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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Planning for Your 2015 Tax Refund Today

Who isn't curious about when their tax refund will arrive? A lot of people plan special trips or purchases--or particular bills and expenses--around their tax refund money. As 2014 starts winding down, would you like to know the IRS tax refund schedule for 2015?

The IRS also has resources to let you check the status of your refund by phone or online--or even using a smartphone app. So once you file, it's easy to track your refund status.

Of course, the amount of time it takes to get your refund will vary depending on whether or not you file online. Many people still prefer to file on paper, but did you know that this will slow down the time it takes for you to receive your tax refund? There are a lot of good tools for e-filing, and you don't have to be particularly tech-savvy or tax-savvy to to use them.

For a variety of informative articles on tax-related topics, check out File My Taxes Online.

Green Cleaning Products from EcoSierra

Are you interested in finding the best green cleaning products? EcoSierra, a company based in Madison, Wisconsin, has a great-looking line of eco friendly cleaning products, and they specialize in reusable, refillable products. Check out this video to learn more about their cleaning products such as all purpose cleaner, kitchen cleaner, bathroom cleaner, and glass cleaner.

I used to work with a woman who had spent many years as a chemist, and she was very careful about her choices in cleaning products because conventional products could send her into a terrible reaction because of her chemical sensitivity. It makes me glad to see this line of health-friendly products made from natural ingredients because they not only help us maintain our physical health, but they also help us preserve the environment.

EcoSierra is known for their custom "squeasy pouch" refills for their cleaning products. This system saves money and resources and sends fewer materials into landfills. The series of photos below shows how the squeasy pouches work.

I've always liked the convenience of spray products, and EcoSierra has developed their line of cleaners so that you can use the optimal product for each of your cleaning needs. Or if you prefer to just use one cleaner throughout your home, they have an all-purpose cleaner, too. The products come in gentle scents such as cucumber and grapefruit. Visit EcoSierra's website to learn more.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Introducing The ZAP Center Project

The ZAP Center Project is a technology based protocol developed to address the outbreak of significant diseases. The project has just launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund ZAP Centers in Africa (starting in Uganda) where people could receive a series of treatments through what is currently considered to be an "alternative health method." The hope is that through successful treatments documented in medical records in Africa, the use of the method will spread.

The founder and director of the project is Bryan Williams. He has worked in a laboratory setting for over 20 years, and he also has experience working with some of the poorest communities in Africa. He has witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of illnesses like Ebola, Malaria, and West Nile Virus. He hopes to help individuals afflicted by these illnesses by bringing this alternative method of addressing their health care treatment.

The methods of the ZAP Center Project are explained in more detail--and with links to several studies--on the Indiegogo page. In short, the project involves the process of blood electrification/purification as well as the use of colloidal silver, high-intensity pulsed magnetic fields, and ozonated water.

Bryan has spent a lot of time researching this project and is very passionate about it. Check out the Indiegogo site to read more about his ideas about the new ways of responding to devastating diseases.

After checking out the site--if you feel it's a worthwhile cause--please be sure to click on the Facebook and Twitter links, and leave some positive feedback concerning this Project. Here's the link: http://golaunchmachine.com/zap/ .

Friday, October 24, 2014

Introducing Ludovic Biyong, CEO of Camernews.com

Just under the age of 30, Ludovic Biyong is the CEO of Camernews. The name of the site combines the words "Cameroon" and "news," and Camernews.com includes a variety of content, from news articles to classified ads, for people who live in Cameroon or want to keep up with events there. It really is a nice-looking site with lots of content, and it's expanding every day as Ludovic continues to pour his heart into working on it.

Ludovic is a software engineer by trade. He was born in Paris but experienced living in Cameroon in 1997. In addition to Camernews, he also operates an IT consulting firm in Cameroon called PA2M.

He has built Camernews on a very low budget, leveraging his knowledge of SEO, social media, and other low-cost but high-return marketing techniques. For example, he maintains an active presence for Camernews on Facebook--check out his page here, and I think you will enjoy looking at the photos he's posted to give readers a good idea of some of the many things he loves about the country of Cameroon.

You can also learn more about Camernews on Twitter and YouTube. Much of the content that Ludovic posts is in French, but I noticed on the YouTube page in particular, you can find content in English.

I think Ludovic's work is a great example of an entrepreneur finding a project he loves.

Introducing Chameleon Social and Dating Software Script

Have you ever wanted to start your own online dating business? Think of all the unique niche dating sites you could start, with a little creativity and some tech know-how. Chameleon Social & Dating Software Script takes care of the tech part and allows you to open your own online dating website business in a matter of minutes.

When you purchase Chameleon's software, you can download and install it right away. You can also choose to have Chameleon install the software for you for free, within 24 hours of your purchase. You can also use their cloud-based hosting, which is a great option for start-ups or sites that are relatively small in terms of membership.

The software script has a lot of different options and uses. For example, you could start a dating site and charge members a fee to join the site. Or maybe your company would like to run the software to facilitate and online social network for employees. The software has both social and dating options.

There are a variety of templates/frameworks to make your site look the way you want it to look. There are lots of features like audio and video chat. In other words, it won't be a cookie-cutter dating and/or social networking site. Chameleon Social and Dating Software Script is meant to be flexible to meet a variety of different needs.

I have to say that this is a pretty clever business idea that I'd never really thought about, and I could see how entrepreneurs could use this software to build some profitable sites.

Save Now With a Hostgator Coupon

The following is a guest post provided by https://www.facebook.com/hostgator.coupon.tips. The owner of the Facebook page is currently working on adding a lot more content about Hostgator and their web hosting services, so follow the page to get more Hostgator tips as well as coupons.

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With Hostgator being one of the top web hosting companies out there, a Hostgator coupon is something people are going to trust right away. There are many types of hosting plans that you're going to get with your Hostgator coupon, and you will be able to save a lot of money on top of it. When looking for a hosting company, you have to make sure that you are going with a trusted company with years of experience. The reason behind this is that you are going to want to get the experience to be able to troubleshoot any issues.

Web hosting takes a lot out of a company, and you have to understand that it is not just pushing a button and the problem is solved. A web hosting company who tells you that they are going to guarantee that your site is going to be in good hands follows through with promises and is considered a great company. These are all qualities of Hostgator. When you are going to use a Hostgator coupon, you have to make sure that you are going with a plan that is going to perfect for your needs.

The great thing about Hostgator is that it is a company many people have used and continue to trust. In today's society, it is hard to find an honest company who is going to be true to their word. With Hostgator, you are going to get a lot of interesting ideas and opportunities to expand your website. You are going to get a lot more than you expected with them. When you are looking at web hosting companies, the process in finding the perfect one is easy if you have all the information right from the start.

In any website, you have to attract visitors. Hostgator offers a lot in the ways of advertising and hosting. You can have a server that is going to store your data in a secure area where no one can access it. With the right start, you are going to be able to build up your business quickly. It is not hard to do if you have the right support. With a Hostgator coupon, you are going to get a great deal on your hosting plan, but you are also going to get a great support team that is going to be there for you when you need it. There are plenty of times where you are going to need a team to help you out with issues with your site. That is what Hostgator is there for.

In the end, it is about the price. You are going to save big to be able to start up your website the right way. You never know when you are going to need the help to troubleshoot your website. With the right server and hosting, you are going to be able to do a lot of things!

Click here for more information: Hostgator coupon.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Meet Josh Lieberman, Blogger

Josh Lieberman is 22, an iOS app developer, and in college. He loves to write and follow passions and procrastinate. Check out his blog at http://www.tonotmissthebliss.com.

1. What inspired you to launch your site, and how did you choose the name, "tonotmissthebliss"?

It all began a few years ago when I was about 50 pounds overweight and had this big idea for a project. The project was this huge, way over my head, ambitious goal to 1) get in shape, 2) lose weight, and 3) write about it all to become a book about the process. After a lot of writing, I began to share it with friends. But it becomes cumbersome to discuss the same bit of writing in three or four different full conversations. This is where the blog idea was born--as a place to write these musings and thoughts.

I've always had a fascination with the word "bliss." Somehow, I'm quite happy that "tonotmissthebliss" still resonates with me to this day. It took me a couple years to really build the momentum and energy to consistently post. But now that I've slowly reached this point, it feels amazing.

2. How did you first get interested in writing poetry?

Hah. I would say that listening to Eminem at a young age definitely influenced my mind to enjoy hearing rhymes. In high school, my friends and I would insult each other with rhymed blocks of text. Then in my early years of college, I would write long poems for gals I never dated. Only recently have I started directing my love of poems towards myself, the universe, and overarching ideas such as love and inspiration.

3. What do you find are your favorite times to write--and what are some topics or experiences that seem to motivate you to put your thoughts/feelings into words?

The favorite time to write is when the mind has something to write about. Thank goodness for Evernote--as long as I have my phone nearby, I can record the thought for later. I would say 40% of my rhymes are from the train, 35% are written at the park, 10% at work, and the other 15% anytime, anyplace.

The biggest motivation is my love of anime. There's a certain type of show I watch where a team comes together to overcome insurmountable odds. The feelings of inspiration, teamwork, and THEY DID IT!!!! create such positive visceral reactions that resonate with me. Upon figuring out that I can craft those same emotion with my rhymes, I became addicted to it.

But my content is inspired from nearly everything I come across. Whether it's hearing about wars in the Middle East, learning about the universe during an episode of Cosmos, or listening to the late thinker Alan Watts, anything and everything is inspiration. I'm merely retelling the pre-existing story from my perspective.

4. How would you compare the creative work of developing apps with the creative process of writing?

You know, I've never yet tried to make that comparison. I'll start by how they differ. For one, I could write a poem on the train into work and shape it into a blog post to share that evening. For apps, it takes months to get somewhere tangible. They operate on completely different time-scales.

However, at the core of both you find the same elements--human emotions. It's all about the emotion you aim to invoke in the reader or the user. How can you make them feel something positive and worth feeling again?

5. When you think about your life over the next few years, what do you imagine yourself doing?

Hmmm, I don't really know a specific destination. I just know I want to grow my talents and see where they take me.

If I were to imagine the current trajectory, I would continue writing poems to the point where they eventually start linking up with music. I would love to be a songwriter one day. Or a spoken word rapper.

I see myself having at least two more personal apps on the app store. I have a super mega dream app I want to make, but there's two (or even three) that have to come before it, and each one is at least a six-month project.

So if I'm at a point where I have those under my belt and in the next few years I can start that dream project, I'll be so happy.

Thanks, Josh!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Introducing M Models, a Talent Agency in Toronto

If you're interested in learning about how a talent agency works and the different jobs that clients find with the help of their agency, check out the blog for M Models, a talent agency in Toronto.

M Models helps models and actors find work in print advertising, principal acting, and more. They work with talent of all ages, including young children. They represent clients in Canada and North America as well as internationally.

What I like about the agency's blog is that you get a concrete idea of the kinds of jobs that models and actors find through the agency. You also get to see a lot of different headshots and photos, which can be useful if you're looking to update your own portfolio and want some ideas for effective portraits to accentuate your best attributes.

Recent blog posts feature talent represented by M Models who have landed jobs with TSN (The Sports Network), a music video for the band Royal Tusk, a TV commercial for an event called BuskerFest, and a commercial for a dating service called Lavalife. Another post gives a detailed profile of two new clients recently signed to M Models who had previously appeared on The Amazing Race Canada.

Check out M Models' blog if you want to keep up with the latest from a growing talent agency in Toronto.

Meet Luca Di Fonso, Fashion and Fitness Blogger

Luca Di Fonso is 24 years old and passionate about fashion, traveling, and fitness. After finding success on Instagram (www.instagram.com/lucadifonso), he started a blog to share his passions in a better way, hoping that people can find some useful tips and enjoy seeing the world through his eyes.

1. How did you first become interested in posting on Instagram?

I started because of a bet with a friend of mine. Then I saw that people were interested in seeing photos of what I do in my daily routine, so I continued to post.

2. What do you think made your Instagram feed so popular?

I think probably it gained followers because people can see a lot of different things rather than only selfies! I try to keep the attention of my followers by posting about different topics.

3. What do you find the most interesting--and the most challenging--when it comes to capturing fashion through photography?

I started just a few months ago, so I'm not an expert, but a lot of people asked me, "How can you be so serious during the shoots?". Believe me when I say that the first time, it was difficult. But when you see all the people around you who are working really hard--such as photographers, stylists, and so on--you understand that you have to be very professional, too.

Every shoot is different because you have to help the photographer to capture the right soul of the brand. You know, posing for a street style brand is different than posing for a tank top brand.

4. Why did you decide to start your own website, and what will visitors find there?

On my website, you can find fashion tips for men and women, and a section showcasing the most stylish people I've seen on the street. You can also find a section talking about fitness where you can find diet tips and gym schedules/routines for men and women, too. I also have a lifestyle section where I discuss topics like music, food, and restaurants. Finally, I have a travel section where I post pictures and videos of the places I visit.

5. In the next year or so, what projects do you hope to be working on?

I hope that everything goes well and that I can continue to work with a lot of fashion brands, lifestyle brands, and travel agencies in order to reach my goals. But who knows?

Please check out my site at www.lucadifonso.com. Thanks, Luca!

Introducing Sean Fargo's Blog

If you're interested in Buddhism and meditation practice, check out Sean Fargo's website. Sean is a former executive who left his career to spend two years becoming ordained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand. Today, Sean facilitates mindfulness classes at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and other locations, reaching out to a wide variety of people, from teenagers to men in prison.

His blog offers his reflections on various teachings--this can the form of book reviews, commentary on Buddhist talks, and more. There are guided meditations and other tools that allow the reader to engage in personal reflection. In short, there's a gentle emphasis on insight and mindful living.

You'll find a lot of audio and video content throughout Sean's posts. The video below is an example of the videos he frequently includes on his personal site.

Sean is dedicated to offering resources for people to find space to pause and reflect in their lives, and he has another site called MindfulnessExercises.com where he shares secular mindfulness exercises. His work online is a great example of how websites can be a resource for connection and meaningful exchanges.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

A Free Tax Calculator

Sometimes I think the only thing that makes me feel better about taxes is finding free tax tools online. Doesn't a freebie cheer you up, too? If you're planning ahead and looking for a tax refund calculator for 2015, it's nice to know that Turbo Tax has a calculator that they let you use for free, even if you aren't a paid user of their software.

Of course, many of us might wait until the last minute to figure out tax-related stuff, but the benefit of experimenting with a tax calculator right now is that you can make some adjustments ahead of time to avoid a hefty tax bill later. I know that I have adjusted my deductions in the past, and it's made a huge difference in terms of not owing taxes when April 15 rolls around.

For more information about the Turbo Tax free calculator and other tax tools and ideas, check out the Best IRS Tax Refund site.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Computer Prank Could Result in Federal Prison Time

A reader of this blog, Jessica, asked me if I could share a link to a petition she set up in support of her boyfriend, Jason Miller. As the result of a dispute between two computer users, Jason is potentially facing federal prison time.

Jason is a data scientist (programmer) who joined a computer club after grad school. He explains what happened as follows... Jason picked a screen name another hacker didn't like and got his email hacked by him. To get the hacker back, Jason ended up slowing down his WiFi for 20 minutes a day on three days. The hacker called the FBI about it (without telling them he hacked Jason first), and Jason was arrested and charged with "accessing a protected computer network."

Jessica's petition asks President Obama to intervene on Jason's behalf. For more information, check out http://saveanerd.net.

Introducing RoomHints, A Home Design App

How would you like to use your phone to take photos inside your home and upload them to get design tips from professional designers? The RoomHints app, founded by Tiffany Willson, lets you do just that. The app also makes it super-easy to shop for items for your home.

To use the app, you can upload a photo of your home or of an item you're thinking about buying for your home. RoomHints uses "decor matching algorithms" to suggest items to decorate your room based on the photo you've uploaded. You can also request advice from designers, and/or that designers manually choose items that they would recommend for your room, which they then send to you as "Hints."

The RoomHints app was recently recommended in the Consumer Reports' ShopSmart guide as the best app for home design shopping advice.

There's a community of designers all over the world who contribute advice to RoomHints. If you post a specific question, you can get advice within seconds. And the visual aspect of the app is very useful because designers can actually see your room and/or the product(s) you want to buy and make recommendations based on what they see.

Keep an eye on this app because I suspect it will explode as more and more people use it to design their rooms--and more and more designers and retailers sign on to participate in the community behind the app.

Introducing StoryMonsters, Connecting Kids and Books

As a kid, I always remember the fun of learning about new books in print magazines like the Weekly Reader--and even in the colorful book orders we'd take home from class. I love the concept of StoryMonsters because it's a project that helps connect kids (and parents and teachers) with books.

There are a couple of websites associated with the project. StoryMonsters Ink is a monthly e-magazine with information on books, authors, and illustrators. The idea of the magazine is to help teachers, librarians, and parents choose great books for their kids. The magazine also offers useful tools for homeschoolers, including teaching aids.

StoryMonsters also has a program where authors can apply to have their books considered for a "Story Monster Approved designation" which is a "kid-approved" seal for books which not only pass the scrutiny of adult judges but also are given high scores from a panel of kids who read and judge the books. There are three age-based categories for the awards: Preschool to Kindergarten, Grades 1-3, and Grades 4-6. The awards also make distinctions between fiction and nonfiction. For more information, visit http://www.storymonsters.com.

StoryMonsters is a project of Five Star Publications, a company which has been connecting readers and authors since 1985.

Introducing Monogenius, Where You Design Your Own Shoes

Here's a cool website that just launched: Monogenius. The site has an interactive design tool that lets you create your own one-of-a-kind canvas shoes. You can upload your original artwork and lay it out so that it appears on the shoes however you like. As the website says, if you want a new way to express your creativity and style, Monogenius can "provide the canvas--in this case, cool canvas shoes."

When you click customize your kicks, the site gives you different styles to choose from. These are generic versions of classic styles which reminded me of old-school Converse, Vans, and Keds. There are adult and kid sizes available with both US and UK sizing. You then upload your image, and the parts of the shoe are arranged as a template where you can move them around so that the image appears where you want it on the shoe.

Monogenius sets itself apart by letting you use your own artwork on the shoes. Your images are professional printed onto your shoes. You can have the image appear just once on the shoes, or (and I think this looks the coolest!) you can have the image repeated all over the shoes. If you have a knack for visual design, you'll enjoy experimenting with the design tool on the site. These shoes could make great gifts, too.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Introducing American Business Brokers

American Business Brokers is a company that connects people who want to buy businesses with people who want to sell their businesses. The company helps sellers prepare and sell their businesses by utilizing the knowledge of experienced business brokers who can help sellers negotiate the best deals for their businesses.

The goal of America Business Brokers is to connect their sellers with qualified buyers. But before a broker connects a seller with any potential buyers, the broker first works with the seller to determine his or her goals and to address any legal, accounting, tax, and other relevant issues to selling the business. As a seller, you can rely on your broker to give you comprehensive explanations about the whole process of selling a business, which is hugely important because many people have run a business for years and years and not had any experience in the process of selling a business.

By working with an experienced broker, a seller gains many benefits, such as having someone screen potential buyers, determine an appropriate selling price, and manage paperwork. This page goes into detail about the specific tasks that a broker can help with when it comes to selling a business.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Introducing NewFreeBooks

NewFreeBooks is a document sharing site where users upload free PDF files to share with other visitors to the site. In addition to accepting user uploads, NewFreeBooks also crawls the web to find free PDFs to add to their collection as well. The people behind the site filter the information on their site to exclude advertising-based content.

I noticed that the site is heavy on nonfiction content, and it's useful if you want to find some how-to books on various topics. For example, if you were asking yourself "What is bikram yoga?" and wanted to learn more about some of the postures, you might be interested in this book uploaded to the site: http://newfreebooks.com/bikram-yoga-postures-pdf-pdf/u/7865407067870234326/.

Or say you wanted to find a free book to give you some piano lessons? Look no further than: http://newfreebooks.com/alfredspianovol1-pdf/u/6870855609294524218/.

You can find books on travel, business, website design, learning foreign languages. There are biographies available, too.

If you love to read books in PDF format, check out NewFreeBooks to find some interesting content to explore.

Books a Million Coupon

Someone who reads this blog and noticed the number of posts that appear about books and authors wanted to share this Books a Million coupon page. It offers the latest coupons, deals, and promos to help you score the best prices when ordering from Books a Million online. Books a Million sells a wide variety of books and magazines for readers of all ages, from kids to adults.

Books are some of my favorite things in the whole world, and I don't mind getting them on sale! So thanks to the anonymous reader of the blog who shared the coupon with us.

Introducing a Cash Back Shopping Portal

There are a lot of affiliate programs where the consumer gets to share the wealth by clicking through on a special link when shopping and then getting coupons, points, or cash back. Here's a program which offers a cash back toolbar, so that instead of always going to a particular website to click through the appropriate links, you can just install the toolbar, and you will get cash back automatically when you shop at participating sites.

The program is called DubLi, and the link above takes you to a video which explains how it works. It's pretty easy! Just search, shop, and get cash back. There are really quite a lot of well-known stores which participate. In addition to shopping at websites like Target and Macy's, you can also get travel deals on sites like Hotwire and Priceline. You'll find exclusive deals and coupons, too.

Personally, I've used discount programs in the past and enjoyed them, but I've never tried one with a toolbar before, and the simplicity of using this type of shopping portal seems like it would be worth a try.

An Excerpt from Engaging Enchantment by Beth Durkee

Beth Durkee is an author of Christian romance, relationship self-help, and fantasy. She has written three stand-alone novellas, contributed a small section to Ess-Jee Rautenbach's premier book, How to Stand for Your Marriage, and written a short promotional e-book (out of print) starring singer Darryl Markette (with permission). She is currently engrossed in writing her popular historical fantasy e-book series, The Legend of Lord Randall Castle. Across all genres, she is known for her characters, her descriptiveness, and her anchor to morality. Her works include The Disposable Noble Wife, Navigating Marital Abandonment, The Bleeding Love, and The Rumor’s Secret (out of print).

Beth lives in the United States. She has a BS degree in Liberal Arts from Carroll University and has been imagining stories for as long as she can remember. In her spare time, she enjoys long talks with family and friends, travel, DIY projects, and amateur radio.

Below is an excerpt from Engaging Enchantment, the first book in The Legend of Lord Randall Castle series. The book is a historical fantasy set in Britain's medieval periodYou can also find this book on Amazon Kindle--currently available for free download.

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Melador gazed out his office window into pitch black. He could just make out the silhouette of his favorite tree, a gnarled old thing with a broad canopy that was perfect for sitting underneath. Just beyond the tree spread the waters in which his boyhood home, the ancestral grounds of his race, slowly sank. Avalon had been sinking for generations and for those generations whole families had evacuated their beloved homeland. Melador's family had been one of the last to leave. That was over fifteen decades ago, when he was a youth. Now, only a few priests remained on the island to guard the temple and they would stay with it until the very end. The magic it housed was too great to leave unguarded.

On summer days when the air was clear and the sun shone brightly, if Melador stood under the gnarled tree, he could sometimes catch a glimpse of what was left of his former home through the mist that enveloped it. Tonight, he saw only darkness as he looked out his window, waiting.

As for those who had escaped the island, a people once thriving and revered, most used faerie magic to disguise their ice-colored eyes and look more like common folk in the lands where they immigrated. Their disguise made acceptance and, therefore, survival easier for them. They were able to work, interact with and marry locals. Through time, their bloodlines thinned, their eyes muddied to shades of brown and their magic dissipated.

A handful remained whose parents had carefully arranged marriages. Those were gifted with magic that, for lack of formal instruction, they did not fully understand. Nor did most grasp the responsibility they bore to the magical kingdom or to the common peoples their race was responsible to protect. Still, it had been a very long time since Melador had seen any pure in his race and his heart was heavy with loneliness. It was almost enough to make him wish he had chosen to take a wife... almost.

No, Melador knew it was best that he remain unmarried even in his old age. His service was needed. If the eyes and ears of Saint Mary took a wife, his attention would be divided – and that could have devastating repercussions. Why just tonight, he mused, what would have been the consequence if he had not been paying attention? The queen might not have been warned of her daughter’s elopement in time to stop it and war with the girl’s betrothed might have ensued. Fortunately, Melador had been paying attention. He hoped his warning had gotten to the queen in time. He was still waiting to hear. That is why he sat by the open window of his office during dinner on a summer's night.

As he gazed out that window, the edge of his eye caught movement in the darkness. His focus adjusted to it. It looked to be... Yes, it was. His wait was over. A stem of ragwort floated nearer through the air, faerie magic drew close and his ice-blue eyes darkened to a warm chocolate brown. Atop the ragwort sat Bud Starembers, the sprite he had sent to alert the queen.

"Ah, there you are!" Melador's face became a sea of white bristled crevices. Thin lips spread into a smile that revealed teeth yellow with age as he greeted the tiny man landing on his window sill. "Did you make it in time?"

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Learn more about the Lord Randall Castle series on Beth's website, as well as on Facebook.

Meet Kereen Henry, Entrepreneur, Consultant, and CEO of The EntreMarketing Group

Kereen Henry is the CEO of The EntreMarketing Group, a company which focuses on helping women succeed in business. She has a true passion for helping women start new business ventures and make them successful. As a professional marketing consultant, Kereen has a true knack for helping business women build their brands.

1. What is the goal or purpose of The EntreMarketing Group?

The purpose of The EntreMarketing Group is to help women build successful businesses while balancing their lives. Many of us are mothers and wives. We work full time and still try to make extra income on the side. Juggling all of this is overwhelming, and that's where we come in. We will blog for you, update your website, post via social media--basically we provide all the services that are important but time-consuming. Our work helps women reach a broader audience and stay relevant, which in turn increases their return on investment.

2. How did your own success with real estate inspire you to start The EntreMarketing Group?

Real estate provided me the capital to be able to start The EntreMarketing Group without having to obtain a loan.

3. Why is web marketing so important, and what are some of the activities that are included in "web marketing"?

Web marketing is now more important than ever because statistics show that majority of consumers browse online before going to a store to buy anything. By being able to market and educate your audience online efficiently, you will be able to capitalize on these potential customers who browse before they shop. Some of the activities that are considered as "Web Marketing" are Social Media Marketing, Mobile Marketing, and Content Marketing.

4. How can a PR firm help individuals and businesses in ways that might be more powerful than someone doing their own PR?

Most women entering a business are already overwhelmed with the many facets of running a business, and a PR firm allows them the time to concentrate on internal operations while outsourcing marketing objectives to a company who has the know-how and connections to successfully reach their target market. The majority of corporations engage in this process of outsourcing their PR to a company that concentrates in this arena. We at The Entremarketing Group provide the resources of big business PR & marketing, for women starting a business.

5. As someone who started her own company, do you feel this puts you in a unique position in terms of being able to assist other women entrepreneurs to reach their goals?

Definitely, because not only was I a marketing major in college, but I have experienced my own success and failures. These experiences have given me the knowledge to assist other women starting a business.

Thanks, Kereen!

Monday, October 6, 2014

Meet Francesca, ESL Teacher and Creator of MAYI Learn English

Francesca is an ESL teacher with seven years of experience. She's based in Beijing, China. Since she began working with kindergarteners in China in 2009, she's developed some of her own methods for teaching English which are also adaptable for students with ADHD, Autism, and other learning challenges. Francesca has launched an IndieGogo campaign to develop her MAYI Learn English method of teaching.

1. What gave you the idea to create the MAYI Learn English method of learning ESL?

I created MAYI Learn English five years ago when I started to teach English in Beijing, China. I worked for many kindergarten classes and private training centers as well. But I had some difficulties when I got special kids in my classes. And none of classic ESL methods were suitable for them. And I refused to let these little cuties sit in the corner because they weren't capable to follow a classic curriculum.

2. It sounds like there are a lot of parts to your project, including curriculum/learning materials, software, and the magic pen. Could you tell us a little bit about the main parts of your project and how they connect with each other?

Well, in classic ESL methods, you have a student's book and a workbook and a CD. But this is not enough for special children, because the exercises are not enough or are inappropriate.

So my method includes of course my version of these traditional things, but I also created a phonics book which matches with the Magic Pen (electronic pen) and software. There's a unique interaction between them. The App will help students to learn about the sound of the letters. Phonics are very important to know how to read.

The teacher's guide will explain why this exercise is important and how many minutes you have to do it. And how to do it step by step. I also made flash cards but with new genres. Because this isn't patented yet, I can't explain too much. It's bigger than the regular version on the market and more visual.

3. How do you use aspects of MAYI Learn English in your own work as a teacher?

I still use it in my day job. It took me so long to make it because every time I used the school method, I always found something that wasn't functional.

For example: one day at school, one of my students struggled with the letter N. In the books, they had just one page for the calligraphy and one page with three different pictures of words starting with letter N. No CD or DVD was included with this method. And this child was Autistic. I had no idea what to do with him. I was completely lost. And my Chinese assistant told me, "It doesn't matter if he can't do or follow the lesson. Don't waste your time with him." I was choked and angry. And I said "No way, I will never let him alone in the corner." So I used plastic jigsaw puzzles to create a huge letter N. And I passed my hand over it, and he did the same.

I thought at this moment: that's the key. Make it bigger and think out of the box. And I was right. And after that, he wrote the letter N in his book.

4. What do you see as some of the main challenges in teaching ESL, and how does your project help address these challenges?

The most challenging part for me as a teacher is to change people's minds. It's not true that if your child has fun during the class, then he or she will learn nothing. Education must have real innovation and not just for classic students but also for gifted "babies." And I also want to continue to improve my method for English speakers in the future.

5. Why did you decide to utilize IndieGogo to help fund your project, and what will supporters of your crowdfunding campaign receive in return for their support?

I decided to use the IndieGogo crowdfunding website because every school where I worked before wanted to use my method, but their management was unacceptable for me. Then I decided to launch my campaign.

My backers will get my method + T-shirt + electronic pen or CD/ DVD. And they will have their names and pictures into the books + credit in the App and DVD.

The magic pen is a pen that I handcrafted by myself for my ADHD students (it's a prototype). I made this pen to let my ADHD students have a stronger focus. If they hold the pen for a long enough time, then the pen will change color and the ink as well.

If I receive enough pledges to open my own training center, then the backers' names will be on the glass wall. I said IF. And it will be like this for each center that I will open in the future. This is my dream!

Thanks, Francesca!

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Management Consulting: Not Just for Established Businesses

The following is a guest post from SharedCxO.com, a company which uses a "shared team model" to provide marketing, accounting, legal, and tech services to small and middle-sized businesses. Find more information about their CEO advisory and outsourcing services here.

Management Consulting: Not Just for Established Businesses

Although entrepreneurs in start-up mode commonly think that management consulting is utilized only by businesses that have established themselves or grown to a significant size, the truth is that early-stage companies can benefit from management consulting a great deal. While I'm clearly an evangelist for business consulting services, having seen firsthand how they can turn things around for troubled companies and help new businesses get off the ground, I don't think I'm too biased when I say that the start-up phase is one of the times when management consulting is most useful.

The purpose of management consulting is largely to offer advice. And who can really afford to turn down the advice of a seasoned professional? Certainly not entrepreneurs who are growing a business from scratch--even if they're experts in their industry. There's always value in having someone review your plans, offer second opinions on ideas and help identify areas for improvement.

So here are 10 reasons why early-stage companies especially can benefit from management consulting.

1. Management Consulting Helps You Keep up with Changes

Businesses, old and new alike, existing in an ever-changing landscape. What's relevant, timely, and appropriate one day can be tired, outdated, and inefficient the next. A good business consultant stays abreast of fluctuations, from market instability to technological improvements to changes in standards or best practices, so entrepreneurs can stay focused on their primary goal: launching successfully.

2. Management Consulting Provides Honest, Unbiased Feedback

An entrepreneur will get glowing feedback about his idea from family, friends, and even his professional networks. Before you know it, he starts thinking his concept is foolproof. But truly unbiased and actionable advice is hard to come by unless you harness management consulting to take a look at the big picture. You'll get feedback not only about the concept behind your business, but about the details of execution, organization, and other critical matters. At Shared CxO, we pride ourselves on having outsourced executives who offer completely honest advice without the personal agendas or blinders that entrepreneurs will encounter when seeking feedback from others.

3. Management Consulting Solves Problems

In my experience working with incubators and interacting with entrepreneurs daily in the busy start-up scene in San Francisco, I've seen plenty of entrepreneurs hit brick walls at critical moments in their business's development. Whether the obstacle stems from a lack of planning, a lack of research, a lack of knowledge about a particular facet of business or something else, I'm positive that management consulting can help frustrated entrepreneurs solve problems. And the more experienced an executive is, and the more diverse his background, the quicker he can untangle even the most complicated issues facing early-stage companies. That's why we've cherry-picked only the most seasoned business veterans to work with our clients.

4. Management Consultants Love Forward Momentum

Management consultants simply love to see a company grow and achieve its goals. As such, an outsourced executive providing management consulting is incredibly motivated to help entrepreneurs overcome issues and move forward with their plans. They triumph when the start-up's off the ground. And it's easy to get caught up in this excitement. It's one of the reasons I love working with early-stage companies!

5. Management Consulting Teaches Entrepreneurs Valuable Lessons

A good management consultant doesn't just drop by, solve everybody's problems, and disappear. In management consulting, an executive guides entrepreneurs through the process of finding solutions for the stumbling blocks they encounter. Entrepreneurs actually learn from the engagement, and become better equipped to handle issues in the future.

6. Management Consulting Helps Entrepreneurs Stay Focused and on Deadline

Because of the sheer amount of activities involved in starting a business, it's easy for entrepreneurs to lose focus unless guided. Management consultants can keep entrepreneurs laser-focused on the tasks at hand. Management consulting also involves prioritizing activities so that entrepreneurs have a step-by-step walkthrough for what has to happen before the big launch. I've also seen entrepreneurs lose track of time or spend too much time on one particular aspect of business, at the expense of others. Business consultants can keep things running on time.

7. Management Consulting Involves Top-to-Bottom Analysis

Quality business consultants leave no stone unturned when analyzing an early-stage business--from the initial concept to the business plan, market research, company structure and organization, and post-launch next steps, management consulting examines everything holistically. Management consultants, as experienced executives, catch overlooked aspects of starting up a company. They're a second pair of eyes and ears to watch things carefully.

8. Marketing Consulting Sets Companies up for Branding

One of the biggest challenges for start-ups is simply being discovered. Brand awareness comes with tremendous time and effort, and often financial investment. Part of management consulting is teaching you how to plan an initial marketing campaign that gives your brand a shot in the arm. You'll learn the channels that will produce the biggest ROI and how to create a scalable, practical plan so that you don't exceed budget or spend too much time on a potentially fruitless activity.

9. Trust Is Implicit in Management Consulting

I completely understand the "play your cards close to your chest" attitude that some entrepreneurs adopt from the get-go. Nothing could be worse than investing time, effort, and money in a unique business idea, only to find parts of the idea or the idea in whole stolen by someone with more resources to make it happen. But in management consulting, an outsourced executive honors privacy without question. Entrepreneurs don't have to worry about details of their business plan leaked--everything is kept strictly confidential, which is not always the case if you appeal to peers or professional networks for advice.

10. Management Consulting Dots I's and Crosses T's

With a management consultant on board, you're no longer solely responsible for everything. Management consulting involves quality assurance and identification of areas of improvement. While entrepreneurs still need to be vigilant, with an executive on their side to help make sure everything is complete, correct and ready for the next stage of growth, they can have peace of mind.

A Blog on Moving and Self Storage from the DC Metro Area

Georgetown Moving and Storage Company is based in Arlington, Virgina and offers help with moving and self-storage needs. The company has a blog with information on topics related to moving and storage.

Many of the posts on the blog relate to interstate and long-distance moving. Georgetown Moving offers these services, and the posts give details about moves between specific states, such as moving from Florida to the Washington, DC / Virginia area. There are also posts about moving from the DC area to other states--for example, one post focuses on moving from DC to Wisconsin.

I think the specifics of the posts are helpful in terms of offering information and reassurance to people planning their own state-to-state moves.

There are other posts on moving and storage topics such as how self-storage works and how to plan for a large move. Again, I like that the posts get very specific--for example, there's a post with lots of details on how to move a pool table.

The site is especially useful for people moving to and from the DC metro area, but as you search or scroll through the blog, you can find other tidbits, too, to make any move a little (or a lot!) smoother.

Introducing HealthZoned, a Health and Fitness Blog

HealthZoned is a new blog with a focus on health and fitness. The articles have a conversational and informed tone. You'll find information on a variety of subjects--for example, I enjoyed a recent post about the nutritional benefits of eating dried dates.

I like that the site has very specific information about topics you might not find elsewhere. There's a whole series of articles on the health benefits of specific foods such as asparagus, arugula, and edamame. I love nutrition info, so that was what drew me to the site, but there are articles on fitness, too, on topics like how to naturally build muscle mass. HealthZoned also distinguishes itself by having an entire section about oral health.

I asked the site's founder, Paul, about his goals for the site, and he said, "I plan to make Healthzoned.com a trustworthy source of health information, and as time goes on, I want to make it into a big community with common interests." As he takes time to build up the community around the site, Paul described his plans as follows: "I will focus on writing the things that mostly interest me and what I consider to be essential for every person to know in life about the topics of health, fitness, and general nutrition."

I'll be interested to see how HealthZoned grows over time!