Just Breathe and A GIVEAWAY!

Just Breathe                   by Kendall Grey.


The third volume in the 'Just Breathe' trilogy is being released.  The first two books in the series are Inhale and Exhale and are great paranormal reads.  My Amazon review for Inhale is at this link, for Exhale is at this link and for Just Breathe is at this link.  The Kindle version of Inhale is free at this time (no idea for how long so don't delay!).


             

I had the unprecedented opportunity to interact with Zoe Morgan (the heroine of the series) and took advantage of the chance to ask her the following:

What can those of us who don't have special powers do to help and what should we know about Cetaceans (especially in light of the publicity being given to that kid who was bitten a few weeks ago) that aren't common knowledge or are misconceptions?

Her answer:

There are tons of misconceptions out there. I'll toss out a few off the top of my head, and I'm sure Adriene will think of some more...

1. Whales are fish. Nope, they breathe air with lungs, give live birth, nurse their young, and even have hair. Not much, but a few hairs here and there. That makes a whale a MAMMAL.

2. The story of Jonah and the whale could really happen. It's not likely that a whale could swallow a person. A humpback whale's esophagus is about the diameter of a big grapefruit. A beach ball is bigger than a blue whale's throat. The only whale that might be able to swallow a human would be a sperm whale, and even that would be very tricky.

3. Whales aren't very smart. Au contraire. There's an entire Wikipedia article about cetacean intelligence here. I've seen many species of whales in action, and I can tell you without a doubt they're smarter than we give them credit for. If you haven't heard about the dolphin studies with mirrors, watch this. It will blow your mind. And if those articles don't convince you, watch this video that shows how whales and dolphins "play" together.

And a friend of Zoe's (Adriene) said this:
One of the things we can do to help whales... the best thing you can do is educate yourself. Support programs that teach kids (our future) about whales. Go out on a boat and see the whales for yourself.

If you're a seafood eater, check out Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch guides. These tools tell you which fish are best to eat based on fishing practices, level of contaminants, and other factors.

Thanks to both of you who took the time to answer my questions (see, I can talk to the voices in somebody else's head as well, lol).

Kendall Grey has already put her book profits to work educating children about whales.  Please check this link for the latest info about Kendall's contribution to Whale Camp!

Update 1/31/13:  I have been informed that I can offer an e-book of Just Breathe for giveaway!  I will pick a randomly chosen winner on Feb. 7, 2013 from those who leave a comment on this post .  Just tell me which sea creature you are most fond of and why.  Please remember to leave an e-mail address!  Thanks for playing.

For other blogs on the tour, please go to this link.  There were lots of great interactions with the various characters so make sure you visit several blogs.

And last, but not least...as usual it is beyond my technical capabilities to figure out why I can't get the rafflecopter itself to work but there is a contest at this link. (I can't check it because I am not on Facebook so please let me know if it doesn't work for you!)