tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71430008501038796622024-03-13T23:36:09.173-04:00Paws on BooksQuality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.comBlogger932125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-38040739128748616672015-02-24T07:00:00.000-05:002015-02-24T22:10:37.178-05:00#Excerpt from A LIFE LESS ORDINARY by Victoria Bernadine @VicBernadine #AmReading #ChickLit<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
coffee shop wasn’t very busy. Only a couple of tables were occupied,
with several more people standing in line. Manny sat rather nervously at
her table sipping her third vanilla latte and wondering if she was as
crazy as Rebecca and Daisy claimed. This would be her fourth interview
today of a potential travelling companion and she hoped this guy would
be more of a possibility than the other three she’d already met. Oh,
they all seemed nice enough, but Olive had been jittery and they’d
quickly realized their personalities would never mesh well enough to
travel together for six months. Isaac had had a predatory, speculative
gleam in his eyes as he looked her over–and she hadn’t needed Harvey to
tell her to stay as far away from <i>him</i> as possible.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Darius
was very sweet and charming, just eighteen, but he couldn’t pay his own
way, and Manny wasn’t about to support him for six months. He’d
shrugged and accepted her decision with an adorable smile and she
offered to call Daisy’s boss, Max, to see if he had any work that Darius
could do. Darius had thanked her and even paid for their lattes, and
they’d chatted for a good forty-five minutes before he’d finally gone on
his way. Yes, he would have been a good choice–and she might change her
mind if she didn’t find anyone before she left in two weeks.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>You can always go by yourself.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>I know. But it would be more fun with someone else.</i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>You’ll have me.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Manny
glanced at Harvey sitting in the chair across from her. He was dressed
casually in jeans and a button down shirt open at the throat to show the
strong lines of his neck and chest.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>You’re not real.</i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Harvey winked at her.<b> Just checking.</b></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
shook her head and Harvey blinked out of existence as the door opened
and a darkly handsome man walked in. He paused in the doorway and
removed his sunglasses as he glanced around the small room. Securely
hidden in her corner, Manny considered 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;">Tall;
over six feet. Dark. Handsome, with large, dark eyes and full pouty
lips. His black, tousled hair and dark stubble on his face gave him a
sexy, scruffy appearance. He was slim, with broad shoulders, narrow hips
and long legs encased in jeans.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I’ll bet he has a great ass.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>I’ll bet you’re right.</i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>He’s like a younger version of me.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Manny
blinked at the man standing in the doorway and realized Harvey was
right. Oh, they didn’t exactly look alike, but they had similar
colouring, and a similar underlying confidence and arrogance in their
stance. Probably something natural when you’re that naturally gorgeous,
Manny thought ruefully, or, in Harvey’s case, that<i>unnaturally</i> perfect.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I’d almost be jealous…if I was real.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>But you’re not–and he’s quite something. I wonder who he’s here to me…eeet.</i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her internal dialogue trailed off as the stranger’s gaze met hers. He gave a half smile and headed towards her.</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/2014/05/ALifeLessOrdinary.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For
the last fifteen years, Rose “Manny” Mankowski has been a very good
girl. She turned her back on her youthful fancies and focused on her
career. But now, at the age of 45, she’s questioning her choices and
feeling more and more disconnected from her own life. When she’s passed
over for promotion and her much younger new boss implies Manny’s life
will never change, something snaps. In the blink of an eye, she’s quit
her job, sold her house and cashed in her pension, and she’s leaving
town on a six month road trip.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After
placing a personal ad for a travelling companion, she’s joined in her
mid-life crisis by Zeke Powell, the cynical, satirical, most-read – and
most controversial – blogger for the e-magazine, What Women Want. Zeke’s
true goal is to expose Manny’s journey as a pitiful and desperate
attempt to reclaim her lost youth – and increase his readership at the
same time. Leaving it all behind for six months is just an added bonus.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now,
armed with a bagful of destinations, a fistful of maps, and an
out-spoken imaginary friend named Harvey, Manny’s on a quest to
rediscover herself – and taking Zeke along for the ride.</span></span></div>
</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/dp/B00AMJBOSQ" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a> & <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/299257" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Smashwords</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 – ChickLit, Contemporary 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-13</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/Victoria-Bernadine/e/B00AN2VS5G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_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;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Connect</b> with Victoria Bernadine on <a href="https://twitter.com/VicBernadine" 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>Blog <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://victoriabernadine.wordpress.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2_NZu0iup6n2vJwBd--NRvslbSPnw" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">victoriabernadine.wordpress.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-18326427885806866682015-02-06T08:30:00.000-05:002015-02-06T08:30:02.487-05:00#Excerpt from TOUCHING MADNESS by K S Ferguson #AmReading #Fantasy #MustRead<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 />
<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/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>
<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 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;">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-7143000850103879662.post-62300862692215391812015-01-21T11:00:00.000-05:002015-01-21T11:00:03.801-05:00WITNESS TO MY HEART #Excerpt by Loni Flowers @LoniFlowers #AmReading #Women #Romance“So, how long have you been out of the Army?”<br />
<br />
“A little over a year.”<br />
<br />
“Did you leave when David did?”<br />
<br />
Max
stretched his arm across the back of the bench behind me. “We left at
the same time; but, no, David chose not to re-enlist when his term was
up. I wasn’t given any options.”<br />
<br />
That seemed kind of
harsh. Unless he was fighting or being disruptive—which I could
definitely see—why couldn’t he re-enlist? “Dishonorably discharged?”<br />
<br />
“I guess you could say that.”<br />
<br />
“What did you do to warrant that?”<br />
<br />
“I didn’t do anything.” What is this? Fifty Questions?”<br />
<br />
“It’s however-many-questions-you’ll-answer,” I said nonchalantly.<br />
<br />
“Oh, I see. And can I play this game too?”<br />
<br />
“I guess it depends on what you ask.”<br />
<br />
Max pivoted towards me and his right leg pressed against mine. “Okay, let’s get right down to it. What are you hiding from?”<br />
<br />
My
eyes bulged wide with disbelief. How did he know? I was no different
around him than anyone else. “What? What are you talking about? Who said
I was hiding from something?”<br />
<br />
He smirked with
amusement. “Denial. It’s okay. I get it. Tell me why you were so scared
in the lobby? You never showed that kind of fear towards me before.”<br />
<br />
“You
have no idea what you’re talking about. And I wasn’t scared. I couldn’t
see your face temporarily because of the bright glare from the sun.
When you grabbed me, it startled me.” As if I would confess everything
to him just because he asked. Yeah, right.<br />
<br />
“You know, you can’t ask me questions and expect answers, if you’re not willing to offer up anything in return.”<br />
<br />
He was right.<br />
<br />
It
wasn’t fair. I should have known better than most people how hard it
was to conceal personal facts about your life, and if Max didn’t want to
share his, I should have respected his choice.<br />
<br />
“You’re
right. I’m sorry. I hoped to ask you some basic questions. You know,
favorite color, favorite dessert, dog or cat, what you do for a living…
those types of things.”<br />
<br />
“Well, you haven’t asked me
those questions. But if you must know, I don’t have a favorite color. I
don’t do pets. They’re a responsibility I don’t want or have time for.
And I work for a buddy of mine in St. Louis as a private investigator.
It’s nothing like a full-time career, however, just whenever he needs
me. I don’t need the money, but it doesn’t hurt to get paid doing easy
jobs; and it keeps my mind focused on other things.” His finger curled
around a lock of my hair as he shifted beside me.<br />
<br />
“You forgot one,” I mumbled, enjoying his aimless tugging on my hair.<br />
<br />
“What?”<br />
<br />
“Dessert. What’s your favorite?”<br />
<br />
“Strawberries… and whipped cream, if it’s around. Lots and lots of whipped cream.”<br />
<br />
I
was about to bite into a carrot stick, but stopped with it halfway to
my mouth. His words seemed to drip from his lips. If he had leaned in a
few more inches and kissed me—minus the carrot—I would have let him. He
was only a few inches away, and I caught his eyes flickering from my
eyes to my mouth. My mouth watered, imagining how strawberries and
whipped cream would taste from his kiss. I licked my lips… and ate the
carrot.<br />
<br />
He leaned against the bench with a sly grin. “Does that about answer all your questions?”<br />
<br />
I recovered as best I could and peeked at my watch. “I supposed it’ll do for now. I have to get back.”<br />
<br />
Max stood and held his hand out to pull me up. “Until next time,” he said, walking me to the passenger side of his car.<br />
<br />
Settling
in the seat, I gave him a curious glance, not knowing if that were a
question or a statement. I answered with, “Maybe.” I still wasn’t sure
what to think about Max. He was an asshole one minute, a comforting
savior the next, and pure sex-on-a-stick twenty-four hours of every day.<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/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>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
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>
<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 Romance</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/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>
<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 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-7143000850103879662.post-63420339547918210782015-01-21T09:00:00.000-05:002015-01-21T09:00:05.227-05:00#Excerpt from MOXIE'S PROBLEM by Hank Quense @hanque99 #Humor #Camelot #AmReading<span style="background-color: white;"><i>Scene background: </i></span><br />
<br />
<i>Percivale
is trapped in the Sherwood Forest with Bors and Gareth. They escape
when Robbin’ Hoody implores the Green Man to send the knights back to
Camelot.</i><br />
<b>_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ </b><br />
<br />
Percivale hit something. He groaned in
pain, smelled pine needles, and continued to fall. He thumped into the
ground and passed out.<br />
<br />
When he regained consciousness,
Percivale sensed people around him and decided to act like he was still
unconscious until he could assess any possible danger. The ground were
he lay was cold and Percivale shivered despite his attempt not to.<br />
<br />
"Looky here, my pretties," a high-pitched voice said.<br />
<br />
"A bonnie lad," a second voice replied.<br />
<br />
"A warrior, methinks from the ax he carries," first voice said.<br />
<br />
"Is he dead, you think?" second voice asked.<br />
<br />
A toe gave Percivale's ribs a hard nudge making him move involuntarily.<br />
<br />
"He lives." The footsteps rapidly retreated.<br />
<br />
"Can we keep him?" a third voice asked.<br />
<br />
"Nay, Carla, warriors make poor pets. They hate captivity and are dangerous when caged."<br />
<br />
Percivale
rolled over and sat up. His first glance at the three strangers
startled him. Middle-aged women with scraggly white hair, they had
nightmarish features. Their black, tight-fitting kirtles threatened to
burst from the mass of flesh the cloth attempted to control.<br />
<br />
"Good
morrow, handsome visitor. Where are ye from?" The voice belonged to
the first speaker. She seemed a bit older than the other two.<br />
<br />
"I hope he ain't a bloody damned Brit," said the second. "Are ye?"<br />
<br />
"Where am I?" Percivale ran a hand over his body searching for broken bones. "Where's my horse?"<br />
<br />
"Ye
are in the bonnie Highlands," replied the third woman. "And a horse
grazes over yonder." She pointed deeper into the woods.<br />
<br />
Percivale's
mouth dropped open. How did he end up in the far north when the Green
Man was supposed to send them south? Apparently the Green Man didn't
understand directions.<br />
<br />
"He's a wee one," second voice said.<br />
<br />
"How can ye tell, withal he still wears his pants?" third voice asked.<br />
<br />
"Ye have a filthy mind, Carla," the oldest one said.<br />
<br />
"Aye, and proud of it I am."<br />
<br />
"A filthy mind is an awful thing to waste," the second one observed. "So, who are ye?"<br />
<br />
"My name is Percivale. I'm a knight inna service of King Artie of Camelot. Who are you three?"<br />
<br />
"He
is a bloody damned Brit," the oldest one said. "But I guess we can't
be choosey at our age. I'm Agatha, and this is Bertha." Bertha dropped
a curtsy that set mounds of flesh rippling and quivering under her
kirtle. She had a large green wart on the right side of her nose.<br />
<br />
"And
this is our baby sister, Carla." Carla looked boldly at Percivale and
slowly licked her upper lip. She had nostril hairs so long she weaved
them into twin braids.<br />
<br />
"We are the Wryd Sisters, witches all," Agatha added.<br />
<br />
"Here," Bertha said handing Percivale a small flask. "Take a wee sip of this. It'll restore your natural humors."<br />
<br />
Percivale
took the flask and pulled the stopper. A whiff of alcohol escaped from
it. He sipped and swallowed. Immediately, his throat and stomach felt
like he had swallowed liquid fire. "What is that stuff?" he gasped.<br />
<br />
"Double malt," Bertha replied.<br />
<br />
"From a secret family recipe," Agatha said. "We age it in oak casks."<br />
<br />
"Aye," Carla said. "Sometimes as long as a week."<br />
<br />
"Mayhap, Percivale will join our quest," Bertha said. "We could use a bold lad to dismay the laird."<br />
<br />
"Aye, especially since this one is twice beholden to us," Carla added.<br />
<br />
"I'm beholden to you?" Percivale frowned and tried to work that one out. "How so?"<br />
<br />
"First,
we stood guard over ye and didn't leave ye for the wolves. Second, we
didn't steal from ye, even though ye lay helpless as a new-born newt."<br />
<br />
"Carla
has the right of it," Bertha said. "You owe us recompense and we need
help. Will you honor your debt or must we turn you into a beetle, food
for the nearest snake?"<br />
<br />
"What's this quest?"<br />
<br />
"We seek to protect our pet Nessie from the wrath of the Laird of the Loch," Agatha replied.<br />
<br />
"The scion of Malcolm," Bertha said, "the one who killed MacBeth and seized the throne."<br />
<br />
"The despicable Laird has sworn to kill Nessie with a great hunt," Bertha said.<br />
<br />
"I've
raised her since she was a wee tadpole," Carla said. "Why, only last
year, I loosed her in the loch when she grew too big to care for in our
hut. And now, the Laird means to harm her."<br />
<br />
Percivale stood up and knocked dirt and pine needles from his pants.<br />
<br />
"Have ye always been so short, or are ye enspelled?" Bertha asked.<br />
<br />
"Mayhap, upon kissing a virgin, ye'll regain your natural height." Agatha winked at him.<br />
<br />
"Here now," Carla huffed. "I saw him first. I'll be one doing the kissing."<br />
<br />
"I propose we all take a turn to break the spell," Bertha said.<br />
<br />
"I'm
not enspelled and no one is kissin' me." Percivale barely restrained
himself from shuddering at the idea of the kisses. A quest would occupy
his mind while he figured out how to return to Camelot.<br />
<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/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 than Moxie’s Problem. Moxie is an obnoxious, teen-age
princess who has never been outside her father’s castle. Until now. The
real world is quite different and she struggles to come to grips with
reality. The story takes place 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!<br />
<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;">
<br /></div>
</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;">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>
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<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>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-8485428747587918472015-01-16T09:00:00.000-05:002015-01-18T01:40:59.516-05:00Character Interview with River Madden and Others from TOUCHING MADNESS by KS Ferguson #Fantasy <b>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.</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>***************** </b></div>
<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 />
<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/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>
<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 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;">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-7143000850103879662.post-35150973320147372792015-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:002015-01-13T12:09:00.110-05:00HUSH #Excerpt by KimberlyShursen @KimberlyShursen #AmReading #Suspense #Thriller <div 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 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Dinkytown</b></span></i><b> <span style="font-family: inherit;">- </span>12:45 a.m.</b></span></div>
</div>
<div 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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ann
kicked off her sandals and closed the door to the third-floor
apartment. Ben had been polite, hailed a cab, and not pushed to take her
home. She liked him. There hadn’t been a lull in their two-hour
conversation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many
of the tenants in the older, all-brick building in Dinkytown were a
part of the struggling arts group—most of them a few years younger than
she and Jess. The location, however, was perfect. It was cheaper to ride
a bus that dropped her off in front of Abbott Northwestern Hospital
than own a car. Groceries, boutiques, and restaurants, as well as Lake
Calhoun and Harriett, were all within walking distance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She
walked to the kitchen, her feet killing her. With two newborns in
incubators and another baby boy on life support, she was exhausted.
Keeping a scrupulous eye over every newborn in the nursery was taxing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When
they’d moved in together, combining Jess’s modern taste with Ann’s more
conservative look made for an eclectic ambiance. Jess’s poster of
Warhol’s “Marilyn” hung next to Ann’s framed picture of a tranquil
cottage surrounded by English gardens. Books, memorabilia, and trinkets
filled the bookcase they’d put together using two-by-fours and paver
bricks. A bright red, curved sectional took up most of the cozy living
room and a cream-colored shag rug sat underneath an oval-shaped glass
coffee table.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
her bedroom, she wiggled out of her jeans and tossed them on top on the
silent radiator. She pulled on drawstring, cotton “bum-around” pants,
and a T-shirt.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After
she nabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator, she plopped down
on the couch. Adjusting two pillows underneath her head, she found the
remote and pulled the colorful afghan her mother had crocheted over her.
Flipping through the channels, she stopped when she found<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Pretty Woman</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The rattle of pans woke her. Ann slid an arm out from underneath the blanket. “What time is it?” she asked, yawning.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I was trying to be quiet and not wake you,” Jess said from the kitchen. “Almost eight.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“You going in early?” Ann rubbed her eyes.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Have to. Everything’s on sale and not even close to being marked down.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ann heard an egg crack and then the sizzle when it hit the frying pan. As manager of the Gap, Jess worked most weekends.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“What
time you get in?” Ann put her feet on the floor, waited a couple of
seconds, and stood. She shielded her eyes as she stumbled to the window
and pulled down the shade to block the rising sun.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I don’t know—around three maybe,” Jess said. “Want some eggs?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ann plopped back down on the couch. “Too early.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jess sat down on the opposite end of the couch and put the plate of scrambled eggs and toast on her lap. “You have fun?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I did.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“The guy you met is dreamy.” Jess stabbed a fork into the eggs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Seems like a nice guy.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“And you didn’t want to go to a bar last night,” Jess teased. “Look what you would have missed.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“He’s a lawyer.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jess’s
oval-shaped, green eyes grew wide. “A lawyer? Wow. You hit the
jackpot.” She stuffed the last of the toast in her mouth, stood, and
carried the plate into the kitchen.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“We
have so much in common—kind of freaky.” Ann pushed her arms up over her
head and stretched. “Family law. Does custody cases. Says he represents
kids more than parents.” She wrapped the soft, cotton afghan around her
and sank down into the sofa.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“So…you bring the babies into the world, and he protects them.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t hear what Jess said. “I keep thinking I’ve met him before.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Maybe
you have. Maybe he had a sister who had a baby, and he came to into the
hospital or something.” Her footsteps went down the hall. “Gonna see
him again?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“He’s picking me up this afternoon,” Ann said. “Says he’s thinking of buying a house and wants to take me by it.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Still against meeting guys in bars?” Jess asked as she walked down the hall to the door.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Totally.”<b> </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<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 /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><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."<span style="font-family: inherit;"> -<b> </b></span><b>Katie French</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span><i>author of "The Breeders," "The Believer's," and "Eyes Ever To The Sky."</i></span></span></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>
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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/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-7143000850103879662.post-17193140103540721412015-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:002015-01-13T11:18:16.612-05:00Madi Brown Says Sophie Kinsella is the Sarah Jessica Parker of #ChickLit @Madithe1brown #AmReading<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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<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-7143000850103879662.post-23069516567768609822014-12-25T08:30:00.000-05:002014-12-29T02:08:06.870-05:00Sue Parritt's Thoughts on Hope, Facing Edits, Rejection & Moving On #AmWriting #SelfPub #Fantasy <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 />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How to avoid the rejection blues</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;">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.</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;">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.</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;">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!</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;">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.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
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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>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">ISBN: 978-1-922200-14-3</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Release Date: 26 April 2014 (Paperback and ebook)</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Reviewers: </b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;"><span lang="EN-US">Description:</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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><br />
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Sue-Parritt-author-pic.jpeg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Sue-Parritt-author-pic.jpeg"><img alt="Sue Parritt author pic" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-42296" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Sue-Parritt-author-pic-300x255.jpeg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Sue-Parritt-author-pic-300x255.jpeg" height="255" width="300" /></a> </span></span></span></span></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;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;"><span lang="EN-US">About the Author:</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 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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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-10606809644857137172014-12-25T07:30:00.000-05:002014-12-29T01:58:24.576-05:00#Excerpt from "Saga of the Nine : Area 38" by Mikey D. B. @mikeydbii #Dystopian #Thriller #AmReading <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;">“Good morning everybody, I am Professor Lisa Rodgers and this is Governmental Theory 3410.”</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Have you ever had her before?” Mica quietly asks Marian.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Nope,
but I heard she is really good. She’s not very popular among the
faculty, being more conservative than most. It’s why I signed up for
this class actually. I like having a different perspective on stuff
like this. Plus she’s my aunt.”</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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m assuming every one of you in here belong here. If not, please leave quietly.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No one budges.</span></span></div>
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<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;">“Good.
Let’s get started then. Does anyone know when the law stating that a
President of the United States could only serve two terms was
discontinued?” As she expects, nobody raises their hand. “It was in
2020. Okay. Let’s see if you know this piece of historical
information: Who here has heard of the electoral college?”</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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Very few know the answer but no one raises their hand.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“That was not a rhetorical question.”</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marian shoots her hand into the air.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yes.” Still no expression, despite Marian’s enthusiasm.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Wasn’t it how we elected the president in the late 20<sup>th</sup><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>century?”</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;">“Yes it was and it even lasted a few years in this century. Do you know how it worked by any chance?”</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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marian, impressed with herself, nudges Mica and nods her head like a boss.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Miss?”</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Marian.” Mica nudges her back and points to Professor Rodgers.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Sorry,” Marian begins to blush. “Can you repeat the question?”</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite the scattered chuckles, Rodgers masks her embarrassment for her niece. “How did the electoral college work?”</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stumped, Marian shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know, Professor.”</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mica is the only one who reluctantly raises his hand.</span></span></div>
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<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;">“One person. That’s more than I expected. Yes, go ahead Mister…”</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Rouge. Mica Rouge.”</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Go on,” Professor Rodgers says.</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;">“Well
it’s kind of complicated,” he begins, “but I guess in a nutshell, every
state had a certain number of votes that went towards electing a
president.”</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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“How many votes did each state get?” Professor Rodgers asks.</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 depended.”</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;">“On what? What determined the number of votes a state got?” She asks again, trying to get to the root of it all.</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
number of Senators and members of The House of Representatives.” He
really wishes that somebody else knew this stuff. He looks to Marian
for some support but she just shrugs her shoulders again. As soon as
Mica turns back to Professor Rodgers, Marian smiles, charmed by the man
sitting beside her.</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;">“And
how did a presidential nominee win the votes of a state?” Just a few
more questions and the Professor will get her point across.</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;">Mica
picks his brain for this rarely used information. “Wasn’t it by a
popular vote of the people in that state? All the registered voters
voted and whichever candidate got the most votes won all of the state
votes? It was a winner take all system.”<br /> </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;">“Yes,
that is exactly how it worked. Well kind of. It was a winner take all
system in forty-eight of the fifty states. Maine and Nebraska were the
sole exceptions. Why did we have a system like this and not the system
we currently have?” She asks Mica, but the question is opened to the
class. </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;">“Doesn’t our system of Congress being the ones who elect a president work better?”</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;">Mica
doesn’t wait for someone to take the answer; he knows it and he knows
exactly where the professor is going with this. “It’s more efficient
yes, but less democratic.”</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;">Professor Rodgers is slightly impressed with this young man. Maybe Carter was right about him. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“How
so?” she asks. “We elect our Senators and Representatives. The idea
of a Republic is to elect officials who we think will put our ideas
forward and into action.”</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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yes,
but it comes down to checks and balances,” Mica argues, finally getting
to the point Professor Rodgers was aiming for. “If Congress is the one
to elect the president, they can skew the results, creating a lot more
room for corruption in the system. They are held less accountable by
us, the people.” Mumbles and silent gasps fill the room.</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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“He
has a point.” The Professor patiently waits for the class to calm
down. There are more and finer details to this law, she thinks, but
he’s brought the discussion to where she was directing it. “Senators
are now in office until they die, which wasn’t always the case. The
amendment that changed the way we elect a president also changed the way
we elect Congress. Before we turned to the election system that we
have, there were people trying to create a constitutional amendment
where when we the people voted, the person with the most votes won,
period, in what is called a ‘popular election.’ They wanted the voice
of the people to be heard from the people themselves, not Congress and
not from electoral votes.</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;">“In
1824, 1876, 1888, and 2000 all those who lost the election won the
popular vote and had the most citizens voting for them. Seems pretty
unjust, huh? The Electoral College was like a popular vote mixed with a
congressional vote, but instead of being a democratic process it became
more of a game, some might say, to win the states and not the people.
But that’s politics for you.</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;">“Back
to what Mr. Rouge was saying about checks and balances and how a lack
of that can create corruption. There are some that argue that the idea
behind checks and balances is inefficient. It slows down progression.
Too many people’s opinions in the political ring,” Rodgers folds her
hands, “can cause the system to lock up.”</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;">“And that’s a problem because?” a student asks.</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;">“Because
the government can shutdown like it has, time and time again. So,”
Professor Rodgers continues, “people tried to simplify the election
process in hopes of simplifying the checks and balances, but they went
about it in the opposite way than most were hoping. Instead of having a
popular vote from the people, the voting changed to Congress, giving
more power to the Government and less to the people.”</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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Why?” Marian asks herself.</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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Exactly.” Professor Rodgers says, overhearing Marian’s whispered question. “So why do I bring this all up?”</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;"><br /></span></span>
<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/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>
<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">
<br />
<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>
<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;"> 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>
</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;"><br /></span></span>
<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>
<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 – Dystopian Thriller</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 – PG13</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=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>
<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 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>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-58132861715081072462014-12-18T08:00:00.000-05:002014-12-18T08:00:00.987-05:00Erin Sands Shares an #Excerpt from THE DUNES @TheDunesBook #AmReading #NonFiction #SelfHelp <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 Dunes</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
the heart of the universe, in a land not so far away, exists a place of
imminent transformation. It is a place undiscovered by most, and sought
out by a daring few, a place where the best and the worst are revealed
without filter, and the quest, though formidable, begets a masterpiece
of the soul. In this place, a war is waged against the stagnant heart
that seeks to cling to what was and cripple new life with old fears. And
so it has been that only the brave in spirit venture upon it, content
to reap its end result as their reward. Thus believing in<i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>change,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>they call this place “The Dunes”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not
for the delicate, The Dunes is a glorious 300-foot-high, 75-degree
incline of soft sand that has been bleached by the blazing sun. At first
glance, it is awe-inspiring. Its beauty is evident, yet uncompromising,
in its call. It is a majestic uphill sand climb resolutely postured as
the menacing hurdle to divine destiny. Yet, still they come to answer
its call. Still they arrive consumed by the desire to be more than they
were when they began, hoping that what lies inside of them is the
fullness of life available beyond The Dunes.</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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our
story begins on a very beautiful and very hot day at The Dunes. It is
105 degrees outside and we find a man and a woman baking in the
afternoon sun. One stands at the top of the 300-foot mound, the other,
at the bottom.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The One</b>:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>I love you</i>.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Other</b>:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>And I love you</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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The One</b>:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>I want you with me. Take this journey, meet me at the top and trust that everything will be all right.</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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Other</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>slowly considered the request and believing that their love was heaven sent elected to rise to the challenge. But wait…</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>
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<span style="color: black;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/dunesfinalSB.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/dunesfinalSB.jpg"><img alt="5DmkII_2226" class="aligncenter wp-image-40866" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/5DmkII_2226-198x300.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/5DmkII_2226-198x300.jpg" height="193" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="127" /></a></span> </div>
</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;">Born
in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in the Bay Area of Northern California,
Erin grew up with an innate love for dance, theatre and the written
word. A graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Erin began her career
in the arts as an actress and choreographer. After booking several
notable roles in television and film, Erin began to use her gift of
writing in blogs featuring political and social commentary, as well as
developing content for theatrical use.</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;"><br /></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;">Although<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The Dunes,
is a divine departure from Erin’s previous writings it is by far her
most cherished work to date. “I wrote The Dunes initially as self
therapy because I needed to release some painful experiences and
disappointments from my past. I had this thirst to walk in the complete
fullness of life with joy as my constant companion. I had no idea what
effect it would have on other people. But when I saw people read it and
be released from fears that had held them back for years…when I saw
people forgive and be able to walk in the freedom forgiveness
brings…when I saw people commit and serve and how those things opened up
new opportunities in their life, I was just humbled. Humbled by the
awesome power of God and humbled that I had been allowed to go along for
the ride”.</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;"><br /></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;">When asked<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>why<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>she
writes, Erin pauses and reflects on the truth of her heart. “I write
because although I am only now beginning to truly love the process, I
have always loved the outcome. Like a composer, words become my notes. I
string them together in song eliciting the response of my reader,
grafting a picture of my soul. Where besides the written word can you
effect change so utterly and so succinctly? What besides the written
word can pierce the universal collective mind? Everything begins with a
thought, but it isn’t until that thought is articulated in written word
and those words passed down can life changing movement happen. It must
be written, it must be expressed on tablet, and when it is, we all
become greater, whether the writing be genius or fatuity, it has evoked
thought and debate. Why wouldn’t I want to be apart of that phenomenon?
Why wouldn’t I want to share my story, give my testimony…add my paradigm
to the mix? Whether it is a novel, a poem, an essay or an article, it
is humanity visited. An insight into a new or sometimes shared truth.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>And with that I live my life”.</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/Dune.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Dune.jpg"><img alt="Dune" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40719" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Dune.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Dune.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></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;">If there was a journey that could masterfully change your life in seven revelations...would you take it? <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" /><br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />In
life, sometimes the kernels of wisdom and the richness of revelation
can be found in the most innocent of stories; and so it is with The
Dunes. Join one man and one woman in an exquisitely simple yet
remarkably profound journey as you discover with them that the mountain
you must climb in order to live the abundant life of your dreams is
located squarely within your heart. <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" /><br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />Illuminated
in seven revelations; The Dunes carries the reader on a journey to not
only examine the obstacles that are holding them back in life but to
conquer and over come them as well. With each revelation The Dunes
intimately calls on the reader as the journey companion to face a
challenge…a dare if you will that requires an uncompromising commitment
to change. In the family of faith-based self help books, The Dunes
stands alone, simultaneously taking the reader from fiction to life and
back again, equipped with a tailor made journal for the readers inner
most secrets and reflections. The Dunes is part allegory, part testimony
and part journal, but the best part is the healing it offers your
heart. When you’re ready to step out of your comfort zone and step into
the miracle of your life…The Dunes awaits. <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" /><br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />CAUTION:
Readers of this book are subject to significant changes for the better.
Side effects may include frequent smiling and enjoying life in every
season.</span></span></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/Dunes-Release-Fears-Restore-Renew-ebook/dp/B00KO43L2Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1403131233" href="http://www.amazon.com/Dunes-Release-Fears-Restore-Renew-ebook/dp/B00KO43L2Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1403131233" 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</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – G</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/Erin-Sands/e/B00M5ZWIM6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Erin-Sands/e/B00M5ZWIM6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_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 Erin Sands on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/thedunesbook" href="https://www.facebook.com/thedunesbook" target="_blank">Facebook</a> &<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.twitter.com/thedunesbook" href="http://www.twitter.com/thedunesbook" 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.thedunesbook.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29-Z7bqviUDISeSGG7sYWToCfcGIg" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.thedunesbook.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29-Z7bqviUDISeSGG7sYWToCfcGIg" target="_blank">www.thedunesbook.com</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-59589780151278684352014-11-22T11:00:00.000-05:002014-11-26T12:14:52.928-05:00The Footsteps I Follow: Authors I Admire by Pendelton Wallace #AmReading #Thriller #MustRead<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Footsteps I Follow: Authors I Admire </b></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
don’t know where to start with this question. I tried to pattern my
writing, in a way, after Edgar Rice Burroughs. He used short scenes,
lots of action, parallel plot lines and cliff hangers at the end of each
scene.</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 modern writers that I would like to emulate include Elizabeth George, Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy.</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
love the way that Elizabeth George’s mysteries are character driven. I
get so interested in the personal lives of the characters that I don’t
care who dunnit. I would like to write thrillers like that. I want the
readers to care about Ted and Chris so that the adventure is secondary.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Robert
Ludlum basically invented the modern thriller with his Bourne Identity
series. He uses locations like characters in his novels. His action is
thrilling and you can feel each blow as Jason Bourne struggles to find
his past.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of
course, Tom Clancy is the master. He goes into great depth developing
his stories and characters. He has earned the right to write novels of
great length. He has proven himself. The publishers know that readers
will buy this very expensive books because they are that good.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Can
I emulate any of these people? I don’t know. I only know that I learn
lessons from them and try to put them into effect in my own writing.</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-7143000850103879662.post-75073874005640849702014-11-22T07:30:00.000-05:002014-11-29T05:31:10.731-05:00James Rada Jr. Shares His #WriteTip on Avoiding Rejection Blues @JimRada #AmWriting #Historical <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>How to Avoid the Rejection Blues</b></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;">When
I started out as a writer, rejection letters were commonplace and
usually they were simply form letters. I got a sense of dread seeing
them arrive in the mail. I didn’t want to read them, but I had to see if
it was a rejection or acceptance.</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
knew my writing was starting to get better when the editors started
adding little notes to the rejection letters like “Almost” or “Keep
trying”. Then the rejection letters started becoming specific to my
submission.</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;">Finally,
I started getting those treasured acceptance letters. Nowadays, I get
more acceptances than rejections and I even get editors asking me to
take on assignment.</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;">That
doesn’t mean that I still don’t get rejection letters. They don’t
bother me, though. I’ve developed ways of dealing with them over the
years that work well at keeping me focused on the positive.</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;"><b>Keep things in the mail</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;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When
I started writing, I would send out a short story and then wait for
three months before I heard back a rejection. I spent those months
wondering and worrying about what the editor was going to say.</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;">After
I had a few stories written, I got into the habit of not worrying about
the stories that were in the mail but finding markets for the new
stories that I was writing.</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;">As
soon as a story would come back in the mail, I would simply send it
back out to the next market. By not having to focus on the rejection and
let it get to me, I started focusing on the future and finding new
markets. With dozen of queries in the mail at any one time, I don’t have
time to focus on a single rejection.</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;"><b>Have a list of markets</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;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After
I send a story out to the magazine I most wanted to see it published
in, I would create a list of additional markets. When I would get a
rejection letter, I would simply prepare the story for the next market
on my list.</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;">By keeping a list of my top five or ten markets, I didn’t have to look at an unsold story sitting on my desk.</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 always have a new market to send my stories to so I don’t worry about a rejection.</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;"><b>Enjoy positive comments</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;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When
you do start getting personalized comments on your rejection letters or
even personalized rejections, pay attention to the comments. Some of
them can help you improve your writing. If the comments are positive,
enjoy them. Let them inspire you to write more and write better.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If
an editor is interested enough to write you something personal, it
means that he or she is interested in your writing. It is a market worth
trying again.</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;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Keep writing to remind you why you do it</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t
let an editor’s opinion make you doubt your writing ability. Write
because you love it and want to do it. Keep at it. This is probably the
best way to keep from feeling down because of rejection. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Write because you love it. Write because you want to do better.</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/2014/06/lockready.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/lockready.jpg"><img alt="lockready" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-39689" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/lockready.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/lockready.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
Civil War split the United States and now it has split the Fitzgerald
Family. Although George Fitzgerald has returned from the war, his sister
Elizabeth Fitzgerald has chosen to remain in Washington to volunteer as
a nurse. The ex-Confederate spy, David Windover, has given up on his
dream of being with Alice Fitzgerald and is trying to move on with his
life in Cumberland, Md. Alice and her sons continue to haul coal along
the 184.5-mile-long C&O Canal. It is dangerous work, though, during
war time because the canal runs along the Potomac River and between the
North and South. </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;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Having
had to endured death and loss already, Alice wonders whether remaining
on the canal is worth the cost. She wants her family reunited and safe,
but she can’t reconcile her feelings between David and her dead husband.
Her adopted son, Tony, has his own questions that he is trying to
answer. He wants to know who he is and if his birth mother ever loved
him. As he tries to find out more about his birth mother and father, he
stumbles onto a plan by Confederate sympathizers to sabotage the canal
and burn dozens of canal boats. He enlists David’s help to try and
disrupt the plot before it endangers his new family, but first they will
have find out who is behind the plot.</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;">
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<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/Lock-Ready-A-Canawlers-Novel/dp/0692211454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400758482&sr=8-1&keywords=lock+ready+rada" href="http://www.amazon.com/Lock-Ready-A-Canawlers-Novel/dp/0692211454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400758482&sr=8-1&keywords=lock+ready+rada" 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 – Historical Fiction</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/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=James+Rada+Jr.&search-alias=books&text=James+Rada+Jr.&sort=relevancerank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=James+Rada+Jr.&search-alias=books&text=James+Rada+Jr.&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>Connect</b> with James Rada Jr. on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/jim.rada" href="https://www.facebook.com/jim.rada" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/jimrada" href="https://twitter.com/jimrada" 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://jamesrada.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy28d4iaix3UBtVx6pNwPpNkw3GcEKA" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://jamesrada.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy28d4iaix3UBtVx6pNwPpNkw3GcEKA" target="_blank">jamesrada.com</a></b></span></span></div>
<br />Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-70865124563359503622014-11-07T08:30:00.000-05:002014-11-07T08:30:03.266-05:00S.A. Snow's #WriteTip for Sharing Believable Characters with Readers @BooksBySnow #AmWriting #SciFi<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>How to Make Your Characters Believable</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There
is a reason why people love Jane. There is a reason why she’s so
curious, so forthcoming, so hot, so workable and so likeable. She’s a
character, and she’s believable. The issue with Jane Butler was not that
she wasn’t well-rounded or interesting. It was that often times she was
far too interesting, and I was taken with her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
order to make a character believable, for the reader to fall in love
with them (even if they’re not the greatest person around), we have to
make them complicated. There is nothing like a complicated person that
attracts readers, particularly in genre fiction. They have to have
faults, they have to have quirks, they have to have fears and dreams and
sometimes those need to shatter in the course of the story.</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;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One
aspect of Jane I adore is that she’s ridiculously self-confident when
it comes to her sexuality. Which, I might add, is nothing I have ever
experienced. To play in the mind of a woman who oozes self-esteem and
rarely ever thinks twice about herself in the eyes of another person was
uplifting and breathtaking. I’ve been told that’s why many female
readers will love her. I’ve also been told that is why many may dislike
her.</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;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But
what isn’t believable about that? Who is honestly liked by everyone?
And who is honestly disliked by everyone? I think it should be a pretty
equal balanced of the two, if not more heavily weighted on the liking
side, but not all people and not all characters are likable. And that is
believable.</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;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You
just have to make yourself believe if. You have to write it like you’re
talking about your best friend. Get into the characters head and figure
out why they do certain things, what makes them tick, what makes then
jump when something scary happens, what do they crave with they get the
midnight munchies (if they’re even up beyond midnight). As long as you
figure out all of these things, then the character will be believable.
It’s in the details, in the fine print, in between the lines of stuff
the reader hardly ever sees. If the author knows it, if the writer knows
it, if the character knows it--it becomes believable.</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/AcrossWorldsCollision.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/AcrossWorldsCollision.jpg"><img alt="AcrossWorldsCollision" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40725" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/AcrossWorldsCollision.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/AcrossWorldsCollision.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></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;">Jane expected six months undercover to be hard; she expected it to be lonely and bleak. She didn’t expect to find love. <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" /><br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />Jane
Butler, a CIA operative, is assigned the task of infiltrating the
Xanthians and determining if they’re a threat to humanity. Going
undercover as a Xanthian mate, she boards the transport ship and meets
Usnavi—her new mate. After spending six days traveling through space,
Jane is ecstatic to explore the Xanthian station and soon sets out to
complete her mission. The only problem? Usnavi—and the feelings she is
quickly developing. <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" /><br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />Fumbling
their way through varying sexual expectations, cooking catastrophes,
and cultural differences, they soon discover life together is never
boring. As Jane and Usnavi careen into a relationship neither of them
expected, Jane uncovers dark secrets about the Xanthians and realizes
she may no longer be safe. When it becomes clear she’s on her own, Jane
is forced to trust and rely on Usnavi. Simultaneously struggling with
her mission, her feelings for Usnavi, and homesickness, Jane faces
questions she never imagined she would have to answer.</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;">
<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/Across-Worlds-Collision-S-Snow-ebook/dp/B00MANJM2M" href="http://www.amazon.com/Across-Worlds-Collision-S-Snow-ebook/dp/B00MANJM2M" target="_blank">Amazon</a> &<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/435337" href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/435337" target="_blank">Smashwords</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 – Blended Science Fiction, Erotica</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 – NC17</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.-A.-Snow/e/B00MARDKL2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/S.-A.-Snow/e/B00MARDKL2/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="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 S. A. Snow on <a data-mce-href="http://www.facebook.com/booksbysnow" href="http://www.facebook.com/booksbysnow" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-44935025261602111452014-10-24T09:00:00.000-04:002014-10-29T05:32:18.235-04:00STORM WITHOUT END (Requiem for the Rift King) by @RJ_Blain #MustRead #Fantasy #AmReading<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Stand up and drop the weapon.”</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
long shadow stretched over the grass, followed by a second. Breton
loosened his grip on the weapon and let it fall. Careful to step on the
blade as he rose, he held out his hands to show he wasn’t armed.</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
second robed figure emerged from the knee-tall grass, and the tip of a
second arrowhead glinted in the sunlight. Breton ran his tongue over his
teeth. The first stood close enough for Breton to reach, if he could
avoid being struck.</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
second man would prove the true problem. If Breton was hit — or if the
archers missed him and hit Ferethian instead — he’d have more than his
survival to worry about. While he needed to find Kalen, he didn’t want
to lure the Rift King back to the Rift through death.</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’s right. Easy now. Keep your hands where we can see them, Rifter.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Breton
glanced out of the corner of his eye at Ferethian. The Rift King’s
horse stood rigid, the animal’s dark eyes staring beyond the two
outsiders.</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 pair of large shadows moved closer, and it took all of Breton’s will to stare at the two figures in front of 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;">“Hands up higher, Rift King,” the man snapped.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Breton hesitated, glancing at each figure in turn. They thought <i>he</i> was
the Rift King? He frowned and considered the two men. They didn’t
exactly go out of their way to describe Kalen to anyone. However, he
could recall a few missives talking about how unusually small the Rift
King’s horse was. Had they learned of Ferethian, but not of the man who
rode 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;">“Do 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;">The
shadows solidified to the towering forms of black horses. The taller of
the two Breton recognized from the familiar warmth in his chest born
from being near <i>his</i> horse. Perin’s teeth were bared and both ears
were turned back. The second horse was covered in river mud and dust,
with black patches showing through.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Breton held his breath.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ferethian
lifted his hoof and struck the ground once. A chill ran through Breton.
The two large animals took their placed behind the robed figures, their
movements silenced by the ever-present hiss of the wind.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Halter your horse,” the man ordered.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He
lifted his hands to his shoulder to grab the ruined halter. Ferethian
snorted and reared back, slamming both hooves down at the same time.</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
outsiders fell to the heavy blow of hooves to the head. Angry squeals
broke the silence, and Ferethian surged forward to trample the fallen,
his long tail bannering.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Breton
shivered, stooping to pick up the poisoned blade and the outsiders’
bows and arrows. One of them was carrying a small pouch tied to his
belt. He grabbed it and tucked it away in a pocket. Pivoting on a heel,
he left the bodies for the nibblers. The three Rift horses flanked 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;">He
hurried to where the Foristasa cut its way through the plains. The
weapons vanished beneath the white caps of its waters. Perin draped his
head over Breton’s shoulder and sighed. There was only one reason he
could think of for outsiders to make their way to Blind Mare Run. They
wanted the Rift King, dead or alive.</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
the outsiders learned the truth of the Rift King’s disappearance, he
didn’t want to think of the consequences. Breton knelt by the river’s
edge and clucked his tongue at the horses. Perin came without complaint,
letting him clean the blood from his legs.</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
other two horses refused, as though unwilling to wash away the evidence
of their devotion to the King no longer within the Rift.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He
glanced in the direction of the bodies, shook his head, and headed back
towards Blind Mare Run to call for the other Guardians.</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/2013/12/StormWithoutEnd.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;">Kalen’s
throne is his saddle, his crown is the dirt on his brow, and his right
to rule is sealed in the blood that stains his hand. Few know the truth
about the one-armed Rift King, and he prefers it that way. When people
get too close to him, they either betray him or die. The Rift he rules
cares nothing for the weak. More often than not, even the strong fail to
survive.</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;">When
he’s abducted, his disappearance threatens to destroy his home, his
people, and start a hopeless and bloody war. There are many who desire
his death, and few who hope for his survival. With peace in the Six
Kingdoms quickly crumbling, it falls on him to try to stop the conflict
swiftly taking the entire continent by storm.</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;">But
something even more terrifying than the machinations of men has
returned to the lands: The skreed. They haven’t been seen for a thousand
years, and even the true power of the Rift King might not be enough to
save his people — and the world — from destruction.</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/dp/B00GI7C0QG?tag=booaremag-20" 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 – Fantasy</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;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/RJ-Blain/e/B00EA5VH6M/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 RJ Blain on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/RJ-Blain/121746651191778?ref=hl" style="text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/rj_blain" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-31880982626784032542014-10-15T12:00:00.000-04:002014-10-29T05:25:26.272-04:00Top 5 Favorite Marketing Tools for Writers by Kelly Wilson @LiveCheap #SelfPub #AmWriting #WriteTip<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">Top 5 Favorite Marketing Tools for Writers</span></span></span></b><br />
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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="p1" style="color: #333333; 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">Book
marketing is an essential part of the life of every writer. While we’d
like to spend hours hunched over a notebook or laptop writing to our
hearts’ content, the truth is that marketing our work requires time and
attention in order to build a writing career.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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="p1" style="color: #333333; 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">In
my several years of online marketing experience, I have come up with a
set of book marketing tools that I absolutely cannot live without. They
might take some time to master, but the benefits of making these part of
your daily book marketing tool belt will consistently pay off over
time.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Wordpress</b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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">If
you’re wondering whether or not you should have a website, the answer
is, “A thousand times, YES.” A website is the foundation of your book
marketing efforts. You own that digital space, which means that nobody
can take it from you; contrast this with social media - you don’t own
any of that space, so they can take down anything of yours at any time.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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="p1" style="color: #333333; 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">There are many ways to build a website, but<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://wordpress.org/" href="http://wordpress.org/"><span class="s3">Wordpress</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is
my favorite. It’s easy to use and fairly intuitive, especially if the
idea of building or maintaining a website is particularly scary. Choose a
domain name that fits your business – mine, for example, is “Wilson
Writes” – and follow the directions for set up. Choose a theme that you
can customize and tinker around. It’s worth the time!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Photoshop</b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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">Besides content, the most essential element of a website is a wide range of photos.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.photoshop.com/products/photoshop" href="http://www.photoshop.com/products/photoshop"><span class="s3">Photoshop</span></a>,
while it takes some time to learn, offers a ton of options to
manipulate photos and work on website design. Complete basic photo
editing or create something unique using the limitless tools contained
in the software. I like to use it to make funny memes and then post them
on my website, because sometimes life is too funny NOT to take a photo
of it and then make a meme.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Mailchimp and/or Feedburner</b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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">When
your website is finished, don’t wait for people to visit you. Make sure
to put an email capture program on the site to get the addresses of
those who visit your site, and then post regular blog articles to keep
readers engaged. I like to use both<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://feedburner.google.com/" href="http://feedburner.google.com/"><span class="s3">Feedburner</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://mailchimp.com/" href="http://mailchimp.com/"><span class="s3">Mailchimp</span></a>.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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="p1" style="color: #333333; 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">Feedburner
sends out a daily digest of articles posted to your blog, while
Mailchimp allows you to send customized newsletters out to readers. Both
are useful, and the list captured via Feedburner can be downloaded into
Mailchimp for easy use.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Bookbuzzr</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s3"><a data-mce-href="http://www.bookbuzzr.com/" href="http://www.bookbuzzr.com/">BookBuzzr</a></span><span class="s2"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is
a valuable book marketing site that allows authors to set up profile
pages that highlights their books. These pages are easy to set up and
create more of an online presence for you and your books. There’s a lot
more to what BookBuzzr offers based on what you are able to pay, but two
of my favorite free options are the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.bookbuzzr.com/tour.php#BookBuzzrFlipperWidget" href="http://www.bookbuzzr.com/tour.php#BookBuzzrFlipperWidget"><span class="s3">BookBuzzr book widgets</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.bookbuzzr.com/tour.php#BookTweeter" href="http://www.bookbuzzr.com/tour.php#BookTweeter"><span class="s3">Book Tweeter function</span></a>.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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="p1" style="color: #333333; 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"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Hootsuite</b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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">Social
media can feel overwhelming. You may start with updating Twitter, end
up on Facebook via Instagram and pretty soon, an hour of your writing
time has gone by.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://hootsuite.com/?icn=primtopnav&ici=Logo" href="https://hootsuite.com/?icn=primtopnav&ici=Logo"><span class="s3">Hootsuite</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>makes it possible to save time and effort by consolidating your social media profiles all on one platform.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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="p1" style="color: #333333; 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">Use
Hootsuite to keep track of your mentions and retweets so that you can
connect with those readers. Schedule out Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
status updates throughout the day, spending 20 minutes at the beginning
of the day so your writing time is still all about writing…and not
social media.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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="p1" style="color: #333333; 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">There
are, of course, additional valuable tools for book marketing, but these
are my favorites on my professional tool belt. What book marketing
tools would you add that you can’t live without?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">Bio:
Kelly Wilson is a Portland, Oregon author and comedian who loves a
bargain and likes to do as much online book marketing as possible for
free. She is the author of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/CHEAP-Strategies-Thrive-Tough-Economic/dp/1601457820" href="http://www.amazon.com/CHEAP-Strategies-Thrive-Tough-Economic/dp/1601457820"><span class="s3"><i>Live Cheap & Free</i></span></a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/DONT-PUNCH-PEOPLE-THE-JUNK-ebook/dp/B009FRSH5Y/" href="http://www.amazon.com/DONT-PUNCH-PEOPLE-THE-JUNK-ebook/dp/B009FRSH5Y/"><span class="s3"><i>Don’t Punch People in the Junk</i></span></a>, and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Caskets-Costco-Kelly-Wilson/dp/1626469156/" href="http://www.amazon.com/Caskets-Costco-Kelly-Wilson/dp/1626469156/"><span class="s3"><i>Caskets From Costco</i></span></a>,
along with numerous articles and short stories for children and adults.
Kelly Wilson currently writes for a living and lives with her Magically
Delicious husband, junk-punching children, dog, and cat, with a
stereotypical minivan in the garage. Read more about her at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.wilsonwrites.com/"><span class="s3">www.wilsonwrites.com</span></a><span class="s2">.</span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #333333; 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 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/2014/09/Caskets-From-Costco.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Caskets-From-Costco.jpg"><img alt="Caskets From Costco" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-42171" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Caskets-From-Costco.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Caskets-From-Costco.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For
twenty years, Kelly Wilson thought that she had been marching through
the stages of grief in a straight line. She had been following the
formula, crossing each processed grief experience off her list.<br />
<br />
Except
that Kelly was totally deluded. And she didn’t discover that until Jim,
her beloved father-in-law, died. She found herself drying off from her
shower the morning after his death, really hoping that he couldn’t see
her naked. Or, if he could, that he was averting his eyes.<br />
<br />
From
that moment, Kelly's path through grief resembled a roller coaster,
spiraling and twisting and turning, circling back around. Echoes of past
trauma, including childhood abuse and cheating death, would no longer
be ignored. She somehow needed to get from the beginning to the end of
this grief adventure, and she doesn't have a good sense of direction.<br />
<br />
But what is always present during a journey through grief, regardless of the path chosen?<br />
<br />
Hope.<br />
<br />
Caskets
From Costco is a funny book about grief that demonstrates the certainty
of hope and healing in an uncertain and painful world.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Caskets-Costco-Kelly-Wilson-ebook/dp/B00J3G7FF0/" href="http://www.amazon.com/Caskets-Costco-Kelly-Wilson-ebook/dp/B00J3G7FF0/">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-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Genre - Memoir, Humor</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Wilson/e/B0030ZX24S/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Wilson/e/B0030ZX24S/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Connect</b> with Kelly Wilson on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/WilsonWrites" href="https://www.facebook.com/WilsonWrites" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/LiveCheap" href="https://twitter.com/LiveCheap" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-25997075614224126692014-10-08T07:30:00.000-04:002014-11-29T07:04:52.753-05:00John E. Wade II and Charlotte Livingston Piotrowski on Life Experience & Writing #AmWriting #Inspirational <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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<i>Note: These are being answered by John E. Wade II (JW) and Charlotte Livingston Piotrwoski (CP), as indicated below.</i></div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?</b></div>
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CP: I was born and raised in New Orleans, though I have traveled across the country, to parts of South America, and around Europe. I believe that getting out and meeting new people and seeing other cultures has helped with my writing as well as made me a well-rounded person in general. Living in New Orleans tends to make people pretty easy-going, open to different lifestyles, and very fun-loving. But, for those of us who endured Hurricane Katrina, living here has also made us value what’s truly important.</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">How did you develop your writing?</b></div>
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JW: I believe my mother was well-spoken and a good writer, so I think I came by this naturally. I am currently taking a creative writing course at a local university, and have attended writer’s workshops. When I read samples of my writing from years ago, as compared to my more recent writing, I can see vast improvement.</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?</b></div>
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JW: I have found marketing to be the biggest challenge. Perhaps it is because there are so many books available to the public and so many methods of locating and buying books. We’re taking a broader approach with this most recent book, so it will be interesting to see what does and does not work.</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">Do you find it hard to share your work?</b></div>
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JW: I am inspired to share my work. In fact, it is my calling to write about heaven on earth, so I share my writing with anyone and everyone. In addition to my several blogs (<a data-mce-href="http://www.JohnE.WadeII.com" href="http://www.johne.wadeii.com/">www.JohnE.WadeII.com</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.HeavenOnEarth.org" href="http://www.heavenonearth.org/">www.HeavenOnEarth.org</a>, and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.HonestJohnWade.com" href="http://www.honestjohnwade.com/">www.HonestJohnWade.com</a>), I’ve been known to hand out copies of my books to perfect strangers!</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">Do you plan to publish more books?</b></div>
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JW: I am currently working with a publisher in the manuscript of my memoir and I already have about 80% of the manuscript drafted for the next in my series of heaven on earth books.</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">What other jobs have you had in your life?</b></div>
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JW: I worked as a CPA—in private practice and for the federal government—for nearly thirty years. I now mainly support myself through investing.</div>
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CP: I was a toxic tort and product liability litigator for just over ten years before a health issue forced my early retirement. I now write, edit, and create website and social media content full time.</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">If you could study any subject at university what would you pick?</b></div>
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JW: I frequently audit university classes—take the classes, but not for credit—and have recently studied psychology.</div>
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CP: I am fascinated by astronomy, and although I minored in general sciences, I’d probably have to take more physics classes before even an introduction to astronomy class would make sense to me.</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?</b></div>
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JW: New Orleans (where I currently live).</div>
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CP: New Orleans (where I currently live).</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?</b></div>
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JW: I carry a Moleskin journal with me everywhere I go, and write when a thought occurs to me. I then have these journals typed, and Charlotte Piotrowski, my editor, uses what I’ve written for blog and social media content. When I am writing for a specific literary project, I frequently handwrite, then have my notes typed, though recently I have been doing some of my own typing, which allows me to make revisions on the spot.</div>
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CP: I have a lovely home office which is fitted with a laptop connected to a docking station, as I prefer a full-sized keyboard and large monitor. I rarely write anywhere else.</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">How much sleep do you need to be your best?</b></div>
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JW: I am one of those people who might go to bed at a “normal” time, then wake up with a great idea, and race to the computer and spend hours writing something. But, then I’ll take a nap later in the day to catch up. Since I don’t have a set work schedule, I have the freedom to set my own sleep schedule.</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold !important;">Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support?</b></div>
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JW: I am very grateful to my first editor, Patricia Livingston, for her many years of valuable feedback. I now work closely with Charlotte Piotrowski, who is not only my editor, but also helps me brainstorm all sorts of creative projects. We meet on a weekly basis, and I think that really keeps my creative juices flowing.</div>
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CP: I have a very close friend who recently submitted her first manuscript to an editor, and she is very encouraging. I think having a friend who knows the challenges of this business really helps, since it is not a standard career path at all!</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/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>
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<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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Inspirational</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – G</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=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>
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<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>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-66958461153167116842014-10-03T09:00:00.000-04:002014-10-29T05:58:18.055-04:00Lord Ra Krishna EL on His Favourite Authors and Writing @Lord_Ra_Krishna #AmReading #Philosophy <br />
<b>Who is your favorite author? </b>That’s impossible, that’ like choosing a favorite child, however some of my favorites are Napoleon Hill, Friedrich Nietzsche, Osho, Maya Angelou, Maxwell Maltz, Robert Green, the Buddha and many others.<br />
<b><br />What book genre of books do you adore? </b>Psychology<br />
<b><br />What book should everybody read at least once? </b>Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz<br />
<br />
<b>How did you develop your writing? </b>My writing comes from creating music… it’s all just music to me.<br />
<br />
<b>Where do you get your inspiration from?</b> Everything around me<br />
<b><br />What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing? </b>Marketing<br />
<br />
<b>What marketing works for you? </b>Social media magazine ads<br />
<b><br />Do you find it hard to share your work?</b> No, I actually enjoy sharing<br />
<br />
<b>Is your family supportive?</b> Do your friends support you? they are all very supportive<br />
<br />
<b>Do you plan to publish more books?</b> Yes, we’re working on Vol. II of Lucifer the indigo kids… last prophet.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Lucifertheindigokids.jpg"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Lucifertheindigokids.jpg" /></a><br />
<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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Poetry, Philosophy</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/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>
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<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>
<br />Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-27465487197290621442014-09-27T07:30:00.000-04:002014-12-20T02:45:08.952-05:00The Other Side of the Ice by Sprague Theobald @TheobaldSprague #Memoir #Family #Climate <div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before
grabbing a book and heading below, I took a stroll out on deck to try
and gather in the towering strength and beauty of the mountains that
surrounded our still and peaceful anchorage, perhaps the most stunning
I’d ever seen. Low, shrub-covered flats quickly ran up to rocky
foothills that rose straight up into the monstrous snow-covered peaks.
It was an area waiting to be hiked and explored but, for me at least,
only after a good night’s sleep. Sometime during the past day, we had
crossed an invisible line that moved everyday thinking to a
seldom-visited level.</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
were anchored now in an area much more raw, powerful, and potentially
threatening than we had experienced. On our way into this amazing
paradise, we encountered, for the first time, charts that simply didn’t
have complete soundings, no channel markers, no warning of shoals or
hidden rock outcroppings. While we weren’t exactly flying blind, we were
navigating in an area of greatly reduced information. Not for the first
time in the trip the thought struck, “If we stick here, we are
screwed.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This
new level of thinking and awareness was debilitating, a slowly circling
feeling of expected isolation and self-reliance. No longer would a
potential emergency be met with a simple call on the ship’s radio to the
local Coast Guard or towboat. We were becoming increasingly isolated
and as such were going to have to rely on our own wits. My hope was that
this mounting sense of isolation would stay beyond the limits of the
boat and not work its way inside. Time would tell. For the past two
years, the talk had been to simply get to this area and then farther
north.</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
unexpectedly found my senses coming alive. My sense of smell was more
acute, my hearing was finer, and my sight was more focused. It was a
feeling, a new way of seeing life, that through the rest of the trip
would reach far deeper than I could have imagined.</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 Northwest Passage is a ship killer, and always has been.</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 various stages of the journey, I found myself numb. Exhausted. Terrified.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How had it all started? What were we doing?</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 leading a crossing of the Northwest Passage, an 1,800-mile channel
north of the Arctic Circle, connecting, in theory, the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans. Hundreds of sailors had given their lives trying to do
the exact same thing. We were a small boat with a small crew. <i>Bagan </i>is a fifty-seven foot long Nordhavn, and she was manned by six of us, three of whom were my children.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One
thought and one thought only kept shouting in my mind, a thought that
no expedition leader and, especially, no parent should ever have to
think; a thought that held me in a cold, mental death grip, a thought
that I still think about.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Have I brought us all together just to lead us to our deaths?”</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/2014/05/TheOtherSideOfIce.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">( <b>TO WATCH THE OFFICIAL HD TEASER FOR “The Other Side of The Ice” [book and documentary] PLEASE GO TO:</b> <i><b>VIMEO.COM/45526226) </b></i></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A sailor and his family’s harrowing and inspiring story of their attempt to sail the treacherous Northwest Passage.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sprague
Theobald, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and expert sailor with
over 40,000 offshore miles under his belt, always considered the
Northwest Passage–the sea route connecting the Atlantic to the
Pacific–the ultimate uncharted territory. Since Roald Amundsen completed
the first successful crossing of the fabled Northwest Passage in 1906,
only twenty-four pleasure craft have followed in his wake. Many more
people have gone into space than have traversed the Passage, and a
staggering number have died trying. From his home port of Newport, Rhode
Island, through the Passage and around Alaska to Seattle, it would be
an 8,500-mile trek filled with constant danger from ice, polar bears,
and severe weath</span></span>er.<br />
<br />
What Theobald couldn’t have known was just how life-changing <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">his journey
through the Passage would be. Reuniting his children and stepchildren
after a bad divorce more than fifteen years earlier, the family embarks
with unanswered questions, untold hurts, and unspoken mistrusts hanging
over their heads. Unrelenting cold, hungry polar bears, and a haunting
landscape littered with sobering artifacts from the tragic Franklin
Expedition of 1845, as well as personality clashes that threaten to tear
the crew apart, make The Other Side of the Ice a harrowing story of
survival, adventure, and, ultimately, redemption.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Ice-Treacherous-Negotiating-ebook/dp/B008QD8OTC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1396289433" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Memoir, adventure, family, climate</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="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=Sprague%20Theobald&search-alias=digital-text" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Connect</b> with Sprague Theobald on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheOtherSideoftheIce" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/TheobaldSprague" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="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.spraguetheobald.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-hqap-1OaYQfgpmkVVaj6tZwQK7A" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.spraguetheobald.com</a></b></span></span></div>
</div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-12529868057205288042014-09-25T11:30:00.000-04:002014-10-04T08:43:41.875-04:00Kari Nichols on Writing to Channel Emotions & Personal Development @TheKariNichols #Fantasy #Romance<b>Why Writing is a Form of Personal Therapy</b><br />
<br />
I
use writing as therapy for several reasons. First, it’s the one thing
that I can always count on to calm me down no matter what else is going
on in my life. When I put all my concentration into the lives of my
characters, I don’t have to worry about what’s happening in my own life. I guess it’s my own little escape from reality.<br />
<br />
Second, if I’m really
upset or excited about something, I can funnel those emotions into my
work. I enjoy taking the excitement of good news and using that
enthusiasm to connect with a character that is experiencing a similar
situation (and the same goes for when I’m feeling sad or angry).
Finally, when I’m able to see the fruits of the hard work that I’ve put
into my novels and short stories, I have the most incredible sense of
accomplishment and relief.<br />
<br />
When I write, I feel like
I’m developing as a person. Creating worlds and characters stretches my
mind and forces me to grow to new heights to attain the next level of
mastery I need in order to develop a unique story.<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/rogue.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rogue.jpg"><img alt="rogue" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41803" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rogue.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rogue.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<br />
“We stand united, Family of Immortals. Plagued by life. Cursed by the hand of God …” <br />
<br />
Rogue
was born into an immortal family whose wealth is marked by a trail of
blood. But when he meets the unnervingly familiar assistant of his next
target, an unexpected rush of emotions begins to unravel his carefully
laid plans. <br />
<br />
Lissie lives a mundane life filled with
work … and little else. She hasn’t taken a risk since she moved to New
York City after college—seven years ago. But when the mysterious Matthew
McCloud walks through the door of her office, she finds herself diving
head-first into a whirlwind romance she never saw coming.<br />
<br />
Bu<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">y Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Rogue-The-Plagued-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00MRO73PM" href="http://www.amazon.com/Rogue-The-Plagued-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00MRO73PM">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance</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/Kari-Nichols/e/B00MSDYFFS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Kari-Nichols/e/B00MSDYFFS/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 style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Connect</b> with Kari Nichols on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/TheKariNichols" href="https://www.facebook.com/TheKariNichols" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/thekarinichols" href="https://twitter.com/thekarinichols" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
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<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://karinichols.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy28HIGv7lmiQgoz5heNUjD3hpL5yEA" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://karinichols.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy28HIGv7lmiQgoz5heNUjD3hpL5yEA" target="_blank">http://karinichols.com/</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-11402949316111482642014-09-22T22:00:00.000-04:002014-09-22T22:00:02.654-04:00#ReviewShare #Suspense #Thriller - Zero Alternative by Luca Pesaro @biagiotrader<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21445001-zero-alternative" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Zero Alternative" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394651821m/21445001.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21445001-zero-alternative">Zero Alternative</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6443429.Luca_Pesaro">Luca Pesaro</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1061794673">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
This is a book that if you introduce it in your book club, be prepared to spend hours on it. The author’s writing technique is better than most but when read collectively as one whole novel, it raises some questions. More than one reader felt as if this novel was written in different sections over different months and then pieced together. The tone and styles don’t quite match. <br />
<br />
Then there is that the overpowering sex scene which had many females in my book club freak out. And I truly mean freak out. I have known many of these ladies for decades. None are prudes. But some also don’t read books with graphic sex or fight scenes by choice. This book gave no heads up whatsoever. Nothing in the description, nothing in the intro. It just grabbed you, and slapped you in the face. Like the drunk in the bar who tries to grope every female in sight. <br />
<br />
It is necessary for some characters and some stories to have such scenes but in a society that is so diverse, I do think it is necessary for authors to give some warning about how graphic the content will be or at least to get the rating right. This book had a PG16. If I were 16, I’d still be reading these scenes under my bed not in front of my parents. <br />
<br />
Overall, this is one of those stories where it’s strong plot pulls you into the story and the plot takes the driver’s seat as the main characters do their best to navigate themselves between the twists. I recommend this book but I would advise you to read the other reviews to get a gist of content warnings. <br />
<br />
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads UK Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my book review. This book review is based on my thoughts, opinion and understanding of the book. This book review does not reflect the opinion of other book club members.
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/17895478-dan-dixon">View all my reviews</a>
Danny D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07503379791949329035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-88814466096196370162014-09-22T21:00:00.000-04:002014-09-22T21:00:00.923-04:00#ReviewShare #Mafia #Thriller - Lethal Journey by Kim Cresswell @KimCresswell <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18491811-lethal-journey" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Lethal Journey" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1379279102m/18491811.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18491811-lethal-journey">Lethal Journey</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6898395.Kim_Cresswell">Kim Cresswell</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1061846169">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
Author Kim Cresswell is definitely good at her craft. If you like legal thrillers with a romantic twist, this is a good book for you. Most scenes popped off the page for me and I felt like I was there. <br />
<br />
I did take off one star because although I liked her writing, not all of the scenes were realistic. Dialogue in most chapters were witty but sometimes it felt as if the sarcasm wasn’t understood by the other characters. Especially when Eric and Lauren are conversing, there are these waves of emotions associated with most of their sentences but most of the time if ended up looking awkward. <br />
<br />
Overall, this was a good read which I recommend. I will read other books by this author. <br />
<br />
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads UK Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my book review. This book review is based on my thoughts, opinion and understanding of the book. This book review does not reflect the opinion of other book club members.
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/17895478-dan-dixon">View all my reviews</a>
Danny D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07503379791949329035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-34791888264138681552014-09-22T20:00:00.000-04:002014-09-22T20:00:00.492-04:00#ReviewShare #Yoga #CozyMystery - Murder Strikes a Pose by Tracy Weber @TracyWeberTypes <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18126470-murder-strikes-a-pose" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Murder Strikes a Pose (A Downward Dog Mystery #1)" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1372682293m/18126470.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18126470-murder-strikes-a-pose">Murder Strikes a Pose</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148442.Tracy_Weber">Tracy Weber</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1061843898">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
Murder Strikes A Pose by Tracy Weber is an excellent start to a new series. Kate’s life is turned upside down by a murder of someone she didn’t even like and this is where things take a surprising turn. As with most cozy mysteries and chick lit books, how does the main character deal with a life changing event? <br />
<br />
Kate’s is a character that most people will be able relate. As the daily drama comes in bucketfuls, she puts one foot in front of the other and keeps on trying. This murder mystery was definitely different with the use of yoga as a backdrop. <br />
<br />
Tracy Weber has the ability to kick off a series with a big bang. Fun, mystery, great characters and plain old good writing oozed from each page. She has an engaging, witty tone for her characters which is both entertaining and sometimes funny. <br />
<br />
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads UK Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my book review. This book review is based on my thoughts, opinion and understanding of the book. This book review does not reflect the opinion of other book club members.
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/17895478-dan-dixon">View all my reviews</a>
Danny D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07503379791949329035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-42445934217062653662014-09-20T10:00:00.000-04:002014-10-11T10:38:53.174-04:00Mike Hartner on His Favourite #Authors & Favourite Genres @MHartnerAuthor #AmReading #Historical <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Who is your favorite author?</b><br />
It’s a close battle between Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Alexandre Dumas, and Victor Hugo<br />
<br />
<b>What book genre of books do you adore?</b><br />
Historical Fiction, and YA Romance<br />
<br />
<b>What book should everybody read at least once?</b><br />
The Count of Monte Cristo. By far the best revenge novel in history.<br />
<b><br />Are there any books you really don’t enjoy?</b><br />
Many books are mood items. I don’t deliberately look for Satanic, or Halloween books, but vampires and others are an occasional read.<br />
<br />
<b>What do you hope your obituary will say about you? </b><br />
I hope my obituary will show me surrounded by people who love me, and will say that I made a difference.<br />
<br />
<b>Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?</b><br />
I was born in Miami, grew up in Montana and Saskatchewan, and now live in Vancouver, BC.<br />
<br />
<b>How did you develop your writing?</b><br />
First, by writing poetry, and then by listening to others tell stories.<br />
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<b>Where do you get your inspiration from? </b><br />
My muse. She brings in the lead characters from my books, and gives me the opportunity to listen, transcribe and elaborate.<br />
<b><br />What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing? </b><br />
More and more in today’s world, I have to say marketing. Publishing is going through a Renaissance, where nearly everyone can be published. But very few books get exposed because not everyone is a good marketer. And what works for one author or book may not work for another.</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/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-7143000850103879662.post-89683002836791183962014-09-19T12:00:00.000-04:002014-09-21T17:22:04.887-04:00@GeorgiaLeCarre on Not Reading One Star Reviews #AmWriting #BookReviews #WriteTip<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
One
star reviews are baked in the cake if you write even a mildly
successful book and if you write a bestseller you can even expect
hundreds and in cases of mega bestsellers than thousands of one star
reviews! Looked at this way one star reviews are actually a badge of
honor!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Hence the way to wear them is with pride. Here is a method of how to wear them.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<b>First and foremost do not read them</b>.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Generally
they are badly written and go along the lines of worst book ever, could
not finish, I returned the book and got my money back, but still feel
so mad and vindictive over the time lost that I have taken the time to
leave a warning to all other unsuspecting readers, etc. There will be
spelling and grammatical errors in these damning reports, presumably
because the reviewers were so incensed they could no longer think
properly.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
There
is also another variety of one star review that is rapier sharp with
sarcasm and wit. This one is dangerous. We live in a society where
nothing cuts more than derision. Want to kill off a dangerous
opponent. Invite him on a talk show and pour ridicule on his views.
The viewer will immediately get the impression that he is a ridiculous
man to be avoided. The same with books.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
These
reviews are usually written by your competitors or in some cases bought
by them from as little as five dollars from unscrupulous review
sellers. Unfortunately, your potential readers will read them, but if
they are few in number you will survive surprisingly well. All is not
lost. Watch EL James duck and dive around negative reviews, and swim up
the best-seller charts time and time again!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<b>Finally, grow a thicker skin</b>.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
A
book gets its one star rating when it falls into a jealous competitors
gaze or the wrong hands. When the human mind cannot understand
something it is almost a defense mechanism that makes it want to
denounce the whole thing as rubbish. So the more one stars you pick the
more intelligent you are…pat yourself on the back and flash a big
smile.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/42Days.jpg" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<b>Beyond the seductive power of immense wealth lies… Dark Secrets</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
Devastatingly
handsome billionaire, Blake Law Barrington was Lana Blooms first and
only love. From the moment they touched his power was overwhelming.
Their arrangement quickly developed into a passionate romance that
captivated her heart and took her on an incredible sexual journey she
never wanted to end.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
The future together looked bright until Lana made a terrible mistake. So, she did the only thing she could… she ran.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
Away
from her incredible life, away from the man of her dreams, but she
should have known a man such as Blake Law Barrington was impossible to
escape. Now, he’s back in her life and determined that she should taste
the bitterness of his pain.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
Shocked
at how rough the sex has become and humiliated that she is actually
participating so willingly in her punishment, she despairs if she will
ever feel the warmth of his touch–the solidity of his trust again? And
even if she can win his trust, loyalties are yet to be decided, and
secrets to be revealed–secrets that will test them both to their limits.</div>
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Will Lana be able to tear down the walls that surround Blake’s heart, and break him free of the brutal power of immense wealth?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
Can Blake hold on to Lana’s heart when she discovers the enormity of the dark secrets that inhabit the Barrington family?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
Lana has always believed that love conquers all. She is about to test that belief…</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
Buy @ <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forty-2-Days-Billionaire-Banker-ebook/dp/B00HWKW7K2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1392551191&sr=1-1&keywords=Georgia+Le+Carre" style="text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a></span></div>
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<i>Genre – Erotic Romance</i></div>
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<i>Rating – PG-18</i></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Georgia-Le-Carre/e/B00FXN8N0S/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></div>
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<b>Connect</b> with Georgia Le Carre on <span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/georgia.lecarre" style="text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgiaLeCarre" style="text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143000850103879662.post-13997291166440852512014-09-12T09:30:00.000-04:002014-10-23T07:55:12.040-04:00Kirsten Mortensen on Writing as a Two Stage Process @Kirstenwriter #AmWriting #Romance #Suspense <div style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b><a href="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/91/c6/b4cbc5c613c80ac1d1887d.L._V141023053_SY470_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/91/c6/b4cbc5c613c80ac1d1887d.L._V141023053_SY470_.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
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<b>Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?</b><br />
I grew up in a very rural community in the southeast central part of New York State. People from other parts of the country often think of New York City when they hear the words “New York,” but the fact is there are parts of the state that are sparsely populated and heavily wooded. Quite untamed. The last time I visited my childhood home, for example, a black bear crossed the yard and helped himself to breakfast in my dad’s blueberry patch. I had, in many respects, a quintessential “country mouse” childhood, hiking, camping, and fishing. It remains a big part of my identity. In my late 20s, I settled in a suburb of Rochester, New York, which is in the northwestern part of the state, and I’ve lived there ever since, although when my daughter graduates high school I’ll be starting a new chapter in my life on the west coast.<br />
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I’ve drawn on both my childhood and Rochester settings for my novels. Loose Dogs and When Libby Met the Fairies are set in Rochester. Can Job is set in a fictionalized version of Rochester called Borschester, New York. And Dark Chemistry is set in Amesbury, a fictional Central New York community that I modeled after a hamlet near the town where I grew up.<br />
<b><br />What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?</b><br />
Marketing—by far! Not because the marketing itself is hard to do. It isn’t. First of all, I have a marketing background. And even if I didn’t, so many people—so many writers!—do marketing, and succeed at it, and share how they’ve succeeded. If you have a connection to the Internet plus any drive at all it’s not hard to do it yourself. What makes it the hardest of the three is that you have so little control over whether it delivers results. When I write, everything’s under my control: I pick the genre, I make the time, I decide when I’m happy with my work. By self-publishing, I bring publishing under my control: click a button and my novel’s published. But succeeding at marketing requires factors over which I have zero control to fall into line. You can do everything “right” and still experience lackluster sales. That’s a tough thing to have to accept.<br />
<b><br />If you could study any subject at university what would you pick?</b><br />
I earned my degree in Comparative Literature, and it was a terrific experience. But I semi-regret that I didn’t go into some branch of biology instead. I have always loved animals and nature, and I would have loved to have been a naturalist—gone out into the woods to study plants or animals and report to the world what I’d discovered. But I have a lifelong math phobia (it started with a traumatic experience in second grade, but that’s a story for another day!) So when it was time to pick college majors, I veered away from the sciences. I often wonder if my life would have been different if I weren’t afraid of math.<br />
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<b>How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?</b><br />
I have a two-stage process. First, I do a ton of preliminary work writing by hand in a notebook. I use little soft-cover notebooks, one per project, for this work, which is everything from character studies to drafting scenes. And if I run into a snag—say, a plot point doesn’t seem to make sense—I use the notebook almost like a journal. I’ll sit down and write out a question to myself: “why would this character want to do X?” Almost always, an answer will arise to my question. Or if not, I’ll put a sticky note to mark that page and come back to it.<br />
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Later, as a novel reaches completion, I use the same notebook to do things like keep track of characters’ names and to keep lists of things I need to do to finalize manuscripts.<br />
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I find handwriting in a notebook helps the writing process for me, probably because it gets me away from the computer—computers can introduce too many distractions, which are a huge problem, in particular, when I’ve hit a point in my novel draft where I’m not sure “what comes next.”<br />
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The novel draft itself, I create in Word on a computer. I have both a desktop and a laptop, and switch back and forth between them, depending on where I want to work in the house or whether I’m traveling.<br />
<b><br />How much sleep do you need to be your best?</b><br />
I’m an eight-hour a day gal, although I can get by on 7 if I need to. It’s funny, though. When I was in my twenties I needed nine or more. Then I had a baby, and ever since, I’ve needed less sleep.<br />
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<b>Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?</b><br />
There are so many ways to answer that question! Dark Chemistry is a romantic suspense novel about a young woman who inherits a company when her father passes away. Unbeknownst to her, however, a couple of people working there have developed a type of synthetic chemical that can influence people emotionally and also sexually. You may have heard of pheromones: chemicals that animals use to pass signals to one another. The bad guys in Dark Chemistry use synthetic pheromones to do all kinds of evil things.<br />
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On another level, though, Dark Chemistry is about a woman—the heroine, Haley Dubose—who has to figure out two things. First, does she want to be like her mother or her father? This issue is complicated because she never really knew her father, and now he’s dead. But over the course of the book, she starts to learn what kind of man he was by the effect he had on people that did know him. The second thing she has to figure out is whether the physical attraction she feels toward one of the other characters in the book represents something that is genuine. And I don’t want to give too much away, but as I said, the evil men in the novel are using synthetic pheromones to manipulate people . . . so put two and two together and you can guess what poor Haley’s up against.<br />
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<b>When you are not writing, how do you like to relax?</b><br />
I love to read. I love to spend time with the people I love and my sweet dog. I work out at least twice a week—I’ve been strength training for a number of years, and I love how it makes me feel. And I’m a golfer. As long as the weather is halfway decent, I try to get out on the course at least once a week. Working out and golfing help keep me balanced, in fact, because as a writer so much of my world happens inside my head—it’s important for me to re-connect with my physical body on a regular basis!<br />
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<b>Do you have any tips on how writers can relax?</b><br />
Yes! “A change of work is rest.” What I mean by that is: if something you’re doing starts to become stale or tiring, do something completely different. From my own experience, as a writer, I spend a lot of time indoors, sitting or standing at my computer, with my mind going at a million miles an hour. So to relax, I do activities that are the exact opposite. Golf is one example. When you golf—especially if you walk the course, like I do—you’re outdoors, you’re moving around, and you’re trying to achieve a state of “quiet mind.” You’re trying to shut off the verbal chatter and just live quietly in the moment so that your body can make smooth, effective golf swings.<br />
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If golf doesn’t appeal to you, you could try another sport, or yoga, or go hiking, or go to a museum. Anything that gets you away from your workspace, that involves physically moving your body, and where you can switch off the verbal, wordy parts of your brain for a while.<br />
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<b>What color represents your personality the most?</b><br />
Green—absolutely. My eyes are green, and it’s been my favorite color since I was around six or seven years old. It’s got a lot to do with my love of the natural world. I grew up in a very rural area in the central part of New York State. I spent all my free time, as a kid, wandering in the forest behind my parents’ home, hiking, camping, fishing. Green, to me, represents everything that is most vital and important about being alive on this planet: the experience of being a physical human being on Planet Earth.<br />
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<b>How do you think people perceive writers?</b><br />
It depends on the person. Most of the time, if I tell someone I’m a writer, they act a little awestruck. Sometimes I get the feeling that people would like to “collect” me—they want to hang out with me because they like the idea of “knowing a writer.”<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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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A woman's worst nightmare</span></span></h1>
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<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 />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>But now her father is dead.</b></span></span><br />
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<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 />
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<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 />
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<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 />
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<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 />
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<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 />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And he must control her. Any way he can.</span></span></h2>
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<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 />
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<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>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Romantic suspense</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/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>
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<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>
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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://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>
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Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0