HAPPY NEW YEAR

May each of you find your own personal happiness on 2019.

This photo was taken many years ago on a trip to Europe.  I went to dinner at a local restaurant and 

found the positioning of the bottles and glasses to be appealing.

This photo could grace a wall in your home.        

Joan

Reach me at writerjr1044@gmail.com 

or joansbookshelf.com

CORSICA

Start the new year off with a ROAR.This photograph of a friendly lion 

was taken on a recent trip to Corsica.He greeted me when I entered 

Town Hall in Ajaccio.He and others are for sale.Contact me at writerjr1044@gmail.com

New Year's Eve

If you want a unique experience, go to Barbados for New Year's eve.Do I look happy?

The answer is yes BECAUSE:

An elegant dinner, the moon,  and a night of revelry awaited as my husband and I danced under the stars.

Joan Ramirez

Three Wise Men

With the Christmas holiday approaching, I would like to focus on these men and talk about their origins. First and foremost, I need to give credit to the Fairmont Princess Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona for these magnificent decorations as well as superior service and accommodations during a previous holiday visit.

The Three Wise Men or Three Kings, were, in the Gospel of Matthew and in Christian tradition, a group of distinguished foreigners who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts  of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They are regular figures in traditional accounts of nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an important part of Christian tradition.

If you are ever in the neighborhood, Sedona is an easy drive away and the Grand Canyon is also accessible and worth the trip.

In my travels all over the world I have visited many places and if you are interested in purchasing a photo you can contact me via my website at joansbookshelf.com  or at writerjr1044@gmail.com

FLOWERS

 A Rose for Thanksgiving

I'm going to depart from my travel photo theme for the holiday and suggest that you bring that "special" someone in your life a rose. It doesn't have to be peach like the one my beloved gave to me, but it should be one that shows how much you appreciate your one and only. If you've yet to find him or her, then consider family members or a friend.
Now, let's see how flowers came to be given as gifts.

The earliest known flower arrangements date back to ancient Egypt. Egyptians were decorating with flowers as early as 2,500 BCE. They placed cut flowers in vases, and highly stylized arrangements that were used in burials, for processions, and as table decorations. Illustrations of arranged flowers have been found on Egyptian carved stone reliefs and

painted wall decorations.

The Greeks and the Romans also used flowers. The ancient Greeks used flowers and herbs for adornment and decorations included in artwork. They did not often use vases, focusing instead on garlands and wreaths.

During the Renaissance flower design started in Italy and spread throughout Europe. Paintings of impressive floral arrangements in vases were popular. In the paintings, fruit blossoms and leaves were woven into garlands to decorate walls and vaulted ceilings, and petals were piled into baskets or strewn on the floors, streets, or allowed to float down from balconies.

Take Tulips for example, between 1634 and 1637, the enthusiasm for these flowers triggered a frenzy now known as the Tulip Mania.  This was a period in the Dutch Golden Age during which contract prices for some bulbs of the recently introduced and fashionable tulip reached extremely high levels and then collapsed in February 1637. Tulip bulbs became so expensive that they were treated as a form of currency, or as futures.

In my travels all over the world I have photographed hundreds of flowers.  If you are interested, please contact me. Go to Joansbookshelf.com.

Sweden- INSPIRING SETTINGS FOR SUSPENSE NOVELS

This may look like a doll house but it isn't.  While in Sweden we took a one day boat cruise which included a tour of one of the royal palaces. This particular building was constructed to resemble Chinese architecture.
Sweden became a world power during the reign of King Gustavus Adolphus.  He led Swedish forces fighting in the Thirty Years War which ravaged Central Europe.  Protestants fought  against the Catholic powers and the Church. Referred to as the Lion of the North he was characterized by some as the Father of Modern Warfare. His tactics and strategic innovations were studied by Napoleon and von Clausewitz.  Unfortunately for the Protestant cause he was killed at age 38 while leading a cavalry charge.

His  flagship  sank on its maiden voyage due to improper ballasting. The Swedes recently found the wreck and using the latest techniques were able to raise it and placed it in a specially constructed museum building.  A great exhibit and if you are ever in Stockholm stop by and visit.  

Contact me via my website or email at writerjr1044@gmail.com if you wish to purchase these or other photos of interesting places I have visited.

Visit my website at:  joansbookshelf.com for information on events, new publications and short stories. 

Prague, Czech Republic
INSPIRING SETTINGS FOR SUSPENSE NOVELS

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It has had a long, rich history going back to when it was first established in the eighth century and is the historic capital of Bohemia. The city was the main residence of several Holy Roman Emperors, most notably Charles IV (r. 1346–1378). It was an important city to the Hapsburg Monarchy and the

Palace of the Emperors

Austro-Hungarian Empire.  Prague played major roles in the Protestant Reformation and the Thirty Years' War. 


Be sure to tour the palace; it is huge and a great place to visit.  When you tire of the chapels, the infinite number of rooms, and the great furniture  take in the museum of Medieval Armour contained within its  battlements.  Work your way down to the dungeons and marvel at the implements in the torture chamber.






On the left is the Gun Powder Tower, which was  part of the old historic  fortifications some of which still remain 




At the right is a Jewish temple in the old Jewish Quarter of the city

Contact me via my website or email at writerjr1044@gmail.com if you wish to purchase these or other photos of interesting places I have visited.

Visit my website at:  joansbookshelf.com for information on events, new publications and short stories. 

Haifa

INSPIRING SETTINGS FOR SUSPENSEFUL NOVELS  by Joan Ramirez, author/photographer 

Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel, Haifa has a history

spanning more than 3,000 years. The earliest known settlement in the vicinity was a small port city established in the Late Bronze Age (14th century BCE). Over the millennia, the city has changed hands: being conquered and ruled by the Canaanites, Israelites, Phoenicians, Persians, Hasmoneans, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, and the British. 

Haifa was besieged and blockaded by European Christians shortly after the end of the First Crusade.Under the Crusaders, Haifa was reduced to a small fortified coastal stronghold. It was a part of the of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Following Saladin's victory at the Battle of Hattin his army captured Haifa in mid-July 1187 and the city's Crusader fortress was destroyed. Richard the Lionhearted retook Haifa in 1191. Many of the crusader fortifications from that era have been restored and opened to tourists. A wonderful way to spend several hours touring this piece of history.

Today the city is a major seaport located on Israel's Mediterranean coastline and lies about 90 kilometres (56 mi) north of Tel Aviv. It is the major regional center of northern Israel. The city plays an important role in the country's economy. It is home to Matam, one of the oldest and largest high-tech parks in the country; Haifa also owns the only underground rapid transit system located in Israel. Haifa Bay is a center of heavy industry, petroleum refining and chemical processing. The city formerly functioned as the western terminus of an oil pipeline from Iraq via Jordan.

This and other photos of Israel and Jordan are available for purchase.

Email me at:  writer1044@gmail. com 

Visit my website at: joansbookshelf.com for information on events, new publications and short stories. 

                         INSPIRING SETTINGS FOR SUSPENSEFUL NOVELS 
                                        by Joan Ramirez, author/photographer 

Petra
(Copy right Joan Ramirez 2018)

 An adventure, a step back in time, and an experience of a lifetime. These are the phrases that best describe a visit to Petra. This former center of the caravan trade, a royal jewel in the country of Jordan, is slowly succumbing to the forces of nature. As my horse-drawn carriage navigated through the Siq, a narrow gorge that leads visitors into Petra, my guide made me close my eyes. When I opened them, his first words were, “BEHOLD, history awaits.” 

I’ve circled the globe, but this view, even from a distance, of Al Khazna, the Treasury, is spectacular. Crowned by a funerary urn, local legend has it that a pharaoh’s treasure sits inside of its belly. I’d watched the Raiders movie featuring the fearless Indiana Jones, but to be up close and personal was incredible. Almost 40 meters high and adorned with Corinthian capitals, friezes, and figures, I closed my eyes once more and stepped into Indiana’s shoes to take his place on my own literary adventure. From the Royal Tombs to the Governor’s Palace (shown below), the city is a feast for the eyes.

Petra has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1985, but windblown sand and growing salt crystals are a threat to precious monuments. In fact, during an event held on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal, Petra was designated one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. If I had available funds, I’d provide them in a heartbeat to preserve structures steeped in a country rich in history.

(Copy right Joan Ramirez 2018)

In Petra nature, culture, and archaeology/geology blend together to form a magnificent whole.                                                       

While plot and character have a major role in all novels,  setting is often the muse that fires our imagination.

Joan Ramirez is a published author of three non-fiction books, a romance novel and a romantic suspense set in the intriguing world of fragrance is now being reviewed by a publisher.

Roman Governors Palace
(Copy right Joan Ramirez 2018)

Visit my website at:  joansbookshelf.com for information on events, new publications and short stories.