tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88151281359311481542024-03-13T09:28:34.611+00:00Gentleman ReadsQuality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.comBlogger962125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-17561061059932389262015-04-24T11:00:00.000+01:002015-04-30T21:38:27.639+01:00#Excerpt from PEGASUS by Marilyn Holdsworth @M_Holdsworth #WomensFic #Contemporary #AmReading<b>Pegasus by Marilyn Holdsworth </b><br />
<br />
SATURDAY WAS A WARM, sunny day, just as Win had predicted,
and the drive out of Los Angeles was a welcome change from the heavy
work schedule Hannah had been demanding of herself for the last few
days. Sitting next to Win, wearing a plaid shirt and jeans with her hair
pulled back and fastened with a barrette at the nape of her neck,
Hannah looked young and vulnerable. The miles sped by, and they chatted
easily together, but Win made no further mention of what was so
important for her to see at the ranch.<br />
<br />
“I’m looking forward to riding today. I haven’t been on a horse for ages. Hope I haven’t forgotten how,” she worried.<br />
<br />
“Like riding a bicycle,” he laughed. “Once you learn, you never forget. You’ll do fine.”<br />
<br />
Win
turned the sleek, midnight-blue Jaguar into a long, narrow drive
flanked by split-rail fencing. On either side, rolling green pastures
spread as far as she could see. An arched gateway marked the entrance to
the ranch. Mounted at the top of the crescent was an imposing round
emblem emblazoned with a large metal sculpture of Pegasus at its center.<br />
<br />
“Pegasus, the winged horse,” she exclaimed. “What a wonderful name for a horse ranch. Do all your horses fly?”<br />
<br />
He
smiled. “I’m sure when my dad was so into racing, he wished they could.
But it was my grandfather who founded the ranch and named it Pegasus.
He named it after the Greek mythological horse in hopes of pleasing my
grandmother. She was a very scholarly lady of Greek heritage, very
interested in the arts, especially the Greek classics. Grandfather spent
his entire lifetime trying to please her, but I’m afraid to no avail.
I’m told she detested the West and the ranch, preferring Eastern city
life and its more sophisticated offerings. They separated shortly after
my father was born. She kept her Eastern townhouse, attending operas and
grand parties while he built his empire out here.”<br />
“Sad she
couldn’t have enjoyed it with him,” Hannah said. “It’s so wonderfully
tranquil here, a truly rare and beautiful setting with the mountains in
the background and the rolling green hillsides. Didn’t she ever see the
horses race? Not even when the ranch’s prize winners were entered in all
the country’s grandest races?”<br />
<br />
“No, she never did. And
it was a great sorrow to my grandfather. But, oddly enough, he never
divorced her. He always hoped she’d change her mind, come back to him,
and learn to love the land as he did. My father was raised by Mary
Little Deer’s mother here at the ranch. He was an only child, of course,
and the lifestyle Grandmother lived in the East was not meant for a
boisterous little boy. So he grew up at Pegasus and loved the ranch
until his dying day. Now it’s mine, and I must say, I share his deep
love for the place.”<br />
<br />
They had pulled up to a sprawling
Spanish hacienda with a red tiled roof and thick adobe-brick walls.
Built around a central courtyard, the house had the look of an early
California mission.<br />
<br />
“It’s really the picture of the Old West, Win. I can see why you love it here,” she said as he helped her out of the car.<br />
<br />
The
house’s thick walls and Mexican tile flooring made it cool and
inviting. He ushered her through wide carved doors adorned by large
bronze knockers shaped like horse heads. As they stood together in the
dimly lit hall, Hannah blinked to adjust her eyes. From a stained-glass
window at the end, a prism of light slanted across the floor,
illuminating a majestic bronze sculpture of Pegasus standing like a
sentinel in the massive entry. She stared at the beautiful sculpture.
“It looks like it would take flight at any moment, leave its marble
pedestal for the heavens.”<br />
<br />
“My grandfather had it made in Europe,” Win explained as she continued to study the art piece.<br />
<br />
“Another
futile attempt to win back Athena’s heart, I suppose. The artist who
did the piece has become quite famous. Perhaps you know of him—P. J.
Mene. He did some smaller renditions of the same subject for him. One is
in the garden, but I’m not sure where the others are now.”<br />
<br />
Hannah
walked closer to the exquisitely detailed bronze statue, gently
touching its flowing mane and extended wings. “He certainly captured the
spirit of the horse.”<br />
<br />
“I thought you might like it.”<br />
<br />
“And is this what you wanted so much for me to see?”<br />
<br />
“No,
it isn’t,” he said, smiling mysteriously. “You’ll have to wait for
that,” he teased. “Now let’s see if Mary Little Deer left us a snack in
the library.” He led her through wide double-oak doors into a large
high-ceilinged room with open carved beams. At the far end was a massive
stone fireplace surrounded by walls lined with bookshelves.<br />
<br />
“What a lovely room, and such a collection of fine books,” Hannah said, scanning the leather-bound volumes.<br />
<br />
“Another
of Grandfather’s attempts to please Athena. All the classics are there,
with a very special collection of Greek literature and ancient
mythology. I’m afraid the architecture he chose when he built the ranch
and its name do seem a bit incongruous, but when you know the history of
the place, it fits together after all. I’m rattling on about the past
too much,” Win said, suddenly glancing across the room. “Sure hope
you’re hungry, Mary Little Deer’s done her usual I see. Light snack just
isn’t in her vocabulary. Unless she hears the legs groan the table
isn’t set, “ he laughed. A tray of assorted sandwiches , a large fruit
bowl and a plate of freshly baked cookies with a pot of coffee stood
waiting on a long, low knotty-pine table in front of a deep saddle-brown
leather sofa.<br />
<br />
“It all looks delicious, “ Hannah said. “And actually I’m starved.”<br />
<br />
When
lunch was finished and cleared away by the silently efficient Mary
Little Deer, they went in search of the stables. Once again, Winston
Caughfield III was right; it was like riding a bicycle. Hannah settled
easily into the saddle on a bay mare. Riding next to her, astride his
favorite horse, Alabaster, Win guided them around the barns, past the
corrals and the training track, and toward the gently rolling hills.
They rode for more than an hour, enjoying the sunny afternoon and clear,
fresh air. The bay mare responded eagerly when Hannah nudged her into a
canter. Although spirited, the horse was smooth-gaited and perfectly
trained, and Alabaster pranced, tossing his head to show off for them
both. Win rode with the grace and skill of an accomplished rider. It was
obvious how much he loved the horse as he reached over to pat his
arched neck when they pulled up after galloping across an open meadow.<br />
<br />
He
called to Hannah as she reined in beside him. “Over there,” he said,
pointing to the ridge. “Just over that crest is where we’re going.” He
urged Alabaster into a trot, beckoning for her to follow. At the top of
the rise, they pulled the horses up, and Hannah gazed down into a small
valley. Several corrals dotted the landscape, each with its own
enclosure and hay bin. A feed storage shed stood close by, and a barn
was under construction at the far end.<br />
<br />
Hannah looked
questioningly at Win, but he said nothing, just guided his horse down
the slope; she fell in behind him. Hannah’s mare picked her way down the
hillside and came up next to Alabaster at the base of the hill. “Well,
this is it,” he said, spreading his arm wide to indicate the corrals and
structures.<br />
<br />
Hannah looked at him blankly. The corrals were empty, and there seemed to be no one around.<br />
<br />
“Come
on,” Win said. “I want to show you something.” They dismounted, tied
the horses, and walked toward the newly erected barn. He swung the door
wide for her to enter.<br />
<br />
“Almost finished. Some work inside and some paint outside left to do,” he said with satisfaction.<br />
<br />
“This week will do it, and then we’ll be ready for occupancy. Don’t you think?” He turned to a very puzzled Hannah.<br />
<br />
“Yes,
it does seem to be almost finished,” she responded. “Are you planning
on moving some of your horses here from outlying pastures or the main
barn?”<br />
<br />
“No,” he said. “I’m not. This is where I thought we could put your adoptees.” His eyes were twinkling with delight now.<br />
<br />
“My adoptees?”<br />
<br />
“I
read those articles you gave me last month,” he said soberly. “And I
know how you feel about what’s happening to the American wild horses,
the mustangs. You told me yourself about wanting to do a series of
stories on the Adopt-a-Horse Program sponsored by the Bureau of Land
Management and all the problems plaguing the plan. I thought if you had
some space to save a few yourself, it might ease the pain I know you
feel for those animals. And we do have room here at the ranch to take in
a few.” He looked at her hopefully, wanting so much to please her and
let her know he understood how seriously she took this cause.<br />
<br />
“Win,
I can’t let you do this for me,” she said. “Even if I wanted to, it’s
not right. And besides, I could never afford it. At best, I might scrape
up the money for the initial adoption fees.”<br />
<br />
“Who says
it isn’t right?” he broke in quickly. “We can make it strictly a
business deal. You can rent the space at a price you can afford, and
I’ll give you the feed to start you off. Simple as that. Now it’s
settled. How soon do you want to see about the adoption? I’ll even throw
in a little assistance in the training program if you’ll settle for one
old trainer, me. We’ll turn them into trail mounts and find homes for
them. When you begin to turn a profit, you can start buying the feed,
stock, and all that. I know there must be good homes to be found for
well-schooled riding horses.”<br />
<br />
She hugged him. “Oh, Win, it’s perfect.”<br />
<br />
“One
stipulation,” he cautioned her sternly. “You do your articles on saving
the horses, but leave all the corruption, especially Vincent Rossi, out
of it. He’s major trouble.”<br />
<br />
Her brow furrowed, “Well, if he’s involved in any way, that will be hard to do. But I’ll try. I give you my word on that.”<br />
<br />
“Good.
Then let’s get down to business. As I understand it, all you need is a
$125.00 adoption fee and a horse trailer to haul the animal. Do you have
any idea where to go to get these horses? Are they rounded up out in
Montana, Wyoming, or where?”<br />
<br />
“I’ve gotten some information, Win, but I’ll get more next week. I think a lot are in Nevada. I’ll find out.”<br />
<br />
“Good.
I’ll wait to hear from you about it in a few days,” he said. “Now we
better get back to the ranch and to the city. I have an early-morning
deposition to prepare for if I’m going to continue to have any law
practice.”<br />
<br />
All the way back to the ranch house, she
chattered excitedly about the mustangs, the Adopt-a-Horse Program, and
their plans. Win smiled happily at her, knowing the project was sure to
bring her closer to him. The idea had come to him almost immediately
after she had shown him the tiny newspaper clipping about the BLM’s
horse adoption program. Her passion and love for her work involving the
humane treatment of animals really did impress him. She was dedicated
and tireless in her efforts to expose animal abuse and exploitation. He
was really looking forward to helping her, but mostly, he had to admit,
he just wanted to be important in her life. He’d known that much after
their first date.<br />
They had met so unexpectedly. She was seated
with friends in the box next to his on the opening day of the Penbrook
Park Races. Quite by accident, they were introduced by his friend Neil
Jacobs, whose thoroughbreds were running that day. She immediately
impressed him with her quiet, unassuming manner. Neil had spoken of her
articles and told him she was sure to be a candidate for the Pulitzer
Prize one day.<br />
<br />
Long ago, after losing his first wife to
cancer, Win had resigned himself to a solitary life. But looking at
Hannah’s young, eager face today, he felt how much he wanted her near
him. At forty-five, Winston Caughfield III was a handsome, distinguished
man, and he was very aware that he was fifteen years her senior. But
when they were together, the age difference seemed of no importance to
either of them. In many ways, she seemed mature far beyond her years,
perhaps because of her total commitment to her work and the tragedy of
her young husband’s death. She seldom spoke of her loss; only once had
she mentioned that ill-fated Chicago flight. She was very courageous. He
looked over at her now, long stands of hair loosened from the barrette
streaming in the wind as she rode. He never would have suspected that
there was such strength in that delicate figure riding beside him, but
more than once he had seen her face her adversaries with determination.
Some secret source of energy seemed to well up and spill out of her.
He’d known when she started her investigation into this horse thing that
she would be relentless. He looked forward to sharing in it, but at the
same time he felt a foreboding sense of fear for her. Above all, he
wanted to protect her and keep her near him.<br />
<br />
<div data-mce-style="color: #222222;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/15/97/44078a95157c0ad8986cb6.L._V393916356_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/15/97/44078a95157c0ad8986cb6.L._V393916356_.jpg" /></a></span></span> </div>
<div data-mce-style="color: #222222;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div data-mce-style="color: #222222;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="color: #222222;" style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">As a novelist, I draw on many real life experiences to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #222222;" style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">provide
background for my books. After completing studies in Literature and
History at Occidental College, I became a staff writer on a travel
magazine, and throughout my career I have traveled extensively all over
the world. </span><span data-mce-style="color: #222222;" style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Because
I love horses, I owned and trained them. I support horse rescue and
wild mustang preservation. Based on my experience with horses and my
research on abuse issues, I wrote Pegasus.</span></span></span></div>
<div data-mce-style="color: #222222;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-mce-style="color: #222222;" style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span data-mce-style="color: #222222;" style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">As
a descendant of James Monroe, I did extensive research at the James
Monroe Museum in Virginia about him and his wife Elizabeth Kortright
Monroe. I also visited their home, Ashlawn/Highland in Albemarle County.
This resulted in my novel, The Beautiful American. </span><span data-mce-style="color: #222222;" style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Making Wishes, was based partly on my experiences as creator, owner and operator of a greeting card company.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="49398"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="END"></a><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Making-Wishes.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elloree
Prince is an attractive, creative young woman who marries a wealthy
businessman, Tom Randall. After courting his bride with unrelenting
determination, Tom moves her into old-moneyed Oak View, where
generations of Randalls have lived for years. Outwardly, Elloree appears
to settle into raising their two sons within Oak View’s stifling social
structure, but inwardly, she yearns for her artistic work. An
unexpected phone call from Mark Williams, her former employer, offers
her the career opportunity of a lifetime, and she must make a choice.
She is torn between her devotion to her sons and her love for her work.
Her decision to return to Wishes, Inc. brings dramatic life changes to
her and the people she loves.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Making-Wishes-Marilyn-Holdsworth/dp/1481707523/ref=sr_1_3_title_2_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369262924&sr=1-3&keywords=Marilyn.+Holdsworth" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Women’s fiction</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/beautifulAmerican.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div id="outer_postBodyPS" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Abby
Long is thrilled when she offers the winning bid for an antique desk at
an auction. With its intricately inlaid woods and elegant style, the
desk is perfect for Abby; it is the gift she promised herself to finally
celebrate her thriving antique business. She has no idea that the
antique desk holds a secret that will lead her on a fascinating,
life-changing journey back in time.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Abby discovers a hidden diary
stuffed inside a secret compartment in the desk, she can hardly wait to
read the spidery, faded script. As she carefully turns the tattered
pages, she reads the captivating story of two remarkable women from
opposite backgrounds who somehow manage to form an unforgettable bond
against the backdrop of a fledgling America struggling to find its place
in the world. Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, the wife of James Monroe, and
Jasmine, a young slave girl, develop an extraordinary relationship as
they are united by pivotal historic events, political intrigues, and
personal tragedies.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From
a bucolic Virginia plantation to the bloodied, starving streets of
post-revolutionary Paris, this powerful tale follows the lives of two
courageous women from the past as they quietly influence—and inspire—a
woman of today’s world.”</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-American-Marilyn-Holdsworth-ebook/dp/B0080D41BI/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-4&qid=1402430694" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Historical fiction</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – G</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pegasus.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div id="outer_postBodyPS" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Widowed
at thirty, Hannah Bradley is a successful journalist focusing on animal
abuse issues. An accidental meeting introduces her to lawyer, Winston
Caughfield III. Drawn to Hannah’s gentle beauty and fierce commitment to
her work, Win joins her in a fight to save wild mustangs from
slaughter. Together they rescue a badly injured horse with a mysterious
background. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hannah’s search to discover the animal’s true identity leads
them into a web of black marketeering and international intrigue.
Action packed with crisp colorful dialogue the story propels the reader
to a race against time conclusion. Marilyn Holdsworth delivers a
gripping tale of mystery, adventure and romance guaranteed to hold the
interest and capture the heart. She brings true-life characters together
with real-life issues to create a fast-paced irresistible story.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pegasus-Marilyn-Holdsworth-ebook/dp/B004S2LVYA/ref=la_B006LTHMZK_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405682556&sr=1-2" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Contemporary fiction</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marilyn-Holdsworth/e/B006LTHMZK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Connect</b> with Marilyn Holdsworth on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.holdsworth.7" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a href="http://twitter.com/m_holdsworth" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b>Website </b> </b><a href="http://marilynholdsworth.com/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://marilynholdsworth.com/</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Blog</b> <a href="http://marilynholdsworth.com/blog/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://marilynholdsworth.com/blog/</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-64357696382379440222015-04-11T11:00:00.000+01:002015-04-30T21:52:22.893+01:00#Geronimo ... (and the ones with religion) - LUCIFER & THE INDIGO KIDS by @Lord_Ra_Krishna #Poetry <i><b>Geronimo... (and the ones with religion) </b></i><br />
<br />
Dear Geronimo...<br />
My Great, Great grand Father<br />
<br />
They took you from us<br />
And our people were slaughtered...<br />
<br />
They didn't break your spirit<br />
You passed it unto me<br />
<br />
And I will spark the movement<br />
As soon as I get free...<br />
<br />
They hunted and chased you<br />
I clearly remember<br />
They would have never caught you<br />
They're lucky you surrendered...<br />
<br />
They tricked you and stole your land<br />
and we even have the audacity to celebrate Thanksgiving...<br />
<br />
They used you for mascots<br />
the Red Skins <br />
and the Chiefs <br />
<br />
Your great land was stolen<br />
By the ones with religion...<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEs2wD0Ck5HxW2-00i8juvtZJ2gEXH09NmUnKyRFrc5QEygGxIX6QeThibkFPHi7pBJsfxSzgE-L_gI5HWG9B4HjZqgCe_h7r4DPK3aqMf5vkDP2vNCqknVXTaw_MN8DAF17K9Kmytc-8/s1600/10543606_799244456762857_1951121046706555738_n.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEs2wD0Ck5HxW2-00i8juvtZJ2gEXH09NmUnKyRFrc5QEygGxIX6QeThibkFPHi7pBJsfxSzgE-L_gI5HWG9B4HjZqgCe_h7r4DPK3aqMf5vkDP2vNCqknVXTaw_MN8DAF17K9Kmytc-8/s1600/10543606_799244456762857_1951121046706555738_n.png" height="320" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
"This
“new age” book of poetry reflects the diverse views and philosophies of
it’s author Ra Krishna EL. It’s an intimate, humorous and thought
provoking group of poems intended to evoke strong emotion. To quote the
German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, this style of poetry can be
called “Zukunfts poesie“ which translates into “Poetry of the future”,
where truly original ideas are presented thru poetry. Also known as post
Nietzschean poetry.<br />
<br />
It’s subjects include society, pop
culture, love, religious dogma, God and the new age of Aquarius. This
book was written and published during the false incarceration of its
author in Chicago’s notorious Cook County Jail, the largest jail in the
country."<br />
<br />
Bu<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">y Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Lucifer-indigo-kids-Last-Prophet-ebook/dp/B00L3VL7E8/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406567843&sr=1-1&keywords=lucifer+and+the+indigo+kids" href="http://www.amazon.com/Lucifer-indigo-kids-Last-Prophet-ebook/dp/B00L3VL7E8/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406567843&sr=1-1&keywords=lucifer+and+the+indigo+kids" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Poetry, Philosophy</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Lord%20Ra%20Krishna%20EL&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Lord%20Ra%20Krishna%20EL&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Connect</b> with Lord Ra Krishna EL on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lord-Ra-Krishna-El/729737850380185?ref=hl" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lord-Ra-Krishna-El/729737850380185?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/Lord_Ra_Krishna" href="https://twitter.com/Lord_Ra_Krishna" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-13745780931009447352015-03-19T08:30:00.000+00:002015-03-20T06:37:33.396+00:00@JohnEWadeII Introduces the #Inspirational #Authors from "Glimpses of Heaven on Earth" #AmReading<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">For those looking for some inspiration during these troubling times, look no further than<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Glimpses of Heaven on Earth</i>.
The four co-authors and I have scoured the globe for eloquent
quotations about issues regarding such diverse topics as peace to gender
harmony. Following a dozen or so quotes on these topics is a brief
essay by one of the co-authors. Many involve the theme of education, and
how we can all improve our lives through education—and by helping to</span></span></span> provide for the education of others, especially those in developing countries and places of conflict.<br />
<br />
One of my personal favorite essay is by Charlotte Piotrowski, on the <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">topic
of freedom. She touches on the obvious freedoms that most American’s and
others enjoy, such as speech, but goes on to talk about the importance
for everyone to enjoy the freedom of association (including marriage—a
strong argument for allowing same-gender marriage). Charlotte quotes
Dwight D. Eisenhower as saying, “To be true to one’s own freedom is, in
essence, to honor and respect the freedom of others.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">One
aspect of this book that is especially interesting is that the five
co-authors write from very different perspectives. I previously
published,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth</i>, and invited four of that book’s essay contributors to join me in writing for<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Glimpses of Heaven on Earth</i>,
which made for a very interesting read. I am a fairly conservative
retired CPA and now write and invest full-time. You can learn more about
me at my main website:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.JohnEWadeII.com" href="http://www.johnewadeii.com/"><span class="s3">www.JohnEWadeII.com</span></a>.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">Charlotte,
who is also from New Orleans, left a ten-year career in litigation to
pursue a freelance career in writing, editing, and website/social media
content. She works closely with me on all of my literary, media, and
creative projects. Daniel Agatino is a practicing attorney in New
Jersey, and also teaches law and communications courses on the college
and graduate level. Additionally, he offers radio and television
commentary on current events, especially as they relate to the law.
Michael Nagler is the founder of the Metta Center for Nonviolence in
California, and has given lectures and workshops around the world about
nonviolent solutions. In fact, we recently returned from such a trip to
India. Martin Rutte, who currently resides in Canada, was a co-author of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and founded the Heaven on Earth Project. In addition to writing, Martin is a motivational speaker.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">The
fact that the contributors come such diverse backgrounds means that
this book should truly appeal to everyone. There is no religious or
political agenda, even with the reference to heaven. In fact, there is
an entire chapter on the topic of spiritual harmony, by Michael, who
writes about how we are all as one, spiritually. Therefore, we should
respect other’s choices of religion (or lack thereof). My essay on
democracies does not advocate for a particular political party, but
simply for the right of all people across the globe to have a say in
their government.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">This
book would be excellent for use in a book club, church book group, or
for any other group that is interested in discussing meaningful topics.
And, although some of the subject matter can be quite deep, the book is
simply written and a very pleasant read.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Glimpses-of-Heaven-on-Earth.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Glimpses-of-Heaven-on-Earth.jpg"><img alt="Glimpses of Heaven on Earth" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-42087" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Glimpses-of-Heaven-on-Earth.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Glimpses-of-Heaven-on-Earth.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Editor
and author John E. Wade II has compiled a spiritual guide of invaluable
insight for finding peace and meaning in life while making the world a
better place for all. Along with co-authors Charlotte Livingston
Piotrowski, Daniel Agatino, Michael Nagler, and Martin Rutte, this
collection of enlightening essays and inspirational quotes from renowned
thinkers and leade</span></span>rs throughout history provides the intellectual tools needed to live a more harmonious life.<br />
<br />
Buy <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/GLIMPSES-HEAVEN-EARTH-Quotations-Insightful-ebook/dp/B00LOYGN3O/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1405439205" href="http://www.amazon.com/GLIMPSES-HEAVEN-EARTH-Quotations-Insightful-ebook/dp/B00LOYGN3O/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1405439205" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Inspirational</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – G</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=John%20E.%20Wade%20II&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=John%20E.%20Wade%20II&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Connect</b> with John E. Wade II on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/jwadeii?ref_type=bookmark" href="https://www.facebook.com/jwadeii?ref_type=bookmark" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></span></div>
<br />Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-34529772572340145212015-03-14T09:00:00.000+00:002015-03-28T04:22:40.925+00:00Me versus God from LUCIFER & THE INDIGO KIDS by @Lord_Ra_Krishna #NonFiction #AmReading <i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Me vs. God…</b></span></i><br />
<br />
Dread Locs on my head<br />
Like snakes on Medusa<br />
<br />
Get to close<br />
and you turn into stone<br />
<br />
If I were a girl <br />
Then I would be Medusa<br />
<br />
Tell Jay-Z and Kanye <br />
Get the f#ck out of my throne<br />
<br />
It's the clash of the Titans <br />
It's me vs. God<br />
<br />
They're just mad <br />
Because I stole back the fire <br />
Like Prometheus<br />
<br />
You see, <br />
Prometheus stole the fire <br />
From the Gods and gave it to mankind… <br />
<br />
That's a metaphor for knowledge <br />
Now I'm giving it to you…<br />
<br />
It's the same as the apple <br />
In the Garden of Eden <br />
<br />
Just take one bite<br />
And you will know that you are God…<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEs2wD0Ck5HxW2-00i8juvtZJ2gEXH09NmUnKyRFrc5QEygGxIX6QeThibkFPHi7pBJsfxSzgE-L_gI5HWG9B4HjZqgCe_h7r4DPK3aqMf5vkDP2vNCqknVXTaw_MN8DAF17K9Kmytc-8/s1600/10543606_799244456762857_1951121046706555738_n.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEs2wD0Ck5HxW2-00i8juvtZJ2gEXH09NmUnKyRFrc5QEygGxIX6QeThibkFPHi7pBJsfxSzgE-L_gI5HWG9B4HjZqgCe_h7r4DPK3aqMf5vkDP2vNCqknVXTaw_MN8DAF17K9Kmytc-8/s1600/10543606_799244456762857_1951121046706555738_n.png" height="320" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
"This
“new age” book of poetry reflects the diverse views and philosophies of
it’s author Ra Krishna EL. It’s an intimate, humorous and thought
provoking group of poems intended to evoke strong emotion. To quote the
German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, this style of poetry can be
called “Zukunfts poesie“ which translates into “Poetry of the future”,
where truly original ideas are presented thru poetry. Also known as post
Nietzschean poetry.<br />
<br />
It’s subjects include society, pop
culture, love, religious dogma, God and the new age of Aquarius. This
book was written and published during the false incarceration of its
author in Chicago’s notorious Cook County Jail, the largest jail in the
country."<br />
<br />
Bu<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">y Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Lucifer-indigo-kids-Last-Prophet-ebook/dp/B00L3VL7E8/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406567843&sr=1-1&keywords=lucifer+and+the+indigo+kids" href="http://www.amazon.com/Lucifer-indigo-kids-Last-Prophet-ebook/dp/B00L3VL7E8/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406567843&sr=1-1&keywords=lucifer+and+the+indigo+kids" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Poetry, Philosophy</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Lord%20Ra%20Krishna%20EL&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Lord%20Ra%20Krishna%20EL&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Connect</b> with Lord Ra Krishna EL on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lord-Ra-Krishna-El/729737850380185?ref=hl" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lord-Ra-Krishna-El/729737850380185?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/Lord_Ra_Krishna" href="https://twitter.com/Lord_Ra_Krishna" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-29198606063698337692015-02-03T07:00:00.000+00:002015-02-03T07:00:03.146+00:00"Minneapolis Court House" - HUSH #Excerpt by Kimberly Shursen @KimberlyShursen #Thriller #Legal<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Minneapolis Court House</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>September 3, 9:00 a.m.</b></span></i></span></div>
<br />
Ben ran a hand down the lapel of his suit jacket. “I call Paige Werner to the stand.”<br />
<br />
Putting
a child on the witness stand to testify was the worst part of Ben’s
job. But if a child was over the age of ten, and sometimes even younger,
they were usually called to the stand. For many of these children their
lives would always be a living hell. They would go from foster home to
foster home until they were eighteen.<br />
<br />
Today, Ben was
representing twenty-nine-year-old Jeremy Werner. The Werner’s oldest
daughter Paige had just turned ten and the oldest of three siblings.
Recently divorced, both Rachel and Jeremy Werner wanted sole custody.<br />
<br />
When
Ben had deposed Rachel Werner, he’d seen through her. She wanted child
support—not her children. Oh, she’d put on the drama-queen act and cried
like a baby when Ben asked her questions. She’d ranted and raved
hysterically about how Jeremy Werner had never been there for her or his
children. But Ben had done his homework and found it had been Jeremy
who’d attended his children’s school conferences, had signed Paige up
for a dance classes, and enrolled his two younger boys in T-ball. It was
also Jeremy who’d attended dance recitals and baseball practices.
Rachel Werner had not only been a silent partner in this marriage, but
as a mother.<br />
<br />
Dressed in gray sweat pants, her ample
breasts bulged inside the blue-and-white striped tank top, Rachel sat at
the defense table, her right leg bouncing up and down rapidly. The
stringy, unkempt hair, the sallow complexion, Ben was well aware of the
signs of withdrawal. Most junkies tried to stay off dope long enough to
win a custody case, and then they’d be right back at it.<br />
<br />
The
door of the courtroom opened, and a diminutive Paige Werner appeared.
Wearing a navy cardigan, sundress, and sandals, she was small for her
age. Staring at her fingers weaving in and out of each other, her light
brown ponytail was tied with a white ribbon. Ben recognized the DHS
worker who walked beside her.<br />
<br />
“It’s okay, Paige,” Ben
soothed and opened the gate. A courtroom was overwhelming for an adult,
let alone a child; the judge donned in a black robe perching God-like on
the bench, the twelve empty jury seats and parents sitting at opposing
tables.<br />
<br />
Paige slowly walked to the witness stand,
picking up each foot as if it was too heavy to lift. Robot-like she
stopped when she reached the three steps that led up to the witness
stand, turned around, and faced the bailiff.<br />
<br />
“Please raise your right hand, miss,” the sober-faced bailiff said.<br />
<br />
Paige’s
dark, doe-like eyes looked so full of pain Ben didn’t know how much
more of this she could take. She raised her hand, her petite fingers
curled over slightly.<br />
<br />
“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” he asked the sad-looking child.<br />
<br />
Her blank gaze went to Ben, and he nodded.<br />
<br />
“Yes,” she said faintly.<br />
<br />
“Witness may take the stand.”<br />
<br />
Ben unbuttoned the middle button of his jacket. “Paige,” he said and took a few steps toward her, “do you know who I am?”<br />
<br />
“My daddy’s lawyer,” she said shyly.<br />
<br />
“That’s
right,” Ben said evenly. “And do you remember what I told you?” He
turned his head and briefly glanced at the defense table. “That your
mommy’s lawyer and I would be asking you some questions today?”<br />
<br />
“Uh huh.”<br />
<br />
“Please answer with a yes or a no,” a voice boomed.<br />
<br />
Paige jerked her head toward the judge, her eyes like saucers.<br />
<br />
“It’s
okay, Paige, you didn’t do anything wrong.” The judge nodded at the
court reporter. “We just have to have a yes or no, so we can write it
down.”<br />
<br />
“Okay,” the child said, barely audible.<br />
<br />
“Let
me ask this again.” Ben smiled warmly. “Do you remember I told you that
both Mr. Lansky and I would be asking you some questions today?”<br />
<br />
“Yes,” she said and looked down.<br />
<br />
“Do you know why you’re here today?” Ben took a couple of steps to his right, blocking Paige’s view of her mother.<br />
<br />
“Uh huh.” A panicked expression quickly came across her face. “I mean yes.”<br />
<br />
Ben
wanted to walk up the steps, wrap his arms around her, and tell her
everything would be alright. But everything wasn’t going to be alright
and hadn’t been since the day Paige was born.<br />
<br />
“And as you know, Paige, we’re here today to ask which parent you feel you would like to live with.”<br />
<br />
She wiggled anxiously in her seat. “I know.”<br />
<br />
“Do you remember I told you that we’d be asking you one very important question?”<br />
<br />
“’Bout whether I want to live with my mommy or daddy?” Her tone pleaded with Ben to say no.<br />
<br />
Ben nodded. “That’s right.”<br />
<br />
Her chin started to quiver. “But I don’t want anyone to get mad.” A crocodile tear rolled down a freckled cheek.<br />
<br />
“I
know.” Ben walked back to his table and picked up a carton of Kleenex.
“This is tough, but it’s important everyone knows how you feel.” He put
the box down on the ledge in front of her.<br />
<br />
Paige pulled out a tissue and wiped her cheek. She sat up straight, her eyes focused and clear. “I want to live with my daddy.”<br />
<br />
A high-pitched shriek of resounded through the courtroom.<br />
<br />
Ben
shot his head toward Rachel Werner, giving her an arresting look. He
turned quickly back around and faced the child. “I want you to pretend
it’s just you and me talking, okay?”<br />
<br />
“I’ll try.” She gnawed on her lower lip.<br />
<br />
“That’s
good enough for me.” Ben took a few steps to the side, blocking Paige’s
vision of her mother again. “Can you tell us why you would like to live
with your daddy?”<br />
<br />
“My mommy’s…” Paige paused. “She’s too tired.”<br />
<br />
“Can you tell us why you think your mommy’s tired?”<br />
<br />
“She…she…” Paige covered her face with her hands and shook her head.<br />
<br />
Rachel
Werner stood up so fast, her chair toppled backwards. “You’re a liar!”
She pointed a shaky finger at her daughter, her face balled in anger.<br />
<br />
Paige
cowered in her seat as Rachel Werner’s state appointed attorney stood
and put a hand on his client’s shoulder, but Rachel Werner shirked it
off. “Leave me the hell alone, asshole.” Angry spittle sprayed out her
mouth.<br />
<br />
“Mrs. Werner.” The sound of the gavel came down hard on the bench, and the judge’s face turned an angry crimson. “Sit down.”<br />
<br />
“Everyone
knows children should be with their mother,” Rachel Werner said
hysterically. “She’s a little liar and everybody,” she screamed and bent
over from the waist, “everybody knows it.” Her eyes glared fiercely at
Paige. “You hear me, you little liar!”<br />
<br />
“Counselor.” The judge shook his meaty jowls angrily. “Get your client under control, or I’ll throw her in jail for contempt.”<br />
<br />
The
fresh-faced attorney leaned over and whispered something into his
client’s ear. Reluctantly, the mother sat back down, her hands and legs
trembling in sync.<br />
<br />
“Mrs. Werner.” The judge looked over
the top of his glasses at her. “In this day and age, the parent who
will be awarded custody will be because of the best interest for the
child. The rights of both parents are equal. A mother has no more rights
than a father.”<br />
<br />
Rachel Werner bowed her head, her shoulders flinching with each muffled sob.<br />
<br />
Ben leaned over the witness stand and patted Paige’s hand. “It’s okay, honey. We’ll stop if you want.”<br />
<br />
“I knew she was gonna get mad,” Paige sniveled. “My brothers and I want to live with my daddy.”<br />
<br />
“And why is that?” Ben asked.<br />
<br />
“He makes us bunny pancakes and stuff.” Paige managed a slight grin.<br />
<br />
“So, you have breakfast before school when you stay with your daddy?”<br />
<br />
“Weekends
we get to choose what we want.” Paige changed positions and smiled at
her father. “Like eggs or pancakes and I get to help.”<br />
<br />
“And
what about dinner when you’re staying with your dad?” Ben locked his
hands behind his back. “What kinds of things do you eat?”<br />
<br />
“Daddy says we need to eat good stuff.” She wrinkled up her nose. “Like broccoli and carrots.”<br />
<br />
Ben smiled. “And when you’re with your mom what kinds of things do you have for dinner?”<br />
<br />
“Well.” Paige looked up pensively. “Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.” Her eyes lit up. “Sometimes pizza”<br />
<br />
“And your mom makes the pizza?” Ben probed.<br />
<br />
Paige slapped a hand over her chest. “I’m big enough to make pizza.”<br />
<br />
Ben swallowed a chuckle. “So, if there is one big reason why you would like to live with your daddy, what would it be?”<br />
<br />
“He
plays with us.” Paige put her hands out to the side. “Like we do dog
piles and all jump on top of him. And…hide-‘n-seek.” She shrugged her
shoulders. “Lots of stuff.”<br />
<br />
Ben raised an eyebrow. “So, he plays with you?”<br />
<br />
“Uh huh.” She stiffened. “I mean yes.”<br />
<br />
Even
though Ben wanted to ask her more questions, he knew when to stop.
Attention spans were short, and sometimes children became confused and
would answer the same question differently.<br />
<br />
“No further
questions.” Ben winked at Paige, walked back to his table, and sat
down. He put his hand over the French knot in his tie and moved it back
and forth a few times. Hopefully Paige would remember to focus on Ben
and not Rachel Werner when she was being questioned by her mother’s
attorney.<br />
<br />
The judge nodded at Rachel Werner’s attorney. “Counselor?”<br />
<br />
“Thank
you, Your Honor.” The slightly built attorney with black-rimmed glasses
perched on a pug nose stood and approached the witness stand.<br />
<br />
This
case was over. The lawyer would hound Paige until she cried, the judge
would recess, and by the end of next week, the father would have sole
custody. A mother who was a practicing addict as opposed to a father who
was clean and sober with a job that would support his children was a
no-brainer.<br />
<br />
Nothing enraged Ben more than children
being placed with a parent who hadn’t earned their title. Men’s rights
had come a long way. Two decades ago children were almost always awarded
to their mothers, no matter how bad of a parent they were.<br />
<br />
After the judge announced he would render his decision by the end of next week, the courtroom was adjourned.<br />
<br />
“Thanks.” Jeremy Werner’s face beamed as he shook Ben’s hand.<br />
<br />
“Just
take care of Paige.” Ben stared into the father’s tired, young eyes.
“Or I will guarantee you I’ll see you on the otherside of the
courtroom.”<br />
<br />
“I will, Mr. Grable.” Jeremy grinned. “I promise.”<br />
<br />
Ben
picked up his briefcase and took a fleeting glance at Mrs. Werner. Head
on the table sobbing, her right leg moving up and down rapidly, she was
a mess.<br />
<br />
He marched down the aisle and pushed the door
open at the back of the courtroom. As usual, the hallways were jammed.
Women in faded jeans and somber frowns sat on benches in hopes a judge
would issue a restraining order against an abusive husband; young women
held crying toddlers, trusting an absent father would be jailed for lack
of child support; and anxious, supportive fathers sat beside teenage
sons about to face their first DWI charge.<br />
<br />
He rode the
elevator to the skywalk level as it only took minutes for Ben to walk
from one building to the next. From eight until four, the above ground,
indoor walkways were always crowded with professionals carrying attaché
cases, as well as the homeless who wandered aimlessly through the maze
of heated, indoor paths. Meshed inside a faceless crowd seemed to calm
Ben down, especially after an intense courtroom session. He caught the
musky scent of leather when he passed Wilson’s, and next to it, the
sweet, succulent aroma of Godiva chocolate. With all the boutiques along
with a sundry of restaurants, the skyway was a city in itself.<br />
<br />
Ben
took an escalator up to the top floor. It was a little after eleven,
but people had already started to filter into the food court. His
stomach did a flip-flop when he spotted Ann at a table as she’d told him
she’d try to get away and meet him for lunch. Ben was already crazy
about her. It felt like they’d known each other a lot longer than two
weeks.<br />
<br />
“You made it.” He leaned over the table and gave Ann a quick hug. “You like Chinese?”<br />
<br />
“Love it.”<br />
<br />
“You sure? Because there’s everything from pizza to—”<br />
<br />
“I really, really, really want Chinese.” She flashed Ben a dimpled smile.<br />
<br />
He
snatched the Star and Tribune off another table and handed it to Ann.
“Hey, do me a favor and find the New York Stock Exchange. Search for the
cymbal DBS and let me know what it’s at.”<br />
<br />
“It’s at
thirty-five,” Ann informed Ben when he set a tray on the table. She
folded the paper and pushed it aside. “That smells wonderful.”<br />
<br />
“Great. Up a point.” He took the cartons off the tray and set a paper plate and plastic silverware in front of Ann.<br />
<br />
Ann opened one of the red-and-white checked boxes and leaned over the steaming carton. “Ginger chicken?”<br />
<br />
Ben grinned. “Ginger chicken.”<br />
<br />
“Iced
tea, too? Can you read my mind or what?” She scooped out a portion of
the chicken onto her paper plate and then served Ben an ample portion.
“What’s DBS?”<br />
<br />
“A research company I invested in a
couple of years ago.” Ben pulled out a chair across from her and sat
down. “The research center is trying to find a cure, or at least
diminish some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.”<br />
<br />
Ann took a sip of her drink. “Do you know someone with Parkinson’s?”<br />
<br />
Ben’s
expression turned somber. “My grandmother. Watched her suffer for years
before she passed. People shouldn’t have to live like that.”<br />
<br />
“Oh, Ben,” she said sympathetically, “I’m sorry.”<br />
<br />
They
chit-chatted about their morning as they ate, Ben sharing with Ann that
his heart broke every time a child had to testify in court, and Ann
telling him about the newest arrivals in the nursery.<br />
<br />
“How old are you?” Ann blurted. “Oh, sheesh”—she leaned back in her chair—“that came out of nowhere. Sorry.”<br />
<br />
Although
she had that wholesome girl-next-door look, she was beautiful, and Ben
caught himself staring at her. “Older than you. I know that.” Ben
scooped up the last of the chicken on his plate. “Twenty-eight.”<br />
<br />
“When’s you’re birthday?”<br />
<br />
Ben swiped over his mouth with a paper napkin. “Why? Wanna know what I want?”<br />
<br />
“Maybe,” she said flirtatiously.<br />
<br />
“You into signs and all that?”<br />
<br />
Ann rolled her eyes. “Not at all. My father would not be proud if I were.”<br />
<br />
“December twentieth,” Ben said. “Almost a Christmas baby. When’s yours?”<br />
<br />
Ann’s mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding, right?”<br />
<br />
“Why would someone lie about their birthday?” Ben closed the empty carton and put it back on the tray.<br />
<br />
She slapped a hand over her chest. “Mine’s December twenty-first.”<br />
<br />
“Okay, sock it to me. What year?” Ben eyed her. “Please don’t tell me I’m a cradle robber.”<br />
<br />
She cocked her head to the side. “Same year as yours, Mister.”<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hush.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hush.jpg"><img alt="hush" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41080" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hush.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hush.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Soon
after Ann Ferguson and Ben Grable marry, and Ben unseals his adoption
papers, their perfect life together is torn apart, sending the couple to
opposite sides of the courtroom.</span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Representing
Ann, lawyer Michael J. McConaughey (Mac) feels this is the case that
could have far-reaching, judicial effects -- the one he's been waiting
for.</span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Opposing counsel knows this high profile case happens just once in a lifetime.</span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />And
when the silent protest known as HUSH sweeps the nation, making
international news, the CEO of one of the top ten pharmaceutical
companies in the world plots to derail the trial that could cost his
company billions.</span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Critically
acclaimed literary thriller HUSH not only questions one of the most
controversial laws that has divided the nation for over four decades,
but captures a story of the far-reaching ties of family that surpasses
time and distance.</span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>***
Hush does not have political or religious content. The story is built
around the emotions and thoughts of two people who differ in their
beliefs.</b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<b> </b>EDITORIAL
REVIEW: "Suspenseful and well-researched, this action-packed legal
thriller will take readers on a journey through the trials and
tribulations of one of the most controversial subjects in society
today." - Katie French author of "The Breeders," "The Believer's," and "Eyes Ever To The Sky."</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Hush-Kimberly-Shursen-ebook/dp/B00HZKBGW4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1404820465&sr=1-1&keywords=hush+and+kimberly+shursen" href="http://www.amazon.com/Hush-Kimberly-Shursen-ebook/dp/B00HZKBGW4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1404820465&sr=1-1&keywords=hush+and+kimberly+shursen" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Thriller</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Shursen/e/B00C7ZBTIS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Shursen/e/B00C7ZBTIS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Kimberly Shursen through <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberly-Shursen-Author/286879094678995" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberly-Shursen-Author/286879094678995" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/kimberlyShursen" href="https://twitter.com/kimberlyShursen" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.kimberlyshursen.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-uex70LjIEkr9CbwWbuB4zDHIOKw" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.kimberlyshursen.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-uex70LjIEkr9CbwWbuB4zDHIOKw" target="_blank">http://www.kimberlyshursen.com/</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-42166043389944404932015-01-17T07:30:00.000+00:002015-03-28T04:14:58.988+00:00Mike Hartner on Characters Waiting to Be Heard @MHartnerAuthor #AmWriting #HistFic #Goodreads<b>Inside the Mind of An Author</b><br />
<br />
In the Darkness
brought on by a closed room and narrow stairs, I slowly ascend to the
top and push the attic floorboard to the side. This stairwell,
conveniently hidden in a second floor wall, has been very dusty and full
of cobwebs. I’m really not sure what to expect when I go into the
attic. I have, however, heard strange noises.<br />
<br />
Climbing
up into the attic, into the mind of this author, I look around. The
walls are cluttered with post it notes, and most of them had small
symbols and some writing. There were papers that had fallen to the
floor, and the whole area looked like an old bomb shelter.<br />
<br />
I’m
immediately dodging the many different children who are running around.
The voices that each one uses to taunt the others are all different.<br />
<br />
I stop one of them. His name is James.<br />
<br />
“Are there any others around?”<br />
<br />
“Oh, there are plenty.”<br />
<br />
“Where are they?”<br />
<br />
“Sitting in a corner of the filing room in the back. They’re waiting for their opportunity to come join the fun.”<br />
<br />
“What are they waiting for?”<br />
<br />
“Why,
everyone knows that they’re waiting to be heard. Not all of us
characters can be heard at the same time. Sometimes, he listens to
three or four of us for a short time, and sometimes he listens to one of
us for a long time. But, we’re all here. Waiting for our chance to
be heard.”<br />
<br />
“So why are you three out here running around?”<br />
<br />
“We’ve
already been heard. He’s concentrating on us right now, and it’s our
chance to play and rest while he figures out what he wants us to do
next.”<br />
<br />
“How many are in the back room?”<br />
<br />
“The
last I checked, the room was crammed, and the waiting list was endless.
Lots of voices like us want to be heard. We want to tell our
stories.”<br />
<br />
James escaped from my vision and went back to running around.<br />
<br />
When
I saw them return, I also saw them carrying long sticks, using them as
play swords. I beat a hasty retreat from the mind of this author.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IJames.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IJames.jpg"><img alt="IJames" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41780" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IJames.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IJames.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">James Crofter was ripped from his family at age 11. <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />Within a year the prince was a pauper in a foreign land. <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />Is nature stronger than nurture? And even if it is, can James find the happiness he so richly desires? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/I-James-Eternity-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00MQHIG0Q/ref=la_B009VJQBEA_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409891856&sr=1-5" href="http://www.amazon.com/I-James-Eternity-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00MQHIG0Q/ref=la_B009VJQBEA_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409891856&sr=1-5" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Historical Fiction, Romance</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Mike-Hartner/e/B009VJQBEA/" href="http://www.amazon.com/Mike-Hartner/e/B009VJQBEA/" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Mike Hartner on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Hartner-Author/368690356556759" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Hartner-Author/368690356556759" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/MHartnerAuthor" href="https://twitter.com/MHartnerAuthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-33794101241159332212015-01-16T10:00:00.000+00:002015-01-18T06:57:26.246+00:00Craig Staufenberg on Connecting Your Book Cover, Theme & Story @YouMakeArtDumb #AmWriting #MG<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Why Book Covers are So Important</b></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s
marketing, of course, but I don’t want to get too hung up in that. For
me, my book cover was so important because it gave me a way to like my
book again.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
general, I like what I write because I write things that I’d like to
read. But the process of soliciting feedback, editing, and otherwise
sitting with your book in an analytical way can drive away a good chunk
of that affection. Especially when you’re about a year deep into the
project and you aren’t feeling quite the same rush you did when you
blazed through the first draft. And after you’ve been grappling with how
seriously to take the 1 out of 40 beta readers who ended up hating your
book and tearing it apart. I faced this scenario with my book, and I
was having a very, very hard time liking my book right when I was
finishing it up and getting ready to publish it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But
working with a good friend of mine to design the book’s cover pulled me
out of this funk. The process and the final cover design helped me
like, and then even love, my book again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why?
Because instead of worrying about the text, I got to sit back and work
with her to create a piece of art that was beautiful in its own right,
but which also tapped into the book’s overall theme and tone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What’s
more, I got to bring someone else in to help work on the book with me.
So I wasn’t just sitting by myself worrying about whether everyone was
going to hate what I wrote. Instead, my friend and I just chatted on the
phone, sent a lot of emails with pictures of book covers we liked, and
talked about art. And then we talked about what we liked about the book,
and why it resonated with the two of us. And suddenly I had this great
avenue for thinking about, and appreciating, the book, while remembering
why it meant so much to me in the first place.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even
better, I was able to give my friend a great opportunity—she got to
design her first book cover from scratch. She’d worked on many book
covers before mine, but she didn’t get to take full ownership of a cover
design before. So no matter how I felt about the book, I knew that
putting it out there would at least help my friend take a step forward
in her career.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And
ultimately, the whole process gave me something to love about the book
that didn’t come from me. It’s always hard to feel totally positive
about something that you made with your own two hands. Even if you like
it, and even when you fall in love with it again, you still look at it
and see the seams. And hear everything negative anyone has ever said
about it. And think about all the worries, and concerns, and anxieties
that went into it. But I can look at this cover that my friend designed
and love it unconditionally. And that means there’s at least something
about this book that I can approach without doubt.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/The-Girl-Who-Came-Back-to-Life.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/The-Girl-Who-Came-Back-to-Life.jpg"><img alt="The Girl Who Came Back to Life" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40597" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/The-Girl-Who-Came-Back-to-Life.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/The-Girl-Who-Came-Back-to-Life.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When
you die, your spirit wakes in the north, in the City of the Dead.
There, you wander the cold until one of your living loved ones finds
you, says "Goodbye," and Sends you to the next world. <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" /><br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />After
her parents die, 12-year-old Sophie refuses to release their spirits.
Instead, she resolves to travel to the City of the Dead to bring her
mother and father’s spirits back home with her. <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" /><br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />Taking
the long pilgrimage north with her gruff & distant grandmother—by
train, by foot, by boat; over ruined mountains and plains and
oceans—Sophie struggles to return what death stole from her. Yet the
journey offers her many hard, unexpected lessons—what to hold on to,
when to let go, and who she must truly bring back to life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Who-Came-Back-Life-ebook/dp/B00JQRR0JM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402517344&sr=8-1&keywords=craig+staufenberg" href="http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Who-Came-Back-Life-ebook/dp/B00JQRR0JM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402517344&sr=8-1&keywords=craig+staufenberg" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Middle Grade</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Craig-Staufenberg/e/B00J4CHMX8/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Craig-Staufenberg/e/B00J4CHMX8/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>with Craig Staufenberg through<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/YouMakeArtDumb?ref=hl" href="https://www.facebook.com/YouMakeArtDumb?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/YouMakeArtDumb" href="https://twitter.com/YouMakeArtDumb" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://craigstaufenberg.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-DrQ3iDj9YlxIz66ffrjCdBEDC8Q" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://craigstaufenberg.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-DrQ3iDj9YlxIz66ffrjCdBEDC8Q" target="_blank">http://craigstaufenberg.com/</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-84029344150221136432015-01-16T07:00:00.000+00:002015-01-18T06:29:22.870+00:00Kirsten Mortensen on Writing Fiction is a Controlled Waking Dream @KirstenWriter #Authors #AmWriting <div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Writing and Dreams. Not That Different</b></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Kirsten Mortensen</span></span></i></div>
<br />
I
love to dream. And not just because it’s so night to get a good night’s
sleep. I love to dream because I’m utterly fascinated by the experience
of finding myself in a strange world—often occupying a strange
identity—that seems utterly complete and coherent while I’m inside it.
What a marvelous thing, consciousness is, to be able to send us into
dream worlds!<br />
<br />
I also believe my love of dreaming is very closely related to my writing.<br />
<br />
In
fact, I think writing—especially writing fiction—is very similar to
dreaming. You might even say that writing fiction is a kind of
controlled, waking dream.<br />
<br />
Think about it.<br />
<br />
When
you dream, you relax. You turn your attention from everyday life. And
you let another part of your mind—one that exists independently of the
mind where you live while you’re awake—take over. It creates characters,
settings, plots, story lines. Things “happen” that cause you to react
emotionally. Problems present themselves—and so do solutions.<br />
<br />
Now
think what happens when you write fiction. You relax your waking mind,
and turn your attention away from everyday life. You let another part of
your mind take over. And it starts creating characters, setting, plot
twists . . .<br />
<br />
With me so far?<br />
<br />
Now how
about this: suppose that paying attention to your dreams helps you to
build bridges between the part of your mind you use to create fiction,
and your waking consciousness—the part of your mind you need to capture
what you’ve created and write it down.<br />
<br />
Isn’t that an intriguing thought?<br />
<br />
I
know that I’ve been paying close attention to dreams my whole life, and
during many periods of my life I’ve kept dream journals. And something
else: there are times—especially when I’ve been getting enough
sleep—when I’m able to consciously control my dreams. Sometimes I
realize I’m dreaming (an experience known as “lucid dreaming”). Other
times, I feel like I’m a movie director. If I don’t like what’s
happening, I’ll change it.<br />
<br />
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve
come to believe that this practice has helped me as a writer. It’s very
subtle, but I can feel it when my mind “switches” to a different mode,
the mode where I’m generating fictional characters, fictional worlds.<br />
<br />
I
believe there’s a connection. Scientists know today that when we
practice any task—whether its navigating city streets, doing Sudoku
puzzles, or memorizing poetry—our brains become better at that task.<br />
<br />
I’ve written about this topic at length in a non-fiction book I published, called Writing, Dreams, and Consciousness.<br />
<br />
And
I believe that the work I’ve done as a dreamer is one reason that the
world I created in my latest novel, Dark Chemistry, is so vivid that
readers tell me it makes a strong impression on them. That world really
does exist—I know. I’ve dreamt it!<br />
<br />
So here’s my
proposal: paying attention to dreams—keeping a dream journal, for
example, and writing down what we can remember of our dreams when we
wake in the morning—is a way of training our brains to create fictional
worlds.<br />
<br />
What do you think? Do you remember your dreams? Have you ever kept a dream journal?<br />
<br />
And if you decide to try, to see if it helps you develop a writer, please let me know. I’d love to hear about your experience.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/darkChemistry.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/darkChemistry.jpg"><img alt="darkChemistry" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41412" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/darkChemistry.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/darkChemistry.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<h1>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A woman's worst nightmare</span></span></h1>
<h2 data-mce-style="color: #cc6600;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Drugged by something...that makes her think she's fallen in love.</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All Haley Dubose has ever known is beaches and malls, clubs and cocktail dresses.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>But now her father is dead.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And if she wants to inherit her father's fortune, she has to leave sunny Southern California<br />for a backwater little town near Syracuse, New York. She has to run RMB, the multimillion dollar<br />chemical company her father founded. And she has to run it well.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep
RMB on track, and she'll be rich. Grow it, and she'll be even richer.
But mess it up, and her inheritance will shrink away before she gets a
chance to spend a dime.</span></span><br />
<h2 data-mce-style="color: #cc6600;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Donavon Todde is her true love. But is it too late?</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He's RMB's head of sales – and the more Donavon sees of Haley, the more he's smitten.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sure,
she comes across at first as naïve and superficial. But Donavon knew
Haley's father. He can see the man's better qualities stirring to life
in her eyes. And Donavon senses something else: Haley's father left her a
legacy more important than money. He left her the chance to discover
her true self.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Donavon has demons of his own.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b><br />He's
reeling from a heartbreak that's taking far too long to heal. But he's
captivated by this blond Californian, and not only because of her
beauty.<i> It's chemistry.</i> They're right for each other. But has
Donavon waited too long to woo this woman of his dreams? Because to his
horror, his beautiful Haley falls under another spell.<i> Gerad's spell.</i></span></span><br />
<h2 data-mce-style="color: #cc6600;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A web of evil.</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gerad
Picket was second-in-command at RMB when Haley's father was alive. And
with Haley on the scene, he's in charge of her training. But there are
things about RMB that Gerad doesn't want Haley to know.</span></span><br />
<h2 data-mce-style="color: #cc6600;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And he must control her. Any way he can.</span></span></h2>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Romantic suspense for your Kindle</span></span></h1>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Will Haley realize that her feelings are not her TRUE feelings?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does Donavon have the strength left to fight for the woman he loves?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Will the two of them uncover Gerad's plot to use RMB pheromones to enslave the world?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And even if they do – can they stop it?</span></span><br />
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Chemistry-Kirsten-Mortensen-ebook/dp/B00KEYP3QI/" href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Chemistry-Kirsten-Mortensen-ebook/dp/B00KEYP3QI/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> &<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/422146" href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/422146" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Romantic suspense</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Kirsten-Mortensen/e/B001JP7X50/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Kirsten-Mortensen/e/B001JP7X50/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Kirsten Mortensen through<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kirsten-Mortensen-Writer/195344590544496?ref=hl" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kirsten-Mortensen-Writer/195344590544496?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>& <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/Kirstenwriter" href="https://twitter.com/Kirstenwriter" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://kirstenmortensen.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29OlqrTvuWJGs0Xbb3RDK_7VviC8A" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://kirstenmortensen.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29OlqrTvuWJGs0Xbb3RDK_7VviC8A" target="_blank">http://kirstenmortensen.com/</a></b></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-12838719423441955572015-01-14T10:00:00.000+00:002015-01-15T18:13:44.823+00:00Received a Bad Review? Amy Lewis Offers Tips on Surviving It @AmyLewisAuthor #SelfPub #AmWriting <div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The newbies guide to surviving bad reviews</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It
was already a bad day when I read her review, only half paying
attention to the words, because it was 6 am, and I had not slept well. I
got a full three sentences in before I realized, "Wow, this lady really
hated my memoir." Not only is she trashing my writing, she's trashing
me, and not so subtly accusing me of lying. She suggested not everything
in my memoir really happened to me. Despite the good reviews that had
been rolling in, as a first time indie author, I could not stop thinking
about this lady who hated my book. I knew I shouldn't care. I knew as
an artist I put my work out there and welcome good and bad feedback. Art
is subjective. I know that. But still my mind obsessed. If my book had
been fiction maybe her review would be easier to take. She thinks my
heroine sucks - no problem. But this was a memoir. She was basically
saying "you're worthless, your story is worthless and you should have
written it in a diary and kept it to yourself." Ouch. I googled how to
deal with bad reviews. I visited sites that list all the horrible
reviews that famous, award winning books received. I laughed and felt in
very good company ... but only slightly. I was not a famous writer. I’m
guessing bad reviews don't hurt as much when you're sitting on a pile
of money and holding your Pulitzer Prize. I considered writing her
back. I know this is a huge no-no. I found myself reduced to age 11 and
wanted to say horrible and childish things to her. I came up with many
creative insults, but I kept them to myself.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It
took a few days for me to cool down and begin to see the bigger
picture. I finally got my "aha" moment as people like to say. This
lady's review actually could be a huge gift. Huge! I should actually be
thanking her. I have struggled all my life with people pleasing and
holding my self-expression back to fit in and be liked. I learned from a
young age to read people and give them what they wanted, what would
make them happy. I've been aware of my accommodating tendencies for
decades, but breaking out of them has been a challenge. The more I
relaxed and let go of my anger, the more I smiled when I thought of this
book-hating lady and her nasty review. Someone doesn't like me or my
book. Big f-ing deal. My world didn't shatter. I didn’t stop breathing.
In fact, nothing happened. There is nothing wrong with hating someone's
memoir, and there is no crime in sharing in vivid detail your feelings
in a book review. I even began to smile at how much she must dislike me
to take the time to write that particular review.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
real problem here is not the review or the fact that I got upset. The
real problem is when I or when any writer, artist or human chooses to
stay silent, to not play the game of expressing what is inside that
screams to come out, just because we are afraid we won't be liked or
accepted. The world does not need any more people like that. The world
needs bold artists whose desire to express and create is way bigger than
their fears of how their work will be received. I am happy and proud to
say I am one of those artists. And this bad review helped me to realize
that.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
leave you with one tip for dealing with bad reviews. When all else
fails, get a copy of the Frozen soundtrack, crank up Let It Go and belt
it out along with Idina Menzel ...</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Let it go, let it go</i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>And I'll rise like the break of dawn</i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Let it go, let it go</i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>That perfect girl is gone!</i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Here I stand</i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In the light of day</i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Let the storm rage on,</i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The cold never bothered me anyway!</i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/whatFreedomSmellsLike.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/whatFreedomSmellsLike.jpg"><img alt="whatFreedomSmellsLike" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41176" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/whatFreedomSmellsLike.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/whatFreedomSmellsLike.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
<div data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" id="outer_postBodyPS" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Diagnosed
with Borderline Personality disorder, Amy struggled with depression and
an addiction to sharp objects. Even hospitalization didn't help to heal
her destructive tendencies. It took a tumultuous relationship with a
man named Truth to bring her back from the depths of her own self-made
hell.Amy's marriage to dark, intriguing Truth was both passionate and
stormy. She was a fair-skinned southern girl from New Orleans. He was a
charming black man with tribal tattoos, piercings, and a mysterious
past. They made an unlikely pair, but somethin</span></span>g clicked.
During their early marriage, they pulled themselves out of abject
poverty into wealth and financial security practically overnight. Then
things began to fall apart.<br />
<br />
Passionate and protective, Truth also proved violent and abusive<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Amy’s own
self-destructive tendencies created a powerful symmetry. His sudden
death left Amy with an intense and warring set of emotions: grief for
the loss of the man she loved, relief she was no longer a target for his
aggression.</span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Conflicted
and grieving, Amy found herself at a spiritual and emotional
crossroads, only to receive help from an unlikely source: Truth himself.
Feeling his otherworldly presence in her dreams, Amy seeks help from a
famous medium.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her
spiritual encounters change Amy forever. Through Truth, she learns her
soul is eternal and indestructible, a knowledge that gives Amy the
courage to pursue her own dreams and transform herself both physically
and emotionally. Her supernatural encounters help Amy resolve the
internal anger and self-destructive tendencies standing between her and
happiness, culminating in a sense of spiritual fulfillment she never
dreamed possible.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An amazing true story, What Freedom Smells Like is told with courage, honesty, and a devilishly dark sense of humor.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Freedom-Smells-Like-Memoir-ebook/dp/B00JTHDCSC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Freedom-Smells-Like-Memoir-ebook/dp/B00JTHDCSC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Memoir</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Lewis/e/B00KERPYYQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Lewis/e/B00KERPYYQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Amy Lewis through <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/AmyLewisAuthor" href="https://twitter.com/AmyLewisAuthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.WhatFreedomSmellsLike.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-u-DEq6B2o3ZSLOwj9JWZOYB9gHA" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.WhatFreedomSmellsLike.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-u-DEq6B2o3ZSLOwj9JWZOYB9gHA" target="_blank">www.WhatFreedomSmellsLike.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-17683531679191088622014-12-31T09:00:00.000+00:002014-12-31T09:47:19.517+00:00Roland Hughes on Downloading #eBooks for #Free and Discoverability - #AmWriting #SelfPub <div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite
what you have heard, that question is foremost in the mind of every
writer who hasn’t become fabulously wealthy. I have heard many deny it,
yet they go out and promote their books. You will hear many claim they
“need to write and don’t care if anybody buys it.” Well, the first
part was probably true, but if they didn’t care about people buying it
they wouldn’t keep putting it up for temporary free download. Not just a
chapter or two mind you, the entire book. The on-line world has put in
place systems to feed this need for recognition and/or discovery.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
on-line world has answered with hundreds of places to download books
for free. Even Amazon has various “free download” promotional
programs. Many of the “free” eBook sites allow authors to post just a
few chapters so readers can decide if they like the work before
purchasing it. There was a time when that actually worked for all
involved. Most of the services handing out an author’s work for free
allow them access to some kind of dashboard or report which shows them
the number of downloads to feed the fantasy of having been discovered.
It really is just a fantasy for 99.99%. True, when eBooks and eReaders
were first entering the market such free downloads generated buzz and
sold additional units. Today the only buzz they seem to generate is in
the file hoarder community and they are only looking for free stuff.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Currently
there are a growing number of people with the addiction. There has
been a slogan attached to drug dealers, at least in the writing world if
not real life, “first hit is free.” Now anyone can upload an unedited
work to one or more of these on-line markets and watch the download
counter climb. The rush feeds the fantasy they will be “discovered” and
offered a book contract with a rich and famous sized advance. When the
rush wears off they either begin spending their own money promoting or
quickly create another work to post for free so they can feel the rush
again.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You’ve
all seen the news of formerly famous people and their downward spiral
out of this world. Addiction is a brutal thing. Many of you have heard
or seen news reports where some member of law enforcement comes on the
screen and states “the new form of drug Y isn’t the same as it was in
the 60s and 70s, it is N times deadlier.” The same has become true of
the free book market. There has been a culture shift on a global
scale. A growing percentage of the world population now believe they
should be able to download anything they want without having to pay for
it. The people making the money from this new addiction are the people
selling the paraphernalia which would be the devices required to consume
and or obtain the free stuff. Many vendors of such devices pitch the
size of the free library you will have access to with their device.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the other side of that ether from whence the free stuff comes is a writer who is driven to write asking “Do you know me?”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/johnSmith.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“John
Smith: Last Known Survivor of the Microsoft Wars” is one big interview.
It is a transcript of a dialogue between “John Smith” (who, as the
title of the book implies is the last known survivor of the Microsoft
wars) and the interviewer for a prominent news organization.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/John-Smith-Known-Survivor-Microsoft/dp/193973200X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a> &amp; <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/john-smith-roland-hughes/1102176003?ean=9781939732002" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">B&amp;N</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Dystopian Fiction</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Roland+Hughes&search-alias=books&text=Roland+Hughes&sort=relevancerank" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://johnsmith-book.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-70oxuHXvWgcvombsi9GJmpfL5eA" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://johnsmith-book.com/</a></b></span></span></div>
<br />Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-54385091525086684972014-10-28T07:00:00.000+00:002014-11-30T16:54:22.133+00:00DP Denman Shares Her Inspiration for NAKED TRUTH : Saving Liam @DPDenman #LGBT #AmReadingThe Saving Liam Series was inspired by a desire to bring a little-known tragedy to the public’s attention. Thousands of LGBTQI teens spend their nights on the street, abandoned by intolerant families. It was recently estimated that at least 40,000 kids fall into that category in the US every year (30,000 in Canada). The shelters are usually as intolerant as the families these kids left behind so, they live on the street in the cold eating out of dumpsters and barely surviving. There is no excuse for that but it’s impossible to change when most people don’t realize it’s happening.<br />
<br />
Saving Liam gave me a chance to paint a vivid picture of that existence and help people understand the way most of these kids live and the challenges they face when few people care what happens to them.<br />
<br />
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13.3333339691162px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/nakedTruth.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/nakedTruth.jpg"><img alt="nakedTruth" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-42565" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/nakedTruth.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/nakedTruth.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Buried lies never die.<br />
<br />
Liam
has a new career, a new condo, a newfound sense of control and none of
it is quite right. Shadows drift behind the bright sparkle of his life;
things he's determined to ignore until a shocking revelation makes it
impossible. With the help of Justin and a new friend, Liam must face the
life he's buried.<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Truth-Saving-Liam-Story-ebook/dp/B00OABL9AU/ref=la_B00GDFXYRM_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414160309&sr=1-4" href="http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Truth-Saving-Liam-Story-ebook/dp/B00OABL9AU/ref=la_B00GDFXYRM_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414160309&sr=1-4">Amazon</a></span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Contemporary Gay Romance</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – R</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: black;">More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/DP-Denman/e/B00GDFXYRM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/DP-Denman/e/B00GDFXYRM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1">the author</a></span></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Connect</b> with DP Denman through <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/dp.denman" href="https://www.facebook.com/dp.denman">Facebook</a> &<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/dpdenman" href="https://twitter.com/dpdenman">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.dpdenman.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-DLi5dDgA5m5fi0qAOEgURgxnQDg" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.dpdenman.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-DLi5dDgA5m5fi0qAOEgURgxnQDg" target="_blank">http://www.dpdenman.com</a></b></span></span></div>
<br />Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-38902370991864557432014-10-25T10:00:00.000+01:002014-11-18T18:00:51.424+00:00Hank Quense Shares an #Excerpt from MOXIE'S PROBLEM @hanque99 #SciFi #Fantasy #Goodreads<b>Scene background: </b><br />
<i>Tristan is rehearsing his latest play and Merlin wants to check it out.</i><br />
<br />
Merlin entered the room in the back of the keep where Tristan rehearsed his new play, Rolf and Hild. The play’s premier was planned for Camelot’s
annual Yuletide Feast and Merlin was curious about what abomination
Tristan had hatched this time.<br />
<br />
A few knights milled
about the room while an apprentice knight with a bandaged arm stood on a
chair. The apprentice had a woman’s wig on his head and didn’t look
happy. Tristan placed a second chair alongside the first. “Let us
begin with an important scene. One that will leave not a dry eye in the
audience.”<br />
<br />
Tristan grabbed a second knight and dragged him over to the empty chair.<br />
<br />
“You
are Hild,” Tristan said to the apprentice on the chair, “a rich maiden.
Let us pretend the chairs are a balcony in a garden behind Hild’s
house.” Tristan smacked the second knight in the chest with the back of
his hand. “Your name is Rolf. You are wandering knight who has fallen
in love with Hild as she has with you. Her family refuses to allow you
to marry her or even see her, so you have to meet in secret. Is this
clear?”<br />
<br />
Both characters looked puzzled.<br />
<br />
“Why don’t I just kill her parents,” Rolf asked, “and run away with her?”<br />
<br />
“Because
I didn’t write the play that way,” Tristan replied. “You stand over
there,” he told Rolf, “until Hild calls you. Then you approach the
balcony and profess your love.”<br />
<br />
“How the hell do I that? And what does profess mean?”<br />
<br />
“Never mind. Just go stand over there.” Tristan said in a threatening voice.<br />
<br />
Merlin
loved to watch Tristan lose his temper. One never knew what to expect
when that happened and Merlin suspected a temper tantrum was about to
break out.<br />
<br />
Once Rolf had been positioned, Tristan stood behind Hild and her chair.<br />
<br />
“I’ll whisper the lines to you, and you repeat them, all right?”<br />
<br />
Merlin
realized Hild couldn’t read and Rolf probably couldn’t either, so the
actors had to memorize the lines as Tristan read them.<br />
<br />
Hild braced herself, cocked an ear towards Tristan and then said, “Rolf, oh Rolf. Wherefore art thou, Rolf.”<br />
<br />
Tristan
pointed and Rolf moved to the chairs where Tristan whispered lines to
him. “I’m here, Hild, my beloved. Say you’ll be mine forever and a
day.”<br />
<br />
“I will. Oh, I will. I will be thy wife and
change my name to yours. What is in a name? A nettle by other name
would still prick thy hand.”<br />
<br />
Tristan directed Rolf to climb on the chair, embrace Hild and kiss her.<br />
<br />
“I ain’t kissin’ a guy,” Rolf snarled. “What kinda nasty mind do you have, Tristan.”<br />
<br />
“It’s
a play and she’s supposed to be a woman, so it’s all right to kiss her
during the play. It’s part of your role as a character.”<br />
<br />
Rolf climbed on the chair and loosely embraced Hild. Hild closed her eyes and puckered up.<br />
<br />
“I ain’t kissing’ her,” Rolf said. “She’s got stubble all over her face and her breath stinks.”<br />
<br />
Hild opened her eyes and glared at Rolf. “You should talk. Your breath smells like a midden.”<br />
<br />
Rolf and Hild both made fists and assumed fighting stances while still on the chairs.<br />
<br />
Merlin
shook his head. He had seen enough to confirm his suspicion that
Tristan’s play writing talent was equal to his poetry talent. Merlin
left the room while, behind his back, Rolf and Hild threatened to settle
the dispute with swords.<br />
<br />
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<a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Moxies-Problem.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Moxies-Problem.jpg"><img alt="Moxie's Problem" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-42271" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Moxies-Problem.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Moxies-Problem.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Do
you enjoy untypical coming-of-age stories? Well, you won’t find one
more untypical that Moxie’s Problem. Moxie is an obnoxious, teen-age
princess who has never been outsider her father’s castle. Until now. The
real world is quite different and she struggles to come to grips with
reality. The story take space against a backdrop of Camelot. But it
isn’t the Camelot of legends. It’s Camelot in a parallel universe. So,
all bets are off!</div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13.3333339691162px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Moxies-Problem-Hank-Quense-ebook/dp/B00MK5UA80/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1409836365&sr=1-1&keywords=hank+quense" href="http://www.amazon.com/Moxies-Problem-Hank-Quense-ebook/dp/B00MK5UA80/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1409836365&sr=1-1&keywords=hank+quense" target="_blank">Amazon</a> &<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448914" href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448914" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Genre – Fantasy, Sci-fi</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Rating – G</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Hank-Quense/e/B002BM76IE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Hank-Quense/e/B002BM76IE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Connect with Hank Quense through<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/StrangeWorldsOnline" href="https://www.facebook.com/StrangeWorldsOnline" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>&<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/hanque99" href="https://twitter.com/hanque99" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13.3333339691162px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://hank-quense.com/wp/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29hrxwzFyEMQY_AGYyT9ew6gPqByA" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://hank-quense.com/wp/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29hrxwzFyEMQY_AGYyT9ew6gPqByA" target="_blank">http://hank-quense.com/wp/</a></b></div>
<br />
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</div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-17288995971168022152014-10-04T08:30:00.000+01:002014-10-04T15:51:30.696+01:00Rik Stone & Behind the Scenes of "Birth of an Assassin" @Stone_Rik #AmWriting #Thriller #SelfPub<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nearly
all stories have a general platform from which to launch into
exclusivity. I wanted to write something that I felt hadn’t been done or
at least something different to what I’ve read. Of course, there’s no
such thing as a tale that hasn’t been told. All you can hope for is that
you might create a unique twist. Mine was a simple enough idea. I would
present a set of non-western characters. How is that different? Well,
in the novels I’ve trawled my way through over the years I’ve found that
even in the most exotic of settings there is an American or European
hero to sort out the mess. If you read Birth of an Assassin you’ll see
that needn’t be the case.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But
what stage could I use for my story and what genre? Being a thriller
addict the genre went without saying, but what about setting? Well, I
have an uncle by marriage whose parents fled anti-Semitism under late 19<span style="line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span> century
czarism. My uncle passed on little odds and ends relating to the
hardships Jewish people had at that time and I thought there might be a
story waiting to be told.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
researched the period and there were lots of events that could easily
be weaved into a single fictitious account. I’ll give a couple of
examples to explain what I mean:</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the second half of the 19<span style="line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span> century,
a Jewish boy was conscripted into the army to fight on one of the many
battlefronts against The Ottoman Empire. The boy was killed and tsarist
police operating in The Pale, a barren stretch of land where the Jewish
population was forced to live, came to the house of the boy. They didn’t
tell the parents he’d been killed in action. No, they said he was a
deserter, and that the family was left responsible for his crime. The
parents were fined several hundred roubles. Their belongings were sold
for 40 roubles, leaving the family with a debt of, yes several hundred
roubles. This became ritual; they rebuilt and their belongings were
taken and sold as payment towards the fine.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
the early 1900’s a Russian child was murdered. The Jewish population
was blamed and a series of state supported pogroms followed, ending in
Kishinev in 1903 where the worst of the persecutions took place. Later,
it turned out the child’s family had been responsible for the murder –
and police had covered it up.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
could go on, there were a multitude of travesty’s over many years.
Enough to say, I collected the makings of a story, but looking into that
period, I saw no believable way that anyone Jewish could possibly come
out on top, so I worked my way through Russian history looking for a
home for my plot. It wasn’t until reaching post war Soviet Russia that I
found a window. That isn’t to say my hero wins out in Birth of an
Assassin, but I needed a place where he at least had a chance.
Unfortunately I had to take my protagonist’s religion away, but his
burning ambition to be a part of the Red Army wouldn’t have worked with
it.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So,
I had someone to represent the Jewish population. Now, I needed a core
of anti-Semitism: along came Otto to provide the conduit for my story.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If
you read Birth of an Assassin you can be forgiven for not seeing my
analogy. When all’s said and done it’s simply an adventure thriller with
goodies and baddies. And if I were to itemise now what happens in the
book against its past equivalent I would be giving you a series of
spoilers.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Birth-of-an-Assassin.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Set
against the backdrop of Soviet, post-war Russia, Birth of an Assassin
follows the transformation of Jez Kornfeld from wide-eyed recruit to
avenging outlaw. Amidst a murky underworld of flesh-trafficking,
prostitution and institutionalized corruption, the elite Jewish soldier
is thrown into a world where nothing is what it seems, nobody can be
trusted, and everything can be violently torn from him.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Birth-of-an-Assassin-ebook/dp/B00DIFVC3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382547441&sr=8-1&keywords=rik+stone" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/birth-of-an-assassin-rik-stone/1115953870?ean=9781783010998" style="text-decoration: none;">B&N</a>, <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-gb/books/birth-of-an-assassin/-ykZ9LomEEqWVVtGlJrG-A" style="text-decoration: none;">Kobo</a> & <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/rik+stone/birth+of+an+assassin+28ebook29/9960214/" style="text-decoration: none;">Waterstones</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Thriller, Crime, Suspense</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – R</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rik-Stone/e/B00DP4R3OY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Rik Stone on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rik-Stone/602289653148840" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/stone_rik" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a href="http://rik-stone.simdif.com/" itemprop="url" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://rik-stone.simdif.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-16242005118895425032014-10-04T07:00:00.000+01:002014-10-28T09:00:37.092+00:00@LoniFlowers on Cosmetic Surgery & Horse Riding #AmReading #Contemporary #Romance <div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Things You Didn’t Know About Author Loni Flowers</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is it about me that you probably don't know already? I'm a very open person, so I really had to dig deep for these.<br /><b><br /><i>I'm the only one in my family to have Asthma.</i></b><br />I
grew up with severe asthma when I was a child, but every time I had an
attack and my parents took me to the hospital, I was be fully recovered
by the time we arrived. We could never show them proof asthma attacks.
It turned out the calmness of the car ride was a good trick to relieving
an attack. It wasn't until my teenage years that a car ride wouldn't
fix my problems and I was finally able to prove to a doctor my lungs
weren't "normal." And worse, the seasonal weather changes are usually
the main cause of an attack. Sucks!</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><i><b>I'm allergic to most dogs and house dust.</b></i></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Weird
right?! When I was five, my mother became obsessed with birds. At one
point we had 20 different types. I know that sounds like a zoo or
something, but it never felt like we were "the crazy cat lady" type.
Most were small birds, but we had a couple really large birds too. Among
the asthma flare ups, I would also break out in hives around my eyes
and they would spread all over my body. My eyes would swell shut and
itch like crazy. Test results confirmed I was allergic to dogs and house
dust. This basically included any animal that didn't have hair similar
to a human (like a Poodle or a Yorkie). I could still pet them and be
around them, but I always had to wash my hands afterwards or else the
eyes would swell shut and hives would spread. Fun times! We ended up
getting rid of all of the birds but a few.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><br /> </b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>I had plastic surgery on my ears when I was about 7 years old.</b></i><br />Yep,
cosmetic surgery to be exact. My ears stuck out like Dumbo the flying
Elephant. Go ahead. Laugh. I know you want to, and it’s alright. It is
funny...now. But even in elementary school, children are cruel and I was
picked on for it. So my parents took me to a wonderful doctor, William
P. Magee Jr. who had just started a charity while I was in his care. You
may have heard of it: Operation Smile. Their charity has done more than
200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults who suffer from
cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. So I pretty much
got worked on by a rock star surgeon and have the best, most beautiful
ears ever!</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><i><b>I competed professionally in horse shows when I was about 10 years old.</b></i><br />My
family are animal lovers, if you can't already tell from the previous
facts. At one point in my childhood, we owned seven horse. They are
loving, friendly, beautiful animals. I was a natural, or so my parents
and trainer said, when it came to riding and the ease of the sport
allowed me to compete effortlessly in Equestrian riding. I entered basic
classes, but I will never forget my first horse show. There were about
twenty other competitors and all were adults except for about three
children, including me. During one show you compete in three rounds and
can win a ribbon and points for each round. Points are added up after
the three rounds and a overall winner is names. I walked out of my first
show with 2- first place ribbons and 1- second place ribbon earning me a
Champion ribbon for my overall class. My mom was so excited and I was
like, "What the heck does all this mean?!" I learned pretty quickly and
by the time the showing season was over for the year, I earned Reserve
Champion (2nd place overall) in point standing for the entire show year.
Pretty awesome for a first-timer!<br /><br />I know, I know. I’m so dang
interesting it’s a bit hard to handle. Just kidding. I think most people
find the whole ear surgery thing the most interesting. And despite my
asthma and allergies, I will always have pets. I don’t ride horses
anymore, but it was a part of my childhood I will always remember. I had
so many great times when it was just me and my pony, Coco, enjoying a
Big Mac and fries. Yes, she ate what I ate.<br /><br />So that’s a bit about me. What is something not many people know about you? Please share!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Witness-to-my-Heart.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Witness-to-my-Heart.jpg"><img alt="Witness to my Heart" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41881" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Witness-to-my-Heart.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Witness-to-my-Heart.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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Keep
a low profile. That's what Abigale Peterson was supposed to do,
especially when the person she was being protected from was one of the
world's worst crime lords. After seven years in the Witness Protection
Program, she felt no safer now than she did when she was seventeen.
Revenge was rarely forgotten when it came to a professional criminal
like Zerilli.<br />
<br />
Low profiles meant no social life and definitely no love life.<br />
<br />
Paranoia
and lies became daily habits, going against everything Abigale believed
in, but they kept her safe. They kept everyone safe.<br />
<br />
Until
a house fire puts her out of that safety and into the arms of a
stranger. Max Smith is sexy, smart, and has major attitude. He’s the
only one who seems to get her. He calms her fears and comforts her from
her nightmares. But he also sees right through her lies.<br />
<br />
Before
Abigale can stop, she’s in too deep; confiding too much and breaking
the one rule she promised herself to uphold: Never fall in love.<br />
<br />
Bu<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">y Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Witness-my-Heart-Loni-Flowers-ebook/dp/B00MLN4IFW" href="http://www.amazon.com/Witness-my-Heart-Loni-Flowers-ebook/dp/B00MLN4IFW" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Contemporary Romance</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – R</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Loni-Flowers/e/B00JOF1XYO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Loni-Flowers/e/B00JOF1XYO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Connect with Loni Flowers through<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLoniFlowers" href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLoniFlowers" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>&<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/LoniFlowers" href="https://twitter.com/LoniFlowers" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-20171764104868003942014-10-02T10:30:00.000+01:002014-12-05T14:54:37.609+00:00Sue Parritt's #WriteTip for Avoiding the Rejection Blues #AmWriting #Fantasy #SannahAndThePilgrim<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<b>How to avoid the rejection blues</b><br />
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You open the white envelope (or email) with a mixture of hope and trepidation, skim through the obligatory ‘thank you for sending…etc.’ and focus on the vital sentence. ‘However’ and ‘But’ alert you to yet another rejection; two little words that instantly banish your buoyant mood. Bursting into tears, taking to the bottle or consoling yourself with chocolate might seem good ways to avoid the rejection blues, but in reality the only solution is to move on.<br />
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If the publisher or editor has provided any comment on your novel/poem/short story, and this is rare these days, take note and set to work on yet another rewrite/edit. Most of all it pays to remember creativity demands dedication, long hours tapping a keyboard, cutting, pasting, deleting. When sentences are sacrificed for brevity or clarity, there can be almost physical pain as narrative wrenched from murky depths vanishes at the touch of a key. But there is also pure delight when endless editing uncovers grains of gold, so allow yourself to hope this is the manuscript that will one day attract a publisher.<br />
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After the receipt of numerous rejections, it can be tempting to declare oneself a total failure, bury the manuscript in the depths of a filing cabinet or take the extreme measure of deleting the file from your computer. If you can’t face another edit, I would suggest putting the manuscript aside for a while and turning your attention to a new project. Research can be absorbing, focusing the mind on a new topic and evicting old clutter. Writing a short story or poem is one method I use to banish the rejection blues. Creating a complete piece in a relatively short space of time helps me revitalise my flagging confidence and proves (to me) that there’s life in the old writer yet!<br />
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It also helps to remember that few writers find a publisher at the first attempt. Think of the number of times J.K. Rowling submitted her Harry Potter books before she found a publisher willing to take a chance on a new writer. Whether we writers like it or not, the prospect of making money is what rules the publishing world. In a time of fiscal austerity, risk-taking is not encouraged, so there are no funds put aside for new writing. But despite all the doom and gloom about the current state of the publishing industry, I believe books, print or electronic, will always be around and a well-written inspiring tale will eventually find its place.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Sannah-and-the-Pilgrim-by-Sure-Parritt.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Sannah-and-the-Pilgrim-by-Sure-Parritt.jpg"><img alt="Sannah and the Pilgrim by Sure Parritt" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41955" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Sannah-and-the-Pilgrim-by-Sure-Parritt.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Sannah-and-the-Pilgrim-by-Sure-Parritt.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;"><span lang="EN-US">General Information -<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><i><span lang="EN-US">Sannah and the Pilgrim</span></i><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>by Sue Parritt</span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">ISBN: 978-1-922200-14-3</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">Genre:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">Speculative Fiction / Sci-fi / Dystopian</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">Release Date: 26 April 2014 (Paperback and ebook)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">Publisher: Odyssey Books (</span><span lang="EN-US"><a data-mce-href="http://www.odysseybooks.com.au/" href="http://www.odysseybooks.com.au/" target="_blank">http://www.odysseybooks.com.<wbr></wbr>au/</a>)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">Amazon:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://amzn.to/1kBKqan" href="http://amzn.to/1kBKqan" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/1kBKqan</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">Kobo:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/sannah-and-the-pilgrim" href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/sannah-and-the-pilgrim" target="_blank">http://store.kobobooks.com/en-<wbr></wbr>US/ebook/sannah-and-the-<wbr></wbr>pilgrim</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">B&N:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><a data-mce-href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sannah-and-the-pilgrim-sue-parritt/1119209936?ean=9781922200143" href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sannah-and-the-pilgrim-sue-parritt/1119209936?ean=9781922200143" target="_blank">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/<wbr></wbr>w/sannah-and-the-pilgrim-sue-<wbr></wbr>parritt/1119209936?ean=<wbr></wbr>9781922200143</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">iTunes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sannah-and-the-pilgrim/id872478599?ls=1&mt=11" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sannah-and-the-pilgrim/id872478599?ls=1&mt=11" target="_blank">https://itunes.apple.com/us/<wbr></wbr>book/sannah-and-the-pilgrim/<wbr></wbr>id872478599?ls=1&mt=11</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">Goodreads:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21883471-sannah-and-the-pilgrim" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21883471-sannah-and-the-pilgrim" target="_blank">https://www.goodreads.com/<wbr></wbr>book/show/21883471-sannah-and-<wbr></wbr>the-pilgrim</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">Facebook:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/sue.parritt" href="https://www.facebook.com/sue.parritt" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/sue.<wbr></wbr>parritt</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">LinkedIn:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://au.linkedin.com/pub/sue-parritt/60/622/301" href="http://au.linkedin.com/pub/sue-parritt/60/622/301" target="_blank">http://au.linkedin.com/pub/<wbr></wbr>sue-parritt/60/622/301</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Reviewers: </b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An ePub is included in this pack for reviewers; the title is also available from NetGalley:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/show/id/47499" href="https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/show/id/47499" target="_blank">https://www.netgalley.com/<wbr></wbr>catalog/show/id/47499</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;"><span lang="EN-US">Description:</span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">When
Sannah the Storyteller, a descendant of environmental refugees from
drowned Pacific islands, finds a White stranger on her domestep, she
presumes he</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s a political prisoner on the run seeking safe passage to egalitarian Aotearoa. However, Kaire</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s unusual appearance, bizarre behaviour, and insistence he</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s a pilgrim suggest otherwise.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">Appalled
by apartheid Australia, Kaire uses his White privileges to procure
vital information for Sannah and her group of activists regarding new
desert prisons that are to be built to house all political prisoners.
The group plans sabotage but needs help, and Kaire is a willing
accomplice. But when Sannah turns Truthteller and threatens to reveal
the country</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s true history, even Kaire</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s White privilege and advanced technology cannot save Sannah and her daughter from retribution.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;"><span lang="EN-US">About<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><i><span lang="EN-US">Sannah and the Pilgrim</span></i><span lang="EN-US">:</span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Sannah and the Pilgrim</span></i><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is a tale of courage, defiance and deceit that asks the reader,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">‘</span><span lang="EN-US">Would you risk death by telling the truth about your country, or would you play it safe and spend your life as a storyteller?</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">Are you concerned about our governments</span><span lang="EN-US">’</span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(both
past and present) failure to act on climate change and the detention
and inhumane treatment of refugees? I am, so I have drawn on
contemporary conservative attitudes to present a dystopian view of a
future Australia in my speculative fiction novel<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Sannah and the Pilgrim.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>Read it and discover what could happen to our</span><span lang="EN-US">‘</span><span lang="EN-US">lucky</span><span lang="EN-US">’<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">country.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;"><span lang="EN-US">About the Author:</span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">Sue
Parritt is an Australian writer, originally from England. Her poetry
and short stories have been published in magazines and anthologies in
Australia, Britain and the USA. After graduating BA University of
Queensland 1982 (majors: English Literature, Drama and French), Sue
worked in university libraries until taking early retirement in 2008 to
pursue her long-held dream of becoming a professional writer. Since
then she has written<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Sannah and the Pilgrim,</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>numerous short stories and poems and</span><span lang="EN-US">‘</span><span lang="EN-US">Feed Thy Enemy</span><span lang="FR">’</span><span lang="EN-US">,
a feature film script set in Naples in 1944 and 1974 and based on a
true story (Sue is currently seeking a producer). She recently completed
a second novel<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Safety Zone</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and is now writing a sequel to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Sannah and the Pilgrim<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></span><i><span lang="EN-US">–</span></i><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the working title is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Pia and the Skyman</i>.</span></span></span></span></div>
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Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-73101756134242005432014-10-02T08:00:00.000+01:002014-12-04T14:22:52.219+00:00Kat de Falla's #WriteTip for Finding Your Voice by Writing in Third Person @KatDeFalla #AmWriting<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Finding Your Voice by Writing in Third Person</b><br /><br /><i>“My fingers linger on the doorknob. Should I open it?”</i><br /><br />OR<br /><br /><i>“Heidi’s fingers lingered on the doorknob. She weighted her options. Should she open it or not?”</i><br /><br />No one way is right. Do you want to write in the first person present tense? Or in the third person past tense?<br /><br />Either way can create a superb novel. The first person and present tense create an immediacy. It creates a window through which you can take each step behind the eye of the speaker.<br /><br />In Orson Scott Card’s wonderful book, Characters and Viewpoint, he says this about Voice: “A rule of thumb: Choose the simplest, clearest, least noticeable technique that will still accomplish what the story requires.”<br /><br />I personally, chose third person past tense. I had a lot of characters I wanted my readers to meet and many things were happening at the same time across the world. I enjoy fast-paced novels and lots of twists and turns.<br /><br />In my case, this viewpoint worked the best. What have you tried and what has worked for you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2nd Place Winner in the LuckyCinda Book Contest 2014 for Paranormal</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Semi-Finalist in the KBR’s Best Kindle Book Awards 2014</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Indie Book of the Day Award Winner July 25, 2014</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Genre:</b> Mainstream Paranormal/Paranormal Romance</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Publisher:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/" href="http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/">The Wild Rose Press</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Link to Book Trailer</b>:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://youtu.be/17gFt26ncoU" href="http://youtu.be/17gFt26ncoU">http://youtu.be/17gFt26ncoU</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Calise Rowe's question of who walks among us leads her into an ancient war between seers and demons.</b></span></span></div>
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For years, Calise Rowe has been able to sense unusual energy from people, making her believe she is different. Pulled into an ancient war raging for centuries between demon hunters and seers, she's about to find out she's right.<br />
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Her search for the truth leads her to Lucas Rojas, a seer of angels and demons who walk the earth shrouded from normal human eyes. He's hidden his gift for years and refuses to endanger Calise by sharing it with her.<br />
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In the sultry Costa Rican Jungles, their worlds collide. As their passion and desire ignite, so does the ancient war between demons and seers. Will their combined efforts be enough to save themselves and the entire human world, or will their new found love be their downfall?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Excerpt:</span></b><br />
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She traced a circle in the sand with her finger.<br />
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Why would she disclose her whole existence to someone she’d just met? Someone who talked so little about himself that she found herself talking to fill the void. Saying things she could barely admit in her own head.<br />
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His hand covered hers. “I’m lonely, too. Getting to know you this week has been the brightest point in my life and I don’t want you to leave, but I know the only place you’ll be safe is far away from me.”<br />
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She swallowed. He had read her mind.<br />
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He lay down on his back and closed his eyes. “Cali, you know when you hear a song for the first time and you kind of ingest it? You can’t possibly know right away that it will be one of your favorite songs for the rest of your life. A classic.”<br />
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“Yeah.” She hoped he was going somewhere good with this.<br />
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“That first listen,” he continued, “you pick up a little of the melody and some lyrics that catch you. But when the song ends, you have to hear it again because you want to memorize all the words and sing along. After you hear it a few times and learn the words inside and out, then you begin to let the melody seep inside you. Next thing you know, you’ve completely digested the song and find yourself humming it while you are doing nothing, like shaving or driving your car. Finally, the song becomes so ingrained it becomes a part of you. Forever. You can recall it and it’s with you whenever you need it. Am I making any sense?”<br />
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She nodded, blinking back the tears fighting to fall.<br />
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“Cali, I don’t want you to go back because you’re my favorite song.”</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/kat-head-shot.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/kat-head-shot.jpg"><img alt="kat head-shot" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-42103" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/kat-head-shot-238x300.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/kat-head-shot-238x300.jpg" height="300" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="238" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Bio:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author Kat de Falla was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she learned to roller skate, ride a banana seat bike, and love Shakespeare thanks to her high school English teacher.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Four years at the UW-Madison wasn’t enough, so she returned to her beloved college town for her Doctor of Pharmacy degree and is happily employed as a retail pharmacist where she fills prescriptions and chats with her patients.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She is married to her soul mate, classical guitarist, Lee de Falla and raising four kids together ala the Brady Bunch.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Kat’s Links:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author Website:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.katdefalla.com" href="http://www.katdefalla.com/">www.katdefalla.com</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Blog:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.quillorpill.blogspot.com" href="http://www.quillorpill.blogspot.com/">www.quillorpill.blogspot.com</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Twitter: www.twitter.com/@katdefalla</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Facebook:www.facebook.com/authorkatdefalla (message me to join my street team!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goodreads:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20931705-the-seer-s-lover?from_search=true" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20931705-the-seer-s-lover?from_search=true">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20931705-the-seer-s-lover?from_search=true</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Lee’s Bio/Info</b><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Composer Lee de Falla, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was raised in a family of professional musicians. He picked up his father's guitar at age eight and hasn't put one down since. Although well versed at playing all genres of music, his love is composition for modern classical guitar and instrumental orchestrations. He is finishing work on two CD's which will be available later this year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Facebook:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.facebook.com/leedefalla" href="http://www.facebook.com/leedefalla">www.facebook.com/leedefalla</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.facebook.com/bfpmusic" href="http://www.facebook.com/bfpmusic">www.facebook.com/bfpmusic</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Composer Website:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.bayafaya.com" href="http://www.bayafaya.com/">www.bayafaya.com</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>where FREE music requests are available that accompany THE SEER’S LOVER:</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anna’s Dance is a jazzy bossa nova meant to accompany chapter two.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shane's Torment is a churning soundscape of despair meant to accompany chapter six.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cali and Lucas First Dance is a Latin fusion instrumental love song meant to accompany chapter twelve.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I touch on Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) in this book, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to www.iorphan.org</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;"> </b><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Buy Links:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">AMAZON</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Seers-Lover-Seven-Archangels-ebook/dp/B00ILXE2NO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402840350&sr=8-1&keywords=the+seer%27s+lover" href="http://www.amazon.com/Seers-Lover-Seven-Archangels-ebook/dp/B00ILXE2NO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402840350&sr=8-1&keywords=the+seer%27s+lover">http://www.amazon.com/Seers-Lover-Seven-Archangels-ebook/dp/B00ILXE2NO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402840350&sr=8-1&keywords=the+seer%27s+lover</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">BARNES AND NOBLE</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-seers-lover-kat-de-falla/1119665778?ean=2940149242733" href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-seers-lover-kat-de-falla/1119665778?ean=2940149242733">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-seers-lover-kat-de-falla/1119665778?ean=2940149242733</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">KOBO</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-seer-s-lover" href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-seer-s-lover">http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-seer-s-lover</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Acclaim for THE SEER’S LOVER:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Distinctly haunting and deliciously dark, The Seer's Lover is the debut novel from author Kat De Falla and it’s one to be read with the light on! A paranormal romance, it may not howl originality as the age old forces of Angels and Demons muster for yet another face off, but De Falla certainly distinguishes herself with the quality of her writing and the ability to weave a riveting and intriguing plot. With a meticulous eye for detail her characters are skillfully drawn, shunning the genre tendency towards stoic stereotypes to deliver flawed real world personas that quickly feel familiar and are ultimately endearing. The action is generous and well described, the twists served with perfect timing, it has all the elements readers expect from the best in genre and they are sure to keep the pages turning at a frantic pace.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">--Book Viral (<a data-mce-href="http://bookviral.com/the-seers-lover/4584242750" href="http://bookviral.com/the-seers-lover/4584242750">http://bookviral.com/the-seers-lover/4584242750</a>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Seer's Lover<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>is truly an unusual creation in the e-world: it comes with musical interludes (which can be downloaded for free) and it tells of Calise, who has long known she has different abilities than most. What she hasn't realized is that her powers will draw her into an ancient conflict between good and evil, pitting her against some of the strongest adversaries in the universe.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If all this sounds familiar, it's because the classic 'good-versus-evil' plot has been done time and again: but as with any good book, it's not just the plot that makes for an exceptional read, but how it's done.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kat de Falla places her main protagonist on a journey of discovery that leads to the Costa Rican forest, there to encounter a man who (much like herself) has hidden his abilities. Lucas can actually<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>see</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the demons and angels who walk the earth; but not only has he concealed his abilities; he doesn't want to endanger her by sharing his gift.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What evolves is paranormal romance fiction at its best: a story steeped in passion with the overlay of deadly dangers and powerful talents woven into an ever-changing plot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, the genre of paranormal romance has rapidly expanded. Over the last ten years romance writers have added a variety of elements to spice their creations, and entry into paranormal realms is just one of these newer devices. Another device used here is that of music which runs through the story line as a theme so that musical passages accompany the story.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Seer's Lover<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>is all about building atmosphere, from its eye-catching cover of a man and a woman on an island facing down blazing red eyes in the sky to these musical interludes that reinforce action.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And this atmosphere is created right from the start, where Calise is already involved with Lucas: "<i>Why would she disclose her whole existence to someone she’d just met? Someone who talked so little about himself that she found herself talking to fill the void. Saying things she could barely admit in her own head.</i>"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are no pat answers here; no formula approaches that would lend too much predictability to events. Calise is alternately brave and terrified, as her abilities are yet untested but her adversaries are seasoned and powerful: "<i>This is not going so well. I’m turning out to be a pretty shitty Buffy the Demon Slayer."</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And there are surprises peppered throughout: in the form of a mother whom Calise comes to realize as the wellspring of her powers, and in the guise of a romances past and present which rise up to haunt her. There are unexpected religious experiences, there's a search to find self, and there are elements of suspense tying all of these events together.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the end Calise faces the greatest challenge of her life - and with prior events having helped her grow, she's in the strongest position ever to find peace in her life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The open-ended conclusion leaves room for a possible sequel but in the true style of a superior read, it's not essential that more be written:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The Seer's Lover<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>is a self-contained novel that properly wraps up its story, and will satisfy any reader of paranormal or romance fiction.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Highly entertaining by anyone’s reckoning, The Seer's Lover from author Kat De Falla is an exciting debut novel and certainly one that deserves a place on your reading shelf. It is strongly recommended.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">--D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer, MBR</span></span></div>
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Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-30300248244965898812014-10-01T09:30:00.000+01:002014-10-01T17:24:51.360+01:00Thread End: An Embroidery #Mystery by Amanda Lee @GayleTrent #CozyMystery #AmReading<div class="p1" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I’d
stayed up too late the night before; but even sleep-deprived, I was
chipper as Angus and I pulled into our usual parking spot outside the
Seven-Year Stitch. I had seen Vera and Paul only briefly at the museum
exhibit, so I supposed Vera would be in sometime today. I hoped she
would, anyway. It would be fun to relive the evening with her . . .
going over the pieces we’d liked best. I wondered if she’d made the
collector any offers. I grinned. Knowing Vera, she probably had.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
hopped out of the Jeep and snapped Angus’s leash onto his collar. He
jumped out and sniffed the sidewalk while I unlocked the front door. As
soon as we got inside, I took the leash off. Angus bounded over to the
sit-and-stitch square where he’d left his favorite toy—a Kodiak bear
Vera had brought him back from a trip she’d taken a few months ago.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
relocked the door. I still had about half an hour until the shop
opened, and I liked to have the shop tidy and restocked when customers
started coming in. The first order of business every Saturday morning
was to take the trash out. The sanitation truck ran at noon every
Saturday, so all the shops on our side of the street scrambled to get
their garbage out to the receptacles before then.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Fortunately
for me, the Seven-Year Stitch didn’t generate a lot of trash . . .
especially when compared to MacKenzies’ Mochas. That shop produced more
garbage in a day than the Stitch did in a week. In fact, Blake had to
take their garbage out twice a day—double-bagged so the food scraps
wouldn’t attract bears.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
was thinking about bears, Blake, Sadie, and how Sadie had talked me
into coming to Tallulah Falls and opening my shop—for which I would be
forever grateful—when I stepped out the back door with my bag of trash. I
tossed the bag into the bin, turned, and then gasped as I saw something
lying against the wall.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">For
the world, the . . . thing . . . looked like the kilim Reggie had
admired so much last night at the exhibit. But it couldn’t be. . . .
Could it?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I crept closer. It </span><span class="s2"><i>was</i></span><span class="s1"> the rug—I recognized the colors and the unmistakable patterns. But what was it doing </span><span class="s2"><i>here</i></span><span class="s1">?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
took another step toward the rolled-up kilim and saw that it was badly
stained. Had someone bought it, got something all over it, and left it
here for the sanitation crew to dispose of? Surely not.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Maybe
Vera had bought it, gotten it stained, and then left it here at the
back of my store to see if I could clean it. No, that didn’t make any
sense to me either, but I was really grasping at straws.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
took one more step closer and nudged the rug with my foot. I wasn’t
about to touch such a valuable kilim until I found out why it was lying
outside my shop.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">When I pushed it, the rug rolled slightly. Then I spotted something . . . a </span><span class="s2"><i>hand!</i></span><span class="s1"> And the hand was attached to a body . . . that was attached to a face . . . a face that looked vaguely familiar.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">With trembling hands, I fumbled my cell phone from the front pocket of my jeans and called Ted.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“You’ve got to come,” I said when he answered. “Here . . . to the shop . . . please. There’s this guy . . . a </span><span class="s2"><i>dead</i></span><span class="s1"> guy . . . wrapped up in Reggie’s rug.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“What? Babe, you aren’t making sense.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I couldn’t answer. I’d begun to hyperventilate.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Sweetheart, I’m on my way. Sit down and put your head between your knees,” he said. “Is anyone with you?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">When I didn’t answer, he repeated that he was on his way.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
became vaguely aware that Ted had ended the call, and I returned my
phone to my pocket. I didn’t know what to do. Maybe the man wasn’t dead
after all. I guessed I could take his pulse to see. Or I should probably
wait for Ted. The gray cast to the man’s skin made me fairly certain
that there was nothing I could do to help him. And it wasn’t a stretch
to assume that the stain on the rug was blood. I’d wait for Ted.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Suddenly,
I heard footsteps pounding up the alley behind me. I whirled around,
stumbled, and would have fallen had I not been righted by Blake—he whose
thundering footsteps had startled me while he was sprinting toward me
with a white paper bag in one hand.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Ted
called,” he said, panting for breath. “Are you all right? He said you
were hyperventilating. Here—breathe into this. Let’s get you inside.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
was sort of wondering if maybe Blake didn’t need the paper bag more
than I did, but I simply nodded. With one strong arm around my
shoulders, Blake started to lead me back into the shop.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">As he turned, he noticed the body. “What the—?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Exactly,” I said. “Let’s go inside until Ted gets here. This is freaking me out.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“You and me both.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">We went inside. Blake was now every bit as shaken as I was but was determined to be strong for me.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Angus was thrilled to see Blake and immediately bounded up to him.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“In a minute, boy,” Blake said softly. “First, let’s get Marcy settled on the sofa.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Sensing something was wrong, Angus sat down and began to whine.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“It’s okay,” I told him as I sank onto the sofa. “Everything’s fine.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Blake took a seat on the red club chair diagonal to the sofa. “Seriously, breathe into the bag.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I shook my head. “I’m fine.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“What happened?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“I
have no idea,” I said, petting Angus’s head in an effort to soothe us
both. “I took out the garbage, and when I turned to come back into the
shop, I saw the rug. I thought it strange that someone would throw it
away like that, and then I saw the hand and realized someone was wrapped
up in the rug.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“That’s all you saw? A hand?” He shrugged. “Do you think maybe it could be a mannequin?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“No.
I saw the man’s face, too. He was real.” I glanced at the front door
and realized it was still locked. “I’ve got to unlock the door.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Blake jumped up from the chair. “I’ll get it. You sit there and rest.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Thank you. The keys are on the counter.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">He unlocked the door. “Do you want me to leave the sign as </span><span class="s2"><i>Closed</i></span><span class="s1">?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“No. Change it to </span><span class="s2"><i>Open</i></span><span class="s1"> please,” I said.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Are you sure you’re up to having customers today?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Positive.” I smiled slightly. “I’ll take any normalcy I can get right now.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">He returned to his seat. “Are you feeling okay?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“I’m still shaky—and I’m sorry for that poor man lying outside—but I’ll be all right.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Sadie hurried through the front door carrying a large to-go coffee cup. “Marce, how are you?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I assured her that I was fine. “I’m even better if that’s a low-fat vanilla latte with a dash of cinnamon.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Sadie
saw how my hand shook as I took the cup, and her big brown eyes flew to
Blake’s blue ones. He gave her a nod, and they communicated volumes
merely by holding each other’s gaze for a few seconds. They’ve only been
married for five years, but you’d think they’d been together forever.
Like every other couple, they’d had their share of hardships. But they’d
always persevered . . . and always would. They’d be lost without each
other.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I took a sip of the warm, delicious coffee, and Sadie sat beside me on the sofa.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Angus, still confused and upset by the anxiety in the room, sighed and plopped his head onto his paws.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Aw,
look how pitiful he is,” Sadie said. “Now I wish I’d brought him some
biscotti.” She spoke to Angus. “I’ll bring you back some biscotti, sweet
boy. Yes, I will.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Angus wagged his tail. He wasn’t convinced everything was okay yet, but he knew it was getting there.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Sadie
took my free hand and gave it a squeeze. Like Angus, she didn’t seem
confident she knew what was going on, either. But she wanted me to know
that she was there. Dog and human best friends share that trait. I
quickly filled her in on the situation.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">At
last, Ted strode through the door. As he took my latte, set it on the
coffee table, and gathered me into his arms, I finally felt that
everything was truly going to be all right. So, naturally, I began to
weep.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“I’m so glad you’re here,” I whispered against his shoulder.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Everything’s okay, babe. I’ve got you.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
didn’t know why suddenly feeling secure would make me weep, but it did.
Looking back, I usually did hold up fairly well in the midst of a
critical moment and fall apart when it was over. Okay, so looking back
on my call to Ted, maybe I </span><span class="s2"><i>didn’t</i></span><span class="s1"> hold
up that well in the critical moment. But what would you have done if
you’d found a dead guy wrapped in an antique kilim in </span><span class="s2"><i>your</i></span><span class="s1"> alley?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Ted sat on the sofa, pulling me onto his lap. He gently wiped the tears from my cheeks and kissed my forehead.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Angus sat up and placed his head on my knee, making us all laugh. He could be such a clown.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“We should go on out back,” I said to Ted.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Not yet. Manu is there. He said he’d handle that situation while I made sure you were okay.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“I’m fine,” I said. “Really. You should go—”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Ted, come out here!” Manu called from the back door. “You’re not going to believe this!”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I got up. “Come on.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“I think you should stay in here,” Ted said, standing and taking my hand.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“He’s right,” Sadie said. “You’ve had enough of a shock for one day. Who knows what Manu has discovered out there?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Besides, you need to be here to wait on your customers,” Blake said. “Speaking of which, I’d better get back down the street.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Ted shook Blake’s hand. “Thanks for being here for Marcy.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Anytime.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Yeah, Blake, thank you for coming to my rescue,” I said as Ted headed for the back door. “And you, too, Sadie.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Sadie stood and gave me a hug. “I need to get back to the shop as well. But call me if you need anything.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
promised her I would, and then Angus and I were alone in the
sit-and-stitch square. I waved to Sadie and Blake as they passed the
window en route to MacKenzies’ Mochas. Then I picked up my latte, sat
down on the sofa, and sighed.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Big morning, huh, Angus?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">In response, he moved closer to me and lay at my feet.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
took a drink of the now lukewarm latte and mused aloud to my faithful
hound, “I wonder who that guy out there is. And why did he look
familiar?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
fell silent as Angus rolled onto his side for a nap, and I searched my
memory for a different image of the balding gentleman who’d been wrapped
in a rug and dumped in the alley behind the Stitch. The man didn’t work
in any of the local shops. The museum—was that where I’d seen him? I
tried to recall the faces of the people I’d mingled with at the exhibit
opening last night, but I couldn’t place the victim’s face. Still, I
kept fixating on the museum. Then it dawned on me—the photograph. The
victim was Dr. Vandehey, the professor turned art thief.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
scrambled out of my seat, startling Angus, and hurried to the back
door. He came chasing after me, but I didn’t allow him to follow me
outside. He jumped up so he could peep out and bark at all the
excitement.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Isn’t that the man from the picture you showed me last night?” I asked Ted. “The art thief?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“The </span><span class="s2"><i>alleged</i></span><span class="s1"> art thief,” Manu said.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“But I thought he confessed,” I said.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Ted
took me gently by the shoulders. “You’re right about the identity of
the victim, but I still don’t think you should be out here.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Right,” said Manu. “You could accidentally contaminate the crime scene.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Crime scene?” I slumped against Ted. “This doesn’t mean you have to close down my shop, does it?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“No, sweetheart. We’ll just cordon off this part of the alley. The inside of your shop will be business as usual.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Thank goodness,” I said. “I suppose I should go back in. My being out here is driving Angus crazy.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">A
black SUV rolled right up to the yellow crime scene tape, and a short
man wearing a dark suit stepped out of the vehicle. He had a
“standard-issue” buzz cut and sunglasses. I think all of us—me, Ted,
Manu, and the crime scene technicians, heck, maybe even Angus—knew
before he’d introduced himself that he was FBI.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">He
flashed a badge. “Special Agent Floyd Brown of the Portland office of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Theft Division. What have we
got here, and why did I have to hear about it over the police scanner
rather than through a personal phone call from the chief of police?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Manu
drew himself up to his full five feet seven inches. He was taller than
Agent Brown by at least two inches—maybe three. “Agent Brown—”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“</span><span class="s2"><i>Special</i></span><span class="s1"> Agent Brown,” the man interrupted.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“You
weren’t notified because we haven’t made a positive ID of the victim
yet,” Manu continued. “Therefore, we don’t know that an investigation of
this death falls within your jurisdiction.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“It looks like Vandehey to me,” Special Agent Brown said.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Well,
just because it looks like him doesn’t mean it is,” Manu said. “Now I
respectfully request that you step back and allow our crime scene techs
to do their jobs.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Since Angus was still barking and scratching at the door, I excused myself to go back inside.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Wait,” said Special Agent Brown. “Who are you?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“I’m Marcy Singer. This is my shop.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Are you the one who found the body?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“I am.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Then I’ll come inside and take your statement,” he said.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Manu
started to protest, but I shook my head slightly. If Brown was in the
shop taking my statement, he’d be out of Manu’s and Ted’s hair.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Right this way,” I said.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I opened the door and took Angus’s collar, gently moving the dog back so Special Agent Brown and I could get inside.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Come on, Angus,” I said. “Special Agent Brown, would you like some coffee? It won’t take but a minute to put on a pot.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“No, thank you,” he said, ignoring Angus, who was snuffling his pant leg.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I led the agent to the sit-and-stitch square, and he sat down on the sofa facing the window. I took the red club chair.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Is there something you can do with him?” He jerked his head toward Angus, who was now checking out the man’s jacket pocket.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“I
can put him in the bathroom, but he’ll bark so much we won’t be able to
hear each other over the racket,” I said. “If you’ll pet him, he’ll
probably go on and leave you alone.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">Special Agent Brown sighed, patted Angus’s head, and said, “Nice dog. Now go away.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">I
picked up Angus’s yellow tennis ball and gave it a toss. The dog loped
after it and brought it back for me to throw again. As I played fetch
with Angus, I relayed my statement to Special Agent Brown.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“So you recognized the rug and the professor,” said Special Agent Brown.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“I </span><span class="s2"><i>thought</i></span><span class="s1"> I
recognized the rug,” I said. “And it only dawned on me a few minutes
ago that the victim looked like a man in a photo I’d seen last night. As
Chief Singh pointed out, we can’t be sure of anything until the crime
scene technicians and the medical examiner have gone over all the
evidence.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Yeah, well, I don’t set much store in coincidences, Ms. Singer. I tend to take things at face value.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Have you spoken with the museum curator and confirmed that one of the rugs from last night’s exhibit is missing?” I asked.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“No,” he said. “I came right here.” He narrowed his eyes. “Why hasn’t your esteemed police chief taken care of that?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“I’m
sure he has someone looking into it,” I said. I wasn’t really sure of
anything except that Manu was thorough. I knew that as soon as he
arrived, he’d put his team into motion. I figured that included sending a
deputy over to the museum.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Well,
that’s not good enough for me. I’ll go over there myself. But first I
want to know why this man was dumped behind your store, Ms. Singer.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“Beats
me. I imagine it’s because the museum is one street over and that if
the rug is indeed the one from the exhibit, then the victim was dumped
here because it was convenient.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">“We’ll see about that,” he said. He got up, plucked a dog hair from his jacket, and left.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/threadEnd.jpg" /></span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer is about to have the rug pulled out from under her….</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marcy can’t wait to see the new
exhibit at the Tallulah Falls museum on antique tapestries and textiles,
including beautiful kilim rugs. But her enthusiasm quickly turns to
terror when, the day after the exhibition opens, she discovers a dead
body behind her store, the Seven-Year Stitch, wrapped up in a most
unusual fashion.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The victim appears to be a visiting
art professor in town for the exhibit. Did someone decide to teach the
professor a lesson, then attempt to sweep the evidence under the rug?
Along with her boyfriend, Detective Ted Nash, Marcy must unravel an
intricate tapestry of deception to find a desperate killer.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thread-End-Embroidery-Amanda-Lee-ebook/dp/B00GSBEDI0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390178732&sr=8-1&keywords=Thread+End" style="text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Cozy Mystery</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Amanda%20Lee&search-alias=digital-text" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Amanda Lee on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><a href="https://twitter.com/leah_beth" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.gayletrent.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-YTHdt59oPNToypDfFq2iQ7Epl5g" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.gayletrent.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-43496926269141797932014-10-01T07:00:00.000+01:002014-10-28T08:45:24.846+00:00Cheryl Rice Shares Her Journey Toward Love & Wholeness @RiceonLife #AmWriting #AmReading<b>What Inspired Me to Write My Book</b><br />
<br />
One life
changing event and three simultaneous inner urgings inspired me to write
my book, Where Have I Been All My Life? A Journey Toward Love and
Wholeness.<br />
<br />
The life altering event was the swift,
merciless death of my mother – who happened to also be my best friend –
when she was an otherwise robust and healthy 68 years old and I was 45. I
was completely unprepared for life without her. Her death broke me open
in unprecedented, yet ultimately life-affirming, ways.<br />
<br />
While
I was mired in grief, and playing all sorts of grief games in an effort
to stay connected with her, I also felt compelled to live more boldly,
authentically and vibrantly than I ever had before. Even though I had
always prided myself on living with intention and enjoyed setting and
reaching challenging goals, there were a few dreams, like writing a
book, that I had been too scared and overwhelmed to tackle. But in the
wake of my mom’s death there was no time for just thinking about
“tomorrow” or relegating my long buried dream to “someday.” My someday
was now.<br />
<br />
The second thing that inspired me to write my
book was a deep, intrinsic desire to produce something that would
outlive me. While I had two wonderful stepchildren and a puppy I treated
as my baby, I hadn’t yet truly offered the world something tangible
that would endure. And now I had a fierce longing to give creative birth
to something that would speak for me when I was gone – something that
would be part of my legacy.<br />
<br />
The third thread of
inspiration for my book came from a yearning to find and validate my own
voice. Ironically, as a professional leadership and life coach I was
comfortable and competent helping others, especially women, claim and
cultivate their own voice yet I had been remiss in doing the same for
myself. Coming from a family of writers (but never identifying as one
myself), I always knew that writing was a wonderful way of clarifying
and cleansing one’s thoughts, but beyond penning some bad adolescent
poetry and keeping journals episodically throughout my life, I never
took myself or my writing seriously. That changed once my mother died,
my heart broke, and my time and need for self-inquiry and validation
burst forth.<br />
<br />
Lastly, I had a strong desire to reach out
and connect with other people, women in particular, who were struggling
with similar issues. Issues like self-acceptance, using longing as a
substitute for loving, and overcoming the loss of a loved one. Reading
books, especially stories of personal resilience written by women, had
always been a comfort and balm to me. Through the brave and honest
stories of other women I found strength, companionship and validation.
My loneliness or isolation would lift, even for a bit, and my fortitude
and hopefulness would be reignited. Also, since I adore championing
women, writing a book felt like a natural and necessary vehicle to
connect with them on both a deeper and broader level and to inspire
those who are on a similar journey toward love and self-acceptance.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Where-Have-I-Been-All-My-Life.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Where-Have-I-Been-All-My-Life.jpg"><img alt="Where Have I Been All My Life" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41809" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Where-Have-I-Been-All-My-Life.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Where-Have-I-Been-All-My-Life.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Where
Have I Been All My Life? is a compelling memoir recounting one woman’s
journey through grief and a profound feeling of unworthiness to
wholeness and healing. It begins with the chillingly sudden death of
Rice’s mother, and is followed by her foray into the center of
mourning. <br />
<br />
With wisdom, grace, and humor, Rice recounts
the grief games she plays in an effort to resurrect her mother; her
efforts to get her therapist, who
she falls desperately in love with, to run away with her; and the
transformation of her husband from fantasy man to ordinary guy to
superhero. In the process, she experiences aching revelations about her
family and her past—and realizes what she must leave behind, and what
she can carry forward with her.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Bu<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">y Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-Have-Been-All-Life/dp/163152917X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405965204&sr=8-1&keywords=where+have+i+been+all+my+life%3F" href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-Have-Been-All-Life/dp/163152917X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405965204&sr=8-1&keywords=where+have+i+been+all+my+life%3F" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Memoir</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Cheryl-Rice/e/B00J5OWIGQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Cheryl-Rice/e/B00J5OWIGQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Connect with Cheryl Rice through<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="%20https://www.facebook.com/yourvoiceyourvision " href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-admin/%20https://www.facebook.com/yourvoiceyourvision" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>&<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/RiceOnLife" href="https://twitter.com/RiceOnLife" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.yourvoiceyourvision.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-KsIroKPbTLpqZOg7K5rhGXAchzg" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.yourvoiceyourvision.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-KsIroKPbTLpqZOg7K5rhGXAchzg" target="_blank">www.yourvoiceyourvision.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-153131351853468402014-09-27T08:30:00.000+01:002014-09-27T09:13:20.957+01:00Pendelton Wallace on Finding an Agent, Writer Conferences & More #Thriller #WriteTip #AmWriting<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This
is a heart-breaking tale. I finished my masterpiece and was sure that
the world was clamoring to read it. I had a moment of humility and hired
an editor to take a quick look at it. After all, it was my first work
and it might need a tiny bit of polishing.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well,
she cut it to pieces. After I recovered from the shock that someone
might not immediately fall in love with every word I wrote, I went back
to work.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
cut over a hundred pages from the original manuscript, then started
writing again. My editor was much kinder to my second draft. By the way,
the first draft took me about three months to write. The second draft
took two years.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that I had my masterpiece ready to unleash on the world, I needed an agent.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Being the organized person that I am, I got a copy of 2003 Guide to Literary Agents<i>.</i> I
searched though this book for every agent that accepted memoirs. If
they also represented mysteries and thrillers, they got bonus points.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
then researched the agents on the Internet and ranked each one as an A,
B, or C. The A’s I needed to query today. The B’s I would query if none
of the A’s came through. I never expected to query the C’s. By the way,
I saved all of this information in an Excel spread sheet so I could
organize it anyway it needed.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
those days, most agents were still requiring a paper query letter, so I
wrote my first ten and shipped them off. There was one agent who
accepted electronic submissions, so I shot off an email to him.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To my amazement, I received a return email from him the next day asking to see the first fifty pages of my manuscript.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A
couple of weeks later, I got another email from him. He wanted to see
the whole manuscript. I hadn’t even heard back from the other agents I’d
queried yet.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A week or so later, I was at work when my cell phone rang. It was my agent.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I can sell this book,” he told me. I jumped for joy.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We
worked together for a year trying to sell the manuscript. He pitched it
to all of the publishing houses in New York. The general response was,
“This is a really nice little book, but I don’t see how it fits in our
lineup this year.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally,
an editor at one of the major publishing houses fell in love with my
book. (I think it was Random House, but my memory may be faulty here.)
She pitched the book to the editorial committee and they signed off on
it.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She prepared a pro forma and took it to the publisher. He looked it over and said “Present it to Barnes and Noble.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
those days, Barnes and Noble was king. Twice a year this publisher took
a list of books they were considering to Barnes and Noble buyers. The
B&N buyers gave a thumbs up or thumbs down. If it got the thumbs up,
it was published, otherwise, no.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My editor had thirty seconds to convince the B&N buyers that <i>Blue Water & Me</i> should be published. She gave it her best shot.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
buyer said “This sounds like an interesting book. I like it, but I
don’t see how we’ll market it. I don’t know what shelf we will put it
on.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That was it. <i>Blue Water & Me </i>was dead. My agent pitched it to several Hollywood studios, but they don’t want to touch a book until it’s a best seller.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, he told me that I would just have to set it aside and write something else. It was not going to be published.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Flash forward six years. I have written three other books and have had no luck in getting them published.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
was at the Write on the Sound writers conference in Edmonds,
Washington. I went to a presentation by an author who had written a
memoir. It was similar to my book. He talked glowingly about his
publisher, Aberdeen Bay Press. I decided to query Aberdeen Bay about <i>Blue Water &Me.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
sent in the query and never heard anything back. Then, over a year
later, I got an apologetic email from an editor at Aberdeen Bay Press.
She had just found my query letter under a pile of paper on her desk and
she liked what she saw. Would I like to send her the whole manuscript?</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It
was off that day. A week or so later, she contacted me again and said
she loved the book and wanted to publish it. We wrote back and forth a
few times, then she dropped off the face of the earth.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn’t hear from her again. I emailed her every few weeks to see what progress she was making.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">More
than a year passed and I got an email from her. Once again, she was
very apologetic. Her brother had died and she had to go to New Mexico to
take care of his estate. She was no longer working for Aberdeen Bay
Press. I should contact the publisher and see if he was still
interested.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But she gave me no contact information for the publisher.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
went to their web site and sent a query to their “contact us” address. A
couple of weeks went by and I heard back from their chief editor. She
had assigned my book to another editor and he would be back with me
shortly.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At
this point we got back on track. It took about a year from the time the
third editor got in contact with me to the time the book was published,
but I finally had a book in my hand that I had written.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/hacker.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If Clive Cussler had written Ugly Betty, it would be Hacker for Hire. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hacker for Hire, a suspense novel
about corporate greed and industrial espionage, is the second book in a
series about Latino computer security analyst Ted Higuera and his best
friend, para-legal Chris Hardwick. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The goofy, off-beat Ted Higuera, son
of Mexican immigrants, grew up in East LA. An unlikely football
scholarship brought him to Seattle. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chris, Ted’s college roommate, grew
up with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father is the head of one of
Seattle’s most prestigious law firms. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ted’s first job out of college leads
him into the world of organized crime where he faces a brutal beating.
After being rescued by beautiful private investigator Catrina Flaherty,
Ted decides to go to work for her. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Catrina is hired by a large computer
corporation to find a leak in their corporate boardroom when the
previous consultant is found floating in Elliot Bay. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ted discovers that Chris’s firm has
been retained by their prime suspect. Now he and Chris are working
opposite sides of the same case. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ted and Catrina are led deep into
Seattle’s Hi-Tech world as they stalk the killer. But the killer is also
hunting them. Can Ted find the killer before the killer finds him? </span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hacker-Hire-Ted-Higuera-Book-ebook/dp/B00KH3Z53W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1405401192&sr=1-1&keywords=Hacker+for+Hire" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Mystery, Thriller</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – R</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Pendelton%20Wallace&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Pendelton Wallace on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/penn.wallace" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.pennwallace.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-lvi4hquGvTx3TTco7IMaVQe7wYA" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.pennwallace.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-76241578842093534212014-09-24T09:00:00.000+01:002014-10-14T16:45:26.657+01:00TOUCHING MADNESS Character Interview by K S Ferguson #AmReading #Contemporary #Fantasy <i>We're here today to interview the characters of
Touching Madness. Joining me are River Madden, the hero of our story;
DPS Talent 'Sammie' Samuels, River's friend and companion; and Smokey, a
demon resident of the Dark Place.</i><br />
<br />
<b>River: (cough, cough)</b><br />
<br />
Sorry.
And River's nightmare, the soot-ball. River, can you tell us a little
about yourself? Who are you? What is your role in the story?<br />
<br />
<b>River: </b>I'm
just a twenty-something schizophrenic homeless guy trying to find his
family. And understand women. And not make any more bargains with
demons. I sell sketches to feed myself and spend a lot of time hanging
out in libraries. No one minds if you loiter in a library as long as
you're reading.<br />
<br />
<b>Sammie: </b>River's being modest. He's the man who saves three dimensions.<br />
<br />
<b>Smokey:</b>
He is a traveler of the multiverse and a clever negotiator. (Smoke
streams from Smokey's nostrils, and his thick bull brows pull down.) He
also has a talent for destruction and chaos.<br />
<br />
<b>River:</b> It wasn't my fault. Destroying the dimension, I mean. Well, it was my fault, but it was for a good cause.<br />
<br />
What's the challenge that you're trying to overcome during the story?<br />
<br />
<b>River: </b>Sorting out what's real from what I hallucinate. Facing my nightmares.<br />
<br />
Soot-ball (swirls around River's face)<br />
<b><br />River: </b>Um… not that kind of nightmare.<br />
<br />
<b>Sammie (frowning at River):</b> Are you sure you aren't hallucinating the soot-ball? Because none of us talents can see it.<br />
<br />
<b>River:</b> Smokey sees it.<br />
<br />
<b>Smokey (batting at soot-ball while it zooms in circles around his head): </b>Like its creator, the soot-ball is both tenacious and annoying.<br />
<b><br />Sammie (looking askance at the demon):</b> Maybe Smokey pretends to see it so he can manipulate you.<br />
<br />
<b>Don't
medications help with your schizophrenia? Wouldn't they stop the
hallucinations and make you a 'normal' person, more like a typical hero?</b><br />
<br />
<b>River (shifting in his seat)</b>:
It's a common misconception that schizophrenia meds make everything
better, normal. But they don't always work. They also have a lot of
nasty side effects. And how would I get them? I don't have money to pay
for prescriptions. Before you ask, have you ever tried to get services
at a community mental health clinic? There's always too many people in
need and never enough budget to go around. Besides, they might put me in
a mental ward again. I'd rather be crazy than incarcerated.<br />
<br />
<b>Sammie:</b>
You shouldn't dwell on River's mental disorder. He's more than a
condition, and he compensates in so many ways. You should thank your
lucky stars he was there to save the multiverse instead of questioning
why he isn't 'normal.'<br />
<b><br />If you could make one wish, River, what would it be?</b><br />
<br />
<b>River:</b>
To find a home, a place where I'm wanted despite being crazy. If I
can't have that, then I wish the light bulbs would stop singing off-key.
No, scratch that. I'd like the light bulbs to stop singing, period.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Touching-Madness.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Touching-Madness.jpg"><img alt="Touching Madness" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41637" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Touching-Madness.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Touching-Madness.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Light
bulbs talk to River Madden; God doesn't. When the homeless
schizophrenic unintentionally fractures a dimensional barrier and
accidentally steals a gym bag containing a million dollars, everyone
from the multiverse police to the local crime boss—and an eight-foot
tall demon—are after him. Can he dodge them long enough to correct his
mistakes and prevent the destruction of three separate dimensions? If he
succeeds, will the light bulbs stop singing off-key?</span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007H9QPLA" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007H9QPLA" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Contemporary, Urban fantasy</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – R</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=K%20S%20Ferguson&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=K%20S%20Ferguson&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.ksferguson.net&usd=2&usg=ALhdy28uYLnWK2puPbkhz-G_C7dYRTpoBw" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.ksferguson.net&usd=2&usg=ALhdy28uYLnWK2puPbkhz-G_C7dYRTpoBw" target="_blank">http://www.ksferguson.net</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-9566084556568867042014-09-23T07:00:00.000+01:002014-10-07T17:57:51.531+01:00Madi Brown on Lesser Known Facts About Sophie Kinsella @Madithe1brown #AmReading #WomensFic<b>10 Things You Didn't Know About Sophie Kinsella</b><br />
<br />
<i>SK
(Sophie Kinsella) is easily the SJP (Sarah Jessica Parker) of Chick
Lit. She's written over a dozen novels, with each of her works
centering around strong female characters that modern day women love to
read about. If she's extremely fashionable, enthusiastic about her
career, and if she still holds a place card for family and friends then
we're all in aren't we? Many of us have read her books in one sitting,
but what do we really know about Sophie Kinsella the woman? Well---as I
soon found out, this author is just as interesting as the
multidimensional characters that she creates. Here are 10 facts about
Sophie Kinsella that you probably didn't know:</i><br />
<br />
1) Sophie Kinsella <b>once considered writing a thriller.</b>
Yes, it's true. And if her agent hadn't told her that what she'd come
up with wasn't dark or gritty enough, then we may have been able to
judge for ourselves.<br />
<br />
2) Sophie Kinsella <b>admits that she can relate to all of the characters that she's concocted in her best-selling Chick Lit books.</b>
Once, while she was nursing her baby, she opened up the door for her
mailman---and her shirt was unbuttoned! It was a Becky Bloomwood moment
that she'll always remember.<br />
<br />
3) When asked what profession she saw herself in if she wasn't an author, Sophie Kinsella revealed that <b>she'd be belting out songs as a singer of course</b> ( after all, she did study music at New College Oxford).<br />
<br />
4) <b>It takes Sophie Kinsella nine months to pen a novel.</b>
She breaks it up into two stages. The first phase involves coffee, and
sitting down, planning and taking notes. The second phase involves total
isolation where it's just Sophie writing like a mad woman to speaker
blowout-blaring loud music.<br />
<br />
5) One of Sophie Kinsella's books <b>(Sleeping Arrangements) was adapted into a musical</b>. It premiered in London on April 17, 2013.<br />
<br />
6) Someone has been really busy in between books. <b>Sophie Kinsella has five kids; </b>four
boys and a girl. Is anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?
How-in-almost-Brady-Bunch name does she find the time to write?<br />
<br />
7) Guess who's <b>hooked on eating nuts and having packets of them</b> wherever she goes? Sophie Kinsella.<br />
<br />
8) <b>Life imitated art on an instance when Sophie went out Christmas shopping</b>. She loaded her baby stroller up with so many bags that there wasn't any room for the baby.<br />
<br />
9) Sophie Kinsella has a<b> customized pen for all of her author book signings.</b> She keeps it stored in gold bubble wrap.<br />
<br />
10) Who knew? <b>Sophie Kinsella anonymously sent a novel that she'd penned to her own publishing house under a different pen name.</b>She remained tight lipped about doing so until her book, Can You Keep a Secret was published.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/truthaboutemily.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/truthaboutemily.jpg"><img alt="truthaboutemily" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41632" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/truthaboutemily.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/truthaboutemily.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<h2 data-mce-style="color: #cc6600;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"If you LOVE New York, if you’re a
name-dropping, fashion fiend careerist; fed up with serial dating,
plagued with a thirst for sex, then you’ll totally stalk me for what
I've penned.” - Author, Madi Brown</span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Description</i></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">29-year-old
Emily Greene looks the part, but she’s still working on becoming a
modern-day woman. Not that she’s one to back down from a challenge, but
living as an eternal work-in-progress wasn't exactly the goal that she
had in mind. It’s a harsh but true realization---the idea that that time
isn't on her side, and the notion that wanting to have it all, doesn't
mean getting it. The verdict is in; with zero prospects for a
relationship and a stalled blogging career, Emily has every reason to
believe that she’s been living a life too humdrum for her own good.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Making
the change won’t be easy. She’ll have to do whatever it takes; start
dating like a man, become more selective about which RSVP's she accepts,
and work even harder at getting her dream job.The payoff’s huge; a
modern twist on a storybook ending, but gains don’t often come without
risks. In the here and now Emily just may be forced to choose...It’s got
to be one or the other----the profession that she’s always wanted, or
the love that she’s never had.</span></span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">˃˃˃ Praise for Madi Brown & </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">her debut novel, The Truth About Emily</span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"The
added depth of character promises complexity but wraps everything in
the saucy cloak of Emily's evolving personality and newfound beliefs
about life, love, and the real nature of happiness. And this is where
The Truth About Emily outshines many competitors, making it a
recommended read for those seeking more than a standard romance novel." <i>- D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Reviews</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"This
book has just about anything a girl would love to read about. If
there's anything Emily Greene has is ISH and lots of it, oh the
ending... This book is a total keeper, just anything about fashion to
relationships to friends and family." <i>- Y. Sanchez, G</i></span></span><i>oodreads</i><br />
<br />
B<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">uy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Emily-Madi-Brown-ebook/dp/B00MNIL5TW" href="http://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Emily-Madi-Brown-ebook/dp/B00MNIL5TW" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Contemporary Women's Fiction</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG18</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Madi-Brown/e/B00MNMD2ZS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Madi-Brown/e/B00MNMD2ZS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Madi Brown on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/Madibrown.combooksandblog" href="https://www.facebook.com/Madibrown.combooksandblog" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/Madithe1brown" href="https://twitter.com/Madithe1brown" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
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Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-35535455530508453472014-09-20T07:00:00.000+01:002014-11-06T18:45:43.774+00:00Christopher Mannino on the Key to Meeting Writing Deadlines @Ctmannino #AmWriting #WriteTip #YA <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13.3333339691162px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">How to Meet Deadlines and Remain Sane:</b></div>
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Like many authors, I work a full time job. I teach high school theatre, and as the drama teacher, I’m typically the first one to school and the last to leave. While I try to do most of my drafting during the summers, when I only work part-time, I still have deadlines during the school year. The editing process for SCHOOL OF DEATHS took place during a very busy time for me, and my first year at a new school, which was challenging as well.<br />
<br />
The key to meeting deadlines is to set a schedule and stick to it. For example, when working on my first draft for SWORD OF DEATHS (a sequel to my novel), I knew I needed to write a chapter a day, even on days when I worked part-time. I kept to that schedule. It’s also important to schedule some relaxation time. I plan dates with my wife, and enjoy other activities. If we focus all of our time on work, the muse will suffer.<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/School-of-Deaths.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/School-of-Deaths.jpg"><img alt="School of Deaths" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41928" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/School-of-Deaths.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/School-of-Deaths.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Thirteen-year-old
Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a
skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she
finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the
Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the
all-male College, she quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both
classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world where even her
teachers want her to fail.<br />
<br />
Caught in the middle of a
plot to overthrow the World of Deaths, Suzie must uncover the reason
she’s been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.<br />
<br />
Bu<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">y Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/School-Deaths-Christopher-Mannino-ebook/dp/B00K2GC12M/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top" href="http://www.amazon.com/School-Deaths-Christopher-Mannino-ebook/dp/B00K2GC12M/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">Amazon</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/423893" href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/423893">Smashwords</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - YA Fantasy</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Mannino/e/B00K2XOP88/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Mannino/e/B00K2XOP88/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Connect</b> with Christopher Mannino through <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/CTMannino" href="https://www.facebook.com/CTMannino">Facebook</a> &<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/Ctmannino" href="https://twitter.com/Ctmannino">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
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<br />Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-88349424417745077432014-09-06T12:00:00.000+01:002014-09-25T06:45:38.121+01:00Kate Bracy's 5 Reasons NOT to Become a Writer #AmWriting #WriteTip #SelfPub <div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<b>5 Reasons NOT to Become a Writer</b><br />
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Everyone thinks they can write. It astounds me that people who would never -- and I mean if the fate of the free world depended on it – stand up and sing karaoke, will write a blog and wait expectantly for it to be picked up by major media. People think that being smart or articulate translates directly into being a good writer. It doesn’t. And, in fact, you will be very disheartened if you post your first blog based on something that got a lot of laughs in the office lunch room, and suddenly find yourself being attacked by opinion trolls as well as the grammar police. Writing because you think “anyone can do it” is like standing up at that karaoke mic and finding out how much better you sound in the shower.<br />
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There are lots of reasons to write – I’m guilty of all of them. And there are lots of reasons to step away from the keyboard, take a deep breath, and consider other options. Here are five reasons to take up golf instead.<br />
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<b>Reason #1</b><br />
<br />
Writing is unattractive. Dorothy Allison, in a keynote address at a writing conference said, “I do not want people visiting me at my home. I don’t wash my hair often enough for that.” I understood completely. When you are really in the thick of writing, you will be doing it instead of showering, gargling, and other basic hygiene activities. Do NOT pay a surprise visit to a writer who is only on chapter four. It is not pretty.<br />
<br />
<b>Reason #2:</b><br />
<br />
Being mean is just as bad on paper as it is in person. Do not become a writer to get back at your [fill in the blank]. Anne Lamott famously said, “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” I adore Anne, and I have to admit that if she is getting even with someone, she is doing it in a very humble, hilarious and relatable way. But if you are railing against the Catholic Church, identifying your last boyfriend by his birthmark or an “in” joke, or skewering your mom because she left you at the neighbor’s house to go play bridge, you will find that people – even the ones who laugh at your jokes – are turned off by your mean spiritedness. Besides that, you will be forced to live with your bitter self at the end of the day, and I don’t wish that on anyone.<br />
<br />
<b>Reason #3</b><br />
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Writing is a home-wrecker. If you are any good at it, and if you are serious about writing as a career or an art, you will neglect your partner, your children, your pets and your parents. Once you are in the spell, it can be as disastrous as drug relapse. If you can’t afford marriage counseling, don’t start that novel.<br />
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<b>Reason #4</b><br />
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Whatever you write, it will be wrong. While theoretically you are fine with “not being able to please all of the people all of the time,” the reality of hearing from total strangers how bad your writing is, or how off-base your ideas are, or how predictable the ending was, all adds up to a deep understanding of Sylvia Plath’s choices. Don’t put it out there if you don’t want to hear others’ opinions about how you did or didn’t bring them to rapture.<br />
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<b>Reason #5</b><br />
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Writing is bad for your health. Writing is not aerobic. Despite the new trend for treadmill desks, writing does not increase your cardiovascular health. You will sit for many hours with bad posture and M&Ms in a bowl on the desk. If you ignore my advice and start writing anyway, be prepared to ask the age-old writer’s question: “Does this essay collection make my ass look big?” (See “Reason #4” above, because someone will inevitably answer, “Yes.”<br />
<br />
There. You’ve been warned. Proceed at your own risk. I know that chances are that you’ll heed these cautions about as well as I heeded those of the Catholic nuns in my youth. In that case, be sure to shower before you meet with your New York agent; dedicate the book to your neglected partner; and wear a clean shirt for the book jacket photo. No one needs to know the truth.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ThatCrazyLittleThing.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ThatCrazyLittleThing.jpg"><img alt="ThatCrazyLittleThing" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41620" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ThatCrazyLittleThing.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ThatCrazyLittleThing.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Winner of four independent publishing awards, including the IndieReader Discovery Award in </span></span>Women's Fiction, this debut novel hits the mark for smart, discerning readers. </i><br />
<br />
There's nothing abo<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ut
her life that doesn't need a little work, so Melanie Davis thinks of
herself as a "fixer-upper." Her history with men leaves her gun shy; her
teenaged daughter can't string two civil words together; her best
friend Donna just found out she has a life-threatening illness. When
Donna also reveals a decades-old secret that still haunts her, Melanie
makes it her mission to solve the mystery and reunite Donna with a
precious link to her past - before it's too late. <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" /><br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />Along
the way Melanie discovers with startling clarity the pricelessness of
love and friendship. With a finely-tuned emotional compass, Kate Bracy
carries us through a trial-by-illness as funny as it is touching. Her
narrator, Melanie, comes to realize the enduring power of love - between
men and women, between mothers and daughters, between friends. Through
her vivid, endearing characters Bracy creates a small-town world in
northern New York where old loves rekindle, friendships prevail, and
secret wounds are finally healed. This debut novel will leave you with
an awakened heart and a strong urge to send postcards to all the people
you love.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/That-Crazy-Little-Thing-Bracy-ebook/dp/B00D5VIH42" href="http://www.amazon.com/That-Crazy-Little-Thing-Bracy-ebook/dp/B00D5VIH42">Amazon</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/322457" href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/322457">Smashwords</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Women's Fiction</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Bracy/e/B001JP4344/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Bracy/e/B001JP4344/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Kate Bracy through <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/Bracy.Author" href="https://www.facebook.com/Bracy.Author">Facebook</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.katebracy.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2_tSAQ9Ttq5F6Gz55ZWMIgvRHoJRw" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.katebracy.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2_tSAQ9Ttq5F6Gz55ZWMIgvRHoJRw" target="_blank">http://www.katebracy.com/</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-17938516154401869882014-09-04T12:00:00.000+01:002014-09-05T18:37:12.429+01:00Things You Didn't Know About 'The Evolutionary Journey of #Woman' by @EvolutionWoman #NonFiction<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>8 Things You Didn’t Know About The Evolutionary Journey of Woman</b></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This book tells the story of the beautiful, adventurous Sumerian goddess Inanna.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It debunks Man the Hunter as the primary, prehistoric hero of human evolution.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Evolutionary Journey of
Woman suggests that a number of key social, cultural and technological
factors formed a key tipping point in the Mythic Age that led to
thousand of years of women's oppression.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This books sees the emergence of feminism as evidence of the positive unfolding of consciousness in the world.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It expresses the hope that we
are emerging into a new Integral age that might be able to reintegrate
our lost female and feminine wisdom.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It also debunks the idea of a past matriarchal golden age of human history.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It explains the three waves of feminism as moving from a focus on social rights, to cultural rights, and finally to diversity.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It argues that women need a tradition of spiritual grandmother's to help them fully become who they can be in the world.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/evolutionaryJourney.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/evolutionaryJourney.jpg"><img alt="evolutionaryJourney" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40839" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/evolutionaryJourney.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/evolutionaryJourney.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/evolutionaryJourney.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/evolutionaryJourney.jpg"><img alt="evolutionaryJourney" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40839" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/evolutionaryJourney.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/evolutionaryJourney.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
story of human evolution that we've been commonly told is one built on
the shoulders of male heroism, competition and dominance; but, what if
it isn't the whole story? This book tells the lost story of women in
evolution.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
Evolutionary Journey of Woman: From the Goddess to Integral
Feminism looks towards a future that brings together and
reintegrates women's wisdom traditions through establishing a spiritual
lineage for women that is traced all the way back to ancient Sumer with
the goddess Inanna. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marrying the ancient wisdom traditions with adult
developmental theory, this book charts a pathway towards the full
spectrum of possibilities for women's self-actualisation in the coming
Integral age. The Evolutionary Journey of Woman is academically
rigorous, historical, philosophical and spiritual, but, most
fundamentally, it is a narrative that will change the way you
think about woman as a heroine of history.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Evolutionary-Journey-Woman-Integral-Feminism-ebook/dp/B00HG4FZK8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1398034135" href="http://www.amazon.com/Evolutionary-Journey-Woman-Integral-Feminism-ebook/dp/B00HG4FZK8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1398034135" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Non fiction, Women's Spirituality</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Nicholson/e/B005DI7FOS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Nicholson/e/B005DI7FOS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Sarah Nicholson on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Evolutionary-Journey-of-Woman-From-the-Goddess-to-Integral-Feminism/625117724238316?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Evolutionary-Journey-of-Woman-From-the-Goddess-to-Integral-Feminism/625117724238316?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/evolutionwoman" href="https://twitter.com/evolutionwoman" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.sarahnicholson.org&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2_Rx0WxolPwg5vwohD3k2DeJLDg-Q" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.sarahnicholson.org&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2_Rx0WxolPwg5vwohD3k2DeJLDg-Q" target="_blank">www.sarahnicholson.org</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8815128135931148154.post-19034539580274446762014-09-02T07:30:00.000+01:002014-09-03T12:45:24.037+01:00Mikey D. B. Shares a Day in His Life @mikeydbii #Dystopian #AmWriting #Authors <div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It
all begins at five in the morning. I wake up, make a protein packed
breakfast and watch parts of documentaries while I eat. I’ve watched
documentaries on Hitler, Bigfoot, social media conspiracies, economics,
magic, and basically anything I can find on Netflix that interests me at
the time. Anyway, after I eat/watch I finish getting ready for my day
and then make the drive to work.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes
these drives to work are the best part of my day. Anytime before six
in the morning, the roads are desolate, the mornings are cool, sun is
usually rising, and it is just a good time to ponder about things.
There’s something about seeing a fresh new day begin that I love. Maybe
it’s because all the angry, muckiness of the world is still asleep. I
don’t know, but early mornings, as hard as they are to get up for, are
some of the best things to experience.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So,
after my morning drive, I head into my day job which consists of a lot
of heavy lifting and calculations of length. I work at a labeling
manufacturing business where I coat and die cut the various labels for
our clients. You’d be amazed at how heavy paper is. In rolls of 10,000
feet and sometimes more, these things can be up to two hundred pounds.
For the most part, I like my job. It’s a keep-to-yourself kind of job
and me being the anti-social one I can be, it gives me the opportunities
to listen to music and podcasts. In fact, a lot of my research for
books happens in my eight hour shifts at work. I download a set of
podcasts I think will be relevant to what I’m trying to write, and then I
listen to them. I really can’t ask for a better time because after I
get off work, my day doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After
my shift, which ends at about two in the afternoon, I bust my way on
over to the gym. My workouts are pretty intense, two mile runs at
least, three to four mile bike rides and then a half hour of heavy
weights. I’m really trying to get ready to compete in a triathlon, so
my workouts have to be pretty frequent or I’ll never train my body the
way it needs to be.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now
this is where it gets kind of crazy. I’m a high school football coach
as well and practice starts at 4:30. So I have just enough time to work
out, rinse off, and get a quick bite before heading over to the school
to yell at kids. I love it! The sport, the atmosphere, the kids, the
other coaches I work with. It’s one of the best opportunities that I’ve
had come across my way. I was hesitant to take on the responsibility
at first, with the craziness of my writing and work as it is, but it’s
seasonal and I couldn’t pass up the chance to get back into the sport.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Practice
lasts until about seven, I get home at about eight, eat, and maybe get
some writing in. Mostly though, I’ll wind down and watch an episode of
the office with my wife or we’ll just talk and read together. The
evenings, like my mornings, are a chance for me to think, process what’s
happened in the day. Maybe write them in my journal if I have enough
to say. After or before the hustle and craziness of the day, it’s in
these times when I’ll turn to my scriptures to get guidance, peace, and
reassurance (or chastisement—it all depends on what my attitude has been
that day).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After
having wrote this, I realize how packed my day is. I think the
important thing, no matter how busy we are, is we need to make sure we
have our priorities in the right place. For me, it’s: God, Family,
Country. I know if I put God first, that’ll only strengthen my resolve
to take care of my family, and if I know my family is taken care of, I
know I can then make decisions to take care of my country and community.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Saga-of-the-Nine.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Saga-of-the-Nine.jpg"><img alt="Saga of the Nine" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41059" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Saga-of-the-Nine.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Saga-of-the-Nine.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Change
affects everyone and it is no different for Jackson. Living in Area 38
for as long as he can remember, he knows of no better way to exist than
under the tyrannical rule of Christopher Stone, son of Stewart Stone
from The Nine of The United Governmental Areas, aka The UGA. This all
takes a dramatic turn when Jackson finds a red, metal box buried in his
yard, filled with illegal artifacts—journals, a Bible, CDs, etc.—that
are from a man of whom he has no recollection of: Mica Rouge.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> The
year is 2036 and Mica, unlike Jackson, does know of a better way of
life but is torn apart as he sees his country, The United States of
America, crumbling from within by group known as The Political Mafia.
The Mafia has infiltrated levels upon levels of governmental resources
and it is up to Mica and a vigilante group known as The USA Division to
stop them and their dark Utopian vision. To their demise, and at the
country's expense, The Division fails and has no choice but to watch The
Constitution dissolve and transform into The UGA.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
a final stand, having not given up hope, Mica and what is left of The
Division, give one final fight in Colorado, or better known as Area 38.
However, all is lost as The Division is betrayed by one of their own,
Stewart Stone. Mica is left with no choice but to hide in exile, leaving
what little history he can of himself and the great United States of
America, with his wife, long time friends, and newly born son in hopes
that they will one day finish what he could not.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jackson,
having found this legacy twenty-seven years later, decides to start the
war that will end The Nine, and he with an outcast group known as The
Raiders, begins his fight with Christopher Stone in Area 38. Filled with
betrayal, unity, despair, hope, hate and love Area 38 follows both Mica
and Jackson in their attempts to restore what they believe to be true
freedom, and where one fails, the other rises to the seemingly
impossible challenge.</span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Nine-Mikey-D-B-ebook/dp/B00I3I8R9W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1391036693&sr=1-1&keywords=mikey+d.+b." href="http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Nine-Mikey-D-B-ebook/dp/B00I3I8R9W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1391036693&sr=1-1&keywords=mikey+d.+b." target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Dystopian Thriller</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG13</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Mikey%20D.%20B.&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Mikey%20D.%20B.&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Mikey D. B. on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mikey-D-B/193122724228568?ref=hl" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mikey-D-B/193122724228568?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> &<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/mikeydbii" href="https://twitter.com/mikeydbii" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mikeydb.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29rFXKoKCy5nHRPTeDOI1JD41dROQ" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mikeydb.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29rFXKoKCy5nHRPTeDOI1JD41dROQ" target="_blank">www.mikeydb.com</a></b></span></span></div>
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