Straight Browsing from the Library: Excellence Through Mental Strength by Lionel Baugh

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Lionel Baugh will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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Have you ever felt like your weaknesses were holding you back from opportunities in life? Or feared you don't have the skill set to tackle new experiences? Perhaps you've even worried about just not being as naturally talented as the people around you?

Excellence Through Mental Strength will not only dispel your concerns but will also teach you how to reframe your perception of self. You're already more capable than you realize, and this step-by-step guide will show you how to recognize the true power of your strengths-so you can 'make the shift' into a growth mindset and take back control of your future.

Never let your perceived 'weakness' into the driver's seat of your life again. Bolster your mental strengths instead and pave the road you want to travel with grounded confidence in who you are, where you're going, and what you bring to the table.

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The two greatest enemies of mental strength are negative self-talk and self-pity. The ability to reframe or adjust is the most impactful skill in addressing attitude and self-talk. Reframing changes the way people think, feel, and behave. To understand reframing better, let’s use some metaphors: You can think of a glass as half empty. By reframing, you might start to think of it as half full. The amount of water is the same. However, you’ve changed the meaning by changing the point of focus. This is a nuance. However, it transforms everything. Reframing is used to discover more resourceful ways of thinking. For instance, ‘I feel like I’m on the edge of a cliff ’ might be changed to ‘I’m acting within fine limits of precision and accuracy.’ The situation is the same. The meaning you attach to it seems different. When you recognize unhelpful thinking styles and self-talk, you can ask yourself ‘might there be a better way to think about and express this?’ The key with un-resourceful thinking stiles and self-talk is: 106 • Recognize • Reframe/adjust To become high achievers, here is a list of items to reframe. It’s not comprehensive. Acquire the habit of spotting unhelpful thinking styles and finding a handy way of re-expressing them to be more resourceful. The mind is very good at this, once you ask it to be. ‘Threat’ versus ‘Challenge’ The ability to reframe a threat into a challenge is the most admired trait of all, and rightly so. It’s the one most associated with success and happiness.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Lionel Baugh Born: 5/25/53 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nationality: British/US Citizen Education: Trinity College, Dublin University Lives in: Solis, Uruguay Speak: Both English and Spanish, without preference. I’m an executive coach. In 2009, I completed a long career in financial services and made a life changing and comprehensive career shift. My banking career had a lot of diversity to it. I enjoyed assignments in New York, Lima, Manila, Hong Kong, Oslo, San Antonio-Texas, and Miami. Professionally that took me through commercial banking to capital markets and eventually to wealth management. In 2008, I left Merrill Lynch, and by early 2009, I was certified as a business coach. This opened up a whole new world, unleashing a passionate desire to help people grow and a fascination with what works in life. As my coaching career advanced, I moved from business coaching to executive coaching, where most of my existing practice lies. The fundamental difference is that executive coaching focuses more on 143 behavior and mindset than on entrepreneurialism. Behavior and mindset are where my passion lies. (Having said that, most entrepreneurial success is also about mindset, but you do spend time on things like the marketing strategy and the cash-flow forecast.) I became a sponge for learning and have obtained certifications in Emotional Intelligence and in the Red2Blue mindset model. I have read too many books to number or list, and the subjects range from psychology to therapy to emotional intelligence, agility, and self-awareness to mindfulness, stoicism, and more recently, anything I can learn about performance under pressure. My ‘why’ is sustained by a strong belief that everyone has excellence in them. I’m curious to discover each person’s unique ‘hidden genius’. I’m very motivated to help identify that excellence, polish it, and display it to the world in all its splendor. I have clients throughout the Americas and the UK whom I coach via Zoom. I also do frequent webinars and in-person workshops.

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Excellence-through-Mental-Strength-Lionel/dp/B0BY4CR8LY

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Straight Browsing from the Library: Signed by Tim Burris

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Tim Burris will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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It's time to get serious and start preparing to take your football talents to the next level. But understanding the multiple recruiting pathways and signing to a postsecondary football program can be challenging. Don't worry, though . . . Coach Burris of IRONWILL Football will help guide you through the recruiting process.

Signed is a guide for Canadian football players in Grades 9 to 12 who aspire to play post-secondary football. Coach Burris gives you the football recruiting blueprint so you can make informed recruiting decisions for your future.

With a dedicated chapter for parents, Signed breaks down everything you need to begin your journey toward the U Sports, NCAA, Junior football, CEGEP, and Junior college.

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Canadian prep high school

Another option that is becoming popular for high school players is attending a Canadian prep high school. You might be asking yourself, “What is a prep school?” Well, it’s a high school football program that focuses on preparing student athletes academically and athletically to Setting the Tone 10 play at the NCAA or U Sports level. In addition, prep high school helps the student athlete prepare to write the SAT, and to achieve the academic entrance requirements to attend an NCAA and/or U Sports program.

The reason Canadian players are starting to play at prep high schools is that games are played against American high schools. This provides a lot of exposure opportunities and the chance to play at a higher level of high school competition.

High school prep schools play good competition and that’s what the US college coaches look for when it comes to Canadian kids. They don’t know if they can play American ball. So that gives them a platform, for real.
~Justin Sambu
University of Maine
Canadian Prep School Alumni

What you need to know

• There are fees involved in attending Canadian prep high school.
• If you will live out of your home province, you will need to find room and board unless the school has arrangements.
• You will require a passport to travel to the United States.

Benefits of a Canadian prep high school

The following are potential benefits of prep high school, depending on what type of high school football experience you want:

1. Academic learning in a small-class setting
2. The opportunity to play against American high school teams
3. Increased exposure, because games are played in the United States against American high school football teams
4. The opportunity to gain experience playing American rules football
5. Opportunities for NCAA scholarships or U Sports offers

MEET THE AUTHOR

Coach Tim Burris is a former U Sports student athlete and is a Vanier Cup Champion. He has coached at the U Sports level and has over a decade of coaching experience ranging from bantam level to the university level. Coach Tim Burris has worked with more than a thousand players across Canada. He also had the honor of coaching on the Alberta U18 Team for three years, in addition to running his football performance camps and defensive line academy program.
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Straight Chatting from the Library: F. Dumanjug

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. F. Dumanjug will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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What is the favorite book you remember as a child?
I remembered this book when I was in grade one and the teacher had encouraged us to read this book called Dr. Jose Rizal, one of his life stories when he was a child, until became a patriot in the Philippines.

What is your favorite book today?
Currently, my favorite book is the Holy Bible. I keep reading it.

Tell us about your current book in 10 words.
My current book is published all over the world, and I hope that people will read this book and will change their life's perspective in this world.

What are you reading right now?
I was just reading Ephesians chapter 4, 5, and chapter 6.

What books do you have on hold at the library?
I don't go to the Library to read a book.

E- Reader or Print? and why?
For the reader it is great to have a book that has big letters and has good spacing print letters, because it is clear and easy to read.

One book at a time or multiples?
I preferred one book at a time

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My encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, came with his all plans, instructions, and directions about this project. It is all perfect for me. Says the Lord, "You will write a book from your journal." The Lord says, "I can't wait to have people get that book." The Lord wants to reach out to people around the globe, to return to him, with repentance, and believe and accept him by faith in order to be saved by his grace and mercy, that the Lord Jesus is a true living God, and his spirit live within us. The Lord said, "This book, I will make it happen, and it will be done."

My childhood has been very difficult, not knowing what my future holds in life. Almighty God gave me guidance, and he allowed me to do what I needed to do according to my plan in life. But not with God's plan. Living in Australia has given me opportunity to achieve my goal in life. When I reached the point of perception in life, the Lord Jesus Christ gave me a free will, which I should follow. The worldly living is only for today and now, or I can choose to follow Christ for eternal life after earth with rewards in heaven. The breath of the Almighty gives me life, and new creation.

Isaiah 55: 9: "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." I live in Christ right now, I don't make decision for myself, I consult the Lord Jesus and depend on him for what the Holy Spirit wants me to do. To glorify the Lord our heavenly Father, amen!

Such as Behold I am coming soon! just a matter of time! keep looking up! be ready for a wedding banquet is being prepared for his people! It won't be long now! Anyone makes sure you don't miss it! The Lord Jesus is waiting for the last souls. But won't be forever! because there's a time due!

Decide now, tomorrow will be too late.

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I FOUND TRUTH WITH GUIDANCE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

When I was twenty-four years old, I graduated from a midwifery course at a college in the Philippines. The following year, I met an Australian friend who helped me process documents, to go to Australia and be close to him. Two months later, I left the Philippines for Australia. I had a dream that day, that I was on the foot path, standing among the crowd at Ozamiz city pier. While I was standing there, I saw the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ was standing over the clouds in a white robe, with long, shoulder length, curly brown hair, giving communion to people.

For many are invited, but few are chosen. (Matt. 22:14)

There were a lot of people in that place but only a few saw the Lord Jesus Christ. There were many people who didn’t see the Lord. I watched what the Lord Jesus was doing over the clouds. He looked down on people from above. He had bread in His hands for communion and gave it to people. There were a few men who asked me if I saw Jesus Christ. I said yes, the Lord is just up there, he remains standing over the clouds looking at people. But they didn’t see the Lord. By that time, I was automatically in my dream and knew that was the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though I didn’t read the Holy Bible back then, the Lord’s Holy Spirit had given me discernment by manifesting for me. The following morning at 8 a.m., I was dreaming. I saw the Lord Jesus’ face was full of blood and he had a thorn crown on his head. He came out from the bright sun. Those dreams in 1987, I remember. When I had those dreams, I didn’t tell anyone. I thought it was only a dream; I didn’t take it seriously until I left the Philippines for Australia. When I arrived in Australia, I didn’t even tell my friends. I kept it inside me, for a long time. Living in Australia, I am very thankful to God who has given me the opportunity to have a job, and the ability to pay for rent and food.

MEET THE AUTHOR

F. Dumanjug is an Australian author who writes to share the message of God. A devout Christian, she has overcome challenges in her journey to fulfill her calling as an author. Through her writing, she hopes to inspire others and help them understand the power of faith.

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Straight Browsing from the Library: The Charterhouse of Evil by Janice Tremayne

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Janice Tremayne will be awarding an Audiobook of The Infants Spirits (Book 4) Haunting Clarisse Series to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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Bound to life old and new, the sins of the departed still haunt her. When wickedness infects the innocent, can she see the curse undone?

Western Australia. Clarisse Garcia is ready to return stronger than ever. With her husband by her side, the plucky spirit hunter is back on familiar territory with an assignment for Benedictine monks. And now she’s out to vanquish whatever evil is plaguing the monastic village that caused orphans to mysteriously die.

With what could be a voracious demon on her hands, Clarisse partners up with a man who grew up in the local orphanage to investigate suspicious activities. And as they dig through the monastery’s shrouded history, she discovers that some of these servants of God might not be as benign as they claim… and she may be their next quarry.

Can this driven woman end the impiety before more lives are sent to the grave?

The Charterhouse of Evil is the shocking fifth book in the Haunting Clarisse supernatural horror series. If you like bold characters, adrenaline-spiking investigations, and jaw-dropping twists and turns, then you’ll love Janice Tremayne’s malevolent tale.

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Clarisse heard the creak of her door opening slightly and unaided. She had no way of knowing who was behind the door, as the room was dark, and only a speck of light filtered through the window from a solitary lamppost outside, barely enough to recognize the possible intruder.

She heard the moans from the breath of death as though someone was suffocating. She had heard it all before and knew what the end of life sounded like.

An unwelcoming sound of a dead spirit roamed the guesthouse corridors that had not crossed over—not an uncommon encounter in haunted places frequented with the souls of those long gone.

As the spirit raised the tempo of its moaning repertoire, she heard rapid footsteps outside the room, as though someone was running up and down the hallway, chasing shadows. A child perhaps? It made her think there was more than one spirit wanting to contact her.

While the evil chasm was invading her private space, the wind blew outside as a storm ravaged the monastic village. Rain droplets, the size of golf balls, pelted her window as the gust of wind tried to force its way inside. The clap of thunder in the distance only added to the surreal ambiance.

Although most people would have been terrified, Clarisse was not. She had seen it all before. It was how demons announced themselves, thinking they could get your attention through fear and take the upper hand. But not Clarisse; she knew their tactics and didn’t overreact to any spiritual encounter.

There was a scratching sound on the door, of metal and fingernails, which she considered unusual for a wooden frame. It was followed by the breath of the dark spirit forming its words. It echoed throughout her room, followed by a sigh. The spirit entity was trying to communicate with her.

Clarisse sat upright in bed, placing the European-style pillow on the bedside frame, and said, “I hear you, demon. What is it you want?”

“Your catharsis awaits you,” the demon replied. It took a deep shallow breath then repeated, “Catharsis ….”

MEET THE AUTHOR

Janice Tremayne is an award-winning supernatural horror writer from Australia. Her acclaimed novel, Haunting Hartley, was a finalist in the Readers' Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in fiction-supernatural and was awarded the distinguished favorite prize for paranormal horror at the New York City Big Book Awards. She was recently awarded the silver medal at the IPPY Awards 2021 Australia/New Zealand/Pacific Rim – Best Regional Fiction and the Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards 2020 Bronze Award in Adult Fiction.

Janice is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. The Haunting Clarisse series has regularly reached number one in the Amazon kindle rankings for Occult Supernatural, Ghosts and Haunted Houses, and British Horror for hot new releases/bestsellers. Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She grew up in a family with a cultural heritage where religious taboos and superstitions were entrenched into their way of life. This fascinated her as she was growing up and laid the foundations for developing a passion and style for writing supernatural horror novels for adult readers.

Writing the Haunting Clarisse series was spawned over a cup of coffee many years ago when she finally decided to put pen to paper, and she has never looked back. Her books contain heart-thumping, bone-chilling, and thought-provoking paranormal experiences that deliver a new twist to every tale to the delight of her readers worldwide.

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Straight Browsing from the Library: Until I'm Safe in your Arms by Jenna Jaxon

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jenna Jaxon will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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Can a wager to find a wife turn into a true love match?

Entered into a wager that he can wed within a week, Captain Alex Bancroft pursues the first pretty woman he meets: Miss Emma Washer. Their courtship proceeds at a furious pace, including a dalliance that might ruin them both. Before it can, Alex proposes and is stunned when Emma agrees to marry him. Alex desperately tries to keep word of the wager from his new wife, not knowing Emma has secrets of her own to keep.

As passion erupts between the newly wed pair, the circumstances of Emma’s past threaten to tear them asunder. Alex’s regiment is directed to sail to a place Emma dares not go.

She refuses to accompany him, leaving Alex with a devastating choice: leave England to fulfil duty to Queen and country or stay and revel in his newfound love for his wife?

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As soon as they reached the flowered arbor, Emma ducked into its shadowy depths. Its coolness came as a welcomed surprise and the perfume of the overhanging blooms made her head spin with the heavy scent. Alex held the swing and she sank onto it gratefully. Between the heat without, the sudden coolness within, the intense sweetness of the flowers, and Alex’s presence, her head had begun to spin. She glanced up at him and patted the seat by her. “Will you sit beside me?”

“In a moment, perhaps.” He strode to the edge of the bower and peered down the path they’d just taken. His head moved back and forth as he scanned the garden, then apparently satisfied with what he saw, Alex turned back to her. “Good. It seems we are very much alone.”

Emma’s eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat as he dropped gracefully to one knee and took her hand.

“We have known one another for only a matter of days, Emma, but I believe you to be the loveliest woman of my acquaintance. Sweet, kind, beautiful…” He grinned. “And the tiniest bit naughty, making you the perfect woman for me.”

Gazing into his deep blue eyes staring so intently at her, Emma could scarcely breathe beyond little hitching gasps. Was this real? Was she about to hear the question she’d longed to answer ever since seeing him…was it only three days ago? Her hands trembled in his grip. Dear God, don’t let her faint.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Jenna Jaxon is a best-selling author of historical romance, writing in a variety of time periods because she believes that passion is timeless. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, Jenna has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all these elements into her own stories.

She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets--including Olive, an almost silent cat, Earl Grey, a very curious bunny, and a Shar-pei mix named Frenchie.

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Straight Chatting from the Library: Kirsten Weiss

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kirsten Weiss will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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When and why did you first get interested in tarot?

Like so many people, I first picked up a Tarot deck when I was fairly young—in college. But memorizing all 78 cards seemed like it would take a lot more time than I had. To add to the confusion, my first deck was pretty, but not grounded in very detailed symbolism.

But when I went into the Peace Corps, I figured I’d have the time to learn. So I bought a classic deck—the Rider-Waite-Smith—and brought it with me to Estonia. And I did have a lot of time to learn. This was back in the nineties, when the internet was just getting going, and there were all sorts of listservs to join and very, very slow internet connections to talk Tarot on. There was something magical about those clunky listservs and having conversations with faceless people in the void.

Anyway, after Peace Corps, I stayed in the former Soviet Union, which had a mystical vibe of its own. And the more I studied Tarot, the more I fell down the wormhole of western esotericism. It turns out Tarot has connections to neo-platonism, alchemy, Grail myth… Basically if some western mystic or magician dreamed it up, there’s probably a Tarot connection. And this led to a weird point in my Tarot learning where I was aware of too many different card meanings—it became impossible to read. Which meaning to choose? I was overwhelmed. And then, somehow, everything came together, and my readings began to flow more intuitively. Now reading Tarot is second nature.

And I’ve collected a stupid number of Tarot decks. I keep telling myself this one is the absolute last. But then a Tarot creator will produce something new, and I’m lost. But the art’s lovely, and the symbols are powerful, so I regret nothing!

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How to Read the Cards for Transformation

When Tarot reader Hyperion Night sent his manuscript, The Mysteries of Tarot, to a friend to edit, it was a simple guide to reading Tarot. Hyperion couldn’t anticipate that his editor’s notes would evolve into a murder mystery, or that his friend would go missing. Shockingly, the annotated manuscript eventually made its way back to Hyperion, who forwarded it to the authorities.

Now this astonishing Tarot guide is available as a book. The Tarot guidebook features:

• Tarot basics―How to manage different interpretations of cards in a spread, how to read court cards, and a clear and simple method for dealing with reversals.
• Detailed card breakdowns― Keywords, flash non-fiction narratives, and a deep dive into the symbols of each of the 78 cards of the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana.
• Questions to apply to the cards for transforming your life―Insightful questions for each card to help you dig deeper into your Tarot reading practice.

Bonus feature: the guidebook also includes his editor’s comments on the more esoteric and philosophical interpretations of the Tarot, as well as his notes on the baffling mystery that engulfed him.

Gain deep insight from the cards, transform yourself, and solve The Mysteries of Tarot with this work of experimental fiction that’s part Tarot guidebook, part murder mystery.

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The Suit of Pentacles

Earth

Abundance

Foundations

Fertility

The physical world

Health and home

Notes: Suit of Pentacles

50 I’m regrouping with a thorough cleaning of my temporary home. And yes, the caretaker's cottage was already clean, but I felt driven to… Start fresh now that my father’s gone?

Adelaide stopped by, catching me in the middle of scrubbing behind the stove. She thought I was mad not to call in the servants. But that wasn’t the point. The point was rolling up my sleeves and getting dirty. Laughing, she left me to it.

What finally stopped me was discovering an old plastic yellow house at the back of the closet. It was my mother’s. When we were kids, she’d bring it out for Christmas and create a little village beneath the tree. An old mirror became an ice skating rink. Cotton for snow. This was before my father got big and mom got cancer. You know the rest.

I cried for the first time since his death, not just for the past but for what could have been. Could things have changed between us? It seemed like he was trying. Like something had changed. Why, Hyperion? Why did he do it? -T 

MEET THE AUTHOR

Kirsten Weiss writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries, and now a Tarot guidebook that’s a work of experimental fiction. Her heroes and heroines aren’t perfect, but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop.

Kirsten is best known for her Wits’ End, Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, and Tea & Tarot cozy mystery books. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…

Website: ttp://www.KirstenWeiss.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SBPM_Museum
Author Website: https://bit.ly/tarotmysteries

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C18BKGXB
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mysteries-of-tarot-kirsten-weiss/1143066958
Google Play: ?https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kirsten_Weiss_The_Mysteries_of_Tarot
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-mysteries-of-tarot
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6447194167

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Straight Chatting from the Library: Vyvyan Evans

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a physical paperback copy of the book (available internationally) to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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What is the favorite book you remember as a child?
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

What is your favorite book today?
Beloved by Toni Morrison.

Tell us about your current book in 10 words.
Makes you think about language in a whole new way.

What are you reading right now?
The Pilot: Planet Gallywood #2 by Andrew GillSmith. This series is the best thing since Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe series of books.

What books do you have on hold at the library?
Babel or the Necessity of Violence by R. F. Kuang

Do you have any bad book habits?
None that I know of. I always read and enjoy prologues. And I never cheat and read the ending first.

E-Reader or print? and why?
These days e-reader. They are cheaper than physical books, and I can travel with them.

One book at a time or multiples?
Multiples. I have several books on the go right now.

Dog-ear or bookmark? (don't worry—Librarian Judith won't hold it against you—much)
It’s always a bookmark!

Least favorite book you've read this year?
I don’t select books to read unless I think I will like them.

Favorite book you've read this year?
Our Lady of the Artilects by Andrew GillSmith.

When do you do most of your reading?
Usually in the evening, once the day is finished.

Favorite place to read?
On the sofa with a refreshing cold beer.

Favorite genre?
Always science fiction.

Do you loan your books?
Always happy to do so. Sharing is caring.

Favorite book to recommend?
Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany. A classic sci-fi adventure featuring language as a weapon of mass destruction.

How do you keep your books organized?
In the future: On a large library-style bookshelf running round an entire room (the design is worked up) Currently: Lots of large piles taking up a good-sized room.

Re-reader or not?
Usually not, but it has been known!

What would make you not finish a book?
I don’t select books that I don’t think I’ll like. I have too many unread books on my TBR anyway.

Keep books or give them away?
Definitely keep. You never know when you need to look something up, or the desire to re-read strikes.

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Language is no longer learned, but streamed to neural implants regulated by lang-laws. Those who can't afford language streaming services are feral, living on the fringes of society. Big tech corporations control language, the world’s most valuable commodity.

But when a massive cyberattack causes a global language outage, catastrophe looms.

Europol detective Emyr Morgan is assigned to the case. His prime suspect is Professor Ebba Black, the last native speaker of language in the automated world, and leader of the Babel cyberterrorist organization. But Emyr soon learns that in a world of corporate power, where those who control language control everything, all is not as it seems.

As he and Ebba collide, Emyr faces an existential dilemma between loyalty and betrayal, when everything he once believed in is called into question. To prevent the imminent collapse of civilization and a global war between the great federations, he must figure out friend from foe—his life depends on it. And with the odds stacked against him, he must find a way to stop the Babel Apocalypse.

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Ebba was all too aware that she was viewed as an anomaly by pretty much everyone; she was neither feral nor out-soc. So, some of her students—especially those from outside the Republic, such as the Grand Union, and other places too—thought she must be breaking the law. It was a common misconception. She had even once been reported to the authorities by one of those types. For being an unchipped ghost, as they called her. That made her laugh; a dark laugh at the irony of it. The mutes, she called them. Those who had been fitted with Universal Grammar tech.

But while she officially resided in the Nordic Republic, and as long as she remained there, Ebba wasn’t doing anything illegal. The Republic was something of a curiosity even among Tier One states, never having passed a lang-law. Yet this singular absence was offset by the special requirements of Nordic birth licenses. To have one granted, prospective parents had to consent to their newborn being fitted with Universal Grammar tech. So everyone got a language chip at birth anyway, together with an ear implant transceiver. Which meant that voice command tech was, for all intents and purposes, de rigueur even without a lang-law. But that was the Scandinavian way. In the Nordic Republic, they organized freedom.

For her part, Ebba knew it wasn’t her. It was everyone else who had the problem. “That’s what you would think,” her braver, typically male students told her. “You’re Ebba Black.” Ha! Whatever that means. How do they know what Ebba Black would think anyway?

MEET THE AUTHOR

Dr. Vyvyan Evans is a native of Chester, England. He holds a PhD in linguistics from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., and is a Professor of Linguistics. He has published numerous acclaimed popular science and technical books on language and linguistics. His popular science essays and articles have appeared in numerous venues including 'The Guardian', 'Psychology Today', 'New York Post', 'New Scientist', 'Newsweek' and 'The New Republic'. His award-winning writing focuses, in one way or another, on the nature of language and mind, the impact of technology on language, and the future of communication. His science fiction work explores the status of language and digital communication technology as potential weapons of mass destruction.

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The Babel Apocalypse earned a starred review in Kirkus: "A perfect fusion of SF, thriller, and mystery—smart speculative fiction at its very best."

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