“Can Your Passions Save You? Series 2: What do Passions Bring You?”

Are you sick to death of your job? Are you one of the many Americans who just hate getting up in the morning and having to deal with whatever day you think you might have ahead? I used to be like you, dreading even waking up. I used to think there was no hope and I could barely go outside to find it. I’m here to tell you there is hope.
Hope is energy. Hope is an unlimited supply of force that propels you forward when nothing was there before. How I got my hope, wasn’t from a pill or my favorite pastry, it was from my passion for writing. My passions are what gave me hope when I thought I had none. Even writing this to you now I feel scared. I’m scared of tomorrow and of what will happen. My hope is the light that pushes that fear away, my hope is fueled by my passions.
Writing is not my only passion. Health, beauty, and the environment are also things in life I feel inspire and motivate me. I try to use them in conjunction with my main passion, writing, to get the most out of my talents. Everyone has talents. You, reading this, may have a talent no one else has. Perhaps you’re the best at this one thing, or good at many things. In my book, Can Your Passions Save You?, I guide you through, step by step, what it takes to identify and harness your passions.
The world is meant to be full of meaning and purpose. When you’ve lost your purpose you feel frustrated, in darkness. Let me help you, through my story, learn to help yourself, push yourself through the tough times. Some things are meant to only be healed through time, the trick is lasting until you reach that point. Your passions will help you last. I can guide you in your search for your passions to truly know what you’re meant to do and how you’re meant to do it. The ride of course, is unknown. You don’t know how you’ll get there, or even when, but with determination and your passions showing you the way, you’ll be able to withstand all the trials and tribulations. All you have to do is spend $5.
I know what you must be thinking, this is a tough economy. Why should you waste $5 on a book when you spend that on food? It’s because food will only nourish your body, my book can help nourish your soul. I don’t sugar coat anything in my story, I tell you the facts, what really happened, and how my passions truly saved me. I wrote Can Your Passions Save You? because I saw so many people out there confused about what to do in life and feeling bored. I wanted to contribute something to this world that could actually benefit people in the long run.
So don’t spend those $5 on a game you’re only going to play for a couple of days, a ringtone you like, or your morning coffee, spend it on something that will work for a lifetime. Ten years from now you can look back at my book, your own life, and see how you’ve grown and changed. You can do anything you set your mind to. I’m living proof. I was a suicidal college dropout. Now, in just three years, I have my Bachelor’s in English, and  I wrote three books, all with no help from anyone, just relying on my passions. Believe in your power, believe in the world, and most of all believe there is hope.

Bless you,
Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

If you wish to purchase my book, please go here.

“Can Your Passions Save You? Series 8: You Say What Now?”

I don’t know about you, but I used to not be very assertive. I was the quiet one who kept saying sorry even when someone bumped into me. I was the good girl who always did what she was told and never questioned anything. Now I speak my mind and let it be known how I feel. How do you think I was able to do that?
Life is pretty simple if you think about it. You live in some sort of shelter, you “hunt” for food, you go to the bathroom, find a possible mate, and maybe reproduce. The problem is we, the human race, aren’t simple. We aren’t like tigers who just live by themselves or monkeys who fight for territory. We are domesticated, social beings who have to talk our way into not only getting what we want, but also helping and connecting with others.That’s where the whole being assertive comes into play.
Being assertive means being clear with your intentions, wants, and needs. There’s no round about way when you’re assertive. You say it like it is without putting behind it, any strong emotions. Some people confuse being assertive with being angry or standing up for one’s self. That’s something different. The key to successfully showing what you want is owning up to the responsibility you have of interacting with another person who has the same goal as you of expressing wants and needs and being able to state without being overly emotional or critical, how you’re going to go about doing it. I’ll give you an example.
Lady A goes to Mr. B at a cafe and asks him for some coffee. She explains she find him attractive and wants to talk. Mr. B doesn’t want to, but also doesn’t want to hurt her feelings. He tries to play it nice and just nods. Lady A takes it as a yes and continues to flirt with him. This gets him upset and he forces himself to realize he has to state clearly what he wants from her.
Mr. B explains to her that although she is a nice, young woman, he does not feel the same way and doesn’t want to talk to her anymore. Even if the woman is offended, she sees his face and body language and understands there’s no point in continuing and leaves. Real life isn’t going to be this easy all the time, but you’ll be surprised how easy it is to get what you want when you clearly state it with tact and honesty.
In my book, Can Your Passions Save You?, I show you how you can learn to be assertive by developing a stronger sense of self. How can you tell people what you want, when you don’t know what you want? Your passions are your fingerprint, they’ll guide you to your true desires and in turn help you have a deeper understanding of self. Tell the world what you want, you’ll be surprised with the outcome.

Bless you,
Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

Click here to buy the book

“Can Your Passions Save You? Series 7: Don’t Believe in Luck”

Funny how when you least expect it, something lucky happens. Yep, you get a package in the mail of a duplicate order of your favorite shirt you just bought online and you weren’t charged twice for it. I’m here to tell you that kind of stuff will never happen if you wish for it. Probability is the name of the game when it comes to certain things, and that is much more helpful to you then expecting some random occurrence. That’s why it’s random, randomness can’t be expected.
Why am I bringing this up? It’s because a lot of people, me included, rely on luck to help us through certain things in life without realizing luck has nothing to do with it. If it’s a test you hope you didn’t flunk even though you didn’t study for, or a chance meeting with Mr. Right at a club full of dirt bags, you just can’t count on luck for bupkiss. I never knew what bupkiss meant. Is that even a word? Luck would have it I don’t have my phone with me to check. See what I’m getting at?
Probability is what some people (like me) mistake for luck. If you know all about probability, you’ll know the trick to getting a desired income with probability is setting yourself up to have the best chances. That means understanding the rules of the game, following them, and acquiring as many resources as needed. A good instance would be, being a chef.
Let’s say you want to be a world famous chef. You see a flier that says win a chance to work for a famous chef, just enter the contest. You sit there and hope that someday you’ll make it, maybe even wish for Wolfgang Puck to show up to your door and say work for his kitchen. Some time passes and nothing happens. You don’t win. Now you’re short $10 and no where close to being a world famous chef.
You’ve had enough of daydreaming and decide to apply for culinary school. You get in and even get financial aid. You work hard and sure enough get a local gig at a new restaurant and become a chef. Then you decide to master a signature dish and ask a famous blogger to feature it. You butter him up, wow him with your skill and he grants your request. Now everyone sees what an amazing chef you are. But that didn’t happen with luck. It happened with probability, it happened with passion.
Can Your Passions Save You is my book that shows you how you can use your passions to never rely on dumb luck again. It’s funny, the minute you stop relying on luck, it just comes to you in the most wonderful ways. Your passions can put you back into the driver seat of your journey and will allow to have those wonderful, dumb luck moments. Rely on yourself and believe in creating your own “luck”.

Remember, life is about dealing with what comes to you. Stop trying to guess what will happen and do it.

Bless You,
Rosemary Jasmine Rivera
Click here for book

“Can Your Passions Save You? Series 6: Return of the Bulge”

Obesity sucks, especially because when people look at an obese person they think, “Man she let herself go.” You don’t want to be like that, no one does. The problem is more and more women are turning to purging and fasting to keep slim. Is it worth that number on the scale? Do you feel like you just can’t control it? I’m here to tell you, you can.
I myself have dealt with Bulimia. It used to get worse the more stressed out I got. Even though I’m still recovering, I learned to be happy with my body regardless of how “big” or “small” I am. Let me tell you, it’s worked. Without being so obsessed with being a certain weight, I managed to keep my weight stable for the past 2 years. I’m not going to lie and say I don’t go back to old habits every now and then, but it’s not as bad as it was before.
One of the ways I was able to curb my disorder was my passions for health and writing. I researched what a healthy diet consists of and I wrote down a lot of the anxieties and worries that were plaguing me. It gave me peace of mind to know I could still get better even though I was so obsessed with the whole binge, purge cycle. When I finally expressed how I felt through writing, it made me have a sense of relief and understanding. I wrote down my thoughts on being thin and how I planned to do it. I even vowed never to be Bulimic again.  I realized it’s not realistic to tell yourself you will never binge or purge.
Life is a constant flow of randomness and uncertainty. You never know what will or can happen. What you can do is set realistic goals so when you regress, it will not be so damaging to you. I remember I used to set insane goals for weight loss. I told myself I would lose 30 lbs in 30 days. I was setting myself up for failure. When the pressure got to me, I snapped and GAINED 5 lbs. Now I tell myself, today I’m just going to be active and eat healthy, who cares if I lose. Guess what, I actually ended up losing a few pounds.
Let me show you how you can identify your passions to at least get you started on developing a stronger sense of self to combat that twisted self image you may have. My book, Can Your Passions Save You?, consists of ten chapters interwoven with my true story to show you how to deal with obstacles, set backs, and self esteem. Have faith you have the power to change your life, because at the end of the day, you’re the one who holds the key. You can be the beautiful person that you already are on the inside, by being kind to yourself on the outside. Show the world you’re a force of light.

Open the door to a better tomorrow by helping yourself today.
Bless You,
Rosemary Jasmine Rivera
Click here for the book

“Can Your Passions Save You? Series 5: Learning When to Let Go”

You just cheated on your diet or skipped class, or even worse, are stuck in a troubled relationship. You’re pulling your hair attempting to comprehend why you’re doing this and you can’t think of anything to explain it. You’re anxious and nervous and worrying about tomorrow. How do you fix it? How can you learn to let go?
I’m not a magician. I can’t instantly relieve your fears or bad habits. I can however assist you in becoming aware of what it is that’s going on. I was there in the same place you are in now, holding on for dear life. I’m here to tell you that when I finally began to let go, it was the proudest moment of my life; it can be the same for you.
The first step to letting go is knowing what it is that kept you hanging on in the first place.
How can you achieve that? Easy, I’ll walk you through it. Imagine the one instant in your life that makes your stomach turn. Each time you even think about it, it creates this heaviness inside you, where you feel tired and apathetic. Pull that memory out and into a box. Now imagine the happiest dream you’ve ever had. One where you felt complete and connected. Take that box holding the bad memory and open it inside the happy dream. When you open it, picture the box containing absolutely nothing.
Why would the box holding your worst feelings about something, contain nothing? It’s because that memory is in the past. It can’t exist anywhere else. If you stay in the past, that memory will be alive as ever and will grow and consume you. But if you put it in a box and move on, it can’t exist anymore. It’ll be confined to that box. What’s so powerful about a box?
Picture the box as your passions. The key that holds the power to confining those dark memories. In my book, Can Your Passions Save You?, I’ll show you through my own experience how to let go of your past and finally move on. It’s going to take a while for that box to have nothing inside, but the first step is the most important. Let me offer you that first step. Change is never easy, but when you get there, it’s the most amazing feeling.
Lastly, don’t be ashamed if you think about your past every now and then. We all look back and wonder, what if? You just have to snap out of it and keep going, no matter what. Let your passions get you there.

So quit holding on to things that are bad for you, and embrace your passions.
Bless You,
Rosemary Jasmine Rivera
Click here for the book.

"Can Your Passions Save You? Series 4: Accepting Responsibility"

You are the captain in the boat that is your life. You command in which direction your mast will be pointed towards. (Don’t start thinking perverted.) You control which crew mates can come on board and how fast you want your ship to go. So what happens when you stop being the captain of your ship?
From my personal experience, when I stopped taking control of my life, I stopped caring about it. I didn’t care how I dressed, how I looked, how I ate. All I cared about was being numb. All I cared about was how to get numb. Nothing else mattered to me.
That was a large chunk of my life. If you’re like me and feel that way right now, you have to look in the mirror and accept what is and take back control. Be responsible for your actions today. It doesn’t matter if you falter and stumble. As long as you claim what you’ve done and to whom you’ve done it to, even if it’s just yourself at first, that’s enough to move you forward. Really, progress isn’t based on achievement, but rather the courage to move past all that was.
You’re past could have been full of pain and despair. You could have been born with a rusted knife in your mouth instead of a silver spoon. That doesn’t mean it has to dictate how you’re going to be for the rest of your life. I’ll admit, when you have a bad start, it’s really difficult getting your bearings. You can’t give up. You can’t lose control of what makes you, you. Hard lives must be lived through patience.
The best way to learn patience is by being able to harness and focus on what you can do and let go of what’s out of your control. You can’t dictate the status of the weather or how a person will receive you. Don’t worry about that because at the end of the day, that’s out of your zone of ability. What you can do is put on a raincoat, wear your favorite outfit, and smile at whoever you’re facing. That is the key to accepting responsibility and moving on with your life.
My book, Can Your Passions Save You? deals with owning up to your actions and finding ways to continue. Passions can and will give you back your steering wheel to life because they are your deepest desires. They are the road maps to who you truly are. Let me just say, deep down, you’re an amazing person. We all are.

Let go of the past, move forward to your destiny.
Bless You,
Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

Click here for the Book

“Can Your Passions Save You? Series 3: Getting up When You’ve Fallen Down”

I can’t tell you how many times people have told me they’ve had it, they’ve made one too many mistakes and are done with it all. I get it, I make mistakes all the time. I make a fool of myself from never understanding advice given to me or never reading the instructions. I’m sure you have flubbed often yourself with a project for work or school or asking a person you like out on a date. The world it seems, is chock full of mistakes.
So what if it’s a world of mistakes? I love mistakes; you  want to know why? It’s because mistakes help a person grow and learn. You can’t learn from a mistake unless you understand what happened to make it and how to not repeat it again. If you’re stuck in the mistake and refuse to move on, you’ll be stagnant and still. In life that is the WORST thing you can do.
Imagine you’re on your couch or bed, and you’re sitting there not moving. People walk past you, a bird flies on your head, and nothing causes you to move. You just stay there motionless for hours. Eventually you stay there for so long your body has decayed. You haven’t eaten, you haven’t bathed, you haven’t even gone to the bathroom. It’s as if you’re a statue. The only thing is, you’re not a statue and this staying still business is killing you.
That’s what you’re doing when you stay stuck on a mistake. The more you ruminate, you focus on that tiny mistake, it becomes the anchor, the root, to an even bigger mistake. Because before, you were just sitting on that bed or sofa, completely fine. Now, after some time has past, you’re almost dead. The question then becomes, what can you do to stop hovering over this mistake and those mistakes in the past? The answer for me was clear.
My passions helped me get over the failures I deemed insurmountable. I used to be a perfectionist, so much so, that I wouldn’t do something in fear of doing it wrong. I was stuck, but my passions forced me to say, “You know what, it doesn’t hurt to try.” You have to try! You’ll  never know what’s out there unless you move. Yes you can make more mistakes in the future, and you most likely will because let’s face it, we’re human. But if you keep moving, keep going, no matter what life throws at you, you’ll be okay. Can Your Passions Save You? is my book that I wrote to help you learn to do just that.

So please, let go of staying still and get moving, because the saddest thing about falling down is never getting back up. Get back up, never give up, never give in, not even an inch. When you keep on getting back up, each time will be easier.

Bless you,
Rosemary Jasmine Rivera
Click here for the book

“Pearls of Wisdom Series 8: The Importance of Organic”

Welcome to my series known as: Pearls of Wisdom. This series focuses on a wide variety of topics that will guide you to a better state of being. Sometimes I discuss, in a step by step process, how to do something. Other times I will simply give information about an important topic. Feel free to check the remaining articles from this series in my blog.

I cannot stress how important it is to eat organic in America. In this day and age there are so many foods out there available to the American public that are ladened with chemicals and preservatives. The worst part is, the stuff you'd think is healthy could actually be dangerous to your health. From genetically modified corn and soy to pesticide ridden produce, how are we supposed to stay healthy? The answer is by eating better.

It's not just food that should be organic, it's beauty products as well. The harmful chemicals you're putting on your skin and hair do just as much damage as consuming them. You should always be aware and do your research concerning products you buy. Ironically even the most high end of beauty products can contain petrochemicals and preservatives that do more harm than good.

Let's start with the meaning or organic. I know a lot of food labels out there, including beauty products state their products are organic. It can be very misleading. First, see the percentage of organic items in the ingredients list or on the labels. If it says 100% certified organic, than it's a purely organic product. If that's the case, all the ingredients should have organic before each one. Second, even if it's not 100% organic, and it's just 10% organic, check which ingredients are used. Sulfates due damage to the skin and hair and any emulsifier that is not plant derived tend to come from toxic sources.

Not everyone cares if they have organic beauty products. If that's the case, then please check out the organic section of your supermarket and look for any thin skinned fruits and veggies. Thick skinned fruits like bananas or cantaloupe don't have to be organic because the skin is so thick, most of the pesticides will reside there, not in the pulp. Thin skinned fruits like apples and peaches should be picked organic whenever possible. Two food items that must always be organic is corn and soy. This is because corn and soy are being genetically modified to result in large volume yields. Not only are there pesticides on these two products, but they're not even natural anymore. (Make sure to check food labels to see if it contains corn syrup or soy product. These are used as fillers and are not good for your health.)

Eat Well and Be Healthy! If you liked what you read, be sure to check out my blog.

“Can Your Passions Save You?” Series 1: The Beginning

So here you are browsing the Inter-webs looking for something to keep you busy. Maybe you’re at work or in school, or at home. You have about 15 min to 2 hours worth of free time and figured why not look at some stuff to read. You come across this article and are reading this sentence right now. So, what’s supposed to happen? I’m asking the same question.

Let’s look at it this way. We are here today because our parents made love and decided to have us. Their passion to be with each other conceived and brought to the world a life, ours. So what are we supposed to do now? What are you supposed to do? Some people have that figured out already. They have their passions and their goals aligned and they’re good to go. Others may not be that lucky. Others may have really wanted to be a celebrity or a lady’s man and because of their less than stellar gene pool, have been forced to relinquish their dreams and work a minimum wage job. Or maybe they have an academic goal that seems too far away because there’s no money to pay for it. It could be a disability or even just an innate shyness that prevents them from going for what they truly desire in life. How then, are they supposed to find their way?

I’m not here to tell you I have the answers. I myself am figuring it all out. Like you, I don’t have a road map of where I’m supposed to be in the next year, heck in the next month, so I’m just winging it. There is however something that’s guiding me, albeit I’m still too blind to really see anything. What’s guiding me are my passions. My passions are the beacons of hope and joy that keep the fear at bay long enough to reach out and touch the world. It hasn’t gotten me wealth and power, or even a lot of success, but it has brought me to a point in my life where I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.


Passions are after all our fingerprint in the world. They are what we leave behind when our life has passed. It’s up to you choose whether to leave a deep, longlasting print, or one that fades in the wind. Sure life hasn’t exactly been easy, but we survived it, we left something behind, even if it’s just our name. Now we should leave more. We’re alive you know. We’re breathing, we’re conscious, and we have a chance to really help the world, the people we love, and ourselves. I come to ask the question again. What’s supposed to happen now? The answer is, anything you want. Just make sure to choose with your passions in mind. They are what define you, what stays behind after all the chaos, all the pain.

Good luck!

Article by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

For more on this series, be sure to check out my blog or buy the book of the same name on Kindle.
Click here

“How to Not Approach a Guy”

To start it off, let me just say I’ve had plenty of awkward moments come my way when I tried to talk to a guy that I liked. I was there, looking like a fool, while the guy tried to practically sign me to death that he wasn’t interested. Did I pay attention, get the hint? Obviously not or I wouldn’t be here writing this to you. I’d be sitting in a cottage somewhere with a hunk of a man with a good set of pipes, getting back rubs, if you know what I mean. So from me to you, here’s my Do nots on how to approach a guy.

Do not tell the guy your background until at least 3 dates in. Why? Easy my dear, because most guys just want to get it in or get out on the first date. They’re trying to size you up. If they see you’re blabbing off on how many boyfriends you cheated on or how lonely you were last week, or that you haven’t had sex in 5 years, they’re going to think you’re a nutcase or worse yet, a one night stand. If they do end up liking you’ll they’ll want to get to know you, but in a slow manner. It’ll be them asking the questions and you wisely answering them.

Do not lie your as$ off to impress or seem interesting. Eventually the truth will come out and you’ll end up looking like a pathological jerk with “issues”. Besides, even if you pull off the charade, it’ll get to you, knowing you can’t be your true self with the guy you’re dating. If a guy really loves you, he’ll love you for you. (The normal you, not the I’m strung up on caffeine and vodka you) As cheesy as that sounds, it is so true.

Do not be a doormat with your guy. He already has a mother, he doesn’t need two. Remember those suburban 50‘s housewives who dress all spiffy and wait for their man to come home and take off his shoes and prepare his meals? Well it’s 2011 and I’m pretty sure the word “spiffy” isn’t used anymore. So take off that apron and grab him by the horns, or horn.

Do not go into a relationship with low self esteem. This is probably the single biggest Don’t in the history of all Dont’s evar! Men love confident women who know what they want and where they want to do it. Obviously you can’t be too self absorbed or too egotistic, but if your man of interest sees you love yourself and carry yourself with grace and integrity, he’ll think twice before being a jerk to you. You can set limits as to how people treat you. You are the master of you’re life.

Thanks for reading and hopefully you learned a little on how to not approach a guy

Written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

“Oh Hunger Games, where for art thou, are you the new Twilight?”

Remember when Harry Potter used to be the Fantasy movie we went to go see. We would read onward in the books or wait til the films release to watch Hermione and Ron’s countdown til they kissed? Perhaps you recall the first time Lord Voldemort appeared on screen, all bald, ugly, and in dire need of a spray tan? Well that time has passed and now we’re moving forward. This year brought the end of the 8 movie epic-Ness that was the Harry Potter saga to a close. Before we could blink, looks like Twilight’s twinkle twinkle is ending soon as well. So what do we have to look forward too? I don’t know, maybe a death match televised where 24 kids aged 12-18 fight to the death?

From the bestselling novels of Suzanne Collins comes The Hunger Games saga. A trilogy of books that became so popular it’s following the Fantasy trilogy suit and jumping on to the big screen. Looks like it carries the makings of being a blockbuster hit with a movie sequel already anticipated November 22, 2013. It’s certainly peeked the interest of critics who think of it as an almost “perfect adventure novel”. Even Stephen King, who hated Twilight, liked what Suzanne had to offer. It’s amazing to think she created it by merging the idea of a reality TV show with raw footage from Iraq.

The Hunger Games is all about violence, love, and entertainment as audience members choose favorites and aide them during the ordeal by sending them gifts such as food and medicine. Katniss, a fatherless girl from district 12 begins a romantically pandering love affair with her fellow district 12 player, Peeta. Will they make it? Will they not have to kill one another? Well obviously most of you reading this know because the book is so popular. Let’s just say (no worries, no spoilers here) they have a chance at making babies in the end.

I’ve personally read it and, even though I’m not a big reader, I quite enjoyed the story. My favorite Oscar nominated actress from “Winter’s Bone”, Jennifer Lawrence, is starring as Katniss. Ever since I saw her skin a squirrel in her hit movie, I knew she’d get picked for the role. So there you have it, a micro retelling in just a few paragraphs of the soon to be massive hit known as “The Hunger Games”. (the movie)

Written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

“How to make an eBook using Mobipocket Creator and OpenOffice.org writer, Part 2“

Hi there, my name is Rosemary and I write books. For the longest time I didn't know how to make my own eBook and now with a little “trial and error" I've managed to learn to create my own interactive eBooks. I haven’t the money to purchase Microsoft word so I use the free OpenOffice.org writer. Here is my tutorial to show you how to do it.

(If you haven’t seen Part 1, I strongly encourage you to check it out. You’ll be very lost if you’re just attempting an eBook without having an interactive table of contents. The steps it takes to create it involve Hyper-linking the chapters and using an outline. This is achieved by applying headings to the titles of each chapter. This is a basic demonstration involving the standard style and function in creating an eBook.)

Step 1: Now that you have an HTML file saved of your book with a Hyper-linked table of contents, you have to turn it into an eBook. The first step is downloading and opening Mobipocket Creator. (No worries it’s free) Open Mobipocket Creator.

Step2: Look at the Mobipocket Creator application home page and see “Import from existing file" and go down to “HTML document". Import your saved HTML document containing your eBook and make sure the destination folder is different from the location you kept your original HTML file. You do not want to use your original in case something goes wrong. Use the copy created in the new folder.

Step 3: Go to the menu option, “View” and scroll down to “Guide”. Click “new guide item” and select under ”Type” the word “toc”. Then hit browse and use the copy of the HTML you made. Then at the end of the file name type #toc

(It should look like this: example.html#toc )

Click “new guide item" Do the same thing again except this time under “Type” choose the word “start”.

(It should look like this: example.html#start )

Step 4: Click Update

Step 5: Go to the menu option on the left hand side: Cover Image. Click “Add a cover Image”, browse, choose your image file then click Update.

Please note: This is just for a simple eBook. If you want to get fancier with it, I suggest you fiddle around with the styles and see what you like.

Step 6: Click on the menu option: “Build”. If you want to encrypt it, it’s up to you. For the purposes of this example, click “standard compression” and “no encryption”. Then hit “Build”.

Congratulations, you now have an eBook with an interactive table of contents.

So long!:D

Click here for part 1!

Article by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

“How to make an eBook using Mobipocket Creator and OpenOffice.org writer, Part 1”

Hi there, my name is Rosemary and I write books. For the longest time I didn't know how to make my own eBook and now with a little “trial and error" I've managed to learn to create my own interactive eBooks. I haven’t the money to purchase Microsoft word so I use the free OpenOffice.org writer. Here is my tutorial to show you how to do it.

Step 1: Write your book, this is an important one. You have to proof it and line edit before you convert your .doc file into a .html. Do not number your pages because eBooks don’t require it, especially on kindle.

Step 2: Use Heading styles for your chapters and title. You can do this by going to “Formatting” then scrolling down to “Style and Formatting”. A small window will appear and the list of headings will be shown. From here you can pick “Heading 1-Heading 10“. For all intensive purposes, let’s just put Heading 1 for the title of the book and Heading 2 for the introduction and chapter titles. You can modify the style of each Heading by simply right clicking modify in the Style and Formatting window.

Step 3: Once you have the chapters and title properly formatted, then proceed to pick out an empty space before your chapter and/or introduction. Go to “insert”. Scroll down to “indexes and tables” then go across to “indexes and tables” and click on it. Choose “Table of Contents” and go to the bar near “Index/Table” and check out “Entries”. (Note. For any eBook you want there to be hyper-links for each chapter so the option of having a table of contents is crucial in creating a successful eBook.)

Step 4: Now that you’re in the “Entries” section of the window box, mouse over the little letter boxes near the word “structure” above the button “chapter no.” Mouse over the buttons to reveal what they are for. It should be “Chapter #”, “Entry”, “Tab Stop”, and “Page #”. You do not want “Page #” , instead you want “Hyperlink”. Click on the “#” button and click on the “Hyperlink” button below. Now the "#” button should be replaced with the “LS”. Next, click on the empty space before “E#” and click “Hyperlink” button again. An “LE” button should appear before the “E#”. Repeat this step for “level” 2 by going to the left side where “structure” is and clicking 2 beneath the “level”. If you used more headings repeat for each additional heading style you used. (ie. level 3, level 4)

Step 5: Go back to “Index/Table” bar and move to “Evaluate up to” level section. Put it to 2 or whichever Heading you stopped at. If you stopped at Heading 3, then put it to 3. Click okay.

Step 6: Right, so now you have a Hyper-linked table of contents. You need to put bookmarks in order for Mobi creator to know where the table of contents are and where the start of your chapters is. So simply go to the start of your table of contents and click a space right before. Go to “insert” and scroll down to “bookmark”. Then input “toc” hit okay. Go to the start of your chapter 1 and click the space right before it. Go back to “insert”, then scroll down to “bookmark”, select and type in “start”. There you go, now save as a .html file.

For part 2 click here.

Article by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

“Pearls of Wisdom Series 4: How to cram for a test”

“I’m so screwed, I don’t know how I’m going to remember any of this with just two days until the test!” If you’re like this and are scratching your head, please continue reading to see if my tips help. Be aware that this doesn’t work for things you have to learn. (ie Math and Science) This only works for memorization and analysis. I’ve used these steps many times to pass my exams. (Disclaimer: I am not promising you will get an excellent grade on your test. I am merely showing you a way you can remember a large amount of information in a short period of time. This method doesn’t work if you don’t dedicate at least 2 days to study and 6 hours or more of free time. Preferably, you should take notes and study each chapter or read the book if you want to do well in class.)

Step 1: Make a list of things you’ll need to study for. You can get this by either talking to the teacher or asking someone from class who pays attention. If you don’t have an accurate list of what to study for, it’ll make cramming much more difficult!

Step2: Gather all the study material you’ll need as well as food and drink. Remember you’re going to be here for an extended period of time. You need to dedicate most of that time to cramming. If you don’t have a high-lighter or colored tabs, buy those.

Step 3: Plan your meal ahead of time and stay hydrated. A simple protein, complex carb, and fiber meal should suffice. It can’t be too rich or filling. If it is, you could risk getting sleepy. It takes an incredible amount of energy to remember and analyze all that stuff, so please eat right. A good example of a meal would be a cut banana with a slice of whole wheat bread smeared with peanut butter and a yogurt. A bottle of green tea is a good choice for beverage. It has a suitable amount of caffeine and is a healthier option than soda.

Step 4: With your high-lighter, mark any and all important dates or facts in the chapter.

A. If it’s for history, look for numbers and read the first, middle, and last two to three sentences of each page.

B.Where ever you see anything in bold write it down. Collect all the information by either handwriting it or typing it. This method also works well for literature. You don’t have to read the whole page to get the gist of something.

C. The only difference for literature is you have to pick a specific part of the book or story and analyze that. You do this by generating a topic sentence from the scene or instant and providing evidence statements through quotes and page references.

Step 5: Now that you have everything labeled, typed up and listed, get to remembering them by using music. Yep you guessed it, generate a simple verse of song to help with retaining the information. Studies have suggested that songs activate a section of the brain in charge of memory. If you aren’t into this method or if you want to try more, go on to Step 6.

Step 6: Draw pictures of the information. If it’s a story draw a story panel. Sometimes drawing things out can help you with understanding something. If you understand what you’re reading, you’ll remember it better.

Step 7: Associate facts with everyday items or colors. Close your eyes and think of the fact and then imagine a color or an object. “Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. 16th is blue.”

Step 8: Clean up and go to sleep. You need to have at least 6 hours of continuous sleep or else you’ll forget things due to fatigue.

Good luck! Hope that helps you. If you want to read more tips and trick, feel free to visit my blog.

Article written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

“Pearls of Wisdom Series 3: How to achieve a g-spot orgasm”

So you’re looking to spice up your love life. Maybe you’re single and want to know a better way to masturbate. If you’re like the many women out there who feel the need to “O”, but can’t achieve it, here are some easy steps to follow to achieve sexual pleasure. Keep in mind every woman is unique and time will vary depending on your anatomy and health status.

Step 1: Get comfortable.

This might take a while so you need to have your back and head supported and enough room to spread open your legs.

Step 2: Get aroused.

You can watch your favorite adult movie or create a fantasy in your head; even eat your favorite aphrodisiac, whatever it takes to get you in the mood.

Step 3: Lay down and spread open your legs.

They can be up in the air, on the bed, or limp.

Step 4: Stimulate your clitoris.

This perhaps is the most important step. Your clitoris is that little bulb of flesh above you urethra. It is located in the top part of your external genitalia. Make sure to keep from climaxing when stimulating the clitoris so you can stay aroused. You can achieve this by rubbing it indirectly through the sides and beneath. Rubbing the vaginal opening also helps. The reason you’ll need to do this step is because the more stimulated the clitoris is, the more raised the g-spot in the vagina will be. Once raised, the g-spot will be easier to find and stimulate.

Step 5: After about 5 minutes of self petting, stick your right index and middle finger into your vagina. Keep your hand in a “come hither” posture so your fingers are right on the g-spot. Keep moving the fingers on the g-spot for a good 10 minutes. You can place your thumb or other hand on your clitoris to help with the continual arousal. In no time you should feel a sort of heat inside your body and a tensing of the muscles. Soon you’ll reach climax and just maybe squirt a little. Don’t be alarmed, squirting is natural and comes from the urethra. You’ll feel an urge to urinate and that’s normal. The liquid that comes out is not urine.

Step 6: Congratulations, you got a g-spot orgasm. Feel proud of yourself and rejoice in knowing you can take care of your sexual needs. Now go to sleep or go about your day. Don’t forget to spread the word so other women can feel the joy of climax.

For more tips and tricks, check out my blog.

Article written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

“Pearls of Wisdom Series 2: Getting better sleep Part 4”

You’ve made it to the last part of the sleep series. You either really can’t sleep, or you’re curious to find out more tips and tricks. Either way I welcome you to my article. This part of the sleep series is for people who can’t sleep due to snoring. It’s either you or your loved one who can’t seem to stop the problem no matter what you or they’ve tried. I can’t promise this will help you, but it won’t hurt to try.

Perhaps you’re snoring because you have nasal congestion. If that’s the case then this simple remedy can give you some relief.

Step 1: First and foremost stay hydrated. Phlegm will thicken if there’s not enough water present in the body. Thick phlegm makes the congestion worse.

Step 2: Grab about 4 cups of water and 2-3 Eucalyptus leaves or 3 drops of Eucalyptus oil. Bring that to a roaring boil and turn off the burner. Stand over it with a towel on your head and breathe in the steam. Keep your eyes closed if you feel uncomfortable and be careful to not tip over the hot pot of water. (If you are under the age of 18 or are physically impaired, have someone either watch or assist you.) Breathe through your nose or chest. You can switch methods of breathing back and forth if you want. After about 10-15 minutes stop. The steam and vapors from the leaf should help loosen any phlegm.

Step 3: Expel any excess phlegm and try to sleep.

If you’re the kind of person who has something physically wrong (Sleep Apnea) that makes you snore this might help.

Step 1: Go to a sleep specialist and figure out if your snoring is because of a restricted airway or a misaligned jaw or both. If it’s restricted airway only you might have Asthma and you’ll need treatment. If it’s your jaw that’s causing you to drop your tongue and restrict your breathing, then continue to step 2.

Step 2: Buy a jaw supporter. There are various kinds in the market. Pick one you’ll feel will work best. Jaw supporters have been shown to help people with Sleep Apnea by keeping the jaw aligned when sleeping. It keeps the airway free of obstruction allowing for limited to no snoring. Jaw supporters are also a lot less expensive and cumbersome then CPAP masks. (If you’ve already tried it and it won’t work, then get a CPAP mask if you can afford it.)

Step 3: Now that you spent the time and money figuring out what’s wrong, enjoy a snore free night.

I hope this helped you get some rest. For more tips on better sleep, make sure to visit my blog.

Article written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

“Pearls of Wisdom Series 2: Getting better sleep Part 3”

Still can’t close your eyes even though it’s 2 in the morning? Do you have some big thing the next day and you need to get to sleep quickly? Maybe you take naps sporadically throughout the day and stay up at night?Continue reading this article to see ways you can get a better sleep fast. I know, this sounds pretty cool eh?

If you’re the type who needs sleep now and doesn’t care what it takes, do these simple steps to get to sleep fast. (By fast I mean 15-30 min. I can’t just knock you out, you know. WARNING THIS COULD BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH)

Step 1: Go to the kitchen or if you don’t have food in the fridge because you don’t cook, go to your nearest fast food place. (Some people may find it unsafe to go outside late at night, so just plan ahead and buy the necessary foods.)

Step 2: Pick out the most greasy, rich food you can find. (I would prefer you only do this in emergencies. If you did this everyday you’ll become extremely unhealthy.)

Step 3: Eat the gnarly food.

Step 4: Wait it out.

In about 15-30 minutes your body will start to feel the “itis”. The “itis” is when you’ve eaten a lot of rich food and start to feel tired and sleepy. The richer the food the stronger the “itis”.

Step 5: Go to sleep. If you’re not knocked out by the “itis”, then you must be an immortal.

If you’re the type who can’t sleep for more than 1-2 hours at time, this could help you.

Step 1: Set a place and time where you’ll sleep. I know this is a hard habit to get used to, but you have to control where and when you sleep. If you’re supposed to sleep in bed and end up sleeping at work, that’s not good. So choose a set place and time to snooze.

Step 2: Keep your place of slumber free of light, distractions, or temperature changes. If you can, try to keep things at a normal temperature. The more comfortable you’ll feel the easier it’ll be to sleep. If you live in the city and can’t escape the noise, simply buy or download some background sounds to mute out all the other noise. You can use headphones or a radio. Sometimes just listening to someone speak on a station can lull you to bed.

Step 3: Turn off your cell phone. If you want to keep it on in case of an emergency, simply set your phone to vibrate. If you really need the phone on with sound, then skip this step.

Step 4: Take the train to sleepville.

I hope this helped you get some rest. For more tips on better sleep, make sure to visit my blog.

Article written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

“Pearls of Wisdom Series 2: Getting better sleep Part 2”

I bet you a penny you are having trouble sleeping. Maybe you’ve become reliant on allergy pills or cough syrup, worse yet, sleeping pills to get you some rest. Well if that’s the case, I’m here to tell you there is hope. You can get to sleep if you’re willing to make an effort. It’s better to learn these habits now than never learn them later. So without further ado, here’s my guide on how to get better sleep.

If you’re the type who moves too much in bed because of chronic pain, here’s what you can do to help alleviate the problem.

Step 1: Gentle exercise is known to benefit people in a lot of ways.

Did you know it can help with chronic pain? Things like Yoga and Tai chi have been proven to help people with stiff joins and back problems find relief through proper stretching and adequate blood flow. If you can’t really stretch or care to move slowly, you can do a simple 20 minute walk to get your body warm and relaxed. Sometimes just moving a bit makes a world of difference.

Step 2: Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet.

If you eat the foods described in this kind of diet, (soy foods, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and even some red wine and dark chocolate) you’ll relieve a lot of the pain you experience, especially if it’s arthritis. Your blood sugar will be leveled and you’ll be able to respond to stress in an easier way. Not only will your body reap the benefits of a good diet (You might even lose weight), but your mind will too.

Step 3: Lose some weight and gain muscle!

This is perhaps the biggest tip I can give you. If you are a bit heavy, you’ll realize some of your pudge is getting in the way of sleeping comfortably. Your weight can also attribute to chronic pain because it’s difficult for your body to carry such a heavy load. If you gain muscle, not only will your metabolism speed up, you’ll have strength in your core and back. This is where a lot of people experience body aches. A strong core alleviates any pain experienced in those areas.

Step 4: Take supplements

Sometimes you just can’t afford the raw diet or you don’t have the time to exercise everyday. Well here is where supplementation can help. Just taking one high quality multi-vitamin/multi-mineral a day can truly help you feel and look better. There are plenty of anti-inflammatory supplements out in the market as well as Glucosamine Chondroitin supplements which can help lubricate and strengthen your joints.

Step 5: After a long stretch of learning good habits, get to the sack and drift away into slumber land.

I hope this helped you get some rest. For more tips on better sleep, make sure to visit my blog.

Article written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

“Pearls of Wisdom Series 2: Getting better sleep Part 1”

Are you one of those people that can’t sleep? Do you poke your loved one in the back with a knee jab because you’re too lost in thought to count sheep? Well I’m here to give you some tips on how to sleep better, even if it’s just for the next 3 hours. (Yeah I know you have work in the morning.) So here is my guide to a better sleep.

If you’re the type to over-think about everything, especially when you’re stressed, then this is what you need to do.

Step 1: Buy a journal of any kind and write down exactly what’s going on in that noggin of yours. Even if it’s a bunch of negative jargon, it’s important to express it and let it get out. Don’t forget to read what you wrote.

Step 2: Take the piece of paper, or .doc file if your typing it, and erase it all. No matter how nasty the thoughts can be, writing them down, reading it, then erasing it will do wonders.

Step 3: Now that you have it all out of your system, try to sleep.

If you’re the type who is dieting and you’re just straight up hungry, this is what you need to do.

Step 1: (This step is to be done ahead of time.)

A.Go to the grocery store and buy a bunch of fruits and vegetables. If you’re the type who actually likes eating vegan then this shouldn’t be too bad for you.

B. Pick your favorite produce.

C. Prepare them by cutting, peeling, slicing, chopping and mixing them with a nice salad dressing. (You’ll want to do individual portions that can be consumed within 3 days.)

D. The salad itself should consists of fruits or veggies and a protein. This can be boiled eggs, seasoned tofu, beans, nuts, yogurt etc.

E. Pack your prepared meal and store it in the refrigerator.

Step 2: When you’re feeling those hunger pains, go to the fridge and eat whatever it is you prepared before. The combination of the low calorie fruits and/or vegetables along with the protein will give you a satisfying meal. The best part is you won’t feel too guilty about snacking since it’s actually been proven that eating raw fruits and vegetables create negative calories due to the amount of energy needed to burn the food which is more than the amount of energy absorbed. (You don’t want to overdo it. Things need to be portioned correctly and you shouldn’t do this every night.)

Step 3: Now that your belly is full, try hitting the hay.

I hope this has helped rest better. For more tips on sleeping better, make sure to visit my blog.

Article written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

“Pearls of Wisdom Series 1: Being Good to Yourself”

I don’t know about you but I’ve seen too many moms give everything they have to to their kids and give nothing to themselves. Why is that? Perhaps because they’re selfless, loving women who feel their priority should be their kids above all else. Well I’m here to tell you that mindset is not right. Your first priority should be you.

Moms, girlfriends, even dads, boyfriends, anyone really, can feel the need to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of another person. It sounds good in theory. It could even lead to a wonderful outcome for the person benefitting from the giving. In the long run, would it produce a happy ending? Let’s use a basic example. Pretend you’re a mother of two kids. Both of them are going off to college and you busted your bottom working 12 hour shifts to afford to provide for them a loan free education.

The work was grueling. It was high stress and involved a lot of nights mindlessly typing on the computer. You ate whatever you could find closest to the office. Some days it was a hamburger with a large order of fries, other days it was a pizza slice with garlic bread. Everything is going well for the kids and you’re attempting to pay for a bill online.As you press the submit button on your checking account, all of sudden have a pounding headache. It’s so severe you can barely see, it’s almost as if your brain exploded.

You scream and your husband comes and calls 911. They rush you to the hospital and do an Xray. They find a vein inside your brain ready to burst. If your husband wouldn’t have been there you would have died from an aneurism. Weeks later, after surgery, you’re at home recovering. Your kids come see you, but they can’t be there often because they have to prepare for finals.

Thankfully this kind of occurrence is rare. People don’t tend to die from such things just because they’re putting forth the effort for others. What I’m trying to get at is that at the end of the day no one is going to take care of you except you. If you get sick, as supportive and as loving as the people around you can be, they can’t be there for you every minute of everyday. Think of it this way, if you don’t stay healthy and relieve any stress you have, who’s going to be there for your loved ones in the long run. You don’t want them to have to plan your funeral early in life just because you decided to work extra shifts to pay for that sweater your daughter loves in a job that drives you crazy.

You have to be good to yourself. You have to be mindful and aware of the hazards of daily life so that way you can be there for your friends and family in the long run. It pays to be a little selfish. Besides, I bet if you treat yourself, you’ll be in a good mood and everyone loves happy people.

I hope this has helped you. For more tips, make sure to visit my blog.

Article written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

"Where Will You Be in 10 Years?"

I could picture it now, a meadow, a cottage, and me in a field of flowers sneezing continously from hay fever. It's so beautiful the sunshine and the clouds hovering over. I go off skipping in my neon green crocs to the little path that leads to the garden and pick apples from the tree. I sit down in my little, white dress, cross my legs and put two apples in my basket. It's warm here and perfect.

I get out of my daydream and look in the mirror. I see a dusty wall in the background and my twenty four year old self in my three year old pair of Nikes with a hole on each front. The bulge from my pants being too tight, and the purple shirt with a bleach stain at the edge harken me back to the day 10 years ago I told myself I'd be in the meadow, in my dress. Man, has life gone 180 from what I wanted. Where do you think you thought you'd be?

The past has a way of repeating itself and one of my greatest fears is that I'll spend another 10 years doing the same thing. Even worse, there could be nothing in the mirror where my reflection would be. It's hard, it sucks when dreams are dashed and never fulfilled. Does that mean they should be tossed away and forgotten? I don't think so. Just because I'm not in my neon green crocs now doesn't mean I won't get a pair.

You see, schedules are for people who think they'll be able to predict what will happen next. I've learned I'm not one of those people. I thought I was. I thought after I graduated college I would instantly get a decent job and save up for a home and in a year or two I'd be debt-free setting up residence in the suburbs. That was far from the truth.

With that error of estimation, I received a wake up call to reality and a different take on the whole 10 years. Who cares if you're not a billionaire by 30 or a famous playboy playmate. What matters to me is I'm healthy and I'm going for that meadow somehow. There's no time line or ticking clock. For once in my life, I don't care how I'll get there, I'm just enjoying the ride, and that's the best part.

Article by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

"If I Were Justin Beiber's Kid"

I've been hearing a lot in the news lately about that girl's kid not being Justin Beiber's. I don't know about you, but I've recently been wanting to know what it'd be like to be his kid. You can say I'd be rich, with my own blinged out binky, but what do you think would really happen if Justin Beiber were my dad? (heck your dad with all the claims spewing out there) So I planned a creative writing experiment. You can participate too. Here are my results. (Hypothetically speaking!)

Okay so I'm sitting here waiting for daddy to come pick me up. I'm 2 years old. (yeah he had me when he was 15) I'm wearing my "Baby, Baby" t-shirt a fan made for him and threw at him along with a water bottle. (Poor daddy, she was trying to keep you hydrated, at least that's what the Youtube comments say. Relax Einstein, my mom was reading them out loud to me. She's his # 1 fan you know.) She reminded me of my mommy. Oh yeah she totally bought all his merch and was like going crazy when she got her VIP pass to one of his concerts. I was totally conceived there.

I can remember her retelling her friends the whole story. She was 14, recently finished her first year of high school and newly elected president of the Beiber fan club. She had long, brown hair and braces. (They're the invisalign ones. She's getting them off next year, at least that's what she says.) She was the most improved in her class and she was going to college to be a lawyer. Then that one wine cooler induced steamy night of passion made me. (She won't go into the details of the tryst for fear of hurting my delicate, toddler ears.) Oh crap, daddy's here!

My mom opens the car door and let's the Beibs in and he kisses my forehead. I throw up on him some pink and green Gogurt and he puts me on his lap while he cleans his shirt. I smile at him. He tells mommy something about the 16 and pregnant show, how she can't qualify since she's not preggers. She said yes she can and pulled out a pregnancy test with a plus sign on it. (I was taught letters and signs when I was 6 months old thank you!)Poor daddy just sits in the car and weeps a little. I don't blame him.

Article by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

"The Funniest Thing That Ever Happened To Me"

Have you ever taken Karate classes? I have when I was 12 for like 6 weeks. My mom got me my gear and paid for two times a week sessions. I had the breast pad thing, the soft "special" helmet too small for my head, and the weird cushiony foot guards. I also got the mouth guard and two uniforms with a white belt. Anyway I was kicking butt and taking names when I was in that class. I was the only girl there besides the "I had to take my sister with me" 4 year old. Can you imagine, 9 tween age boys and 1 fat tween age girl? Let's just say it wasn't easy.

It was a Thursday when my friend's mom picked me up to take me to Shoto Kahn Karate practice. I was 1 yellow strip away from becoming a yellow belt and mother nature decided to tug onto the lining of my uterus. You guessed it, I just got my period and I was unsure of whether or not I should attend practice. "Just double up" I thought to myself, placing one pad in my underwear and another outside my underwear in my pants.

Low and behold when we were at practice, during warm ups, I did a third high kick that sent my "spare" maxipad into the air and next to the sensei. I was so red people thought I was having a heart attack. Sensei quickly diverted the attention away from the pad to stretches on the wall. For what seemed like 5 million hours I lay there on the floor, my peripheral vision on the pad and waited until I could move before I ninjaed it off the floor into my pants and went straight up to the bathroom on the second floor. I stayed there until the end of practice when my friend's mom came to get me. "Are you okay she asked?" I simply opened the door with eyes swollen, nodded, and said "No".

Eventually I gathered enough courage to go downstairs and pack up to leave. Before I left I asked one of the boys still there if he saw anything. He said no he didn't. Then right as I was about to go out the door, the boy screamed out: "So long maxipad girl!". I decided to stop going. Looking back on it, it's hilarious, though I definitely don't want a repeat!

Article by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

Hi, welcome to my blog

This is where I will talk about anything and everything. This is my personal space to express my feelings and my passions. I will be posting articles here on mental health, entertainment, and inspirational, and how-to's. Feel free to post and subscribe.

Thank you for looking at my blog,
Rosemary