A Book and a Chat with “Courtney J. Webb”

over the weeks, I’ve had guest calling parked at the side of the road, guest calling from up in the mountains or on a trail through the wilds. I’ve had guests from Canada and England, however today my show with Courtney J Webb was something different. Courtney is in Australia, and with the aid of a bottle of Prune Juice (that could cause some issues later on) joined the show at 2am in the morning her time.

Of course the fact that we are both from England even though thousands of miles a part meant we had lots to talk and laugh about.

I was using a new phone and it does seem to have a bit of an echo on it, so that needs to be sorted out, but I’m sure you can still enjoy the fun and laughter as I talk to Courtney about her and her book “Immaculate Deception”

Immaculate Deception is a rollicking look at sex, religion, crime and relationships in one delicious read. The novel follows the exploits of Craig Connery, a sexy ex-con whose split-second decision to take another man’s identity puts him in the most unlikely position: that of impersonating a priest.

Now, this decidedly nonreligious man must make it as a man of God. His first mission? Running a nursing home in regional Australia.

What follows is a high-stakes farce of biblical proportions as Craig dissembles his way through a life he knows nothing about. Along the why, he’ll glimpse a world whose secrets rival his own—and discover the shocking truth about the church, the elderly, and himself.

So why not listen to this fun thirty minutes as we discuss items from Marmite to Religion, listen and find out all about Courtney J Webb and her writing as she is today’s guest on “A Book and a Chat”

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond/2009/10/31/A-Book-and-a-Chat-Courtney-J-Webb

or on my blog spot at

http://acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com

Barry

BARRY EVA (Storyheart)
Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
“Across the Pond”

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STORYHEART SUNDAY UK BLOG – CAN’T SEE THE WOODS FOR THE TREES

Can’t See the Woods for the Trees

When I used this expression the other day at work, I thought it must be one of those fairly modern idiom. I was quite surprised when I checked around for today’s UK blog and found that the saying thought to be around 500 years old.

Firstly though what is it’s meaning?

“Can’t see the woods for the trees” or sometimes used as “can’t see the forest for the trees” is a phrase used on both sides of the pond, as well as the other side of the world UK, America and Australia). If someone can’t see the wood for the trees, they are unable to understand what is the big picture because they are giving too much attention to details.

“Mark is so focused on product details that he can’t see the forest for the trees when it comes to the overall needs of the company.”

Also reminds of “don’t sweat the small stuff (things)”

So where does the phrase come from?

UNABLE TO SEE THE WOODS FOR THE TREES – From “Heavens to Betsy” by Charles Earle Funk (Harper & Row, New York, 1955): “Too beset by petty things to appreciate the greatness or grandeur; too wrapped up in details to gain a view of the whole. In America we are likely to use the plural, ‘woods,’ or possibly to substitute ‘forest,’ but ‘wood’ is the old form and is preferable.

Actually, the saying is at least five hundred years old, and probably a century or two could be added to that, for it must have been long been in use to have been recorded in 1546 in John Heywood’s ‘A dialogue Conteynyng the Nomber in Effect of all the Prouerbes in the Englishe Tongue.’ He wrote ‘Plentie is no deinte, ye see not your owne ease. I see, ye can not see the wood for trees.’ And a few years later, in 1583, Brian Melbancke, in ‘Philotimus: the Warre Betwixt Nature and Fortune,’ wrote: ‘Thou canst not or wilt not see wood for trees.’

The saying has cropped up repeatedly from then to the present, becoming, in fact, more frequent with the passing years.”

UK VIDEO

I also thought I’d share with you a a video I made some time ago, about my England, the sound on Youtube sounds a little like it’s underwater, but I hope you enjoy it, and for those people from Across the Pond I hope it brings back memories.

Barry

Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
Across the Pond
http://acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com/
http://across-t-pond.com


OTHER SUNDAY UK BLOGSABOUT

THE GRAND NATIONAL
WHY UK DRIVES ON THE LEFT
MOTHERS DAY ACROSS THE POND
ABOUT THE UNION JACK
ENGLISHMANS VIEW ON BASEBALL
WHAT IS BOXING DAY
BRITISH TV TRANSPLANTS
WHO WAS SAINT GEORGE?
BOBS YOUR UNCLE
SWEET FANNY ADAMS
EUROPE’S GOT TALENT – WELL PERHAPS
GOBSMACKED, BOBBIES AND AN ARM AND A LEG
BIG BEN… OR IS IT?
THE USA NEEDS A CITIZENS CHARTER
FROM CHARIOTS TO NASCAR
WHAT IS FATHERS DAY?

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Twitter followers ‘can be bought’

WEIRD NEWS:FROM THE BBC:

This interesting article about TWITTER was on the BBC today, which I thought I would share.

Twitter followers ‘can be bought’

Twitter users who lack an audience for their messages can now buy followers.

Australian social media marketing company uSocial is offering a paid service that finds followers for users of the micro-blogging service.

Followers are available in blocks starting at $87 (£53) for 1,000. The biggest block uSocial is selling is 100,000 people.

USocial said businesses and individuals were queuing up to use its follower finding service.

Find and follow

Leon Hill, chief executive of uSocial, said the company finds potential followers by searching Twitter and working out what individual users are interested in. It also profiles where people are so it can more closely match users with those they might want to follow.

USocial then sends messages to potential followers telling them about the new Twitter user they might want to follow.

“It’s up to the user to follow them or not,” said Mr Hill. He added that uSocial continues to look for followers until the specified number had signed up.

USocial has about 150 customers that had bought followers and had another 80-90 campaigns about to roll out.

A broad range of clients had signed up to buy followers, said Mr Hill including educational organisations, companies and marketing firms.

“A woman who runs yoga classes is one of our clients,” he said. “So are some religious organisations including one man that just wants to get the word out about God.”

“Twitter started as a way for just friends to keep in touch,” said Mr Hill. “As with any social media site once they get big, every business or marketer jumps on the bandwagon.

“It’s an excellent marketing medium,” he said.

USocial estimated that each follower on Twitter was worth about 10 cents a month to a company that got them to sign up. The money would be made from adverts and sales on websites that followers click through to.

Robin Goad, a research director at Hitwise who has analysed Twitter growth, said businesses were definitely starting to sign up to the micro-blogging service.

“At the moment, it’s mainly media and internet content businesses,” he said. “Transactional companies are struggling to find a way to drive real pounds and dollars from it.

“Companies are building up as many followers as they can and trying to monetise them in the future,” he added.

The growing commercial use of Twitter was presenting the network with a few problems, said Mr Goad.

In particular, he said, Hitwise was starting to see the hijacking of hashtags – labels that bring all the messages about a subject together.

In late June, furnishings firm Habitat used tags associated with protests in Iran to attempt to drive people to its site. The firm has since apologised for its actions.

Some Twitter users were also starting to send out messages that are only about a product or service – effectively spam, said Mr Goad.

“Twitter is becoming one of the key viral channels,” he said.

Twitter might cope better with the creeping commercialisation than other social media sites, he said.

“It’s interesting in the way it has developed,” said Mr Goad. “Hashtags and re-tweets have developed organically rather than been designed from the top down.

“One advantage it has over other services is that it can change quickly if hashtags become a polluted medium and it might keep one step ahead of the spammers,” he said.

“We’ve yet to see people defecting to the next big thing.”

Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
“Across the Pond”

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A BOOK AND A CHAT with “KIM SMITH”

Writing, Readers, Guests, Blog Radio, even problems in New Zealand all on “A Book and a Chat with Kim Smith today.

This morning at the last moment (owing to a guest no show) I was lucky enough to have writer, radio host and friend KIM SMITH as my guest on “A BOOK AND A CHAT”

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond

Listen to my chat with Kim as we discuss, books, blog radio, guests, even troubles in New Zealand and a three year old who purchased a digger online.

As normal it is a fun listen with much fun, laughter as well as usefull information.

Listen to the show, join in the fun… You can find out all about Kim at….

Kim Smith
Avenging Angel, a Shannon Wallace Mystery (2008)
A Will to Love-coming June 11, 2009
Http://www.mkimsmith.com

Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
“Across the Pond”

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EIGHT DAY’S A WEEK

It seems to have been another long week, yet still the same five days of work, funny how sometimes those five days turn into eight or so it feels.

So what is there heading my way this weekend?

Saturday is looking like a fun day.

At 11:00am (EST) at “A BOOK AND A CHAT” my very special guest is Sarah, better known at “GREENBEANTEENQUEEN” nominated for YA blog of the year, advid reader, tween and teen librarian and recently married. Should be a fun 30 minutes with more to cover than I have time for, but we’ll cram in what we can.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond

Saturday Evening I have my karaoke show, with all the madness that brings. Always a fun evening.

My Sunday UK blog this week will be about the Eurovision Song Contest which most people outside Europe might not know about, but it’s been a must for 56 years and brought you ABBA amongst others.

Sunday night at 11;30pm I am a guest on “Before bedtime” not sure about before it’s well after my bedtime, but should be fun.

Finally today’s weird news…

Polish priest publishes sex guide
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8049853.stm

Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
“Across the Pond”

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Storyhearts Sunday UK Blog – Sweet Fanny Adams

SWEET FANNY ADAMS

The expression “Sweet Fanny Adams” refers to her and has come, through British naval slang “nothing at all”. Though the expression started to be used around 1867, it was not until 1919 in a book of WW1 soldier clang that we come across the first recorded the link between F.A. (meaning ‘f*** all’) and Fanny Adams.

So where did the term originate in the first place?

The term actually comes from a quite horrific murder of 8 year old Fanny Adams on 24th August 1867.

THE CRIME:

On 24 August 1867 at about 1.30 pm, Fanny’s mother, Harriet Adams, let Fanny and her friend Millie Warner (both 8 years old) and Fanny’s sister Lizzie (aged 7) go up Tanhouse Lane towards Flood Meadow. In the lane they met Frederick Baker, a 24-year-old solicitor’s clerk. Baker offered Millie and Lizzie three halfpence to go and spend and offered Fanny a halfpenny to accompany him towards Shalden, a couple of miles north of Alton. She took the coin but refused to go. He carried her into a hop field, out of sight of the other girls.

At about 5 pm, Millie and Lizzie returned home. Neighbor, Mrs Gardiner asked them where Fanny was, and they told her what had happened. Mrs Gardiner told Mrs Adams, and they went up the lane, where they came upon Baker coming back. They questioned him and he said he had given the girls money for sweets, but that was all. His respectability meant the women let him go on his way.

At about 7 pm Fanny was still missing, and neighbors went searching. They found Fanny’s body in the hop field, horribly butchered. Her head and legs had been severed and her eyes put out. Her torso had been emptied and her organs scattered. Her remains were taken to a nearby doctor’s surgery, where over several days the body was put back together. (The surgery is now a pub called the “Ye Olde Leathern Bottle” and is believed to be haunted by the little girl.)

Mrs Adams ran to tell her husband, what had happened. He went and got his shotgun from home and set off to find the perpetrator, but neighbors stopped him.
That Baker was arrested at his place of work (a solicitors). He was led through an angry mob to the police station. There was blood on his shirt and trousers, which he could not explain, but he protested his innocence. He was searched and found to have two small blood-stained knives on him.

Witnesses put Baker in the area, returning to his office at about 3 pm, then going out again. Baker’s workmate, fellow clerk Maurice Biddle, reported that, when drinking in the Swan that evening, Baker had said he might leave town. When Biddle replied that he might have trouble getting another job, Baker said, chillingly with hindsight, “I could go as a butcher”.

On 26 August, the police found Baker’s diary in his office. It contained a damning entry:

24th August, Saturday — killed a young girl. It was fine and hot.

At his trial on 5 December, the defense contested Millie Warner’s identification of Baker and claimed the knives found were too small for the crime anyway. They also argued insanity: Baker’s father had been violent, a cousin had been in asylums, his sister had died of a brain fever and he himself had attempted suicide after a love affair.

The judge invited the jury to consider a verdict of not responsible by reason of insanity, but they returned a guilty verdict after just fifteen minutes.

On Christmas Eve, Baker was hanged outside Winchester Jail. The crime had become notorious and a crowd of 5,000 attended the execution.

THE PHRASE:

So how does this link to the current usage of the term?

In 1869 new rations of tinned mutton were introduced for British seamen. They were unimpressed by it, and decided it must be the butchered remains of Fanny Adams. The way her body had been strewn over a wide area presumably encouraged speculation that parts of her had been found at the Navy victualling yard in Deptford.

With typical grisly humor, they sailors came to use the expression “Sweet Fanny Adams” to refer to these unpleasant meat rations, meaning worthless, which changed to mean “nothing at all”

Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
Across the Pond
http://acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com/
http://across-t-pond.com

OTHER BLOGS ABOUT GREAT BRITAIN:

THE GRAND NATIONAL
WHY UK DRIVES ON THE LEFT
MOTHERS DAY ACROSS THE POND
ABOUT THE UNION JACK
ENGLISHMANS VIEW ON BASEBALL
WHAT IS BOXING DAY
BRITISH TV TRANSPLANTS
WHO WAS SAINT GEORGE?
BOBS YOUR UNCLE

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Across the Pond – Six Months And Going Strong

It has been six months since my book Across the Pond (by Storyheart) was published. So much has happened in that time, am I a published author?

Today while checking out I contest came across the ruling definition of what was classed as a published author.

“We are using Romance Writers of America guidelines to determine publishing status. Anyone who has either: “(1) earned at least $1,000 in the form of an advance on a single novel or novella published by a non-subsidy, non-vanity publisher; or (2) who has earned at least $1,000 in the form of royalties or a combination of advance plus royalties on a single published novel or novella published by a non-subsidy, non-vanity publisher” is considered a published author and is not eligible to enter the contest.”

So have I made $1000? No…
Did I get an advance of $1000? No…

So I guess I don’t class as a published author.

Perhaps if I was Barack Obama writing details of what went on behind the scenes on the campaign trail. Margaret Thatcher on her years with Dennis, or Secrets of the next Harry Potter file. Perhaps if I detailed how Hulk Hugan’s agent turned down the chance to promote the now “George Foreman” grill, choosing instead to put the Hulksters name to a now long forgotten food mixer. I might then be classed as an published author.

So what has happened in my 6 months?

Well I’ve won a couple of awards, I have coming up to a hundred reviews, over sixty on Amazon alone. I’ve chatted to people all over the world during a wonderful fun virtual book tour, made many new friends, been on radio and TV shows, visited schools and had lot’s of fun.

People of all ages have enjoyed “Across the Pond”, sharing their comments and encouragement through reviews, messages, blogs and emails. Even being compared with such great authors as Judy Blume.

So do I describe myself a published author?

Storyheart

Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
Across the Pond
http://acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com/
http://across-t-pond.com

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Why Leaving on a Jet Plane?

Why “Leaving on a Jet Plane”?

I have been asked why I use “Leaving on a Jet Plane” as a sign off for my Radio Show “A BOOK AND A CHAT”.

To my mind is tells not just about my book “Across the Pond”, the act of flying to another country but also the sadness of leaving somebody special and having to fly away. It also tells about me the author “Storyheart” and how I felt when I left England to start a new life in America.

Like a modern day colonist I headed for a location and a life I had no idea about, leaving my family and all I had known up to that moment three thousand miles behind.

This obviously helped me to be able to write my book, like Fred in the book, I’ll never forget the shock when I saw people turning driving through red lights when turning right.

The song so inspired me I also used it for my book video which you can see and I hope enjoy at http://romance2read.com

Storyheart’s Radio Blog Show “A Book and A Chat” can be found at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond

Storyheart

Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
Across the Pond
http://acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com/
http://across-t-pond.com

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Storyhearts Sunday UK Blog – Bobs Your Uncle

“BOB’S YOUR UNCLE”

Bob’s your uncle is a commonly used expression known mainly in Britain, Ireland and Commonwealth countries. It is often used immediately following a set of simple instructions and carries roughly the same meaning as the phrase “and there you have it”.

As in…“You put the plug in here, press that switch, and Bob’s your uncle!”.

So who is Bob? Why Uncle Bob?

It’s a catchphrase dating back to 1887, when British Prime Minister Lord Salisbury decided to appoint a certain Arthur Balfour to the prestigious and sensitive post of Chief Secretary for Ireland. Not lost on the British public was the fact that Lord Salisbury just happened to be better known to Arthur Balfour as “Uncle Bob”. In the resulting furor over what was seen as an act of blatant nepotism, “Bob’s your uncle” became a popular sarcastic comment applied to any situation where the outcome was preordained by favoritism. As the scandal faded from public memory, the phrase lost its edge and became just a synonym for “no problem”.

Another theory, but less exciting, theory has it that it derives from the slang phrase all is bob, meaning that everything is safe, pleasant or satisfactory. This dates back to the seventeenth century or so (it’s in Captain Francis Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue of 1785). There have been several other slang expressions containing bob, some associated with thievery or gambling, and from the eighteenth century on it was also a common generic name for somebody you didn’t know.

“Bob’s your uncle” is also a way of saying “you’re all set”, “you’ve got it made!” or “that’s great!” and is used as an expression of jubilation at good fortune. It is used thus in the Alastair Sim film Scrooge, a version of the classic Dickens story A Christmas Carol, where a reformed Ebenezer Scrooge confronts his housekeeper, Mrs Dilber, on Christmas morning. He gives her a guinea (£1.05 in that era, and equivalent to about $100 today) as a Christmas present, and announces he will significantly raise her salary. In a burst of excitement the housekeeper responds, “Bob’s yer uncle! Merry Christmas, Mr Scrooge, in keeping with the situation!”

You can also find it’s usage in a number of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, notably Guards! Guards!, use the phrase to confuse, as the characters in question often do not have uncles named “Bob” and Discworld people tend to take things literally.

Cockney’s in East End of London I heard use it as “Bob’s your Uncle, Tilly’s a Trout” it’s enough to know about Uncle Bob, I have no idea who Tilly is… Perhaps it’s Bobs wife. I can’t find information about that variation anywhere.

Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
Across the Pond
http://acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com/
http://across-t-pond.com

OTHER BLOGS ABOUT GREAT BRITAIN:

THE GRAND NATIONAL
WHY UK DRIVES ON THE LEFT
MOTHERS DAY ACROSS THE POND
ABOUT THE UNION JACK
ENGLISHMANS VIEW ON BASEBALL
WHAT IS BOXING DAY
BRITISH TV TRANSPLANTS
WHO WAS SAINT GEORGE?

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Storyheart’s Sunday UK Blog – Who was St George?

Storyheart’s Sunday UK Blog – Who was St George?

During the week I have been blogging about St George’s day (April 23rd) back home across the pond. But who was St George?

The image of Saint George, renowned for his defense of all in need, is among the most well-recognized of Christian martyrdom figures. Primarily famous for being the Patron Saint of England (replacing the former patron, Edward the Confessor), George is also known as “Victory Bringer” and “The Quick to Hear.” Of the man himself, very little can be considered a certainty, save that he lived during the Fourth Century and was executed by decapitation in Lydda, Palestine. He was most probably born in Cappadocia of noble, Christian parents and, upon the death of his father, accompanied his mother to Palestine, her country of origin, where she owned land and where George may have been expected to oversee the estate but instead, chose the life of a military man.

The earliest mention of St George is in 322 A.D when Eusebius of Caesarea mentions a
“noble-born soldier of high rank the Roman army, being thrown into prison for vehemently disagreeing with Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians and, despite being tortured, refused to recant his beliefs. The following day, April 23, 303, he was dragged through the streets of Nicomedia and beheaded. The Emperor’s wife, Alexandria, was so impressed at the soldier’s courage, that she converted immediately to the Christian faith and was also put to death.”

He was adopted as the Patron Saint of soldiers after he was said to have appeared to the crusading armies during the Battle of Antioch in 1098. Many such similar stories were transmitted to the West by Crusaders who heard them from Byzantine troops. The tales were circulated even further by the troubadours. When Richard I (also known as “The Lionheart”) was campaigning in Palestine during 1191 and 1192, he put his army under the direct protection of Saint George.

In addition to being the Patron Saint of England, George is the Patron Saint of Aragon, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Germany and Greece. He is the Patron Saint of Catalonia, where legend has it that, after killing the dragon, he gave the princess a red rose and, as a result, on April 23 (especially in the City of Barcelona), it is traditional for men to give their sweethearts or wives a red rose and the lady in question reciprocates the gesture with the gift of a book. He is also the Patron Saint of Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa and Venice (where he is second only to Saint Mark), as well as being the Patron Saint of the State of Georgia. He is the patron of soldiers, cavalry and chivalry; of farmers and field workers; of Boy Scouts and of butchers; of horses, riders and saddlers; and of sufferers from leprosy, plague and syphilis.

He is particularly the Patron Saint of archers, which gives a special meaning to these famous lines from William Shakespeare’s “Henry V,” Act 3, Scene 1:

I see you Stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the Start. The game’s afoot:
Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge
Cry “God for Harry, England and St. George!”

This is even more interesting as William Shakespeare’s was born and died on St George’s Day.

Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
Across the Pond
http://ping.fm/aMatn
http://ping.fm/s8pWY

OTHER BLOGS ABOUT GREAT BRITAIN:

THE GRAND NATIONAL
WHY UK DRIVES ON THE LEFT
MOTHERS DAY ACROSS THE POND
ABOUT THE UNION JACK
ENGLISHMANS VIEW ON BASEBALL
WHAT IS BOXING DAY
BRITISH TV TRANSPLANTS

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