What do you do when your favorite television show is cancelled? Weep bitterly for a few minutes before taking the dog for a walk? Throw the remote control across the room? Surf the Internet looking for comfort food to console you? Maybe the frustrated fans of Legend of the Seeker did all that but then they picked themselves up off the floor, brushed off their dignity, and started lobbying ABC Studios and Disney to keep the show in production. According to a late-breaking rumor the campaign may be having an impact.

Disgruntled fans are even planning to buy an ad in Variety in the hope that a Jericho-like move will entice some network to pick up the show. With all these fan-coordinated projects under way, prospects for the show may be looking up. But some doubters suggest that the rumored meeting is just a formality to close out a done deal. Legend of the Seeker may be dead, dead, dead, and deader than dead.

Fan protests have happened before. Sometimes a show is saved and sometimes not. Legend of the Seeker has about 2 million fans according to some estimates. That is considered to be marginal in audience measurements but the show is watched online through many services like iTunes, Hulu, and Netflix. The online audience figures may not be included in the 2 million. If that is the case, then how much hope can there be for the Seeker? That’s a tough call to make, as any attempt to downplay the campaign brings almost swift and immediate rebuttal from the fan community.

Whether the campaign convinces anyone in New Zealand to stay the execution of the seasonal production is a wild guess but the longer term prospects for the show may be more compelling. Farscape fans received a 4-hour mini-series to close out their show. Firefly fans were rewarded with the movie “Serenity”. Sequels to television shows happen. So even if the show dies a quick, painful death the fans themselves may continue working for some sort of follow on production.

In the meantime, executives at Disney, ABC Studios, and SyFy have been hammered with complaints and pleas to keep the show alive. Based on Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, Legend of the Seeker has managed to cover about 2 out of 11 books’ plotlines with 2 seasons. In an ideal Seeker world, there would be 9 more seasons for the Seeker and his friends (even more, considering Goodkind just signed a 3-book deal with TOR Books).

Science fiction and fantasy have been a part of our literature for about 100 years, even longer if you include the works of Jules Verne. Modern science fiction and fantasy have exploded into multiple genres including books, film, theater, costuming, and radio drama. All of these genres have their own dedicated fans who spend a lot of time participating in, promoting, and admiring their favorite science fiction and fantasy projects.

When you talk about science fiction fandom you’re addressing a very large, diverse group of people. They don’t all share the same interests. In fact, many of them feel quite distinct from other groups. There are dedicated conventions for costumers (called Cosplayers) who rarely attend the more literary or media-oriented conventions (although large regional conventions usually attract fans from all groups).

You can even find hard core science fiction music fans, often called filkers, although some professional groups also perform science fiction-based music. SF Fandom encompasses people from all walks of life, including farmers and engineers, ranchers and rocket scientists, writers and dancers, and people from every career path and industry.

The wonderful thing about SF Fandom is that it celebrates diversity, individuality, and creativity. Were it not for the enthusiasm and support of science fiction fandom much of the popular entertainment that mainstream audiences enjoy might not ever occur, simply because it usually takes a hard core science fiction fan to do science fiction right.

A busy life makes it hard to squeeze in all the books you might like to enjoy reading. Long journey times to work and other tasks may consume large portions of your time everyday. Favorite pursuits take a back seat to your job, caring for kids, or maintaining the household and bills. It’s easy to make use of the hours you spend driving to catch up on those books you don’t have time to read. Thanks to downloads, it’s easy to spoil yourself with Animals, Inc by Kenneth A. Tucker available from Download Audio Book Online, or audible books brought to life by John Stott when you are busy doing other things.

Multitasking is becoming a way of life in today’s fast paced world. Audio books like Today Matters by John C. Maxwell for sale from Download Audio Book Online occupy the wasted moments in life, whether it is waiting at the doctor’s office or possibly buying groceries. Many audio-books may be downloaded right now as audio files including March Upcountry by David Weber and John Ringo, so if you have an iPod or other mp3 player and get ready to hear the latest best seller, such as audible books penned by Garrett Sutton without dragging heavy books around.

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Audio-books offer a multitude of benefits such as the opportunity to rent or purchase instructional books and listen to them at your leisure. How about learning Greek? Try audio books! Possibly the latest business practices are your thing, or you can enjoy meditating on modern notions in religious belief.

Audio books exist in a myriad of titles and genres. It doesn’t matter if you are a natural history buff, nuts about love stories even if your interests lie in self help, you can access most audio books at once. Options are wide open; it’s easy to subscribe to a plan and rent or instead buy what interests you. Reading will invariably have its place, even so the thousands of audio titles available offer convenience. A author or celebrity can intensify the experience of the majority of novels. Just reading a book isn’t quite the same as listening to audio titles told by Robin Jarvis, including refinements of an real performance. Your reading experience will be increased when you listen to an audio book like Doctor Who: The Romans by Dennis Spooner and go much deeper the words on a page.

So think about audiobooks next time you think of buying books, audio-books can give you marvelous means of fitting the books you like into your hectic lifestyle.

It may seem odd, perhaps even uninspired, for writers to search for opening sentences from a book of listings. But Romesburg’s book, “How About It, Writer?” provides lots of inspiration when crafting openings, closings, titles, and transitions in your writing. This unusual guide lists thousands of suggestions for adapting previously published sentences into exactly what you need for essays, articles, sermons, op-eds, theme papers, reports, and dissertations. (The opening sentence of this review is an example of this adaptation technique, taken from his sample sentence “It may strike you as odd, perhaps even unjustified, to speak of light pollution and social well-being in the same breath.”)

The book also offers 18 ways of opening an essay and a dozen miscellaneous tips on writing, such as “How To Decide Whether Or Not To Use A Comma After An Introductory Phrase In A Sentence,” “Don’t Be Afraid To Put Short Details In Parentheses,” and “How To Cite An Anecdote Or Fact When You Can’t Put Your Finger On Its Source.”

The strength of this work, however, is clearly the author’s painstaking research into the structure of a good sentence. His alphabetized listings are comprised of sentences borrowed from essays appearing in “The Atlantic Monthly,” “Harper’s Monthly Magazine,” “The Literary Digest,” and other respected publications from the 1800s and 1900s.

Although the material is presented for all kinds of writers at all levels of experience as “your first point of reference for getting out of mental blocks,” it should prove most useful for college students and new writers who seek help getting started on writing projects. A university professor of forestry who often cites his own environmental writings as examples in this book, Romesburg is donating proceeds from sales to no-kill animal shelters.

Author: H. Charles Romesburg
Lulu Press, Morrisville, North Carolina
ISBN: 1411628624, $22.95, 2005, 190 pp.

Copyright 2006 Leslie Halpern

Central Florida-based entertainment writer Leslie Halpern is the author of “Dreams on Film. The Cinematic Struggle Between Art and Science” (McFarland & Company), a book that analyzes representations of sleeping and dreaming in the movies. She also wrote “Reel Romance. The Lovers’ Guide to the 100 Best Date Movies” (Taylor Trade Publishing), a book that reviews date movies for couples, and suggests romantic ideas inspired by these films. Her articles have appeared in hundreds of entertainment trade and consumer magazines. Visit Leslie’s website at http://home.cfl.rr.com/lesliehalpern/leslie_halpern.htm.

This is one of the few dedicated books that provide a complete inside picture of the makings of a great car manufacturing company, in this case - the BMW. A keen auto journalist, David portrays the complete canvass of the brand called BMW, the unceasing effort undertaken to make its cars distinctive, the clear focus of its brand identity with the affluent, its inseparable link of design to marketing as well as the disastrous consequences of the Rover deal acquisition. The book makes for compelling reading as the author gives all the inner details of the finer aspects of the car components and structure, the behind-the-scene corporate maneuvering, the ups and downs in the owner’s family, the heavy cost incurred due to the wrong decision on Rover deal acquisition and the poor response received to redesigning attempts. What makes the book interesting is that it never gets too technical to be boring but combines all the interesting details about the engineering and marketing philosophy of BMW along with the tumultuous history of the company.

In all a racy book worth reading not only for auto journalists, car manufacturers, and professionals, but even owners of the proud car, and any lay person wanting to know the complex road that the company traversed to produce its brand of highly exclusive and renowned cars.

About the Author:

Dr. Vj Mariaraj is a Mind Map enthusiast and has been using Mind Maps for the past twelve years. He has created over 5650 Mind Maps. To learn more about mind mapping send an email to freemindmap@aweber.com . He is the founder of BusinessBookMindMap.com that creates Mind Map Summaries of Business Books. To learn more visit http://BusinessBookMindMap.com/mind-map.php?eabr2

Reviewed by Cathy Yanda for Reader Views (1/06)

“The Mouse That Roared”
By Dwayne Murray, Sr.
Madbo Enterprises (2005)

ISBN 0976985500

This book grabs you at the beginning and doesn’t let go until the last word is read. It begins with a young boy, Doug Gunner, finding his father in bed with someone other than his mother. It also introduces you to Sandra Lyte, a beautiful young lady entering her first beauty pageant. Their two stories will intertwine until the very end of the novel. Doug grows up to be a drug dealer and an abuser with whom Sandra falls in love and has two children. Sandra, knowing what Doug is, believes, as many women do, that she can change him and life will be wonderful. When she finally realizes that she needs to leave to save her life and the lives of her children, it’s too late. Doug will do anything to make sure they do not leave alive.

After everything Doug puts Sandra and her friends through, she never gives up. Her words to her children at the end sum it all up, “You will never leave my heart or my soul simply because we are one and no one will ever separate us.” Some might say this story is about Sandra Lyte, but it isn’t. It’s about everyone she meets. The author is very adept at creating the histories of these magnificently beautiful people and bringing them to light. You will not find a character in this book whose motivation you do not understand

“The Mouse That Roared” is a rich story that will hold onto you long after the pages are closed. It is a surprise to find that this wonderfully crafted novel is written by a very talented first-time novelist, Dwayne Murray, Sr. Let’s hope he is busy working on his second book because once you finish this one you will be eagerly awaiting the next.

Cathy Yanda is a book reviewer for Reader Views based in Austin, TX http://www.readerviews.com

It has taken me decades - literally - to finally pick up another C.S. Lewis book and read it. In high school I read Lewis’ book, “That Hideous Strength” and completely missed Lewis’ message. One decade later I read Lewis’ “Mere Christianity” and fully understood what Lewis was saying. With The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, part of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series, the gospel message is clearly made evident in an allegorical/mystical style. Lewis used the Narnia series to explain Christ’s love for humankind to children, who are the series’ principal readers.

This first novel in a series of seven books is currently a major motion picture now completing a successful run on theatre screens across the U.S. I have yet to see the movie, a Disney production, but I understand that it holds very true to Lewis’ storyline. I expect to see the movie before it leaves theatres later this month; it will become available on DVD this April.

Back to the story! The theme of “The Lion” centers around four children, the Pevensie siblings, who get caught up in a land of magic. Entering “Narnia” through a wardrobe [a tall cabinet that holds clothes] located in a home where they are boarding the children enter a land where it is always winter, but never Christmas. Under the spell of the White Witch, Narnia is forever in the grip of evil. The land is occupied by talking animals [beavers, for one], spirits, goblins, sprites, but no humans. That is until Lucy Pevensie shows up followed by her brother Edmund and, later, Susan and Peter.

Quite obviously the White Witch a/k/a the Queen of Narnia is most interested in humans so she resorts to all sorts of magic and trickery to lure them in. Edmund, the most impressionable of the siblings, is quickly captivated by the White Witch and then sets out to betray the others.

Without giving away the storyline, the theme of Narnia clearly reflects the captivity of this present world under Satan, but its past and future deliverance through Jesus Christ. In the form of a lion, Aslan, Lewis brings a savior to Narnia who eventually releases the land from its winter grip and vanquishes the White Witch.

For those unfamiliar with the gospel message, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe may be hard to follow. However, Lewis wrote the book in 1950 immediately after the horrors of Word War II and with the Nazi air battle for London fresh in the minds of British citizenry. Lewis may have been responding to a strong spiritual hunger of his time when he wrote the series as “Narnia” successfully points seekers to Aslan, much as the Bible points readers to Jesus Christ.

I am not sure if I will read the remaining six books in this series, but I am definitely interested in exploring several other writings of Lewis.

C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams were contemporaries who were a part of a group of writers and intellectuals known as The Inklings who met during the 1930s and 1940s at a public house in Oxford. Tolkien, like Lewis, used Christian allegory in many of his writings including, The Lord of the Rings, another series of books that was recently released as a major motion picture.

Clearly, the renewed interest in C.S. Lewis’ works is a positive step especially for a generation of children not familiar with the gospel message. Disney, for their part, is interested in developing the remaining six books of the series into individual movies. So, expect Narniamania - as some have called it - to continue unabated for many years to come.

Copyright 2006 - For additional information regarding Matt Keegan, The Article Writer, please visit his blog for wit, quips, and freelance writing tips.

“The Bounty of Central Florida” by Valerie Hart

Although Hart’s cookbook incorporates Central Florida’s regional foods, I found that I am able to get the majority of the ingredients in Texas - even Key Limes. I only found one item, Wood Duck, that is solely regional, but Hart gives the option to substitute Quail or Cornish Hen.

Perusing “The Bounty of Central Florida” my attention was drawn to Key Lime Cheesecake. It is rich, but light, and full of flavor. The Pecan Crust makes an ideal base for this cheesecake. The Best Flaky Pie Crust is short and browns well, however, makes a larger batch than indicated. For brunch, the Low Fat Blueberry Coffee Cake is ideal and goes well with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. The Chiffon Cake took be me back to my childhood when my mother made one for every Sunday. Rich and creamy is the Hollandaise Sauce and very easy because it’s made in a blender giving it a guaranteed smooth texture.

“The Bounty of Central Florida” has easy step-by-step directions to follow and majority of the ingredients can be found in most kitchens. The pages are glossy and easy to wipe and the center has wonderful colored photos of many of the dishes. “The Bounty of Central Florida” is a must for anyone who enjoys simple cooking with an elegant flare.

Irene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, an online book review service. http://www.readerviews.com. She is also the author of her memoir “The Sitting Swing.” http://www.irenewatson.com

Pimsleur English for Arabic Speakers I Part 3 by Dr. Paul Pimsleur might be tremendous reading, but today’s busy schedules make some time difficult to achieve. Extended commutes to the office and other activities might be taking up huge chunks of day everyday. Making a living, taking care of kids or even looking after your family can all cut back the free time available to spend on your hobbies. It’s simple to use the time you spend doing chores to catch up on novels you don’t have time to read. With convenient download technology, it’s easy to enjoy In Pursuit Of Peace by Joyce Meyer by Download Audio Book Online, or audio-books brought to life by Thomas Sowell when you are busy doing other things.

Nowadays multi-tasking has become necessary. Audiobooks such as Blood of Angels by Reed Arvin by Download Audio Book Online take advantage of the wasted time in our lives, whether it is minutes passed waiting in a dentist’s surgery or buying groceries. Audio-books are available to download as mp3 files for example Hear & Play Chords 101 by Jermaine Griggs, so use of your mp3 player and get ready to hear the latest best seller, for instance audiobooks penned by Bernard Goldberg without dragging a heavy book with you.

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The benefits of audio books include renting or purchasing the instructional volume of your choice and enjoying it at your leisure. Do you wish to learn another language? Why not give audio books a shot? Perhaps innovative sales techniques are your thing, you can even find out about religious or spiritual trends.

A massive choice of genres and titles exist. It really doesn’t matter if you are a wine devotee, or you are crazy about biographies or even interested in health and physical fitness, many are available through online downloads. Many plans are available; it’s easy to subscribe to a service and rent or instead purchase what interests you.

Reading devotees can invariably seek out a way to read, even so the most convenient way might be the tremendous variety of audio titles now available. Numerous chronicles, such as audio titles narrated by Ralph Steadman, can be more gratifying when narrated by the author or an actor. Reading a title is not quite the same as enjoying audio titles narrated by Jim Cymbala, with nuances presented during a performance. Listening to audio books narrated by William (Billy) Brand can bring more depth to your enjoyment of reading and often go far beyond the words on a page.

The next time in future should you are considering buying the hard copy of a book that might collect dust on the bookshelves, remember audiobooks as a different alternative.