Best Gift Podcasts

Port Orford, OR (PRWEB) May 7, 2008 -- Oregon fantasy author and video game advocate Jayel Gibson is joining the entertainment trend that promotes a new era of fantasy from an uncompromisingly feminine point of view, and it seems to be working. The first two books of her "Ancient Mirrors" series, Dragon Queen and The Wrekening, have received USA Book News '2007 Best Books' Finalist Awards, and the third book, Damselflies, reached #1 and remained on Amazon's Top 100 Celtic Mythology Bestseller List for seven weeks. Quondam (May 2008) is the 2008 National Indie Excellence fantasy and science fiction award winner. Gibson was driven to create this platform for fearless females in her Ancient Mirrors fantasy series because of her own past frustrations with the genre, as well as from her experience with online role-play gaming. She is not alone in the female gaming phenomenon. A recent study by the Entertainment Software Association indicates that 42 percent of on-line gamers are female. "There is no shortage of negative publicity for the video game industry," says Gibson, a former grade school teacher and supporter of gaming as an educational tool. "It's time the truth was shared by those who actually play games, study the positive effects, and understand their use as an educational tool." A two time 'Teacher of the Year' recipient in southern California's Escondido Union School District, Gibson excels at using innovative technology strategies in education. Women drive the storylines and hold positions of power in Gibson's novels. Gibson says she draws the inspiration for these independent women from inside herself as well as other women she knows. "Each of us has personal demons," says Gibson on the motivations behind Cwen, her most popular protagonist. "It is only through the unselfish act of helping others that we can defeat them." In addition to her novels, Gibson is the creator of the popular writers' workshop "From Brainstorm to Book and Beyond," and teaches community interest writing for Southwestern Oregon Community College. She is an expert on video gaming in education and the Celtic mythos. Her numerous non-fiction articles,include topics ranging from her experiences living and traveling with exotic pets to dating tips for chic geeks. She is also the moderator of Fealms of Fantasy magazine's online book club. Upcoming appearances include Oregon Mensa's regional gathering in Portland, OR (May 2-4) and BookExpo America in Los Angeles (May 29-June 1). For full 2008 event schedule details, visit Tales Touched by Magick. To schedule an interview or event with Jayel Gibson, or to request a review copy of Quondam please contact Shelby Sledge, Publicist at (512) 478-2028 ext. 227. ###

Atlanta (PRWEB) April 8, 2008 –- As a mother of five, Christmas Miller could be called a typical American woman balancing work and family – her life to the outside observer even could be viewed as mundane. But the ethereal Christmas was born with extraordinary abilities. From a very early age she was able to intuitively "know and sense" information that was not readily available to those around her. An astonishing discovery in her youth revealed Christmas is a conscious channel –- connecting to spiritual energies and non-physical entities during an altered awake state –- a natural psychic medium with clairvoyant as well as clairaudient abilities. With strong moral ethics intact, a solid Christian upbringing, and a fervent desire to help those around her, over the past two decades Christmas has successfully helped thousands of people heal various aspects of their lives only using her remarkable abilities to see extrasensory mental images and hear sounds beyond the limitations of ordinary time and space. Christmas is now sharing her abilities, private thoughts and the key to unlocking peace, balance and harmony in everyday life in her new book available April 14, 2008 titled "Illuminations: A Road Less Traveled – A Modern Day Seer's Journal of the Human Experience," Evolve Publishing, Inc.; ISBN 978-0-615-18954-3; 112 pages; $12.95. In the introduction, the author recounts the exploration of her "gift" as a youth: "The supernatural was my natural and the norm, despite my not talking about it. Fortunately for me, when eventually I began to share my experiences with my grandmother, she listened. She explained them according to her version of reality, of course. She said the Holy Spirit was working with me, and that I had a gift that people didn’t understand and were afraid of." For more information, visit www.christmasmiller.com MEDIA CONTACT: Christmas Miller - Author Tel. 404-966-8557 ###

Edina, MN (PRWEB) March 31, 2008 -- Robert Kiyosaki, Donald Trump, and Carlton Sheets are just a few of the real estate gurus on late night TV. Each of these individuals has produced excellent products-books, tapes, and seminars that teach about investing in real estate. Consumers will benefit from the knowledge these products impart to the reader. These experts have all been successful buying and selling real estate throughout their own careers and have valuable information to share. With the release of the new book "Reality Based" Real Estate Investing there is a new and fresh perspective which contrasts the majority of real estate books currently available today. Not every best selling author is in the trenches on a daily basis helping others buy and sell property on a one-on-one basis. Successful investing in rental real estate demands adapting quickly to the current environment. Successful investors need to have their finger on the pulse of the marketplace at all times. Too often real estate investing has been made to look too easy and somewhat hands off. In reality, the truth is the exact opposite. People need to know that not everyone can succeed at buying and selling property. False expectations will almost always lead to failure. Investors need to hear an accurate and truthful summary of what is involved in owing rental property. It was the need for more truthful and realistic information that led to the creation of this new book. The new book "Reality Based" Real Estate Investing by John Mazzara seeks to shortcut an investor's learning curve and provide a more realistic or "Reality Based" view on building wealth through real estate. John is an active real estate broker associate with RE/MAX Associates Plus in Edina, Minnesota and president of Venture Development-Minnesota's premier mortgage broker. John owns and manages rental property and is a real estate investor within the Twin Cities, MN. John was recently quoted in Investors Business Daily for his opinion about the current foreclosure and short sale situation as it pertains to existing homeowners. John's book brings 23 years of real life experiences from the trenches. He shares successes AND failures throughout the pages of this book. Readers will be entertained while they learn. The analysis of today's marketplace opportunities are specific to Minneapolis/St Paul and the Twin Cities metro area. The balance of the book is all about strategies and concepts that are without boundaries. This book will be of value to investors everywhere, regardless of where they live. Once they finish the book, readers will be able to determine whether or not they are suited to become real estate investors. Unlike many books on the subject of investing in investment property, John doesn't tell the reader it's easy. In fact, he outlines the hard work in order to give a realistic summary of what to expect and what to watch out for. John shares what he perceives are the opportunities for investing in real estate TODAY. Topics covered in the book include: goal setting, tax strategies, holding period options, analysis of a property as an investment, correct property selection,... To read the press release in full goto http://www.prweb.com/releases/real-estate-investing/investment-property/prweb804104.htm

Menlo Park, CA (PRWEB) March 20, 2008 -- In honor of Women's History Month, Life Coach and professional Intuitive Patricia Fuqua invites single women to read her just published book Manifesting Your Soulmate: The Skillset for Spiritual Women Over 35. Manifesting Your Soulmate guides mature, open-minded women with proven dating tips that show them how to attract and keep a good man. Preview a chapter at http://www.iUniverse.com Listed below are five out of ten tips that help a woman attract and keep a good man. The rest of the ten tips are available at Manifesting Your Soulmate, a woman will know how to: 1. Find out what she believes about men in general. When she thinks that all men are liars, she's holding a belief that limits her to attract that kind of guy. 2. Find out if her negative belief about relationship is keeping her alone. A limiting belief dooms her to repeat bad experiences. 3. Find out what she believes about herself in relationships. When she thinks negatively about her relationship skills, she resigns herself to repeat the same dismal experiences. 4. Design a do-able action plan to attract Mr. Wonderful. 5. Follow the action plan that has worked for hundreds of women to bring their Good Man into their lives. Before publishing Manifesting Your Soulmate, Patricia Fuqua taught hundreds of women to find their Good Man in seminars and consultations throughout California. She's based her proven step by step attraction system on her experience at maintaining her own successful marriage and on the research of psychologists and metaphysicians. For the past five years, she's directed Venus de Menlo Consulting, Inc., her life coaching and intuitive practice in Menlo Park, California. For more information, visit http://patriciafuqua.com/venus "Venus de Menlo Consulting, Inc is proud to bring Manifesting Your Soulmate to the community of mature single women who desire a good man to enjoy along with their other accomplishments," says Patricia Fuqua, CE0 and founder. "It is our ambition that Manifesting Your Soulmate will become the desk reference book for women who want the best in their relationships. The system is based on the law of attraction made famous recently by The Secret and has been proven for milleniums." Contact Information: Venus de Menlo Consulting, Inc. Patricia Fuqua, CEO Phone:(866) 218-4447/650-322-8107 Email:VenusdeMenlo @ gmail.com Web: http://patriciafuqua.com # # #

Austin, Texas (PRWEB) March 5, 2008 -- Today, as more female writers enter the world of science fiction and fantasy, multi-faceted heroines and relationship-based storylines in novels are attracting a whole new audience to the genre. Women who have previously read historical fiction and romance are now flocking to science fiction, as evidenced by the highly successful futuristic In Death series by J.D. Robb, aka bestselling author Nora Roberts. Science fiction and gaming conventions, once famous for luring Dungeons and Dragons players out of their hobbit holes, are now playing host to female fans drawn in by their favorite leading ladies. These heroines are saving ancient universes, fighting off evil warlords and setting the standard for strength and femininity. Heather Hayashi is the latest writer to find success in this new “sci-fi chick-lit” genre. In her latest novel, The Forgotten Past: The Arhka Chronicles, Volume II (Synergy Books, September 2007, 978-1-933538-77-8, $19.95), Hayashi expertly interweaves science fiction, fantasy and adventure with the exploration of personal relationships and emotions. This new blend of science fiction from a female perspective delivers an action-packed plot in a novel that also takes the time to discover the thoughts and motivations that lie inside each character. A sequel to the first novel in the series, To Save the World, The Forgotten Past continues the story of Stephanie, her mother and best friend, who have all gone missing on the foreign planet of Arhka. Her brother Derrick and her best friend’s brother, Jason, set out to save them - and the fate of the world. The Forgotten Past features bold, independent women in a science fiction adventure story that would otherwise be reserved for macho action heroes. There are no heroines in skin-tight super-hero costumes in Hayashi’s novel, just Stephanie, a headstrong tomboy from Earth with a penchant for video games, who realizes her own inner-strength while in another world. “We’re so used to reading novels about Frodo and Harry Potter saving the day,” says Hayashi. “I wanted to see something with well-developed characters a female audience could identify with.” Hayashi lived much of her youth with her single mother, who helped her move past the emotional turmoil she had held inside since her parents’ separation. Her experience growing up with a strong single mother influences the independent female characters featured throughout her work. “My mother saw what I needed before I did,” says Hayashi of the difficult time after her parents’ divorce. “With her help, I learned much about the strength of the human spirit. This emotional time in my life eventually became a great source of creativity and inspiration for me, and out of that time, The Arhka Chronicles were born.” Hayashi lives in Austin where she continues to create further adventures in the science fiction The Arkha Chronicles. An experienced national traveler, Hayashi’s personal interests include Japanese animation, video games, web design and art. To learn more, visit