A dozen books a year? Some writers are accelerating the pace in this brave new world of e-books.

By

Husna Haq /
May 15, 2012

THE TIMING
In a dream world, you arrive in time for Spoleto Festival USA (May 25-June 10), founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, to complement Festival dei Due Mondi (the Festival of Two Worlds) in Spoleto, Italy. The formula is unique: Over a period of seventeen days and nights, Spoleto presents opera, classical and modern music, theater, and dance. This years Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra will debut two works by Radioheads Jonny Greenwood and include the likes of Jake Shimabukuro, Joy Kills Sorrow, KD Lang, and Rebirth Brass Band. Alvin Ailey, Cedar Lake contemporary ballet, and acrobatic sensation Traces add a little New York City edge to the festival atmosphere.

WHERE TO STAY
The best part of Charleston is that it remains a glorious walking town. Drop off your bags at the historic Planters Inn and request a room on the second floor if you are in the mood for a ghost or two. A cost-effective option is Fulton Lane Inn. For a touch of history, stay at John Rutledge House Inn. If love is in the air, check into Vendue Inn. (Its one of Fathoms Most Romantic Hotels in the USA).

WHAT TO DO
Late Morning. A light lunch at the culinary anchor SNO.B (Slightly North of Broad) kicks off with a sip of something bubbly and fried shad roe. Mainstays like Hominy Grill, with those high-rise biscuits and award-winning shrimp and grits, are great for brunch. Or you can snag a seat before the crowds line up for sweet tea, crunch pickles, fried chicken, and porter-steward collard greens at Jestines Kitchen (251 Meeting St.; +1-843-722-7224).

Early Afternoon. King Street is ideal for shopping mainstream and indie boutiques. Indie Heirloom Book Company offers hard-to-find vintage culinary titles. Boutiques like Worthwhile and Alice Daisy cater to the fashion savvy. Indigo Cotton does a modern take on seersucker.

Late Afternoon. Stroll through the various graveyards (like historical favorite Saint Philips Episcopal Church Cemetery) and peek down the narrow corridors and secret gardens of Charlestons grand homes. Feel like a walk back to 1870? Try Magnolia Plantation and its stunning gardens. Or check out the Gibbes Museum.

Sunset drinks at the rooftop bar of the Vendue Inn always entice. Locals order Palmetto lager and enjoy watching the day slip away. Try your luck scoring a coveted, quiet outdoor courtyard table at Peninsula Grill and order the steak tartare or foie gras with Carolina peach jam.

Night. Neither Husk nor its chef — Sean if-it-doesnt-come-from-the-South-it-doesnt-come-through-my-kitchen Brock — need an introduction; a meal here is a must. The airy dining space is a wise choice for the diner who appreciates food rooted in the culinary past of the Carolinas. Husks bar is a real highlight, mixing modern mixology with a woodsy, ramshackle vibe (and Paul Bunyan-esque tenders to match). Note the prevalance of preserved berries, syrups, and okra. And a healthy range of Kentucky bourbons.

Repeat. Sleep is in order after the gastronomical pleasures you encounter in Charleston. (Youll be hungry come morning.)

Looking for a refreshing mix of art, music, and restaurants devoted to heritage vegetables? FATHOM contributor Kate Donnelly makes a quick visit to Charleston, South Carolina.

OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS
A glorious nature preserve called Kiawah Island beckons with snowy egrets and lowcountry mise-en-scene. Your beach cruiser easily lets you have your own guided tours. The Sanctuary, which backs up to the Atlantic Ocean, is aces and is also on our Most Romantic Hotels in the USA list. Pam Harrington and Beachwalker offer villa and home rentals. Although Im not a golfer, Im extremely fond of Robert AM Sterns flawlessly designed Ocean Course Clubhouse at the islands end. Start with rosà and oysters under the compass of the bar. End in a rocking chair outside, soaking up lush panoramic views.

For more weekend getaway ideas, visit fathomaway.com.

Photos: Courtesy of Spoleto Festival; courtesy of Heirloom Book Company.

Measure 26-125
will renew a three-year levy of 89 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value to support the library systems Central Library and 18 branches. The current levy expires in June.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) April 27, 2012

Romantic “Titanic” fans who uttered the same guttural cry of remorse Rose did when she finally let the Heart of the Ocean necklace slip into the Atlantic’s chilly waters can recapture the sentiment behind that unforgettable jewelry piece. Topazery Jewelry an online boutique that specializes in vintage and antique pendants and necklaces like the one featured in the second highest-grossing movie of all time, is currently carrying two antique style pendants that would do a love like Jack and Rose’s proud.

According to a recent “Scientific American” article titled “The Real Heart of the Ocean,” the necklace around which Jack and Rose’s fictional “Titanic” love affair revolved actually existed. Although the real deal “wasn’t a blue diamond, … wasn’t heart-shaped … and wasn’t called the Heart of the Ocean,” there was “definitely a love story involved.” And like the movie’s female protagonist, Rose, its owner lost the love of her life when the ocean liner cataclysmically collided with an iceberg 100 years ago.

The genuine article, which is “now known as The Love of the Sea,” actually featured a rectangular sapphire surrounded by diamonds and was set in platinum, but “Titanic” fans will forever link the heart-shaped pendant featured in the film with love so enduring even death cannot sever it. Despite an elderly Rose dropping that pivotal jewelry piece into the ocean in the film’s penultimate scene, all is not lost for those who covet it. Devotees of the ill-fated would-be Mr. and Mrs. Dawson can now own their very own heart that goes on and on.

In honor of the 100-year anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking, and the re-release of the massively popular film, the antique jewelry boutique Topazery is currently carrying two heart-shaped pendants. The first, a vintage style 14k white gold pendant is classically simple in a way Rose would have approved of. It features six cut-out hearts surrounding a focal point open-weave heart. Each of the exterior hearts is accented with a diamond.

For those “Titanic” fans who favor more lavish attention being paid to them like the sunken ship’s first-class passengers enjoyed, Topazery also carries a fancier heart-shaped pendant. This large open-work heart is encircled by a grapevine wreath with diamond dusted roses tucked amongst its branches. Both Titanic-esque pendant necklaces are made from original 1930′s molds, giving them the ageless antique appeal of the 100-year-old seafaring disaster’s famous necklace.

For more information on how to honor a never-ending love affair with an antique style pendant that is as eternal as the love between Titanic’s Jack and Rose, contact Jan Walden at (678) 528-8901. To see the antique style heart pendants Topazery Jewelry currently has to offer, visit Topazery.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/4/prweb9449461.htm

Deadline.com reported the news on Sunday, which also happened to be the day ABC aired the final episode of Marc Cherrys previous hit, Desperate Housewives to more than 11 million fans.

Though not a scripted series, former All My Children fans will still get to see Lucci in a semi-soapy new reality show with Investigation Discoverys new series, Deadly Affairs.  The show premieres in September and will air in Riverside on DirecTV channel 285 and Dish Network channel 192.

Investigation Discovery promises the show will cover everything from love triangles that implode to office romances exposed; from sleeping with the enemy to bedding your best friends husband; and from grooms ditching the ceremony with a bridesmaid in tow to swingers deciding the grass actually is greener; stories of passionate love affairs turned crimes of passion arent just happening on daytime television. They happen in real life and, sometimes, are even stranger than fiction.

UK-based dating website Illicit Encounters conducted a survey among its 640,000 members and announced 19.21 percent of male BMW owners have admitted of being unfaithful to their partners, reported by carsguide.com.au.

Theres an intrinsic link between success and cheating. Successful people are often risk-takers and have got to where they are by setting their standards high. However, these people are also less likely to settle for unsatisfying relationships or monotony, said Rosie Freeman-Jones, spokesperson for Illicit Encounters.

Like Us on Facebook :

Audi came in second with 8.79 percent, followed by Mercedes, 8.23 percent, Jaguar, 6.5 percent, and Land Rover, 4.94 percent.

The survey was under the heading of Stuff We Dont Need To Know But Will Read Anyway.

The unusual move by Miss Globalcity Pageant, the largest home-grown beauty contest, comes amid public concern over revelations of celebrity love affairs.

To join, women must sign an agreement to abide by contest rules – this now includes not becoming a mistress.

Any woman found to be involved in such an affair will be disqualified.

Seven women, including two past winners, have already made a public pledge representing this years contestants, organisers said.

Standing in front of news photographers and reporters, they shouted: Happy City – say no to being a mistress!

Contest organiser Fifi Chang says the agreement will stay in place for a year, adding that the new rule is aimed at preserving families.

In the past, weve never done this, but we decided to do it this year because it seems being a mistress has become a trend, Ms Chang said.

We hope to teach the women to have a correct attitude. Its not a very good road to go down. So you first must refuse the man.

Celebrity revelation

Although the agreement only stays in effect for one year, Ms Chang said she hopes the women will stay away from married men even after the year they are involved in pageant activities.

It introduced the rule because of the recent admission by one of Taiwans biggest baseball heroes, Chien-ming Wang, that he had an eight-month affair.

The revelation shocked the public. Mr Wang, a pitcher for the Washington Nationals, is beloved by many Taiwanese not only for his pitching skills before he suffered injuries, but also for helping to raise Taiwans international profile, at least in the world of baseball.

The topic of home wrecking has also received a lot of attention. Many Taiwanese were engrossed in a popular soap opera last year that portrayed a mistress tearing apart a family.

Many girls think its OK to be a mistress, because young people nowadays want whatever they desire. They dont think about the consequences, said Ms Chang.

Signing the agreement to abide by the contests rules and not hurt the image of the pageant, inevitably meant not taking part in an extra-marital affair, Ms Chang said, adding that she was confident the media and netizens would help expose women who lied.

Dozens of women have signed up for the contest so far and up to 200 are expected to join by the end of registration deadline in late May.

The contest will kick off in June, with the winner to be chosen in August.

Between the big followings on social media, having his own chant in the Cauldron (Sportings raucous supporters section) and the hand-lettered MARRY ME SOONY signs in the stands, its safe to say the young forward is feeling the love.

Now, he wants to make as big a splash on the pitch as he has in the hearts of the faithful.

Betty White blew kisses to a cheering audience as she took the stage with Karen Grigsby Bates on Sunday at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

“Well my goodness, nobody showed up!” White, once seated, joked to the audience that spilled out of the seats provided, packing into the lawns and any available space surrounding the Los Angeles Times Stage during the sunny afternoon. Yes, White is hot — even in cities outside Cleveland.

The self-proclaimed “zoophile” discussed her book “Betty amp; Friends: My Life at the Zoo,” her love of animals and the zoo known as Hollywood in her conversation with Bates. The NPR correspondent opened by asking White how long she had been interested in animals. “In the womb is where the interest started,” White said.

PHOTOS: Festival of Books

The longtime TV personality charmed the audience with numerous anecdotes about animals, starting with one from her childhood involving a white mouse she named Pluto that she bought for a nickel at school during lunch, a purchase her mother was none too happy about.