A guest post by Junith Malot Laplana.

This blog of my husband talks about making money online by blogging. It contains tips and advices on how to earn money from the internet by simply blogging. The idea talked by my husband on his articles are real and are useful or helpful so that those who want to earn money at home by blogging will succeed.

But there are many online money maker who earn money not by telling the truth, not be teaching people the legit ways, but by fooling people and make them pay for a useless craft.

The book, “Undress for Success: The Naked Truth about Making Money at Home” authored by Kate Lister and Tom Harnish might help you learn how to make money online while avoiding the scams. (see the Amazon page here)

Here’s part of the review written by Dianne Walker.

Undress for Success – The Naked Truth about Making Money at Home by Kate Lister and Tom Harnish is an excellent resource to use when making that important decision.

Working from home is not as easy or glamorous as it may sound. If you`re unemployed, Undress for Success will open the door to discovering the possibilities, pros and cons. A home-based business is not for the unmotivated, the procrastinator or the easily distracted. Chapter 3 is entitled “Expose Yourself – Are You Right for E-Work?” This chapter explores the skills and traits required to successfully work from home. Not only is it necessary for you to be focused, but to also have the support of family and friends. First, is to provide assistance around the house to allow you time to work on your business. Second, you will need their support in leaving you alone in order to be able to get your work done. You can read more of the review here.

Just want to share the 4 Google-related books that I want to read this year. I believe, these books can help me enhance my knowledge about Google and its products.

Google Apps Hacks

Description (source: Amazon):

Can Google applications really become an alternative to the venerable Microsoft Office suite? Conventional wisdom may say no, but practical wisdom says otherwise. Right now, 100,000 small businesses are currently running trials of Google office applications. So are large corporations such as General Electric and Proctor & Gamble. Google Apps Hacks gets you in on the action with several ingenious ways to push Google’s web, mobile, and desktop apps to the limit. The scores of clever hacks and workarounds in this book help you get more than the obvious out of a whole host of Google’s web-based applications for word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint-style presentations, email, calendar, and more by giving you ways to exploit the suite’s unique network functionality. You get plenty of ways to tinker with: Google Documents — Share and edit documents with others in real time, view them on the run with Google Docs mobile service, and use Google Notebook for web research Google Spreadsheets — Add real-time data to spreadsheets, and generate charts and tables you can embed in web pages Google Presentations — View them on a mobile phone and save them as video Gmail — Send email to and from a mobile phone, adjust Gmail’s layout with a style sheet, and a lot more iGoogle — Create your own gadgets, program a screenscraper, add Flash games, and more Google Calendar — Add web content events, public calendars, and your Outlook Calendar to this application Google Reader, Google Maps, Google Earth, and Google SketchUp: the new 3D modeling software tool Picasa, YouTube, and Google Video — discover new ways to customize and use these media management apps In addition, Google Apps Hacks outlinesways you can create a simple web site with nothing but Google tools, including Page Creator, Blogger, Google Analytics, and content from other Google apps. This amazing collection just might convince you that Microsoft Office is not the last word in business applications. The price is certainly right.

Google Apps: The Missing Manual

Description (source: Amazon):

Among its many amazing applications, Google now has web-based alternatives to many of the applications in Microsoft Office. This comprehensive and easy-to-follow new book enables you to explore Google’s new office applications in detail. Once you do, you’ll be in good company — more than 100,000 small businesses and some corporations are already looking to take advantage of these free Google offerings. Google Apps: The Missing Manual teaches you how to use three relatively new applications from Google: “Docs and Spreadsheets,” which provide many of the same core tools that you find in Word and Excel; and Google Calendar and Gmail, the applications that offer an alternative to Outlook. This book demonstrates how these applications together can ease your ability to collaborate with others, and allow you access to your documents, mail and appointments from any computer at any location. Of course, as remarkable as these applications are, Google’s office suite is definitely a work-in-progress. Navigating what you can and can’t do and — more importantly — understanding how to do it isn’t always easy. And good luck finding enough help online. Google Apps: The Missing Manual is the one book you need to get the most out of this increasingly useful part of the Google empire. This book: Explains how to create, save and share each of Google’s web-based office applications Offers separate sections for Docs and Spreadsheets, Google Calendar, and Gmail Demonstrates how to use these applications in conjunction with one another Gives you crystal-clear and jargon-free explanations that will satisfy users of all technical levels Many of you already use Gmail, but do you know its full potential? Do youknow how you can increase its power by using Gmail with Doc and Spreadsheets and Google Calendar? You’ll find out with Google Apps: The Missing Manual. You’ll also come to understand why large corporations such as General Electric and Proctor & Gamble are taking a long, hard look at these applications.

Programming Google App Engine

Description (Source: Amazon):

As one of today’s cloud computing services, Google App Engine does more than provide access to a large system of servers. It also offers you a simple model for building applications that scale automatically to accommodate millions of users. With Programming Google App Engine, you’ll get expert practical guidance that will help you make the best use of this powerful platform. Google engineer Dan Sanderson shows you how to design your applications for scalability, including ways to perform common development tasks using App Engine’s APIs and scalable services.

You’ll learn about App Engine’s application server architecture, runtime environments, and scalable datastore for distributing data, as well as techniques for optimizing your application. App Engine offers nearly unlimited computing power, and this book provides clear and concise instructions for getting the most from it right from the source.

• Discover the differences between traditional web development and development with App Engine
• Learn the details of App Engine’s Python and Java runtime environments
• Understand how App Engine handles web requests and executes application code
• Learn how to use App Engine’s scalable datastore, including queries and indexes, transactions, and data modeling
• Use task queues to parallelize and distribute work across the infrastructure
• Deploy and manage applications with ease

Using Google App Engine

Description (source: Amazon)

With this book, you can build exciting, scalable web applications quickly and confidently, using Google App Engine — even if you have little or no experience in programming or web development. App Engine is one of the most exciting web technologies to appear in the last year, providing a simple, easy-to-use application framework with basic web tools. While Google’s own tutorial assumes significant development experience, Using Google App Engine is for anyone who wants to get started with this platform. By the end of the book, you’ll know how to build complete, interactive applications and deploy them to “the cloud,” using the same servers that power Google applications. You will:

Get an overview of all the technologies necessary to use Google App Engine Learn how to use Python, HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), HTTP, and DataStore, App Engine’s database Grasp the technical aspects necessary to create sophisticated, dynamic web applications Understand what’s required to deploy your applications to Google servers

In addition to being a foundational resource for beginning programmers, Using Google App Engine is also an excellent book for experienced programmers who want to acquire working knowledge of web technologies. Building web applications used to be for experts only, but with Google App Engine — and this book — anyone can create a dynamic web presence.

Google is constantly changing its algorithm in ranking websites on the Google search result pages. Because of this, my knowledge on SEO is already obsolete and I need to learn the new ways on how to top the Google’s search result ranking.

I recently ordered a book that I think contains information that will help me succeed on my SEO campaigns for this blog. This book will be released on May 5, 2008 but you can already pre-order it now.

• Title of the book: Get to the Top on Google: Search Engine Optimization and Website Promotion Techniques to Get Your Site to the Top of the Search Engine Rankings
• Description: Written in a clear, non-technical, style by a leading expert in SEO (search engine optimization), GTTTOG explains techniques and strategies proven to return higher search engine rankings and sales. It addresses all aspects of search engine marketing and includes an assessment of the impact of Web 2.0 on Internet search strategies.

Visit this page to order (CLICK HERE).

Scuba Diving Books that can help you in your daily scuba diving activities:

1. Dive Atlas of the World: An Illustrated Reference to the Best Sites

- This global guide to the world’s top dive sites is an inspirational reference source for divers who wish to experience, personally or vicariously, the best diving the planet has to offer. Written by award-winning and experienced dive authors, coverage starts with the Atlantic, from the West Coast of North America, and proceeds west to east and north to south. For those inspired to travel to any of the featured sites or regions, the appendix lists all important travel and dive information, the best times to go, contacts, dive operators, and emergency facilities.

Brimming with superb underwater photography of famous wrecks, a wide range of marine habitats, and a huge diversity of species ranging from whale sharks to nudibranchs, DIVE ATLAS OF THE WORLD also features six large scale ocean/sea maps, and over three hundred comprehensive maps to all the best sites.

2. The Certified Diver’s Handbook: The Complete Guide to Your Own Underwater Adventures

- More than half of the 1.5 million people who achieve scuba certification each year are stymied in their pursuit of the sport because they lack time and money to enjoy the exotic diving experiences they’ve read about, and don’t want to be confined to group dives. The Certified Diver’s Handbook is the only guide to help them create their own diving adventures on any budget, on any schedule, in waters local or distant, and without the restrictions of group demands. Thirty-year diving veteran and photojournalist Clay Coleman provides the insider’s tips and how-to advice divers need to equip, plan, and execute their own diving expeditions. Divers will learn how to:

• Buy or rent the best SCUBA equipment at the best prices
• Plan dives to maximize enjoyment and safety
• Find great diving sites close to home
• Master underwater rescue procedures and shore- and night-diving techniques
• Explore wrecks, reefs, and underwater caves

3. Scuba Diving

- Graver easily achieves his stated goal “to create the most complete, up-to-date text available for entry-level scuba diving and to improve diving safety through education.” Study guides in the margins of the text prompt the reader to constantly focus on important points, and the writing provides in-depth elaboration and direction–for the more advanced scuba information seeker–on topics such as equipment, management of physical problems during a dive, the aquatic environment, and general planning in preparation for dives. Appendixes include lists of diver training organizations, the tenets of the “Responsible Diver Code,” and equipment inventory. The book serves dual roles as student text and basic introduction. Recommended, especially if your collection is limited to a single title in this subject area.

4. Scuba Diving & Snorkeling for Dummies

- For millions of Americans, diving offers the chance to get away from everyday life and enter a world of stunning natural beauty and fascinating complexity. And getting started is a breeze! Anyone can learn to dive safely and explore the world’s wondrous oceans – all it takes is a little training and basic equipment.

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling For Dummies presents all the fundamentals for anyone interested in getting dive certified or just looking for good snorkeling while on vacation. Written by PADI-Certified diver John Newman, this friendly guide covers everything you need to know to:

• Get certified
• Plan a great diving trip
• Save money on equipment
• Dive or snorkel safely

This user-friendly guide starts by helping you evaluate your underwater skills and walking you step by step through a typical certification program. Once you’re certified, it helps you pick a dive site, purchase and set up your equipment, and take care of any fears you might have. Then you’ll discover what to expect on your first dive – from which creatures are dangerous to how to protect fragile sea life. Scuba  Diving & Snorkeling For Dummies also covers these topics and more:

• Free diving
• Special breathing techniques
• Emergency procedures
• How to avoid the bends
• Handling dive anxiety
• The physics and chemistry of diving
• Staying healthy on dive trips
• Ocean ecosystems
• Rip tides and tidal waves
• Ten great dive destinations

In addition to beautiful full-color photography and all the information you need to plan a dive trip, the book also includes a handy appendix of dive organizations and publications, as well as a CD-ROM sampler from PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors). Whether you’re a novice diver or an old hand, Scuba Diving & Snorkeling For Dummies is perfect for anyone who wants to see the beauty of the ocean from a fish’s point of view.

5.  The Scuba Diving Handbook: The Complete Guide to Safe and Exciting Scuba Diving

-  An essential resource for divers.

This comprehensive reference has information for divers of all levels, from the beginning basics to advanced skills and techniques for those with more experience. With its 350 full color photographs, easy-to-understand diagrams and tips from professionals, this book covers everything: the descent from the surface and the ascent back; all breathing techniques required; and advanced skills for cave diving, wreck diving, and search and recovery using the latest technology.

Combining detailed instruction with step-by-step exercises and practice programs, The Scuba Diving Handbook guides divers as they explore all aspects of the sport. Among the topics:

• Choosing an instructor
• The science of scuba
• Deep diving
• Raising heavy objects
• Equipment failure
• Boat handling before, during and after a dive
• Diving with big animals nearby
• Exploring wrecks
• Finding (or avoiding) shark-infested waters.

There is a wealth of information for planning diving trips in temperate, tropical and even arctic waters, as well as expert advice on conquering fear, using underwater cameras and avoiding the bends. This book is ideal for any diver — both newcomers requiring intensive guidance and advanced divers seeking a quick brush-up.

6. Complete Diving Manual

- From basic diving certification topics and techniques to advanced technical diving, Complete Diving Manual has everything you need—all in full, stunning color. Whether you’re an experienced diver or haven’t yet gotten your C-card, your passport to diving expeditions is here, including:

• Choosing, using, maintaining, and storing equipment
• Basic training, from pool to open water
• Diving physiology, including buoyancy, behavior of gases, the bends, and hypothermia
• Dive planning, including decompression dives
• Safety and first aid
• Diving reefs, wrecks, and caves; warm and cold water; boat diving, and more
• Diving for marine biology, archaeology, photography, and videography
• Prime locations for the best diving excursions worldwide

With the Complete Diving Manual, you can investigate every aspect of this great sport. Let the adventures begin.

7. Scuba Diving Safety

- The beautiful locales, exotic plant and sea life, and relaxing environs of dive locations are even more peaceful when you are armed with the expertise and skill to stay safe in any situation.

With self-rescues, buddy rescues, open-water resuscitation, and towing techniques, Scuba Diving Safety will become your most valuable diving companion. Covering a full range of underwater environments, as well as dangerous marine life, entanglements, and equipment failures, this vital resource is an essential reference for every underwater enthusiast.

Do not rely on someone else–or chance–to keep you safe. Let Scuba Diving Safety help you prepare for the unexpected and provide the confidence to enjoy your underwater adventures to the fullest.

What to read about Valentine’s Day with your Kindle gadget? Consider the 7 interesting reads about or related to Valentine’s Day using your Kindle gadget.

1. Valentine Princess – When you’re Princess Mia, nothing happens the way it’s supposed to. For one thing, Grandmere seems determined to prove that boy (or Michael, as he is commonly known) isn’t the right one for the crown princess of Genovia. And Mia isn’t having much luck proving otherwise, since Michael has a history of being decidedly against any kind of exploitative commercialization (Valentine’s Day, as it is commonly known).Boris can declare his love openly to Lilly, and even Kenny comes through with a paltry Whitman’s Sampler. So why can’t Michael give in to Cupid and tell Mia he loves her — preferably with something wrapped in red or pink and accompanied by roses — in time to prove he’s Mia’s true prince?
2. A Catered Valentine’s Day – Cupid couldn’t be any busier than caterers Bernadette and Libby Simmons on Valentine’s Day. This year, a fund-raiser is taking up a lot of their time. And though love is in the air, so is murder… Bernie and Libby, owners of A Taste of Heaven, have plans to partner up with the Just Chocolate store for a taste-tempting Valentine’s Day fundraiser featuring pairings of exotic chocolates, food, and wine, as well as a kissing booth, a fashion show, and a bachelor auction. And though Bernie isn’t too happy about her boyfriend volunteering to be auctioned off, she’s got too much on her plate to be jealous: one of the coolers is leaking; they need a new butter supplier, employees have relationship issues, and the mother of a very good client has died. Putting their preparations on hold, Bernie and Libby attend the funeral, only to be recruited to help solve a mystery. In an old cemetery-turned-lover’s-lane, the body of Ted Gorman has been found in someone else’s grave. The same Ted Gorman who supposedly died in a fiery car crash weeks earlier, leaving his body nearly unrecognizable. But though Libby and Bernie can easily tell that it’s him, Libby knows there’s something “off” about the body, though she can’t put her finger on it. Ted was the owner-with his wife-of Just Chocolate. So now, as Bernie and Libby continue working with the grieving widow, they open up a mixed box of dark financial scandal, sticky family ties, bittersweet passion, and just desserts. And the chocolate-covered clues will lead to someone with blood on their hands_ A CATERED CHRISTMAS “Comical minor arguments, bitchy asides, cookie dependencies, and useful recipes keep this moving.” -Library Journal “Quirky and fun_Not only is the mystery entertaining, it comes complete with mouth-watering recipes.” -Romantic Times A CATERED WEDDING “The sisters’ playful rivalry, clever dialogue and an eccentric supporting cast make for plenty of cozy fun.” -Publishers Weekly “Frequent humor, a couple of little-old-lady Marxists, and several delicious recipes complete the cozy picture. Recommended for culinary mystery fans.” -Library Journal A CATERED MURDER “[Crawford's] description of meals is so sensuous and evocative that you may find yourself putting the book down and wondering what’s for dinner.” -Contra Costa Times “Fast-paced and highly original.”-Mystery News “Fans who love culinary mysteries are going to gain pounds after reading this delicious who-done-it…a very exciting debut mystery by an author who provides a moveable feast starring characters readers will care about.” -I Love a Mystery “A naturally flowing narrative, lively and likable characters, and plenty of clever word play amid the foul play set this first novel above the common run of cozies.” -Publishers Weekly
3. Everything She Wants – “In the second book of Beth Killian’s juicy 310 series, Hollywood newcomer Eva Cordes starts to unravel her family’s dark secrets — and creates some scandals of her own. Aspiring actress Eva feels like she’s finally on her way to the big time — she’s got new friends, a new life, and a starring role in a hot new commercial. And with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, she’s determined to finally “”seal the deal”" with her new boyfriend, Danny. But all her plans turn inside out when someone from her past shows up at her doorstep — with an engagement ring!?! Eva swears the only guy she wants to be with is Danny, but he’s starting to have doubts. So when she finds out the shocking truth about her father’s identity, she has no one to turn to — the guys are at each other’s throats and her roommates are having a major catfight of their own. Eva is about to make some tough choices…and if she’s not careful, she may make the biggest mistake of her life. “
4. Valentine’s Day Is Killing Me – Lost roses. Cancelled reservations. Broken dates. Dead bodies. There’s always some reason to hate Valentine’s Day-until the scene of the crime starts heating up… From three of today’s hottest authors, each with a wicked flair for the unexpected, comes a delectable serving of romantic tales gone bad_then even badder. A woman whose blind date shows up cuffed to a dead body only leads to uncovering a lot more than mystery. A party featuring dangerously naughty favors brings the cops a knocking-and not just on the door. And the overworked employee with a dead boss and an ex-boyfriend who happens to be the most insensitive, non-romantic, completely irresistible alpha male she’s ever laid-ahem-eyes on… Romance, drama, suspense, humor, desire-the perfect date for a night with… MARYJANICE DAVIDSON LESLIE ESDAILE SUSANNA CARR Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com.
5. The Valentine Gift: Valentine’s Daughters\Our Day\The Hand That Gives The Rose – Every Valentine’s Day is a gift
   A day to celebrate your love–and the hope, the belief, that it will be everlasting. In “Valentine’s Daughters” by Tara Taylor Quinn, it’s a day to remember old promises…and make new ones. In “Our Day” by Jean Brashear, it’s when love gets a second chance. In “The Hand That Gives the Rose” by Linda Cardillo, it’s the day love finally bridges two separate worlds.
6. Hating Valentine’s Day -
   Roses are red
   Violets are blue
   I hate Valentine’s Day…
   Just like you.One of the top wedding photographers in town, Liv Hetherington, steadfastly single, hates Valentine’s Day. This year she’s putting her foot down and has vowed there’ll be no dinner party set-ups, speed-dating frenzies or any other form of accidental dating organized by her father, flatmate or best friend.Liv’s ecstatic, to say the least. Now she can concentrate on more important things like setting up her own studio and polishing off her Dickens collection. But are relationships really not for her? Drew, the new man in Liv’s life, would beg to differ. As would Cupid, who’s had enough of Liv being stubbornly single…

   Valentine’s Day…bah, humbug. Or is that about to change?

7. The Fair Maid of Perth or St. Valentine’s Day, a Waverley novel -

More for Valentine’s Day:

• 5 Valentine’s Day Greeting Cards and eCards Websites
• Songs (Music CD Album) for Valentine’s Day
• Movies (DVD) Related to Valentine’s Day
• 7 Kindle Reads for Valentine’s Day
• 20 Books about Valentine’s Day

20 Valentine Books that will interest you or your kids to read:

1. Valentine’s Day Is Killing Me -
   Lost roses. Cancelled reservations. Broken dates. Arrests. Dead bodies. There’s always some reason to hate Valentine’s Day…unless the scene of the crime starts really heating up….Maryjanice Davidson Cuffs and Coffee Breaks In a moment of weakness, greeting card writer Julie Kay About accepts a blind date for Valentine’s Day. As if the restaurant’s snotty waiter, cheap chocolates, and pastel-colored teddy bears aren’t enough, her date turns out to be the guy in handcuffs next to the dead body on the floor. At least he didn’t stand her up. How could a guy with beautiful, sky-blue eyes and sexy swimmer’s shoulders be a killer? Julie Kay is not about to have another horrible V-Day, even if she has to solve a murder and get her possibly homicidal date arraigned to do it…Leslie Esdaile A “No Drama” Valentine’s Jocelyn Jefferson is one sister who is not falling for any romance drama—no pining over flowers never sent or bling not gotten. No, this year, Jocelyn’s getting her best girlfriends together for a “pamper” party at her house. Except that the “pampering” turns out to be from a dubious sex toy company. Soon, there’s a whole crew of rowdy, enthusiastic people in Jocelyn’s apartment. And that’s when vice detective Raymond Mayfield shows up at her door, all six-four, hard-bodied bit of him, and he needs Jocelyn for some very private questioning…Susanna Carr Valentine Survivor This Valentine’s Day was supposed to be different for Shanna Murphy. She had a hot date, sought-after dinner reservations, and a brand new vase to show off those potential long-stemmed roses. But Murphy’s Law intervened, and now her date cancelled, she’s stuck doing overtime, and she’s just discovered the body of her boss-from-hell. The only person Shanna can turn to is her ex-boyfriend, Calder Smith, who just happens to be the most insensitive, non-romantic, domineering—and completely irresistible—alpha male she’s ever laid eyes on…These bad boys are bringing a whole lot more than chocolates…
2. The Best Thing About Valentines – Valentines, valentines, big ones and small–I love making valentines. I love it all!Ribbons, glitter, lace, and paste are all fun things to use when creating special Valentine’s Day cards. Young children will enjoy reading this sweet rhyming story, narrated by a young child who loves to make cards and give them to family, friends, and classmates. But the very best thing of all is getting your very own valentines on Valentine’s Day!
3. The Day It Rained Hearts – One day it rains hearts, and Cornelia Augusta catches them. Each heart is special in its own way, and Cornelia Augusta knows exactly who to send them to.
4. The Night Before Valentine’s Day – Kids dream of candy hearts in another funny take-off on Clement C. Moore’s beloved poem. The next day at school is a day of parties and games-and a surprise visitor bearing a Valentine gift for the whole class!
5. The Biggest Valentine Ever – When Mrs. Mousely asks her class to make valentines, Clayton and Desmond decide to make one together and give it to their teacher as a surprise. But things don’t go as planned. First Clayton puts too much glitter on the card. Then Desmond puts on too many hearts. Soon the friends are arguing and they rip the card in half. “I’m going to make my own valentine!” they both say and go home in a huff. But then Desmond and Clayton realize that by working together they can make the biggest, best valentine ever! Kids can use the colorful foil stickers to make their own valentines!
6. The Story of Valentine’s Day – In only 200 words, author Skarmeas tells the story of how Valentine’s Day came into being. In simple words that every child can understand, here is the story of the kindly Valentine who cared for the children of Rome, who prayed for a miracle for a blind child, and who is remembered each February 14. Artist Pickett has painted the scenes in bright colors from the schoolroom scenes to those of ancient Rome. This book is unusual in that it briefly explains the history of a holiday to toddlers.
7. The Best Thing About Valentines – Valentines, valentines, big ones and small–I love making valentines. I love it all!Ribbons, glitter, lace, and paste are all fun things to use when creating special Valentine’s Day cards. Young children will enjoy reading this sweet rhyming story, narrated by a young child who loves to make cards and give them to family, friends, and classmates. But the very best thing of all is getting your very own valentines on Valentine’s Day!
8. Biscuit’s Valentine’s Day (Biscuit) – It’s Valentine’s Day and Biscuit and the little girl have a lot of special deliveries to make. But when Biscuit smells a treat that silly puppy just can’t seem to help himself. How will the little girl show Biscuit how much she loves him? Pull back the big flaps in this heartwarming story to find out!
9. Max’s Valentine (Max Board Books) – Everybody’s favorite bunnies celebrate Christmas and Valentine’s Day in two adorable shaped board books just right for toddlers. When Santa mixes up their stockings, Max and Ruby are in for a big surprise on Christmas morning! And when Ruby uses all the candy to make her Valentine cards, Grandma makes sure Max gets a very special treat. Sturdy pages, simple stories, and colorful illustrations make these two books a perfect introduction to the world of Max and Ruby.
10. Franklin’s Valentines (Franklin) – It’s Valentine’s Day and Franklin can’t wait to give his friends the cards he has made. But when he gets to school, he discovers that they’re missing. Franklin is heartbroken and worried that now his friends won’t want to give him any cards. Big hearts prevail and Franklin soon learns that he has very good friends — and that he can be a good friend, too.
11. Valentine’s Day Secret (Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew #12) -It’s Valentine’s Day, but things are not all hearts and flowers for Nancy! While she and her best friends, Bess and George, are making their own stuffed animals at Farmer Fran’s Barnyard Buddies, someone slips a mean valentine into Bess’ animal’s pocket. What’s worse than a mean valentine? Bess thinks it came from George! Now the two are in their worst fight ever – and Nancy’s caught in the middle! How can she sew Bess and George’s friendship – not to mention the Clue Crew – back together?
12. The Trouble With Valentine’s Day (Avon Romance) -
    New York Times extended bestselling and RITA award winning author Rachel Gibson’s smart, sassy contemporary romances are making her one of the genre’s fastest rising stars.When everything about her life in Las Vegas just seems to be going wrong, Kate Hamilton leaves her job as a PI and points her car toward Gospel, Idaho. Gospel is the kind of town where a girl can take it easy and just be herself, or so she hopes. But when she gets there, people get the impression that she’s a bit of a ball–buster. And she is, at first.But Gospel has a way of softening people up. One of those ways is Rob Sutter. He’s a spectacular–looking former hockey player with a wild past of his own, who now lives a quiet (albeit slightly macho) life running his sporting goods store and fly–fishing. Kate and Rob are so wrong for each other that there must be something right. If only they can start seeing each other for who they really are…
13. My Valentine Story: Giving My Heart to God – While making Valentine cards for family members, the main character learns who our real Valentine is.
14. Valentine School Parties . . . What Do I Do? (What Do I Do? series) – Covering all aspects of planning a Valentine’s Day party, this book contains games, crafts, party favors, sweets, drinks, and Valentine boxes. All of the activities have easy-to-follow directions and require only readily available materials. There are six party themes to choose from: hearts, cupids, love & friendship, animals, post office, and February and presidents. For parents who want to help out at school, there is information on what they can do as a classroom parent. Valentine School Parties . . . What Do I Do? can also be used at home to make private parties a smashing success.
15. Beyond Valentine’s Day: Making Love All Year Long – Beyond Valentine’s Day, Making Love All Year Long is an interactive journaling program for couples that want to take their love to a new level. Couples will improve their intimate communication by reading romantic rhythm poetry and, as emotions begin to stir, each partner will write down their own feelings of love. The books allow couples to witness a loving truth explode from a deep place within their hearts.
16. Hating Valentine’s Day (Red Dress Ink) -
    One of the top wedding photographers in town, Liv Hetherington, steadfastly single, hates Valentine’s Day. This year she’s putting her foot down and has vowed there’ll be no dinner party set-ups, speed-dating frenzies or any other form of accidental dating organized by her father, flatmate or best friend.What she hasn’t counted on is that, this year, they’ve given up on her.Liv’s ecstatic, to say the least. Now she can concentrate on more important things like setting up her own studio and polishing off her Dickens collection. But are relationships really not for her? Drew, the new man in Liv’s life, would beg to differ. As would Cupid, who’s had enough of Liv being stubbornly single and sends the ghosts of Valentine’s Day Past, Present and Yet-to-Come to teach her a lesson or two where love’s concerned . . .Valentine’s Day . . . bah, humbug.Or is all that about to change?
17. Greetings With Love: The Book of Valentines (Architecture) – Greetings With Love: The Book Of Valentines will hold year-round attraction for any interested in greeting card art, collectability, or history. The focus here is on antique valentines, with chapters surveying the earliest valentine in history to modern times. Over 20 vintage valentines from mechanical cupids to lace productions are detailed in a history which traces the changing trends of the day. Beautiful color photos of antique productions make for a bright, highly recommended coverage.
18. Hearts, Cupids, and Red Roses: The Story of the Valentine Symbols – Describes the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day from pagan festivals to present-day activities. Each of our holidays has its own familiar traditions: Trick-or-treating on Halloween, eating turkey on Thanksgiving, waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas, exchanging cards on Valentine’s Day. But where do these customs come from, when did they begin, and why do we continue to observe them? In the engaging blend of careful research and lively prose that has earned her books a lasting place on the holiday bookshelf, Edna Barth explores the multicultural origins and evolution of the familiar and not-so-familiar symbols and legends associated with our favorite holidays. Full of fascinating historical details and little-known stories, these books are both informative and engaging. Festively illustrated by Ursula Arndt, they are now available again in hardcover as well as paperback editions, featuring new, eye-catching jacket designs, and fun holiday activities inside the paperback covers. Each book includes an annotated list of holiday stories and poems and an index.
19. St. Valentine’s Day Massacre: The Untold Story of the Gangland Bloodbath That Brought Down Al Capone – During Prohibition, Chicago’s Beer Wars turned the city into a battleground, secured its reputation as the gangster capital of the world, and laid the foundation for organized crime nationwide. Bootlegger bloodshed was greater there than anywhere else.
    The machine-gun murders of seven men on the morning of February 14, 1929, by killers dressed as cops became the gangland “crime of the century.” Or so the story went. Since then it has been featured in countless histories, biographies, movies, and television specials. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, however, is the first book-length treatment of the subject, and it challenges the commonly held assumption that Al Capone ordered the slayings to gain supremacy in the Chicago underworld. Instead, authors William J. Helmer and Arthur J. Bilek assert the deed was a case of bad timing and poor judgment by a secret crew from St. Louis known to Capone’s mostly Italian mob as the “American boys.”
    The target of the murder squad was indeed Bugs Moran, but the American boys, who were dressed as policemen and arrived in two bogus police cars, arrived at the garage where the massacre took place before Moran arrived. They didn’t know who Moran was or what he looked like, and since none of Moran’s crew would admit to being him, the counterfeit cops stupidly killed everyone, just to be sure they got him. Much of the evidence that pointed to the American boys was deftly and intentionally ignored by law-enforcement officials in Chicago. The story surfaced again briefly in 1935 with a manuscript written by the widow of one of the gunmen and with public knowledge of a lookout’s long-suppressed confession. In the end, the machine-gun bullets heard ’round the world marked the beginning of the end for Al Capone.
20. Valentine’s Day (Best Holidays Book) – Grade 3-4– A history of the holiday told in simple, straightforward language. Nine short sections explore its various beginnings, the customs and traditions over time, and some current practices. The decorative illustrations include contemporary photographs and drawings as well as historical photographs and prints. Guilfoile’s Valentine’s Day (Garrard, 1965) presents similar material for the same age range in a more storylike style which has more appeal for recreational readers, while Fradin’s book has more value for reports. An additional title for collections needing more material on Valentine projects and reports. –Janie Schomberg, Leal Elementary School, Urbana, IL
    Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

More for Valentine’s Day:

• 5 Valentine’s Day Greeting Cards and eCards Websites
• Songs (Music CD Album) for Valentine’s Day
• Movies (DVD) Related to Valentine’s Day
• 7 Kindle Reads for Valentine’s Day
• 20 Books about Valentine’s Day

The Father of Philippine Blogging (Yuga) is currently organizing a book contest that will give you a chance to win the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” book for free as shown on the image below:

1) Blog about this contest. Use the picture above in your post (you can hotlink or upload on your blog). The more people joining, the better.

2) Answer this question in your blog: “If you were given the chance to make an alternate ending of book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, how would you write it?” Don’t write about the real spoilers; make your own. Be wild. Be creative!

3) Add the Technorati tag “Harry Potter Book 7 Contest”. This is one way of tracking all the entries. You can trackback too or leave a comment linking to your entry.

Winner of this contest will be drawn on August 5, 2005. Visit Yuga’s blog for more details.

Note: This post is not an entry to this contest. I only echoed the announcement here for you to get the chance to own the Book 7 of Harry Potter.

Whether you’re a traditional bride, a modern bride, or a downright outrageous bride, these tidbits and strategies will help you realize the wedding of your dreams. These 52 cards include tips on managing expectations, trimming the guest list, and balancing the budget. If used as directed, may help prevent jangly nerves and loss of humor.

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Related:

• Wedding Invitation Wordings
• Wedding Invitation

With more than 100,000 copies in print, 1,001 Ways to Save Money . . . and Still Have a Dazzling Wedding has helped thousands of couples just like you afford the wedding of their dreams!

With the average wedding costing more than $25,000, many brides-to-be are disappointed to find their ideas of a perfect wedding financially out of reach. But they don’t have to be! In this newly revised book, you’ll find plenty of updated budget-trimming tips and helpful websites to ensure that you have the best of everything-from cakes to caterers, from bridal registries to bridesmaids’ dresses, and from invitations to decorations-all at a fraction of what you might expect to pay.

These creative money-saving hints, tips, and strategies cover such topics as:

• Flowers and decorations
• Invitations
• The rehearsal dinner
• Wedding cakes
• Honeymoons
• Photography and videography
• Rings
• Bride’s gown and formal wear
• Catering
• Reception entertainment
• And much more!

You’ll also learn where not to cut corners, how to help your family and bridal party save money, and where to find free assistance, all without compromising on the wedding of your dreams. This valuable book also includes several cost-comparison sidebars that will help you make decisions that could save you hundreds-or thousands-of dollars. The savvy bride-to-be can’t afford to be without this comprehensive guide to turning a fantasy wedding into a reality!

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Yes, weddings can be expensive, but is it really worth giving up your firstborn child so you can have tulips in September? When your wedding day arrives, you want to be able to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event and know that the ceremony and reception are not going to put you in hock for the next 10 years. In How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 or Less, authors Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman teach you how to budget and balance so you can have the wedding of your dreams without the headache of enormous bills.

Whether you choose to have a big or small, formal or informal wedding, the reception seems to clock in at approximately half of your budget. So, going with that figure, you need to evaluate and prioritize wedding clothes, flowers, the photographer, the cake, music, invitations, and the ceremony itself. Can you wear your mother’s wedding dress (with some alterations, of course)? Can you cut invitation costs by using black ink rather than a fancy foil? When you booked the band, did you read the fine print? (One bride found, the day before the wedding, that they had to provide a soundman and soundboard. Yikes!) “Weddings, like life itself,” say the authors, “are rarely predictable.” They suggest appointing one or two (two is better) close friends or family members (but not attendants) as coordinators. It will give the couple a trusted helper/point person during the planning process and take some stress off the day of the event.

How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 or Less encourages you to dream of your ideal day and then helps you to practically and economically make it happen. “Decide what is really important on your special day and make that a priority,” say the authors. “Know what is right for the two of you. Your wedding day should reflect that.” –Dana Van Nest

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