Matt Royal is a lawyer in FL who always seems to get into trouble of some sort. His ex-wife, Laura, contacts him. Her stepdaughter, Peggy, is missing and she needs his help to track her down. Since she's a legal adult, the police don't seem concerned. Matt tracks Peggy down to a private island in the Keys, Blood Island. The island, and a number of "questionable" businesses in the area, are all owned by the same Bahamian corporation. Matt soon discovers a hidden world of at-risk teens, drugs, cults, and prostitution. Just as Matt saves Peggy, he uncovers a terrorist plan to destroy several churches in large cities. BLOOD ISLAND is action packed from page one and keeps you hooked til the end. This is my first taste of Griffin's work and I hope to read more of his work in the near future!
H. Terrell Griffin is giving away a signed copy of his book, Blood Island, to one lucky tour visitor. Go to Terry’s book tour page, http://h-terrell-griffin.omnimystery.com/, and enter your name, e-mail address, and this PIN, 5796, for your chance to win. Entries will be accepted until 12:00 Noon (PT) tomorrow (Wednesday). No purchase is required to enter or to win. The winner (first name only) will be announced on Terry’s book tour page next week.
About the Author
H. Terrell Griffin is the author of Blood Island, the third mystery in the Matt Royal series.
Born in Waycross, Georgia, H. Terrell Griffin moved to Sanford, Florida, at the age of twelve. Upon graduation from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After three years of active duty, he began his studies at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, where he earned degrees in history and law.
A board-certified trial lawyer, Griffin practiced law in Orlando for 38 years. In addition to Blood Island, Griffin is the author of Murder Key and Longboat Blues.
He and his wife Jean divide their time between Longboat Key and Maitland, Florida. His website is HTerrellGriffin.com.
Check out the other sites participating in this book tour:
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
• In Reference to Murder: Author Interview
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
• Reader's Respite: Book Review • Lesa's Book Critiques: Author Guest Post
Thursday, December 04, 2008
• The Friendly Book Nook: Author Guest Post
Friday, December 05, 2008
• Murder by 4: Author Interview • Mystery Reader Discussion: Book Review • Wendi's Book Corner: Author Guest Post
Saturday, December 06, 2008
• Allie's Musings: Author Interview • Bookish Ruth: Book Review
A glass dome 10 meters high and 20 meters in diameter is being built to cover ancient rock engravings that have been at risk of significant erosion on the island of Kamenny in northwest Russia.
Petroglyphs of Kanozero [Credit: Russia Beyond the Headlines]
The petroglyphs can now only be seen by organized tours and scientists. In the meantime archaeologists will continue searching for the answer to the main riddle posed by the rock engravings: Why did prehistoric man create them?
The Kanozero petroglyphs in Murmansk Region were discovered relatively recently. In the summer of 1997, researchers from a local museum found carvings on the rocks on the island of Kamenny. The ancient artists depicted animals, birds, fish, household items, religious symbols and scenes from life such as a love triangle, a hunt and a family. The scientists have also discovered several even more enigmatic sketches including a bird of prey with five-talon feet, a large figure of a sorcerer and a flying crane.
The paradox of the situation is that scientists had been visiting the island since the 1960s, yet none of them were aware that it was a major prehistoric site. Researchers simply thought that the carvings were contemporary, made by tourists visiting the island.
“It took a certain courage to declare that these engravings were ancient,” recalls Vadim Likhachev, one of the first scientists to study the Kanozero petroglyphs. “We took it upon ourselves to substantiate that theory. A radiocarbon analysis of a nearby fire site showed that the carvings were made no later than 3,000-4,000 B.C.”
Petroglyphs of Kanozero [Credit: Russia Beyond the Headlines]
There is one more reason why it took so long to discover the carvings: most of them were covered with moss and turf. Once it was removed, scientists discovered an additional 100 carvings. However, in just 15 years, these unique petroglyphs that had been preserved by nature for thousands of years were pushed to the brink of obliteration. Each spring, ice melting from the surface of the rocks was gradually erasing the images.
The situation was further exacerbated by tourists wearing running shoes. Even a tiny stone stuck in the sole of a sneaker could damage the carvings. The engravings were carved on soft rocks. It is easy to make carvings on them, but it is equally simple to erase them, too. Some visitors to the site tried to leave their imprint by adding their signatures and pictures to the petroglyphs.
In 2012, the site was visited by Dmitry Medvedev, the president of Russia at the time. He was so impressed by the ancient carvings that he promised to allocate 15 million rubles of his own money towards their preservation. The dome to protect the petroglyphs was built in fall 2014. It consists of a metal frame and polycarbonate, the same material that roofs for swimming pools and greenhouses are made of.
“It was very hard work,” says Vladimir Perevalov, director of the Kanozero Petroglyphs Museum. “The island is surrounded by water and it was impossible to get a crane there as the rocky shores are seven meters high. The builders had to get heavy metal frames and glass all the way up there.”
Petroglyphs of Kanozero [Credit: Russia Beyond the Headlines]
The dome may have to be further reinforced in the summer. According to Perevalov, there is a risk that it may cave in with time as lichen may spread underneath it. For the time being, experts are monitoring how the dome will survive the winter.
The ancient petroglyphs can now be seen by appointment only. Tourists come to Kanozero despite the fact that most of the carvings are not available for viewing and can be seen only in restricted lighting.
The scientists have not yet been able to ascertain why the prehistoric inhabitants of the North made these rock carvings. Earlier they thought they were a depiction of scenes from everyday life. However, recently another theory has been gaining currency: that the petroglyphs had a spiritual character.
“The carvings may depict the rituals of prehistoric people,” says Likhachev. “The locations where there are many engravings may have been ancient open-air shrines.”
The petroglyphs may have been used to communicate with the spirits of ancestors or in healing rituals. Archeologists are now collecting data to try and recreate what may have been an ancient religious system.
Author: Yelena Bozhkova | Source: Russia Beyond the Headlines [January 06, 2015]
Top Ten Tuesday is a new meme at The Broke and Bookish. This week's top ten is top ten desert island picks, or what books would you take if you were stranded on a desert island.
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I've read this book three times and I could read again and again never getting sick of it. Definitely desert island worthy. (I'd actually bring the illustrated version with pictures by Dame Darcy) 2. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. I love this and I think it'd be nice to have at least one graphic novel with my while I was stranded, in case I decided to start drawing in a cave or something. 3. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman. This collection isn't my favorite by Klosterman but it is hilarious and I know I'd be laughing out loud the whole time I was reading it, which I'd probably need if I was stranded. I mean, who else is going to make me laugh? Plus my copy is signed, so if I crazed Klosterman fan with a boat appeared I might be able to use it to barter. 4. The Next American Essay Ed. by John D'Agata. I've actually had to read several selections from this for two classes but there is so much to explore in it. It's a whopper of essays, some I love, some I hate, and all of them I'd like to get to know better. 5. Middlemarch by George Eliot. This novel is huge and I read it last fall for a class. I loved the book then, but since I was reading so many other things for school I don't think I really gave it the attention it deserved. 6. Notes From No Man's Land by Eula Biss. Favorite essay collection. Ever. Will read it until I die. 7. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. I figure a lot of her poems are about being alone so maybe I'd find some solace in this book. 8. Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf. I have read a lot of Woolf but for me nothing is better than her autobiographical works. 9. Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby. I haven't actually read this but I'm a huge fan of Nick Hornby and his (returned!) column. He always delivers laughs and deep thinking so I'm sure I would enjoy this one. 10. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Okay, I really gave a lot of thought to this one, but it's so romantic and depressing I think I'd just have to take it with me. You know something to keep you one your toes on a desert island. Besides snakes and sharks and the like.
So what would you pick? Join in at The Broke and Bookish!
Sonaisali Island Resort — magnificent hotel on lonely island. But it is not necessary to miss here — set of entertainments, the fine nature, and the main thing — the warm emerald sea — all it at your order.
Hotel from the Australian architects
The hotel has opened in 1992, it is constructed in traditions of Fijian architecture which so is harmoniously entered in a surrounding landscape. The resort consists of the general premises and a bungalow, shaded by magnificent tropical vegetation. At hotel restaurants it is offered to the menu, made under the influence of Asian, Indian and an European cuisine.
The freshest components are used only, vegetables and fruit are grown up there and then, on island. Also probably to arrange a romantic supper for two at a stellar light, under silent whisper of ocean waves.
Arrangement: at 4 o'clock flight from Sydney, at 3 o'clock flight from Oakland, at 10 o'clock flight from Los Angeles, in 3 minutes of driving from island Viti Levu. The hotel is designed by the Sydney architect, therefore, you to the full like the Australian aesthetics and up to the end will understand local mentality.
In hotel: 2 restaurants, a bar, a car rent and bicycles, shops, excursions, business centre, exchange, transfers from/in the airport, a laundry, a first-aid post, trading gallery from 3 large shops and several boutiques.
The Conference hall offers ample opportunities for carrying out of private meetings, trainings, conferences and seminars. The club for children works daily from 9 o'clock in the morning to 9 o'clock in the evening and offers the whole complex of entertainments for children from 4 till 12 years. In hotel there is a service of co-ordinators (wedding, on the organisation of meetings, on work with the Japanese clients, on work with groups).
Restaurants and bars: — Restaurant Sunset Terrace. — Restaurant The Plantation.
Sports and entertainments: tennis, riding, driving by boats, fishing, a water ski, a paintball, billiards-pool, the TV with the big screen in foyer, tables for Ping-Pong and board games, trips on jungle on motorcycles.
Residential architect Sydney — knows true sense in the Australian culture and is always ready to offer original architectural projects.
I know I mentioned in a previous Memory Monday (click to read) about how much I loved Mary Higgins Clark while growing up. My mom handed me my first MHC the summer after 6th grade and I was hooked. But, there were only so many MHC books and I soon finished her back list. By 9th grade I had read everything she'd written, but was still desperate for some more awesome murder mysteries.
My mom suggested I try Agatha Christie. It makes sense, right?! I'm pretty sure she's like, the mother of all murder mysteries. My school library had two shelves just for her, so I decided to just go pull a random book off the shelf. I don't remember the title of the book, but I remember being disgusted. Her main character, Hercule Pointe (?) spent the beginning of the book complaining about the dentist. That was certainly not what I had been looking for. I was horrified and upset. Who wanted to read about a grown man complain about the dentist! I was about ready to give up on Ms. Christie when I found And Then There Were None.
I don't remember if it had been a recommendation or just a lucky grab but I read through that book in horrified fascination. 10 people are sent to a mysterious island where their host never shows up and a record begins to play, informing everyone that they had been invited to the island because they had committed a murder and gotten away with it. Justice had finally caught up with them and they had been invited to die.
They start to die, one by one and the ceramic Indian figurines being to disappear at the same rate. Not only that, but there is a poem — Ten Little Indians- and each death follows a line in the poem (stung by a bee= death by hypodermic needle etc). Everyone is scared, trying to figure out who the murderer could possibly be. And they know it has to be one of the ten. They have searched the entire island and there is no one else there. And, they are in the middle of an incredibly violent storm and there is absolutely no way to or from the island until the storm blows out.
I can remember being beyond fascinated as I read this book, but waiting, waiting for the next death, the next clue, so that I could figure out who done it. But I couldn't. There were a few times I thought I had it figured out, but then that character would die, or would be talking to another character when someone else was murdered.
I reread this one again a few years ago, and I loved it. I loved being able to watch the character interactions knowing the ending, knowing who was really behind the murders and being able to pick up on a bunch of clues I had missed the first time around.
I tell you what — this is a phenomenal book. If more of The Agatha's books are like this, it's easy to understand why she's still recognized as one of the greatest suspense writers.
A large section of the medieval castle wall at Myrina on the island of Limnos has reportedly collapsed, due to the heavy rainfall of the past few days.Myrina castle on the Greek island of Limnos [Credit: Ta Nea]
The Antiquities Ephorate of Lesvos announced that the wall fell onto a foot path and that visitor access to the castle has been suspended, as the castle’s static integrity has been burdened by the recent bout of adverse weather.
Recent restoration efforts have focused on the conservation of the castle’s main gate, however plans are being discussed to restore the walls with NSRF funds.
The medieval castle of Myrina, which is the largest fort in the Aegean, is built in a remote, rocky peninsula. The first Latin ruler of the island, Venetian megadux Filocalo Navigajoso, modified the castle in 1207. It was seriously damaged in 1770 during a siege by the Russian fleet.
LONDON – Prince William and Kate Middleton, have left for a honeymoonat an undisclosed location, palace officials said Tuesday, declining to elaborate on the key details of where or for how long. They also requested the young couple's privacy be respected during that time. British media widely reported they had jetted off to theSeychelles, an island chain in the Indian Ocean. William has two weeks leave from his job as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot, but palace officials would not say if they will be away the entire two weeks.
After the media blitz surrounding their April 29 wedding at Westminster Abbey, the couple have made it clear they'd like to be left alone by photographers. A day after the wedding, the newlyweds asked the media not to intrude on their first weekend of married life, which they spent at home before William returned to military duty. Privacy has long been a main concern for the royals while planning their honeymoon. They are thought to have considered private islands in the Caribbean — although photographers on boats could conceivably get pictures of them cavorting on a beach — and hideaways in Africa, where William has traveled extensively in the past. The couple's decision earlier to delay their honeymoon surprised many. While he went back to work, Middleton — now known as the Duchess of Cambridge — was snapped by photographers grocery shopping near the couple's home on the remote Welsh island of Angelsey. The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 Indian Ocean islands about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) east of the Kenyan coast. A popular luxury destination, it lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare, adding to the destination's appeal.
Srdjana Janosevic, the press secretary for the Seychelles' president, had no confirmation Tuesday that the royal couple had arrived or planned to vacation there, but noted they have visited the Seychelles before. "Anyone who comes back and continues to enjoy the island, it just shows that it's a very desirable tourist destination," Janosevic said. "I think everyone would be happy if they are here." The Seychelles has only about 90,000 people. While the British media feature constant stories on the royals, a top headline Tuesday in the Seychelles Nation newspaper was about an increase in pork and chicken production. The top local topic is the country's May 19-21 presidential election, where President James Michel faces three challengers.
If the couple have chosen the Seychelles, it will be East Africa's second connection to the royal wedding. William proposed to Kate last October in a rustic log cabin on the slopes of Kenya's highest peak, Mount Kenya. Both Kenya and the Seychelles are former British colonies.
By REBECCA ENGLISH And they're orf: Kate and William at Buckingham Palace before flying by helicopter for their 'mini-moon' The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have left for a two-week honeymoon in a secret hideaway in the Indian Ocean. The newlyweds will stay in an exclusive villa that costs £4,000-a-night and is said to be located on one of the most beautiful and romantic islands in the world. The Duke and Duchess are believed to have flown out by private jet yesterday before being taken by helicopter from the mainland to the tropical retreat. Back to work - but not for long. William was spotted returning to the Air and Sea Rescue headquarters at RAF Vally in Anglesey after the wedding William's car was apparently seen leaving Anglesey, north Wales, yesterday accompanied by a police Range Rover piled high with luggage. A spokesman for St James's Palace said he would not confirm their honeymoon destination, although according to reports, the couple may have headed for the Seychelles. The spokesman added William has taken two weeks leave from operational duties. 'The couple have asked that their privacy be respected during their honeymoon.' Stocking up: Kate was seen shopping for provisions at Waitrose shortly after the celebrations If the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen the Seychelles for their honeymoon they could well be heading for an idyllic location they visited four years ago - the island of Desroches A source said: ‘It’s one of the most incredible places you will ever visit and Kate will have the time of her life. It’s everything you could want from a honeymoon destination and more – beautiful beaches, tropical seas and complete privacy. ‘The Prince’s protection officers flew out to check it out and their villa has been booked and confirmed. The couple were seen taking off from Buckingham Palace the day after their wedding Like everyone else he works with, Prince William had to apply to take time off before the wedding The island of Desroches is a paradise just four miles long, about 150 miles south west of the Seychelles' main island, Mahe source:dailymail
To close the shortest month of the year, Wendy asked Weekly Geeks for a short post on short books, and offered several possible angles on the topic:
Do you prefer reading short books or chunky books? Why?
Do you enjoy novellas? Tell us about some of your favorites.
Are you a short story reader? Tell us about some of your favorite short story authors. Is there a favorite collection of short stories you've read and can recommend?
What makes a good short story?
Do you shy away from short stories? Why?
Review a book which is less than 200 pages long.
Go through your TBR stacks and come up with five short books you can't wait to read - tell us a little about them.
Write a unique post of your own ... as long as it in some way relates to short stories or short books.
Gautami Tripathy tells us what appeals to her about short stories:
A short story contains all the elements of a novel but in a compressed manner. A great story teller can mesmerize us and also tickle us with his short stories. I find short stories great for the in between reads as well as when there is short attention span. Melissa Pilakowski’s recent reading has been the opposite of short:
In the past few months I’ve read The Instructions by Adam Levin, The Lay of the Land and Independence Day by Richard Ford, Anthology of an American Girl by Hilary Hamann Thayer, Tales of a Madman Underground by John Barnes, and Deliriumby Lauren Oliver. All of them range from 400-1000 pages.
While I’m not about to tell Pulitzer Prize Winner Richard Ford that he should edit down his writing, I think that over-writing is an issue in many of these long stories. Lifetime Reader noticed a common thread in some of her favorite short stories:
Occasionally it occurs to me that these authors echo the voices of my family members when I was growing up in the South...As I write this post, I also see that these three stories are all about women who separate themselves from their home--either physically or culturally--and then have to grapple with their relationship to that home. The characters see themselves as superior, but in each case there is something in the stories that knocks them off that attitude. Lauren chose to review a book less than 200 pages long:
As a kid, I was never one for survival or wilderness stories, which is why it has taken so long for me to get around to The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. But when I saw the beautiful new 50th Anniversary Gift Edition, complete with gorgeous watercolors by Ted Lewin, I knew it was finally time to read this classic children’s novel.
My conclusion is this: O’Dell’s novel is a much, much better version of Daniel Defoe’s plodding stranded-on-a-desert-island novel. Thanks to all of this week’s Geeks for keeping it short and sweet!
Joanna has been married to Paul for 25 years. In those two and a half decades, they have moved dozens of times, following Paul’s successful career. Each time, Joanna is expected to be the dutiful corporate wife by packing up and following Paul around without any complaints. But when Joanna learns that another move is eminent, she packs her bags and heads down to Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, an area she had fallen in love with years ago. She moves in with Grace, an older woman who retreated to Pawley’s Island to live out her last few months of life. Joanna’s impromptu “holiday” extends to several months, during which she finds a bit of happiness that she’s been missing for so long. McFadden wrote a wonderful account of a woman’s struggle for independence. The reader experiences the story from three viewpoints: Joanna, her husband Paul, and Grace. The lessons learned by each character during their journey of self discovery are very valuable, and for this reason I envision this book generating a lot of discussion in book clubs nationwide.
I felt like posting today, but really had nothing to post since I'm a bit defunct right now and I'm trying to save up reviews for when I get back in school. I saw this post at Books and Movies this week and decided to do this myself!
Book next to your bed right now:Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine, Armadale by Wilki Collins, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Favorite series: Recently my favorite series is probably The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen. Otherwise probably Harry Potter. Favorite book:Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Middlemarch by George Eliot, On the Road by Jack Kerouac, and A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. The one book you would have with you if stranded on a desert island: Right now I'd say Shirley by Charlotte Bronte as it is quite long and I have yet to read it. Book/series you would take with you on a long flight: Well I just went on a fairly short flight and I took The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen on my flight in (great plane reading!) and I took The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (not so great plane reading, but still enjoyable). If I were going on another flight tomorrow I would take Just Kids by Patti Smith. I just got it and after listening to her on Bookworm with Michael Silverblatt I'm really excited to read it. Worst book you were made to read in school: No contest: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. That book made me question my love of reading. Book that everyone should be made to read in school:The Stranger by Albert Camus. Book that everyone should read, period:The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Favorite character: Mr. Rochester. Best villain: Count Fosco in The Woman in White. Favorite concept series: I'll tell you as soon as you tell me what a concept series is. Favorite invented world: I'm not sure if it's really an invented world but it's definitely a different world. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. Most beautifully written book:The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Funniest book:Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don't Float was hilarious.
The plans for the construction of a new museum on the Greek island of Delos were approved by the Central Archaeological Council, after the funds for the plans were collected.
According to the plans, the new museum will have to adhere to strict bio-climatic architectural standards and must be situated as far away as possible from the sea, in order to better protect the antiquities and the museum itself from the elements.
The new museum will occupy a space of at least 5,000 square meters and will feature all of the exhibits displayed in the existing museum, along with many other artefacts located on the island’s archaeological sites and in storage.
The funds for the construction plans were donated by the London-based International Foundation for Greece.
The reclining Buddha statue in Danagirigala, Sri Lanka now only has one eye. Treasure hunters pulled out the other one. The stone pillow on which the Buddha rests his golden, curly-haired head has a hole in it.The reclining Buddha at Danagirigala, Sri Lanka which lost an eye and suffered other damage in 2005 [Credit: Department of Archaeology Sri Lanka/DPA]
"The perpetrators were hoping to find gold, silver, precious stones or ivory," says Senarath Dissanayake, director general of Sri Lanka's Department of Archaeology. Destructive treasure hunting is a major problem in the island country off the tip of India.
"Treasure hunting is based only on folklore about great riches. It has no scientific basis," Dissanayake says.
The culprits in Danagirigala went home empty-handed, as did the ones who damaged a stupa (Buddhist burial mound) in Danowita and in Nurwarakanda where treasure-hunters drilled into the chest, belly button and pedestal of a seated Buddha statue.
The parts of a sword hilt stolen from Sri Lanka's National Museum in 2013. It dates from the time of the Kingdom of Kandy (late 15th to early 19th century) [Credit: Department of Archaeology Sri Lanka/DPA]
Over the past two decades, police have come across more than 4,000 cases of such vandalism. The situation was particularly bad in 2012 and 2013 with the floors of caves dug up, the houses of former chieftains torn down and monks' dwellings destroyed.
On average there was more than one such act every day.
"The trend is a consequence of the fact that people no longer have morals and ethics," Dissanayake says.
The remains of a brick and plaster Buddha statue at Hebessa that was destroyed by treasure hunters [Credit: Department of Archaeology Sri Lanka/DPA]
Archaeologists have little chance of stopping the would-be thieves. According to the archaeology director, the small island has more than 250,000 historic sites, "the highest density in the world" of heritage places.
Items have even been taken from the National Museum in the capital Colombo. A stolen metal sword hilt from the time of the Kingdom of Kandy (late 15th to early 19th century) was later recovered - although by then it had been cut into four pieces.
The head of the special unit tasked with preventing the destruction and theft of antiquities is Udeni Wickramasinghe.
A Buddha at Nuwarakanda, Sri Lanka which was torn open by treasure hunters [Credit: Department of Archaeology Sri Lanka/DPA]
"The problem is that many people cannot distinguish between fact-based history and mythical epics," she says. In the case of the Buddha with three holes drilled into it, this was because of a story that the Buddhist monks hid their valuables inside the statue. Wickramasinghe wrote her doctoral thesis on the excavations at the stupa in Neelagiri Maha Seya. Until 2009 this lay within an area controlled for several decades by LTTE rebels and so wasn't targeted by treasure hunters.
After the end of the civil war, Wickramasinghe and colleagues spent several years excavating around the huge, semi-circular burial mound.
"We found inscriptions, 20 pots, pearls, 150 mini-pagodas and a few semi-precious stones. Much of spiritual but nothing of great material value," she says.
A stupa in Danowita, Sri Lanka that was badly damaged by treasure hunters in 2012 [Credit: Department of Archaeology Sri Lanka/DPA]
Nevertheless, there are persistent urban legends about a police chief who took treasure from the jungle or a man who used a digger to excavate a stupa and bought a million-dollar car with the riches he found.
"People who are greedy forget their religion," says monk and former member of parliament Ellawala Medhananda.
To the perpetrators it doesn't matter whether a building dates from the fourth or fifth century or is particularly symbolically important, says Medhananda, author of numerous archaeological books.
"I am so sad that our rich national culture is being destroyed," he says. "Unique things are being lost."
Sometimes you have to leave your life to find yourself again . . . After more than a dozen moves in twenty-five years of marriage, Joanna Harrison is lonely and tired of being a corporate wife. Her children are grown and gone, her husband is more married to his job than to her, and now they're about to pack up once more. Panicked at the thought of having to start all over again, Joanna commits the first irresponsible act of her life. She runs away to Pawleys Island, South Carolina, a place she's been to just once.
She finds a job as a live-in companion to Grace Finelli, a widow who has come to the island to fulfill a girlhood dream. Together the two women embark on the most difficult journey of their lives: Joanna struggling for independence, roots, and a future of her own, as her family tugs at her from afar; and Grace, choosing to live the remainder of her life for herself alone, knowing she may never see her children again.
Entwined is Paul Harrison's story as he loses his wife, his job, and everything that defines him as a man. He takes off on his own journey out west, searching for the answers to all that has gone wrong in his life. One thing remains constant: He wants his wife back.
Joanna, however, is moving farther away from her old life as she joins a group dedicated to rescuing endangered loggerhead turtles, led by a charismatic fisherman unlike anyone she's ever met.
The Richest Season is a stunning debut about three very different people, each changing their lives when such transformations are usually long over. It will resonate with any woman who's ever fantasized about leaving home to find herself.
To enter the contest, comment on this article. To be entered twice, blog about it. The contest will run until Monday, August 11. The contest has been extended a few days beyond the norm because several of my "sisters" from my online book group, PageTurners, will be in town!!
While I was avoiding homework this morning I ran across an article on Twitter called 20 Books Every Teen and Tween Should Read Before They Hit 16. It's a pretty good list, although I haven't heard of some of the books before and I have read less than half of them and most of the books I definitely did not read by the time I was 16. Some of these I've actually read during the course of writing on my blog! Books from the list I have read are:
To Kill a Mockingbird The Harry Potter Series Animal Farm The Perks of Being a Wallflower Macbeth Go Ask Alice The Outsiders Are You There God? It's Me Margaret
Books on the list I haven't read are:
The Catcher in the Rye (Although I've read pretty much everything else by Salinger) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Maus The Lord of the Flies The Golden Compass The Island of Dr. Moreau Flowers for Algernon A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank The Invention of Hugo Cabret Treasure Island Slake's Limbo
Some of these I'm not that interested in reading, but some of them I feel like I really need to read. And since I didn't quite make it by sixteen, I think I'm going to try to get some of them in before 21. I have about eight months until my 21st birthday and there are 12 books I haven't read. I think I'd like to read at least six. Does anyone have any ideas on what books would be the best to read from this list? Have you read the books on this list? What do you think is missing? Personally, I think On the Road should be on there.
Four groups of historically important areas in Japan were recommended to the Cultural Affairs Agency for registration as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites, the agency announced.The Mozu tumulus group, part of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun Ancient Tumulus Clusters, in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture [Credit: Asahi Shimbun]
The areas are: the Jomon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaido, northern Tohoku, and other regions (Aomori, Akita and Iwate prefectures); the Sado Gold and Silver Mine in Niigata Prefecture; the Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun Ancient Tumulus Clusters in Osaka Prefecture; and Okinoshima island and related sites in the Munakata region of Fukuoka Prefecture.
Oyukanjoresseki, stone remains that are a part of the Jomon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaido, northern Tohoku, and other regions, are seen in Kazuno, Akita Prefecture [Credit: Asahi Shimbun]Odatetatekoyagura, a facility of the former Sado Gold and Silver Mine in Niigata Prefecture [Credit: Asahi Shimbun]
The submission of the draft recommendations marked the first step toward applying for UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status in 2017, the agency said March 27.
Okinoshima island in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture [Credit: Asahi Shimbun]
The Council for Cultural Affairs, an advisory body to the agency, will review the suggestions and select one to be submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Everyone, help me welcome Sierra to the blog today! She has an absolutely wonderful memory to share with everyone today! Help me make her feel welcome!
My name is Sierra, and I blog on Yearning_To_Read. I've been blogging for almost a year now; I started Yearning To Read back in June 2010. It has been an amazing experience, and I feel so priveleged to be a part of a project like this. My blog first started out as a way to review good books (okay, and some bad, too) and have fun with it. Now it has turned into much more: I write about vintage books that I buy, poems, and quotes that I love; and in January I added something new: giveaways, so far my favorite aspect of blogging. I love giving books: What a great way to do it!
About me: I'm a 17-year-old senior in highschool and I've been homeschooled since preschool. I LOVE it. LOVE LOVE LOVE. It has allowed me to study everything that I would study in a public school, but it also gives me a greater freedom to focus on what I love: literature, writing, foreign language, and Photography. It has been a journey, full of adventures. AND... my mom is the best teacher.:) I live in San Diego, CA, which is one of the best places to live. Someday I hope to travel to new ends of the world, but I want to always have a home to come back to in San Diego. I've beed a reading maniac since I was 7, and I've been writing novels (yes, novels) since I was 8. Not that they were any good, of course, but it's the thought that counts, right? I still write all the time... the stories come and come and come relentlessly. I hope to someday be a published author. It's been my goal for 9 years and counting — I'd say that's pretty promising!
And now, for my memory.
It was Easter Sunday, 2008, after church. It's funny, how some days start as one thing, with you having a goal for the day, an idea of what it's going to look like. And then, it all changes. Drastically. Funny what books can do to you in a day.
The day before, I had picked up Inkheart. I'd bought it a while before, with its published companion Inkspell. I'd heard it was good from a friend; the movie was coming out; I had a giftcard. How could I lose? But anyway, back to the story:
I remember lunch at our house, with our friends. I brought Inkheart to the table with me and had it under my leg. (This is the first time I remember doing this.) Between bites, I'd reach down and feel the cover, the grooves and bumps on it which were (and still are) Meggie's fingers, the gold coins from Treasure Island, the lizzard from the desert, the castle from the fairytales. I wanted to read it; I wanted to be captured in the story and transported. After lunch, I helped clean up a bit, but I was itching. Itching for the story beyond the covers. The second I was free, I ran upstairs and into my room, where I stayed. I opened the book. And read.
For 6 hours.
Now, let's get something straight here: I'm not a fast reader. I got a total of about 250 pages done in those six hours. I took two breaks. But the rest of the time, I was hooked. I remember it vividly, the first time I read that journey and was immersed. I remember starting by sitting on my bed; that soon got stuffy and uncomfortable, after so much food. Then I sat between my desk and my footboard, legs up, book on my knees. That, too, eventually became uncomfortable. My legs cramped and it was getting hot in the room. (Or was that Dustfinger's fire, leaping out of the pages to catch me?) Then I went outside to the patio, where I read some more. I sat on a reclining chair and my body soaked up the spring sunshine and fresh air — and all the while my mind was soaking up the intense story that isInkheart. My mind was lost in a fantastic world that becomes a part of the reader.
I finished Inkheart two days later. Then, I started Inkspell.
In no way was I prepared for what lay on those pages, in that ink. I'd experienced a ride with Inkheart — but with Inkspell... I don't know. Something was different. Mentally, emotionally. It played with my emotions like Dustfinger plays with his fire, like Mo plays with his words. In the end... let's just say that not very many other books make me sob. (I am a usual crier, yes, but not a usual sobber.) If a book gets me so emotionally that I cry really hard, it usually ends up on my favorites shelf. It means more to me than most books because it moved me more. It was just so when I finished Inkspell. I was sitting on the couch (I think it was the Thursday after Easter Sunday) and my sister was sitting across from me, reading one of the Madeleine L'Engle books. And as I lay there, reading the last few chapters, sniffling and wiping tears away and burying my head in my arms, she kept staring at me strangely, wondering what the heck could have changed my emotions so drastically.
(Are you wanting to know as well? I advise you read the book. 'Twill be worth it, I promise.)
And that is my memory. My vivid, lovely memory. I remember all the emotions, the sights and smells. In fact, the smell of the Inkbooks are still some of my favorites to date. Oh, and did I read Inkdeath ? Yes, yes I did. I remember longing for it, and when it came in the mail I was proud to know that I was one of the first people to ever hold it in my hands. And I LOVED the book.
This memory is particularly special to me, for a few reasons. Not only were these some of the very first books that I became emotionally attached to, but they were also some of the first fantasy books I'd ever read. They got me hooked on the genre, and they are still an example of what great fantasy is. Since that week I've read Inkheart 3 times total, Inkspell twice total (and the end several times — it makes me cry every single time), and Inkdeath once. Each time I read the first two, those memories come back, swiftly and vividly. It's strange — the books that talk about books catching memories between their pages are the books that have caught the most memories for me.
And they are memories I will always cherish and will never forget.
Thank you so much Sierra, for sharing your memories with us! This sounds like an incredibly important read for you. I remember these life changing reading experiences in my own life, and am so happy that you shared yours with us!
Readers, remember that if you would like to be a Memory Monday guest, in my blog for more information!
Last night Amon Amarth brought their furious Heavy Metal to hundreds of headbangers at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square, New York City, for "An Evening with Amon Amarth". We had personally never seen the band, but had very high expectations, which the band proved right last night and demonstrated that they are one of the most important Heavy Metal bands to ever surface from Scandinavia. Last night was Amon Amarth's show, and like any band that plays New York City, they know that people have great expectations. We had a chance to talk with the band before the show and they were all pretty anxious to deliver their powerful music to all the Metaleros present at the show. For over 2 hours the band demonstrated how tight they are on stage and made everyone in the crowd tired just by watching them play their music at full blast. The band played two full sets. On the first set they played their brand new album "Surtur Rising" in its entirety, and after a short intermission (beer break) they played a second set full of their famous Viking Metal anthems. The technicality of this band is without a doubt what made them successful and what keeps people coming back to their shows and losing their mind in the pit. We ran into Brian Slagel from Metal Blade Records (Amon Amarth's label) at the end of the show and we sarcastically told him that the show was so bad that we either wanted our money back or for the band to do another show. He confirmed that they will be back in New York City at the end of the summer. We can't wait! \m/ SETLIST for Set 1: 1) "War of the Gods" 2) "Töck's Taunt: Loke's Treachery Part II" 3) "Destroyer of the Universe" 4) "Slaves of Fear" 5) "Live Without Regrets" 6) "The Last Stand of Frej" 7) "For Victory or Death" 8) "Wrath of the Norsemen" 9) "A Beast Am I" 10) "Doom Over Dead Man" SETLIST for Set 2: 1) Twilight of the Thunder God 2) Masters of War 3) Live for the Kill 4) With Oden on our Side 5) Guardians of Asgaard 6) Asator 7) Varyags of Miklagaard 8) Thousands Years of Oppression 9) Without Fear 10) Victorious March/Gods of War/Death in Fire Encore: 1) Cry of the Black Birds 2) Runes to My Memory 3) The Pursuit of Viking Here is what the fans thought about the show: "I've been to many metal shows, countless to be honest. And I can truly say, The show you put on tonight was the most brutal show I have ever been too. keep up the good work guys! \m/" - Anthony Rafferty (Staten Island, New York) "This was the best show I have ever been to. Of course I had to finish my evening with a trip to see thor. I think Johan would have been a much better choice." - Stephanie Ramos Weininger "AWESOME SHOW ♥ Thanks for making a bad day turn into a great night :3 I lost my voice and I am damned happy about it. Thanks guys!" - Ley Dodds "Thanks so much had a blast. Mosh the whole night. 1 and 2 sets were fucking brutal!" Diego Tapia (Queens) Remaining US tour-dates: 5/06: Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA 5/07: Theatre Of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA EUROPEAN tour - SURTUR RISING Presented by METAL HAMMER Special Guests BLACK DAHLIA MURDER & EVOCATION 13/5 (N) OSLO / Betong 14/5 (S) STOCKHOLM / Tyrol 15/5 (S) GOTHENBURG / Trädgarn * 17/5 (DK) COPENHAGEN / Vega 18/5 (D) HAMBURG / Grosse Freiheit 36 19/5 (B) ANTWERP / Hof Ter Lo 20/5 (NL) AMSTERDAM / Melkweg 21/5 (D) COLOGNE / E-Werk (Tickets) 22/5 (F) PARIS / Elysee Montmartre 24/5 (D) MUNICH / Tonhalle (Tickets) 25/5 (I) MILAN / Limelight 27/5 (D) DESSAU / Metalfest Germany 28/5 (A) MINING / Metalfest Austria 29/5 (CH) PRATTELN / Metalfest Switzerland *without Black Dahlia Murder Photo Credit: BetYouIdid Related links: Official landing page for Surtur Rising Amon Amarth's Official site Metal Blade TV Amon Amarth on Facebook Follow Amon Amarth on Twitter Amon Amarth on MySpace
They are tattered yellowing fragments of bygone civilisations, ancient manuscripts that open a outstanding window on preceding millennia, including the earliest days of Christianity. But papyrus scrolls are also now increasingly hot items in the distinctly 21st Century globe of the on the web auction trade.Papyrus trading is becoming feverish with 15 tattered lines of Homer selling at £16,000 [Credit: Telegraph]
A rectangular scrap measuring about 4.five inches by 1.five inches and featuring 15 partial lines of Homer's epic poem The Iliad in the elegant hand of a 4th Century Egyptian scribe was just [DEC] picked up by an unidentified European purchaser for £16,000 right after a feverish Net auction battle.
That value was way above the posted estimated but is standard of the sums that collectors will now devote to lay their hands on these fingerprints from the previous. Indeed, it is not just modern day art that has been setting jaw-dropping records at auction lately - so have ancient scrolls.
When a fragmentary parchment sheet from the 3rd century AD featuring portions of Paul's epistle to the Romans was bought at Sotheby's for £301,000 auctioneers and antiquity authorities alike have been stunned.
But even though there is no suggestion of any impropriety in these unique sales, scholars are alarmed by the burgeoning online trade as some unscrupulous sellers also cash in. They portray a no cost-ranging trade, particularly on the on line auction giant eBay, exactly where precious documents are carved up for sale, potentially stolen goods are trafficked and forgers can flourish.
Brice Jones, a papyrologist and lecturer in New Testament and Early Christianity at Concordia University in Montreal, has turn into an on the web scrolls sleuth, scouring auction web-sites for manuscripts that are usually incorrectly labeled or their provenance unclear.
A couple of pieces are straightforward forgeries. Most famously, the papyrus fragment called the Gospel of Jesus's Wife created headlines for apparently overturning almost two millennia of theological teaching that Jesus was unmarried, but is now widely viewed as a forgery.
Considerably a lot more distressingly, some sellers are dismembering papyrus books to sell things page-by-page, a financially lucrative endeavor that amounts to small extra than vandalism of ancient works.
A single eBay papyrus seller turned out to be two sisters who ran an online beauty supplies store. They had inherited a Book of Revelation from which they cut person pages to sell on an ad hoc basis to fund the wedding costs for one.
But Mr Jones has also identified a proliferation of scrolls becoming sold of which the origin and ownership is unknown or unclear. A fragment of papyrus with neatly penned Greek script of Homers Iliad, 565-580, 4th Century AD. Ex Hamdy Sakr collection, London, formed in the 1960's. There had been only two serious bidders on the piece and it probably went a lot greater than either of them had anticipated.
Papyrus itself is a tall, fibrous reed plant that grew along the shallow banks of the Nile River in Egypt. 'Papyrus' is the Latin type of the Greek word papuros, from which the English word 'paper' is derived.
The papyri - mostly written in ancient Greek and Coptic - variety from items such as rare biblical texts or the lines of the Iliad to hum-drum but fascinating each day records of book-maintaining accounts or letters amongst loved ones members. All exert an incredible lure for collectors, historians, archaeologists and theologians.
But under American and Egyptian law, only antiquities that can be verified currently to have been in private hands ahead of the early 1970s can be traded. Those guidelines are intended to avoid looting and end the export of papyrus that is generally still identified by Bedouin tribesmen, preserved by the arid desert situations. But critics say that lots of sellers skirt or ignore the guidelines on Internet internet sites that are difficult to monitor and regulate.
The disapproving tone from academia also reflects a deep philosophical objection by many scholars to how manuscripts flow by means of private hands, fearing that priceless scripts will disappear forever amid the frenzy of trading.
"The study of ancient papyri is a fascinating field of historical inquiry, simply because these artefacts are the fingerprints of true men and women from a bygone era," Mr Jones told The Telegraph.
"Each time I study a new papyrus, it is as if I am peeking over the shoulders of the scribe who wrote it, eavesdropping on a conversation that in several cases was meant to be private: an argument in between a husband and wife, a divorce contract, an invitation to dinner, a letter in between a father and son.
"But when private collectors acquire papyri for private enjoyment and restrict scholarly access to them, the instant consequence is that we drop worthwhile historical info that would otherwise advance our understanding about ancient people."
Nonetheless, the owner of a little specialist World-wide-web auction corporation, who asked not to be named due to the fact of the sensitivity of the situation, pushed back against these criticisms.
"We are scrupulous about producing certain of ownership despite the fact that not everybody is so fussy and it's accurate that there are some people today who know practically nothing who are out attempting to make a buck in the wild West of the Web," he mentioned.
"But some of these archaeologists and purists simply hate the reality that that any private person would personal, invest in or sell antiquities.
"They ignore the reality that things like this have always been collected. Indeed, some of these scripts have been commissioned by the private collectors of that time.
"Collectors play a crucial function in preserving these items with their interest. A lot of these items would stay hidden, forgotten, fading away, unknown to the scholars, if there was not a industry for them."
Amongst specialists in the research of early Christianity, there is specific concern about the emergence of eBay as a absolutely free-wheeling marketplace for antiquities, with low opening bids and normally exaggerated language to lure in possible purchasers.
An eBay spokesman, however, stated that its150 million buyers and sellers "must make certain listings comply with our clear policy on artefacts. We operate with regulators, law enforcement and other parties which includes the Egyptian Embassy to apply this policy, and if a listing of concern is identified we will need proof that it was legally exported and take away any listing exactly where this proof is not supplied."
As a specialist who spends his life studying such scrolls, Mr Jones also has concerns for the preservation and conservation of sensitive centuries-old documents when they are handled by traders.
He cited then instance of the well-known papyrus codex of the Gospel of Judas, which published in 2006. It was stored by one particular of its owners in a protected-deposit box on Long Island for sixteen years, and then placed in a freezer by a possible purchaser who thought that was the ideal way to preserve it.
"The benefits of these choices have been horrifying: the codex crumbled into quite a few hundreds of tiny pieces and what was after a practically total codex was now badly deteriorated and tricky to restore," he stated.
The booming trade has clearly revealed to scholars how numerous papyri have survived down the centuries.
"This prompts the question: just how quite a few ancient manuscripts are sitting in the basements, match boxes, drawers, safes, or shelves of private collectors about the globe?" Mr Jones asked lately.
"It is nearly certain that numerous ancient manuscripts or fragments thereof are just sitting in the dark closets of their collectors, decaying and crumbling to pieces. The public demands to be conscious of the importance of the preservation of antiquities, for the reason that when they are gone, they are gone forever."
Author: Philip Sherwell | Source: The Telegraph [December 28, 2014]
Those that know me are aware of my obsession with thriller and horror fiction. Thrillfest is like my dream come true; the opportunity, according to Jon Land, Vice President of Marketing for ITW, to "mix and mingle with some of the biggest names in the business." But, alas, since I took time off to attend BEA in May, I can't take off any additional work time without experiencing intense feelings of guilt.
One of the highlights of the event is the coveted ThrillerMaster Award, recognizing outstanding contribution to the thriller genre. This year’s winner is noted author David Morrell, widely considered the “father” of the contemporary action novel with his 1974 debut First Blood (which introduced the character of Rambo to the world). The award celebrates Morrell’s amazing career, spanning 37 years and 28 novels published in dozens of languages across the globe.
The prestigious Silver Bullet Award, recognizing outstanding achievement in the encouragement of literacy and the love of reading, will be presented to the #1 New York Times bestselling suspense novelist Brad Meltzer (The Book of Fate).
Additional bestselling spotlight guests that will attend are last year’s ThrillerMaster award recipient Sandra Brown as well as Robin Cook, Katherine Neville, and David Baldacci.
The four-day event includes numerous author signings, a complete bookstore on premises, a cocktail party and reception for readers, a roasting of Clive Cussler, and a breakfast featuring first-time authors. The highlight is the annual ThrillerFest Awards Banquet, which this year will take place at Cipriani, one of New York City’s most spectacular event venues.
Some of the biggest names in the genre will be holding court with interactive panel sessions, including Kathleen Antrim, Steve Berry, Peter Rubie, William Bernhardt, James Rollins, Barry Eisler, Andrew Gross, David Hewson, Jon Land, Eric Van Lustbader, Gayle Lynds, Steve Martini, Donald Maass, Joan Johnston and many more.
2009 Thriller Award Nominees:
Best Thriller of the Year
Hold Tight by Harlan Coben The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery DeaverT The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver The Dark Tide by Andrew Gross The Last Patriot by Brad Thor
Best First Novel
Calumet City by Charlie Newton Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith Criminal Paradise by Steven Thomas Sacrifice by S. J. Bolton The Killer's Wife by Bill Floyd
Best Short Story
Between the Dark and the Daylight by Tom Piccirilli (Ellery Queen Magazine) Last Island South by John C. Boland (Ellery Queen Magazine) The Edge of Seventeen by Alexandra Sokoloff (The Darker Mask) The Point Guard by Jason Pinter (Killer Year Anthology) Time of the Green by Ken Bruen (Killer Year Anthology)
So, if you are able to attend Thrillerfest, do so! I plan on attending next year. For more information, and to register, visit The International Thriller Writers Web Site.
