News for Travelers

 

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News from Travel Noire

Travelers Warned Against Rise of Fraudulent Airline Websites - Read More

Is Home Swapping a Popular Way to Travel? - Read More

5 Tribes You Can Actually Stay With -  Read The Full Article

Inside Nicaragua's Unique Boutique Hotel Catering to LGBTQIA+ and Travelers of Color - Read Full Article

Meet Lilian Seenoi-Barr, Northern Ireland's First Black Mayor in History - Read the Full Article

Black-Owned Restaurants to Visit in Taiwan - Read Full Article

This Study Found the Best Places for Couples to Visit - Read More

News from Travel Awaits

Shopping Around for Travel Agencies? Start Here - Read More

 

17 Cities With the Best Food in the US | Must-Visit Places For Foodies - Read More

 

AI Trip Planning: How to Use AI to Plan Your Next Vacation - Read More

News from LGBTQ+ TRAVEL GUIDE

Friendly Destination to Argentina - Read Guide

 

Do You Remember Your First Time? - Learn More

 

Join us for a vibrant Day of the Dead Concert - Read More

Is a Professional Matchmaker Right for You? By Miss Know It All

Miss Know It All

Instead of a dating app, many men and women choose to use a professional matchmaking coach, which can cost anywhere from $50 to $300 per hour depending on the individual’s needs.

Before using a professional matchmaking coach, it’s important to ask several key questions to ensure you choose the right service for your needs. Following are some questions to consider:

About the Matchmaking Service

1. What is your success rate?
2. Can you provide testimonials or references from past clients?
3. How many clients do you currently have?
4. What are your matchmaking credentials and experience?
5. How long have you been in the matchmaking business?

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About the Process

1. What is your matchmaking process?
2. How do you screen and select potential matches?
3. How many matches can I expect to receive within a certain time frame?
4. What happens if I’m not satisfied with the matches?

About the Costs

1. What are the costs involved in your services?
2. Are there any additional fees I should be aware of?
3. What is your refund policy if I’m not satisfied with the service?

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About Privacy and Confidentiality

1. How do you ensure the privacy and confidentiality of your clients?
2. Do you share my information with third parties?
3. How do you handle sensitive information?

About the Matchmaking Coach

1. Will I be working with a single matchmaker or a team?
2. How often will we be in contact?
3. What is your availability for meetings or calls? 

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Expectations and Goals

1. What can I realistically expect from your service?
2. How do you define a successful match?
3. What should I do if I have concerns or issues during the matchmaking process?

Photo by Greta Hoffman 

Compatibility and Personal Preferences

1. How do you take my preferences and deal breakers into account?
2. How do you handle differences in religious, cultural, or lifestyle preferences?
3. Can I specify preferences regarding age, profession, or other criteria?

Support and Additional Services

1. Do you offer coaching or support during the dating process?
2. What kind of feedback or follow-up do you provide after a match?
3. Do you offer any additional services, such as image consulting or relationship coaching?

While there are no guarantees when selecting a matchmaking coach you’ll find someone to date, asking these questions can help you understand the service better and make an informed decision about whether the matchmaking coach is the right fit for you.

How to Stay Connected in Your Relationship! | Practical Tips!

Romance author and relationship coach, Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku shares tips on how to remain connected as a couple.

Please leave your comments and subscribe to her channel.

How Safe is Your Personal Data on Dating Apps

Have you ever wondered what information you provide on a dating app is actually private from prying eyes? Well, wonder no more. Some dating apps may not protect vital information, exposing you to privacy issues that can be at risk. According to research, 80% of dating platforms may sell your information to sites that may have nothing to do with dating.

Photo by cottonbro studio 

The privacy of personal data on dating apps can vary significantly depending on the app’s policies, how it handles data, and the user’s own privacy settings. Here are some key factors to consider when using dating apps:

Dating apps typically collect a range of personal information, including your name, age, gender, location, photos, and interests, messages sent and received, matches made and interactions, IP address, device type, and operating system, and information from linked social media accounts or other integrated services.

Photo by Sora Shimazaki

The company may share information with advertisers, analytics providers, or other third parties. Some apps might share data with other dating services under the same ownership.

Look for apps that use encryption (HTTPS) to protect data in transit and at rest. Dating apps, like any online service, can be vulnerable to data breaches. High-profile breaches have occurred in the past, exposing users’ data. Users can often control who sees their profile and can block or report abusive users. Some apps allow users to download their data or request deletion of their account and associated data.

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Apps operating in certain regions must comply with regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR (Europe), or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA (California), which provides users with rights regarding their data.

Photo by Mati Mango

Only provide necessary information and avoid sharing sensitive data. Use strong, unique passwords for your accounts. Periodically review privacy settings and the app’s privacy policy for updates. Back in 2015, hackers targeted and hacked a popular matchmaking site for married and single people seeking affairs, stealing millions of accounts, and highlighting the risks of exposing sensitive data.

While dating apps can offer a convenient way to meet new people, it’s crucial to stay informed about how your data is being handled and take steps to protect your privacy. ♥

Virtual Book Tour - Meet Amy Craig, Author of The Starlight Motel

 

THE STARLIGHT MOTEL

By

Amy Craig 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GENRE - Contemporary Romance 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Experienced muralist Kada took charge of her family's Palm Springs motel to give her mother time to grieve. As a grant deadline approaches, Kada must convince her mother to manage the motel so she can return to her art. Late in December, Kada encounters a horseman approaching the property. Dane, the reserved son of a local farming family, is a loyal workaholic with limited spare time or experience outside the valley. When lightning startles his horse, he lingers at the motel and stirs up Kada's emotions about leaving the desert oasis. Wary of mixing business with pleasure, she struggles with her attraction. As New Year's Eve approaches, will the cowboy convince her to chart a new course? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m Dane Palmer,” the man on the chestnut horse said. “My family owns the land next door.”

 

“Oh, thank goodness.” She shaded her gaze. “I’ve heard about you.”

 

For as long as her family owned the motel, the Palmer family owned the surrounding farmland. Once or twice, the Palmer patriarch offered to buy the Starlight Motel, but Pops resisted and counted the family as friends. They produced the area’s top vegetable crops, cultivated table grapes, and managed fields of fruit trees. Every once in a while, Dane’s mother, Mariah, came by the motel to visit and give her business advice, but Dane and his younger brother remained enigmas. She exhaled. “I’ve met your mother.”

 

“I’m sure,” Dane said. “She gets around.”

 

The second man laughed like a rusted pail swinging in the wind.

 

Dane glanced at the seated cowboy. “This is Walter. He’s the farm’s crew manager.”

 

Tipping his hat, Walter nodded.

 

She tented her gaze. “Could you two get down? Between the horses and the low sun, I can’t see you to save my life.”

 

Hanging his hat on the saddle horn, Dane handed his horse’s reins to Walter. He threw his leg over the horse’s saddle and slid down its side with an easy, athletic grace.

 

Amy Craig, Romance Author

Amy Craig lives in Louisiana with her family and a small menagerie of pets. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense featuring intelligent heroines. In her spare time, she plays tennis and expands her husband’s honey-do list. Before writing, she worked as an oilfield engineer, project manager, and incompetent waitress. For more information and giveaways, visit www.amy-craig.com or follow her on social media channels.

Butterflies, Muralists, and Happily Ever After by Amy Craig 

I live in Louisiana, but I’m a California girl at heart. I read Bay Area online news sites for restaurant trends, wildfire updates, and changes to the cities where I lived. Maybe I’ll go back one day for more than a visit!

A few years ago, a news story about a San Francisco mural caught my eye. The 455 Hyde Street murals, collectively known as Le Papillon, tell the story of San Francisco’s urban beauties. Monarchs fly toward the California Poppy, and the artistic process behind creating the mural captured my attention.

As I learned more about the work, Kada, the main character in THE STARLIGHT MOTEL, also came into focus. When crowd-funding fails to lead her toward her next installation, she helps her family run a Palm Springs motel. The question is, why does she love it?

Fictional muralists often undergo significant personal growth ("The Murals" by William Bayer, "The Lacuna" by Barbara Kingsolver, or "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older). As they create their murals, they confront personal challenges, heal from past traumas, or discover new facets of themselves. Unfortunately, this process is too long for contemporary romances. Baby, we’re falling in love in a week!

However, muralists are also more than artists. They are storytellers, activists, and community builders. They bring color and complexity to narratives, just like they bring art to public spaces. Those butterflies on the San Francisco building? One of the most beautiful is the Xerces blue butterfly. It might be the first butterfly species in the United States to go extinct due to human development and habitat loss.

Sometimes, I wonder if Palm Spring might go extinct, too. It’s an agricultural resource, but it’s a man-made wonder. So is art. So, whether you value butterflies, winter lettuce, or vibrant paintings, support the things in your community that make sense.

Me? Every summer, I feed caterpillars to atone for the one I accidently squished! THE STARLIGHT MOTEL has nothing on "A Sound of Thunder," by Ray Bradbury, but it’s a light-hearted romp between a talented artist and a stubborn cowboy. I hope you love it!

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a Rafflecopter Giveaway

Amy Craig will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.