Quote of the Day

The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.

  ~ Albert Einstein

Contests and Giveaways in the Writing World - week of April 8th

Happy Monday and here are some great Contests and Giveaways in the Writing World to make your week  

great!

Pens and Peonies is hosting a stop on the Somebody Like You Blog Tour by Lynnette Hallbe. Enter to win a $25 Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble - what better start to the week?

Coffee & A Book Anytime is hosting a blog tour stop and putting the spotlight on Caridad Pineiro The Shifter's Kiss. The Grand prize for the blog tour is a $25 GC, t-shirt, tote bag & copy of backlist book. The runner up prize is a T-shirt and a copy of a backlist book. What a great giveaway!

Stop by Kelley Lynn's blog for a chance to win 2 $25 Amazon Gift Cards and copies of Fraction of Stone Ebooks of signed paper copies. There's also a chance to enter a giveaway to win a Kindle Fire - this is week three of the Fraction of Stone release tour, as well as Introducing OTHERBORN by Anna Silver.

Novel Rocket is entering its fourth year of their Slush Pile Contest for Unpublished Novelists. Check out categories and submission deadlines on their website. Note that the "mystery" category is closing in two days, on April 10th, so hurry to submit if that is the category your novel fall into.


Like scavenger hunts? Love discovering new books? Happy it's spring? Then this one is for you! Enter the Spring Fling Scavenger Hung 2013 from Night Owl Reviews. Sounds like great spring fun!

Check out the review and giveaway of Breaking Her Rules by Katie Reus on So Many Reads... So Little Time. This s a novel in Red Stone Security Series. The giveaway of the digital copy of the book is open only until April 9th, so hurry to enter.

Winter Haven Books has four giveaways going on currently. They are for Arclight by Josin L. McQuein, Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma, Furious By Jill Wolfson and The Caged Graves by Dianne Salernei. There is something for everyone!

Kate's Tales of Books and Bands is giving a sneak peak, and giving away a copy of  Asylum by
Jenny E. Miller, a debut author. The synopsis of the book sounds really intriguing!

Paranormal Romance Author Kiersten Fay is giving away a copy of Demon Untamed, her novel releasing April 17th! 

*As always, please contact me for the inclusion of your contests/giveaways into the Monday Contests and Giveaways in the Writing World posts.

Have fun and good luck! 

Also, don't forget to become a follower of this blog to make sure you catch giveaways coming soon!

Quote of the Day

One should not be envious of someone who has prospered by unjust deeds. Nor should he disdain someone who has fallen while adhering to the path of righteousness.

 ~ Imagawa Sadayo

Friday Art & History Feature - Miaymoto Musashi

Musashi. Woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

When studying Japanese Martial Arts, one has to learn about Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman that ever lived, as well as the author of the famous The Book of Five Rings. This work, along with the Art of War of Sun Tzu, is a classic of strategy and martial arts philosophy, and is still studied today not only by martial artists but also by businessmen the world over.

Musashi was born in the Harima Province. The exact date of his birth is not known, but according to various sources, it was between 1580 and 1584. His father, Shinmen Munisai, was also a master of the sword and an accomplished martial artist.


From the age Musashi was 7, he went to live and be raised by his uncle, Dorinbo. There, he learned to how to read and write, as well as the basic precepts of Buddhism. He had his first sword duel at the age of 13. Here's what Musashi wrote about it:

"I have trained in the way of strategy since my youth, and at the age of thirteen I fought a duel for the first time. My opponent was called Arima Kihei, a sword adept of the Shinto ryū, and I defeated him. At the age of sixteen I defeated a powerful adept by the name of Akiyama, who came from Tajima Province. At the age of twenty-one I went up to Kyōtō and fought duels with several adepts of the sword from famous schools, but I never los."

—Miyamoto Musashi, Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings)

Drawing by Musashi

From the age of 15, when he left his village, Musashi was traveling and engaging in various duels. For a long time, he did not give his loyalty to any lord. One of the most famous duels he had happened when he was 30. It was against Sasaki Kojiro, knows as the "Demon of the Western Provinces." The legend says that Musashi arrived to an island where the duel was to take places late and after quickly killing Kojiro with a bamboo bokken (stick), he promptly climbed back into the boat and left.

Modern sculpture of Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro duel

 Musashi was not only a great swordsman and philosopher, he was also an artist, and many of his drawings are famous.

Musashi. Self-portrait

Eventually, Musashi offered his sword in service around 1614–1615, during the war between the Toyotomi and the Tokugawa. It is not clear whose side he was on, although it was probably on Tokugawa's side, as they had a fairly close relationship.

Around 1642 Musashi's health became to decline, and he was known to have suffered attacks of neuralgia. In 1643 he became a hermit in a cave to write The Book of Five Rings. He died in that cave in June of 1645. In his lifetime, he claimed to have fought in sixty duels and haven't been defeated in any.

Musashi's legacy is immense. First of all, he established a school of kenjutsu (sword fighting) called Ni-Ten Ichi Ryu or nitoichi. This school is a two-sword technique, where two swords are used at the same time, a large katana and a small wakizashi.


Secondly, he left a classic work of martial arts that extends its teachings to many other aspects of life and business - The Book of Five Rings (Gorin no shô).

One of the translations of The Book Of Five Rings

 Here are a few of my favorite quotes from this classic.

“Do nothing that is of no use”

“There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.”

“In battle, if you you make your opponent flinch, you have already won.” 

“You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain”

“Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.” 

“You can only fight the way you practice”

“Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.” 

“The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things.”

 “It is difficult to realize the true Way just through sword-fencing. Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things.”

“To know ten thousand things, know one well” 

A modern interpretation of Musashi's image by Takehiko Inoue

Quote of the Day

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
  ~ Sun Tzu

This Is Me on Allergy Meds

Today, I'm busy working and writing, so a quick post. This is how I feel on allergy meds.

Me on "non-drowsy" Claritin

Me on Benadryl

That's all, folks! :D

Quote of the Day

It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.

 
~ Leonardo da Vinci