new cartoon for Solar Sipper Sense
see new cartoon at facebook
dhh on 11.26.09 @ 01:32 PM EST [link] [Add your comments]
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Puddles Weblog edited by Thomas HollydayOur Mission: As world water resources decline and habitat is destroyed plans are being made by governments to save enough drinking water for humans. What about animals and wildlife? In 1985 our editor Thomas Hollyday created Puddles to comment on our culture, our literature and our organizations and make sure animals and wildlife are remembered in this coming water crisis. Join him and others on the Puddles weblog with your comments and questions to make sure animals and wildlife are always protected with an adequate supply of clean drinking water. Puddles weblog is named for Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, the home of the greatest animal champion in literature, Doctor John Dolittle, MD. Join us now! |
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Thursday, November 26th
Tuesday, November 17th
review Powerboat Racer
Title: Powerboat Racer
Author: Thomas Hollyday
Pub. Address:
Solar Sipper Publishing
In cooperation with Lightning Source Division of Ingram Books
PO Box 86
Weston, MA 02481
ISBN: 0-9741287-4-0 price: $12.95 US copyright 2009, 324 pages
Reviewer: S.A. Gorden, novelist
Powerboat Racer is a fun mystery with a lot of local color. But it suffers from an all too common problem with today's publishing industry. The big publishers only want volume sales or those that fit particular volume niche markets. A simple, but good, mystery just doesn't find a home with the big publishers. This pushes the story into the very small or individual publishing markets. Powerboat Racer … a classic style mystery that is too frequently missing from the bookstores.
Harry Jacobson has just purchased a small local paper in River Sunday Maryland. He has been given a story lead from a local deputy sheriff that an old powerboat has been found, a powerboat belonging to a notorious criminal, Walker John Douglas, on the run for murder and arson. Harry has just stumbled into a thirty year old festering wound of racial politics and greed in the small coastal town. The more he learns about the events thirty years in the past the more threats and danger he uncovers. He is too good a reporter to give up on a great story but the real question is who will survive the eruption of violence that has been held in check by the disappearance of the just discovered powerboat, the Black Duck.
Powerboat Racer is a mystery that brings to life a small town with a hidden past that flows from the Civil War to today. It is the type of cozy mystery that is relatively hard to find today. The rich local color and characters bring into existence a small town that we can't find in our lives today but that we still would like to think exists. .. it is still better than many of the over-plotted contemporary mysteries that are produced by the major publishers. If you are looking for a cozy read during a vacation, Powerboat Racer would be a fine choice.
dhh on 11.17.09 @ 09:29 AM EST [link] [Add your comments]
Wednesday, November 11th
solar sipper sense november 2009
SOLAR SIPPER SENSE Newsletter of Happy Bird Corporation, manufacturers of Solar Sippers. 11/09 (first published as PUDDLES 1985 then Puddles Weblog http://www.solarsippers.com). Comment tomah@solarsippers.com.
Solar Sipper product news edited by Virginia: In her November article in Wild Bird, Val Cunningham brings to our attention the need to “provide a water source and refresh it daily.” Doesn’t that remind you of the application of a Solar Sipper and its providing daily fresh drinking water? We also refer back to Birding Business in 2003 where the journalist reported that “Tom Hollyday of Happy Bird has developed a line of products that enforce separation of drinking and bathing. …By separating the mess of bathing from the need for clean drinking water, the threat of spreading disease is removed.”
Solar Sipper water news edited by Tom: We’re studying a report called Crossroads put out by the National Wildlife Federation concerning the greening of the Us Army Corps of Engineers. From what they say, the Corps has not efficiently provided the habitat improvements to help wildlife in many places. This means water of course as they work with wetlands. We’ll be looking into this. On the foreign front, the United Nations sponsored a meeting in Lille France on water resources. We’ve asked for information on the resources protected for animals. Also see our environment and animal cartoon series now on Facebook.
Solar Sipper Publishing news edited by Virginia:
We are experimenting with electronic publishing-non paper-on our series of Chesapeake regional fiction in keeping with our company’s environmentally conscious culture and product line. The newest, POWERBOAT RACER, is available in Adobe at ebooksabouteverything.com, echapterone.com, powells.com, booksonboard.com, diesel-ebooks.com, and fictionwise.com. Adobe can print for those who love paper. Author readings are on YouTube.
Synopsis: A newspaperman, Harry Jacobsen, comes to a rural Chesapeake town and quickly finds himself the one person with the courage to help the town and its people solve a shameful mystery in its past. He faces great danger as he seeks clues, but with the grudging assistance of a clever woman editor and some idealistic children, he finally uncovers the truth about a long ago covered up crime and the identity of a vicious and cunning murderer. Unfortunately, with the killer still on the loose, Harry has to stay alive long enough to bring the murderer to justice.
Also, don’t forget our publication “Tips on Wild Bird Watering with Waterers or Birdbaths,” which has a wonderful animal care bibliography.
dhh on 11.11.09 @ 10:59 AM EST [link] [1 Comment]
Saturday, November 7th
white death book review
White Death
Clive Cussler
Putnam Berkley Audio
39915065 21.86
A Thomas Hollyday book review, published 11/07/09 in Puddles Weblog.com. (My ratings: 5 star-I’d buy it, 4 star –I’d borrow it, 3 star-liked it, 2 star-didn’t like it, 1 star, didn’t finish it)
As a devoted Cussler fan, I look forward to finding and devouring every word of each of his stories that I come across if it turns out to be not his best. In White Death, Clive Cussler and his co-author Paul Kemprecos have come up with a plot that ties together the sea’s dangers as well as its conservation. He takes on the future of fish. A mad scientist tries genetic changes to fish to make millions of dollars. His tactics of murdering any opposition to his diabolical scheme brings Kurt Austin to the rescue. Through a variety of death defying experiences Kurt and his stalwart companions including a beautiful conservation lawyer take on a fanatical group of Eskimos who are followers of the evil scientist.
Scott Brick reads and as always his artistry makes the book more thrilling. As rudinski says about Brick, he has an “easy neutral” voice. The reader’s clear and steady voice adds enough risk to the tale to bring it off. However, even with Brick, the story is more contrived and unbelievable than most Cussler.
I’d give it only a three star rating, especially compared to some of Cussler’s other work.
Thomas Hollyday Book Reviews specialize in ebook and audio book reviews for PuddlesWeblog. If you are a writer of these genres and want a free review, send along complimentary copy in PDF or CD for possible review consideration to tomah@solarsippers.com.
dhh on 11.07.09 @ 09:59 AM EST [link]
