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My Song's Curse
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Ultimate control has its downside, especially when it comes to romance. But will it be enough to keep them together?
As a siren Lula Aglaope can bend anyone to her will with the smallest whisper, but she'd give up her power for one meaningful, honest conversation.
She wants a normal life, like the open, true connections the humans seem to pull off with such little effort.
When she meets Alexiares, God of Warding off Wars, all thoughts of normalcy fly out the window. The beautiful demigod cannot be controlled! He's frustrating, irresistible...and utterly off-limits.
Alex has watched Olympus slowly fall apart. The old gods continue their archaic control of the Universe, denying the progress of humans and other deities. But Alex has plans to repair the damage, and Lula is a major player.
She just doesn't know it yet.
Falling for her is the worst idea. And just when things move in the right direction, danger arises that no one expects, plunging the sirens into the deadly Olympian spotlight.
With Lula's sisters missing, and a pile of broken laws surrounding them, will Alex and Lula change the Universe for the better or destroy it?
If you like Kevin Hearne, Molly Harper, and Shannon Mayer, you'll love this fun paranormal romance steeped in mythology!
Release date: August 31, 2020
Publisher: City Owl Press
Print pages: 318
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My Song's Curse
Being a siren sucks.
Every customer stares at me in attentive silence as I sit at the least conspicuous table in the back corner of this mom-and-pop Italian restaurant.
Well, excuse me for clearing my throat.
Going out in public wasn’t the best idea, but this afternoon, I held a heated conversation with the actors on my television. They apologized to each other with caresses and phrases of sweetness, but I ended up on the floor, hugging a pillow in the empty silence. When a show becomes my reality, it’s time to leave the house.
Now, as usual, I’ve enthralled the humans. Whoops. They study me as if the next thing I do will make their lives complete. The attention is normal, but I’m the last being they should covet, because there’s much more to my species than being a lust magnet. A few more words from my hypnotic voice and they’d lick my shoes if I asked them to. Not that I would.
So now, it’s time to return home. I push my chair back, but a shadow obscures the dim glow of overhead lights.
A man looms over me, dark and decadent, oozing charm with his confident smile. Well, hello, handsome. Other diners stand to follow him toward me.
“Stop,” I tell them. “Return to your seats. If you work here, continue your duties.” I bring my gaze to his. “You stay.”
Even though our conversation will be as fake as the actors I argued with earlier today, my heart thumps an excited beat. It’s been months since I’ve sat with someone.
I slide the empty chair out from under the table with my foot. “Sit.” I keep my voice quiet and controlled, but it’s a deep purr of promise.
He does what he’s told, waiting with a familiar expression of hope mixed with dedication plus a dash of do me. Poor humans are so easy to captivate.
I let my fork drop against my bowl of pasta primavera, creating a loud clang that shatters through the room. “Name?”
“Okay, Jordan...” I draw circles on the checkered tablecloth with my fingertips. “Tell me three things about yourself.”
He concentrates, lips pursed and eyes to the ceiling. “I play basketball, own a dog named Maizy, and I’m a nurse at Grison General in the pediatrics department.”
Wow. Mr. Oltier sounds perfect. I dig deeper just for giggles. “Do you have a wife, fiancée, or girlfriend?”
“Boyfriend?” I ask, taking another bite of pasta.
Unlike most humans, his focused pucker relaxes into a grin. “No.”
His big hands rest against the cream-colored tablecloth. They’d unzip my dress and splay across my back, hot fingers digging into neglected skin. Eagerness flares in his eyes.
I haven’t invited someone in for a long while. Each move we’d make would play out in a script with me as the director. Except I’d force my leading man to do whatever I wanted, unsure if he enjoyed himself or what he’d do if he had free will. After, he’d return to the humans, used for a night with fuzzy memories of me that would fade by the hour, while I’d hold on to every fake touch because it’s the closest thing I have to life in an empty room of endless time. I don’t want that for either of us.
Still, what’s the harm in talking about it?
I prop my elbow on the table, cupping my jaw. “What were your thoughts when you saw me? Before I spoke?”
“You were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Confident and brave. Maybe a screamer.” He lights up like the thought delights him.
He wouldn’t enjoy my screams, but his comment makes me grin. I ask him my favorite question. “What do you wish to do with me?”
“Kiss you, then tie you up ...”
Yum. I didn’t peg him as the type.
He shifts forward, his stare hard and unwavering. “And run a knife down your sternum thirty times, cutting deeper each time until I could touch your bones and play with your heart, the slickness of your blood—”
I hate it when this happens.
Chilled silence reigns in the restaurant, not because of creepy confessions but because my voice is a beacon to every creature that isn’t a siren. They stare, not at this serial killer but at me. They should rage, call the police, or run for it. Instead, they wait for my attention, hanging on each sound. I wish they wouldn’t.
“How many have you killed?” I ask.
“None,” he replies.
Relief replaces the tight hold of terror in my chest. “Do you want to kill someone?”
His enthusiasm still simmers, but I don’t appreciate this brand of passion. People tell me odd and honest things, but his confession is one of the more disturbing ones.
I lock onto his dark eyes, and my voice shifts into a deep and deliberate tone. “You will never kill. Think of how to help others instead of harming them. Pay for your dinner and leave.”
Wannabe-serial-killer Jordan walks to an empty table near the front of the room, places bills down, and glances at me over his shoulder. He nods before exiting.
Odd. They rarely look back after I order them to go.
The room is so quiet, chills raise on my arms. I’m tempted to break a plate or turn over a chair to make a racket. Even the prep workers stare, frozen in the kitchen doorway.
A man and woman walk in, stopping short in confusion. The couple follows everyone’s gazes to me, and the man give a low whistle, earning a smack on the chest from his companion. With a chuckle, he presses his lips to hers.
I want to sigh or say aw, but I bite my lip and keep quiet. I won’t ruin meaningful kisses for those able to enjoy them.
His hand sneaks around her waist, and she melts into his embrace as the world shushes, leaving them alone to savor each other. He chooses her above others, even a siren, and his body language is a gift of insight into his mind.
Eyes follow my every move as I pin money under my plate and make my way to the exit.
Squeezing past the couple, I snatch a few buttermints from a dish on the hostess stand and call over my shoulder, “I was never here.”
As I step into the warm night air, the chatter inside resumes. The customers and staff won’t recall that I took over their dining experience, and those who see me around town will remember me, but I’ll be nondescript. Forgettable. I’d love to understand why I’m this way, but even my most knowledgeable sisters tell me, “Just because, Lu.” It’s like they don’t care to find out our history and where the three original siren mothers went.
Nonetheless, my ability is as frustrating as it is a comfort. I may not have friends besides my sisters, but I’ve altered wannabe-serial-killer Jordan’s brain to a normal human mode... or he may go insane. He won’t kill anyone, though. Win? I shrug to myself.
Not ready to return to my empty house, the endless downtown sidewalks beckon me. Couples file out of bars and head home or to the beds of others. They talk in loud laughing phrases about human world things—friends, politics, and pop culture, until they notice me and staring replaces the conversation. The urge to speak up is unmanageable; I enjoyed that movie too. Yeah, the new governor is a douche, except he has good educational policies. Your girlfriend has princess syndrome.
A hush falls over the city this time of night, leaving me to meander in relative peace. The rhythmic clack of my heels echoing off brick and concrete soothe me and send my thoughts wandering to the human culture I’ve experienced this evening.
My phone buzzes in my purse and I drag it out as I check if anyone is within earshot. Few people walk the streets. Smiling at Amah’s name, I answer in a whisper. “Hello, Ma.”
“You sound happy. Why are you whispering?”
I wince. I nicknamed my oldest siren sister ‘Ma’ for a reason, not just because it fits her real name or because she’s the closest thing I have to a mother. Amah makes sure we take care of ourselves and behave. I’m one for two. “I’m walking downtown.”
The tap of her nail clicks against metal. “Tell me about tonight’s outfit,” she says, toneless.
I glance at the sheath dress that clings to my every curve like a warm hug. “Sweats.”
“Fine. My favorite green dress. I went to dinner, had primavera, stopped potential crime.” Ma won’t appreciate that. She takes a natural approach to the mortals. Farm what you need from them, then set them free.
“Oh, Lula. Only you. Let’s see it’s... my goodness, eleven where you are? Darklings and otherworldlings may be out. Please go home soon.”
The memory of my first darkling encounter makes my steps slow. Lena’s death was more than a century ago. It’s over. I shove away sad thoughts. It’s my night out on the town, my time to pretend I belong somewhere. I’ll save heartbreak for when I’m alone again.
“The otherworldlings fit in with the humans,” I say, clacking along the sidewalks. “They won’t make a scene, and I can control them if they do. Plus, the streets are empty.” Eerily so, even for the late hour on a weekday.
“I know. I just worry. Have you spoken to Gerty or Venora lately?”
“I spoke to Gerty last month, but Ven and I chatted two weeks ago.”
“Gerty isn’t returning calls. Ven’s in love, again, and has been hard to catch. She tells me he’s intense.”
“Intense?” Venora’s the romantic out of my seven sisters. I’m happy for her if she’s found another to keep her warm and off the phone, but she holds onto her sweet, doting men and women a little too long before setting them free. “Not her typical choice of companion.”
“No, he’s not. He withstands her thrall well, but she claims he’s human.”
“You think he’s an otherworldling?” The non-human species resist our ability better than humans, but they eventually succumb.
The chipped sidewalk catches my heel, and I stumble before a boarded-up building. I’ve wandered into an area of town that would terrify most people.
“I should go,” I whisper.
“Let me know if you hear from them.”
“I will. Love you, Ma.”
“Love you, too.” We hang up, and I pivot, put my phone away, and walk the direction I came.
“Mm, now there’s a fine piece.” A droning voice close behind me grabs my attention.
I spin and get a glimpse of green spiked hair before a fist rams into my midsection, and the air rushes from me in a harsh ‘whoosh.’
Crumpling, I gape my mouth to inhale, but can’t get a breath.
Two pairs of scuffed boots and three sets of colorful kicks step closer. Straightening up shoots a pang through my gut. The five men circle—sharks scenting fresh blood. Each is menacing, with piercings, scars, and bared teeth. The same devil face tattoo marks their necks. Their sick laughter promises hate and pain, and I need to speak right now. A couple puff up, jerk toward me with aggressive movements, closing in to block my exit as I gasp to find my missing air. Nothing happens but a wheeze. Not good.
“On the corner tonight, sweetheart?” One harsh voice says. “I could use a good workout.” As if I needed clarification, he steps closer to brush his hardness against my side. I move to hip check his crotch, but he hurries back, barking a laugh.
“Got a little fighter here,” he says. “Fun, fun.”
Balling my fists, I struggle to growl, but nothing comes out. I’d command them if I could only get a breath. These are the type of beings that need to be enthralled for good.
Someone jerks me upright as the man with hair like spring grass steps close, inches from my face, and shows off a cracked incisor. “What’s a high-class bitch like you doing on our turf?”
His voice is a low growl. Demon? He’d be a runt if he were. My nose tingles with lack of oxygen as I gulp at the night air that can’t find room in my lungs yet.
“This is our street, Mama. Ain’t nobody gonna save ya. Ready for me? Hmm?”
A man jogs out of the shadows. “Let her go.” He strides forward into the dim light, his jaw clenched tight. He’s wearing a plain gray tee, no tattoos cover his neck, and the ferocious scowl he wears tells me he doesn’t belong to this group.
The man next to me gives a dark chuckle, reaching into his pocket for what I’m sure is a weapon. Finally, I inhale enough air to speak. “Step... back.”
The three that haven’t yet spoken walk backward in sync. My thrall and I have a rocky relationship. This is a proud, appreciative moment.
The one holding onto me releases my arm, but Grass-head in front of me only twitches. It’s as if his body wants to move, but his mind fights it.
Coughing forces more air in, then out of my burning lungs. “Go home.”
This time, four turn and walk away without another word. The stubborn fifth remains. Some humans have more resistance than others, and since otherworldling species hold out long enough to harm those around them, I always work fast.
I hum, though it’s shaky. Three seconds of my note and he drops his proud stance. He swallows and blinks several times, then he raises his smitten gaze.
Placing my hands on my hips, I straighten so I’m as tall as he is. “Are you listening now?”
“Yes.” He nods, a tapped bobble-head doll, and relief loosens the tension in my back. At least until I notice the onlooker still stands ten feet from us. My ability should have seeped through, even if he were deaf.
Witnesses are an issue, but sometimes life throws you gang members and you have to make community servants. Or liquified bad guys. It can’t come to that, though. Not here.
I’ll handle the other man in a moment, but first, my focus falls on the enthralled asshole. I should make him jump in the sewers and let the wildlife deal with him. My sore stomach aches under my hand. “Treat women with respect. No punching, name calling, and no grinding against unwilling participants, got it? That’s just gross.”
Past his shoulder, spray paint and neglect touch everything, but between two boarded-up buildings lies a big dirt lot under a streetlight. There’s potential to give someone the purpose they need.
I point. “Start a community garden. Get your people involved and donate extra food. Go make plans.”
He scurries away, leaving me with the stranger.
The streetlight illuminates him, a spotlight on a golden-haired movie star. Tonight must be tall and handsome night. This guy better be less psychotic than wannabe-serial-killer Jordan.
I ball my fists and shove my resurfacing libido aside. My body is so desperate, it has already forgotten the punch. “Did you not hear me? Go home.”
He ambles toward me. Stubble lines his sculpted jaw. It’s been far too long since I’ve experienced stubble burn. He halts a foot from me and stares with rare golden eyes. The color is inhuman. My hands fall from my hips, power stance forgotten.
“I heard you fine, Firecracker.” His voice soothes, even though his powerful frame and towering height tempt me to step back. “Are you okay? I can’t believe they punched you. That shouldn’t have happened.”
My eyes widen. No one resists my power except my species. There are no male sirens, right? I play over every detail of siren history. The three mothers exiled from Olympus only gave birth to females then disappeared. I’m the fourth generation from the line of Agalope, second youngest of eight sirens, so I’m aware that I don’t know everything about our species like Amah does. I’m soulbound to my species though, I’d connect to this being, wouldn’t I? I’ve learned much in my hundred and eighty-two years, but a resistant male is new. He appears concerned for me. Maybe he’s slightly enthralled?
“I’m fine. Leave.”
His furrowed brow smooths to an amused angle. “Care to explain how you turned a gang of felons into future gardeners?”
What? Wait. How? Words, Lula, you can do this. “Why aren’t you headed home right now?”
“Because I’d rather be here, making sure you’re safe. Are you okay?”
I should run. I have no weapons beyond my voice. Amah has warned me time and again that my curiosity will get me killed, but I have to figure him out. “What’s your name?” He doesn’t look like a Grizaldak the Torturer.
“Call me Alex.”
That name works for him. I deepen my timbre, letting my vocal cords relax into each word. “Leave, Alex.”
He tilts his head and perfect lips purse. “I’m not sold that you want me to.”
This isn’t right. I review my list of otherworldlings with the ability to disguise themselves as human and dismiss each species that doesn’t match—no fangs, no fur, no tail. Tall, but not giant height. Two stunning gold eyes. I narrow the possibilities to a few choices. Shapeshifter, Nephilim, or incubus. Bad, worse, or worst.
I can’t deal with this tonight. If I sing my siren song, even the saintliest among beings would murder for me, but after a verse, they become sleepy and unaware that their organs are dissolving. If I hit the chorus, there’s not enough of them left to order around anymore. But releasing my power hurts even if the creature’s evil. They scream in agony, and I have guilt-laced nightmares for months.
No, thank you.
This one tried to help me though and doesn’t appear to be a danger to humans. I pivot, and the sidewalk leads me from the friendly enough bad guy.
“Hey, hold up,” Alex calls.
“Go away.” I break into a tiptoe run.
“Hey, wait.” A hand snatches my forearm within a second, and Alex spins me. I slap at him, but he snags my wrist in mid-air and plants my hand against his chest, ducking his head, face level with mine. “I won’t harm you.”
“That’s what incubi say before they suck out someone’s life force.”
The ancient song etched in my DNA spills from my lips in a rush of power. It’s a cadence from celestial tongues, except the heavenly notes bring death.
Alex’s eyes widen. Under my palm, his heart thuds a peaceful rhythm.
My voice carries with more strength, pulling deep from my soul. Releasing it makes my body hum, but my thoughts seize up as I wait for the disaster to come. When I get to the chorus, he bites his smiling lip, and the song dies in my throat.
“Beautiful. You’re a siren.”
He knows what I am. And he’s still standing. How in the hell is he still standing? His face isn’t showing pain. He’s grinning like the guy at the restaurant did at his companion.
Oh, shit. Not good.
Fear sends tendrils of tightness to every muscle in my body. Black spots threaten my vision as my overwhelmed mind merry-go-rounds and the ground sways. Alex moves in, supporting me with a strong arm. “Hey, it’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”
He must have calming pheromones because the heat of his skin calls to mine and I sink into his hold, breathing in his sweet citrus scent. Focus, Lula. Incubi are masters of seduction, but even an incubus wouldn’t smile at my song. They wouldn’t hold me as if I belonged in their arms, because they’d be busy on the ground, having their insides liquefied.
“What are you?” I ask.
Alex’s amused expression falters, sending tightness through me again. I try to jerk away, but he clings and blurts out, “A demigod.”
No way. A deity on earth? There’s the slightest glow to him, a confident golden hue that draws me to him, telling me he’s here to help. No otherworldling has that.
My palm lies over the heart of a god.
I’ve never met a deity. Amah says they abandoned the Earth long before I was born.
He—Alex—observes me, squinting. In the old days, people worshipped the gods that visited Earth in preposterous ways, right up to tossing themselves off cliffs to gain the divine’s favor. Three decades ago, a nymph told me she came across two and tried to please them, but they wouldn’t accept anything from her, only wanted to talk about humans and otherworldlings. Maybe this deity has questions too.
I breathe slowly, attempting to tame my speeding heart. “What’s your real name?”
He leans forward, millimeters from my cheek, warm breath brushing my ear. “Alexiares.”
I shudder, letting that information settle. I’ve studied him—the demigod who wards off wars. The son of Hercules and grandson of Zeus, the king of Olympus. Damn.
My eyes wander his features, searching for any clue to the phenomenon that is this deity. “I don’t affect you?”
“Oh, you affect me.”
Unable to keep the sarcasm at bay, I groan and step back from him. “My ability, I mean. Siren, remember?”
“Did you just eyeroll at a deity?”
I grin instead of performing the thousand apologies I’m sure he’s expecting. My power doesn’t work on him. I’m still wavering between belief and impossibility. It’s a flaw, a dream, a crazy oasis mirage envisioned in a desert when I need it the most, except I’m not thirsty for water. I’ve never had an honest conversation with a male.
His full grin is disarming. “No, your ability doesn’t affect me. You could ask me to kiss you and it would have no impact on me.”
Intrigued, I eye his lips. “Really? Kiss me.”
With a step forward, he cups the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair, and peruses my features with intent I’ve only seen in romance movies.
I’d contemplate that look, but he inches forward. Chills rise in response to the electricity shifting between us. I didn’t believe he’d kiss me.
He’s a deity.
He’s also a stranger, and I should pull away.
“No impact, huh?” I whisper.
“Just a taste. Tell me to stop.” His eyes search mine.
He radiates warmth, smells like my best dreams, and for one moment, I want someone to kiss me because they want to.
I relax into the hand cupping my head, tilt my chin up ...
Just a taste.
Bad idea, Alex.
Remaining in the shadows was the plan. I shouldn’t have stepped in when I damn well knew Lula could handle things on her own.
For the first time in centuries, I didn’t think things through.
I move to let her go, but her head fits perfectly in my hand, fusing my splayed fingers against her silky red curls. Imagining what touching her would be like couldn’t capture the warmth of her or the impact when she’s focused on me. I’ve watched her for a year, but unlike now, her gaze has never found me. The green is piercing, the exact shade of a chrysoprase stone. She stares up at me in a challenge that, were I a demon or a werewolf, would make my inner beast rage. I’m a god and should have better control, but still, all of me bends to her temptation.
I dip. My head spins with the faint, ghosting kiss I give her.
By the gods.
She’s so soft.
Her scent recalls memories of picking berries after a rainstorm, and I’m unwilling to stop myself from pressing harder, teasing her lips to part. Lula grips my shirt with one delicate hand, while wrapping her other fingers around my bicep and with the slightest exhalation, she opens to me.
She tastes of mint and garlic. An odd combination, but on her, it works. The temptation to cage her in and sample every flavor on her makes my head spin, but darkness shades the moment.
We shouldn’t be this close. She stands on a path I’m not allowed to travel. My grandfather and his Council of old gods made sure of that long ago. Mingling with non-deities is illegal, and I can’t give him any opportunity to strike out when my most-trusted friends and I are closing in on the changes the universe needs. I have to keep Lula safe and content. We need her.
I slow, kissing her with a few gentle teasing pulls. She nips my lip, stopping me from pulling away, making me smile.
She’s not like other sirens. Despite the human world’s rumors, most sirens are shy and kind for a race that could take anything they wanted and annihilate any Earth being with a song. Lula is kind, but there’s an edge to her the others lack.
Her judgment is also better than mine because she flinches and she gives me a last peck before she breaks away. I follow, but she keeps us separate with a hand on my chest, blinking at me with owlish eyes. “I took the bait there, didn’t I?”
I cover her hand with mine. “You did, but I’m the one who’s hooked.”
I can’t help playing with her. Rath explained the things she’d done with the humans. If they fell under her spell, she’d make them tell her a joke or ask them about the sweetest thing that ever happened to them. She doesn’t use harsh commands unless needed, like this evening. Some people need a hard stop placed on their inner demons. Some demons need control too, and I believe she can do that as well. It’s why I’m here.
I get an arched eyebrow response. “Nice one.”
Her sassy smirk makes me want to kiss those perfect lips again. I’ve met few women who know what I am and haven’t fallen over themselves attempting to impress me: bowing, speaking words of submission. Hell, they’ve even turned and lifted skirt, offering their body as worship.
Never an eyeroll.
In my younger days, I relished in their offerings, but the excitement wore off long ago when I realized the divine’s gods-awful ways. Repairing this world takes precedence over play, even with a tempting green-eyed otherworldling.
A little growl of frustration escapes, and I clear my throat, attempting to disguise it. “Would you like to go somewhere?” Her eyebrows raise and I add, “To talk.”
I can’t tell her everything—that will come on a carefully-laid timeline—but I need to establish a relationship now that I’ve misstepped into the light.
Lula shifts on her feet. “It’s late.” Her expression doesn’t match her deterring words. She catches the middle of her bottom lip under her teeth and lowers her gaze.
Her curls shift, tempting me to touch them as she studies the streets and blows out a long breath. “Why?”
Because you’re a piece of the plan. Because I’m intrigued for more. Because I’m dying for you to look at me as I’ve been looking at you.
“I’ve never had a conversation with a siren.”
“I’ve never spoken to a deity.”
Yes, she has.
I tilt my head. “That makes us a good match for a talk, yeah?”
Lula pivots. The clack of her shoes against pavement thumps through my chest. She blinks at me over her shoulder and my entire body shocks to attention. “Location will be an issue,” she whispers. “If humans hear me, they will cause a scene.”
“I have a place in mind.” I pull my phone from my pocket and text Comus, She saw me. We’re going to the gastropub. Get a private alcove and tell Rath to take Zeph home.
We can’t have Lula believe we’re associating with a human psycho.
“It’s about a ten-minute walk. Are you okay in those?” I point to her heels.
“Yes. I like to walk.”
“Me too.” I sidle up next to her and head toward the restaurant.
“Is that why you’re out here?” Her eyes flit around the night. Broken buildings and garbage laden streets make her lips tighten and her brows knit to a stressed concern.
“I needed to walk.” I leave out the part where I needed to walk after her to see what she did after the restaurant. There could have been trauma from her encounter with Zeph. Instead, she met The Bringers and handled them too, after a strike to the gut. I could end Chaos right now for touching her. “Are you hurt? After that punch?”
She lifts one shoulder. “I’m fine. My name is Lula. You haven’t asked.”
“I was giving you your privacy.” That one puts a sour taste in my mouth.
“But kissing me was—”
My phone buzzes. It’s either Comus calling to get a full rundown or Rath calling to laugh at me. Rath’s been pushing for contact with Lula for a while. He told me I’d crack one day, and I wasn’t allowed to be an idiot around her. That conversation can wait.
“Kissing you was unexpected, and I’m not going to lie. It was decent. Nice meeting you, Lula.”
A wave of emotions swims across her face: happy, amused, insulted, quickly followed by giddy. “Decent?” Then annoyance as the buzz sounds again. “Is that a phone?”
I wet my lips and drag my cell from my pocket. As soon as I answer, I blurt out, “You will not believe my night. I met a siren.” Lula appears ready to bolt, and I take her hand and turn the phone to the side. “It’s my friend Comus.”
“Tell me I’m not on speaker,” Comas says, his voice stifled against the music and hum of a crowd.
The God of Revelry can find the best locations and amplify the mood to an excited boiling point. Each visit here makes returning to Olympus more difficult for all of us. Humans are fun.
“No. We’re headed to the gastropub. Meet us there?”
Lula’s eyes widen and I squeeze her hand.
“Rath’s already there,” Comus says. “I’m on the way. Is she okay?”
“Excellent. See you in a few.” I hang up and let go of Lula’s hand. “Two of my friends are meeting us there, if that’s okay?”
Her lips part, but she says nothing.
I slide in front of her and walk backward. “They’re also deities.” Following, she nibbles on that lip again, and I halt. Stumbling, she almost runs into me, but I grab her waist and hold her close without a second thought.
She startles like a shocked cat and takes a step back. “I need time to... process.”
“Sorry,” I say. “I should have mentioned my friends first. The abilities of otherworldlings don’t affect deities. I think we’ve proved that to be true today, yeah?” I tilt my head and give her a grin, hoping she won’t run for it. “The gastropub is a public location, but there are private alcoves. It’s quiet and you shouldn’t have any issues speaking.”
“I’m familiar with the gastropub. Why?” She crosses her arms. “Why are you here? Why me? What are deities doing on Earth? My sis—someone told me the gods disappeared. Sorry, I shouldn’t be asking but—”
“You’re curious. It’s fine.” I turn, signaling toward the path again. “We haven’t had a presence here for a long while.”
Rath is far too young to remember when humans worshipped our kind in person, but the older deities that remain crave to walk the Earth realm again. Humans’ progressive minds flourish when they connect to our influence and attributes, and we benefit as well. It took several hundred years to convince my grandfather to allow us to travel for research. He hasn’t yet realized that our findings will unseat him from his throne if all goes according to plan.
“And now…” Lula trails off as two men walk toward us.
They leer at her, ignoring me. I quicken my step and offer an elbow. The expression she aims at me is an awed shock. She slips her hand in the crook of my elbow and smiles.
Her siren call is stronger than my edge of divine influence, and the humans stop and stare. I’m not sure how each siren acts when mortals flock to them, only three. One of Lula’s sisters basks in the attention, the other ignores it. Lula’s mood about the attention changes, though I’ve only seen her out and about a few times. She respects the humans, staying silent and only demanding necessities. Even when her abilities frustrate her, and a group follows her, a flock of sheep to a shepherd, she stays patient and level-headed.
We stay silent, which I appreciate. A little information at a time is a better dose than feeding her from a firehose. It would scare her away. Comus will be better at a gentle introduction. By meeting her, I’ve altered my plans. I should separate from her to think through the next steps before I accidentally blurt out everything.
The gastropub’s old wooden door stands open under a green and white striped awning. I get another sweet waft of her scent as she moves by me into the lobby. Dark-stained wood covers every surface of the restaurant except for a stretch of red brick wall and the leather seating. Amber tinted lights further warm the cozy ambiance. The bar is full of humans laughing and talking over one another as a TV blares a hockey game. I offer my arm again before the crowd notices Lula, and when she latches on, I walk her toward the back.
Rath sits on the edge of the private alcove’s booth, shoulder brushing the tethered red privacy curtain. He tilts his head, piercing eyes squinted as he observes Lula. I glare at him as if any expression of mine would make his stubborn ass behave. Weathering his gibes for the next month will be hell, but I deserve it. I may as well have the words, ‘doing what I shouldn’t be,’ written on my forehead.
As we approach, Comus leans forward, resting crossed arms on the table, not hiding his amused expression. “Having a nice night?” His attention falls to Lula’s hand tucked against my arm. She leans into me.
“Yeah,” I say. “This is Lula.”
She untangles herself from me and sits when I signal to the U-shaped booth. Leather creaks as she slides toward Comus to make room for me.
Rath wears his usual brooding expression but, always the gentleman, Comus offers a hand to shake. “Good evening. I’m Comus.”
Lula shakes his hand but says nothing.
“Having a nice time tonight?” Rath asks. His intense study of her makes me bristle. We may need to learn her but that doesn’t mean he needs a second by second observation of her reactions.
Shifting closer to Lula, I shake my head in a way that would appear to others that I’m moving my hair around, but Rath drops his eyes and takes a swig from his glass.
Lula opens her mouth, gives the faintest wince, and presses her lips together. Comus sends me a questioning glance, and I nudge Lula. “You can speak. You won’t affect them, either.”
Her wide-eyed expression makes me chuckle. Did she not believe me when I told her they were deities as well?
I lean to whisper in her ear. “And if you do, don’t worry, I’ll fight them off.”
My jesting statement earns me an enticing smirk, which holds my attention until Comus clears his throat. The guys stare hard. They’ll question my behavior later. We’ve discussed how this would go, and for once, I’m not following protocol. The closer I get to her, the harder it is to put her through tests. It’s wrong and I don’t want her hurt or scared, even if she may be able to save us all.
Rath taps a quick beat on the table, telling me in wordless reproach to get my shit together.
“Gentlemen, meet Lula. Lula... you met Comus. The other one is Rath.”
Lula smiles and gives a wave.
Comus folds a beverage napkin. He’ll make a throwing star or bird. “What’s with the silent treatment, pretty lady?”
She tucks her hair and shifts, putting her an inch closer to me.
A waitress approaches, smiling wide and keeping her eyes on Rath. “How about another round?” She sets two waters on the table.
“Yes. Also, the same for my friend and a…” he eyes Lula. Rath told me she always orders Chianti, but he better not blurt that out and scare her. This fragile moment has no room for his antics. “Fruity rum drink?” His tone is one of distaste, as if he’s offering a moldy sandwich.
Lula shakes her head with a smile, and I release the breath I was holding.
“Maybe wine, then? They have a stellar Chianti, which appears to be the red of the year.”
That makes her smile and nod, but the waitress only gawks at her, attention now off Rath. Lula shrinks back into the leather seat.
“Chianti and beer,” I say, tapping the woman’s hand to draw her attention from Lula. “Please.”
She saunters off and Lula glances at me. She’s as fluttery as a bird readying to take flight.
“She’s a siren,” I say before she can try to bolt.
Comus takes the last swig of his beer and sets the origami bird in front of Lula. “That’s what you said on the phone, but I didn’t believe it. What a rare find. Are the myths true?”
Lula purses her lips and pats the head of the paper figure with her finger.
This conversation isn’t going anywhere if she won’t speak.
As if getting kissed stupid wasn’t enough excitement for the night, I’m meeting Alex’s friends—his god friends from Olympus—on the same night I run into a wannabe serial killer and a gang.
My evening makes no sense.
I’ve never spoken to a man before. Not really. Every conversation I’ve had was dragged from them by the force of my thrall. Now, one has treated me like we’re dating, one gave me a present, and the other ordered me a drink. And I didn’t request any of those things.
I’m far off kilter, nervous and leery, because this can’t be real. I need to calm down and get my brain working again because we’re all staring at each other in this alcove of awkward. They’ve asked me questions and denying a deity anything isn’t something you do, according to lore, but what if Alex is an anomaly and I enthrall his friends?
Alex runs a finger over my knuckles, and I latch onto his hand, embarrassed, but I can’t let go. He’s warm and real. He touched me on his own accord.
Rath’s icy blue stare burns into me. Attractive is an understatement with those cheekbones, but there’s darkness in him as he studies me like a tiny bug he could squash flat at any moment. I shiver under his intense roving concentration until his gaze falls to my breasts, his lips forming a faint ‘O.’ Yep. Still a dude.
The waitress drops off drinks and asks about food but my brain is still on the merry-go-round, so I ignore her. The Chianti is smooth and dry with a tart finish. It warms a path to my belly.
Rath refocuses on my face. “Got any sisters?”
I release Alex’s hand to show seven fingers.
He makes an approving hum. “Big family for such a rare race.”
A short, breathy snicker escapes me, and I glance past the table to make sure no mortals are within earshot.
Alex nudges me. “Not big then?” He raises his eyebrows, asking me to answer.
No humans are close by. I nibble my lip and take another sip of wine. “No. There are few of us in the world.”
“What do you command, milady?” Comus asks, leaning forward. His intent, reverential expression reminds me of everyone I’ve ever spoken to besides Alex and my sisters. My stomach plummets before the corner of his mouth raises. “Too soon?”
“Ugh.” I jab a finger in his direction. “That was not funny.”
The tension around the table dissipates with the laughter of the gods, and I can’t help joining. It’s inconceivable that I’m not alone in the night. A little knot forms in my chest, and I take a deep breath, attempting to soothe it out.
“Tell me about these sisters, Lula,” Rath says. “Are you close in age?”
Alex shifts and drops his arm on the top of the booth behind me.
“No,” I say. “Hazel’s the youngest. She turned fifty-one last month. My oldest sister, Amah, is over two thousand, but she stopped counting a while ago. Says it makes her feel old.”
Everyone laughs, and for once I’m part of the group of friends I’ve observed in restaurants, bantering with each other. Unlike the humans, this group understands the longevity of ages. They’re not bound by mortality. How old are they? Alexiares is mentioned in old tomes and I’ve heard the name Comus. A thousand years or more?
“Few sirens exist,” Comus says. “The scarce information in our archives state that you call each other sisters, but cousins may be more suitable, I think?”
There are archives with siren lore? Do these deities know what happened to the first sirens? I shift forward. Maybe they understand how my species came about.
“Yes,” I say and keep my eyes on Comus though I’m not sure what to look for. No one has ever lied or kept information from me. “The original three Mothers bore a daughter each before they disappeared. Their lines are separate, but we’re as close as sisters. Only daughters are born, and it’s a rare occurrence.”
I scrunch my nose. I shouldn’t have told them that. Since I was little, Amah has drilled in my head to keep siren facts in the family, but I want to share. It’s new and irresistible. “Do you know where the Mothers are?”
“No,” Comus says. “Until recently, I’d never met a siren.” He smiles and signals at me.
I glance at Alex, but he gives a quick shake of his head. He takes a breath and opens his mouth—
“What does Hazel look like?” Rath asks, blue eyes burning.
I smirk. Hazel and I are from the same line of Aglaope as is Hazel’s birth mother Venora. “Brunette with green eyes like mine. She’s lovely.”
“I bet. Would she like me?”
Rath’s seeking stare sends a chill over my spine, but I refuse to turn away. “You may be too much for her. She’s lighthearted... sensitive.”
Comus waggles his eyebrows as he sips his beer. “Perhaps I should meet Hazel?”
Ignoring Rath’s disapproving snort, I scrutinize Comus. Warm copper skin reminds me of late day sun peeking through fall leaves. Trimmed hair matches the shade of Hazel’s. A toothy grin peeks out from his short beard, and intelligent acorn-brown eyes dart around, taking in everything as though he’s envisioning how to use the world to his advantage. He’s a contemplative autumn to Rath’s refreshing winter chill and Alex’s passionate summer swelter. And here I am a fresh spring doe taking in a brand-new world.
“I believe Hazel would like you very much,” I say, lifting my chin.
Though I doubt she’d speak at all in the presence of deities. Could this introduction lead to the sirens coming out of hiding? I hate that we all live so far away. The world has changed since Lena died, but Amah still insists that we spread ourselves across the globe to prevent our extinction and also to protect the humans.
Rath glances out of the alcove, then dissipates into a haze of gray mist before disappearing completely, and before I can question what the hell is going on, his face pops up inches from mine. “I’d be too much? How so?”
“Eep!” I slap his solidifying cheek and scramble back as far as possible in the booth. “Dammit! How about a warning before introducing a shade?” I clamp my palm over my mouth, and my face heats. These are not my sisters or humans. I’m talking to deities... Maybe. That makes little sense though. No otherworldling can resist my thrall, not that I’ve tested each one, but Amah probably has.
Alex pries off my hand and squeezes my fingers. “He isn’t a shade, Firecracker. We don’t get along well with any of the darkling species.”
Rath reappears in his seat, rubbing his shocked face. “You slapped me.”
“You deserved that,” Alex says.
Rath’s jaw is half dropped as he points to his red cheek. “She slapped me.”
“Yeah, she did.” Comus swishes his hand. “Nice shot, Lu. Had a cacophonous crack to it.”
“Tell me what you are,” I command Rath, then grimace. He’s proven he’s immune to me.
He remains silent in shock, according to his expression, so Alex answers for him. “He’s the God of Shadows. Rath’s attributes are different than most. One grants him the ability to slip between Earth and a shadow realm whenever he pleases.”
That sounds important, like a god of the sun or tides. Great job, Lula. “Sorry, I didn’t mean... I just, shades fade and ...” My throat rasps. “I haven’t heard of you.”
Alex kisses my palm, laughing breaths tickling my skin. Silence pulls my attention. Comus eyes Alex with crinkled brows, and Rath’s stare is blatant. Alex’s actions toward me do not appear to be something he does regularly. That is a relief, yet not. If he doesn’t wander the streets at night, kissing otherworldlings and taking them to meet his friends, then why am I here?
Alex lowers my tense hand to my lap, releasing his hold and picks up his glass. “Rath belongs to the new generation of divine beings which haven’t been revealed to the humans. Our baby boy is three-hundred and twenty.”
“Don’t call me that,” Rath grumbles.
“You’re older than I am,” I say.
He’s on the border of amusement before catching himself and glowering again.
Alex lifts his mug, pausing before he drinks. “How old?”
“One-hundred and eighty-two. You?”
“A smidgen past three-thousand, but I was in a dormant child state for a third of those years.”
Wow. A smidgen? In human years that would be like saying you’re a smidgen past twenty-nine when you’re thirty-three. What happens when you’re three thousand? And he was stuck as a child? The information my sisters and I studied on the divine gave a bland description of the gods and their attributes. Two hundred questions lie on the tip of my tongue, but the waitress returns.
“We’re closing up.” She sets the check on the table and as I reach for my purse, Comus leans to set a credit card on top. With a grin, she picks it up and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she eyes Rath. “Thanks. Are you all going anywhere else tonight? Maybe... Um.”
Now these expressions I understand. It’s irritating not being able to tell her to ask, like I do to my television when a character wants something but is shy about it. You clearly have a thing for the intense God of Shadows. Speak up so I can see what happens.
Rath gives her a kind smile and leans forward, elbows on the table. “We have to go home. My goddess will miss me if I’m out too late.”
Interesting. He sure is flirty to be going home to a goddess. Have I heard of her? Do they live in Olympus and where is that?
“Oh.” The woman fiddles with a few pens poking out of the apron tied around her waist. “Goddess? That’s sweet.” The poor thing tugs at the black cloth as if it may grow enough to hide behind. “I’ll be right back with this. ”
She skitters off and Alex squeezes my fingers. “Did you drive or do you need a ride home?”
“I drove. I’m parked at Sal’s Italian Bistro.”
A jolt of disappointment flows through me and amplifies as Alex slides out and offers his hand. “That’s only a block away. I’ll walk you to your car.”
Rath gives a grunt I believe means ‘Bye’, and Comus beams at me. “See you later, Lula.”
See me later? We’ll probably never meet again. I give a weak smile. “Thanks for the wine. It was nice meeting you.”
Nice, is far underplaying the energy bursting from my chest. I haven’t experienced a real conversation with a stranger ever, and here I am with three.
Alex leads me from the gastropub and across the street. “I want to see you again.”
With a tug to my elbow, he turns me to him. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re a deity and I’m a siren. Why are you here? On Earth, I mean.”
Alex runs his knuckles against my cheek, golden eyes following the path of his fingers. The touch scatters my thoughts. He steps closer, and I lift my chin. Is this how it is for humans? I’m too warm, trembling with anticipation of another kiss.
A whoop makes us jerk our heads toward the interruption. A young couple laughs.
“Leave,” I growl before thinking. Oh, no.
The man and woman bolt, as do a small group a few buildings down. I step away from Alex, a chill of regret replacing the previous heat. That was not the right thing to do. I press my fingers to my forehead and turn to walk toward my car.
Alex steps beside me. “You’re powerful.”
“That should not have happened. Sorry.”
“It’s fine, Lula.”
“It’s not. Do you know what happens to humans who fall under a siren’s thrall?”
“No. Tell me.”
Why would I offer to share this? No creature should be able to do what sirens can. It’s not fair for anyone.
I wrap my arms around my waist as I slow to a halt. I can’t face him, so instead I keep my eyes on a crack in the pathway. “The first time confuses them. Short term memories will blur and they won’t be able to grasp at distinct moments. It’s like asking an elderly human to recall their prom; they’ll get the gist but may forget their date’s name or what restaurant they went to. If I were to continue, synapses would break. Their date would disappear completely, the songs they danced to… gone. More than a few days under my repeated thrall and their past would go. Then their present.”
We are all different. Some siren’s abilities are stronger than others. For my victims, permanent dementia would take root after a couple of days, complete catatonia within a week, then seizures, and brain death. Venora can stay with a person for months and their mind will stay intact. That shouldn’t make me jealous, we’re all built to harm, but she can pretend with someone for a bit—form a shred of a bond that will last in her memories. I can have a scripted night.
Alex tilts my chin up. His lips part to say something, but I turn my face. He’ll either tell me something false like what I do is no big deal or he’ll spout the truth. I don’t want to hear that I’m a monster. Not tonight and not from him.
“Hey,” he says. “Come on.”
He brushes his fingers over my crossed arms and finds my hand. I’ve never held hands with someone. Not like this, when his grip is commanding. With a gentle tug, he leads me back into a walk. His unexpected thoughtfulness stabs my chest, tightening my throat and forcing me to swallow. Too soon we stand in front of my little convertible.
“Give me your phone,” he says. “And I’ll put in my number.”
He would give me another night like this one? I drag my phone out of my small black bag and hand it over. “Is this a good idea?”
Is he crazy?
Are the legends Amah told me true, and the major gods would destroy or curse a non-deity for consorting with a deity? Something about the threat of mixed blood, I’ve been told. I’m one of the accursed and unable to ask the missing Mothers what they did to get my species cast out of Olympus, so I better not attempt a second strike against the sirens. Just a taste.
Alex taps on my phone and gives off an amused huff. “I’d like to get to know you better.”
A ring sounds from his phone. He swipes mine off and returns it.
I click the locks open and turn, but Alex pulls me back and gives me a gentle kiss that melts the flutter in my belly. “It was the utmost pleasure to meet you, Lula.”
I’ll never see him again. I memorize the hue of his eyes, the slope of his nose, his scent of sun and that sweet but unfamiliar citrus. If I ever come across the fruit, it will transport me to this exact moment. I smile and give a quiet, “Mmhmm,” not trusting my voice to come out as strong as it should when speaking to a deity.
“I will call you.” His eyes crinkle as if he wants to talk more or ask me something. Instead, he shoves his hands into his pockets and glances down the street.
“I’m so glad I met you, Alex,” I blurt out in a pathetic rush.
He opens my door and lifts my hand, rubbing his thumb across my knuckles, sparking every nerve in my body to life. “Me too. I’ll talk to you soon. Sleep well.”
I step in, and with a sharp, echoing clunk of the shutting door, I’m alone again. Key in the ignition, my car purrs, and I steal one last glimpse at Alex before pulling away from the curb.
Best night ever.
We hope you are enjoying the book so far. To continue reading...

domain: literature


text: I was able to heave a sigh of relief as I handed over a sizable amount to pay off a chunk of one of my credit card bills. While it is not something to be proud of, I admit that this thing with my bills has been a terrible strain on our finances in the last couple of years. But I am glad to say that we are slowly inching our way up from the depths of indebtedness. Thankfully though, it has never reached a point of despair for us, and we are managing a bit more than fine. But of course, God bless the day when we would finally be free of everything, and I can say with finality that it is over.

domain: economics


text:
The Ramada Manila Central provides a great place for travelers to relax after a busy day. For those who require internet access, the property features Free in-room Wi-Fi.
From the hotel, Ninoy Aquino International Airport is approximately 17km away. Transportation around the city is also convenient, with Carriedo Metro Station within walking distance. Guests will find Ongpin Street and China Town just a short distance from the hotel.
At the end of a busy day, travelers can unwind and relax in the hotel or go out and enjoy the city. Airport pickup can be arranged by the hotel upon request. For those driving themselves, free parking is provided on site.
This hotel is particularly popular with those traveling on business.

domain: travel


text:
A popular and profound user of social media to spread his journey to inner peace, he has a string of A-lister friends including Will Smith and Jennifer Aniston, and he officiated JLo and Ben Affleck’s wedding.
Oh, and he loves Marvel films.
“Pepper Potts and Iron Man are the best Marvel couple, they have to be,” says the 35-year-old, as animated about superheroes as he is about monastic teachings.
Shetty has plenty to say about all things love and relationships. In fact, it turns out he is a romcom fan, too.
“He’s Just Not That Into You has got to be one of my favourite portrayals of love, and 50 First Dates has some great ideas in it,” he says.
“I have always enjoyed romance films and romcoms, but I think sometimes they create unhealthy portrayals of relationships.”
Instead of the picture-perfect, kissing in the rain or enemies-to-lovers narrative we are often presented with in movies, Shetty is eager to talk about what relationships and marriage mean in the real world.
“To me, they mean a commitment to growth with another person. It is saying that we are going to try and work as a team for as long as we can work together, learn from each other, and help each other,” he says thoughtfully.
And that growth should be welcomed warts and all, adds the On Purpose podcaster – whose wife, plant-based nutrition expert Radhi Devlukia-Shetty, is also a social media influencer in the wellness realm.
“There have been moments where it hasn’t been easy and that is the case with every healthy relationship, there will be arguments and debates.”
Getting past this is “about looking at the goals we share as couples”, Shetty adds – something he tries to stick to adamantly in his marriage.
“We resolve conflict by shifting from the topic of argument to what our shared goal is. We are always trying to get to a happy, healthy connection, not necessarily trying to change our views. Remove blame and look at where you want to go,” he says.
All of this has brought him to the creation of his second book – 8 Rules Of Love: How To Find It, Keep It, And Let It Go – the follow-up to his bestselling debut, Think Like a Monk.
Shetty says he is trying to share the message that “love can be created and built intentionally, instead of waited and wished for”.
Your partner is your guru
He continues: “Your partner is your guru, not just about enjoyment but about learning and growth and that is joyful. If we think they are just there for fun and enjoyment, we will be disappointed.”
His wife is his guru, he agrees.
“I love that she is so happy being herself, she is happy being honest with her feelings and emotions, and is very focused on her own values and doesn’t budge on them,” he shares with a smile.
“She is hilarious, and has such a fun energy and everyone loves being around her.”
Having shared much of their adult lives with one another, moving around the world and building businesses alongside each other, they are very public about their affections – and much of the new book focuses on their relationship.
Despite this, Shetty believes every element of a marriage is personal – and one really personal thing for him was their first dance at their wedding.
Sure, he could have chosen his favourite love song – which, he reveals, is All You Need Is Love by The Beatles. But instead, the couple chose to move to a mantra – Hindu prayers – surrounded by friends and family.
The book isn’t only about marriage and romance, though.
“Love is something you can have in more ways than romantic love, all kinds of love matter,” says Shetty, who notes the importance of his relationship with his sister.
“My sister is one of my best friends. She is four-and-a-half years younger than me and is an optometrist in London. She is one of my biggest supporters. I call her kid and am very protective over her and she is kind enough to listen.”
The guidance he has offered his sister over the years about life and love has also influenced the book – which explores how Vedic principles can apply to living happily in the modern Western world. Because for Shetty, these principles are timeless.
“Monastic teachings are universally relevant, they are for humanity and society as a whole, not just for Hindus. Science uncovers a lot of interesting concepts and it is good to parallel those with Hindu teachings.”
Despite being friends with the likes of Ellen Degeneres and Shawn Mendes, he says he doesn’t look up to celebrity relationships or idolise what they have.
“I think relationships are hard and complicated – I don’t think I have ever had true relationship role models,” says Shetty.
“And I don’t think anyone should have those role models, because every person you are with is different.”
8 Rules Of Love: How To find It, Keep It, And Let It Go by Jay Shetty is published by Harper Thorsons


text:
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Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic disease affecting up to 40% of people in the Western world. Risk factors associated with GERD include age and lifestyle habits, although the clinically relevant contribution of many of these factors is unclear. In GERD, refluxed gastric acid damages the oesophageal mucosa, generally when the pH falls below 4. GERD patients present a variety of symptoms, most commonly heartburn and regurgitation. Oesophageal complications associated with GERD include erosions, ulcers, peptic strictures, and Barrett's oesophagus which is implicated in the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Diagnosis of GERD is problematic due to the range of symptoms which may be presented to the physician and symptom severity is frequently unrelated to disease severity. While endoscopic monitoring may be used to assess the presence and severity of GERD, a lack of visible damage does not necessarily indicate an absence of GERD. Techniques used to diagnose GERD include addition of an acid solution into the oesophagus in order to replicate symptoms (Bernstein test) or 24-hour intra-oesophageal pH monitoring. Proton pump inhibitors are effective in the treatment of GERD, acting to reduce the acidity of the gastric juice and hence reduce oesophageal damage and symptoms associated with GERD. Symptoms most indicative of GERD are those associated with erosive oesophagitis, including heartburn and acid regurgitation. Less common GERD-associated symptoms include chest pain, a range of ear, nose and throat conditions, and asthma. In contrast to perceptions of the disease as ‘merely’ heartburn, the impact on patients' quality of life can be profound. Increasing awareness of GERD by health care professionals has led to improved diagnosis and a greater appreciation of the need for maintenance therapy.

domain: medical


text:
Buried Treasures of New England: Legends of Hidden Riches, Forgotten War Loots, and Lost Ship Treasures
Lucy & Phyllis is a Certified B Corporation that meets the highest standards of social and eveironmental impact.
These volumes will make you want to get out the old metal detector and try to find the buried treasure... -The Pilot
This book contains more than thirty stories from New England and the Northeast about hidden riches, forgotten war loot, and sunken ship treasures. Marie Antoinette's $1 million necklace lies in the cold waters of the Pennichuck Brook just a few miles from downtown Nashua, New Hampshire. A steamboat, possibly the country's first one, still remains deep in Lake Morey near Fairlee, Vermont. A young woman discovers her great-grandfather's lost money in the chimney of his mysterious Massachusetts mansion. But was there more hidden in the bricks? From Revolutionary War and Civil War tales to a legend about a missing silver church bell, this lore, grown out of true accounts and actual histories, has propelled New England into one of the most fascinating regions for lost treasure. This pirate story is rich in loot as well as culture. Readers will learn about the importance of courage, responsibility and resourcefulness.
- Product Details
- About the Author
Publisher: August House Publishers Inc.
Publication Date: 12-28-2005
Product Dimensions: 5.49(w) x 8.32(h) x 0.54(d)
Age Range: 9 - 18 Years
Series: Buried Treasure Series
W.C. Jameson Bio:W.C. Jameson is the award-winning and best-selling author of more than seventy books and over 1,500 articles and essays. In addition, he is an accomplished songwriter and performer, having recorded five albums of his original music and acted in five films. He has written the soundtracks for four films, and wrote and performed in the musical, “Whatever Happened to the Outlaw, Jesse James?” Jameson is the best-selling treasure author in the world. Perhaps he is known best, as the creator of the popular Buried Treasures of America series for August House. His success and fame as a professional treasure hunter has led to appearances on television's “Unsolved Mysteries,” the Travel Channel, the Discovery Channel, Nightline, and National Public Radio. He also consulted with the production team for the highly successful feature film, “National Treasure,” starring Nicholas Cage. One of Jameson's most popular books is Billy the Kid: Beyond the Grave, a regional bestseller. This controversial book presents stunning evidence that the famous outlaw, Billy the Kid, was not killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1881 but went on to live an adventurous and productive life for the next sixty-nine years. Jameson has won numerous awards for his writing from a number of professional associations. A nationally recognized and honored author, he has served as a judge for several prestigious literary competitions. When not on an expedition or writing a book, Jameson tours the country performing his music at folk festivals, colleges and universities, concert halls, and roadhouses.

domain: library


text:
Mugs, magnets, dishes, fashion accessories or snowballs: it is common to bring back from your holiday destination, a favorite object, with the inscription of the city, a landscape, a character, a monument, a motif or a its own artistic representation. Pieces from elsewhere whose kitsch, wacky, funny or ethnic character often finds it difficult to find a place in our interiors ... Unless you follow these few recommendations to the letter to finally get them out of our suitcases and make them, amazing decorative collections!
A collection of mugs
We want them because they will be useful at tea or coffee, and because they will remind us at these precise moments, of the taste of past excursions. Yes, mugs are popular on holiday memories, so they might as well benefit from a decorative standing in the kitchen! The idea? Take them out of the tall cupboards to stage them, directly in the decor. Of course, we choose the most beautiful. And even if some are fun, kitsch or quirky, we don't hesitate to show them. After all, a little bit of humor doesn't hurt in the kitchen! In terms of decoration, we put on credence bars to be superimposed on the wall with a margin of 15 centimeters apart. Using hooks, we scatter our vast collection in the making, suspended by the handle. Another option: display everything on a similar series of wall shelves this time!
A collection of magnets
The advantage of magnets is that they cost between 2 and 5 €, a range which is also worth in centimeters for their average size. Convenient to bring back a souvenir of your vacation spot without breaking the bank and occupying a minimum of space in the suitcase! The only problem is that once there, it is usually on the refrigerator that they find accommodation. Unfortunately, by playing the total look, we quickly transformed these magnetic travel witnesses into an overloaded and unsightly vertical decor. Especially since the passage to high attendance in this area of the kitchen easily causes the fall of some of them ... The good idea to favor? Repaint an area of the wall (why not the splashback) using magnetic paint or expose a series of frames on the wall, also magnetic, 100% intended to support these pieces from here and elsewhere. Thus, they capture our attention more and form a globetrotting collection in its own right. We also think of slipping between two magnets a photo or postcard, also from far away ...
A collection of jewelry
They come from a bazaar, a souk, a craft shop or a market. You bought them in your "vacation" momentum, but these fanciful or hyper ethnic jewels, you are not sure to wear them again. Never mind, transform them into museum jewelry! Let me explain. Inside a classic frame, fix one, two or three nails, then hang your finds before putting them under glass. Art gallery effect guaranteed! It remains to decline these multiple ideas for your collections of plates, hats, fabrics, rugs and other accessories purchased abroad! Our practical creative leisure videos

domain: artistic


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Messy, gummy sticky handlebars are a thing of the past with modern silicon compounds that keep the tape firmly in place without creating a slimy film. And when your sweat takes its toll, you only need to pull the end caps, slide off the silicon bands, wash with soapy water and the tape can be wrapped again just like new.
A microfiber weave is pressed into a leather-like surface, giving exceptional durability and an internal layer of gel damps road vibrations.
The best handlebar tape you'll ever use.
Internal: Anti-Vibration Gel
Backing: Sticky Silicon
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domain: chemistry


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Come Visit My Garden
Our most recent Come Visit My Garden event was hosted by Bill and Linda Barrett at their beautiful and highly productive garden at their home in Thorneside. Established in 2009, Bill and Linda grow fruit and annual and perennial vegetables. A small composting system and chickens are also important parts of their garden. They ensure there is habitat for birds, lizards and insects so that these helpers can live and ‘work’ in the garden too.

domain: agronomy


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Civil servants in most ASEAN capitals can be relied upon to produce brilliant blueprints but they are often found wanting when it comes to executing these best laid plans into action.
The crux of the problem according to former Thai Member of Parliament Professor Kriengsak Chareonwongsak lies in the pocket – that the civil servants are often paid peanuts to do the job.
Kriengsak who heads the Thai Nation Building Institute carries impressive credentials. He was a member of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council (NESAC), was Chair of the Education, Religion, Arts and Culture Commission and also Vice Chair of the Economic, Commerce and Industry Commission.
Academically, he went to Oxford, is a Harvard Fellow.
In 2004, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Democrat Party and served until 2006 before resigning from the party in 2007.
Kriengsak is an Advisory Committee Member to an International Advisory Panel for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Business Council, and a Member of the Committee for Anti-Corruption Cooperation, at the Thai Ministry of Finance.
He is also Chair and President of the Political Leaders for Social Enterprise, USA, as well as Chair of the Social Entrepreneurship Institute, Thailand.
Kriengsak is well placed to observe the differences between Asian (and therefore ASEAN) civil servants from their counterparts in the west.
The west, said Kriengsak, seems more adept at camouflaging their errors and mistakes while Asians are not "that good" at it.
Failures aside, Asian administrators tend to have great blueprints for their nations,but are poor executors.
We don’t draw the right people because you pay them peanuts, and therefore with peanuts, you get monkeys
The Asian public sector – with some exception – does not attract the best brains as often they are paid peanuts and far lower than those in the private sector.
"Execution requires management capabilities which is not just a science. It is also an art, so that you are able to use every opportunity, every person you have, every circumstance, to achieve the objectives," said Kriengsak.
He explained that management of profit-oriented companies is far easier but things are more complex in the public sector.
“The public sector is the arena requiring a huge amount of capabilities but usually, we don’t have the right kind of people to be there. Usually, money draws the people to the business world - which is the easiest world to manage.”
"The tough world to manage is the public sector - We don’t draw the right people because you pay them peanuts, and therefore with peanuts, you get monkeys," said Kriengsak.
He does not mince his words when he said that when one paid poorly in the public sector, there is the tendency and temptation to play politics at the workplace and in execution of tasks.
"The monkeys become the politicians, rather than people who know what they should be doing. We suffer in the entire world when we have too many monkey politicians," said Kriengsak.

domain: sociology


Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for a little over twenty-five years.
Posted 19/07/2016 in On Writing
By now, every writer should have gotten the hint that plagiarism of someone else’s intellectual property is frowned upon. If you are not certain, ask! Remember the teeth in the plagiarism pit.
Posted 22/03/2015 in Blogging
A strange crystal…The US has it and China wants it, but it belongs to somebody else.
Posted 26/11/2014 in Interviews
Interview with Samie Sands on my short story ‘Hunger’ in her ‘Monster Attack’ anthology of creepy stories.
If the fires of creation burn inside you, a flash of inspiration will fan them and the compulsion to sit behind that writing desk again will be overwhelming.
Posted 09/09/2014 in Blogging
Some Tips on Promotion and How to Avoid Taking on Too Much as an Author
My interview with Marie Lavender on writing and publishing.
‘Writing Tips for Authors’ by Stefan Vucak is an excellent guide on how authors can start writing a book and get published.


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- Jun 8, 2016
Anyone else have to lock their coop tight this time of year? My first year I had chickens on an early October night i heard a noise in my backyard. I quickly realized this was not the sound of an animal and my chickens were alerting. I jumped out of bed and turned on the lights in the house. As I ran outside i got a shiver up my spine, stood by coop and counting my chickens in their house they were all there. Soon I heard in the distance slow drumming and the flicker of a fire. So I left all the lights on outside and the next day got combo locks for my coop. The idea that something could have happens have happens to one of my chickens at the hands of a person still freaks me out To this day. I still get nervous this time of year.

domain: hobby


Kettle Moraine @ CMH 0-57
Catholic Memorial advanced to their 9th straight WGR State Championship game. Kettle Moraine will play in the state’s third place game for the first time since 2013.
SPASH @ DSHA 0-27
DSHA advances to defend their 2018 title, as they look to win their 17th title in team history. Stevens Point will play in the third place game for the second time in just their third season.
Pulaski @ DSHA JV 61-5
This is the second year-in-row that Pulaski eliminated DSHA JV in the first round of the playoffs. They won 36-10 in 2018.
Bruisers @ Hamilton 7-44
Hamilton defeated the Bruisers in 15s for the first time in their team’s history.


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Get alerts of updates about «User experiences of pregnancy, birth and postnatal care. National results»
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About this publication
The results from the survey show that many women and partners have positive experiences with pregnancy, birth and postnatal care, but also that several areas would benefit from improvement. The poorest experiences are during postnatal stay, and it is here that the experiences vary the most.Pregnancy control by midwife got the best scores, while information about the woman's health at the public health centre got the lowest. Considering the four phases, the experiences during birth received the most positive descriptions and the stay in the postnatal unit has received the poorest. The indexes describing the postnatal stay has the largest dispersion in the women's responses, overall.
This national survey was commissioned in the White Paper “A happy event. A coherent pregnancy, birth and postnatal care”.
The objective was to collect user experiences with pregnancy, birth and maternity care in Norway from women who have given birth and their partners. We carried out a development project in advance to ensure that the survey was well adapted to the services in Norway.
This report shows the results on a national level. We have produced separate reports for each institution as well as a separate method description report.
We conducted the survey as a postal survey. The Medical Birth Registry (MBR) established the sample among women over 16 years who had given birth in the last quarter of 2011 at one of the country's maternity units. We excluded births where the mother or child died in connection with the birth or during the collection period. Partners were included via the women in the sample.
From institutions with more than 400 births in the period, 400 women were randomly selected, and from institutions with fewer than 400 births in the inclusion period all the women were included consecutively. We contacted the included women by letter about 17 weeks after birth and asked them to participate via the internet or to fill out a paper form. Two reminders were sent to women who did not respond. After the mailing to the women was completed, we sent a letter to the partners via the women. Partners that did not respond received a reminder once.
The questionnaires were both in English and Norwegian.
We made the women's questionnaire for the internet and for paper. It had five parts:
- Pregnancy care, 43 questions
- Birth, 27 questions
- The stay in the maternity ward, 30 questions
- Contact with the public health centre after birth, 32 questions
- Background information, nine questions
In the printed questionnaire, we left the last page blank so that respondents could elaborate on their experiences or comment on the survey in free text. Women who responded via internet did not have that option.
The partners received an online questionnaire only, which consisted of five parts:
- Pregnancy care, 14 questions
- Birth, eight questions
- The stay in the maternity ward, nine questions
- Contact with the public health centre after birth, seven questions
- Background information, ten questions
We entered the responses from the survey in a data set without uniquely personal characteristics. In January 2013 we added medical information from MFR by means of a unique case number. Statistics Norway added information about the country of birth to the case numbers, making it possible to process the data in terms of differences between women with different national backgrounds.
In order to present condensed and robust results, 16 indexes was constructed based on single questions from the women's questionnaire and six indexes based on single questions from the partner's questionnaire.To enhance representativeness we weighted the material.
The number of eligible women was 8670, and 4904 (56.6%) responded. The number of partners who responded was 1764, and this represents 21.3% of the sample at the time of mailing. We received 636 free text comments.
Table 1 shows the indexes together, and in a course perspective. It should be read with caution, partly because the contents of the indexes with the same title vary somewhat, and because the number of answers that the average is calculated from vary. All scores are well within the positive half of the scale. Pregnancy control by midwife got the best scores, while information about the woman's health at the public health centre got the lowest. Considering the four phases, the experiences during birth received the most positive descriptions and the stay in the postnatal unit has received the poorest. The indexes describing the postnatal stay has the largest dispersion in the women's responses, overall.
The table in PDF-format.
We compared the experiences of women born in different groups of countries, 4028 women from Norway, 450 from EU / EEA countries except Norway, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and 426 women from Asia, Africa, Latin America, Oceania except Australia and New Zealand, and Europe outside the EEA. There were no consistent differences in index scores between these groups, and which group had described better or poorer experiences varies from index to index. The index about information given during antenatal care had the strongest influence on how satisfied the women were with this care. The index resources and organization was the one with most impact on overall satisfaction with the three later phases of the care course. Most of the free text answers contained comments to the topics in the questionnaire.
The results from the survey show that many women and partners have positive experiences with pregnancy, birth and postnatal care, but also that several areas would benefit from improvement. The poorest experiences are during postnatal stay, and it is here that the experiences vary the most.


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How to buy United Bankshares stock
Learn how to easily invest in United Bankshares stock.
United Bankshares Inc is a banks-regional business based in the US. United Bankshares shares (UBSI) are listed on the NASDAQ and all prices are listed in US Dollars. United Bankshares employs 2,986 staff and has a trailing 12-month revenue of around 0.00.
How to buy shares in United Bankshares
- Compare share trading platforms. Use our comparison table to help you find a platform that fits you.
- Open your brokerage account. Complete an application with your details.
- Confirm your payment details. Fund your account.
- Research the stock. Find the stock by name or ticker symbol – UBSI – and research it before deciding if it's a good investment for you.
- Purchase now or later. Buy your desired number of shares with a market order or use a limit order to delay your purchase until the stock reaches a desired price.
- Check in on your investment. Optimize your portfolio by tracking your stock.
What's in this guide?
United Bankshares stock price (NASDAQ: UBSI)Use our graph to track the performance of UBSI stocks over time.
United Bankshares shares at a glance
|Latest market close||$36.56|
|52-week range||$30.39 - $41.27|
|50-day moving average||$37.20|
|200-day moving average||$37.08|
|Wall St. target price||$40.00|
|Dividend yield||$1.4 (3.67%)|
|Earnings per share (TTM)||$2.98|
Buy United Bankshares shares from these brokeragesCompare special offers, low fees and a wide range of types of investments among top trading platforms.
*Signup bonus information updated weekly.
The value of any investment can go up or down depending on news, trends and market conditions. We are not investment advisers, so do your own due diligence to understand the risks before you invest.
Is it a good time to buy United Bankshares stock?
The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.
This chart is not advice or a guarantee of success. Rather, it gauges the real-time recommendations of three popular technical indicators: moving averages, oscillators and pivots. Finder is not responsible for how your stock performs.
United Bankshares price performance over time
|1 week (2022-01-14)||-6.92%|
|1 month (2021-12-23)||1.44%|
|3 months (2021-10-22)||-1.46%|
|6 months (2021-07-23)||6.62%|
|1 year (2021-01-22)||2.47%|
|2 years (2020-01-23)||-1.72%|
|3 years (2019-01-23)||5.66%|
|5 years (2017-01-23)||43.7|
Is United Bankshares stock undervalued or overvalued?
Valuing United Bankshares stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of United Bankshares's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.
United Bankshares's P/E ratio
United Bankshares's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 13x. In other words, United Bankshares shares trade at around 13x recent earnings.
That's relatively low compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The low P/E ratio could mean that investors are pessimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're under-valued.
United Bankshares's PEG ratio
United Bankshares's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 1.92. A low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.
The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into United Bankshares's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.
United Bankshares financials
|Revenue TTM||$1.1 billion|
|Operating margin TTM||48.04%|
|Gross profit TTM||$935.5 million|
|Return on assets TTM||1.45%|
|Return on equity TTM||8.88%|
|Market capitalisation||$5.4 billion|
TTM: trailing 12 months
United Bankshares share dividends
Dividend payout ratio: 47.37% of net profits
Recently United Bankshares has paid out, on average, around 47.37% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 3.67% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), United Bankshares shareholders could enjoy a 3.67% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In United Bankshares's case, that would currently equate to about $1.4 per share.
While United Bankshares's payout ratio might seem fairly standard, it's worth remembering that United Bankshares may be investing much of the rest of its net profits in future growth.
United Bankshares's most recent dividend payout was on 2 January 2022. The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 30 November 2021 (the "ex-dividend date").
Have United Bankshares's shares ever split?
United Bankshares's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 29 March 1998. So if you had owned 1 share the day before before the split, the next day you'd have owned 2 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your United Bankshares shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 50% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for United Bankshares shares which in turn could have impacted United Bankshares's share price.
United Bankshares share price volatility
Over the last 12 months, United Bankshares's shares have ranged in value from as little as $30.3865 up to $41.2652. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".
Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NASDAQ average) beta is 1, while United Bankshares's is 1.2727. This would suggest that United Bankshares's shares are more volatile than the average for this exchange and represent, relatively-speaking, a higher risk (but potentially also market-beating returns).
United Bankshares overview
United Bankshares, Inc. , a financial holding company, primarily provides commercial and retail banking products and services in the United States. It operates through two segments, Community Banking and Mortgage Banking. The company accepts checking, savings, and time and money market accounts; individual retirement accounts; and demand deposits, statement and special savings, and interest-bearing checking accounts. Its loan products include commercial loans and leases; construction and real estate loans; personal, credit card, commercial, and floor plan loans; and credit card and home equity loans. In addition, the company provides credit cards; safe deposit boxes, wire transfers, and other banking products and services; investment and security services; services to correspondent banks, including buying and selling federal funds; automated teller machine services; and internet and telephone banking services. Further, it offers community banking services, such as asset management, real property title insurance, financial planning, mortgage banking, and brokerage services.
United Bankshares in the news
Wall St Week Ahead-Investors shelter in U.S. regional banks as Fed hikes loom
Markets are expected to remain on edge as the Fed meets in the week ahead
Earnings Preview: United Bankshares (UBSI) Q4 Earnings Expected to Decline
Frequently asked questionsWhat percentage of United Bankshares is owned by insiders or institutions?
Currently 2.433% of United Bankshares shares are held by insiders and 66.228% by institutions. How many people work for United Bankshares?
Latest data suggests 2,986 work at United Bankshares. When does the fiscal year end for United Bankshares?
United Bankshares's fiscal year ends in December. Where is United Bankshares based?
United Bankshares's address is: 300 United Center, Charleston, WV, United States, 25301 What is United Bankshares's ISIN number?
United Bankshares's international securities identification number is: US9099071071 What is United Bankshares's CUSIP number?
United Bankshares's Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures number is: 909907107
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domain: finance


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Area Trail Map - Cuyuna Lakes Trail
Follow Hwy 210/6 north into Crosby and follow the signs to the Crosby Trail Head near CRES Elementary School or park in the Hallett Center parking lot. You can also drive to Riverton and park in the lot just east of town.
Cuyuna Lakes Trail Head Map
Park on the end of 8th St NE or on the Portsmouth parking area on the west side of State Hwy 6 just north of Crosby. Parking is also available in Ironton near the water tower and at the Riverton trail termination on County Rd 128.

domain: geography


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The Oakland Athletics tabbed left-hander Sean Manaea to start the American League wild-card game against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
Manaea missed most of the season after left shoulder surgery, but he has been superb since returning to the majors. He went 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA in five starts, posting 30 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings, while giving up just 16 hits and seven walks.
Oakland manager Bob Melvin selected Manaea over right-hander Mike Fiers, who went 15-4 with a 3.90 ERA this year and threw a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds.
Right-hander Charlie Morton (16-6, 3.05 ERA) will start for the Rays.
—The Los Angeles Angels dismissed pitching coach Doug White and bench coach Josh Paul as the team’s shakeup continues.
General manager Billy Eppler confirmed the departures, which come one day after manager Brad Ausmus was fired after one season.
The 2019 season was White’s lone campaign as the Angels’ pitching coach. The staff ranked 25th in the majors with a 5.12 ERA and suffered a key loss in early July when left-hander Tyler Skaggs died at age 27 due to an overdose.
—The Cincinnati Reds announced that hitting coach Turner Ward will not return to manager David Bell’s coaching staff in 2020.
Ward, 54, joined the Reds last November after three seasons in the same position with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Reds ended the 2019 season ranked 24th in the majors in team batting average (.244), 25th in runs scored (701) and 14th in home runs (227).
—More than 800 fans were injured by foul balls at major league stadiums over the past seven seasons, according to an NBC News investigation.
In addition to the death of a grandmother celebrating her 79th birthday at Dodger Stadium in 2018, the 808 injuries from 2012-19 documented in the report include concussions and permanent vision loss.
NBC News said most of the injuries resulted from foul balls, while others came from home runs, balls hit during batting practice and from the scramble to catch balls in the stands.
—Field Level Media

domain: news


hi my name is Uncle Momo, i'm on another chart site called reverbnation which i'm currently in the top five for london Charts my genre ranges from RnB/Neo Soul, House/Dance, Pop, DnB, Dub Step, Acoustic guitar and indie. load of people from around the world are showing me love, my hit's are very high this is a great opportunity for you to come by and leave a comment on my page and advertise yourself for free I’m sure my fan would love to hear your music, just click on the link below kind regards and best wishes uncle momo
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Welcome to Poze Productions/Poze Records Inc..FREE TO JOIN
Hittown Records presents "SMILEY " . Smiley is a Broward County,FL artist with a bright future. "R.I.P 2 The Trap" the mixtape/album has plenty of flavor if your looking for something new. The edgy smooth voice and beats provide a sound and vibe for any occasion . The production and rhymes along with catchy hooks make this a guaranteed download to your playlist.Please make sure you follow and subscribe to all platforms.Get connected with Smiley on social media:Facebook:…See More


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Servings:6 | Calories:226 | Total Fat:13g | Chol:60mg | More
Nutritional facts are per serving and accuracy is not certain.
Total Fat 13g
Sat Fat 7g
Total Carb 9g
30% Shredded cheese
25% Others combined
23% Cooked chicken
20% Cream of chicken soup
Percentages based on 2000 calories diet. Data may be incomplete or calculations inaccurate - Learn more.
2 c. shredded cooked chicken 1 c. shredded cheese (or more if you are a cheese hound) 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup sour cream 1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (canned tomatoes with jalepenos-mild) 1/2 packet taco seasoning (or more- to taste)
Directions : View recipe directions on jamhands.net

domain: food


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Nexon acquires iDCC, renames it Nexon Thailand
Thai online games publisher will expand Nexon's presence in Southeast Asia
Nexon has completed its acquisition of Thailand-based publisher iDCC.
The firm originally bought a 41% equity stake in late 2016 and more recently acquired the remaining 51% of this stake, as well as the Thai goverment's approval to operate in the region.
With iDCC fully under Nexon's control, the company will be renamed Nexon Thailand, and will handle the publisher's business in Southeast Asia - a games market the firm reports is growing by more than 45% per year.
Nexon Thailand already has a slate of games to publish before 2017 is over, including mobile titles Durango, Dark Avenger 3 and Point Blank: Strike. It will also be bringing Tree of Saviour and Nexon's flagship franchise MapleStory to Thailand.
"We see an immense growth opportunity in the game market in Southeast Asia, especially in mobile, which is why we originally invested in iDCC," said Terry Noh, who has been appointed COO of Nexon Thailand.
"We plan to make Thailand a publishing hub for the entire region and will support local developers to expand their content worldwide."
Isra Taulananda has been named CEO of Nexon Thailand.


September 20, 1976: The Punk Rock scene in London received a serious boost in popularity with the beginning of the two day Punk Festival at the 100 Club. Eight bands would be featured over the two day event; on tonight’s bill were Subway Sect, The Clash, Siouxsie and The Banshees (making their debut, with Sid […]
20 Sept 1968, Led Zeppelin (recording under the name of The Yardbirds) started recording their debut album at Olympic Studios, Barnes, London, England. The album took only about 36 hours of studio time to complete at a cost of around £1,782, with most of the tracks being recorded ‘live’ in the studio with very few […]
September 20, 1969: The Beatles broke up, but nobody realized it, not even The Beatles themselves. Having just played in Toronto with the Plastic Ono Band, and frustrated by what he saw as a lack of artistic fulfillment, John Lennon announced privately to the rest of the band, during a grueling financial meeting, that he […]
Beatles 1969 Read more at I Love It Loud!
Guns N’ Roses split the difference here between their debut’s rancorous blues rock, and the high-brow art-rock of their new double album. Guns N’ Roses Kissed Their Past Goodbye on ‘Yesterdays’ Read the article at Ultimate Classic Rock: https://www.facebook.com/107710719302307/posts/6216938488379469
20 Sept 1957, Buddy Holly released the single ‘Peggy Sue’ with ‘Everyday’ as the B-side. The song was originally entitled ‘Cindy Lou’, after Holly’s niece, but was later changed to ‘Peggy Sue’ in reference to Peggy Sue Gerron the girlfriend (and future wife) of Jerry Allison, the drummer for the Crickets, after the couple had […]
Oasis rocker took to social media to explain what happened: Liam Gallagher Injured After Falling Out of a Helicopter Read the article at Ultimate Classic Rock: https://www.facebook.com/107710719302307/posts/6217868004953184