Slavery and sex trafficking still occur today. In parts of the world, when a female is kidnapped, most of the time she is sold to serve others through slavery or prostitution. The horrifying things these girls and women are forced to endure should never be experienced by anyone. Allison Wagner, an American journalist, travels to…
Curare, the poison that South American tribesmen would put on the tips of arrows to poison either the game they were hunting or their enemies, is also known as flying death or moonseed as well as other more scientific names. This poison kills the animals but does not infect the meat. Where can this poison…
Secrets. Every family, whether rich or poor, has them. What happens when these secrets are no longer hidden? What would it have been like to be the daughter of a famous painter? Fourteen-year-old Cornelia has a famous father, Rembrandt van Rijn. He was once greatly admired and his paintings sought after. Now he is tottering…
How many horror stories have you heard about the bite of the brown recluse spider? How would you know if you ran into one of these arachnids? How could you use one or more of these venomous creatures in your writing? The first thing you need to look at is the color of the spider.…
Times were hard for everyone during the 1930’s depression. For Negroes, the fact that most did not respect them as people made it even harder for many of them. What they said was seldom believed, and most thought them useless. Then Jonah, an unassuming, exceptionally polite Negro who seems to know just what is going…
Just about every writer dreams of writing words that will have a lasting effect on civilization. Wouldn’t it be awesome if at least one line from each of your books tended to stay in people’s minds? An avalanche on a snow covered mountain can be triggered by something as quiet as a person’s voice. A…
Momo loves to play hide-and-seek. Can you find him in these pictures taken in various places across North America? Yes, this is a photography book, but I have found it to be so much more than just a book of pretty photographs to look at. In what other ways can this book be used? For…
Are you restrained by bands or by banns? Do you eat at a banquet or a banquette? Is a poet called a bard or a barred? Does a bare or a bear live in the woods? bands, banns, bans Bands are materials used to restrain or confine. The bands around their wrists were not easily broken.…
From abbe to ayes, there are a lot of confusing words that begin with “A.” Below are links to each of my articles that explain the differences between these words. Confusing Words from Abbe to Access – Would a nun live in an abbe or an abbey? Is the mother superior an abbess or an abyss? When…
Do you believe that the name you are given at birth has a lot to do with how you live your life? If you do, what would a child named Don Juan Casanova grow up to be like? How would being blessed (or cursed) with such a name affect his life? Look at what these…
