Real Advice For The Unemployed

 

RealAdviceForTheUnemployed speaks to the real human and heart wrenching aspects of unemployment. In it, we deal with a wide variety of the complications including finances, housing, relationships, career opportunities, as well as the toll unemployment takes on all who experience it.                                           

Most importantly, we help you look for solutions that will actually work for you based upon your personal situation.  From getting yourself whole again, to aiding you in finding new employment, RealAdviceForTheUnemployed has it all.Finally, THE definitive book that’s offers real advice and counsel on how to navigate your way through what could be the most difficult situation you have ever experienced.

RealAdviceForTheUnemployed deals with real life and the real realities of unemployment and offers ideas and solutions for all who find themselves unemployed and not thinking or acting so clearly.

RealAdviceForTheUnemployed offers real advice on relationship meltdowns, financial meltdowns, social networking, how to handle your friends and family, and the anger, frustration, humiliation and your overall state of emotional wellness. RealAdviceForTheUnemployed doesn’t gloss over anything.

RealAdviceForTheUnemployed is a timely, truthful and humorous book that delivers on real advice for real people who find themselves unemployed, underemployed, or just career challenged.

It's full of stories and solutions that describe and really deal with the personal chaos and incredibly insane choices you may be faced with: From repairing frayed relationships, getting yourself back on your game,  saving the house, to handling those nasty phone calls and bill collectors. If you need to get back from here to here, this is your book!

This is definitely not your usual “self-help” or career advice book. RealAdviceForTheUnemployed serves as a timely and truly humorous book that delivers on real advice for the unemployed, underemployed, and career challenged. It's full of stories describing the personal chaos and incredibly insane problems (and how to solve them) brought on by unemployment: From getting back on your career path, repairing frayed relationships, saving the house, Government assistance, and handling those oh so nasty letters and phone calls.                                                                                                                            
“Finally, someone has written a real book for real people that is full of real stories and solid advice for the millions of Americans who have come face to face with the miseries of unemployment. Framed around stories that are written in human terms that everyone can identify with, this personal and very entertaining book truly understands the human portion of unemployment issues and offers solid solutions to the emotional and financial problems so many American’s are currently faced with." (Review)

Listed on Amazon's Best Seller list, RealAdviceForThe Unemployed is available in its new upgraded version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E92JCKY.
In addition to a variety of fiction stories Samuel Murphy has published, he has also authored many short, non fiction works giving rather skewed --as he calls it--but real advice on family matters, employment, finances, child rearing, and all types of relationships. (most currently for Akashic Book’s Terrible Tuesdays, Unhinged Magazine, and Flash. Recently he had stories placed with Akashic books, flash fiction magazine, Unhinged magazine.

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Valentine’s Day: You either Love it or you Hate it

Valentine’s Day, synonymous with love and romance, is once again bombarding us with all things red and pink remotely associated with amore and desire. Sandwiched between Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day, it has become one of the most commercialized days of the year. A frenzy that takes hold of the country every year leading up to the 14^th of February:  from cards to flowers, teddy bears to underwear, chocolates to jewelry, and not to mention red balloons labeled, “For the one I love this Valentine’s.”

You are probably loving it if you are in a relationship. For many singles, however, who don't have the prospect of being showered with cards or affection, V-Day can be a red flag and feel like a very lonely day.  

If you are single, the world suddenly seems to exist only of happy couples. So how to find your soul mate? That’s the $64,000 question. Lucky the ones who found their mate in school! At a later stage in life and if you’re divorced or widowed, it becomes more difficult. You may have tipped your toes in the dating pool and experienced that dating rules have changed over time.

Why is it so difficult these days to meet somebody in spite of all the possibilities that social networking and the Internet provide: dating sites, chat-rooms, and singles events? Even churches organize singles nights now. Jacksonville and beaches have so much to offer!  Still you can be out on dates every other night, yet not find that elusive partner.

As a former matchmaker in Ireland my advice to singles is to stay open to what life has to offer you, to explore new avenues and hobbies; to be proactive and go out and mingle. You may have to leave your comfort zone a little. Even if you don’t meet the person you are looking for straight away, you won’t meet anyone when you stay at home. Although it may be hard to find the time and energy- especially when you work and have children to look after- to get out of the house and away from your TV. Fate doesn’t come knocking on your door and serve Mr. Right/Ms. Right on a silver platter – nor does the pizza delivery man. So plan to spend some time every week out of the house socializing and structure whatever free time you have accordingly.

Ask yourself:  Are you ready for a new relationship?  Are you carrying around baggage from your last relationship? Another piece of advice is to have a good look at yourself as seen through the eyes and mirror of a prospective partner: Are there areas in your life or about yourself that could be improved on? Do you know how you come across to other people? In short: Would you date yourself? Make some modest changes if necessary.This may be an unexpected approach but be of help in your search.  

For more tips on dating check out my book Next Time Lucky: How to Find Your Mr. Right which is a story based on my own experiences both as a dating expert and pioneer online dater. Available in paperback and as an eBook on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

   

(Pictures courtesy of Besider.org- a brilliant website you need to check out!)

Why I Write Sex Scenes

My passion for romance novels run deep.

I love to read romance stories with sex scenes that are woven nicely within the plot and played out perfectly by the characters. In the same way, I enjoy writing sex scenes that are real and deepen the relationship between the characters. Writing sex scenes lights a fire in me and gives me a satisfying buzz.

In practical terms, the aim is to write sex scenes that help real life couples learn a thing or two on how to please their partners. Over the years, I have benefited immensely from reading romance novels with various heat levels.

However, it is more important to build an irresistible emotional tension and toe-curling romance between the characters and to develop a gripping plot for the sex scenes to give the added oomph!

Out of my eight published romance books, Stolen Valentine Kiss (Holiday Series #1) is the only title that has no explicit sex scene, but it is rich in clean romantic scenes with captivating emotional tension.

WHERE DO I GET MY IDEAS TO WRITE SEX SCENES?

Do you really want me to answer honestly? Lol!

The sex scenes in my romance novels come from various sources. From reading tons of romance novels to getting first-hand experience from the most loving man I have ever known. The one to whom my heart belongs for a lifetime.

More seriously, writing sex scenes is the most challenging aspect for me. To get the scenes smoking hot, I have to get into the characters head, heart and understand their attitude, personality, disposition, sexual tendencies and the specific situation. Once the atmosphere is fully tense, piping the plot with the appropriate heat level comes easy.

There are some sex scenes I have written that were purely instinctive. In other words, there are no hard or fast rules. The characters, plot, setting, heat level and so on, all drive a great romance story.

Thank you for having me, Siggy. It has been a pleasure to share my thoughts on writing sex scenes with you.

 
Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku

Flirty & Feisty Romance 

Our promise...is to deliver an intensely emotional experience you'll never forget.

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The Novel Approach to Love

 
Romance in novels has been a driving force in stories since the dawn of time, from the legendary Egyptian myth of Seth being brought back to life by his love Isis to Bella and Edward in Twilight. Love is something every human wants, so choosing to write love into your story is usually a very sound plan. Certainly most stories out there can and do put romantic love in the center of them but for the writer looking for a more unique angle perhaps a different sort of love may work better.
 
If you’re stuck for ideas of different sorts of love than look to the movie, “Love Actually’, as it was the perfect showcase for all the sorts of love out there. There were the romantic loves of course, like the innocent romance between the movie stand-ins John and Judy and the Prime Minister David with his secret love for his catering assistant, Natalie, to name a few, but there are other stories of love that I… well…loved. 

The love between the rock singer, Billy Mack and his manager, Joe is a great example of love. A friendship is a type of love and not because its romantic but because its based on true shared values and goals in many cases. They build a relationship between them without even knowing it. When Billy gets everything he thinks he wants back into his life, he realizes it means nothing without the man who helped him do it. Is that not the definition of a true life-long love? 

I think the best story in that movie was between the new widower, Daniel and his stepson, Sam. After suffering a devastating lose, Daniel and Sam are facing a future together that could go either way. They are not blood related and the only bound between them is gone so now what? Daniel is scared Sam is withdrawing into his own private world and doesn’t know how to reach him until he finds out Sam has a crush on a girl at school. It’s the chance to help his stepson so Daniel helps him find his way to her side. They find love for each other as a true father and son. They create a new bound based that will last forever. 

I’ve explored different sorts of love in my novels and used them to build solid stories around them. In Rachel Wicks and the newly released sequel, Rachel Blackburn, I have my main character take on a marriage simply for the love she has for her friends. It takes nearly everything from her, especially when her husband turns out to be an abusive brute. She dares to fall in love with a man out of her reach only to lose it. In the second book, she dares to try her hand at romantic love again with the man she loved once before but there is another man in her way. She can’t just chuck it all in and forget about finding love and peace in her love because she has a daughter that she must continue to try to go on for her. There are many sorts of love in Rachel’s story and it drives it forward. In my third novel, The Starlings of Chatham Street, due out on March 15th, 2013, I leave romantic love far in the background and plunge deeper into the love between friends. Four women must work and bound together to escape the hell of life inside the workhouse. If there were no love to work with the story would never find a proper footing, so don’t simply put it aside, it can always work for your story.

Take these different kinds of relationships and use them to build the right sort of relationship your novel needs. A battle story may not have room for a romance but there is always room for bounds between friends. A story about siblings hating each other can use a mutual conflict to help them find peace and love between them. It’s a big world out there and there are countless ways to bring people together. Let your imagination soar!

Doreen McNicol

http://www.rachelwicks.com
http://www.doreenmcnicol.com 

Lock it in!

Valentine’s Day, synonymous with love and romance, is once again bombarding us with all things red and pink remotely associated with amore and desire. Sandwiched between Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day, it is one of the most commercialized days of the year. A frenzy that takes hold of the country every year leading up to the 14^th of February:  from cards to flowers, teddy bears to underwear, chocolates to jewelry, and not to mention red balloons labeled, “For the one I love this Valentine’s.” And now “Love locks” or Valentine padlocks started cropping up in the most romantic cities of Europe like in Paris or Rome. This is how it works: Lovers have their names engraved in a padlock, lock it to some bridge, monument or fence and throw away the key. Ah…tied together forever. Ain’t that sweet?
So far I haven't heard objections to this new trend from environmentalists. Surely tons of discarded metal keys thrown into rivers present some damage to the environment? How about the clean up? Are these love toys here to stay?

Inventive marketers sell this novelty gimmick as ‘a unique twist on a centuries old tradition that symbolizes the locking of your life and love’. A variation on tying the knot? Well, a ring never was a guarantee for eternal love and romance anyways. Divorce statistics are proof for that. An old fashioned locket with a locke of hair or picture  of the beloved ─ now that’s what I would call a romantic token of oneness.

"Does anybody waste a thought about those among us that don’t have a beloved? A love of their life? Not even a temporary one?  What about those who never even had a love of any kind? Or about those who have lost one?

When I grew up in Germany, I never even knew that this heavenly day existed. I can’t say when it reached the German shores; probably in those years when I was already married and had moved to Ireland. I received my first Valentine’s card at 35 from an elderly gentleman who picked up his grandchildren from the same school that my kids frequented. It read “To the one I am dreaming about.”

Mortified, yet tickled pink, I took it home to my husband who was working on the farmyard.  He was aghast.  I think that’s when he first learned about the existence of Valentine’s Day.

“If you ask me, it’s all one big commercial hype over nothing,” he called down from his tractor, scratching his head.  And ever the lyrical poet, he added, “Just another day for selling things, what with Christmas being over and Easter far away.  Just like the fad of Mother’s Day.”

With that clarified, he put his woolly cap back on and returned to his task at hand,  cleaning up the manure on the yard.  Needless to say, I never got a Valentine’s card from him after that." (Excerpt from: Next Time Lucky").

I hate to admit that now many years, many admirers and many Valentine cards later, I agree with my now ‘Ex’. The last straw proving the commercialism of V-Day are the ravioli on sale at this time of the year. Yes, you guessed it. Heart-shaped and red.               d.
The frenzy of Valentine’s Day may be a necessary boost to the economy but also a time in a single’s life that many would happily skip over unmarked.
Be warned - these padlocks may be coming to a bridge near you...
Siggy Buckley
www.SiggyBuckley.blogspot.com

What Everyone Ought to Know About Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder is a personality disorder. It is also known as Manic Depressive disorder. It is recognizable by extreme changes in mood and it is often very disruptive among personal relationships. At also commonly leads to risky behavior, including suicidal tendencies. Unlike normal depression, Bipolar Disorder needs to be treated with medication. However, there are a few things that you need to know about Bipolar disorder before you can begin to deal with realities of it, whether you or someone you know suffers from it.

1. Bipolar Disorder is More Common in Teens and Young Adults

People that are close to the beginning of adulthood tend to be affected by Bipolar disorder than other age groups. However, people of all ages can be affected by this disorder too. Even children 6 years of age can be vulnerable. Older people can contract this disorder as well, so there is never a reason to count it out if a loved one is acting differently.

2. Women are More at Risk

Due to their biological make up, Bipolar Disorder is more common in women than men. Women are also more prone to suffering from depression. There is also a greater risk of rapid cycling, which means that women may go through more episodes of moodiness in a given year.

3. Bipolar Disorder Might be Over-Diagnosed

There is a lot of controversy involving the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. Some professionals believe that the disorder is rare and too many people are being diagnosed with the problem, since there is a growing number of reports recently of bipolar disorder. This could be due to the fact that it has a lot of symptoms in common with other disorders, or simply because doctors are medicalizing what was once normal behavior.

4. ADHD can be Mistaken for Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder has a lot in common with ADHD and can be misdiagnosed in certain people. Doctors are very careful when it comes to diagnosing patients, but mistakes can still be made, so don't be afraid to seek out a second opinion or ask questions.

5. Joy and Depression are not the Only Moods Experienced with Bipolar Disorder

One common misconception is that bipolar people only switch between joyful moods and depressive moods. In many cases, this is not true. A lot of people in their "higher" states tend to experience irritability. Likewise, when they are in a manic state, they are more creative. They talk faster and they tend to take on more projects.

If you are suffering or know someone that is suffering from bipolar disorder, you should check with a doctor for advice on how to deal and be proactive. If you've already taken the step of reading this article, you're on the right track :)

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Crissie Feldman likes to write about health, personal finance & saving money at www.creditreport.org.

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