LIFE UPDATE: WHAT'S NEXT FOR MY BLOG

Good morning, everyone! I’m here today with a status update. It’s nearing the start of April, and I’ve written twenty blog posts already. Hard to believe how quickly time passes! I’d swear just a few weeks ago we were celebrating the New Year. And with the current global situation, time appears to be passing differently.

As many others around the world, my community is going through a social isolation. The coronavirus has already got here. I was half surprised when I found out. As I’ve mentioned before, I have a low opinion of my town. It’s boring, so noteworthy stuff rarely happens here. No offense to anyone, but a pandemic qualifies as noteworthy. I also thought it’d take longer for the virus to arrive because most people here aren’t well traveled. Only those who are wealthy or in big business can afford to go anywhere other than Canada or Mexico. 

BOOK REVIEW: THE EDGE OF NEVER BY J.A. REDMERSKI

Title: The Edge of Never
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: November 13, 2012, self-published

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?

Who hasn't honestly thought (at least once in their life) of going on an aimless road trip? That is exactly the decision that the protagonist of The Edge of Never, Camryn Bennett, makes. Though I'm a guy, I identify with her, especially as I despise the town where I live. I don't feel that I belong here. Camryn doesn't believe she's where she belongs, either. She’s never been satisfied with her life and is itching to break from the mold. In other words, Camryn doesn't want the same “boring” life everyone else has—wake up, brush your teeth, have breakfast, go to a 9-to-5 job and then return home. She wishes for something different.

Adding to Camryn’s anxiety is a recent tragedy. Camryn’s boyfriend died some time ago, and he was going to be her partner on a journey around the world. After a disastrous night at a club, Camryn jumps on a bus headed for the first state that pops into her mind. That's quite imprudent, but courageous on her part. Fate leads Camryn to cross paths with Andrew Parrish, a young man who catches her interest. After saving her from a perverted bastard, Andrew decides to go on a road trip with Camryn. They soon develop a strong bond, although Andrew has a secret that could break them apart.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ACHIEVE LANGUAGE FLUENCY?

Photo by Craig Adderley from Pexels

One of the questions first-time language learners ask themselves is how long it will take to become fluent. That question has several variables. How much time per day will you dedicate to studying? Is it necessary to learn a different alphabet first? What is your definition of fluency? All these factors influence the amount of time you’ll need to master a new language.

To start with, what does fluency mean? For some, it means being comfortable enough with a language to converse without much difficulty. For others, fluency is being able to hold any conversation just like a native speaker. Others will consider themselves fluent if they can pass an official language test. Neither of these answers are inherently wrong. What’s important is your goals and motivation. Whatever “fluent” means for you, focus on attaining that level. Keep in mind that languages are a means of communication. You should learn a language so you can speak to other people, not so you can pass tests.

BOOK REVIEW: DEAD WEIGHT BY T.R. RAGAN

Title: Dead Weight
Author: T.R. Ragan
Genre: Mystery, thriller

Published on: July 17, 2012 (first publisher edition), by Thomas & Mercer

Private investigator Lizzy Gardner knows a thing or two about living in the past. As a teenager, she was terrorized by a serial killer, an ordeal that haunted her for more than a decade before the maniac was finally stopped. So when terminally ill Ruth Fullerton begs Lizzy to reopen the cold case into her daughter’s disappearance, it’s hard to say no. More than twenty years have passed since Carol Fullerton vanished, abandoning her car by the side of a California freeway. The police wrote her off as a runaway, yet something tells Lizzy the truth isn’t so simple…

Carol’s cold case has barely begun to thaw when Andrea Kramer shows up at Lizzy’s door. Andrea’s sister, Diane, has been missing for months, and she’s convinced a charismatic weight-loss guru—part Tony Robbins and part Richard Simmons—is responsible. Diane was obese, but could her obsession with losing weight have led to her disappearance?

As if two active missing persons cases weren’t enough, Lizzy is also trying to manage her two teenage assistants, including one as wounded and haunted by her past as Lizzy.

Fast-paced and deftly plotted, this impressive follow-up to the best-selling Abducted finds Sacramento PI Lizzy Gardner in over her head—but more determined than ever to help those no one else will.

Another hit from T.R. Ragan! Dead Weight finds private investigator Lizzy Gardner on a brand-new case. Young women have been disappearing from Sacramento mysteriously. The sister of one of them has enlisted Lizzy's services. This takes the young and fearless Lizzy on a quest to find out who's behind the alleged kidnappings. The case leads her to enroll in the class of a famous nutrition and fitness expert, who is also a person of interest. After reading the title of the novel, I'd expected the bad guy to be a sadist who kidnaps women and leaves them starving. That is not the case, though.

This time, Lizzy has sidekicks to help her, both of whom were introduced in Abducted. The first one is the assistant that I became most familiar with—the other is quite mysterious. Jessica Pleiss is as driven and thirsty to prove herself as ever. She’s smart, though a bit prone to landing herself in dangerous situations. Jessica also has a strong reluctance to bend rules and laws. She’s a lot of a by-the-book kind of person. Jessica’s still quite resourceful, and an asset to Lizzy.

STRENGTHEN YOUR DIGITAL SECURITY TODAY

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

Since computers are so ubiquitous today, thinking about digital security is a must. Around 90% of Americans have some sort of Internet connection. And just like your house needs guarding against intruders, so does your computer. While most people will probably not fall victim to a digital security breach, prevention remains important.

Most users are not tech experts or security professionals. That means they don’t change much about their computers. They may set a custom desktop background or install some favorite programs. Antivirus programs are common, but they’re not the only way to protect your digital life. This article will explore some of them.

BOOK REVIEW: BOUNDARY CROSSED BY MELISSA F. OLSON

Title: Boundary Crossed

Author: Melissa F. Olson

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published on: May 1, 2015 by 47North

After her twin sister’s brutal murder, former US Army Sergeant Allison “Lex” Luther vowed to protect her niece, Charlie. So when two vampires try to kidnap the baby, it quickly turns into a fight to the death—Lex’s death, that is.

She wakes up to two shocking discoveries: she has miraculously survived the fight, and baby Charlie is a “null,” gifted with the ability to weaken supernatural forces...and a target for creatures who want to control that power. Determined to guarantee her niece’s safety, Lex makes a deal with the local vampires. She sets out with the mysterious—and undead—“fixer” Quinn to track down whoever’s responsible for the kidnapping, sharpening her newfound magic skills along the way. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her powers become.

Boundary Crossed is a dark, thrilling journey into a world where the line between living and dead isn’t nearly as solid as it appears...

I got this book as a Kindle First Reads deal. The cover caught my eye first, and then I read the synopsis. Boundary Crossed presents an interesting take on witches. In this book’s universe—called the “Old World” by supernatural beings—witches don’t use wands. The term “witch” applies to both genders as well. Boundary Crossed takes place in Boulder, Colorado. The protagonist is Allison“Lex” Luther (I know). She’s an ordinary woman and ex-soldier in her early thirties, who works at a convenience store. Lex is there one night when she stumbles upon a pair of strangers who have kidnapped her baby niece, Charlie. After a brutal fight, Lex saves Charlie, but at the cost of her own life…or so it appears.

Sometime later, Lex is in the hospital when a strange man shows up. He’s Quinn, who claims to be a police detective. After a few questions, Quinn confirms something but feels puzzled by Lex’s obliviousness. He reveals to Lex that she’s a witch, and that he and Charlie’s kidnappers are vampires. At first Lex thinks Quinn is nuts. She’s soon convinced by a guy named Simon Pellar, a member of the local witch clan.

7 BENEFITS OF LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

These days, it’s easier than ever to teach yourself something. Learning materials are quickly accessible, from YouTube videos to books and smartphone apps. You can go school (or college), but it’s possible to teach yourself certain subjects at home. The only hard decision is choosing what to learn.

One subject you can study that will have positive effects on your life is a foreign language. It doesn’t matter which one you pick. Learning a second (or third) language has various personal, professional, and cognitive benefits. And it’s something that you can definitely learn on your own. Having a teacher helps, but it’s not indispensable. Learning a new language doesn’t have to be a major time commitment, either. Experts agree that even 30 minutes of active learning per day go a long way. If you can spare time to peruse Instagram and Facebook, you can spare time to learn something. Here are 7 benefits of learning a new language: