Keeper of Secrets… Translations of an Incident is composed of eight short stories united by strong characters and revolving around one central incident. The stories are each told from a different point of view and reveal how the central incident affects the lives of the witnesses and even of people who were not present during the incident – like the ripples made by a stone as it impacts the water in a still pond.

Anjuelle Floyd is a master storyteller, who weaves the threads of her stories into a finely woven tapestry, rich with meaning. This anthology is captivating from the first sentence to the last. I’ve always admired writers who can weave their magic tales with an economy of words; no words are wasted here. These short, powerful stories will stay in my mind awhile just as this book will remain part of my permanent collection. I will need to read Keeper of Secrets… Translations of an Incident again – and more slowly – to absorb the full meaning of these stories.

Recommended for readers looking for extraordinary, both entertainment and intellectual stimulation are found within the pages of this excellent collection. This book would make excellent discussion material for a high school or college literature class.

Keeper of Secrets was sent to me free from the author through the LibraryThing member giveaway program in exchange for review. This review was simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragonviews, and LibraryThing Read the rest of this entry

The stand works great and looks good. It is lightweight and can easily be carried between rooms. We use it with our Bugaboo Cameleon bassinet and it fits well. It can be rocked with one finger when the parents rest in bed. Only negatives, the instructions aren’t the clearest with regard to what side of each piece faces in/out (and thus, may require more than one attempt at having the various pieces face in the right direction). Also, it is held together exclusively with socket head screws tightened with an Allen wrench. The screw sockets wear out quickly, which is unfortunate. Read the rest of this entry

Read the rest of this entry

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Preparing a cup of quality coffee is really an art acquired. There are specific ingredients, and the settings if you like, which are necessary for the creation of Java to be delicious. Basically, anything that calls to combine the coffee with hot water is considered to be technically known as the coffee, but there are key elements specific to brew a cup of a particular type of coffee known as espresso . This article will touch a bit on what exactly espresso and howput these elements together to make a shot of this delicious coffee beverage.

Espresso, which is also known as Espresso Coffee is a highly concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot but not boiling, water under high pressure through coffee that has been ground to a fine sandy-like powder . Developed in Italy, the defining features of that drinking caffeine-rich consistency is much thicker than the coffee served drip usually in a small glass.

Aimportant to make espresso is the temperature. Espresso is brewed with water that is heated to a temperature between 190 * F and 195 F. * A thermostat in an espresso machine quality will ensure that it is the correct temperature and maintain the necessary level of heat throughout the brewing process. While espresso is brewed with water temperatures exceeding 190 degrees, this does not necessarily mean the temperature of your shot will be hot when you go to shoot. In general, thetemperature is much lower and more enjoyable for the consumer.

Another key element for espresso is the pressure. When we speak of pressure from espresso, there are actually two variables we must consider the pressure tamp and brew pressure. Tamp pressure is the amount of pressure used to compact the coffee grounds before brewing. Brewing pressure is related to the hot water forced through the coffee grounds. The pump inside each espresso machine isdesigned to produce accurate measurements of pressure, so it's not something you'll need to control you.

Despite some confusion on a per volume basis, espresso contains approximately three times the caffeine content cup of regular brewed coffee. Fortunately, a wide range of today's home high quality equipment espresso can be found in specialty kitchen and appliance stores, online vendors, and department stores – to avoid high prices for coffee specialty. So if you arelooking for an intense power packed shot of caffeine, espresso might be just the look you get me!