Finding My Muse

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

2012-01-29T14:52:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp vegan margarine
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp flour
1 cup vegan non-dairy sour cream substitute
1 cup soy milk
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large soup or stock pot, saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic in vegan margarine for 3 - 5 minutes, until onions are soft. Reduce heat to medium low and add the vegetable broth. Cover and allow to simmer for at least 45 minutes.
Add the flour, non-dairy sour cream and soy milk, stirring well to combine. Allow to simmer another 20 - 30 minutes, or until soup has thickened. Season generously with salt and pepper before serving.

Jolinda Hackett, About.com Guide

True friends...

2012-01-25T18:39:00.000-05:00

you can probably count them on one hand!

A Wise Girl

2011-11-16T19:33:00.000-05:00

Grammar is Sexy

2011-11-01T07:56:00.000-04:00

Why Watch TV When You Can Read A Book?

2011-09-27T19:52:00.000-04:00

A Unique Way To Make Chocolate Bowls

2011-09-02T17:51:00.000-04:00

Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good

2011-09-02T16:25:00.001-04:00

This is when music was music!

Have you seen the show Outnumbered?

2011-09-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

Outnumbered is a British sitcom airing on BBC One. It stars Hugh Dennis (I love his wry, acerbic wit) and Claire Skinner as a father and mother nonplussed by their three children: Karen, 10; Jake, 15; and Ben, 12.

Precocious Karen is played by the extraordinary young actress, Ramona Marquez. You may have seen her in The King's Speech as Princess Margaret. Prior to being cast in Outnumbered, Ramona had no acting experience. She's a natural.

The two youngest kids and Pete, the harried Dad really make this show a fun watch.

Outnumbered - Karen explains why Friday the 13th is dangerous

Understanding Emotional Abuse

2011-09-01T12:56:00.000-04:00

Emotional abuse is damaging. It deprives a person of their self-esteem, the ability to think clearly, confidence in themselves as well as their independence. Although emotional abuse is not physical abuse, it is violent and it has extensive negative outcome for the person abused. It can result in depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, sleep problems, alcoholism or drug abuse, and thoughts of suicide. The person being abused may feel trapped in a relationship they cannot escape, and begin to feel that they somehow deserve the abuse.

Emotional Neglect

Emotional neglect is often the reason for the dissolution of relationships like marriages. People who experience this type of neglect in an adult relationship often cannot express to their partners exactly why the neglectful behavior is painful, which leaves them open to manipulation by the neglectful partner.

Extreme neglect or isolation, such as severely limiting a person’s contact with the outside world is emotionally abusive. An abuser's attempts to isolate his victim may allow him to have more control over her. For example, he may interfere with and discourage her relationships with her friends and family members.

Interestingly, one of the signs of spousal abuse is how the victim perceives herself. In many cases, an abuser succeeds at making his victim feel worthless, stupid, or even ugly. As a result, the victim may come to believe that she deserves the abuse.

Halloween Horror winner!

2010-10-15T14:13:00.000-04:00

The winner of the Halloween-themed horror books is Patsy!

I will be contacting Patsy to let her know. Thanks to all who entered!

BOOK WINNERS

2010-09-25T15:20:00.000-04:00

Here are the winners of the following giveaways:

Giveaway: Bentley Little's Latest - The Disappearance

The winner is: k_sunshine1977

Trio of Horror Books Giveaway

The winner is: Jennifer Mathis

Congratulations to both winners! Please email me with your address within 48 hours. Thanks for entering and reading my blog.

Halloween Horror Books Giveaway

2010-09-25T14:00:00.003-04:00

October is right around the corner. I have two gently read books from my collection to give away to one lucky winner...perfect Halloween reading.

This contest is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY.

Halloweenland by Al Sarrantonio

On a fallow pumpkin patch a carnival springs to life, bringing Death in its wake...

In Orangefield, Halloween is never normal, and this year is no exception. For this year, Orangefield, already the pumpkin capital of the world, is the new home to Halloweenland, a holiday carnival extraordinaire run by the mysterious Mr. Dickens.

Orangefield is also the home of Detective Bill Grant, who has seen it all, and who is on the track of a strange little girl who holds the fate of the Universe in her hands.

The trail will lead from Orangefield to Ireland, the ancient home of Samhain, Lord of the Dead, and back to Halloweenland—where, on what may be the last Halloween ever, the ultimate confrontation between Death and Life will take place.

And where Detective Grant, in the end, will find the strangest of allies...

Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge

Halloween, 1963. They call him the October Boy, or Ol’ Hacksaw Face, or Sawtooth Jack. Whatever the name, everybody in this small Midwestern town knows who he is. How he rises from the cornfields every Halloween, a butcher knife in his hand, and makes his way toward town, where gangs of teenage boys eagerly await their chance to confront the legendary nightmare. Both the hunter and the hunted, the October Boy is the prize in an annual rite of life and death.

Pete McCormick knows that killing the October Boy is his one chance to escape a dead-end future in this one-horse town. He’s willing to risk everything, including his life, to be a winner for once. But before the night is over, Pete will look into the saw-toothed face of horror--and discover the terrifying true secret of the October Boy . . .

Winner of the Stoker Award and named one of the 100 Best Novels of 2006 by Publishers Weekly, Dark Harvest is a powerhouse thrill-ride

One lucky reader will win both books. This contest is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY.

Now for the rules...PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THEM!

ALSO...PLEASE MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS IN ONE COMMENT. THANK YOU.

All you have to do to be eligible to enter this giveaway is to do these MANDATORY things:

(1) Tell me in your comment:

What do you like most about Halloween?

(2) Follow me via Google Friend Connect and include your email address in the comment so I can get in touch with you if you win.

Extra entries (make sure everything is in one comment):

+2 Tweet the giveaway (please include @KarenZupancic in the tweet and put the link in your comment.) and follow me on Twitter.

+2 Facebook the giveaway and leave the link in your comment and follow me on Facebook.

+6 Blog the giveaway: Write a post or put a link in your sidebar. Leave the link in your comment.

If there is only one person entered, the giveaway will be canceled. No prize(s) will be awarded. Where's the fun if you already know who's going to win?

Contest will run from September 25 to October 15. All entries close @ 2PM eastern. Winner will be chosen by random.

The Muse is on Hiatus

2010-09-09T15:01:00.000-04:00

Feeling that I have been "phoning it in" lately, I have decided to take a short break from blogging and all social media to devote more time to my writing. I hope you will remain a reader of this blog when I return.

The current giveaways will go on as usual.

Brian Keene's Latest

2010-09-09T14:40:00.000-04:00

Brian Keene's A Gathering of Crows

Brinkley Springs is a quiet little town. Some say the town is dying. They don’t know how right they are. Five mysterious figures are about to pay a little visit to Brinkley Springs. They have existed for centuries, emerging from the shadows only to destroy, to kill. To feed. They bring with them terror and carnage, and leave death and blood in their wake. As the night wears on, Brinkley Springs will be quiet no longer. Screams will break the silence. But when the sun rises again, will there be anyone left to hear?

If you're a true fan of Brian Keene like I am, you'll definitely want to check out these other Keene books:

The Rising
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Dead Sea
Castaways
Urban Gothic
City Of The Dead
Dark Hollow
Ghost Walk
Ghoul
The Conqueror Worms
Terminal
The Last Zombie
Kill Whitey
Unhappy Endings

From My TO READ LIST: A Penny for the Violin Man

2010-08-30T18:13:00.000-04:00

A Penny for the Violin Man by Eli Rill

An absorbing epic view of daily life in the 1930s through the tragedy of 9/11 – tracing the valiant Schecter family's on-going struggles. The story follows head of the family, Norman fiercely battling for the creation of a Teachers' Union during the crucible of the Great Depression. His beloved wife, Marsa, strives to keep their family fed and clothed. Neatly woven throughout their lives is how their love for each other and their children is threatened yet keeps them together.

Moving back and forth in time, we are introduced to the heart-felt stories of a wide group of fascinating people both in the U.S. and abroad.

The book is a mirror of the present recession, the moral and economic dilemmas bombarding people today and how through perseverance and hope we can overcome the worst of circumstances. From the beginning of the 20th century to the present, A Penny for the Violin Man is both a panoramic view of the times and a fascinating journey.

A Very Merry Unbirthday to You Giveaway

2010-08-28T15:46:00.001-04:00

Bailey, from "I Know All the Words," is having "A Very Merry Unbirthday to You" Giveaway!

Please visit her blog for all the details. It's an AWESOME prize pack!

awesomeness!

Giveaway: Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

2010-08-27T16:15:00.000-04:00

Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic is having a giveaway! Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin by Nancy Werlin Publisher: Dial (September 7th, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 400 pages

Visit Jessica for all the details.

Mockingjay Giveaway!

2010-08-23T14:21:00.001-04:00

To celebrate the release of Mockingjay, The Nerd's Wife is having a fantastic giveaway! Four lucky winners will each receive their choice of one Hunger Game themed pendant or t-shirt. For details, hurry on over!

Clipped from: reading.thenerdswife.com

THE VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD

2010-08-22T18:21:00.000-04:00

Kapri at Book Fanatics has awarded me "THE VERSATILE BLOGGER." Thank you very much, Kapri! Make sure to check out her wonderful blog.

Here's how this award works:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)

4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

Here are seven things about me:

I refuse to use those mercury-filled energy saver light bulbs. I have a closet-full of the regular ones.

My treadmill is my frenemy.

I love Indian and Thai food.

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I am so over summer this year! We're roasting up in Mass.

I've been a vegetarian since 1999.

I once considered running for president until I found out they were all related to each other.

Favorite ice cream: A tie between Butter Pecan and Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino.

I now pass this award on to the following 15 bloggers:

fangswandsandfairydust

avidreadersmusings

acupofteaandacozyforme

Trio of Horror Books Giveaway

2010-08-22T12:00:00.008-04:00

The Incredible Shrinking Bookshelf: The Saga Continues

I am giving away to one lucky winner the following gently read books from my bookshelf:

Mistress of the Dark
by Sephera Giron

Meet Abigail Barnum. She's new in town, eager to make it big in New York. Hers is the darker side of the city. Her friends are strippers and drag queens, and she works as a waitress in a tourist bar with a back room that's definitely for adults only. Her private life includes drugs and bizarre sex. But the most important thing about Abigail is she's deadly.

Abigail has gone insane. Voices and hallucinations are drawing her deeper and deeper into her own world, a world of obsession and pain, seduction and murder. Few suspect just how dangerous Abigail is, but one woman knows her grisly secret. As Abigail descends into madness, can anyone she touches ever hope to be safe?

The Demonologist
by Michael Laimo

Is Bev Mathers going crazy? He's been hearing chilling voices in his head, seeing nightmarish visions that just can't be true. And it keeps getting worse and worse. No, unfortunately for Bev, he's completely sane. What's taking control of him is far more terrifying than insanity. And it has an unimaginable purpose. Bev has become an innocent pawn in an infernal game, a victim of hellish forces beyond understanding. His visions of blood and debauchery are growing more ghastly every day. Some of them the most shocking are real. Bev can feel his mind, his body, his very soul slipping away. Will his only hope or his eternal damnation come from the demonologist?

Finishing Touches
by Thomas Tessier

On an extended holiday in London, Dr. Tom Sutherland befriends a mysterious surgeon named Nordhagen and begins a wild affair with the doctor's exotic assistant, Lina. Seduced and completely enthralled by Lina, Tom can think only of being with her, following her deeper into forbidden fantasies and dark pleasures. But fantasy turns to nightmare when Tom discovers the basement laboratory of Dr. Nordhagen, a secret chamber where cruelty, desire and madness combine to form the ultimate evil.

Now for the rules...PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THEM!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS FOR US RESIDENTS ONLY.

All you have to do to be eligible to enter this giveaway is to do these MANDATORY things:

(1) Tell me in your comment which book sounds good to you and why.

(2) Follow me via Google Friend Connect and include your email address in the comment so I can get in touch with you if you win.

Extra entries (make sure everything is in one comment):

+2 Tweet the giveaway (please include @KarenZupancic in the tweet and put the link in your comment.) and Follow me on Twitter

+2 Facebook the giveaway and leave the link in your comment
and Follow me on Facebook

+6 Blog the giveaway: Write a post or put a link in your sidebar. Leave the link in your comment.

If there is only one person entered, the giveaway will be canceled. No prize(s) will be awarded. Where's the fun if you already know who's going to win?
Winner will be chosen by Random.org on September 25, 2010 at 2PM Eastern time when the contest ends.

Knowledge vs. Ignorance

2010-08-21T20:01:00.001-04:00

Mankind have a great aversion to intellectual labor; but even supposing knowledge to be easily attainable, more people would be content to be ignorant than would take even a little trouble to acquire it.

~ Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784)

How do you feel about this quote? Does it make you angry? Are you one of the blissfully ignorant?

From My TO READ LIST

2010-08-21T14:09:00.000-04:00

The first two books are written by Jane Eagland with teenage readers in mind. Set in the Victorian period, they are suspenseful mysteries that adults will enjoy as well. You can visit the author's website: www.janeeagland.com

The third book is also written for the young adult market; the author is Susanne Dunlap, who also penned The Musician's Daughter as well as historical fiction for adults. Anastasia's Secret is set in Russia during the Bolshevik revolution.

Whisper My Name
by Jane Eagland

Since she was twelve, Meriel Garland has lived with her grandfather in London, exiled from her beloved India following the death of her mother. Now sixteen, Meriel chafes against the strict regime of tests and study that her grandfather imposes on her. Escaping, she discovers a world outside her narrow existence - one that promises admiration for her acting skills, social success and the excitement of seances. But what should have been a game turns serious as the young medium Sophie Casson passes on a message from Meriel's dead mother - and Meriel begins to suspect she might not be alone in the world after all. In searching for the truth about her past, Meriel uncovers a sinister scheme - and soon it's hard to know who she can really trust.

Wildthorn
by Jane Eagland
Seventeen-year-old Louisa Cosgrove longs to break free from her respectable life as a Victorian doctor's daughter. But her dreams become a nightmare when Louisa is sent to Wildthorn Hall: labeled a lunatic, deprived of her liberty and even her real name. As she unravels the betrayals that led to her incarceration, she realizes there are many kinds of prison. She must be honest with herself - and others - in order to be set free. And love may be the key.

Anastasia's Secret
by Susanne Dunlap

For Anastasia Romanov, life as the privileged daughter of Russia’s last tsar is about to be torn apart by the bloodshed of revolution. Ousted from the imperial palace when the Bolsheviks seize control of the government, Anastasia and her family are exiled to Siberia. But even while the rebels debate the family’s future with agonizing slowness and the threat to their lives grows more menacing, romance quietly blooms between Anastasia and Sasha, a sympathetic young guard she has known since childhood. But will the strength of their love be enough to save Anastasia from a violent death?

Inspired by the mysteries that have long surrounded the last days of the Romanov family, Susanne Dunlap’s new novel is a haunting vision of the life—and imagined love story—of Russia’s last princess.

The Pitch That Killed Ray Chapman

2010-08-16T12:31:00.000-04:00

Those who know me are aware that I will read just about ANYTHING--even sports books, although I don't watch sports on TV or in person. I have even read a fair amount of my son's wrestling biographies (check out his blog) and enjoyed them. Perhaps I will feature Mick Foley's books on the Muse one day soon. Today I want to feature books written about Ray Chapman, the Cleveland Indian's shortstop who has the unfortunate distinction of being the only Major League baseball player to have died as a result of an injury received in a game. Today is the anniversary of that event.

The Curse of Carl Mays by Howard Camerik

Was it really the Bambino's Curse, or something else all along?

It's October 25, 1986; for Red Sox Nation, it's a date that will live in infamy. Game Six.

Pat McCarvill is Boston's popular mayor, presiding over a boomtown riding the wave of the "Massachusetts Miracle." Despite his success, he's forever haunted by a youthful decision to abandon a once-promising professional baseball career. McCarvill was born on the anniversary of the tragedy to which he has always felt strangely connected: the death of Ray Chapman, killed by a pitch thrown by a one-time Red Sox star, Carl Mays.

Hours before Game Six is to begin, that cosmic connection will unfold. McCarvill is injured while playing in a pre-game charity event, but the paramedics dispatched to his aid mysteriously travel back to 1920, rescuing Chapman instead. The historical timeline has been tampered with, and back in 1986 things have changed for McCarvill, for the Red Sox, for all of Boston. Now, a legendary fable will be debunked, a life's regret will be redeemed, and a city's dream will be fulfilled ... but at what cost?

The Pitch That Killed by Mike Sewell

Since major league baseball began in 1871, there have been roughly 30 million pitches thrown to batters. Only one of them killed a man. This is the story of Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians, a popular player struck in the head and killed in August 1920 by a pitch thrown by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees. Was it, as most baseball observers thought at the time, a tragic but unavoidable accident? Mike Sowell's book investigates the incident and probes deep into the backgrounds of the players involved and the events that led to one of baseball's darkest moments.

Ray and Me by Dan Gutman

After he survives a hit in the head with a baseball, Stosh learns about Ray Chapman, the only player in Major League history to get hit by a ball and die. If only they'd had batting helmets back in 1920. Stosh travels back in time to try and save Ray, in the gripping ninth novel in this series.

Dan Gutman, children's book author

Ray Chapman

Position: shortstop
Born: January 15, 1891 in Beaver Dam, Kentucky
Died: August 17, 1920 (aged 29) in New York, New York
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut: August 30, 1912 for the Cleveland Indians
Final game: August 16, 1920 for the Cleveland Indians
Career statistics:
Batting average .278
Stolen bases 233
Runs 671
Teams: Cleveland Indians (1912-1920)

Career highlights and awards:

334 career sacrifice hits is 6th on all-time list
Led the American League in walks (84) in 1918
Led the American League in runs (84) in 1918

Raymond Bradley Sherman Chapman (January 15, 1891 – August 17, 1920) was an American baseball player, spending his entire career as a shortstop for Cleveland.

He is the only Major League Baseball player to have died as a result of an injury received in a game; he was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Yankees hurler Carl Mays. His death led Major League Baseball to establish a rule requiring umpires to replace the ball whenever it became dirty. His death was also one of the examples used to emphasize the need for wearing batting helmets (although the rule was not adopted until over thirty years later). His death was partially the reason MLB banned the spitball after the season.

Career

Chapman was born in Beaver Dam, Kentucky. He grew up in Herrin, Illinois. He broke into the Major Leagues in 1912 with the Cleveland team, then known as the Naps.

Chapman led the American League in runs scored and walks in 1918. A top-notch bunter, Chapman is 6th on the all-time list for sacrifice hits. Only Stuffy McInnis has more sacrifices for right-handed batters. Chapman was also an excellent shortstop who led the league in putouts three times and assists once. He batted .300 three times, and led the Indians in stolen bases four times. In 1917, he set a team record of 52 stolen bases, which stood until 1980. He was hitting .303 with 97 runs scored when he died.

Death

At the time of Chapman's death, "part of every pitcher's job was to dirty up a new ball the moment it was thrown onto the field. By turns, they smeared it with dirt, licorice, tobacco juice; it was deliberately scuffed, sandpapered, scarred, cut, even spiked. The result was a misshapen, earth-colored ball that traveled through the air erratically, tended to soften in the later innings, and as it came over the plate, was very hard to see."

This practice is believed to have contributed to Chapman's death. He was struck by a pitch by Carl Mays on August 16, 1920 in a game against the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds. Mays threw with a submarine delivery, and it was the top of the fifth inning, in the late afternoon. Eyewitnesses recounted that Chapman never moved out of the way of the pitch, presumably unable to see the ball. "Chapman didn't react at all," said Rod Nelson of the Society of American Baseball Research. "It was at twilight and it froze him." The sound of the ball smashing into Chapman's skull was so loud that Mays thought it had hit the end of Chapman's bat, so he fielded the ball and threw to first base. Chapman died twelve hours later in a New York City hospital, at about 4:30 a.m. He was replaced by Harry Lunte for the rest of the game.

In tribute to Chapman's memory, Cleveland players wore black arm bands, with manager Tris Speaker leading the team to win both the pennant and the first World Championship in the history of the club. Rookie Joe Sewell took Chapman's place at shortstop, and went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

Ray Chapman is buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.

Legacy

The book The Pitch That Killed, by Mike Sowell, is a history of the Chapman-Mays tragedy.

The historical novel, The Curse of Carl Mays, by Howard Camerik, also recounts the Chapman-Mays incident.

The Dan Gutman novel Ray and Me, tells the story of the Chapman incident with a fictional touch as the main character Joe Stoshack travels back in time to try to prevent his death.

Not long after Chapman died, a bronze plaque was designed in his honor. The plaque features Chapman's bust framed by a baseball diamond and flanked by two bats, one of them cradling a fielder's mitt. At the bottom of the tablet is the inscription, "He Lives In The Hearts Of All Who Knew Him." The plaque was dedicated and hung at League Park and later at Cleveland Municipal Stadium before being taken down for unknown reasons.

In February 2007, the neglected plaque was re-discovered by workers cleaning out a storage room. Jim Folk, Vice President of Indians operations at the time said, "It was in a store room under an escalator in a little nook and cranny. We didn't know what we were going to do with it, but there was no way it was just going to stay there when we moved to Jacobs Field. We had it crated up and put on a moving truck and it came over along with our file cabinets and all the other stuff that came out of the stadium."

Covered by years of dust and dirt, the bronze surface oxidized a dark brown, the text was illegible. The plaque was refurbished and hung in Heritage Park, an exhibit of Indians history at Progressive Field.

This article about Ray Chapman is copied from Wikipedia® and is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.

Giveaway: Bentley Little's Latest - The Disappearance

2010-08-15T20:34:00.003-04:00

It's time for another giveaway.

The Disappearance

by Bentley Little

From the Bram Stoker Award-winning "horror poet laureate" - Stephen King

When Gary's girlfriend Joan vanishes, calls to her parents' home yield only dead air. Her school records are gone. There is no longer any evidence that she even existed. Most disturbing of all is what Gary does find: a warning and a tantalizing clue, leading to a mysterious backward cult known as the Homesteaders. Now Gary may be the next to disappear.

One lucky reader will win a brand new copy of The Disappearance from Book Depository. This contest is INTERNATIONAL AS LONG AS BOOK DEPOSITORY SHIPS TO YOU.

Now for the rules...PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THEM!

ALSO...MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS IN ONE COMMENT. THANK YOU.

All you have to do to be eligible to enter this giveaway is to do these MANDATORY things:

(1) Tell me in your comment if you ever read Bentley Little as well as your favorite Little book.

(2) Follow me via Google Friend Connect and include your email address in the comment so I can get in touch with you if you win.

Extra entries (make sure everything is in one comment):

+2 Tweet the giveaway (please include @KarenZupancic in the tweet and put the link in your comment.) and Follow me on Twitter

+2 Facebook the giveaway and leave the link in your comment and follow me on Facebook

+6 Blog the giveaway: Write a post or put a link in your sidebar. Leave the link in your comment.

If there is only one person entered, the giveaway will be canceled. No prize(s) will be awarded. Where's the fun if you already know who's going to win?

This giveaway will run until 9/25/10 at 2PM EASTERN. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. Good luck to all who participate!

Follow My Book Blog Friday

2010-08-13T15:31:00.000-04:00