Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, Book 5)
~ by Richelle Mead
Vampire Academy
If you've read all the Stephenie Meyer Twilight books and crave more vampire stories then sink your teeth into the Vampire Academy series of vampire books.
Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy books follow the war between two races of vampires, living and undead. Rose Hathaway, a 17-year old half-vampire, is training to be a bodyguard for the living vampires and finds her life complicated by the constant danger. As well as an illicit romance with one of her teachers, Rose continually struggles to protect her best friend from the evils that surround them. If you like vampire stories, you'll love the Vampire Academy saga. => http://amzn.to/drEJBc
Public speaking is just that - speaking, right?
And we focus on what we will say and how we will say it; on how we will stand and how we will move and how we will use eye contact, but always we focus on the saying - the speaking.
Sometimes we forget the value of silence.
Maybe it's because we have had drummed into us the dreadful crime of using an um or an ah, or a y'know to fill the silence while we think. So we focus on fluency, on continuing to talk, and on the next point and the next ... to the conclusion.
And sometimes, in the midst of all that focus, we forget the power of the pause.
...
the power of the pause!
It can refocus audience attention. (Remember how it felt in school when suddenly you noticed that the room was silent and the teacher was looking at you?!)
At the least it interrupts the flow of that continuous speech we were using so that that audience attention is refocused on what we have to say next.
A pause will then add power to your next point ... because that attention is so newly focussed.
A pause will build your confidence, simply because of the power, but also because you had the gumption to stop the flow of speech.
If it is a pause to let you think, then the audience should recognise that and value that you are giving your best to your presentation.
A pause is a powerful way to change tack. You can change from a supercharged, rapid fire delivery style to one that is quieter, slower, more reflective. Again the power is in the change of attention, and in the fact that you have given your audience variety. But the pause has also allowed you to add power to the change of direction.
For all of these reasons ... and there are many more ... you take your public speaking to a higher level when you use the power of the pause.
Nanny Piggins and the Accidental Blast-off
by R.A. Spratt
In space no one can hear you oink!
Derrick, Samantha and Michael should be in school. Instead they find themselves in NASA's space shuttle, which Nanny Piggins manages to accidentally launch, blasting them all into outer space. This time she has gone too far!
In this thrilling fourth instalment of her adventures, Nanny Piggins wrestles with a crocodile, bungy jumps of the roof using the elastic from Mr Green's underpants, staples chicken wire over their chimney to keep out Santa, captures an apricot danish-loving jewel thief and rescues her brother, Boris, from an onslaught of professional wrestlers.
a whole new strain of bad writing has come to the fore, not only in student work but also on the Internet, that unparalleled source for assessing the state of the language.
How you deliver your speech is even more important than the content of your speech. The way you use your voice during a presentation will either grab and keep your audience's attention or put them to sleep.
It is estimated that when a voice-trained person delivers a speech, the audience retains 83 per cent of the information. In contrast, when an untrained person delivers the same speech the audience will only retain 45 per cent of the information.
An interesting voice will have a varied pitch and variations in pace and volume. A speech which is delivered in a monotonous voice is very dull indeed for the audience.
There are various characteristics that alter a person's speech, such as clarity, volume, pitch, tone and speed of delivery. Let's look at those characteristics now. => http://bit.ly/gjseYw
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest
~ Stieg Larsson
As the finale to Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is not content to merely match the adrenaline-charged pace that made international bestsellers out of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire. Instead, it roars with an explosive storyline that blows the doors off the series and announces that the very best has been saved for last. ...Larsson's mastery of the unexpected is why millions have fallen hard for his work. But rest assured that the odds are again stacked, the challenges personal, and the action fraught with neck-snapping revelations in this snarling conclusion to a thrilling triad. This closing chapter to The Girl's pursuit of justice is guaranteed to leave readers both satisfied and saddened once the final page has been turned.
Buy the book here http://amzn.to/aqRErk
Today's read: The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors And Closing Deals Online
by David Teten and Scott Allen
If you want to sell to more clients, raise capital, find companies in which you can invest, recruit star employees, or even look for a new job: Let The Virtual Handshake be your guide...
The Internet offers powerful tools to help you find the right people, connect with them, and close deals with them quickly and cost-effectively. This book will give you all the tools you need to use the new generation of "Web 2.0 technologies" for sales, marketing, and capital-raising: blogs, social network sites, virtual communities, and many more.
The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online, is the manifesto... companies, technologies, and practices.
Andy Andrews is one of the most talented writers in the country. His books have sold millions of copies and have made it to the New York Times best-sellers list. But as a speaker...he's incredible!
When Andy speaks, he usually closes with his favorite story (he says it's the one that every client remembers)...The Butterfly Effect. We're honored to share Andy's story in a beautiful gift book.
Here is Andy's introduction to the book:
Introduction from The Butterfly Effect
By Andy Andrews
Not long ago, I finally told the story of when, at the age of twenty-three, homeless and scared, I was given guidance in a most unusual fashion by an old man named Jones. What the old man told me did nothing less than change my life and my future. He said..."With a little perspective you can live a life of permanent purpose."When I asked what he meant, the old man answered with a question. "Do you sometimes find yourself unconsciously judging your actions by level of importance?" I frowned a bit, not certain I understood. "For instance," he continued, "the time you spend with friends is important, but the time you spend with family, is more important. You might rank an hour fishing as very important, thirty minutes visiting a sick friend in the hospital much more important than the fishing, and a sixty second conversation with a convenience store clerk as not very important at all."
I nodded my understanding and he returned to his initial point. "When you know that everything matters - that every move counts as much as any other - you will begin living a life of permanent purpose. A life of permanent purpose will make you a better parent, a better spouse, and a more valuable friend. Your productivity and financial success will soar to new heights while the old days of uncertainty, doubt, and depression fade into the past."
Of course, that conversation with Jones changed me. But even more, it became the guiding force that produced the kind of speaker and author I have become. You see, I understand fully that my very value as an author and speaker must ultimately be judged by the success you achieve. And as I consult with companies or speak to organizations and teams, I am keenly aware that much of my client's (your) ability to succeed beyond imagination depends upon my ability to prove this very concept!
When a sales organization sees proof that casual conversations in town matter just as much as an arranged meeting with a major prospect -
When the second string right-guard sees proof that his every action on and off the field, whether he plays or not, is as critical to the team's successful season as everything the starting quarterback does -
When a teenager sees and understands proof that every choice made in leisure today will affect the choices that will be available to him in more pressing times ahead -
When one lives a life of permanent purpose, sales figures soar, team chemistry thrives, and teenage decisions become wiser and more cautious. And these are just a few examples of what will happen...Simply put, when we understand that every action matters, every result of our actions immediately improves!
In these pages, I know you will find hope and direction for yourself, but I am most excited that you will now be equipped to lead others to their own life of permanent purpose! My hope for our families, our places of worship, our businesses, our nation, and our world is an incredible life of permanent purpose that can be achieved when at last we understand: Every move we make and every action we take, matters not just for us, but for all of us...and for all time.
Even small acts of kindness and faithfulness have the ability to impact the world!
Click here to look inside The Butterfly Effect or to watch the 3-minute inspirational movie included with each copy of the book.