhYxr1ncTKSuMHcwKr3GgKMdhFdK8Vp0m3EzHYNRxb3ggB6mrs2HhKRhnSPYv1VUFqe2DuPXyCMF7bVEU/s1600/Writing+Roman+letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1099" data-original-width="627" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaq56PmSmSBmkaFsUDxcnyLgvCkYThLA9P2pp4kdYhS0lxLFmhEksq-WbUXYYhYxr1ncTKSuMHcwKr3GgKMdhFdK8Vp0m3EzHYNRxb3ggB6mrs2HhKRhnSPYv1VUFqe2DuPXyCMF7bVEU/s1600/Writing+Roman+letter.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Of note is the fact that many countries added their own modifications to the alphabet. The French have the “oe” letter and many different types of accents. The Germans also have special characters on their keyboard that are not used by any other countries… so do the Danish and the Norwegians.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQq-jKJvhG8J1RDTGYs56qjVdEe2fOlLRS41qmZ6GOclx18oopRkL2hQAViUYmcpWyZghmLVNT3N22sLuyl_BCn_VidcS04GZfzzn7uSeMTqZCLDKeBqv6zmFgZU81UJP01attBdRRgAra/s1600/writing+Roman+stylus+and+tablet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQq-jKJvhG8J1RDTGYs56qjVdEe2fOlLRS41qmZ6GOclx18oopRkL2hQAViUYmcpWyZghmLVNT3N22sLuyl_BCn_VidcS04GZfzzn7uSeMTqZCLDKeBqv6zmFgZU81UJP01attBdRRgAra/s640/writing+Roman+stylus+and+tablet.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Roman writing tablet and stylus</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Everywhere writing developed, it prompted a cultural revolution, the exchange of ideas and information, the first development of advanced culture, art, engineering, science, mathematics, and philosophy.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But there is much more to be told. Next month, in Part 3, we’ll talk about how writing evolved over the centuries, and how it translates in today’s society.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I write about the past and the future, as they are closely linked. My latest book is set on the Byzantium Space Station. Enjoy the read!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC59hdekOQDIYAFKAsLsHSpxDr44710TMvN4b8cMsPZrA504UrbzjiAvzCYCy6u18UDBMI-pIogquMzCTXeXDFSWzfOvml4oY31M0hyeDNVgd6t-0ZZhl1kNGaAjpflqVuMWbfr4MTebO4/s1600/Akira+medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="555" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC59hdekOQDIYAFKAsLsHSpxDr44710TMvN4b8cMsPZrA504UrbzjiAvzCYCy6u18UDBMI-pIogquMzCTXeXDFSWzfOvml4oY31M0hyeDNVgd6t-0ZZhl1kNGaAjpflqVuMWbfr4MTebO4/s400/Akira+medium.jpg" width="266" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Akira's Choice</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Byzantium Book 2 (standalone)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Find it from your favorite online store <a href="https://books2read.com/Akiras-Choice" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When bounty hunter Akira Karyudo accepted her assignment, something didn't add up. Why would the Galactic Trade Alliance want a young kidnapped orphan dead or alive?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She will get to the truth once she finds the boy, and the no-good SOB who snatched him from a psychiatric hospital. With her cheetah, Freckles, a genetically enhanced feline retriever, Akira sets out to flush them out of the bowels of the Byzantium space station. But when she finds her fugitives, the kidnapper is not what she expects.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kazmo, a decorated Resistance fighter, stole his nephew from the authorities, who performed painful experiments on the boy. Stuck on Byzantium, he protects the child, but how can he shield him from the horribly dangerous conditions in the lawless sublevels of the space station?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Akira faces the worst moral dilemma of her career. Law or justice, duty or love. She can't have it both ways.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Science fiction romance at its best. Great story, interesting characters and a great cat make this story one to read and perhaps re-read. The world creating is top notch." 5 stars on amazon</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Vijaya Schartz, author</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.vijayaschartz.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://www.vijayaschartz.com</span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader"></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001JP7UJ4?_encoding=UTF8&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=date-desc-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader">amazon </a>- <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Vijaya+Schartz%22?Nrpp=40&Ns=P_Publication_Date|1&page=1">B&N</a> - <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz">Smashwords</a> - <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=%22vijaya%20schartz%22&ac=1&fcsearchfield=Author&ac.morein=true&ac.author=%22vijaya%20schartz%22">Kobo </a>- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Vijaya-Schartz-Author-109777709045040/">FB</a></span></div>
Vijaya Schartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562958609545624615noreply@blogger.com0