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Denise Robbins, a software engineering manager by day, integrates her knowledge of computers and technology into all her techno-romantic thriller novels. Her published works include It Happens in Threes and Killer Bunny Hill with Connect the Dots and Never Tempt Danger scheduled for release in 2010.I saw down with Denise and asked about the unique combination of technology and fiction.Your computer background has obviously been a big factor in the plots of your books. How did you become interested in technology?
It all started when I was a kid. In elementary school we went on a field trip to an electronics shop. In there, we saw all kinds of cool gadgets like small calculators, electronic games, and then… a computer. Holy cow! I could play chess on the computer.About that same time, my dad brought home a modem. I’m not talking the modems you pick up today that fit in the palm of your hand, we’re talking a behemoth of a machine that looked like a typewriter with a phone coupler attached to it.Some readers may not understand the significance of computers in fighting crime. Explain how important an understanding of new technologies can be in staying ahead of the bad guy.
Computers are used a great deal more than people think in regards to fighting crime. One simple example is the FBI’s website that gives the public information on some of the criminals they are searching for. This website not only informs the public, but now there are large numbers of people on the lookout for the ‘bad guys.’Local police departments have computers in every patrol car, which can be used in different scenarios. Remember the last time you were pulled over? The police officer can put your license plate into the computer and check if the car was stolen, your driving record, or even your car registration. A police officer making a routine stop may not seem like any big deal or use for computer technology, but what you may not realize is that the same computer that told the officer the car was stolen, can also provide arrest and warrant information. Information attained via the computer by the officer makes him/her more capable of making the right decision of how to approach the situation.Computers also give law enforcement the resources and technology needed to keep up with modern day criminals in the cyber world. Some criminals steal people’s identities or purchase goods with someone else’s credit cards over the Internet. Internet felons commit all sorts of crimes such as downloading child pornography, even trying to convince minors to meet them somewhere, which could result in abduction. Without computers, it would be nearly impossible to catch felons of this nature. Through computers law enforcement agencies can watch these actions and make the web safer.Because of computers and instant access to large amounts of information, law enforcement agents have the power to turn a possible dangerous situation into a much safer one sooner rather than later.Explain a little about nanotechnology and its current uses.
Nanotechnology is a technology based on the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules to build structures to complex, atomic specifications. The nanoscale is about a thousand times smaller than micro that is, about 1/80,000 of the diameter of a human hair.Items already available in the marketplace include: burn and wound dressings, water filtration, dental-bonding agent, coatings for easier cleaning glass, bumpers and catalytic converters on cars, protective and glare-reducing coatings for eyeglasses and cars, sunscreens and cosmetics, stain-free clothing and mattresses, ink, longer-lasting tennis balls, and lightweight and stronger tennis rackets.A ski jacket produced by Franz Ziener GmbH&Co is based on nanotechnology. The windproof and waterproof properties are not obtained by a surface coating of the jacket but by the use of nanofibres.The company InMat makes long-lasting tennis-balls by coating the inner core with clay polymer nanocomposites. These tennis-balls have twice the lifetime of conventional balls.What do you see happening with nanotechnology in the future?
Today, we have just scratched the surface on what nanotechnology will do for us. There are many nanotechnology applications in research and development. In the field of medicine, there will be Qdots that identify the location of cancer cells in the body and Nanoparticles that deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to cancer cells to minimize damage to healthy cells. Can you imagine not having to expose the entire body to chemotherapy but only the part that requires the treatment?Nanotechnology is huge in the science and technology area as well, in particular, manmade diamonds. In recent years, there has been research into producing manmade diamonds, no, not cubic zirconia, but “real” diamonds grown in a lab and not in nature. Manmade diamonds is a huge breakthrough that will only get bigger. The diamond has the largest thermal conductivity of any material. With every improvement in computer chip technology, the machines get faster and hotter. At some point the chips and computer insides will melt. Diamonds are the answer for faster computers without the heat factor. For the same thermal conductivity reason, manmade diamonds could help make lasers of extreme power. The material could allow a cell phone to fit into a watch and iPods to store 10,000 movies, not just 10,000 songs.I could go on, but you get the idea. Nanotechnology is the next great wave and I’m hoping it hits soon.What are some of the challenges in blending cutting-edge technology with fiction?
The challenge in creating techno-fiction is knowing how to keep the story moving at the same time giving enough of a visual picture of the technology so the reader understands without dumping boring information on top of their head.It seems like the field of technology is more of a man’s world. How did you end up in the field and why do you think there aren’t more women involved?I think since my dad was in technology, not the same as I am involved today, I was destined for computers.Taking a job with a government contractor for the Department of Defense hooked me on technology. I was part of a team that built software for use in military medical facilities. It was when I taught computer programs and programming to adults that I found my love for all that ‘geeky’ computer stuff. There is nothing like watching the spark in somebody’s eyes as the light bulb goes on inside their head after they have learned to write code and see the result.Why there are not more women in science and technology is a question that has been asked quite a lot in recent years. One simple answer is how parents and teachers present information technology professions and other occupations to their daughters and students. It is about encouraging and providing role models.
Another explanation for the lack of women in information technology careers is misconception and preference. Why do I say that as if they are com-mingled? Many people believe working in IT is solitary. They imagine someone sitting in front of a computer eight hours or more a day with no one to talk with. Ask any of the engineers that work for and with me and they will let you know that is not the case.In general, women prefer to work with people while men prefer to work with things. With the solitary misconception out there, many women are choosing other careers.Do you have a lot of male readers because of your interesting plots? How do you draw them in?
To be honest, I am not certain that I have too many male readers yet, but I have a few and I want more. I think once the guys know that my novels are based on interesting and real technology, have suspense and mystery woven in with action and adventure that they will want to read them. All it takes is a few good men… to spread the word.While my novels are fiction, when my hero or heroine is shooting a weapon, all readers should know that I have done the research and had the experience several times. My first time shooting anything, but a shotgun at skeet (of which I am a very good shot), was when I wrote It Happens in Threes. I had to know what it felt like. I contacted a friend who taught me all the various right and wrongs and who enjoyed seeing me struggle filling a clip and always forgetting to take the safety off.Right now, my attempt at “drawing them in” is to give a guy I see a copy of the book, ask him to read it, and let me know what he thinks. So far, the response has been positive. The other little tidbit that helps draw the men in as that I have other men review and edit my novels for the male perspective. It always helps me when Steve or David say, “No guy would say that.” Then they wrinkle their noses and slash away at my work. I am very grateful. I also have friends who are former military and they correct some of my ideas as well.How do you handle the fine line between giving too much technological information and making the story flow?
This is an excellent question. Computer stuff can be very dry and boring, take it from me. What I do is take technology and introduce the readers to it in small pieces, like breadcrumbs of information, so that technology is part of the mystery or part of the solution in the puzzle. I take the technology and break it down so my characters show you just enough to make you understand, and at the same time get curious. Wait until you find out about nanotechnology in Killer Bunny Hill. I’ll give you a hint – Diamonds aren’t just a girl’s best friend.Where do you come up with your story ideas?
My story ideas come from various places and most the time it is just a matter of sitting down with pen and paper and asking myself about the particular characters I have just identified in my mind. Sometimes, as in the case of my second novel Killer Bunny Hill, the seed for novel will just hit me while flying across the country on a plane. In the case of my fourth novel Never Tempt Danger, the idea came from a dream. Those are just the beginnings, now I have to construct a story line and that takes a little more effort.Sometimes I take from my own experiences with technology, but that is still limited in scope. So what do I do? Well, here is my answer.I did some research once for work when I accidentally ran across an article on ‘manmade diamonds’ and using them as computer chips. As I continued to read the story, I found out about an organization known as DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. This agency is the central research and development office for the Department of Defense. They fund all kinds of technology research in order to keep our military technologically superior and in turn keep us safe and military personnel safe. Cool stuff!Thanks for taking the time to talk with me today, Denise!

SEO is a term that many business owners will have heard of but may not understand very well. As a business owner you need to know most importantly what SEO can do and why it is important to you and your business however at the same time you need to understand how it works. By understanding how SEO works you can make sure you are choosing an efficient and affordable SEO company and also know what to expect and when.Here are the four main things you need to know about SEO1. A definition of SEO SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, also it’s worth knowing that when talking about it you say the letters S.E.O rather than trying to pronounce SEO as a word. Search Engine Optimization is actually optimization of your website for the sake of search engine rankings: i.e. to make sure your website shows up high in results for relevant search terms that people are looking for. Also worth knowing when looking for a good affordable SEO company is the difference between On-page and Off-page SEO: On-Page SEO is what you do to the pages of your website to increase your search engine rankings. Off-Page SEO is things you do elsewhere such as building links to your website.2. What SEO can do for your businessSearch Engine Optimization comes under marketing but is an indirect way of getting traffic to your site, what SEO is good for though is getting targeted traffic to your website. SEO is compared to many types of marketing and even compared to other online marketing very affordable if you find the right affordable SEO company. The effects of SEO though do sometimes take some time to work and it is an effort driven activity mainly: though of course skill does come into it as well. SEO by making your website appear on Google and other search engines in the first few results for search terms that are highly relevant, and which a lot of people are looking, is a great way to promote your business: highly targeted and to people already searching for what you are offering.3. Elements of On-Page SEO Keyword research is important, some companies will try to get you to the top of search engines for the wrong keywords. A good value and affordable SEO company though will focus on keywords that are very relevant to your website’s individual pages, don’t have so much competition that you will never get to the top and do have plenty of traffic, if this research phase isn’t done you could just be wasting your money. These keywords are then put on to your website’s pages, ideally not too many on each page and repeated a few times on the pages they are on. These search terms tell Google that your website is related to what people are searching for. Also important for on-page SEO is that the pages of your site are well designed and easy for search engine’s software to read when they analyze your site.4. Off-Page SEO- Link BuildingOff page Search Engine Optimization comes down to link building almost purely. An affordable SEO company will ensure that you have plenty of links built from relevant websites that are well thought of by Google and other search engines themselves. A poor SEO company may build you a lot of poor quality links that could actually damage your website’s position.

Life Insurance: A Slice of HistoryThe modern insurance contracts that we have today such as life insurance, originated from the practice of merchants in the 14th century. It has also been acknowledged that different strains of security arrangements have already been in place since time immemorial and somehow, they are akin to insurance contracts in its embryonic form.The phenomenal growth of life insurance from almost nothing a hundred years ago to its present gigantic proportion is not of the outstanding marvels of present-day business life. Essentially, life insurance became one of the felt necessities of human kind due to the unrelenting demand for economic security, the growing need for social stability, and the clamor for protection against the hazards of cruel-crippling calamities and sudden economic shocks. Insurance is no longer a rich man’s monopoly. Gone are the days when only the social elite are afforded its protection because in this modern era, insurance contracts are riddled with the assured hopes of many families of modest means. It is woven, as it were, into the very nook and cranny of national economy. It touches upon the holiest and most sacred ties in the life of man. The love of parents. The love of wives. The love of children. And even the love of business.Life Insurance as Financial ProtectionA life insurance policy pays out an agreed amount generally referred to as the sum assured under certain circumstances. The sum assured in a life insurance policy is intended to answer for your financial needs as well as your dependents in the event of your death or disability. Hence, life insurance offers financial coverage or protection against these risks.Life Insurance: General ConceptsInsurance is a risk-spreading device. Basically, the insurer or the insurance company pools the premiums paid by all of its clients. Theoretically speaking, the pool of premiums answers for the losses of each insured.Life insurance is a contract whereby one party insures a person against loss by the death of another. An insurance on life is a contract by which the insurer (the insurance company) for a stipulated sum, engages to pay a certain amount of money if another dies within the time limited by the policy. The payment of the insurance money hinges upon the loss of life and in its broader sense, life insurance includes accident insurance, since life is insured under either contract.Therefore, the life insurance policy contract is between the policy holder (the assured) and the life insurance company (the insurer). In return for this protection or coverage, the policy holder pays a premium for an agreed period of time, dependent upon the type of policy purchased.In the same vein, it is important to note that life insurance is a valued policy. This means that it is not a contract of indemnity. The interest of the person insured in hi or another person’s life is generally not susceptible of an exact pecuniary measurement. You simply cannot put a price tag on a person’s life. Thus, the measure of indemnity is whatever is fixed in the policy. However, the interest of a person insured becomes susceptible of exact pecuniary measurement if it is a case involving a creditor who insures the life of a debtor. In this particular scenario, the interest of the insured creditor is measurable because it is based on the value of the indebtedness.Common Life Insurance PoliciesGenerally, life insurance policies are often marketed to cater to retirement planning, savings and investment purposes apart from the ones mentioned above. For instance, an annuity can very well provide an income during your retirement years.Whole life and endowment participating policies or investment linked plans (ILPs) in life insurance policies bundle together a savings and investment aspect along with insurance protection. Hence, for the same amount of insurance coverage, the premiums will cost you more than purchasing a pure insurance product like term insurance.The upside of these bundled products is that they tend to build up cash over time and they are eventually paid out once the policy matures. Thus, if your death benefit is coupled with cash values, the latter is paid out once the insured dies. With term insurance however, no cash value build up can be had.The common practice in most countries is the marketing of bundled products as savings products. This is one unique facet of modern insurance practice whereby part of the premiums paid by the assured is invested to build up cash values. The drawback of this practice though is the premiums invested become subjected to investment risks and unlike savings deposits, the guaranteed cash value may be less than the total amount of premiums paid.Essentially, as a future policy holder, you need to have a thorough assessment of your needs and goals. It is only after this step where you can carefully choose the life insurance product that best suits your needs and goals. If your target is to protect your family’s future, ensure that the product you have chosen meets your protection needs first.Real World ApplicationIt is imperative to make the most out of your money. Splitting your life insurance on multiple policies can save you more money. If you die while your kids are 3 & 5, you will need a lot more life insurance protection than if your kids are 35 & 40. Let’s say your kids are 3 & 5 now and if you die, they will need at least $2,000,000 to live, to go to college, etc. Instead of getting $2,000,000 in permanent life insurance, which will be outrageously expensive, just go for term life insurance: $100,000 for permanent life insurance, $1,000,000 for a 10-year term insurance, $500,000 for a 20-year term insurance, and $400,000 of 30 years term. Now this is very practical as it covers all that’s necessary. If you die and the kids are 13 & 15 or younger, they will get $2M; if the age is between 13-23, they get $1M; if between 23-33, they get $500,000; if after that, they still get $100,000 for final expenses and funeral costs. This is perfect for insurance needs that changes over time because as the children grow, your financial responsibility also lessens. As the 10, 20, and 30 years term expires, payment of premiums also expires thus you can choose to use that money to invest in stocks and take risks with it.In a world run by the dictates of money, everyone wants financial freedom. Who doesn’t? But we all NEED financial SECURITY. Most people lose sight of this important facet of financial literacy. They invest everything and risk everything to make more and yet they end up losing most of it, if not all- this is a fatal formula. The best approach is to take a portion of your money and invest in financial security and then take the rest of it and invest in financial freedom.Ultimately, your financial plan is constantly evolving because you are constantly evolving. You can’t set a plan and then forget it. You need to keep an open eye on your money to make sure it is working hard because that money needs to feed you for the next 20-30+ years that you will be in retirement. You have to know how to feed your money now so that it can feed you later.

Finding discount air travel can be one of the best ways that you can manage to get a cheaper trip. Traveling today can be very expensive, no matter where you are going or what you want to be doing. The air travel, as well, can also be frustrating. Therefore, you want to be sure that you are able to find the right type of discount air travel for your needs.First of all, it is important to look at how finding cheap airfare can help you out. If you are able to find discount air travel, it means that you are able to get a great deal on the traveling that you are already doing. Many people simply figure in the cost of their airfare when they plan a trip, which means that they don’t bother to look for any better deals or any cheaper airfare. However, great deals on airfare can save you much more than you know. If you are able to save a few hundred dollars on your airfare, you will be able to spend that money in other ways as you travel – which will also be very meaningful for you.Finding discount air travel, however, is going to be the tough part because the air fare is usually one of the most expensive components of a trip. As you are planning your trip, you might be tempted to simply book the first flight that you find – or the one that is the most direct flight. However, these have all been shown to be the most expensive, and so if you really want to save money on this type of travel, you are going to have to be willing to do your research. Doing research is something that might take some time. However, it has been proven that if you spend some time doing research, you can save up to 70%, or even more, on the same trip at list prices.In order to find discount air travel, you need to know what you are looking for ahead of time. You can do this by making a list of the exact specifications you will need to meet to plan your trip – the airfare, your rental car, your hotel and everything else that is pertinent should be planned out ahead of time. This will allow you to get the most out of the planning process and to save money while you are at it. Can you be flexible on your travel dates? If so, you can sometimes save significantly.In today’s tough economic times, it is important to do everything that you can to save money. In this case, a little bit of research goes a long way towards saving you cash and helping you find the best deal, especially for discount air travel as well as the other components of your trip like a rental car and hotel.

Payday Loans are the loans which are granted for a very small amount of time on the guarantee that they would be repaid as soon as the next salary or income from their source of earning. Such loans have an extremely high rate of interest and are called by different names such as payday advance, payroll loan, salary loan, small dollar loan or cash advance loan. A payday loan can be offered to anybody irrespective of their credibility. The bank does not see the credit worthiness of the borrower in case of granting this type of loan as it is granted for only 15-20 days and is not long term. The borrower should, however, keep in mind that taking a payday loan would not increase his credibility in the market. He, nevertheless, should have a steady income, permanent bank account and a work experience of at least 6 months to avail this loan.Online payday loans are becoming more and more popular these days. One the best thing about online payday loan is its simple application process. The application takes less than 5 minutes to complete and the portal is usually open 24 hours a day. The borrower can simply file the application for the loan online and the funds are transferred by direct deposit to the borrower’s account. The repayment of loan in such a case is directly withdrawn electronically from the borrower’s account after he gets his next salary or after his post-dated cheque becomes mature. A list of the Direct Payday Lenders is as follows:

Check Cash: They give their approval application within 5 minutes by providing loans online or at their offices is U.S.

CashAdvance.com: They provide an online payday loan once the customer is approved by checking his valid account and not any prepaid or savings account.

Cash Central: This is one of the oldest payday lenders in the country with a 24*7 online application portal.

MypaydayLoan: This too provides the customer with an approval response within 4 minutes of a completed application form. It is one of the largest of its kind in the country.

Blue Trust Loans: It funds loans between $300 to $1250 in almost every state. With a payoff time of 6 months approx.., these loans have no penalty for repayment.

MoneyLion: They offer loans to almost every state in the country with varying rates and terms in each state. It has loan programs available for consumers on all ends of the credit score spectrum.

Net Credit: It provides an instant approval decision with no borrowing limits for first timers. Applicants are eligible for $1000 to $10000 loans.

Maxlend: They have many different loans and terms and credit worthiness is not a criterion which is considered. It offers personal loans up to $1300.

There are some jurisdictions which limit the amount of interest charged on loans including payday loans. Depending on the method used, the annual percentage rate (APR) of each loan may be different. In U.S.A, for example, the Uniform Small Loans Laws (USLL) has fixed the APR between 36% to 40%. The major advantages that these types of loans provide major profitability to the industry, welfare for the households is increased as people who do not require short term loans can avail long term loans easily and it provides a service which is unavailable in the market as the requirement of the loan is usually by people who have exhausted all their other options of buying short-term credit. This type of loans is also criticized by some people on the ground that they drain money from the low-income group communities by charging exorbitantly high rate of interest. Also, in some countries, the collection practices of the lenders are extremely aggressive unlike in countries like U.S where there is a standard collection practice set by the law.

One of the most enjoyable places in a home is its garden. People want a garden which is attractive as well as pleasing. With proper design and planning a garden can be made to look marvelous. Garden furniture is useful when a person wants to enjoy and admire the beauty and tranquility of a garden in full bloom. A garden that adds to the charm of a house needs special garden furniture to appreciate the finished effect of a beautiful home and its grounds. With the wide variety of garden furniture available today, it is easy to find furniture that will look great with any style of garden.A garden contains several kinds of furniture so that people have the flexibility to use their gardens in many different ways. In fact, many gardens contain several types of furniture. There are various materials that are used for the making garden furniture such as wood, iron, wrought iron, as well as plastic. Each of the materials has their own visual effect. The selection of material in garden furniture depends on individual taste and budget. Wood is a costly material while plastic is easily affordable for most people. The garden furniture also depends on their usage – for mere comfort or entertaining luxury.For garden entertaining plenty of seating arrangements should be made. This includes garden furniture like benches and deck chairs for more flexibility. For alfresco meals a big garden table may do justice or one that has extra leaves so that there is plenty of room for the dishes. A pretty parasol as a canopy in the garden table ensures protection from the sun as well as during less than perfect weather days.If one wants to avoid the sun but also relax in the garden, a hammock in a shady area is perfect garden furniture. It is not always needed to fasten the hammocks between two trees. Instead the hammock can be fastened to two four by four posts that are cemented into the ground. For a quick and simple solution, one can also choose a hammock that works with a hammock stand.And if one loves regular sun-bathing then consider adding a sun lounger to the patio or deck. Furnish it well to get the maximize comfort from the patio set up. There are varied styles and types of patio furniture to choose from. A patio heater as a garden furniture extends the use of the garden even in chilly winters.
While wandering through the garden one should ensure that there are comfort zones to linger in. These places are ideal spots for garden furniture like benches or a few chairs and a side table. A decorative garden bench in any corner of the garden is a simple addition without attracting too much attention to detail.To enjoy the garden from inside the home, one can simply opt for efficient double glazing to keep the home warm. Matching garden furniture with the style of window frames, for example aluminum frames and metal patio furniture is very attractive. No matter what garden furniture one chooses, the important thing is to match it with the overall garden style and landscape design.