Galaxy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Galaxy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Recipe. A fun specialty sandwich from my Star Wars Cookbook is a Galaxy Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Now this isn’t your average plain jane grilled cheese sandwich. I has pickles on it. I like pickles but wasn’t sure of them grilled with cheese but to my surprise it was super tasty after I made and tried them. It’s just basically making your grilled cheese sandwiches as you normally do...

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Citrus Chicken Recipe

Citrus chicken recipe This is a recipe that I’ve had for ages and although we no longer eat meat,I often use this recipe to make the yummy sauce when we are having guests for a barbecued meal. The recipe is very tasty when made exactly as you see it below. When I’m making it as is, I just make a couple of changes — but it’s up to you. I serve the grapefruit and kiwi in separate bowls rather than using the fruit...

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Working with text: Tables

Working with text: Tables Format a menu using tables I have several clients who are restaurateurs and they know the importance of well-presented menus. Therefore, I often find myself working on them. When working with almost all text jobs, creating tables and cells is an important way of layout out the information. They keep the text in a regular, tidy form with nothing to distract the eater from the menu offerings. Oh, and I always...

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Lamb & Chicken Gabonais Recipe from Marion Preminger

Lamb & Chicken Gabonais Recipe from Marion Mill Preminger Before we get to this African recipe,I’ll just explain first that Marion Mill was the one-time wife of movie director and producer, Otto Preminger. She then fell in love with a suspected Nazi spy, unsuccessfully, and then spent many years working with Albert Schweitzer in his hospital in Africa. By 1964, she was living in New York with her husband Albert Mayer, a...

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Queen Elizabeth II: The world’s oldest serving monarch

Queen Elizabeth II: The world’s oldest serving monarch. Princess Elizabeth became queen on 6th February, 1952. Little did she know that she would become the oldest monarch in the world. On 23rd January, 2015, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia died at the age of ninety making the queen the oldest sovereign. She was born in 1926. Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years, 216 days, a record the queen topped in September 2015. Victoria lived...

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Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Living to Tell the Tale

The early life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Should you read this amazing book before you read his novels? That wasn’t an issue for me because I have been reading Marquez for decades so to me, this book is a wonderful way about learning more. More, not just about the author’s life but how his books and stories are crafted. I knew that basic facts of his life – born in the nineteen twenties in Colobia, a journalist in...

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Eric Jackson: The Chieftain Rally 1973

Eric Jackson: Chieftain Rally 1973 Rally driver Eric Jackson was strictly a Ford man. The only recorded competition car he drove that wasn’t a Ford was a Vauxhall in the 1959 Monte Carlo Rally. So it’s not surprising that when Jacko had ‘the big one’ – the rally accident that nearly finished him off – he was driving a Ford Escort. Here’s a photograph of how he managed to rearrange the car:...

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Fort Lauderdale: For the Business Traveller

Travelling to Fort Lauderdale on business? Every year studies show that business travel is increasing rapidly. And many of these travellers are looking for accommodation that offers something more than faceless chain hotels. We have just the place for you. Instead of an out-of-the-way hotel, stay at your own waterfront apartment with every facility  – that’s close to the beach and the very best shopping and dining...

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Florida Birds : An Osprey’s Catch

The beach here in Florida that I walk daily tends to be pretty quiet, birdwise. The coastline here is smooth and clear, with unfettered lines and shallow shores. It’s a big city beach, where the A1A coastal highway runs right alongside the ocean. The backshore dunes are shallow here, and there are few patches of wilderness to speak of.  These quiet beaches support an unseen wildlife including worms, bivalves and crustaceans,...

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Spicy onion fritters

Spicy onion fritters – or use the vegetables of your choice. These vegetable fritters are so delicious.Part of the reason for that is the beautifully light batter. It’s truly fabulous and contains a special secret ingredient. I like to make onion fritters using this special batter – it’s really so light and tasty – but I’ve experimented with other vegetables too. Use whatever you have available...

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A song for Sunrise – The Cherokee Morning Song

Over looking our Fort Lauderdale beach, his eyes trained on the morning sun, is a single tree totem, the Whispering Giant. He was carved out of a single cyress log by Hungarian-born scuptor Peter Wolf Toth. His aim is always to create a composite of all the physical characteristics of the local tribe or tribes, as well as their stories and histories. There are 74 documented giants around North America, one in each state of the union....

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Top British Chefs

Top British Chefs How did Britain get its ‘reputation’ as being a place with less than perfect cuisine? It’s a myth that’s easy to explain and you only have to look at the chefs you featured below to see that great food is alive and well in the United Kingdom. Britain has a very long history of fabulous food going back hundreds of years. Our first cookbook appeared in medieval days and the recipes are still...

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The White Van: By Patrick Hoffman

The White Van: Review. Emily wakes up – sort of – to find herself alone in a hotel room. As she comes round, she remembers that she’d been in a bar and met a man – a Russian. No, it was nothing like that – she hadn’t exactly been picked up and there’d been no activity of the type normally associated with situations where two people of the opposite sex who met in abar ended up in a hotel room...

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Enjoy Yourself, it’s Later Than You Think

Enjoy Yourself, it’s Later Than You Think: Good advice It might just be a song lyric, but it does have a ring of truth,doesn’t it? Admittedly, ‘it’s later than you think‘ might be a touch maudlin but the point is, it’s true. You see, I’m seventeen. Well, you know I’m not but in my head I am.  My dad is in his nineties. I wonder how old he is in his head? Much younger, I’ll bet. I...

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Unsuccessful? Read This

Heroic Failures There comes a time when I get tired about reading about the great and the good. Sure, it’s nice to read about famous inventors, scientists, literary giants, artists and all the people who have added to our knowledge and enhanced our lives. Maybe there’s a bit of a green tinge to these thoughts – I know that I’m never going to join their ranks. Occasionally there’s something rather...

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Who were Charters and Caldicott

I don’t know about you, but when I’m watching a classic movie I’m always taken by the characters on the edge of the action. The more than curious bystander who gets caught up in the action almost accidentally. Take Alfred Hitchcock’s classic take on Agatha Christie’s novel The Lady Vanishes. Two inept and veddy British cricket fans  are amongst passengers on a train out of the European country of...

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Formatting print pages: Quick and easy

Formatting print pages: Quick and easy Transform boring print – fast If you’re a designer, you’ll be familiar with the client who sends you a Word document and a photograph and expects you to transform it – in no time. Can you please make this look better? No colour please, we can’t afford colour printing. Speaking of which,  the printer has a huge workload – can it be ready within half an hour...

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The Myths of Safe Pesticides, by Andre Leu

Book Spotlight: The Myths of Safe Pesticides The Tour We are so pleased to join the virtual book tour for The Myths of Safe Pesticides AND Poisoning Our Children.  Both are touring with iRead Book Tours, from mid-March through mid-April.  Important information for parents especially, but really for everyone.  Do take a look at some of the stops along the tour for articles, reviews and more. This is a book you’ll want to share...

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Eddie Cochran

Eddie Cochran In 1959, Eddie Cochran found out about the tragic deaths of his young fellow musicians, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. They had been killed on tour when their plane crashed in bad weather. Eddie’s friends and family said that this led him towards thoughts of his own doom and that he too was destined to die young. Fourteen months later, when Eddie was on tour in England, he too was killed in an accident....

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Poisoning Our Children, by Andre Leu

Spotlight:  Andre Leu and “Poisoning Our Children” Jaquo is pleased to be a part of the book tour for Author Andre Leu’s “Poisoning Ou Children: The Parents Guide to Myths of Safe Pesticides.  Such an important topic, this is a book you won’t want to miss. Hosted by iRead Book Tours, the author will be stopping in at various sites for reviews, articles and more.  Do drop in at some of the tour sites for...

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Je t’aime: Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg

Je t’aime: Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg. Je t’aime – banned. You’d have thought that by the nineteen sixties people were pretty much unshockable. Mind you, I suspect that the song Je t’aime shocked very few real people, if anyone, but the stuffy BBC decided to ban it from their airwaves. I thought it was rather lovely. The title was repeated, whisperingly, to the sound of luscious organ music, by Jane...

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The Day Michael Caine Discovered a Family Secret

The day Michael Caine discovered a family secret. When actor Michael Caine and his younger brother, Stanley, were growing up in London, on every single Monday their mother used to go to visit their Aunt Lil. The two boys never thought anything about it – it was simply part of the family routine. But many years later, in 1991, the actor found out the truth.She had been going somewhere very different indeed. Michael Caine was in...

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King George I of Greece and the British Royal Family

King George I of Greece and the British Royal Family. What does King George I of Greece have to do with the British royal family of today?  Did you know that most of the royal family are descended from him? This is because he was the grandfather of today’s Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. He became ruler when he was just seventeen and remained on the Greek throne until he was assassinated. It seems strange to us today, but...

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Princess Mary

 Who was Princess Mary? It’s likely that you’ve never heard of England’s Princess Mary but it’s highly possible that even after all these years you are familiar with the story of her brother. For Princess Mary was the sister of Edward VIII, the English king who famously abdicated so that he could marry his American mistress, Wallis Simpson. When you look at the photograph of her on the right, you can see the...

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The Stranger in The Woods, by Michael Finkel

Alone in The Woods… The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of The Last True Hermit.   What a well written, captivating story. This book written by Michael Finkel was a fascination to me. I got the audio version, knowing I’d enjoy reading of a man living alone, surviving harsh conditions. Stories of survival always draw me in. It was far more than that though. It was as much about capturing a thief. So intriguing that...

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Britain’s Got Opera!

Britain and opera. In 1990. I still lived in the UK and a friend from America was visiting. I remember him being amazed because the most popular song at the time – it was in the charts, played on the radio and was a favourite on pub jukeboxes – was Nessun Dorma performed by Luciano Pavarotti. ‘Only in England’ he would say ‘could the most popular song be an aria from a Puccini opera’. But was this a...

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Apollo One Spacecraft Fire

Apollo 1: Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. In summer 1966, NASA chose the crew for the first manned Apollo space mission – a mission that was to end in disaster. Gus was the oldest of the team at forty years old. He had been the second American to fly in space. Ed was thirty six and he had the distinction of being the first US astronaut to walk in space. The youngest crew member was Roger Chaffee who at thirty one was...

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Who Was Gertrude Ederle?

Gertrude, or Trudy as she was more usually known, was a sportswoman who should have been famous and remembered today but despite her achievements she faded into obscurity. In the 1920s she was seen as a pioneer in showing the world that women were not ‘the weaker sex’.  Strangely, women were still considered to be so. Gertrude was the first woman to swim the English Channel She was the first woman to do so and she...

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Mini Printers, by Debra Schoenberger

On Tour With “Walk With Me” Debra Schoenberger has shared an article with us here at Jaquo, as part of the virtual book tour she is currently on for her new book, Walk With Me. The beautiful book of photographs will be a welcome addition to your home.  The variety, the colors, the black and whites, all will strike you differently each time you look at the photographs included.  ​Enjoy her article here below… I take a...

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Walk With Me, by Debra Schoenberger

On Tour With Debra Schoenberger It’s a pleasure to once again present a photographic collection from author Debra Schoenberger. We were first introduced to her on her virtual book tour for India (Our review here). Walk With Me is even more, in that it includes photos from wherever the author might travel, along with photos from her regular walks in her hometown of Victoria BC. The photos are wonderful. Some appeal for the setting,...

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Mint Lime Grilled Mahi-Mahi

Mint Lime Grilled Mahi-Mahi This recipe will work well with any firm white fish but the author recommends mahi-mahi. I suspect that many of us could do with more fish in our diets and this is a wonderful way to serve it. It’s perfect for summer grilling or for those of us who are lucky enough to live somewhere where we can cook outdoors all year round. Save Print Mint Lime Grilled Mahi-Mahi Rating  5 from 1 reviews...

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Who Was Percy Shaw?

Who was Percy Shaw? If you’re from Yorkshire, like me, the chances are that you know perfectly well who Percy Shaw was – and what he invented. If  you don’t know who he was,there’s still the strong likelihood that you see and use his most famous invention every day. There must be millions of them throughout the world. Although you see them every day, you might be so familiar with them that you don’t even...

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The Internet for All

Computers for seniors I really don’t understand why so many older people these days don’t use computers or tablets. Well, I do to some extent. I understand that a) they can not always afford the devices and b) that for some elderly people it might seem as though it’s a technology they will never be able to understand. Are those two problems really too huge to be overcome? Aren’t there so many advantages that...

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Who Was Pablo Fanque?

Who was Pablo Fanque? There’s a question. But the chances are that you might well have heard the name before. There he is on the right. I imagine he looks unfamiliar to you but I think that you might have heard his name, especially if you’re a fan of the Beatles. So what on earth can a bloke who was born in England in 1796 possibly have to do with the Beatles? And how is it that you’ve probably heard his name? Read...

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The Great Sheffield Flood of 1864

The Great Sheffield Flood of 1864. At about 5.30 in the afternoon of 11th March, quarryman William Horsefield  noticed a crack in the embankment of the Dale Dyke Dam, part of a recently built reservoir near Sheffield in Yorkshire. It was only a small crack, he reckoned that he’d be able to slip the blade of a penknife into it and that’s all but nevertheless, he alerted some of the men who worked at the dam. Just over an...

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The Museum of Extraordinary Things

 The Museum of Extraordinary Things: Review This book, written by Alice Hoffman, is an exceptional fiction, bracketed at the beginning and the end with real events. It’s hard to know which are the more horrifying sections – the fact or the fiction. Set in the early years of the twentieth century. the book tells of a strange character indeed – a man who makes his living at Coney Island running a sideshow of...

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How to be Parisian

How to be Parisian – wherever you are Have you ever admired that effortless style that women from Paris seem to have? Everything they do seems to be so stylish and effortless. Whether sitting at a sidewalk café sipping a glass of wine or shopping for the best French bread,  they exude a special something and what’s more, they do it with a twinkle in their eye. Sophisticated they may be, but they are also fun. They are...

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The Triangle Fire

Death in Manhattan: The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Disaster. Thirty five horse-drawn fire fighting vehicles were dashing through the streets of Manhattan.  It was March in 1911 and the streets were quiet on that Saturday afternoon. But nevertheless, the firefighters were unable to save lives that day. They were headed towards the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory where fire had broken out in the ten-storey building. The business, which made...

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Urbio: Designer Wall Storage

Storage plus indoor gardening – perfect for small space living. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to own a Uten.Silo – that wonderful wall storage system designed back in the 1960s. But now I’ve discovered Urbio, I’ve found that it’s far more flexible, so very stylish and it comes at a very reasonable price. What’s more, the Urbio can be bought as modular pieces allowing you to stretch...

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The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell: Review

The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell: Review In later life, Gerald Durrell was a respected naturalist and conservationist but in 1935 he was a ten year old boy when he and his somewhat eccentric family went to live in the Greek Island of Corfu. He was the youngest child of the family and, even though life in  the Durrell household was bizarre enough, introduced various creature and animals into the home with disastrous – and...

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Book Spotlight: Snap! By Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan

On Tour With Gary Small, M.D. and Gigi Vorgan You won’t want to miss Dr. Gary Small’s new book, Snap! Change Your Personality in 30 Days.  Co-written with Gigi Vorgan, the book is bound to change lives and minds. Scientists have discovered that it IS possible to change some of our long held personality traits, and in far less time than you would expect. It’s a book we should all have since it provides a clear path to...

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The Oscars: Harold Russell

Who was Harold Russell? Harold Russell was the only actor to win two Oscars for the same role. He also caused controversy by selling one of the statuettes. And despite winning two Oscars, he wasn’t a professional actor. But his story is much more interesting than that. If you look closely at the photograph above you’ll see why. Harold Russell had no hands He had been born in Canada and when he was a boy, his family moved...

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A Circle of Sisters: The MacDonalds

 A Circle of Sisters: The MacDonalds Remarkably, four daughters of a nineteenth century Methodist minister became powerful and feted by Victorian society – against all odds. The girls were born into a relatively impoverished family; their father being a minister who moved around the country and their mother the daughter of a wholesale grocer. The had few advantages. They weren’t particularly educated. In that society in...

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Last Meals: Death Row

Last Meals: Death Row How differently do men and women eat? Maybe a food psychologist could tell us,or even a restaurateur, but evidently the difference are plain even on death row. It’s customary for people who are about to be executed to have whatever they wish for their final meal and,it seems, jails are pretty good when it comes to satisfying their choices. But what surprises me is: Even on death row, women eat salads...

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Twofer Murder, by Lauren Carr

On Tour with Lauren Carr and “Twofer Murder” Another wonderful mystery from bestselling author Lauren Carr. It’s a fun and adventurous treat as always. Well written. Fast paced. Humorous, of course. Complex and twisting reaches a new high with this one. Many of our favorite series characters are on hand for Twofer Murder, including those from the Mac Faraday Series, the Lovers-in-Crime series, and the Thorny Rose series....

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Rufus Estes – the first African-American Cookbook

Rufus Estes – author of the first African-American Cookbook   In 1911, Rufus Estes published cookbook. There is nothing particularly unusual in that except Estes is believed to be the first African-American chef to publish his recipes. Rufus was born in 1857 in Tennessee and given the last name of his master; the man who ‘owned’ Rufus’ mother, a slave. When civil war broke out he said that most of the male...

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Can Olive Oil Cure Toothache?

Does olive oil cure toothache? For me it does. I’m not a dentist and it may well depend on the reason why your teeth are aching but I have not had a toothache yet that can’t be sorted out simply using a product I always have in my kitchen. Last week, I was unable to sleep because of this horrible tooth. I suspect strongly that it needs to be pulled out but at my time of life, I need to keep as many of my teeth as I can....

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Planning Your Kitchen

 Planning your kitchen If you’re remodeling or reorganising your kitchen, it’s very tempting to design it yourself. After all, you know your kitchen and the habits of your household better than anyone else. You want your kitchen to be gorgeous, you know that the more attractive the room is, the more time you and your family will spend there creating delicious meals … and memories. For many years I was a kitchen...

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Author Lauren Carr on Tour With “Twofer Murder”

A New Interview with Bestselling Author, Lauren Carr Spotlight On: Twofer Murder Anyone who visits Mystery Suspense Reviews often will know we are great fans of Lauren Carr and her various series. What began with one series has grown into the Mac Faraday series, The Partners in Crime series, and the Thorny Rose Mystery series. Each with interconnecting characters, you can’t help but grow attached. So we were delighted to join...

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Henry Maybury: You’re Beautiful

Henry Maybury: You’re Beautiful I just heard about Henry today and already he’s my new hero. He’s a young musician / songwriter who wants to ‘make a difference’. He does and he will. Do you have scars? Maybe wrinkles? (Yep) And are you beautiful? According to Henry Mayberry you are and he wants others to see you in the same way. See the wonderful video below. If it doesn’t bring a lump to your...

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Art Matters: The Fighting Temeraire

Andy Royston talks us through his favourite painting by JMW Turner – ‘Ye mariners of England, That guard our native seas!  Whose flag has braved a thousand years, The battle and the breeze!‘  Thomas Campbell  “Ye Mariners of England” In this famous painting by J.M.W. Turner, the great old warship Temeraire no longer flies the union flag. Just a white flag flutters from the mast of the tug, showing that a ship is now...

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A Review of “Fishbowl,” by Bradley Somer

A Captivating Novel from Bradley Somer Fishbowl is a very unusual story that weaves together the ordinary lives of many during a short moment of time.  Bradley Somer’s skill at bringing us along is phenomenal.  Quirky characters? Without a doubt.  Strange circumstances?  Definitely.  Making us want answers?  Yes! The Story First there is Ian.  A goldfish.  A thoughtful yet adventurous fish who may not have a long memory, but who does...

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The First Rule, by Robert Crais, A Book Review

The First Rule, by Robert Crais, A Book Review. It’s always a treat to get back to Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, the featured characters in many of Robert Crais’ novels. You grow so fond of both of them during the series, you get anxious to see what they will get into next. Usually in the series, Elvis is the lead, outgoing and witty, working at their detective agency. In this book, Joe Pike takes the lead. He is not so outgoing, or so...

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British Royal Family: What is Their Surname?

What surname do the British royal family use? This has been a huge controversy on a few occasions in the past. It was brought to a head again in 1952 when the new Queen Elizabeth II was advised by her private secretary and the prime minister (Winston Churchill) to retain the name the family had been using since the First World War, , that of Windsor. This was a problem for Prince Philip. His family name was Mountbatten and he was...

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Gonna Be Alright – A Tribute to Abram Wilson

An appreciation of Abram Wilson, written by Andy Royston. All photos by Benjamin Amure courtesy of the Abram Wilson Foundation. Gonna Be Alright – A Tribute to Abram Wilson. ” It’s about finding the inspiration and the energy to overcome any obstacles that might stand in your way as far as playing this music is concerned. You have to be a warrior to get through. It’s somebody who won’t stop pushing, who won’t give up on...

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So You Think You Want To Narrate Audiobooks? by Mike Alger

On Tour With Author, Lauren Carr, and Real Murder Not just Real Murder actually. When Lauren Carr decided to have her bestselling series recorded into audio versions, she was, as always, very effective. She did all of them. To celebrate and announce their completion, Lauren is on tour. Not with a single book, but with a batch of them. So, here we are on the fantastic Audiobook-a-palooza Tour, hosted by iRead Book Tours. As a bonus in...

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If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?

If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? By Alan Alda: Book Review Yes, that Alan Alda. Hawkeye. M*A*S*H. When this book landed on the review desk at JAQUO HQ my immediate thought was ‘Alan Alda – must be well worth reading’. Then I saw the tag line under the title – My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communication. Hmm. Well… But then I remembered the great title –...

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Pear and blue cheese pizza recipe

 Pear and blue cheese pizza – delicious recipe We love pizza. I don’t think I’ll ever be bored with it. I’m pretty convinced that I could eat pizza every day if I had to. But, well,there are other considerations such as calories and cholesterol and all those boring things. Boring yes, but we do have to pay attention. This doesn’t mean that I will ever (hopefully) have to give up a delicious Pizza...

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Real Murder, by Lauren Carr, A Review

On Tour with Lauren Carr and the Audiobook-a-palooza Blog Tour Real Murder, by bestselling author Lauren Carr, is the second in The Lovers In Crime mystery series. Dead on Ice, the first in the series, brought together Joshua Thornton, Prosecutor, from his earlier series, and Cameron Gates, Homicide Detective. When they first met, their chemistry sparked. Now married, the two will once again work together to find a murderer. The Story...

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The Titanic: Wallace Hartley tribute violin

Arthur Lancaster’s tribute violin: Created in memory of Wallace Hartley Wallace Hartley was the bandleader of the small orchestra on board RMS Titanic. All the band members were lost in the sinking. Wallace was just thirty three at the time and had just become engaged. (The average age of the musicians at the time of the sinking was just twenty six). Wallace had been born in Colne, Lancashire, and  had played the violin in the...

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The Sad Story of Prince Friedrich

The sad story of Prince Friedrich of Hesse. Who was the prince? He was a grandchild of Queen Victoria – the son of her daughter Alice. Princess Alice married Grand Duke Louis, a member of the German royal family. Friedrich was their fifth child. When just a toddler, he was diagnosed as having haemophilia which, as we know, was hereditary  and passed down from Queen Victoria herself. Although Friedrich’s parents were...

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Whispered Lies, by Kathleen Brooks, A Review

An Excellent Audiobook! Whispered Lies was a “must listen” when I noticed on Audible that Therese Plummer is the narrator. She has been a favorite for years now. Ms. Plummer is one of the best. Her voices for women and men both are clear and so well done. Variations in voices as well make it easy for the listener to be clear who is speaking. Please listen to the sample here, see if you won’t be as drawn in as I was. The Story...

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Frank Stranahan

Fort Lauderdale history: Frank Stranahan. It’s generally accepted that Frank Stranahan from Ohio was the first permanent resident in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. When he arrived, Fort Lauderdale didn’t actually exist. It was a settlement of just handful of people on the New River. Seminole Indians lived in the Everglades nearby but in general, the are was inhospitable with a stifling climate, dangerous wildlife and lots and...

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The Mystery of the Saddleworth Moor Body

The mystery of the body found on Saddleworth Moor. One morning a cyclist found the dead body of an elderly man in a remote spot on a moor with a grisly history. At first, the cyclist thought the man was sleeping or resting, but no. When the police arrived it was discovered that the man had no identification, no cellphone — and it seemed that he had taken his own life. But who was he? The body was discovered on December 12th,...

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Secura’s Anti Theft Convertipack, A Review

Three Bags In One The Secura RFID blocking anti-theft convertipack is much more than a backpack. This well made bag can be worn as a shoulder tote, a cross-body bag, or a backpack. From Lewis N. Clark, with their wonderful products, this one has turned out to be even handier than expected. Three bags in one. You can’t go wrong with that. Useful for all varieties of events from shopping to hiking to travel, it helps you stay organized...

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We Are Legion (We Are Bob), by Dennis E Taylor

So Imaginative! We are Legion is definitely a phenomenon.  Definitely one you shouldn’t miss. How author, Dennis Taylor,  put together an entire universe in such detail, is fascinating. The complexities it considers are mind boggling. Yet he covers the details so well. It’s a book I will listen to again, very soon.  I know I missed some details while pondering the scope of their activities.  There is so much in the story...

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Surrounded by Enemies: Bryce Zabel

‘JFK was not killed at Dallas’. This is the premise of the fascinating novel, Surrounded by Enemies. Author Bryce Zabel has woven a plausible and thoroughly-imagined fictional series of events that might have taken place had Kennedy suirvived. Maybe you have your own theory about how America would have developed over the years if Kennedy had lived? It’s a subject that many people – the general public and expert...

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The Loudness of Jack Bruce

“Cream’s last year was extremely painful for me. When we started in 1966, Eric and Jack had one Marshall each. Then it became a stack, then a double stack and finally a triple stack. By 1968, I was just the poor bastard stuck in the middle of these incredible noise-making things. It was ridiculous. I used to get back to the hotel and my ears were roaring.” Ginger Baker, Drummer: Cream Jack Bruce had been playing upright...

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Bob Marley

Bob Marley Being from England, it always surprises me to discover that people have English ancestry. Did you know that Bob Marley’s father was English? Bob’s mother was only eighteen when she married Norval Marley – he was about sixty and the supervisor of a plantation in Jamaica. Bob was the result, although the couple split up when he was just a baby and Norval died ten years later. Bob rarely spoke about him in...

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The Cavendon Women: Barbara Taylor Bradford

The Cavendon Women: Barbara Taylor Bradford This is exactly the sort of book to choose when you need a little light, but dramatic reading. It’s set in the nineteen twenties and features the lives of the members of an aristocratic family in England. You’ll certainly see how the other half lived. But the characters in the book are strangely appealing and you’ll be drawn in by the trials and complexities of their lives...

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The Sinking of the Lusitania

Why is the Titanic better known than the Lusitania? It seems that the fate of the Titanic captured the imagination of the public much more than that of the Lusitania. Yet it seems that the story of the Lusitania is more dramatic,if not more so. They both ended up at the bottom of the ocean, of course, but whereas the Titanic met its end because of an iceberg, the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine during the First World...

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Plot vs. Character, by Author D. M. Annechino

Spotlight On:  “More Than A Soldier” We are so pleased to feature an article written by D. M. Annechino, author of his newly released novel, More Than A Soldier. Currently on a virtual book tour hosted by Italy Book Tours, you will find this fine author around the web at a number of sites, with articles, interviews and more. He writes on a variety of topics, which adds to the enjoyment when you pick up one of this books....

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Presenting “Middle South”

It’s a pleasure to present this entertaining debut novel written by Maya Nessouli Abboushi.  Middle South is now on a virtual book tour hosted by iRead Book Tours. From April 17th through May 5th, you will find the author at a variety of sites across the internet.  Please check out the list before and stop in on a few.  There are interviews and guest articles, such as the one we are sharing with you today. The book is sure to be...

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Passenger 19, by Ward Larsen

A Deadly Air Crash Passenger 19 is an exciting, fast paced, tension filled story that suspense fans will love. Ward Larsen has great series here. Grab a copy now! Featuring ‘Jammer’ Davis,  the series is built around an NTSB crash investigator. In this entry, Jammer rushes to Bogota, Columbia after his boss tells him of the disappearance of a small passenger jet. That wouldn’t be unusual. He’s been investigating for decades. But this...

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The Rhythm Club Fire of 1940

The Natchez Dance Hall Fire of 1940. At 11.30 pm,on the night of 23rd April, 1940, hundreds of people were enjoying listening to music and dancing at a venue called the Rhythm Club in Natchez, Mississippi. Before midnight, at least two hundred of them were dead. Fire had blazed its way through the packed single-storey building. Just a few weeks before the fire the owner,  Edward Frazier, had boarded up with windows to that people...

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Aunt Evelyn: An Article by Barbara Casey

Barbara Casey is back with  Assata Shakur: A 20th Century Escaped Slave Barbara Casey is a favorite guest of ours here on Jaquo.  Her style of writing, the variety of her subjects, the stories themselves are always intriguing and so enjoyable. Now on tour with her latest, Assata Shakur: A 20th Century Escaped Slave, we hope you will check out her schedule of events and drop in on some.  Hosted by iRead Book Tours, you will find...

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Mama Says Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees, by Iris Mack

An Important Book For Parents And Children I’m excited to share today’s book. Dr. Iris Mack takes on credit card debt, teaching children how it works. It will give them the skills to understand and control their spending and expenses. The importance of these lessons can impact their entire lives. Not only is the book important, children are loving it. How perfect is that? If you can gain their interest, they are happy to learn. Dr....

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The Great Train Robbery

How the Great Train Robbers gave themselves away. On August 8th, 1963, a gang of masked men robbed a high-speed mail train. They got away with £2.6 million. That would be the equivalent of almost fifty million pounds today. The robbery had been well-planned. The self-appointed leader, Bruce Reynolds, had planned the robbery meticulously. The train was attacked when it was in open countryside, far away from any towns or villages. The...

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Percy Sledge

Percy Sledge: When a Man Loves a Woman Did you know that Percy Sledge’s song, When a Man Loves a Woman, was based on his own experience? When he wrote the song, he had just been dumped by his girlfriend. He understood at the time that she had left him for another man. Someone had told him that was the reason why she had disappeared from his life and gone to New York. In an interview, he later said that the original title of the...

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Marthe Cohn

Behind Enemy Lines: Marthe Cohn The number of people who took part in the Second World War is slowly dwindling. But it’s important that we should never forget them- and the heroism that so many of them showed during that terrible conflict. You can read about many of them in this book by Marthe Cohn. Marthe  Hoffnung (her maiden name) was born in 1920 and was still a teenager when war broke out.  Yet she worked as  spy,...

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Truths Not Spoken, by Pamela T. Starr

Truth: Something we want, often expect, in our lives and relationships.  Lies bring distrust and doubt.  What about the in-between?  The partial truths.  The truth left unsaid. In Pamela T Starr’s first novel will have you questioning your own unspoken truths.  Do we all have them? Truths Not Spoken will please any reader who enjoys a light romance with a bit of suspense added. The fast paced story keeps you reading, a little anxious...

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The Outsider, by Anthony Franze

A Review of Anthony Franze’s Latest Novel From the very start of Anthony Franze’s latest thriller, The Outsider had me hooked. Get a copy and set aside some time. You won’t want to put this one down. It’s a twisting, complicated plot that will shock and delight at the same time. It’s exciting, fast paced, and well written. This author writes a compelling legal thrillers that give a back room view of the undercurrents and...

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Archibald McIndoe

Archibald McIndoe was a pioneer.  During the Second World War, little was known about plastic surgery and yet for the first time, medical staff were seeing men with horrendous burn injuries due to the highly flammable aircraft fuel. Not only were doctors unsure how to rebuild these badly ‘disfigured’ men, they also had no idea that the person himself needed treatment for more than just physical wounds. Archibald McIndoe...

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What’s The Price of Love? by Pamela T. Starr

Pamela T. Starr, Author of Truths Not Spoken Truths Not Spoken is such an entertaining story, one that fans of romantic suspense will enjoy. The first in the Shifting Sands Series, we can look forward to more too.  You can read our review here on Jaquo. Now Ms. Starr is on tour with iRead Book Tours.   We are pleased to join the tour with our review, published a few days ago, and a delightful article from Ms. Starr below.  After...

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Omar Sharif

Actor Omar Sharif: Alzheimer’s sufferer. In May 2015 Tarek Sharif, the son of actor Omar, announced that his eighty-three year old father was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. He reported that the first signs were memory loss. He was still aware that he was a well-known actor and remembered most of the films he made but confuses them. He couldn’t easily recall his co-stars of where the films were made. The positive...

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Silsden Riot!

RIOT! The small town of Silsden, a few miles from Ilkley, in West Yorkshire is a quiet, law-abiding place; little disturbs the peace there today. But on Saturday April 8th 1911, over 400 local people protested outside – and many attacked – their local police station, smashing every window in the building and in the police house next door. Policemen hid inside the building and the police sergeant’s wife and children locked...

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The Lewis N. Clark Tote

A Versatile Tote For Travel or Every Day With every product I try from Lewis N Clark, I am more and more impressed. High quality materials, well designed for its use, at very affordable prices. This tote is fantastic. It is available in teal or black. It is a perfect size for work, travel, or play, with sections provided for everything from laptop and cords to bottles of water. The bag keeps everything organized—so very handy....

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Sirio Maccioni and Le Cirque

The biography of a restaurateur extraordinaire.  Sirio Maccioni was born into a poor Italian family of farmers in the nineteen thirties. And yet this extraordinary man became the most important restaurateur in America, if not the world. The philosophy behind his success was simple. He believed in hard work — it’s as simple as that. He believed in the traditional Italian values that had been passed to him from his family...

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Every Secret Thing, by Susanna Kearsley, A Review

London, England: Kate Murray is standing there, just feet away from the man when he is killed. If something like that happened to you, wouldn’t you want to know about the man? It happened to Kate. She can’t help but want to know more. After all, he had approached her, as though he knew her, about a story, a long ago murder. The fact that he mentioned her grandmother increases her curiosity. His name, Andrew Deacon, a kind, elderly...

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Down With Kurt Cobain

Down With Kurt Cobain By Andy Royston Montage of Heck, a documentary film about the rock star Kurt Cobain, begins and ends with film of an adorable little boy, aged around eighteen months old. The film’s executive producer, Kurt’s daughter Frances Bean, was around the same age when her father was found dead at his Seattle home. He’d taken his own life. As a viewer one is left to contemplate the nature of...

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Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline, A Book Review

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline, A Book Review. A Virtual Classroom? Would send your children to virtual school?  Can you picture it?  It sounds intriguing when you first think of it.  No more bullying, less distractions, right?  Yet in a virtual world would it be too isolating?  Could there be a balance?  Would class size matter then?  Would teachers like it better? That is one of the considerations you will find as you read Ready...

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All About Spinach in “The Spinach Collection” Cookbook

Leafy Green Power Plant Want your family to eat more vegetables?  Leafy greens especially are considered the top food you can eat for nutrition.  Excellent for heart health and brain health both, it is important to include it in your diet as often as possible. I started including spinach in more meals when I was reading up on Alzheimer’s Prevention. If you have experienced Alzheimer’s or dementia with a family member or friend, you...

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The Lewis N. Clark Waterproof Magnetic Pouch

Lewis N. Clark Waterseals Magnetic Self-Sealing Waterproof Pouch A “Must Have” to Protect Your Phone From The Elements Summer is coming! Prepare now! If you enjoy the outdoors, you will appreciate this handy and effective waterproof case. Camping, biking, hiking? Those are each occasions where your phone might get wet. Going to the beach or for a swim? Between the sand and the water, this should be an essential. The case...

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Gunmetal Gray, by Mark Greaney

Have You Met The Gray Man? Court Gentry, The Gray Man, has returned in another exciting, fast moving thriller from Mark Greaney. Book Six in the series is every bit as exciting as the first. What a delight it is to delve into another series book written by a favorite author. You know the feeling if you like to follow a character. Each book you start, you know you will enjoy the characters, the author’s writing, and the excitement...

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Mangrove Lightning, by Randy Wayne White

Book 24 in the Doc Ford Series Randy Wayne White’s latest novel has arrived! Mangrove Lightning makes the twenty-fourth book in his bestselling “Doc Ford” series. Can you imagine how well he knows his characters by this time? Every quirk, every strength—and weakness—must come as naturally as it would if you were writing about family. The same must be true about the Florida setting. He lives where he writes, knowing all the little...

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Fresh Lobster and Salmon Ravioli

Fresh Lobster and Salmon Ravioli recipe. This recipe is extremely delicious and very special. They make these ravioli in Genoa, on the Ligurian coast in Northern Italy, where my parents were born. If you’re looking for something really impressive for a special occasion, then this is the perfect dish. The very special main ingredients, lobster and salmon, speak for themselves, and anyone who loves seafood will love these. If you...

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Who Was Ruth Snyder?

Who was Ruth Snyder? When you realise that the image above shows the final moments of Ruth Snyder’s life, then it becomes evident that she was a murderer. She was executed on January 12th, 1928 at Sing Sing. She was the first woman to be executed using the electric chair. Her lover, Henry Judd Gray, suffered the same fate. Together, they had murdered Ruth’s husband. The story had begun ten years before the executions....

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Chicken Dijon with Snap Peas

A Delicious, Fast Chicken Dijon Dinner Tender, moist chicken breast with fresh sugar snap peas and mushrooms in a tasty light sauce. Sound interesting? It tastes wonderful! My husband was the creative cook in our household. He made a dish very similar to this. We would seriously sigh through every bite, it was so delicious. This recipe is similar only I’ve added vegetables and a slightly different flavor with dijon. I was so...

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Goodbye Chuck Berry

To mark the passing of rock-n-roll legend Chuck Berry, Andy Royston takes another listen to the man’s first big hit. It was a spring day in Chicago’s South Side, just off 47th St, then the home of the blues. Some guy up from St. Louis walked in the door on a mission to see Leonard Chess, owner of Chess Records to see if he could make a deal. His name? Chuck Berry. The night before Berry had been watching Muddy Waters at...

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Who Was Oleg Cassini?

Who was Oleg Cassini? Oleg Cassini and Grace Kelly If anyone today is familiar with the name of Oleg Cassini, that’s probably because he was the couturier of Jackie Kennedy; he designed those strange clothes she was so fond of that look so odd to us today. But what’s much more interesting – and slightly scandalous – is the affair he had with actress Grace Kelly before she became Princess Grace of Monaco. In...

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The Lewis N. Clark Mini Cross-Body Bag

Lewis N. Clark Does It Again When my mini cross-body purse arrived today, I couldn’t wait to unpack it. I’d been looking for a smaller sized purse that would hold all I need, yet would be easy and light to carry. As you can see in the video below, the Lewis N. Clark mini cross-body bag is nylon, ideal for travel because it is lightweight. Perhaps as important these days, it offers RFID protection for your credit cards. Of course that...

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Honoring our Military and Police Dogs

Today is National K9 Veteran’s day.  As much as we love our pets, it’s a day we should all honor.  The tasks our military and police dogs take on are some of the worst, and some of the most effective.  Today, I’d like to honor them with some excellent books that feature these K9’s. While they’ve been used, probably throughout time, for various tasks from carting things, patrolling boundaries, etc., today they are honed into such...

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Odette Sansom: WW2 Spy

Odette Sansom Hallowes: Odette was tortured by the Gestapo in the Second World War and sent to a concentration camp where she was sentenced to death. She never gave in and managed to survive – and save others – purely by her wits. In 1942, she had made sure that her three daughters were safe and well-cared for and left England to risk her life helping others. Odette was French by birth.She had married an Englishman and...

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Don De Lion – Don Drummond and the Skatalites

Andy Royston takes another listen to one of Jamaica’s pioneer musicians and the scandal that shook the music. Extrovert, eccentric and self-taught Don Drummond’s trombone style has an earthiness and songlike quality that makes it immediately identifiable. His melodies are so simple, so perfectly constructed and memorable. Don Drummond was able to channel emotions from gentility to absolute rage through his music with as...

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A Fine Year For Murder, By Lauren Carr, A Review

And “A Fine Year for Murder” It Is What fun it is to be back with Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton. The newlyweds in Lauren Carr’s newest series, The Thorny Rose Mysteries, are a hit with fans!  This time Jessica and Murphy will find their still new relationship tested as violence from the past invades their present. The Story The Past: As the book begins, a young girl is hiding, cowering in terror.  Another is screaming. Present...

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Cauliflower, Spinach and Turkey Meatballs

Delicious in a Submarine Sandwich. Suggestion for the day: Add cauliflower to meatballs next time you make them! It’s fantastic! Adding fresh vegetables to ground meat is an excellent way to use less meat yet have more servings. It is also a great way to get more veggies into your diet. Wednesday was one of my marathon cooking days. While I was cooking up a few dishes using ground turkey to stash in the freezer, I decided to...

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India, by Debra Schoenberger

Spotlight on “India” A Nation Within The Pages of a Book Join us in the virtual book tour for “India,” the newest photography book from Debra Schoenberger.  Her tour from March 6th through the 24th, hosted by iRead Book Tours.  You can find interviews, reviews, and articles by the author at the numerous stops.  The full schedule is at the bottom of the page here. Step into another world It was a treat to have the...

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The Police Search for Charlie Chaplin’s body

Who stole Charlie Chaplin’s body? Charlie Chaplin, the Little Tramp,  died on December 25th, 1977. He was buried in Switzerland, where he had lived since the nineteen fifties. In March 1978, his body disappeared from its grave. The grave had been marked with a simple, engraved oak cross which the police took away to fingerprint. They did not reveal whether prints had been found. It’s assumed none were because the police...

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Comparing ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ & ‘The Shadow of the Wind’

Can we really compare Carlos Ruiz Zafon to Gabriel Garcia Marquez? I first read One Hundred Years of Solitude a long, long time ago and I’ve re-read it many times since then. In April 2014, I read The Shadow of the Wind. One of the things that attracted me to the book is that the blurb on the back cover compared these two books. I enjoyed Shadow and, on the evening I finished the book, was determined to read more of Carlos Ruiz...

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She Captains by Joan Druett

She Captains: Heroines of the Sea. Prize winning historian and author Joan Druett has created a fabulous book which is chock-full of fascinating about women at sea throughout history. Seafaring was a dangerous business in times gone by and yet many women were attracted to life aboard. Some were captains – and even pirates – in their own right.Others went to sea with their husbands. All their stories are fascinating....

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BOAC Flight 911

BOAC Flight 911, Ninjas and James Bond What is it about the number 911?  As well as the obvious connotation that we know nowadays, it was also the number of a scheduled passenger airliner that crashed in 1966. Then there was also the mysterious disappearance of Flight 19  just after World War Two. The numbers 9 and 1 are beginning to get a bit spooky to me. The BOAC crash was certainly tragic. The plane, which had only been airborne...

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Hollywood’s Finest Redheads

An appreciation of big screen redheads by Andy Royston “I would always hesitate to recommend as a life’s companion a young lady with quite such a vivid shade of red hair. Red hair, sir, in my opinion, is dangerous.” P.G. Wodehouse – Very Good Jeeves “Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead.”  ― Lucille Ball In 2014 something extraordinary happened. A rubescence of...

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Lou Reed: A True Transformer

Written on October 27, 2013 I learned, just now, that Lou died today. I never met him or even saw him perform. But in so many small ways he made my life bigger and brighter and sharper and more inspirational. I was just eleven years old and living in a small Yorkshire village miles from Lou’s great New York City. He opened my eyes to a new world. It took just one song –  Walk On The Wild Side – to opened my ears to...

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The Whizbang Machine, by Danielle A. Vann

Secrets in A Typewriter An intriguing title to a surprising novel that will appeal to adults and teens alike. What is there about the supernatural that inspires such interest? The imagination it involves? The suspense of learning what exactly it is? Perhaps simply fear of something we aren’t sure we believe. Whichever it might be for you, The Whizbang Machine includes all three. A typewriter that is meant for only one person, responds...

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Who Was Barbara Payton?

Who was Barbara Payton? There are some strange and often sad stories that have come out of what was called the Golden Era of Hollywood. Barbara Payton’s is one of them. Blonde and attractive Barbara, seen here with Gregory Peck, was sure of her own stardom. She bought into the Hollywood press releases about herself. She thought she was a huge star. Yet today, hardly no-one remembers the name and she died alone aged only thirty...

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Concert for George

The George Harrison Memorial Concert. On the first anniversary of George Harrison’s death, his family and friends took part in a huge concert to celebrate his life and his music. Hundreds of people attended the event which was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Millions more have seen it since. You can see the full, two hour plus video below. The concert had been organised largely by Eric Clapton who acted as musical...

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Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti

42 Years Ago – Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti At 4pm every weekday evening the parade across the fields began. The schoolkids from the village south of town would walk the two miles down into the hill, past the burned out coal mine and up the other side. In age they ranged from 11 to 18; all in school uniforms of black,gray and navy blue, with a hint of the fashions of the day. In February 1975 Maggie Thatcher had been...

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Cardiac, by Jeffrey Monaghan

On Tour with “Cardiac” Cardiac is a thoroughly suspenseful novel. In great part because of how personal it is. It isn’t that uncommon to read a plot where someone is blackmailed or coerced into doing something wrong.  Sometimes with threats to your life.  Bad enough, but what if someone could  control your pacemaker?  That would surely bring that tension up several notches, right along with blood pressure. Once anyone has...

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World Cup Heroes: Jimmy Greaves

From the point of view of a ten year old in the thrall of World Cup football it was hard to believe that Jimmy Greaves – that amiable joker on Saturday lunchtime telly, where he presented a football show called ‘On The Ball’ – was a genuine England football legend. Dad was sanguine. “You should have seen him play back in the day. He was amazing. He would have been playing in that 1966 World Cup Final if...

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Omega-3 Supplements for your Dog’s Health

  Dogs need Omega-3 in their diets too We give our little dog a splash of Welactin’s Natural Omega3 Supplement every day with her meal. A veterinarian first suggested it to us as a supplement, and we love it. Actually, so does our dog! It is part of the reason she still looks like a puppy when she is ten years old. We first got it as an overall health supplement. It is made of salmon or fish oil, so we know it is good for...

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Grimm Woods, by D. Melhoff, A Review

On A Virtual Tour with D. Melhoff If you’ve read any of the Grimms Fairy Tales, you probably remember them as stories for children with lessons in each. While that isn’t how they were written—early on most were considered inappropriate for children—the adaptations we see today, in movies or children’s books are generally more uplifting stories. Grimm Woods brings those tales into a gruesome, very adult novel, all set in a park created...

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Back Blast, by Mark Greaney: A Review

Court Gentry, The Gray Man The Gray Man is back. And truly back this time–to the United States. After five years eluding his own government, working on his own, Court Gentry has come home. Still hunted, he has finally returned to find out why. Back Blast, released February 16th, 2016, is the fifth in the Gray Man series. Mark Greaney has created a terrific character in Court Gentry. Each book has been an exciting thrill ride....

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Who’s Flying Your Plane?

Meet Kate McWilliams and Luke Elsworth I remember many years ago hearing a strange story about a commercial flight – the passengers refused to fly because the pilot was a woman. In preparing to write this article, I went to Google to determine just when that was.  I couldn’t find that information. But what I did find was something even more weird. In 2014, a passenger left a sexist message for the female pilot who had just...

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A Ship Called Rothko: Artwork by Andy Royston

A Ship Called Rothko: Artwork by Andy Royston I’ve loved the work of Mark Rothko for as long as I can remember. The last time I recall one of the artist’s works selling it was at Christie’s in New York. The price was a cool $86.9 million. This price set a record for the top price paid for artwork produced after World War Two. Therefore I think it’s pretty safe to assume that there won’t be a genuine...

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Book Review: The Testament, by John Grisham.

One of Grisham’s Best The Testament is one of my favorite books by John Grisham. He’s so well know for his legal thrillers, like The Firm, The Client, or A Time to Kill. This story has an unusual twist to it though. Less time in the court room, and plenty of adventure in the Pantanal area of the Brazilian wetlands. Not what you might expect. I loved it! A billionaire announces his last will and testament to his money...

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Florida Songs: Margaritaville

And before you ask, it IS a song. Sure, now you can mosey into your big-resort Margaritaville restaurant and order your “Who’s to Blame” cocktail with your Cheeseburger In Paradise, and wash it down with Landshark Lager before heading into the casino for your Mississippi Stud or Texas Hold’em. Faux air-conditioned beaches, fake palm trees, old-time photos on the wall and Hawaiian shirts on backs of the...

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War Hawk, by James Rollins and Grant Blackwood

The Bond Between Man and Dog Tucker Wayne, a former Army Ranger, and Kane, his war dog, form a tight team once again in War Hawk. The second book in the Tucker Wayne series is another hit for the bestselling authors. The relationship between Tucker and Kane—pack–would be enough to keep me enjoying the book. The story is a most excellent bonus. Authors Rollins and Blackwood have done their research on the well trained military...

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Katie Hopkins: British Broadcaster Hates Fat People

Katie Hopkins fights obesity I have to admit that I have a sneaking admiration for people who  speak their minds on public platforms. In today’s politically correct world, it’s refreshing (and even more so if I tend to agree with their opinions). Katie, and I have to admit that I had never heard of her until this furore, spoke her mind very clearly about the obese. She declared that they were lazy and that she deplores the...

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Who Was Erik Rhodes?

Erik Rhodes is one of those actors from the dim and distant past whose name no one remembers. But the instant he appears on screen you know. He was a Broadway bit-parter born in Oklahoma who hit upon a role that propelled him to stardom. He played a thick-skinned suave continental gigolos so well that he would almost steal the show from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers with the finest barrage of one-liners in movie history. Twice. Who...

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Timeless Valentine Roses

Roses For Valentine’s Day. Roses are a timeless gift to receive for Valentine’s Day! Us women love to get them. They look so beautiful on a table and smell so great. One year I received a variety of red and pink roses from my boyfriend. They were so pretty sitting on table. Its even fun to receive roses that you can keep forever like artificial ones or glass roses. They are a forever keepsake you’ll love. First check...

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Valentine’s Day: A Girl’s Top 5 Movie Wishlist

Valentine’s Day; A Girl’s Top 5 Movie Wishlist  With Valentine’s Day just around the corner what is on your wishlist? Most girls are looking for romance on Valentine’s Day so this year I have compiled a list of a girl’s favorite movie wishlist. that ooze romance. These movie selections will fit the category of the best romantic chick flicks. If you have a favorite romantic movie and don’t see it on...

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Giant Heart Valentine Chocolate Chip Cookie

Giant Heart Valentine Chocolate Chip Cookie I made this giant heart cookie for the first time believe it not. I’m impressed it came out really great. It’s even kind of healthy; it’s gluten free. It’s a Pillsbury brand package that was given to me. Not often I get those because I like to make cookies from scratch. It sure made it easy though to make! Spray your heart pan with a cooking spray. Just take dough out...

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Red Ribbons, by Louise Phillips, A Review

Book One in the Kate Pearson Series A killer is out there, targeting young girls, staging them with ribbons in their hair, hands in prayer. Dr Kate Pearson is a criminal psychologist, a profiler. The first murder brings her into the investigation. The second ties it to her. Kate can’t let go of it, not when the victims are children. Another woman is in s mental facility since the death of her daughter more than a dozen years...

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Valentine Ideas: Unusual & Romantic London Restaurants

Valentine Ideas: Unusual & Romantic London Restaurants Valentines’ Day is very special is the day for romance. We all love to put aside this special evening to be with the person we love – no one else will do. The history of Valentine goes back centuries, and people used to believe that it was in February because that was the start of bird’s mating season – how very romantic. It is a great holiday that many people look forward to...

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The Cramps – Poison Ivy’s Rockin’ Sound

The first I heard of The Cramps was on late night radio. The DJ on some fading pirate station was playing a massive reverb filled swamp punk number called Under The Wire, a paean to dirty phone calls. It was simultaneously subversive and hilarious. The sound was deeply familiar but disturbing and wild as if from another era. A forbidden planet. A monster from outer space. It had as much to do with old surfer music like Duane Eddy and...

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The Beatles’ Rooftop Concert

The Beatles: Rooftop concert in 1969 By January 1969, it was obvious that the Beatles were on the verge of breaking up. They were recording in the studio at the Apple headquarters and wondered where to have a live – and final – concert. Various venues were  suggested including the Sahara Desert and the Cavern Club in Liverpool where their careers had started. But eventually they decided to simply move upstairs – to...

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An Interview with Shinichi Mine of Tabieats

Shinichi Mine of Tabieats has developed quite a following both for his articles and his YouTube videos.  His articles often feature his travel experiences and those experiences nearly always feature food!    He has a way of writing that make  as you feel like you are right there, traveling along with him, and enjoying every minute. Then he started cooking.  No doubt he has cooked for a long time, but when he started featuring recipes...

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Vegetable Soup With Zucchini Noodles

Enjoy noodle soup without pasta, courtesy of the Spiral Slicer. At last, a healthy, fresh, and natural spaghetti noodle! Doesn’t that sound perfect? Noodles and soup belong together I think. Of course noodles seem to well with most everything. But I’m trying to eat more vegetables and less pasta. When I bought one of these little spiral vegetable slicers, it became much easier. I was delighted at how easy it was to use the...

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Who Was Bessie Coleman?

Who was Bessie Coleman? Bessie Coleman was a pilot. When she was born in January 1892, it was several years before the Wright brothers even began to explore the possibility of flight. For Bessie, as a child, human flight was simply an unknown. And yet she became a well-known pilot – the first woman of African-American descent to do so. When she was older, and when flying was in its infancy, Bessie knew that this was what she...

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Law and Disorder, by Mike Papantonio

A Book Review Nicholas Deketomis (Deke) is a Florida lawyer who has become very successful with class action lawsuits. Having won billions in judgments, he is now involved with multiple cases going after huge corporations. Currently On His Schedule First, a drug company apparently willing to overlook the harm their biggest selling drug may cause. The drug, Ranidol, is approved as a birth control pill. A happy side effect from the drug...

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Bernie Ecclestone and the Great Train Robbery

Bernie Ecclestone and the Great Train Robbery: The Truth. For many years, a rumour has persisted that the Formula One boss, Bernie Ecclestone, was somehow involved in the Great Train Robbery of 1963. It has often been thought that robber Bruce Reynolds was the mastermind behind this audacious robbery but nevertheless many people thought that it was exactly Bernie’s cup of tea. Most of the robbers were in their early thirties and...

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The Murder of Lord Errol

Who murdered Josslyn Hay? Joss Hay, Lord Errol, enjoyed living. He enjoyed loving too so when he was found shot in the head, most people presumed he had been murdered by a jealous husband or a spurned mistress. But which? At the time of his murder, he was involved in a curious love triangle. He was having an affair with the rather beautiful Diana – a young woman who was married to the much older Jock Delves Broughton. The trio...

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Paul Robeson’s Proud Valley

As the shadows of World War II were beginning to cast long shadows over London, Ealing Studios were beginning an ambitious new film. It was shot partly in the coal mining region of South Wales, and adapted the story of a black miner from West Virginia who drifted to Wales by way of England, searching for work. It documented the hard realities of Welsh coal miners’ lives and at the same time created a role that its star, legendary...

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Looking at Paintings (9) David Hockney ‘The Road Across the Wolds’

When David Hockney’s Yorkshire landscape paintings were first shown at the London Royal Academy in 2012, they attracted mixed reviews. The art critic of The Economist admired some of the works, but wrote, “Others, I would argue, would not be celebrated at all if they were not by Mr Hockney, such as this ‘The Road Across the Wolds’.” But he was wrong. The painting, now on permanent display at the Hockney Gallery, Salts Mill, Saltaire,...

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Little Known Details About the Beautiful Audrey Hepburn

Little Known Details About the Beautiful Audrey Hepburn. When we hear the name Audrey Hepburn, we each probably visualize her in our mind in one movie or another. She has overcome all generation barriers as an example of style and class. In fact, she may be the first we think of when it comes to style. What was your favorite movie that starred Ms. Hepburn? Roman Holiday? Sabrina? Breakfast at Tiffanys? She was featured in some...

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Jenson Button

 Jenson Button – early years Formula One driver Jenson Button might seem to have everything today but his early life was very different. Jenson makes no bones about it- he owes his success to his father, John. At first glance, you might be forgiven for thinking that the photograph on the left is Jenson – but no, it’s his dad taken in 1978. John too was a racing driver. When his son showed interest, it was John who...

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A Song for Sunrise – The Eagles

A Song for Sunrise – The Eagles. It’s the weekend. The all-night partygoers are on the beach watching the night out and the day begin. The evidence of the party chill is right there in the form of a phalanx of empty Corona bottles. The sun is beginning to burn a hole in the blue. Conversation fades and it’s just time to let those sloe colors do their magic. And if the luck is still on your side it’ll be a dash...

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Please stop telling me I have OCD

Why does everyone have to have a label? It’s not just a label either – today it seems that everyone should have a ‘disorder’. With me, I’m told, it’s OCD – obsessive compulsive disorder. Truly, I have been told this by many people and I think that their ‘diagnosis’ is totally wrong. Apparently one of my ‘symptoms ‘is that I arrange my books in colour order in the way...

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Bacon Pea Soup

As soon as the fall temperatures show up, soup goes on the menu at my house.  The chilly nights are so perfect for a hot, comforting soup.   It’s nice too, since the vegetables of summer, served cold then, now can be tossed in for a hot and nutritious dinner. We each have our favorites.  Mine vary from week to week, but nearly always include Beef Barley Soup, Chicken Brunswick Stew, and Spinach with White Beans. This week, it’s been a...

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The Last Victorian

Ethel Lang – born in the reign of Queen Victoria On 16th January, 2015, Ethel Lang passed away. She was the oldest living person in the UK, having been born in 1900, when Queen Victoria was still on the throne. Can you imagine that? Mrs Lang lived through six monarchs, twenty-two prime ministers … and let’s not forget two world wars. She had lived through a period of amazing advances. When she was born, public...

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Agatha Christie’s Mysterious Disappearance

 Agatha Christie’s mysterious disappearance. In 1926 Agatha Christie seemed to have  perfect life. She was married to  handsome ex-wartime airman and had a lovely young daughter. The war that had kept her and her husband part was now in the past and they lived in a very pleasant home. What’s more, her dream was coming true – she was being paid to write her mystery novels. And yet on the evening of  3rd.December,...

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Sir Edmund Hillary

Sir Edmund Hillary Sir Edmund Hillary is best known for being the first person to scale Mount Everest, along with his Sherpa guide, Norgay Tenzing. Tenzing was more than just his guide and companion though – he provided the inspiration for Sir Edmund to devote much of his life trying to improve the lot and the lifestyle of the Nepal Sherpas. Hillary undertook many expeditions -going to both the North and South Poles, and Everest...

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Scandal in the Graveyard – L’Affaire Victor Noir

Scandal in the Graveyard – L’Affaire Victor Noir. Andy Royston tells the story of the most scandalous gravestone in Paris and the story of Victor Noir. After having outraged each of my relations, you insult me with the pen of one of your menials. My turn had to come. I therefore ask you whether your inkpot is guaranteed by your breast… I live, not in a palace, but at 59, rue d’Auteuil. I promise to you that if...

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Ham and Bean Soup for Dinner Tonight

Ham and Bean Soup for Dinner Tonight Leftover ham after the latest holiday? I had a lot left this year at my house. So it was time for some soup. My ham was boneless, so it was an easy task to dice a few slices. Aside from the time it tool to soak the beans overnight, this is very quick to assemble. You can use a food chopper, like my favorite Ninja Master Prep Professional, to have the vegetables ready in seconds. Toss all the...

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Favorite Health Book: The Paleo Cure

Favorite Health Book: The Paleo Cure The Paleo Cure by Chris Kresser is my new favorite health book. I’ve been studying it all through 2014, and now into 2015 (the time of this review is January 2015). This is saying a lot, since another health book I’ve reviewed here on Jaquo.com called The Blood Sugar Solution, by Dr. Mark Hyman, helped me lose over 50 lbs and drastically overhaul my health. Ever since I overcame multiple problems...

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Langoustine Bisque

Langoustine Bisque or Soup. Have you tried my delicious recipe for Langoustine Hollandaise? You can see the recipe here. Don’t be tempted to throw away the langoustine shells, you can make a delicious and creamy soup using them as a base.It’s truly delicious. Because you discard the shells when you eat langoustine, it is really wise to make a soup or bisque with them. This is also one of those quick and easy recipes that...

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David Bowie: Early Years

David Bowie: Early years David Bowie came from a post-war London background. Born in 1947, his father was from Yorkshire and his mother from Kent. Both parents had children from previous relationships. From his earliest days, David – his surname was originally Jones – was interested in music. This was probably because of his father. Haywood Jones had been born in Doncaster in 1912. An orphan, he was brought up by the local...

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Lentil Bean Soup

Lentil Bean Soup Lentil beans are so good for us. They, along with other beans and legumes, are usually in the top 10 for healthy eating. Good for the brain, good for the heart, an excellent source of protein, and just plain delicious. Turmeric and cumin have both recently been shown to be good for a healthy brain as well. It’s so easy to combine them both into this tasty soup. Always looking for the perfect Lentil Soup recipe, I...

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Rosemary: The Forgotten Kennedy

Rose Kennedy already had two children – Joe Jr. and John – when she gave birth to her first daughter on Friday 13th September 1918. The nurse who had been employed to attend her was in a quandary. She had sent for Mrs Kennedy’s doctor but labour was now advanced and Dr Good hadn’t yet arrived. In those days, nurses were trained to deliver babies but, inexplicably, they were not permitted to do so. Nor were they...

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Spotlight on: iRead Book Tours

On Tour with iRead Book Tours After participating in dozens of tours with iRead Book Tours, this time we get to feature iRead itself.  It is their third year featuring a wonderful variety of fiction and non fiction books, so they are celebrating with us. Founded by Laura Fabiani, an avid reader and reviewer herself, you will find iRead an excellent choice if you are interesting in a virtual tour with your own book.  Ms Fabiani is a...

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Can goat milk cure eczema?

 Is goat milk a cure for eczema? I am convinced that it is because I’ve seen a miraculous cure. Many years ago, I was amazed to see that a young man – who had the most dreadful eczema on his arms – had no trace of the ailment on his body after drinking goat milk for just one week. Of course, I can’t say that this miracle will happen for everyone but over the years I have read hundreds of reports from people who...

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How Much Do You Know About Birds?

How Much Do You Know About Birds? Many of us are fascinated by birds. It’s no wonder when we see wonderful photos in bright colors showing so many varieties of birds. Did you know there are about 10,000 different species? Close to seventy percent of those are found in the rain forests. In the United States, households have 40 million birds as pets these days. I bet you already know the ostrich is the largest bird, but did you know one...

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Slim Gaillard

It was at a free concert on London’s South Bank; one of the many events put on by the soon-to-be-abolished Greater London Council. The open air event was held in Jubilee Gardens, where the London Eye is situated today. I’d shown up with friends to cheer on the likes of Billy Bragg and Eddy Grant, but it was an amazing old feller in a beret and a wild beard grooving away on piano that caught the imagination. I don’t...

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Dead Wake: The Story of the Lusitania

Dead Wake: The Story of the Lusitania by Erik Larson The wonderful thing about being a book reviewer is having the opportunity to read books before they are published and sharing them with you. I’ve long been fascinated by the story of the Lusitania and its final voyage and this book is by far the best I have read on the subject. It is incredibly detailed – more so than any other book about the tragedy that I’ve ever...

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Easy red lentil soup

Quick & easy red lentil soup This is simply delicious. Although the soup needs to cook for about forty five minutes, it’s incredibly quick and easy to prepare. The ingredients are items that you may normally have in your pantry and in addition to being so very tasty, this soup is nutritious and very inexpensive. To serve 4, you’ll need: 6 oz (1 cup) rinsed and drained red lentils 4 cups vegetable stock 2 tablespoons...

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Music of 2016 – Women of the Year

Designer and artist Andy Royston looks back on his favourite sounds of 2016 – Part two is all female. I’m not at all sure what it says about the year’s music that it all came down to “Becky with the good hair”. Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ has topped all the usual ‘best of’ lists this year including the venerable Rolling Stone Magazine, who called the album “a major personal...

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A recipe book that can change your life: VB6

VB6 by Mark Bittman. The ultimate recipe book Some years ago, food writer Mark Bittman was overweight and  suffering from various health problems. Typically, his doctor wanted to put him on medication but as a food expert, Mark realised that a change of diet was a better way to go. ‘Oh no!” I can hear you saying’is this another book about health foods, dieting and giving up the foods you love?’ Absolutely not!...

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Wurst Soup Recipe

Wurst Soup Recipe Wurst Soup is a family tradition that is made around the holidays especially on cold days on my fiancée’s side. It is a German soup made with sausage, potatoes and dumplings along with a sour cream mixture to make it creamy. When I first learned about this soup I thought the name of it was kind of weird. Is it the worst soup ever or is it good? Turns out it’s really good and Wurst is a German word meaning sausage. I...

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Hot breakfast treat recipe

A hot breakfast for special occasions When there’s a special occasion, such as a family get-together or a house party, it’s a great idea to serve a breakfast treat – something your family and friends would never think about cooking at home for themselves. This recipe combines a pancake with an omelet (almost!) along with fruit and delicious flavourings. Serve it with freshly-squeezed orange juice (or maybe even...

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Essential Guide to Outdoor First Aid & Medical Emergencies

Essential Guide to Outdoor First Aid & Medical Emergencies Medicine for the Outdoors is one of a few books that I own that I view as essential. I use it at home, and not just when I’m, say, hiking or camping in the wilderness. There is a ton of incredibly important information in this book for just about every medical emergency you could possibly think of. Do you know what to do if someone is choking? Not breathing? Unconscious?...

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Mitford Marriages: Pamela Mitford and Derek Jackson

Mitford Marriages: Pamela Mitford and Derek Jackson. Pamela Mitford is probably the least known of the six sisters.  She’s often thought of as ‘the quiet one’ and certainly she was less scandalous than most of her sisters but nevertheless  she married a man who was not just a millionaire, he was also a war hero and a brilliant scientist. Pam had not been without admirers. She had been briefly engaged to Oliver...

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Choose Life – A George Michael Diary

As we say a fond goodbye to George Michael, Andy Royston remembers the hairspray days. Enjoy What You Do. “Do you, enjoy what you do? If not, just stop – don’t stay there and rot…” It had been a mad year. I’d spent most of it living in a South Manchester bedsit, wasting time on a year out of college. Way too many nights had been spend on dank dance floors and working (badly) on my day job running...

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Access to Power, by Robert Ellis, A Review

Definite Suspense Thriller! Frank Miles, a top Washington DC “Image Maker, ” is one of the best at leading a campaign to a successful election. Manipulating the media to that end is a skill he knows well, but getting Melvin Murdoch may prove costlier than he could have imagined. With days left before the election, both sides are pulling all the tricks possible to destroy the other. Still, there are lines not to be crossed,...

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Strong and Steady – The Best Reggae of 2016

Artist and designer Andy Royston picks his three favorite reggae albums of 2016 “Now that I’ve introduced myself in the context of Rastafari consciousness, wellness, awareness, it is safe now to say ‘I am woman’ and all of the other things that means… playful, colorful, light, nurturing and to show sisterhood.” Janine Cunningham (Jah9) 2016 may have been a tough old year in lots of ways, but this year reggae more than...

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Jimmy Buffett – The Road to Key West

After a year in Nashville, it was becoming clear things were not working out. Jimmy Buffett had moved to Nashville in late ’69 with a new wife and a promise of a music deal, but after a year it was falling apart. Out of work, his marriage already failing, his touring band breaking up within weeks… Things weren’t good. People were talking him up well enough. A local writer said “Jimmy’s music isn’t...

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The Curious Life and Death of Empress Elisabeth

 Who was Empress Elisabeth? The Curious Life and Death of Empress Elisabeth. Elisabeth, or Sisi as she was known, wasn’t destined to be the Empress of Austria but that became her role, nevertheless. She was born into the royal family of Bavaria – her parents were both related to the upper-crust of Europe. It was the fact that her mother, Ludovika, was the sister of Sophie, the mother of Emperor Franz Joseph that sealed her...

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Did Prince Charles send Harry to rehab?

Did  Prince Charles send Harry to rehab? There is a persistent rumour abounding that in January 2002, the then teenaged Prince Harry of England was sent by his father, Prince Charles, to rehab because Harry had been exposed by the newspapers for ‘smoking drugs’. In other words, having a joint at a local pub. This is, according to a recent book, totally nonsense. It was (apparently) a typical example of the...

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Maud Gonne

Maud Gonne: English Eccentric For those who have heard the name of Maud Gonne, they probably have an idea that she was an Irish political activist. It’s true that she was pretty vocal in Irish politics but she was actually English, born in Surrey. She had a curious career but she is probably remembered most for being: The woman who had sex by her baby’s grave She had the child in 1889 in Paris. The father was her older...

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Baked Brie Cheese

It’s the holiday season and we are in full swing for a Christmas that will just be the best one ever. Who doesn’t love all the food and friends, the excited chatter and family rekindling old times as the new times are happening. It is the best part of the whole “Christmas Scene”. The other best part is all the food that is brought by friends and family to share. Food has to be one of the best ways of telling people that you love them....

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Gifts for Cooks

Looking for a great and unusual gift for someone who loves to cook and bake? Not on the High Street offers a wonderful range of fabulous and stylish gifts that are perfect for the cook – amateur or professional. What’s more many of them can be personalised. This makes them so very ideal as a gift because  your recipient will know that you really care and took the time and trouble to choose the perfect gift. A great example...

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Quiche for Christmas

Quiche for Christmas What’s versatile enough, filling enough, and tasty enough to tide your family over ’til Christmas dinner? Why, quiche, of course. What’s perfect for a quick breakfast, a formal Christmas brunch, a simple lunch, or a light supper after a busy day? Once again, quiche comes to the rescue! With our simple quiche recipe you can bake it the day before and reheat to serve, or put the ingredients...

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Thinking of Others This Christmas

Thinking of Others This Christmas Every year it seems we all rush around shopping, decorating, baking, in the full swing of the Christmas Season. Do you stop to think how many are unable to do the same this year? If I’m honest, it’s too easy to look past the faces of those in need. Thankfully there is still time for me to have an attitude adjustment. Christmas is all about giving. It is my goal to share that fact with those who...

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Gift Ideas: Gadgets You Will Love

The Must Have Gadgets This Year Gifts are a delight no matter what the size! The gift ideas here are handy for any occasion. Put them in a gift basket, use them as a hostess gift, or just think of Christmas.  The colorful wrap, the beautiful bows, lights twinkling on the tree above them, it makes me smile just thinking of it. Most of these gift ideas will fit in one Christmas stocking. At our house Christmas stockings are always saved...

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Fearless – Taylor Swift

Long before the fame and the glory and the VMA glamour turned her into the big superstar we know there was this honest-to-goodness teen talent. One look at this fair young swan and you know she was about to take off and really fly to the stars… On that video, though she was maybe 18, sitting with her buddies in a tour bus and doing a live spot for an Oregon country radio station.The kind of radio station you pick up on that long...

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Life Outside The Box, By Marilyn R Wilson

An Article from Author, Marilyn R Wilson After over one thousand interviews, Marilyn R Wilson compiled the collection we find in Life Outside The Box.  It is a fascinating look at how differently–and creatively–men and women alike solve the problems they face and find success. Currently on a virtual book tour spotlighting the second edition of her popular book, we are pleased to join iRead Book Tours in sharing the...

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Great Gifts for Travelers: My Favorite Things

Great Gifts for Travelers: My Favorite Things. Travel Halo Mask Product Description: This is fantastic for long flights. This mask will definitely help you to sleep in comfort. It’s a special mask that is filled with Microbeads, has pads at the back that keeps your head from rolling around and it includes a free bag and earplugs too. You can remove the mask when you don’t want to sleep and use it as a headrest. eBags Pack-it-Flat...

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Right to Kill, by Andrew Peterson

Nathan McBride is Back “Excellent” is the correct word to describe Right to Kill from the very beginning. Author, Andrew Peterson, drops us right in the midst of an attack on Linda Genneken’s isolated home. His descriptions are so effective, you will clearly see each room, feel and sense what both Linda and Nathan feel as they respond to the attack. It pulls you in immediately and keeps you there, holding on, until...

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Giving green and socially conscious gifts just got a whole lot easier

If you found this page, you’re probably like me–scouring the web for just the right holiday, birthday or special occasion gift that is also eco-friendly and manufactured without child labor or near-slave labor. I am thrilled to report that this year, giving green gifts and socially conscious gifts that are beautiful and well-made is easier than it’s ever been. Below are my top ten web sites for wonderful,...

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Otis Redding

In the summer of 1967, it seemed that singer-songwriter Otis Redding had everything going for him. His career was really taking off and he’d bought a ranch where he lived with his wife and three children. In the autumn of that year he even purchased his own plane. He hoped that the new airplane would mean that he and his band would be able to travel more easily between gigs. On December 9th, they played for a television show in...

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Christmas Plants and how to care for them

Christmas Plants and how to care for them. Christmas is a wonderful time of year and I’m sure that as your company comes to visit, they may also bring you a gift of flowers or plants. Plants make a beautiful hostess gift and they are certainly a seasonal gift. But once you have it, what do you do next? Well let me help you just a wee bit. First off, you want to take it out of any wrappings of cellophane, get a nice dish to put under...

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The Incredible Luci Solar Powered Lights

We love Luci! The inflatable, waterproof solar lighting system. The internet is a-buzz – the Luci solar lights are getting great reviews everywhere. Increasingly we are all appreciating the value of using nature’s resources such as the sun to harness energy and that’s exactly what the Luci does. You can see more details in the video below but suffice it to say that these incredible naturally-powered lights are...

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Was Dorothy Kilgallen murdered?

Was Dorothy Kilgallen murdered? She died in 1965 so it’s likely that you don’t remember her. But in the middle of the twentieth century, Dorothy Kilgallen was a true media star. She was a journalist with many more strings to her bow. And it may be that her journalistic investigations were the cause of her untimely death. What’s My Line? Despite being a well-known journalist, gossip columnist, crime reporter, actress...

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Elvis and Hawaii

Two years ago, my mother, sister and I were headed off to Hawaii. It was a dream trip that I never in my whole life expected to make. But it was a time of healing and renewing our shrinking family’s bonds, that made this trip what it was. My brother had passed away earlier that year. During the many site seeing expeditions along the way, I can remember thinking to myself, that these islands truly are paradise on earth. Everything was...

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The Winecoff Fire of 1946

The Winecoff Fire Disaster of 1946. During the early hours of 7th December, 1946, Arnold Hardy took an iconic and award-winning photograph that was to become a symbol of the worst hotel disaster in the United States. Arnold was only twenty four years old and had just relocated to Atlanta. His great hobby was photography and to make ends meet, he was trying to get part-time work as a newspaper photographer. His camera was not...

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My Mum’s Christmas Pudding Recipe

My Mum’s Christmas Pudding Recipe. We’re quite traditional with our Christmas meal but, our Christmas pudding is a little different. A lot of people don’t like it; it can be dense, have lots of crunchy currants, taste burnt or overdone and perhaps seem steeped in too much alcohol. That’s the difference, though similar in some ways, my mum’s Christmas pudding recipe is light, full of juicy, tasty fruit and...

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Bitter Moon, by Alexandra Sokoloff

A Review of “Bitter Moon” The Huntress Series Continues! Much to the delight of her growing number of fans. Take a young child, Cara Lindstrom, the only survivor in her family after a horrific attack, and give her time to grow up. Victim though she is, she now feels no choice but to hunt the evil that nearly killed her. Her skills bring in the FBI, specifically Special Agent Matthew Roarke. As he investigates and learns...

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Gifts for Animal Lovers: Elephants

Love elephants? Great gift ideas. Are you looking for gift ideas for someone who just loves elephants? I have found an online collection that features almost one thousand items – all of which feature elephants. There are some incredible pieces of jewellery – both modern and traditional. The photograph on the right shows a lovely example. There are other items to wear too,including some gorgeous elephant print scarves. But...

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Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Film Review

We were so lucky to be invited by Lord Hughes to the House of Commons to watch a pre- screening of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom because my husband was a ANC freedom fighter when he was a young man. It was a sombre event because Nelson Mandela had died only a couple of days before, but it was a fitting tribute to this great man. We watched Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom in the Grand Committee Room, which was the very room where Nelson...

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Gourmet Gifts: Cooking Classes

The perfect foodie gift: Fun culinary classes. Something I think many of us have in common is that we’d love to improve our cooking skills, knowledge and techniques. How wonderful  it would be to be able to serve new and exciting dishes to our families and guests. The classes provided by Sur la Table are run by expert chefs and take place in many locations. There are lots of themes too.  Choose from seasonal courses, baking, the...

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Corporate Citizen, By Gabriel Valjan

A Book Review Gabriel Valjan returns this month with book five of his international “Roma” series. He has been touring with Italy Book Tours since October, so you can find lots of articles, reviews, and interviews with this popular author. The Story Alabaster Black, AKA Bianca Nerini, still appears to be on the run from her former association with Rendition in the latest book in the series. The previous books have seen our heroes...

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