Saturday, October 12, 2024

Breaking Boundaries: An Invitation to In Search of Soulmates: A Journey Through Desires

Unlock Forbidden Passions: Discover "In Search of Soulmates: A Journey Through Desires"

In a world that thrives on traditional narratives and neatly packaged love stories, "In Search of Soulmates: A Journey Through Desires" dares to venture into the depths of forbidden desires. This independently published book is not just a romance; it’s an exploration of love that challenges societal norms and immerses readers into the tangled web of human emotions. Perfect for lovers of romance books, this tale offers a daring and thought-provoking read that will captivate your heart and mind.

Step into Sheryl's Journey in Redemption's Kiss

Allow us to introduce you to Sheryl, a spirited 26-year-old college student and an ambitious entrepreneur. Faced with mounting bills and societal pressures, she makes the bold choice to enter the world of escorting. What begins as a reckless decision soon evolves into a profound journey of self-discovery. Readers will follow Sheryl as she confronts her desires and seeks authentic love amid chaos, proving that sometimes the most unconventional paths lead to the most beautiful destinations.

Taboo

"In Search of Soulmates" dives deeper into themes of taboo and secrecy, where societal expectations unravel in the heat of passion. The story presents a tantalizing secret shared between two souls whose connection is so undeniable, it could change everything. Fans of forbidden romance will relish the gripping tension as they read about the challenges that threaten to tear this captivating pair apart. Can love truly conquer all, even when society dictates otherwise?

A Soulful Experiment with "The Letter"

Meet Sharon, a romantic at heart who believes in the magic that destiny holds for her. As she pours her soul into a heartfelt letter for a soulmate she hasn’t met, readers will be enchanted by her hopeful spirit and vulnerability. "The Letter" showcases the power of dreams and the bittersweet nature of love as Sharon learns that the most profound connections can sometimes take unexpected turns. As her journey unfolds alongside Sheryl's, readers are left wondering if love truly is just around the corner or if it’s an ever-elusive pursuit.

Join Us on This Serendipitous Adventure

Dive into the heart's labyrinth where passion, dreams, and unconventional choices collide. "In Search of Soulmates: A Jorney Through Desires" is more than just a collection of stories; it's an invitation to break free from the shackles of conformity and embrace the complexities of love. Open these pages to explore if love can indeed prevail against the odds.

Don’t miss the chance to experience this enchanting tale—get your copy of "In Search of Soulmates: A Journey Through Desires" today and discover the beauty of forbidden love! Whether you prefer the thrill of escapism or the deep reflection of self-exploration, this book promises to leave an indelible mark on your heart.

Get ready to unlock your own passions!

Get your copy now in Paperback at Amazon.com

When Did Americans Stop Marrying Their Cousins

Now Available in Paperback and Ebook

Friday, October 11, 2024

The Process Behind In Search of Soulmates: A Journey Through Desires

Hello. My name is Imani Muhammad and I'm the author of the romance book, In Search of Soulmates: A Journey Through Desires. This book is actually a rewrite of the book, The Sensual Collection, that was independently published in 2012. I felt it was time to redo the three Collection of stories, and so I would like to introduce you to the three women and my process of writing these three stories.

Redemption's Kiss

Welcome to Sheryl's world. As I crafted this story, I envisioned Sheryl as a college student hailing from an affluent family, navigating the complexities of her two distinct worlds and the clash they create.

Sheryl's background is rooted in privilege; her father is both a businessman and a scientist, while her mother is a dedicated teacher. She also has a sister, Ellene. Strong-willed and fiercely independent, Sheryl is reluctant to rely on others even when she truly needs support.

I aimed to explore the circumstances that led Sheryl into the realm of escorting, revealing her desire to experience love and the challenges she faces when it enters her life. Through her journey, I sought to illustrate the delicate balance and stark contrasts between her dual realities.

Taboo

I developed "Taboo" after reflecting on a middle school presentation by a classmate about the legality of cousin marriages across different states. As I delved deeper into this intriguing subject, I discovered that, historically, America permitted cousin marriages, provided the cousins were not first cousins. I also found it fascinating that many prominent British families seemed to marry their cousins, with the notable exception of Princess Diana.

This exploration inspired me to write "Taboo," where I could creatively examine this theme through storytelling. In my narrative, I introduced the characters as third cousins—this connection isn’t overtly stated but subtly woven into their relationship. Readers can sense the bond between them, enhancing the story's emotional depth.

I aimed to create a lighthearted tone infused with humor while also portraying the heartfelt connection that Dante feels for Michelle. It's a balance of playful interactions and genuine sentiment that I hope resonates with readers.

The Letter

Sharon is a woman who truly believes in the power of love and dreams of finding her perfect match. Eager to express her feelings, she decides to write a heartfelt letter to a man she has yet to meet. As she pours her thoughts onto the page, she experiences a profound realization: this letter is not just a message to her future partner but also a powerful declaration of self-love.

Her journey through writing becomes a story of hope, self-acceptance, and the magic of falling in love—both with herself and with the idea of future romance. It’s a beautiful narrative that highlights the importance of recognizing one's own worth and the joy that comes from embracing love in all its forms.

In Search of Soulmates: A Search for Desires seamlessly intertwines romance, self-discovery, and taboo topics, making for a compelling narrative that stimulates thought and conversation.

As you embark on this emotional rollercoaster, you will be encouraged to reflect on your own desires, dreams, and the societal norms that shape your life.

Available in Paperback at Amazon

Now Available in Paperback and Ebook

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

When Did Americans Stop Marrying Their Cousins?

By Steph Yin

March 1, 2018

When Did Americans Stop Marrying Their Cousins? Ask the World’s Largest Family Tree

Researchers assembled 5 million family trees using data from the website Geni.com to test several genetic and historical hypotheses.

Before the Industrial Revolution in the United States, Canada and Europe, you might have ended up married to a fourth cousin. People didn’t travel far to find a spouse, and the closer you were to home, the more likely it was you’d marry within your family.

Then, in the late 19th century, something changed, and people stopped marrying their cousins.

It has been conventional wisdom that Europeans and North Americans married more outside their families as geographic dispersal ramped up between 1825 and 1875, with the advent of mass railroad travel. But over the same period, the genetic relatedness of many couples actually increased. It wasn’t until after 1875 that partners started to become less and less related.

This 50-year lag might indicate that shifts in social norms played a bigger role than geographic mobility in getting people to wed outside their bloodline. It’s also just one example of the insights that can be gleaned from the world’s largest, scientifically-vetted family tree, presented in a study published on Thursday in Science.

Compiling and validating 86 million public profiles from Geni.com, a genealogy-driven social media site, the authors generated 5 million family trees. The largest tree consisted of 13 million people, spanned an average of 11 generations and included both Sewall Wright, a founder of human population genetics, and the actor Kevin Bacon (the two are separated by 24 degrees, in case you were wondering).

The researchers then used this data set to test several genetic and historical hypotheses, showing “you can harness the hard work of so many people around the globe just documenting their own family history, and learn something about humanity,” said Yaniv Erlich, the chief science officer of MyHeritage, the parent company of Geni.com, and senior author of the paper.

“It’s very impressive as a data collection and harmonization effort, and of course they have only scratched the surface of what it might have to offer,” said Philip Cohen, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland, who was not involved in the research.

The study is the latest example of scientists using big, crowdsourced data collected by private companies to do research. Last year, one study spearheaded by Ancestry.com mapped North American migrations. There have also been efforts to track food poisoning via Yelp reviews and drug usage via Instagram.

The trend raises new questions for researchers to think about, such as how representative such data are of populations at large, and whether commercial entities like Geni.com have vested interests, said Emily Klancher Merchant, a science and technology studies professor at the University of California, Davis.

" When private companies control the data and fund the research, they’re the ones gatekeeping what kind of science gets done,” she said. A DNA testing company might be more interested, for instance, in financing studies that discover sellable genetic markers rather than open-ended, basic research.

What’s interesting about genealogies, however, is that there aren’t much better ways to get data currently. In the past, researchers had to laboriously cobble together church records or local birth and death certificates to construct large family trees.

With crowdsourced genealogy, “we have the ability to connect a much more vast network of individuals and locations around the world, in a faster, cheaper way,” said Dr. Erlich, who is also a computer science professor at Columbia University

Geni.com has millions of users worldwide, and the website allows its members to merge trees, in an effort to create a single, massive family tree for the world.

Dr. Erlich and his collaborators took steps to validate the company’s trees, then reported several new findings from the data, such as a lower heritability of life span than others have reported, and a greater likelihood of mothers to migrate than fathers.

But with all of their findings, it’s important to consider that not everyone is represented equally.

“It’s like reading a Jane Austen novel — it gives you lots of great insights, but you have to be careful about generalizing to society as a whole,” Dr. Cohen said.

In addition to likely underreporting infant mortalities and people who never bore children, genealogy data skews toward families that have the privilege of accessing and maintaining a detailed history, Dr. Merchant said. Sites like Geni.com require a paid membership to access all features. And families that were forced to migrate, through the slave trade or to flee persecution, are probably not as well-represented in their databases.

While these studies have limitations, they also offer opportunities. Biomedical research that marries family trees with genetic and health information could lead to new discoveries about heritable disease risk. In social sciences, genealogies merged with census and tax records could yield findings on things like inequality.

“As soon as you start linking these things, your analytical power goes way up — as do privacy risks,” Dr. Cohen said.

With any of these efforts, he added, it’s important to insist “that the norms of science, as far as transparency and openness, still apply.”

Original Article Here