![]() We’re not a Fortune 500 company and one of the world’s most prestigious acquisition firms for nothing. It’s what keeps the wheel greased and moving efficiently. I reach the last desk-each one angled perfectly and aligned the way I like-and wait for my A sense of pride washes over me when they all yield to my simple demands. ![]() It’s my job to know everything about everyone who works beneath me to make sure they’re solid, and I don’t take well to vermin. We have too many rats in this city waiting for a crack so they can weasel their way inside. We’ve been in every architectural magazine, and a movie was even once filmed here. It’s one of the most revered and admired pieces of architecture in New York. The one-thousand-seven-foot skyscraper Halcyon Building is more than the hub for a multibillion-dollar firm but is also the home of three five-star restaurants, a bar and cigar lounge, a stateof-the-art wellness spa, three elite residential floors, and a rooftop private terrace. Halcyon requires everyone to play by the Constantine rules-by my rules-in order to maintain the utmost control over this godforsaken city. All because they obey my one golden rule. It takes an iron fist to keep everyone in perfect submission. ![]() A sense of pride washes over me when they all yield to my simple demands. ![]()
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Some of them have been modernized, as in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. Since then vampires of the same kind have appeared across popular culture. Murnau took Stoker's story, tweaked it, and put the results on the big screen. These adaptions began in 1922, when the novel was plagiarized in the silent motion picture Nosferatu, in which the director F.W. Dracula was well received when it was published, but its success is even better measured by the number of adaptions it inspired. Stoker's Dracula was instrumental in the creation of the vampire trope that has permeated Western popular culture in the forms of novels and film alike. Stoker is thought to have picked the name Dracula after reading a book that revealed to him this modern translation. In modern Romanian, drac has evolved to mean "devil". The name was derived from the Latin draco meaning "dragon," the basis for the elder Vlad's epithet. Vlad was born in Transylvania in the 15th century and was known popularly as Drăculea, meaning “Son of Dracul”. Dracula, Gothic novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897, that was the most popular literary work derived from vampire legends and became the basis for the entire genre of literature and film.Ī popular theory among critics is that the character Count Dracula is based on the infamously barbaric Vlad III, better known as Vlad the Impaler. ![]() ![]() ![]() Alec warns Richard to have nothing to do with the manipulations of one noble against another, and once again Richard wonders where Alec came from. When Richard is hesitant to accept the job, Ferris claims that the Duchess is his ally. Lord Ferris seeks out Richard to try to commission him to kill Basil, so that Ferris can inherit Basil's position of Crescent Chancellor. The High Council is led by Lord Basil Halliday, the Crescent Chancellor, who worries that the nobles have too much power over the common people. Currently, the Duchess is having an affair with Lord Ferris, the Dragon Chancellor of the High Council. Really the Duchess is a master of political scheming, and she takes several men into her bed, and under her wing, teaching them how to win politically, and using them for her own goals. No one knows that Richard was hired by the Duchess of Tremontaine, who pretends to be only concerned with being the most dazzling hostess on the Hill. ![]() Richard makes his living fighting duels for the honor of various aristocratic houses, in an archaic system of challenges and champions.Įveryone is gossiping about Lord Horn's garden party, where Richard shows up and kills two hired swordsmen. ![]() Vier is a swordsman living in Riverside with his lover, Alec. In a bustling, fairy-tale city, the aristocrats live on the Hill, while the poorest, and the criminal element, live in Riverside. ![]() ![]() ![]() Where is the line drawn between compassion and ethical conduct, restraint and desire? Is a man capable of consent when he may not understand what’s being asked of him? Does it matter if the doctor is motivated by love and mercy for a young man who is incapable of defending himself, especially when it’s in defense of those who would seek to maim him in the name of science? White is the young man who unwittingly instigates the doctor’s slow decent toward perdition, in this tale that questions what is moral and what is right when sexual attraction toward a patient crosses the line into sexual action. Fuller’s perfectly compelling, atmospheric, and provocative story of Daniel Archer, a physician at Link Hill mental institution. That line becomes even more solidly defined when the patient is incapable of speaking for himself, making decisions for himself, providing for his own wellbeing, but that is exactly the line that’s crossed in John T. ![]() There is a line between doctor and patient that is never to be breached. When the Music Stops is most definitely one of those books. I love books that make me feel like a hypocrite. ![]() “Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.” – Isaac Asimov ![]() ![]() Her creation of this fictitious area of England is reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's creation of "Wessex" and her use of recurring characters such that the protagonist of one novel appears as a secondary character in others is even more reminiscent of William Faulkner's work set in "Yoknapatawpha County," Mississippi. ![]() Most of her historical novels fall into two general categories: biographical novels about queens, among them Anne Boleyn, Isabella of Castile, and Catherine of Aragon and novels set in East Anglia centered around the fictitious town of Baildon (patterned largely on Bury St. However, the murders still show characteristic Norah Lofts elements. Norah Lofts chose to release her murder-mystery novels under the pen name Peter Curtis because she did not want the readers of her historic fiction to pick up a murder-mystery novel and expect classic Norah Lofts historical fiction. She also published using the pseudonyms Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis. ![]() Lofts was born in Shipdham, Norfolk in England. Many of her novels, including her Suffolk Trilogy, follow the history of a specific house and the residents that lived in it. She wrote over fifty books specialising in historical fiction, but she also wrote non-fiction and short stories. ![]() ![]() Norah Ethel Robinson Lofts Jorisch (27 August 1904–10 September 1983) was a 20th century best-selling British author. ![]() ![]() ![]() I have read Mead’s Vampire Academy and I enjoyed that series but I don’t know why this novel was so hard to get into. To me there are a lot of mixed reviews of this book. I lent my copy to a friend and she liked it but agreed that it was a slow start. I did finish the novel after a week (only because of exams) and the ending was for me predictable. It was a slow read for me and although I liked it because of the mythology, the writing style was just hard for me to get into. The gold boarder and text stands out and ties in well with the cover.įor me this novel took a while to get into, roughly 78 pages that I had to force myself to read before I got into the novel. The cover of this novel is absolutely beautiful with Fei dressed in her robes and the mountain that they live on in the background. The journey that Fei goes on, not only is to save her village but it is also an educational journey for her as she learns the sounds for different things in the world such as rocks tumbling and the wind blowing. ![]() Through Mead’s story, it captivated me to find out what was going to happen to Fei and her village. Fei goes on a journey to find out why the food is becoming scarce among her village. Until one day Fei’s hearing suddenly comes back. ![]() It is a tale about Chinese Mythology and a village of people who are all deaf. ![]() Soundless by Richelle Mead is a standalone novel with 266 pages to get immersed into the story. ![]() ![]() Jensen liked his pieces to revive memories. Mac is a bronze Belgian Draft Horse, named for a horse on the childhood farm where Fred grew up. Your gift to the endowment will help ensure that Fred and Lena’s gift will be here for future generations to enjoy.īest wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season and a peaceful and prosperous New Year. This is one of several works that Fred Meijer acquired early on. So, as you remember Fred and reflect on the priceless gift he and Lena gave us, please consider your own gift to the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park Foundation. We all know that, if it were not for Fred and Lena, we would not have a world-class Gardens and Sculpture Park here in west Michigan. He was a person with unusual powers of foresight, a philanthropist and friend who will live in our hearts forever.Īs you count your blessings this Holiday Season, I hope the life of Fred Meijer and the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park rank high on your list of things for which to be grateful. We each have our own special memories of Fred and we all share the legacy he left us. ![]() At the same time, I feel joy as we celebrate a life well lived. Take care of your customers, team members and community and all of them will take care of you, just like a family. ![]() Holiday Greetings from the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Foundation,Īs I write this year-end greeting, my heart is filled with deep sadness for the loss of our dear friend, Fred Meijer. ![]() ![]() ![]() Complicating matters is the fact that Valentina, Mara’s crush, is one of the new players, as is Carly, Mara’s nemesis?the girl Mara fought with when she was kicked off the basketball team. Now Mara’s lumped in as one of the girls?one of the girls who can’t throw, can’t kick, and doesn’t know a fullback from a linebacker. Inspired by what they see as Mara’s political statement, four other girls join the team. But joining the team sets off a chain of events in her small Oregon town?and within her family?that she never could have predicted. A lifelong football fan, Mara decides to hit the gridiron with her brother, Noah, and best friend, Quinn?and she turns out to be a natural. ![]() After getting kicked off the basketball team for a fight that was absolutely totally not her fault (okay maybe a little her fault), Mara is dying to find a new sport to play to prove to her coach that she can be a team player. “What do you think?” “I think it’s frickin’ genius,” he says. But when I do stuff like this, I worry it gets harder for us all to ignore what’s right in front of us. We don’t talk about how Mara is gay but no one says so. We don’t talk about how Mara is different from other girls. Even suggesting it feels like I’ve overstepped some kind of invisible line we’ve all agreed not to discuss. As soon as it’s out of my mouth, I feel stupid. ![]() ![]() ![]() SaturdayĬlean all your windows (or hire someone to do it for you). ![]() Make sure your mirrors aren’t reflecting any clutter or any “ugly” view, though. Put flowers or candles in front of your mirror and “double” the beauty. ![]() Polish all of your mirrors (and mirrored furniture) and enjoy the sparkling light. You don’t have to wait for the breeze to ring it, you can jingle it with your hands, too. Treat yourself to a wind chime to “ring in” new opportunities and blessings. Make sure to ring the door bell and announce yourself as you cross the threshold. Go in and out of your front door for 9 consecutive days opening yourself up to new opportunities. Treat yourself to a colorful, beautiful new doormat. De-clutter inside and outside your front door. Treat yourself to a bouquet of colorful fragrant flowers for your bedroom. 7 Days to Declutter Your Life With Feng ShuiĬhoose either one day’s worth of adjustments or the whole week and enjoy feeling the change of energy! MondayĬlear any clutter underneath your bed. ![]() ![]() ![]() There's a criminal loose in the other worlds, an officer of sorts willing to look the other way at past transgressions if she's helped out of this sticky web of a situation, and a judge that you definitely won't want to cross.but that's only the beginning! Behind all the hubbub, and beneath all the oddness, there's secrets being kept for the right reasons that come out all wrong, consequences that may come around sooner than expected, and hope that is dangling on a well woven silken thread (thanks to a particular band of spiders!). The Alston boys have to deal with this situation time and time again as they make their way through this adventure. Still familiar in many ways, but just off putting enough to not be "right". ![]() Ever catch your reflection not quite doing what you expected? I mean, you're there, but it's not quite you? You very well might have been seeing beyond the looking glass and into a whole new different.or at least, a world varied from our own. ![]() |