Achieving the green, by J.C. Kavanagh

 

Voted Best Young Adult book, 2016

 

 

 
I'm excited to share the news that last week I earned the kickboxing rank of Green Belt, the fourth ranking of nine belts. Kickboxing is a physical and mental workout but so good for the body and mind. I love it. Each belt level requires a minimum of 80 hours training before applying for the test/exam. You probably know that kickboxing is the combination of two martial arts techniques - Muay Thai and Karate. I've been a student at the Dojo (training centre) for four years and I'm not planning on stopping until my body says so. Next belt: blue.
Oss!
 
 


Japanese symbols for 'Oss,' conveying the idea of
'persevering when pushed'

What is oss? The Japanese term 'oss,' has two definitions. The first definition means Oshi Shinobu, which translates 'to push' and 'to suffer,' and conveys the idea of 'persevering when pushed.'  The second and more liberal translation is that 'oss' is an abbreviation for Onegai Shimasu, which means a request, a solicitation, an invitation or indication of understanding.  Oss! 

My Green belt promotion at
TNT School of Martial Arts

 
Here's another sneak preview of my upcoming book, The Twisted Climb: Darkness Descends.
DRAFT

Black hairy spiders, each the size of a man’s hand, were scuttling out of the hole. Their hulking, pulsing bodies were grotesquely disproportionate to their spiny legs. Multi-faceted eyes reflected dozens of moons, like a disco ball over a lake. The onslaught of freakish spiders continued as they swarmed across the sand and into the night air, scrabbling over each other as they sought to protect their uncovered nest. There were hundreds of them and, like a legion of eight-legged beasts, they just kept coming.

“The cliff!” Connor shouted. “Head for the cliff!”

The three raced toward the precipice, churning sand in their wake. Connor glanced back and saw the army of spiders scurrying toward them at rocket speed. He grabbed hold of Jayden’s hand and, still running, grabbed Max’s hand too.

“JUMP!”

 

***
Do something special today. And enjoy life!

 

J.C. Kavanagh

The Twisted Climb

BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers' Poll

A novel for teens, young adults and adults young at heart

Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/J.C.Kavanagh

www.Amazon.com/author/jckavanagh

Twitter @JCKavanagh1 (Author J.C. Kavanagh)

 

India and Ancient America

One of the epics of India, the Ramayana, contains a chapter which tells of a remarkable journey through the centre of the earth.

Ancient Hanuman coin

During the battle against Ravana, the King of Lanka, Lord Rama and his brother Lakshman, two of the main protagonists of the tale, are captured by Mahiravana, the step-brother of the evil king. Guardian of a tunnel to Patala-loka (Patala – below the feet; and loka – abode or kingdom.) 

Mahiravana carried the brothers down into the bowels of the earth for a distance of 90,000 yoganas (a yogana equals approximately 12 kilometers or seven and a half miles.)

According to the legend, the tunnel went in a direct line, starting at the tip of peninsular India, through the center of the earth, and re-emerged at the other side, which would place it somewhere in South or Central America, possibly in the land of the Aztecs or the Inca. Indeed, in the epic, the land where they ended up is described as covered with gold. In the end, Hanuman rescues the brothers, they return to India, and continue their battle against Ravana.

This tale is just one of many that inspires writers to hypothesize about civilizational connections between India and ancient America.

For example, ancient Mexican Aztec doctrine of the World's Ages—the universe being destroyed four consecutive times—is reminiscent of the Indian Yugas. The Yuga system postulates that the time is divided into four repeating ages that differ in terms of spiritual qualities. Even the reputed colors of these mythical four ages, white, yellow, red and black are identical with and in the same order as one of the two versions of the Indian Yugas.

The Decimal system 

Another interesting similarity is the use of zero. The Mayas of Yucatan were the first people, besides the Indians, to use a zero sign and represent number values by the position of basic symbols. The similarity between the Indian zero and the Mayan zero is indeed striking. The decimal system and the use of zero was reputedly invented (and used first) by the Indian mathematician Brahmagupta. In 773, zero reached Baghdad where it became part of the Arabic number system, and later on, introduced to Europe by the Italian mathematician Fibonacci (c. 1170–1250), who grew up in North Africa.

Mayan numerals - 1 to 19

So far as the logical principle is concerned, the Indian and Mayan mathematical system and representation of zero are identical, but its expression is not. While the Indian system of notation is decimal (based on ten), the Mayan is on based on units of twenty. Consequently, their 100 stood for 400, while 1000 stood for 8000. Disputes about the common origin of these two numeric systems continue amongst scholars, in the absence of conclusive evidence. As chronological evidence stands today, the Mayan zero appears to be anterior by several centuries to its Hindu counterpart.

Mayan Numerals 20 to 29

Many other similarities exist, such as mythologies, rituals such as the use of fire, and even in temple architecture. 

Did a connection between India and America exist in the past? No one knows, but it does make for interesting discussion!

Mohan Ashtakala is the author of "The Yoga Zapper," published by Books We Love.

www.yogazapper.com

www.bwlpublishing.ca

Christmases Past...by Sheila Claydon

My latest book, Empty Hearts, is a vintage romance. It isn't about Christmas, but the cover, designed by the wonderful Michelle Lee at Stardust Creations at http://michelleleedesigns.net evokes the spirit of Christmas, chilly though it is.

I have very mixed feelings about Christmas. For a start I don't like cold weather. I'm not that keen on crowded shops either, or the ever increasing razzmatazz that is the modern celebration. On the other hand I love seeing family and friends, and I especially love seeing how much children enjoy it.

This year, all my immediate family are going to spend Christmas together for first time in 9 years so the house is going to be very full, as are the cupboards and the fridge, with the overflow stored in a cold outhouse. Consequently I have had to start thinking about it much earlier than usual this year, and this has prompted me to recall the Christmases I enjoyed when I was small.

The first one I remember was the one when my parents gave me a dolls house. I was probably about 5 years old and it wasn't any old dolls house, it was one they made themselves. Money was tight so buying a fancy one was out of the question, so my father divided a wooden box into 4 'rooms' and papered each one with scraps of wallpaper. Offcuts of carpet were stuck to the floor and curtains were hung at the windows on tiny lengths of wire so I could open and close them. Although the windows themselves were merely holes in the wall I thought the whole thing was magical. My Mother, meanwhile, was busy with the furniture. I can still clearly remember the flower-patterned sofa and two armchairs. They were comfortably padded and had frills around the base and it was a very long time before I discovered that they were made out of matchboxes. The bed in the upstairs room had pillows and sheets and a bedspread (no duvets or throws in those days) and there was also an upholstered cot (another matchbox) for the baby.  I don't remember the rest of the furniture so clearly but I know there was a bathroom and a kitchen with a few pieces of bought furniture. No stairs of course but my family of dolls were all very adept at clambering up the walls to the upper floor, and I certainly don't recall considering that a defect. Far from it. I thought it was the most perfect house I had ever seen, especially as my Father had somehow found some stick-on paper that looked like tiles for the sloping roof. What a gift, and knowing how I feel when I see my grandchildren open a special present, I imagine they had as much joy as I did.

When I was older books and drawing materials were my preferred option, and there are two other Christmases I particularly remember. The first is when I received an artist's palette, paintbrushes, some tiny tubes of oil paint and a few canvases. My parents and grandmother all had to sit for their portraits and for years those pictures hung on the walls of my childhood home. Sadly they disappeared a long time ago, probably around the time I got married and my mother cleared out my bedroom. As I fondly remember them as true likeness it is probably just as well I can no longer see them and  be disillusioned as to my artistic skills.

The final Christmas that was special was the one where every present was a book! I can still remember my parents' faces as the pile grew taller and taller (I had a lot of aunts and uncles!). I think they were worried I would be disappointed, but I wasn't. I loved being given what was essentially a mini library and I still have some of those books today, ones that I have shared with my granddaughters. What Katy Did is a favourite.

So when I see my grandchildren open their presents this Christmas I will be remembering the excitement and hopefully at least one of them will receive a present that they will never forget.

Merry Christmas!

You can see all Sheila's books at: http://bookswelove.net/authors/claydon-sheila/ They are available at:

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iTunes

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And if you have time, then stop in and visit her at:

Sheila Claydon on facebook

Would I Redo by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

 

http://bookswelove.net/authors/donaldson-yarmey-joan/
 

When I was in school, I wanted to travel and my dream job was to be a stewardess as they were called back then. I studied French, German, and Russian so that I would know some other languages for when I landed and maybe stayed over in another country. In my last year a job show was held at my high school and I went to talk with the representatives from an airline. She was dressed in her uniform and was very nice.

     I explained that I wanted to be a stewardess and asked for information. She told me that I had to be a certain height and weight, which I was. She said that all stewardesses had to wear a girdle even though their figures might be perfect. I was okay with that. Then she told me that anyone who wore glasses could not be a stewardess. I was devastated, since I needed prescription glasses but seldom wore them. I went to an optometrist to get contact lenses. This was when they were still made of hard material and my eyes could not adjust to them.

     So I gave up my dream of being a stewardess. However, I married, had wonderful children who have given me wonderful grandchildren and went on to become a writer. I travelled extensively through British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon and Alaska, when writing my non-fiction backroads series.

     I belong to a dragon boat team and I have taken part in international festivals in Caloundra Queensland Australia (spent four week visiting the sites of Queensland and New South Wales then a week in Fiji) Sarasota Florida USA, (my husband and I travelled through two provinces and nineteen states on our way there and back home) and will be going to Florence Italy in 2018. While there I hope to visit many other European countries. I’ve also been to Japan and China. So not being a stewardess has not stopped me from doing the travelling that I wanted to do when I was younger.

     Just a note: my sister owned the Canadian Tourism College in Vancouver for many years. One of my granddaughters took her course and is now a flight attendant. She doesn’t need to wear a girdle and, while she doesn’t wear glasses, today it wouldn’t matter if she did.

Pardon My Ignorance, Por Favor

For more information about Susan Calder's books, or to purchase visit her Books We Love Author Page. 

In Montevideo our walking tour guide stopped in front of Café Brasilero. He told us the café is important historically--it's been operating since 1877--and because Uruguay's most famous author wrote there.  

"Do you know who is Uruguay's most famous writer?" the guide asked our group of English-speaking travellers.

None of us could answer. I couldn't think of any writers from Uruguay, a small country sandwiched between Argentina and Brazil. Even worse, before I planned my trip to South America this fall I'd have struggled to name any writers from that continent.

Our guide showed us this drawing Inverted Map of South America by Uruguay artist, Joaquin Torres Garcia. I interpret it as a comment on the Northern hemisphere-centric view of the world

My husband Will and I began our South American holiday in Brazil. One of our first stops was Rio de Janeiro, where we stayed not far from Ipanema beach. I couldn't stop humming the 1960s song The Girl From Ipanema. I knew it was performed by Stan Getz and Joao & Astrud Gilberto, but had no idea who composed the haunting lyrics. Will and I visited the Garota de Ipanema bar in Rio that inspired the song. It's now an upscale bar/restaurant/tourist spot featuring Girl from Ipanema mementoes.

In Rio we boarded our cruise ship, which would take us around Cape Horn and through the Strait of Magellan to Chile. The first day I browsed the ship's library and found a book by Isabel Allende, an author I've wanted to read for a long time. I had thought she was associated with Central America or Mexico. It turns out she's from Chile and the library novel, Maya's Notebook, was largely set near Puerto Montt, Chile, our last cruise stop. I devoured the book on the cruise and can't wait to read more of her work.

In Maya's Notebook, Allende refers to German settlements like Frutillar, near Puerto Montt, Chile

We left the ship in San Antonio, Chile, and took a transfer tour to our hotel in Santiago. A stop along the way was the last home of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, a Nobel Laureate and political activist. Before the trip I'd heard Neruda's name, but couldn't have placed him. His home in Isla Negra is popular with South American tourists. The setting is splendid.

Pablo Neruda's home looking up from the beach

 
               

View from the house

Neruda's grave at Isla Negra

My sister-in-law, who joined us on the trip, tests the waters at Isla Negra

My apologies, South America, I still know few of your famous writers and have read even less.

But I'm learning. 

Answers to the above questions: Uruguay's most famous writer is Eduardo Galeano.
Vinicius de Moraes wrote the Portuguese lyrics to Garota de Ipanema (The Girl From Ipanema).