Archive for the 'Something in Common' Category

How To Become A Personal Trainer

Published on April 4, 2011 in Something in Common. 1 Comment Tags: American College of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise, cardiovascular training, certified athletic trainer, Certified Health Education Specialist, exercise programs, Go College, Group Fitness Instructor, health clubs, injury rehabilitation, Lisa Shoreland, nutrition, personal trainer salaries, personal trainers, weight training.

Since the main character of my mystery-suspense novel Sink or Swim, Cassidy Novak, is a personal trainer and my college major was exercise physiology, I was thrilled to be able to publish the below original article. If you’re thinking about becoming a personal trainer, or are considering visiting one and want to know more about what they do, then you won’t want to miss this informative post!

Despite the current state of the economy, personal trainers are very high in demand because more and more people, (specifically the baby boomer population) are looking for new ways to live a healthier and ultimately more fulfilling lifestyle. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that there will be a 50% growth rate in the personal training industry over the next ten years.

Personal trainers are responsible for studying a client’s individual lifestyle habits, and must advise their clients on how to eat properly, how to use gym equipment properly and efficiently, or how to rehabilitate an injury. Some personal trainers may even have to design a specialized exercise program for a client which touches on nutrition, cardiovascular training, and weight training.

But essentially the ultimate role of a personal trainer is to help a client achieve his or her goals. Some clients may need to rehabilitate an injury or will be looking for new ways to add more nutrition to their diet, while other clients may simply want to lose weight or build their body mass.

Credentials & training
Unless you have the proper credentials, it can be extremely difficult to get hired as a personal trainer. There are various ways in which one could become an accredited personal trainer, but most employers require that you have some form of certificate or training in CPR and First Aid, as well as a high school diploma. If you’re interested in becoming properly certified as a personal trainer, however, there are programs available which offer certifications to become a Certified Athletic Trainer, a Group Fitness Instructor, or a Certified Health Education Specialist.

The American Council on Exercise and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) may be the best options in terms of credentials, but it may be a good idea to research into other organizations that offer personal trainer exams, workshops and classes in your area, (just make sure they are nationally recognized and properly accredited). Some companies may even offer training or classes in the hopes of hiring personal trainers for their business, so try contacting any clubs or gyms in your area.

Salary information
The average salary for a personal trainer varies greatly depending on the type and size of organization you work for. Personal trainers who work for gyms or franchises tend to make more than personal trainers who work for non-profit organizations, while personal trainers who work for school districts make the most amount of money, and personal trainers who are self-employed make the least amount of money. Personal trainers with one to four years of experience could make $20,446 to $35,811 a year while personal trainers with 20 years or more experience could make anywhere from $24,585 to $32,556 a year.

There is also the option for starting your own business as a personal trainer, however this can be quite expensive as you will need the funds to purchase any gym equipment if you plan on training your clients indoors.

Lisa Shoreland is currently a resident blogger at Go College, where recently she’s been researching physical therapy scholarships as well as the ins and outs of attending vocational schools. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing, taking weekend trips, and practicing martial arts.

Goddess Girls Series Teaches Kids About Greek Mythology

Published on January 3, 2011 in Something in Common. 2 Comments Tags: Aphrodite the Beauty, Apollo, Artemis the Brave, Athena the Brave, Athena the Wise, Goddess Girls, Greek gods, Greek mythology, Harry Potter, hogwarts, Joan Holub, Medusa, middle grade novels, Mount Olympus, mystery novels, Pandora's Box, Persephone the Phon, Roman mythology, Suzanne Williams, Twenty-five years ago today, young adult books, Zeus.

I was so excited to stumble across a new children’s book series on Goodreads, about the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece studying, socializing and honing their mythical skills in junior high at Mount Olympus Academy.

Readers of my adult mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today know that it features a subplot revolving around Greek and Roman mythology. In my book, amateur sleuth Kris Langley discovers that the victim of her 25-year-old cold case, Diana Ferguson, was a talented artist inspired by ancient myths. In fact, Diana Ferguson felt a kinship to Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt, because the Romans called this goddess Diana. Kris learns that Diana Ferguson’s haunting paintings of Greek myths may hold the key to the murder. While investigating the case, Kris bones up on Pandora, Zeus, Apollo and others from ancient myth. Many readers have told me that they learned a lot about mythology from the book, as it’s not often that a fiction novel explores Greek mythology.

A children’s book focusing on mythology is even more of a rarity, and I was delighted to find the new Goddess Girls series, authored by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams and published by Aladdin. This middle grade series for ages 8-12 puts the Greek immortals (and some special mortals) in boarding school. Readers will relate to the contemporary problems that the young godboys and goddessgirls face, such as fitting in, dealing with bullies, and gaining understanding from parents. The classroom scenes reminded me of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series, except that the Goddess Girls books are much lighter without the dark intrigue of Harry Potter.

According to the publisher web site, there are five books in the Goddess Girls series: Athena the Brain, Persephone the Phony, Athena the Wise, Artemis the Brave and Aphrodite the Beauty. I definitely need to read the Artemis book, since Artemis is so pivotal to Twenty-Five Years Ago Today. Artemis does play a minor role in the books that I started with, Athena the Brain and Persephone the Phony.

In Athena the Brain, Athena is summoned from Earth to Mount Olympus Academy. She learns that Principal Zeus is her father and that she is a goddess. Although she misses her best friend Pallas, Athena accepts the challenge and immerses herself in classes like Beginning Hero-ology taught by Mr. Cyclops. She gains new friends such as the golden-haired beauty Aphrodite and the very curious Pandora, while coping with the baddest mean girl in history – Medusa. In Persephone the Phony, young Persephone’s new friendship with bad-boy Hades puts her at odds with her overprotective mother Demeter.

The authors take a lot of artistic license with ancient myths, using aspects of the legends and gearing them toward middle schoolers. In the actual myths, there were incestuous relationships among the gods and goddesses, and the gods – especially Zeus – could be downright forceful when it came to pursuing the opposite sex. The gods could be cruel and spiteful at times. The Goddess Girls authors left out the darker aspects of the myths to make the stories more wholesome and appropriate for the young age level.

I enjoyed the way the authors took well known myths and incorporated them into the storyline – for example in Athena the Brain, the Trojan War stems from a class assignment in which the gods are assigned heroes to manipulate. The students are graded on manipulation, disasters and quick saves. I won’t spoil it, but I loved how the authors worked the Trojan Horse into the plot. The authors also offer a humorous explanation about how Medusa got her snakey hair.

In Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, Diana Ferguson painted a picture inspired by the Pandora myth. In the Goddess Girls series, Pandora remembers how she once accidentally opened a box of disasters in class and most of them escaped to Earth. It was interesting to see how other authors besides myself were inspired by Greek myth and wove the details into a contemporary novel.

Middle schoolers are sure to enjoy the Goddess Girl books and develop an appreciation for Greek mythology in the process. They may not learn the ancient stories in the same way that I did, from books of myth, but the names and details will stick in their minds. This is a good series for parents to share with their children. Parents, I’d suggest reading one of the novels aloud to your children and showing them a book of Greek myth and legends to demonstrate the origin of the series. This would also be a good way for high school English or history teachers to conduct a unit on Greek mythology.

Oh, and one more recommendation for parents and teachers – once you’ve finished teaching the kids about mythology, pick up a copy of Twenty-Five Years Ago Today for yourself!

Properly Retire Your American Flag With A Veteran Service Organization

Published on September 28, 2010 in Something in Common. Closed Tags: American flags, American Legion posts, Eagle Scouts, Flag Day, flag etiquette, flag retirement ceremonies, Kitchen Table Gang, Packages for Our Soldiers, patriotic children's books, patriotism, retired flags, The Flag Keeper, U.S. flag, veterans service organizations, VFW Posts, worn out flags.

I recently received this press release and thought that it was valuable information to pass on, since the whole purpose of my children’s picture book The Flag Keeper is to raise awareness of U.S. flag etiquette. If you can’t find a local VFW or American Legion Post to retire your worn out flag, here is a fantastic option. Here is the press release:

An illustration from The Flag Keeper, a patriotic children's picture book about American flag etiquette.

Please, don’t throw that American flag into the trash! Do you have a old, frazzled flag that’s no longer fit for display, that’s laying around your office or home and you just don’t know what to do with it? Then send it to us! We will properly dispose of it according to federal laws.

Who are we? Visit our website at http://www.kitchentablegang.org for details about us and what we are doing to help veterans and our soldiers overseas, plus giving proper respect for ol’glory. See if we are worthy!

The Kitchen Table Gang Trust will retire your tattered, worn out and frayed American flags with full honors! Anything else is desecration!

Just send your flags to the not-for-profit Kitchen Table Gang Trust, 42922 Avenue 12, Madera, CA 93638-8866 and we’ll dispose of your flags in a proper and dignified manner with full honors and dignity pursuant to the United States Flag Code Section 8K (PL93-344), TITLE 36, CHAPTER 10, UNITED STATES CODE . The Kitchen Table Gang (formed over 16 years ago) is a “rag-tag” bunch of patriotic military types helping hospitalized veterans and our soldiers and Marines overseas with “Care” packages.

Our flag retirement ceremonies are held on Flag Day, June 14th each year and are conducted by MGySgt Daniel Kelley USMC and an all volunteer military honor guard with Eagle Boy Scouts assisting. The Kitchen Table Gang Trust also has a nationally recognized educational program for our young people and students, teaching them the history, traditions and respect for our national emblem.

When you send us a flag, please enclose a donation for this service which allows us to continue and expand our many patriotic programs. We do good things with your contributions (just ask any veteran or military service organization).

We are located at the junction of Highway 41 and Avenue 12 just down from the world famous red, white, and blue barn (with the fifty golden stars on the roof) on the way to Yosemite National Park.

As an alternative for our American Flag Retirement program, contact a veteran service organization for this service. Please, send us your flags!

For more information, visit the Kitchen Table Gang Trust at http://www.kitchentablegang.org.

Something in Common: Small-Town Newspapers Produce Seasoned Reporters

Published on August 19, 2010 in Something in Common. 7 Comments Tags: community newspapers, Gerry Charbonneau, independent newspapers, journalism, mystery novels, newspapers, newsrooms, Nibbled News, reporters, Twenty-five years ago today.

I’m pleased to welcome Gerry Charbonneau, the second guest in in my new Something in Common feature. Gerry has “something in common” with Kris Langley, heroine of my mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today. Kris is an obit writer, editorial assistant and freelance writer for a fictional community newspaper called The Fremont Daily News. In the book, the newspaper is independently-owned and the two editors frequently clash: one is a news veteran set in his ways and the other is like Corporate Barbie, bent on changing everything.

Gerry also has experience working for a small, independently owned community newspaper and he has agreed to give us the inside scoop on what it was like. Gerry recently retired from the active work force after 30 years of employment. His career as a journalist was short-lived due to a vision problem in his left eye and other work-related health issues. His current online project, Nibbled News, offers readers informative, useful and thought-provoking articles about people, places and events in the news today.

GERRY: Back in the day, after I had graduated journalism school, my first official exposure to professional newspaper life in my new found status involved my being eventually hired as the editor/reporter/photographer for a family-owned community newspaper. In this case, the family owned two fair sized and profitable weekly publications.

I initially thought that I had lost the all important lottery of life. A number of my fellow students had secured positions with larger, well known daily newspapers. I dreaded the thought that my hard work and studies at school had landed me a second rate newspaper position.

Eventually, however, I realized that this inaugural assignment helped to develop and hone not only my writing skills but also my people and communications skills.

There is no better way to start a career as a journalist than to jump with both feet into a community setting where you are a complete outsider and let your news gathering instincts take control.

In those pre-digital days, the newspaper copy was typed on a Remington Electric typewriter. There were no electronic spell checkers and so each reporter had to proof read their articles and check spelling, grammar and overall punctuation.

Your typed stories were then submitted to a person using a machine that typed your stories onto photo sensitive paper and then set out to dry on a story board. This board held all the news features that were going to be published in that week’s edition. This was a cold type procedure.

As an official jack-of-all-trades, I was also the paper’s sports and news photographer. I used a simple 35 mm camera, flash, wide angle lens and 300 mm zoom lens. You had to check your lighting settings, bracket your shots and hope you captured a useable image. The film needed to be processed (souped up) in the dark room and print sheets hung to dry for later editing.

As the editor-in-chief, it was my responsibility to gather leads and create a bit of public relations with the paper’s readers. You had to gain people’s trust before they would actually accept you as one of the town folk. Eventually, I gained a healthy and friendly working relationship with the people living there.

My office was a small yet adequately spaced setting wherein I hung my hat, stored my camera gear and wrote my weekly assortment of news, sports and feature articles. I shared the back section of the office with the barber shop next door. A cozy yet friendly arrangement.

The paper was put to bed on Wednesday evening and published on Thursday morning. This meant that everyone involved with the paper would be laying out their pre-printed stories, pictures and advertising copy during this eight hour marathon. The job was usually completed by four a.m.

I was on call twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. I always carried my camera and note pad and pencil with me no matter where I went. The experience there helped to develop my writing skills and also allowed me to appreciate the fact that small town publications knit a community as a whole.

Thanks so much for joining us, Gerry. What a fascinating look back at the newspaper industry! Don’t forget to visit Gerry at Nibbled News. In the meantime, does anyone have questions for Gerry about his newspaper experience? Newspapers have undergone a great deal of changes over the years, posting their content online and often taking a less community-oriented approach. Readers, do you think newspapers are changing for the better or worse?

Something in Common: 5 Ways to Get Fit and Not Quit

Published on July 18, 2010 in Something in Common. 7 Comments Tags: diet, exercise, fitness centers, fitness goals, fitness regime, getting fit, good eating habits, health and fitness, health clubs, jogging, nutrition, personal trainers, Robert Boyd, Sink or swim, slimming down, sports equipment, SportsEquip.co.uk, wet pour safety surfaces.

As my blog readers know, every now and then I like to feature a topic that has “something in common” with one of my published books. Today’s topic is health and fitness, thanks to my guest writer Robert Boyd, the Managing Director of SportsEquip.co.uk, leading suppliers of ‘capital’ sports equipment and wet pour safety surfaces.

What does health and fitness have to do with my books? Well, Cassidy Novak, the main character in my upcoming December release Sink or Swim, is a personal trainer. She works for a health club and dreams of launching her own chain of fitness centers. Cassidy is dedicated to helping clients reach their fitness goals, and she would give advice very similar to Robert’s advice below.

Here’s what Robert has to say about getting fit:

Incorporating new routines in your lifestyle requires commitment, time, and energy. Even if you know you want to be fit and you recognize your current choices are taking you down an unhealthy path, it is often difficult to get going on a new fitness regime. Getting over the first hill is usually the hardest, but later challenges seem much less menacing once you have established a rhythm of regular exercise and healthy eating.

When beginning your fitness regime, make some time early on for introspection and to honestly reflect on your goals. Devote a bit of energy and make a list of ideas. This will help you define what you hope to achieve and set realistic dates for doing so. Consider past attempts you have made to get fit. What things were most bearable in the short-term, and what habits have lasted? If everything seems to have failed up to this point, what have you not tried yet? Talk with your doctor, a personal trainer, and research the subjects of fitness and nutrition.

Setting goals is an essential part of the process, but in order to keep your motivation high, be sure that you are aiming for the achievable. Set daily goals and rewards for making it to each step along your path to fitness. This will build momentum, as small successes reinforce your routine and increase your motivation during the early days. Once you have managed to integrate activities into your regular routine, the chances of you quitting drop substantially. Staying fit becomes a lifestyle, rather than just a short-term goal.

If you struggle to get going at the beginning, try to form goals based around the activities in your life and the seasons. Summertime is a wonderful period to flaunt your successes, so it is a great idea to get going on your diet in the spring or late winter.

By the time beach weather arrives, you can reward yourself by purchasing a fabulous new swimsuit and heading down to the beach. You might also set specific dates around weddings or other special events, planning to slim down into a dress you have in mind. All of these occasions are wonderful ways to become more motivated when fitness goals seem far away.

Whether you are aiming for a specific event or just for summertime in general, be sure to plan on incremental change, especially in your eating habits. Rather than make drastic changes in your diet that will take pleasure out of your life, focus on reducing portion size and eating more slowly. Chewing more is better for your digestive system, and helps you feel full sooner. Good eating habits are a must as part of any new fitness regime.

Finally, from day one, do everything you can to enjoy the physical activity itself. Pair up with a friend if you go jogging, or create some great soundtracks for your exercise routine. Music is a wonderful motivator for many activities in life, and exercise is no exception. With inspiration tunes and friends to keep you on track, you are sure to reach your goals and get in shape for good.

Thanks so much, Robert, for sharing this inspirational article.

Something in Common: Review of 1980s Fantasy Film ‘Clash of the Titans’

Published on July 1, 2010 in Something in Common. Closed Tags: 1980s movies, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Andromeda, Apollo, Artemis, Artoo-Detoo, Bubo, Burgess Meredith, Claire Bloom, Clash of the Titans, fantasy movie, Greek gods, Greek mythology, Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Medusa, monsters, movie reviews, mystery novels, mythical creatures, Pegasus, Perseus, princess, Roman mythology, special effects, Twenty-five years ago today, Ursula Andress, Zeus.

This is the first post in a new blog feature, called Something in Common. Now and then, when the muse strikes, I’ll write about topics that have “something in common” with one of my books. Topics at this time include Greek and Roman mythology, ancient Greece and Rome, newspapers, obit writers, cold cases, reality shows, health/fitness, artists, and much more. I’ll also feature guest posts on these subjects. Today’s column is my review of the 1981 film Clash of the Titans.

How does a 29-year-old epic fantasy movie relate to my mystery novels? If you’ve read my book Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, you’ll recall that a pivotal subplot about Greek and Roman mythology provides clues into the unsolved murder of artist Diana Ferguson. In the book, the characters discuss gods and goddesses such as Zeus, Apollo and Artemis. I saw Clash of the Titans when I was about 10 years old, and I’m sure it helped to foster my childhood interest in mythology, an interest that would wind up planting the seeds for my first mystery novel.

Upon watching the film as an adult, though, the best part of the movie was Bubo, the mechanical owl that beeped and whistled like a flying Artoo-Detoo. The story follows the adventures of Perseus, (played by Harry Hamlin) mortal son of Zeus, as he struggles to free the beautiful Princess Andromeda from a cruel spell which imprisons her. Perseus challenges beasts including a half man/half-reptile, the snake-haired Medusa, and a sea monster. Thanks to a little help from his “heavenly” father, Perseus obtains magical tools to guide him through danger, such as the winged horse Pegasus, a helmet that renders him invisible, and of course, the mechanical wise owl Bubo. (I Googled the film and it turns out, I’m not the only fan who loved that owl.)

I thought the movie was well-cast with its line-up of actors including Laurence Olivier, Claire Bloom, Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress and Burgess Meredith. The antiquated special effects, however, particularly the ones involving mythical creatures like Pegasus, surprised me. I’ll admit that my husband and I got a few chuckles out of it. True, the movie was released in 1981and special effects have come a long way since then. But still… since it was released post-Star Wars, I would have expected more by that time.

The film does have a certain swashbuckling charm, though, and there aren’t a lot of movies that give a glimpse into Greek mythology. I’ll be interested to see the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans, which I’ll catch on DVD. I’ll be sure to review it here when I see it.

Has anyone seen either the 1981 film or the remake? What do you think?