Mallie and the Trow - Scotland's Stories In the Shetland Isles the trows are strange and magical creatures. They’re capable of great kindness and also great mischief. Mallie, a young mother, had four wee bairns to feed and a husband lost at sea. She had reached rock bottom and needed help but no-one would help her. Then, as the night drew in, there was a knock at the door. It was a little man dressed in grey with a little grey hat on top of his head. What do you do when a weird small trow appears on your doorstep in the middle of the night? Would you invite him in and share what little you have? Or would you slam the door shut and hide under your bed? Thanks to Mallie’s kind heart and good nature her fortunes were about to change. Click on the image to view a larger version. Ruse of War: 6 Sneaky But Brilliant Strategies War can be tricky—especially when done correctly. It's called Ruse of War, the act of clever tactic or deception on the battlefield. Think Trojan Horse, but less ridiculous. (“After a 10-year siege, the Greeks have given up and disappeared and look—they felt so bad they totally left us a present!”) Here are six commanders who were dealt bad hands, but bluffed and ended up flush. 1. Around 500 years BC, Darius the Great was sweeping through Asia and Africa, conquering everything. One morning the Babylonians rose to see the high ranking Persian at their gates, soaked in his own blood, whipped, with his ears and nose hacked off. And … they totally bought it. 2. In the 3rd century, China was a mess. He opened all the gates of his city. 3. Militia men of the American Revolution weren’t trained soldiers. Morgan’s regiments weren’t made up only of hapless militia men. 5. Philip II of Macedon had conquered enough ground by 338 BC to establish the state of Macedonia. 6.
Irish Fairy Tales: Mongan's Frenzy Sacred Texts Sagas and Legends Celtic Index Previous The abbot of the Monastery of Moville sent word to the story-tellers of Ireland that when they were in his neighbourhood they should call at the monastery, for he wished to collect and write down the stories which were in danger of being forgotten. "These things also must he told," said he. In particular he wished to gather tales which told of the deeds that had been done before the Gospel came to Ireland. "For," said he, "there are very good tales among those ones, and it would be a pity if the people who come after us should be ignorant of what happened long ago, and of the deeds of their fathers." So, whenever a story-teller chanced in that neighbourhood he was directed to the monastery, and there he received a welcome and his fill of all that is good for man. The abbot's manuscript boxes began to fill up, and he used to regard that growing store with pride and joy. The abbot's eyes glistened when he heard that. Said Cairide': "Amen!"
Manuscript Format for Novels by Glen C. Strathy The manuscript format used in publishing has evolved a little over time as technology has changed, and if you grew up with word processors, it may seem rather quaint, old-fashioned, and downright boring to look at. However, if you are submitting your book to agents and/or publishers, it is best to forget about all that and follow the correct manuscript format for publishing that was developed back in the days before word processors existed and professional writers used typewriters. There are several reasons why this format became standard. 1. Think about this. 2. Despite the fact that everyone uses computers, many editors still like to look at a hard copy and make editing marks in pencil between lines and in margins. 3. I know, word processors today can count the words in a manuscript with one simple click. If you use a non-standard manuscript format with different spacing. font size, or margins, you will create an extra headache for the editor you're trying to impress.
Good Structures for Balsa Wood Towers Balsa wood is only the third lightest wood in the world, but it is strong. Engineering students build balsa wood towers (or bass wood towers) to learn how to build strong structures. It is an excellent exercise, and students learn a lot doing it. Four-Legged Towers Balsa wood towers with four legs are easier to build, but they are not usually as structurally sound as their three-legged counterparts. Three-Legged Towers Three-legged towers are harder to build because the angles are more difficult, but they tend to be stronger towers. Wood Grain The wood grain dictates the flexibility and rigidness of the wood as much as the density of the wood. The Design First draw the design on paper before you begin building a tower. More slideshows The Labyrinth EyeWitness To The Middle Ages and Renaissance Life in a Christian Monastery, ca. 585"When he was dead his body was not placed with the bodies of the brethren, but a grave was dug in the dung pit, and his body was flung down into it. . . " Crime and punishment in a medieval monastery: the monastery's Abbott provides insight into the monastic life. The Vikings Discover America, ca. 1000"There was no want of salmon either in the river or in the lake." Five hundred years before Columbus, the Vikings discover a New World. Invasion of England, 1066The Norman conquest of Anglo-Saxon England described through the images of the 900 year-old Bayeux Tapestry. Anarchy in 12th Century EnglandThe Anglo-Saxon Chronicle paints a sobering picture of life in 12th century England that contrasts strikingly with Hollywood's image of the Middle Ages. The Murder Of Thomas Becket, 1170The killing of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Crusaders Capture Jerusalem, 1099The assault and capture of the Christian "Navel of the World"
DOAJ -- Directory of Open Access Journals Free eBooks: Great Books on Your PC, iPhone &Kindle Download 800 free eBooks to your Kindle, iPad/iPhone, computer, smart phone or ereader. Collection includes great works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, including works by Asimov, Jane Austen, Philip K. Dick, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Neil Gaiman, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf & James Joyce. Also please see our collection 1,000 Free Audio Books: Download Great Books for Free, where you can download more great books to your computer or mp3 player. Learn how to load ebook (.mobi) files to your Kindle with this video Religious Texts Assorted Texts This list of Free eBooks has received mentions in the The Daily Beast, Computer World, Gizmodo and Lifehacker.
Self publishing costs nothing A number of people have asked me “How much does self-publishing cost?”, so this post will clear that up. It may be controversial! Please do post comments if you disagree or have questions. Answer 1: It costs nothing Write book: $0 (but lots of time)Edit book: $0 Friend who is an English teacherProof-read book: $0 Friends and colleagues found on TwitterCover design: $0 Royalty free or own photos and text only made into a .jpg on Microsoft PublisherTypeset book: $0 done by self on Microsoft WordPublish book: Published as an Ebook on Smashwords for free and up for sale for US$4.99. Or it costs $10 for the print version:Publish book on Amazon.com by loading onto Lulu.com for free, and choosing the Published by Lulu option (for free). With these options, you have no pile of books sitting in your garage, no distribution to physical bookshops. This basic model is the one I now follow and will be teaching all the tricks of the trade in the author 2.0 program. Answer 2: It costs under $5000