tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83711566619242939192024-03-28T02:34:04.694-07:00Leona's ChatterBlog of Leona Pence, romance novelist with Muse PublishingLeona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-15550334059290118362015-08-09T13:45:00.000-07:002015-08-09T13:45:00.297-07:00Interview Link to Joyce Hertzoff's BlogMy good friend and fellow F2K Mentor, Joyce Hertzoff aka mum, interviewed me for her blog.<br />
<br />
Here's the link. I hope you'll stop by.<br />
<br />
http://hertzoffjo.blogspot.com/<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you,<br />
<br />
Leona<br />
<br />Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-66154847089359961882015-03-03T09:18:00.000-08:002015-03-03T09:18:46.758-08:00Free Kindle Books and TipsToday marks the ending of another F2K session. I'm proud of my nine students who have earned a Certificate of Completion.<br />
<br />
I have started an MFA course in Writer's Village University. Currently, we're on Week Two of a sixteen-week class in Narrative Design. Talk about brain exercise. Yikes! I'm going to do my best to hang in and finish up with a well-polished short story.<br />
<br />
I'm doing a bit of Hemphill Towers promo. Today, my book will be listed on the Free Kindle Books and Tips blog for .99, and on Amazon. Here's a link <a href="http://smarturl.it/xycvg0">Amazon</a><br />
<br />
Here is a link to FKBT for you to check out their other books or how to get on their blog list for your own book.<a href="http://www.fkbt.com/"> www.fkbt.com</a><br />
<br />
Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hour Sunday, March 8 at 2:00 am.Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-88413265669811840132015-02-10T07:25:00.000-08:002015-02-10T07:25:27.908-08:00Chris Weigand ~ Sanctuary of Nine Dragons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXF2MRl1n8H5XURK3g7jfOQIJFKy8HP85ME5Uy00erewoE_hBkJ7SOVVLRQ2mSKMc9h6tTD6vY54MCY4ZOsZPmYioj767kIsCZD1DYSZrHbYgTCe11qTFlBK4Zs1Gwo9qyZlHxbZKXzl0/s1600/10834522_10152655899943172_186320735_o-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXF2MRl1n8H5XURK3g7jfOQIJFKy8HP85ME5Uy00erewoE_hBkJ7SOVVLRQ2mSKMc9h6tTD6vY54MCY4ZOsZPmYioj767kIsCZD1DYSZrHbYgTCe11qTFlBK4Zs1Gwo9qyZlHxbZKXzl0/s1600/10834522_10152655899943172_186320735_o-1.jpg" height="188" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="ecxmsonormal">
Hi Chris, Welcome to
Leona’s Chatter. I hear you’re celebrating the one year anniversary of
Sanctuary of Nine Dragons, the third book in your Palace of Twelve Pillars
series. May I ask you a few questions?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
How long did it take you
to write all three, from rough draft to publication?</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
About ten years.</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
Do you have a favorite
from among the three?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
It depends on the day.
Sometimes its <i>Palace of the Three
Crosses: Book Two</i> and other days it is <i>Sanctuary
of Nine Dragons: Book Three</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
How did you choose your
characters?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
It was more like they
chose me. They just kind of evolved from
the young, inexperienced twins in book one to the adults they became by the end
of book three. I never really sat down and said I want this guy for Joachim or
I think he would make a good Brandan. They just showed up and grew as the books
progressed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
Is it hard to juggle a
writing time with family time?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal">
Yes and no. At times I
tend to make it more difficult than it needs to be, because I don’t prioritize
my time accordingly. Three of my children are grown and the fourth is well on
her way at thirteen so it is not as hard to juggle things as it once was, but
there are times when because of my scheduling deficiency that my thirteen year
old doesn’t get enough of my attention. I try and make up for it when I can.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Do
you have a fourth book planned or is this the last one in the series?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Originally
there was not even a plan for three books. The series started out as a stand
alone book. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">After it was written I realized that I wanted more and one by one
the books in the Brandan and Joachim trilogy came to be. But there are still a
few teens that were in the first standalone book that kind of got pushed aside
by Brandan and Joachim. They still want to have their story told. So the
possibility of another book in the series certainly exists in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Before
we do the blurb and excerpt, I want to say it’s been a pleasure to meet you,
not only as a fellow MuseItUp author,
but also in Writer’s Village University and F2K. How cool is it that you landed
in my classroom for this session of F2K?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Leona, I think it is totally cool. We have talked before and gotten to know each
other, but to be in the same classroom is pretty exciting. Learning and sharing
with a fellow author is always a good thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloyoJazPHxGBDOvpOlVFJtV1z5sCsLbeFhQ12a2VC-6_4tbfF9VFrqguLgXnOC22033i5LWZJ-fnj7Uo8WdO4dEW_yHqhTT7LDtON4EZK8FZWEG8aiTOWfTJ98iSH9oAX6quoaoCifYw/s1600/Sanctuary+of+Nine+Dragons+333x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloyoJazPHxGBDOvpOlVFJtV1z5sCsLbeFhQ12a2VC-6_4tbfF9VFrqguLgXnOC22033i5LWZJ-fnj7Uo8WdO4dEW_yHqhTT7LDtON4EZK8FZWEG8aiTOWfTJ98iSH9oAX6quoaoCifYw/s1600/Sanctuary+of+Nine+Dragons+333x500.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><br />
Book Blurb ~ Joachim banishes Brandan to prison island of Hyogo. His infant son, Prince
Airyn disappears from his cradle. A chain of events is set in motion that will
pit brother against brother, friend against friend, parents against children as
Brandan and Joachim struggle for control of their sanity and their very lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
With Brandan declared dead and his son missing Joachim sinks
into despair and anger, where those close to him fear he may never return.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is Brandan really dead and if he is, who is manipulating the
Mantion and enemies of Crato?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Can Maeve save her country and her husband from the
tentacles of evil pervading the land?<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Excerpt:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joachim cringed as he thought about what he had to do. The
council had decided. He didn’t agree completely, but in the end, Joachim knew
it was the only way; something had to be done. Maybe Brandan would give him a
reason not to send him away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
King Brandan stomped into the room. “Why, Brother, have you
no throne prepared for your poor, missing brother? I’m hurt. I expected more
from you and my sister-in-law. Maeve, dear, couldn’t you have helped him
prepare better?” He stepped toward her, quickly grabbed her hand, and kissed
it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joachim lunged at him, pushing him from the dais. Brandan
staggered then regained his balance and gazed at his brother. “Why such
violence, especially when I am so recently injured?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stepping off the dais, Joachim stood eye-to-eye with his
brother. “Enough! You’re no more hurt than I am. And you have no business
touching my wife, or sitting on Crato’s throne.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brandan laughed, pushed him aside, and stepped up to claim
his throne. Joachim grabbed his twin's shoulder, spun him around, and punched
him in the mouth.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rubbing where Joa’s fist had landed, Brandan smirked. “Well,
my brother has finally developed some stones.” He raised his other hand to hit
Joachim. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Matthias stepped forward, sword in hand and grabbed his arm
before he could hit Crato's king. He pulled the king’s brother away, so Joachim
could reclaim his throne.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jerking himself free, Brandan straightened his tunic. “This
has been fun; but as you seem to be in no mood to visit, I shall take my leave.
Come to me when you’re in a better frame of mind.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Stop! You are going nowhere until I say you can.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brandan stopped and looked at his brother. “What did you say
to me? Is that how you talk to a fellow king and brother?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes, it is. As of this morning, you are no longer a king,
and I’m not sure I should even call you brother.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Why dearest brother, whatever do you mean?” Brandan asked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ever since we were boys, you have done everything you could
to make trouble. I was always willing to forgive you and hoped you would change
your evil ways. But no more! You have pushed me—pushed this country—too far
this time,” Joa thundered at him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What are you
rambling on about?” Brandan sneered and bit a fingernail. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Brandan, I should sentence you to execution, but there are
two things keeping me from that. First: you are my brother, and I hold onto a
hope, however faint, you can be reformed…”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brandan chortled. “Not a good bet, brother.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Second, I strongly suspect you of making two attempts on my
life. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough
evidence to prove it was you. I punished one innocent man because of the little
evidence we do have. I do not wish to make that mistake a second time.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brandan laughed again. “So, if we’re finished here, I’ll be
leaving.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I said before, you won’t be going anywhere until I say
so. I may not have what I need to sentence you to death, but after your actions
toward the queen this morning, I have some recourse.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What are you talking about? I did nothing she didn't ask
for.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maeve rose from her throne. Joa put his hand on her arm to
stop her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Brandan, I suggest you remain quiet until I finish.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Brother, you do not have the authority to do this. We are
equals.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Do you not see the Adept Council before you? We met and
discussed this matter at length... They have given me the authority.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“This tiresome group of old men?” Brandan laughed. “They
have even less power over me than you do.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ignoring Brandan’s comments, the king continued. “First, I
strip you of your title. You are no longer King Brandan but will henceforth be
known simply as Prince Brandan.” He paused and swallowed. He didn’t know if he
could continue. The lump in his throat felt as big as a koali fruit. He
swallowed again. Maeve grasped his hand. Warmth and reassurance enveloped him.
He knew what he had to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“When we have finished here, Rupert, Salochin, and Master
Frederick will take you to Rupert’s tower. There, they will strip you of your
magical powers. When they are finished, Matthias and Wilhelm will escort you to
the Port of Wyrzburg, where you will be put on a ship bound for Hyogo, the
prison island. There you will remain for the rest of your life. You are never
to return to Crato or Mahorg. You will live in the mountain abbey with the
monks and work side-by-side with them.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’re a misguided fool.” Brandan sneered. “If you believe
that by exiling me, you are saving yourself from evil—think again. You may have
peace and rest comfortably for a short while, but don’t assume I won’t find a
way to come back and destroy you.” He stepped up to the thrones and leaned
forward, placing a hand on each. The guards on either side of the king stepped
forward to stop him. Joachim raised his hand signaling them to stop.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brandan glared at the guard and muttered, “Freisen!” The man
froze where he stood.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brandan turned back to his brother and sister-in-law. “No,
Joa. This is not over and what I did to your guard is nothing compared to the
evils you will suffer by my hand.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While he was speaking, Rupert chanted a binding spell.
Matthias came forward and placed his sword tip to Brandan’s back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The king put his good hand on his brother’s shoulders and
pushed him upright as he stood. “You have done enough! Matthias, escort him to
Master Rupert’s tower.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the prince was escorted from the room, Joa slumped back
into his throne. It was done, he thought as remorse washed over him. A tear
crawled down his cheek as Maeve squeezed his hand. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispGsk9TqrBLYYP6q364heVs6qX6zRVw0CPBwBgbyQA0ZM1OCrsR-lxvsB8Apcreq2wJ3faR5esGXHvujCuN6LPIwRjIxzcMrg8pdSJG3zD3y2m_ld-pgmn3fvDHveEbhHmJGizuLy9Aw/s1600/535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispGsk9TqrBLYYP6q364heVs6qX6zRVw0CPBwBgbyQA0ZM1OCrsR-lxvsB8Apcreq2wJ3faR5esGXHvujCuN6LPIwRjIxzcMrg8pdSJG3zD3y2m_ld-pgmn3fvDHveEbhHmJGizuLy9Aw/s1600/535.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bio:Christina
Weigand’s a writer, wife, and mother of three grown children and a middle
school daughter. She is also Nana to three granddaughters. She lives with her
husband and youngest daughter in Pennsylvania, returning there after a short
sabbatical in Washington. Currently, she’s working on fantasy novels and
inspirational writing. Through her writing, she strives to share the Word of
God and help people young and old to realize the love and mercy He has for
everyone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When she’s not writing, she’s active in her local Church as
a lector, Bible Study, or with the church theater group, volunteering at her
daughter’s school helping the children develop a love for reading and writing.
Jesus fills her home with love as she shares Him through her writing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> Links:</o:p>Blog: <a href="http://www.weigandchris.com/">www.weigandchris.com</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/CAWeigand">@CAWeigand</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/caweigand">www.facebook.com/caweigand</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Email: <a href="mailto:palaceofthetwelvepillars@gmail.com">palaceofthetwelvepillars@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Goodreads: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/chris_weigand">www.goodreads.com/chris_weigand</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amazon: <a href="http://amazon.com/author/christinaweigand">amazon.com/author/christinaweigand</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-16173860939154532402015-01-06T13:27:00.000-08:002015-01-06T13:27:02.335-08:00F2K Calendar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm a Mentor in one of eight classrooms. We welcome both beginning writers or any who need a jump start to get their creative juices flowing. I've been an F2K member since February 2009 and have made writing friends from all over the world. I hope you'll join us.Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-57710007439645280382014-09-30T10:35:00.000-07:002014-09-30T10:35:43.384-07:00Roche Hotel Season One by Mysti Parker<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The Roche Hotel <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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One<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A serial romantic
comedy by Mysti Parker<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> After
her husband ditches her for a blonde actress wannabe, Jane Seymour needs a job
that pays the rent. The struggling Roche Hotel needs a miracle. With the former
owner’s wife butting her nose into the renovations and new owners who are in
way over their heads, Jane may be the answer to their prayers. Sure, she can
handle The Roche Hotel’s quirky staff. But, can this skittish divorcee keep it
all together when handsome Henry the Donut Guy makes his first delivery? This
collection of serial fiction stories is a Tudorific romantic comedy that will
leave you laughing out loud and hungry for more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">****<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THEY say a lot of things, don’t they? Like don’t
wear white after Labor Day or don’t fry bacon with your shirt off (that’s
probably good advice, come to think of it). Most of what THEY say goes right in
one ear and out the other. But, in terms of writing, when THEY say “write what
you know”, it makes a lot of sense. So, that’s where The Roche Hotel got its
start—from my own experience working in a hotel way back in the ‘90s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many of these first 10 episodes are based on some
very real incidents that happened during my days as a front desk clerk in a
little mid-priced hotel. Sure, a lot of stuff’s made up purely from my crazy
imagination, but there <i>were </i>5:00 AM
donuts—delicious being fresh from the bakery. Henry the Donut Guy—not real, but
I wouldn’t have argued one bit if he had been! Among the many other
true-to-life items that appear at the Roche Hotel are a popcorn machine, a
Muzak (think elevator music) that never played at the right volume, at least
one “lady of the night”, and a dead body. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To discover all those things for yourself, from now
until release day on October 15, you can pre-order your copy of The Roche
Hotel, Season One for just $0.99 on Amazon Kindle! After that, the price goes
up to $1.99, so make your reservation now and save a buck!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roche-Hotel-Season-One-ebook/dp/B00NYCMIZQ/ref=la_B0055LOTX8">Click HERE to Pre-Order The Roche
Hotel, Season One</a></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because I like parties, I’m also inviting all of you
to the release day party on Facebook, October 15 from 6-9 PM EST.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You’ll get a chance to win a hotel-themed gift
basket which includes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Robe</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tiny
soap bars (so cute!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ghirardelli
chocolates<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Signed
postcards<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We’ll also have some fun and games, so I hope you’ll
join me. And please bring a friend!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/718490931571665">Click
HERE to Join the Facebook Release Day Party!</a></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thanks so much for your support! Happy reading!
~Mysti Parker<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">****<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mysti
Parker (pseudonym) is a wife, mom, author, and shameless chocoholic. She is the
author of the Tallenmere standalone fantasy romance series. Her other writings
have appeared in the anthologies Hearts of Tomorrow, Christmas Lites, Christmas
Lites II, The Darwin Murders, Tasteful Murders and EveryDayFiction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Other writing pursuits include serving as a class
mentor in Writers Village University's seven week online course, F2K. She finished
her first historical romance this spring and has one children’s book (Quentin’s
Problem) soon to be published, with one more waiting for illustrations, and
many more stewing in her head.<br />
<br />
When she's not writing fiction, Mysti works as a freelance editor and
copywriter. She also reviews books for SQ Magazine, an online specfic
publication, and is the proud owner of Unwritten, a blog voted #3 for
eCollegeFinder's Top Writing Blogs award. She resides in Buckner, KY with her
husband and three children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i class="" style="font-family: 'Courier New', courier, monaco, monospace, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 19.8800010681152px;"><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.8800010681152px;"><a class="" href="http://www.mystiparker.blogspot.com/" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 19.8800010681152px;" target="_blank">Subscribe to my blog, Unwritten</a> </span></i></div>
<div class="" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Courier New', courier, monaco, monospace, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 19.8800010681152px;">
<i class="" style="line-height: 19.8800010681152px;"><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.8800010681152px;">Visit my webpage: <a class="" href="http://www.mystiparker.com/" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 19.8800010681152px;" target="_blank">www.mystiparker.com</a> (in construction)</span></i></div>
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<i class="" style="line-height: 19.8800010681152px;"><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.8800010681152px;"><a class="" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mysti-Parker/103786449704221" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 19.8800010681152px;" target="_blank">LIKE my fan page on Facebook! </a></span></i></div>
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<i class="" style="line-height: 19.8800010681152px;"><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.8800010681152px;"><a class="" href="https://twitter.com/MystiParker" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 19.8800010681152px;" target="_blank">Follow me on Twitter @MystiParker</a></span></i></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: 'bookman old style', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;"> </span><span class="" style="font-family: 'bookman old style', 'new york', times, serif; line-height: 1.22;"> </span></div>
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Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-25769918421529999822014-09-25T16:07:00.001-07:002014-09-25T17:21:43.017-07:00Imaginarium Bound<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">This
past week has been an exciting one for me. Not only did I get a huge box of
print copies of Hemphill Towers, but the long-awaited Imaginarium Convention
was at hand. Both my daughters, Barbara Bray and Rhonda Inman, and my
son-in-law, Christopher Inman, made the trip to Louisville, KY with me.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7t6V8QN3TMj0Wvnw0AzBCpah0t_Gb9US3mPaMahR5kGbCoRq4Zal-f3PgkEp7Uy8caKLyRcDZAWLwQJlkjevFlYidumYRDRvhs98EbjAuaxtIe1dRHxU5ZWD37OwUPNlaoJatLuUy_ps/s1600/me+n+luna+with+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7t6V8QN3TMj0Wvnw0AzBCpah0t_Gb9US3mPaMahR5kGbCoRq4Zal-f3PgkEp7Uy8caKLyRcDZAWLwQJlkjevFlYidumYRDRvhs98EbjAuaxtIe1dRHxU5ZWD37OwUPNlaoJatLuUy_ps/s1600/me+n+luna+with+books.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7t6V8QN3TMj0Wvnw0AzBCpah0t_Gb9US3mPaMahR5kGbCoRq4Zal-f3PgkEp7Uy8caKLyRcDZAWLwQJlkjevFlYidumYRDRvhs98EbjAuaxtIe1dRHxU5ZWD37OwUPNlaoJatLuUy_ps/s1600/me+n+luna+with+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We (they) packed up the rented wheelchair van Thursday night in order to get an
early start on Friday. Of course, I didn't sleep much in anticipation of our six-hour trip. But dozing, as we sped along, did make the trip go faster. After arriving at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and convention center, the first person we met was my online friend, Mysti Parker. They say online friends are so different when you meet them in person--not true with Mysti or Veronica Jorden--they were exactly how I expected them to be. (Well, Mysti was a little thinner than I expected.) And my fear of not being able to read their lips flew out the window. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63IG8v4GvPkzpJcWxdF5K8Sjp1y46r6x_zCbyvvEr0lB8eiq905Q0zIlN654EOjir3QWxO8iI1xJZV-yCBglna-q9ksG2L_1CMs1IVjv1u6N0VFmTqGGnKNTVX_2sCDBHFbWjdx27Ad8/s1600/fire+alarm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63IG8v4GvPkzpJcWxdF5K8Sjp1y46r6x_zCbyvvEr0lB8eiq905Q0zIlN654EOjir3QWxO8iI1xJZV-yCBglna-q9ksG2L_1CMs1IVjv1u6N0VFmTqGGnKNTVX_2sCDBHFbWjdx27Ad8/s1600/fire+alarm.jpg" height="168" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px;">Mysti and I shared a vendor table which soon held our books and goodies. No sooner had we settled in than a fire alarm went off. We spent about twenty minutes outside before we were cleared to go back in. Barb was up on the 4th floor and had just stepped out of the shower when someone yelled for people to leave via the stairs. She missed being in the photo below.</span></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPgm2U1jnmfqWOzs24Lu1hBwLf6KV3-Vt4HTgrmH50VYUZIyObM3XwrTyn9owfDKY1mS36bL2q_eInh9ELi2_bSz2IN5lQcko_78WXn8TL5_ow3o-meRmjH5_B_WkY-qhRPBF8Vg8zKQ/s1600/me+and+rthonda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPgm2U1jnmfqWOzs24Lu1hBwLf6KV3-Vt4HTgrmH50VYUZIyObM3XwrTyn9owfDKY1mS36bL2q_eInh9ELi2_bSz2IN5lQcko_78WXn8TL5_ow3o-meRmjH5_B_WkY-qhRPBF8Vg8zKQ/s1600/me+and+rthonda.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leona & Rhonda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px; text-indent: 0in;"> Rhonda made up a fantastic basket with chocolates, crackers, cookies, a bottle of wine from my character's FMartinique winery, and more. People added their names to a bowl and we drew a winner Saturday evening. Congratulations went to Jennifer Laslie. She also won a copy of Hemphill Towers.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8XKfmZTVc85KD8lw22Z5-GB8FYneK1uQ-Jnq4aYAP8jXbhYNxam3KBuc1fzKZduHihW1BKRi0X-cCx-nCfKsKhOT0NFqzYpPY33yjZxnPFPyCPW_GzIV2TYAsWeU0SS41JyBJGf-lpM/s1600/me+mysti+and+veronica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8XKfmZTVc85KD8lw22Z5-GB8FYneK1uQ-Jnq4aYAP8jXbhYNxam3KBuc1fzKZduHihW1BKRi0X-cCx-nCfKsKhOT0NFqzYpPY33yjZxnPFPyCPW_GzIV2TYAsWeU0SS41JyBJGf-lpM/s1600/me+mysti+and+veronica.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mysti Parker, Veronica Jorden, Leona Pence</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px;">I'm sorry to say that I let my deafness keep me from signing up for workshops and panel discussions. This convention was a learning experience for me. Stephen Zimmer did an amazing job putting it all together. The highlight for me was meeting Mysti and Veronica--and seeing our picture splashed across Facebook, thanks to Mysti's camera phone.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHU4VZ1-e6IieP3iQlmf3-QnOf10CKOCfC7f8-cW9qtvwThURgTlqi9WZlxyFAhYEQoe9dHSE0ZR7_qr1QGHCwKpAKzMlpXf9qCOgxlv3yCcdL4dyFsoasAk68fKQyWYPSqKLcGxGPBws/s1600/20140920_181439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHU4VZ1-e6IieP3iQlmf3-QnOf10CKOCfC7f8-cW9qtvwThURgTlqi9WZlxyFAhYEQoe9dHSE0ZR7_qr1QGHCwKpAKzMlpXf9qCOgxlv3yCcdL4dyFsoasAk68fKQyWYPSqKLcGxGPBws/s1600/20140920_181439.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px;">I also met Amy McCorkle who talked me in to leaving my comfort zone and traveling to the convention. She and I exchanged a book which I look forward to reading. I made many new Facebook friends from those I met at the convention. Mysti's family and Veronica joined us for dinner at the Hotel's Blue Horse restaurant. The picture is a bit dark, and Rhonda is missing because she's taking the picture.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px;">The last event we attended was the Masquerade party. Don't you just love Mysti's ears?</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjC6m47NDNC76TuLuIh8GeM6-vqQwCU-kLNP9IWOUxVLiW62A7dSVBiTBAoBRETy_VX2KkPas1J5oXpT_IerV75QqCfVg4-g7WaMhkrjYvEIwf17hWqhUvZcrqXawwjBGjkDxAPzs7aAE/s1600/me+n+mysti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjC6m47NDNC76TuLuIh8GeM6-vqQwCU-kLNP9IWOUxVLiW62A7dSVBiTBAoBRETy_VX2KkPas1J5oXpT_IerV75QqCfVg4-g7WaMhkrjYvEIwf17hWqhUvZcrqXawwjBGjkDxAPzs7aAE/s1600/me+n+mysti.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mysti & me</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px;">I enjoyed watching people on the dance floor. I don't know the name of the guy in the kilt, but boy could he dance.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px;">All in all, I had a great time. I'd like to say I'll return next year, but...unless I can magically replace my 1995 wheelchair van, it won't be possible.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px;">Rhonda started a <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/663944">gofundme</a> without my knowledge. I was a bit peeved at her and wouldn't let her post it on my Facebook wall. I didn't feel right asking others for money. But, I was amazed at how generous my family and friends were, even complete strangers. When Thomas Bruch wrote an in depth article about me, it generated a lot of donations. A special thanks goes out to Thomas and all those who gave to the fund, and those who cheered me on.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px;">Thanks to Lea Shizas, my publisher at MuseItUp, for working hard to get my print books to me.</span></span><br />
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Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-11679805354719419382014-09-16T04:00:00.000-07:002014-09-16T06:28:41.584-07:00Katie Carroll's Elixir Bound Blitz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/elixir-bound-432-detail"><img alt="MuseItUp" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9VMp2qADjnifKrgcd4tbJKz2whp_kiu0ntUdXNgV3UB-9NoQIC2yCePoYmj6dJ0gWudzxxQ0A7OJ4P_NA0TP9HtX3SXcDVYr0jGL2ysHTnvF0ETSuS2DSTyQiii0_venTtVhdfJ3RX4/s1600/Blitz+Banner.jpg" height="240" width="640" /></a></div>
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Please join Katie Carroll on her Elixir Bound book blitz. What a bargain for a wonderful, enteertaining book. Katie has written a page turner for all ages. I loved the book and I'm no spring chicken.<br />
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ELIXIR BOUND <o:p></o:p><br />
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YA fantasy <o:p></o:p></div>
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by Katie L. Carroll<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFS6Irc_mQYH23l5bYt0_19XZHu1B6aZSo-6KDUlTRGN53nAjIRLypXJRupZvMN7lbU_JbBZ30LYbmNj_Txh586oy7kK1HJr4LI6PBC9Cs-0S9cCvJMGKj19DEy9GTjOoQ4yszQlSHykw/s1600/Elixir_Bound_300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFS6Irc_mQYH23l5bYt0_19XZHu1B6aZSo-6KDUlTRGN53nAjIRLypXJRupZvMN7lbU_JbBZ30LYbmNj_Txh586oy7kK1HJr4LI6PBC9Cs-0S9cCvJMGKj19DEy9GTjOoQ4yszQlSHykw/s1600/Elixir_Bound_300dpi.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>Katora Kase is next in line to take over as guardian to a
secret and powerful healing Elixir. Now she must journey into the wilds of
Faway Forest to find the ingredient that gives the Elixir its potency. Even though
she has her sister and brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a
mapmaker as companions, she feels alone. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to
the Elixir to serve and protect it until it chooses a new guardian. The forest
hosts many dangers, including wicked beings that will stop at nothing to gain
power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her
heart to love.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Elixir Bound </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">excerpt:</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Let me start with what I can tell you,” Pop explained. “The
Elixir…well, it’s not just any healing Elixir. It’s the greatest healing Elixir
ever available to humans.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Katora remained perfectly still; her father’s words deflated the
balloon of anger building inside her and filled the hole with cold shock.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Pop stood and began to pace while he explained. “Deep in Faway
grows the plant that gives the Elixir its potency. The Kase family and our
ancestors have harvested this plant and acted as guardians of the Elixir for
hundreds of years. We developed methods for increasing its potency and have
passed these secrets down for generations. I am the current guardian.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Pop? The guardian of the greatest healing Elixir ever available to
humans? Could it be true? As he stood in front of Katora, his eyes betrayed no
hint of a lie. How did she fail to notice this all her life? And what did it
mean for her?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Pop’s words came in a hurry. “Even though the Elixir has largely
remained a secret, there are several very important beings and others close to
this family who know of it. Some are human, but others are greater than human,
like Mother Nature and her offspring. These beings use the weather to
communicate. Sometimes it’s not very clear what they mean, but I believe the
snowstorm arriving as the supply of Elixir dwindles is a message from the Great
Mother that we need to stock up.”<span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Katora put her hands on her hips as if she didn’t care, but subtly
leaned against the bookcase at the same time. She doubted if her legs would
support her. Not only was Pop the guardian of the Elixir, but Mother Nature
herself knew. She sent Pop messages through the weather. If Katora took over
the farm, she must take over everything to do with the farm.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Katora’s breaths came in shallow puffs. She realized Pop stared at
her with concerned eyes. She silently cursed herself for making such a
spectacle.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“I know this is a lot to take in,” he said. “I have a little more
to tell you right now. My business partners outside of Tussar have reported
unrest throughout the Great Peninsula. There are things stirring in this world,
things that I have no control over, and I believe they are going to spin out of
control sometime in the near future. When that happens, there will be a dire
need for the Elixir. There’s so much I can’t control, but the future of the
Elixir is in my power right now.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Pop stopped in front of Katora, placed his hands on her shoulders,
and looked her straight in the eyes for the second time that night. Katora knew
what was coming, but she held her breath, hoping maybe she was wrong, maybe she
had more time before this responsibility fell on her shoulders.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Katora, you are next in line to be guardian of the Elixir. Its
future is in your control.”</span></span></span></div>
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Ebook on sale for $.99 until September 27:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Elixir-Bound-Katie-L-Carroll-ebook/dp/B0093CL4OM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1385863834">http://www.amazon.com/Elixir-Bound-Katie-L-Carroll-ebook/dp/B0093CL4OM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1385863834</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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MuseItUp bookstore: <a href="http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/elixir-bound-432-detail">http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/elixir-bound-432-detail</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Signed paperback giveaway on Goodreads until September 28: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15821579-elixir-bound">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15821579-elixir-bound</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5M__VufHOhjBLYMUyV2IiDlF8an9f0lYPsYOgp0hVv15ABlcZE7EJFgmPmRiLKZeODIwQxKDpjrleq7fC2enlRLag1qJfe48x7ru-jwOIaZ8NZPkXKEsLav6wJx3L-MrwGUrqMexcns/s1600/Katie+L.+Carroll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5M__VufHOhjBLYMUyV2IiDlF8an9f0lYPsYOgp0hVv15ABlcZE7EJFgmPmRiLKZeODIwQxKDpjrleq7fC2enlRLag1qJfe48x7ru-jwOIaZ8NZPkXKEsLav6wJx3L-MrwGUrqMexcns/s1600/Katie+L.+Carroll.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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About the Author:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Katie L. Carroll began writing at a very sad time in her
life after her 16-year-old sister, Kylene, unexpectedly passed away. Since then
writing has taken her to many wonderful places, real and imagined. She wrote
ELIXIR BOUND and the forthcoming ELIXIR SAVED so Kylene could live on in the
pages of a book. Katie is also the author of the picture app THE BEDTIME KNIGHT
and an editor for MuseItUp Publishing. She lives not too far from the beach in
a small Connecticut city with her husband and son. For more about Katie, visit
her website at <a href="http://www.katielcarroll.com/">www.katielcarroll.com</a>
and follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/KatieLCarroll">Twitter</a>
(@KatieLCarroll) or <a href="http://katielcarroll.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-73961372281202981232014-06-25T16:06:00.001-07:002014-06-25T20:32:40.753-07:00Welcome, Joyce Hertzoff<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Hi Joyce, welcome to my blog, and congratulations on
the launch of your book, The Crimson Orb. I’ve read it and highly recommend it
to readers of all ages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSweKeuK94rz-bpSEIaBq74M4cuLCAPOzZ77_hyphenhyphenVkDPKi8A5wNzmy8pNS01qrdtQ7Fzen7Jkg1SXMNc-TsvFOPAzH9bx2Tk506UmLCWMUuNz4JbYbbRRzXElf9j_jkgZeR0X6d0nSoF4/s1600/Hertzoff+cover+-+The+Crimson+Orb+750+x+1200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSweKeuK94rz-bpSEIaBq74M4cuLCAPOzZ77_hyphenhyphenVkDPKi8A5wNzmy8pNS01qrdtQ7Fzen7Jkg1SXMNc-TsvFOPAzH9bx2Tk506UmLCWMUuNz4JbYbbRRzXElf9j_jkgZeR0X6d0nSoF4/s1600/Hertzoff+cover+-+The+Crimson+Orb+750+x+1200.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Have you always been a writer, Joyce?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">No. Well, not a fiction writer. I spent forty-five
years in the scientific information field, writing summaries of journal
articles and translating scientific papers and books. I participated in the
transition from print to digital publication and the development of searchable
databases. The last twenty years of that career, I managed groups of scientists
doing that work. I only turned to writing fiction when I retired in 2008.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How did you feel when you were offered a contract
for your book series? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Elated! Ecstatic! I never thought I'd ever see my
writing published. My publisher, Assent Publications, has been a joy to work
with, and the imprint editor for Phantasm Books is incredibly knowledgeable
about marketing and promotion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Did you set out to write a series or did it just
happen?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">t just happened. The story of The Crimson Orb was
gestating in my head for years. I finally started writing it in 2010 for
National Novel Writing Month. As I revised it, I fell in love with my
characters and realized there was much more of their story I wanted to tell.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What is the genre of your book? Would you consider
writing in other genres, like romance or even erotica? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My book is high fantasy. It has overtones of a
post-apocalyptic world, romance, and adventure, with touches of science. I've
written romance/mystery/thriller stories and I'm still working on those. I do
draw the line at erotica. I can neither read nor write it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What genre is your reading preference? Name four
favorite authors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I love mysteries, especially the ones by Lisa
Scottoline, Marcia Muller, Leslie Glass, and Susan Dunlap. If I could name a
fifth, it would be Dana Stabenow. I also love fantasy and science fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What are you working on right now? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I'm polishing up book two of the Crystal Odyssey series,
developing another fantasy series, and as I mentioned, working on a
romance/thriller. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How do you juggle writing with family obligations? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My children are grown and live at opposite ends of
the country. We spend about a week at a time with them, and I also love to
travel with my husband. But I find time every day to work on my writing,
usually when my husband is involved with one of his hobbies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">You mentioned Writer’s Village University in your
acknowledgements. Would you tell us more about that? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A writing friend of mine suggested we both try the
free survey course F2K a few years ago. I learned a lot from it and have
retaken it a few times since. That led
me to try the courses and critique groups at the village. What a find! Not only
did I learn from others and the course work and texts, but I made many new
friends, including the wonderful writer, Leona Pence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Thank you for the compliment, Joyce. I truly enjoy the friendships I've made there too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What makes Joyce Hertzoff tick? Makes her happy?
Keeps her writing? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When I was in school, it wasn't cool for girls to
like science and math, but those were the subjects I liked the most. Today,
girls can choose any career they want. My passion is to encourage them in STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs. If I can do that with
books about strong females who fight for the right to participate in
male-dominated fields, then I'll be very happy.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One Word Answers:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 35.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(a)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Writing area – neat or cluttered? Cluttered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 35.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(b)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Coffee, tea, or Pepsi? Coffee, but at
times only a good cuppa tea will do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 35.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(c)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Favorite season? Spring<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 35.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(d)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Cereal or omelet? Omelet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 35.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(e)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Fiction or fact? Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 35.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(f)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Hosting or guesting? Guesting<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 35.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(g)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Editing
or research? Editing (my proofreader
background likes to come out and play)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">May we see an excerpt from The Crimson Orb?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I sat on a carved
wooden bench in my favorite corner in the vegetable garden, watching the boys
at their morning sword practice with my father and wishing I was out there with
them. My brother Blane, nineteen years old and blond like Father, was easily besting
the Duke's son Kerr, as he usually did. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My favorite of the pure
black cats inhabiting the Manor jumped up on my lap, licked a paw, then curled
up and promptly fell asleep. It was that kind of warm summer day when, if I
wasn't with the boys, I didn't want to do anything more than sit in the shade
of the old apple tree, inhaling its sweet scent. Since I was ten I've dreamed
of learning to feint and parry, thrust and slice like Blane, Kerr, and my other
brother Donal. But I'm a girl and it wasn't seemly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Girls of ten to twenty were
relegated to the sewing room, where Jannet, the governess and seamstress,
taught us the fine art of needlepoint. I couldn't sew a straight line to save
myself, and I really wasn't interested in learning. Our only other lessons were
in the kitchens. Cook, whose name was Bridey although no one ever called her
anything but 'Cook', not even her husband, taught us to boil an egg and make
soup from whatever was available. That wasn't so bad, because we could eat what
we made and no one else was the wiser when it tasted awful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Bio:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAmXNAWSXnMh72uIDJbI3klAwhEQcYdsmLv_tSsxlCXJtIiJWqfWYy_nzsNyhxyMY1PmaXIbp-BlmczMeNDqVd4qjq0Ag_FZD2hbHRPDECAoaJmhzn8PfC5Vqjl7G1KdwID1QacY2-m8/s1600/IMAG0262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAmXNAWSXnMh72uIDJbI3klAwhEQcYdsmLv_tSsxlCXJtIiJWqfWYy_nzsNyhxyMY1PmaXIbp-BlmczMeNDqVd4qjq0Ag_FZD2hbHRPDECAoaJmhzn8PfC5Vqjl7G1KdwID1QacY2-m8/s1600/IMAG0262.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry
from the City University of New York, and spent forty-five years in the
scientific information publishing business as a translator, indexer, and, for
twenty years, as a manager of other scientists. I saw the business go from
printing of paper journals to electronic processing and production. In addition
to enabling my staff to be productive and accurate as these changes occurred, I
recruited staff, developed training materials, and taught workshops, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">After
retiring in 2008, I left fact-based writing behind and turned my efforts to
fiction. I participated in the National Novel Writing program for the first
time that year. I have </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">continued to
do that every year since, writing several mysteries and fantasy novels, and
even finishing some of them, including The Crimson Orb, which was first written
for NaNoWriMo in 2010. It gone through several revisions since.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I perfected my writing skills in classes and
writing groups at Writers Village University. Classmates there have reviewed
portions of this book. I served as a mentor intern for the F2K survey course on
writing at WVU. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">My flash mystery, Natural Causes, was published in
the anthology <i>The Darwin Murders</i>. A longer
short story, Princess Petra, appears in <i>The
Way Back</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I live with my husband of forty-nine years in the
high desert at the base of the Sandia Mountains, where we can watch the quail,
roadrunners and other creatures scamper along the top of the wall around our
back patio, and the play of light across the mountain face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Contact links:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.joycehertzoffauthor.com/"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">www.joycehertzoffauthor.com</span></span></a><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.fantasybyjoycehertzoff.com/"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">www.fantasybyjoycehertzoff.com</span></span></a><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hertzoffjo.blogspot.com/"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">www.hertzoffjo.blogspot.com</span></span></a><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/JoyceHertzoff"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">https://twitter.com/JoyceHertzoff</span></span></a><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://facebook.com/joyce.hertzoff.3"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">https://facebook.com/joyce.hertzoff.3</span></span></a><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Amazon print (createspace):</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.createspace.com/4851386" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">https://www.createspace.com/4851386</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Amazon paperback:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Orb-Joyce-Hertzoff/dp/162827929X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">http://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Orb-Joyce-Hertzoff/dp/162827929X/ref=</span></span></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Orb-Joyce-Hertzoff/dp/162827929X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">tmm_pap_title_0</span></span></a><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KWUO7E8"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KWUO7E8</span></span></a><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Barnes and Noble for Nook:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/The-Crimson-Orb?store=book&keyword=The+Crimson+Orb"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/The-Crimson-Orb?store=book&keyword=The+Crimson+Orb</span></span></a><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Smashwords (temp for Apple, Kobo, etc.) </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/447186"><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/447186</span></span></a><span class="InternetLink"><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com262tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-20474200876890513502014-06-12T11:16:00.000-07:002014-06-12T11:16:08.026-07:00Luna, The Escape Artist<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCfRYeSOwbnnHgvU4q4Q5IlQS9n37ZLdhKrIx8ycHM9ZQs3rX6QT7suebGdw_DvZxOWiX6qLGPp34JXVVrkVm6llpl93E_EC60UAk47Af8XUh5P9ygoVp6OsYBeiwIONjMWc_0XYM3xA/s1600/luna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCfRYeSOwbnnHgvU4q4Q5IlQS9n37ZLdhKrIx8ycHM9ZQs3rX6QT7suebGdw_DvZxOWiX6qLGPp34JXVVrkVm6llpl93E_EC60UAk47Af8XUh5P9ygoVp6OsYBeiwIONjMWc_0XYM3xA/s1600/luna.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How many of you have a puppy who
became an escape artist? I adopted a cute Spaniel mix puppy who changed my
life, not to mention the money I’ve spent to keep her in my back yard. You
should see her sail right over a 3 ½ foot chain link fence</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">. Doesn't she look so sweet and innocent? This is her adoption picture. (not my yard)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCfRYeSOwbnnHgvU4q4Q5IlQS9n37ZLdhKrIx8ycHM9ZQs3rX6QT7suebGdw_DvZxOWiX6qLGPp34JXVVrkVm6llpl93E_EC60UAk47Af8XUh5P9ygoVp6OsYBeiwIONjMWc_0XYM3xA/s1600/luna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"></span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Max and Sophie lived here for two
years without jumping the fence. Of course, they could have, but I think they
just respected their boundary. Max, an Australian Shepherd, and Sophie, a Pit
Bull, belong to my granddaughter. After they left, I adopted Luna. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWU5OLmmoxCy1wZnkw49cReNqpZg-s-i5xSEZvQTfq6sE-h0Hm98ruXq7wyMVLd2tpfc4wC9jH_wftCEBsuiUPzcX13fJSiqrv8QQT6yThdrmeLcJHBvrNAHzILjYvntBWOeNvWoupYQ/s1600/sophie+&+Max.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWU5OLmmoxCy1wZnkw49cReNqpZg-s-i5xSEZvQTfq6sE-h0Hm98ruXq7wyMVLd2tpfc4wC9jH_wftCEBsuiUPzcX13fJSiqrv8QQT6yThdrmeLcJHBvrNAHzILjYvntBWOeNvWoupYQ/s1600/sophie+&+Max.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWrw913RBwUF-tP8cNOwg2WsIyVYnDv3D-BfGJUTnVeEvMmYMCLTRmQXdSY6D8cZ5hoQdMC7cHiQvitmxbof9V1fOc2gsviDtWravnM4M3OQKD0GP15U9USdB4ldqHGntbIvvltYJ2Tc/s1600/20140525_174842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWrw913RBwUF-tP8cNOwg2WsIyVYnDv3D-BfGJUTnVeEvMmYMCLTRmQXdSY6D8cZ5hoQdMC7cHiQvitmxbof9V1fOc2gsviDtWravnM4M3OQKD0GP15U9USdB4ldqHGntbIvvltYJ2Tc/s1600/20140525_174842.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We are in the process of erecting a
six foot wooden privacy fence. All that remains to do is build the gates. Luna
will once again have the run of the back yard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">P</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">lease tell me that it will contain
her. I mean, six feet seems like along way for a dog to jump. Her agility amazes me though. W</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">ill she dig under the fence? God forbid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">If your dog is an escape artist, how did you solve your problem?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.275001525878906px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>C is for Charcot-Marie-Tooth</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.275001525878906px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">by</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22.275001525878906px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Leona Pence</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">How many of you have heard of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)? Named for three physicians (Jean –Martin Charcot, Pierre Marie from Paris, Howard Henry Tooth from Cambridge England) who identified it in 1886, CMT is one of the most common inherited neurological disorders, affecting 1 in 2500 in the United States. There are many forms of CMT, but the type I inherited is CMT1a. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/charcot_marie_tooth/detail_charcot_marie_tooth.htm" style="color: #373740; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 27px;">Click here to find out more about </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 27px;">CMT</span></b></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">There are many people in my large extended family with CMT. To pass the gene, one parent must have the disease. There is a 50-50 chance of passing it on to their children. I am one of eight children, three of whom inherited the genetic flaw from our mother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">CMT affects peripheral nerves and muscles. As a result, my lower legs and feet, lower arms and hands are affected. By the time I was eleven, I’d had several surgeries on my feet to correct deformities. I walked with a limp and unsteady gait, but I had a fairly normal childhood. The worst part for me growing up was <i>not</i> having a diagnosis. My mom just said we had bad blood. School children could be cruel. They would ask why I walked funny and I couldn’t give them an answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKJ_50UAaRPTKVUoKJNOVdycjyWkH7I3tF3YKFfn7xqKs7Q4WgG25JNRRKmPlMYJAH1jRqJYh7NA4GzPEvBdmFqpSlKZjc1uv7XcyPnx6HPbEGgh3IpSy9kk2Vfw2V4kZDIz85WOb-jY/s1600/HPIM0721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #373740; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKJ_50UAaRPTKVUoKJNOVdycjyWkH7I3tF3YKFfn7xqKs7Q4WgG25JNRRKmPlMYJAH1jRqJYh7NA4GzPEvBdmFqpSlKZjc1uv7XcyPnx6HPbEGgh3IpSy9kk2Vfw2V4kZDIz85WOb-jY/s1600/HPIM0721.JPG" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">A hearing loss is rare with CMT. However, my family, being rare, inherited that flaw too. My mom was deaf by the time I was born, and my brother was severely hard of hearing at an early age. My sister and I didn’t have hearing problems until our latter twenties. I am thankful I was able to complete my schooling before my hearing was affected. CMT is slowly progressive. By the time I was forty-five, I was both deaf and using a wheelchair. My hands/fingers are too weak for sign language, but I’m an excellent lip reader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">I got married to a wonderful man on my 19<sup>th </sup>birthday and raised four children with him. Our oldest son inherited CMT. We were given a diagnosis by the Muscular Dystrophy Association when he was in the third grade. At age forty-nine, he works as a microbiologist in Rochester, NY. He is deaf and uses a cane for balance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">My motto is: When life hands you lemons, make the best lemonade possible. I’ve tried to keep a positive outlook. CMT does not affect ones lifespan and can range from mild to severe. Since my hands are too weak to type, I wrote Hemphill Towers using the eraser end of a pencil. I now use an ipad stylus to type with to keep eraser goop out of my keyboard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">CMT is a complex topic. I hope you’ll click the above link to read more about it, and bear in mind that all people who walk with a staggering gait and hold onto walls are not drunk. They just might have CMT.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">I don’t know if I’ve overcome obstacles or just worked the best I could with what life offered me. Losing my husband to lung cancer in 2006 was the hardest of all. But it forced me to turn to my computer to save my sanity. A big door to the world opened for me. I made more friends than I ever thought possible. Writing a novel and being a classroom mentor at F2K still boggles my mind at times.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: normal;">Leona Pence</span><div style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Hemphill Towers</span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/krom6yw" target="_blank"><br /></a><b>MuseItUp: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/lrqon56%20" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/lrqon56 </a></b><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/krom6yw" target="_blank">Amazon:</a> <a href="http://tinyurl.com/krom6yw" target="_blank"><b></b></a><b><a href="http://tinyurl.com/krom6yw" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/krom6yw</a></b><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">B & N :</span><a class="ecxnewlyinsertedlink" href="http://tinyurl.com/k597f84" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://tinyurl.com/k597f84" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://tinyurl.com/k597f84" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/k597f84</a></div>
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itunes: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/mclslgs" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/mclslgs</a></div>
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Omnilit: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/lxo7x44" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/lxo7x44</a></div>
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Blio: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/mpy4oxg" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/mpy4oxg</a><br />Goodreads: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/lyojbwo" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/lyojbwo</a><br />Smashwords:<a href="http://tinyurl.com/kb6ohpt" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/kb6ohpt</a><br /><a class="ecxnewlyinsertedlink" href="http://tinyurl.com/k597f84" target="_blank"></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Blog: </span><a href="http://leonaschatter.blogspot.com/" style="font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">http://leonaschatter.blogspot.com/</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Anthology:</span><a href="http://goo.gl/T97WNW" style="font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">http://goo.gl/T97WNW</a></div>
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The Darwin Murders:<a href="http://goo.gl/YX3Xre" style="font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">http://goo.gl/YX3Xre</a></div>
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Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-49151890320312700802014-02-24T08:10:00.000-08:002014-02-24T08:10:17.229-08:00Kindle Books and BlogToday, Hemphill Towers is featured on Kindle Books and Blog for $.99 at Amazon for a limited time.<br />
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<br />Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-42682654725035221072014-01-14T17:39:00.000-08:002014-01-19T18:43:31.021-08:00Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tour<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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January 20 is meet and greet the author. (ME!) </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><b>Virtual Book Tour - January 20 - February 14</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">January 20 -<a href="http://readingaddictionvbt.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="background-image: url(); background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; color: #666666; font-weight: bold; padding: 2px;"> Reading Addiction Blog Tours</a> - Meet and Greet</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">January 21 - <a href="http://www.thebookdivasreads.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Book Diva's Read </a>- Excerpt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">January 22 - <a href="http://dehaggerty.com/readsalot" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">D.E. Haggerty</a> - Review</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">January 23 - <a href="http://authoreverleigh.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Life Through Books</a> - Interview</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">January 24 - <a href="http://booksaz.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Books A to Z </a>- Excerpt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">January 25 - <a href="http://lauries-interviews.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews</a> - Excerpt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">January 26 -<a href="http://alwaysjoart.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Always Jo Art</a> - Excerpt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">January 27 -<a href="http://www.mystiparker.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Unwritten </a>- Interview</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">January 28 - <a href="http://itsallabouttheromance.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">All About Romance</a> - Excerpt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">January 29 - <a href="http://myaddictionisreading.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Reading Addiction</a> - Interview</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">January 30 - <a href="http://www.kawehisbookblog.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kawehi's Book Blog</a> - Review</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">January 31 - <a href="http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/" target="_blank">Mythical Books </a>- Interview</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 1 - <a href="http://www.thefrugalwife.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Frugal Wife</a> - Excerpt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 2 - <a href="http://www.kvlovesbooks.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">All in One Place -</a> Review</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 3 -<a href="http://authorsyouwanttoread.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Indie Authors You Want to Read </a>- Excerpt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 4 - <a href="http://purejonel.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Pure Jonel</a> - Review</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 5 -<a href="http://mydevotionalthoughts.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> My Devotional Thoughts</a> - Excerpt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 6 - <a href="http://ashleysbookshelf.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ashley's Bookshelf </a>- Review</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 7 - <a href="http://authorsyouwanttoread.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Indie Authors You Want to Read </a>- Excerpt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 8 - <a href="http://hello-booklover.tumblr.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Books are Love</a> - Review</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 9 - <a href="http://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andi's Book Reviews</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;">- Interview</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;">February 9 - <a href="http://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Books Direct</a> - Interview</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 10 - <a href="http://www.extaordinaryreads.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Extraordinary Reads</a> - Excerpt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 11 - <a href="http://unladylikereviews.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unladylike Reviews </a>- Review</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 12 - <a href="http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Faster </a>- Excerpt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 12-</span><a href="http://trinastantilisingtidbits.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Trinas Tantilising Tidbits</a>-Interview </div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">February 13 - <a href="http://trinastantilisingtidbits.blogspot.co.nz/" target="_blank">Trinas Tantilising Tidbits</a> - Review</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt;">February 14</span><span style="font-size: 13px;"> -</span><a href="http://readingaddictionvbtreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">RABT Reviews</a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;">- Wrap Up</span></div>
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<![endif]-->Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-74833928870185931152014-01-09T11:14:00.003-08:002014-01-09T11:14:39.634-08:00Don't Let Things Get Ugly: Etiquette for Authors by Mysti Parker<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0in;">
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Mysti Parker gave me permission to pass on these words of wisdom. Thank you, Mysti!</div>
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If you're an author, chances are that at some point you'll make a mistake somewhere along the marketing path. Indie or small press authors have to work even harder than traditionally published authors to keep their careers on the right path. Navigating the waters of public scrutiny is rather like a neverending job interview. You have to maintain a positive image and hold on to your umbrella of integrity, even when the rough winds of criticism threaten to blow it to Timbuktu.</div>
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<br /><br /><b><i>Here are a few guidelines that may help you when it comes to author etiquette:</i></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmQQAmh7wVU72JfBTgM89cczmwDAKTn3ru0xOspvgbdN5zSsFaUKn9XKqXVtWCNCUjC9QHrlRcphN1pwZNaNWniQeg7BrAnU36DD7aEgwQCQKrPquC6zY9LOq7X_H7amhfWCeo81h4ho/s1600/Vintage-Etiquette-Image-11.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #6db0ce; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmQQAmh7wVU72JfBTgM89cczmwDAKTn3ru0xOspvgbdN5zSsFaUKn9XKqXVtWCNCUjC9QHrlRcphN1pwZNaNWniQeg7BrAnU36DD7aEgwQCQKrPquC6zY9LOq7X_H7amhfWCeo81h4ho/s200/Vintage-Etiquette-Image-11.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="200" /></a>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Avoid asking others (especially fellow authors) to give you glowing reviews, and don't offer to trade glowing reviews either. If you do read your fellow authors' books and wish to review them on your own, make it clear that you will review honestly. When others review your books, stress that you expect honest reviews as well. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Do not respond to negative reviews. They can certainly make you wince at times, but at least the reader spent their time and effort to read and review what you've written. Respect that.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">When promoting your book and building your platform, be extremely wary of large social book websites like Goodreads, Amazon message boards, etc. If you are a member of any of these, simply list your books and use promotional tools within guidelines, but keep your personal interactions minimal. To communicate personally with readers, friends, and colleagues, stick to places where you have control of moderation, like a blog, website, and Facebook page.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Please do NOT plug <i>your</i> book when writing book reviews or in anyone else's comment thread or group. If you belong to any groups on Facebook, Goodreads, or anywhere else, follow the specific rules for that group. If NO promo is allowed, then don't do it. There are plenty of promotional groups scattered throughout the online universe. Find them and utilize them. Otherwise, you're going to look like a shameless promoter.<br /><b><i><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJfTtCDlfNmk4mtht9aFxpPzSTKc1xpRsOZDn3YTtnXzqqGKHJhWdDim8RyFNUTOBd8uCFhaKERIcIgRJcoL3zKA7VilCqHTs59hGPL-MidQXDLuRT_CyxHE6bECBOrMleGXe5AVeyFA/s1600/Quotation-Mehmet-Murat-Ildan-good-manners-Meetville-Quotes-163939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #6db0ce; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJfTtCDlfNmk4mtht9aFxpPzSTKc1xpRsOZDn3YTtnXzqqGKHJhWdDim8RyFNUTOBd8uCFhaKERIcIgRJcoL3zKA7VilCqHTs59hGPL-MidQXDLuRT_CyxHE6bECBOrMleGXe5AVeyFA/s1600/Quotation-Mehmet-Murat-Ildan-good-manners-Meetville-Quotes-163939.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></div>
</u></i></b></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">DO NOT send unsolicited emails, Facebook messages, etc to anyone about your book, neither to advertise it nor to ask for a review. No one likes getting spam. EXCEPTIONS: Sending out newsletters by email is perfectly acceptable, since the subscribers signed up willingly for your correspondence. Also, sending out book review requests to book review sites who accept unsolicited submissions is fine. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Utilize any acceptable resources you can in order to spread the word about your book. Put a link to your book/blog/website, etc in your email signature. Pay for advertisements in both print and online media. Hire a book promotion site to schedule a virtual book tour. The choices are endless.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Remember, you've worked hard for this. Don't derail it with bad author etiquette. Of course, you're proud of your book, and so you should be. There are a number of ways to share your book with the world, but do it right. If you make a mistake, make amends and move on. And most of all: KEEP WRITING!!! ~Myst</div>
</div>
Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-15501140711199140202013-12-18T19:35:00.001-08:002015-12-18T18:39:15.791-08:00A Christmas Tale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUqquXzLMOK_vCYLZRLy_6n3cdEqm67mMjA-4UxcJjkvbOyBEhQri1Wq3q0kUcSmNmxTd9Mp5k3v8BUG8IDl-8NLNQWfUIjpZbK14DnPsWEP6ei_88_GGmv8qa9nD_vf2LUvlCsSrZ4w/s1600/coollogo_com-14292081.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUqquXzLMOK_vCYLZRLy_6n3cdEqm67mMjA-4UxcJjkvbOyBEhQri1Wq3q0kUcSmNmxTd9Mp5k3v8BUG8IDl-8NLNQWfUIjpZbK14DnPsWEP6ei_88_GGmv8qa9nD_vf2LUvlCsSrZ4w/s400/coollogo_com-14292081.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i> (At Mysti's House)</i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i>by </i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Leona Pence </i></b></div>
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'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
<br />
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Not a creature was stirring, except Mysti's spouse.</div>
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He hung all the stockings on the mantel with care, </div>
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His children expected St Nick to be there.</div>
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Mysti had filled them almost to the top,<br />
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With candy, small toys and a bubble gum pop…</div>
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Bryan laughed as these thoughts flitted through his mind as
he tried to slip the bulging stockings onto the hooks. Mysti had outdone
herself this year. Matter of fact, the eggnog was better too. He turned and
drained his third mug of the creamy brew before stepping back to appraise his
handiwork. Perfect! He spread his arms,
palms up in satisfaction.<br />
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He moved across the room to his recliner, and noticed the
pitcher of eggnog sitting on the coffee table. He couldn't see any sense in
wasting it. One more mug full wouldn't hurt. He relaxed in the comfy chair and
let his eyes wander around the room taking in the twinkling lights on the
Christmas tree and the brightly wrapped packages nestled beneath its branches.<br />
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Zachary would have a lot of fun with the Monster Truck,
almost as much as he did when picking it out. Bryan couldn't remember if Mysti
had given in to Meg's plea for a cell phone. All kids wanted their own phone in
this day and age, but his wife wasn't happy about the idea. Zoe had the right
idea. He could still remember his first Nintendo. It was used, and a far cry
from the ones made now.<br />
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He drained his eggnog mug and poured up the last three
inches from the pitcher. He'd have to tell Mysti how great it tasted. Ah,
Mysti. She'd worked so hard making Christmas good for all of them. He had a
gift of jewelry under the tree for her but she deserved something special. What
could he do? <br />
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</div>
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And then, it came to him. Voila! She'd been working on her
book for hours on end. He drank half the delicious eggnog in his cup, How hard
could it be to finish typing that book for her? He stood and had to grab on the
chair to stay upright. He grinned at being so clumsy, but held on to the
furniture until he got to Mysti's computer desk and landed heavily in the
chair. Thank goodness Mysti left her computer turned on. <br />
<br /></div>
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</div>
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How in the world did she get any work done on this blurry
screen? It took him ten minutes to bring up her novel file. He squinted his
eyes and read the last page she'd written. Elves and dragons. He could write
about them in his sleep just by pretending he was playing a video game.<br />
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Bryan typed and typed, stopped to laugh at what he'd
written, and typed some more. He decided to bring Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs into the story to help the elves. Surely elves and dwarves were related
and would help each other. Finally, with a satisfied gasp, he typed The End.<br />
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He printed out the whole manuscript to wrap and put under
the tree. Good grief, the wrapping paper kept wrinkling and he couldn't get the
tape to hold it together. Oh well, it wasn't the wrapping that counted. He
hoped the pages had numbers though; he'd dropped them twice while looking for
the tape.<br />
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It felt so good knowing Mysti would be happy that her book
was finished. He swayed as he carried his package toward the tree. He gasped
and fell backwards onto the couch. St. Nick stood before the mantel adding more
gifts and candy to the stockings. The manuscript slid out of Bryan's grasp and
fell to the floor. Santa turned and his smile lit up the room like a bright
sunny day. He walked over and picked up the manuscript, held it high above his
head, and murmured a few unintelligible words. He lowered his hands so Bryan
could see a beautiful hardback book with an amazing design. A touch of his
finger covered the gift in an embossed gold wrapping with curls of rainbow
ribbon gracing the top. </div>
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"Merry Christmas,
Bryan…and to all a goodnight"<br />
<br /></div>
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Bryan fell back on the couch and drifted into a deep sleep.
The next thing he knew, Mysti was shaking him awake. He rubbed his eyes and sat
up. Oh my God, what a dream he'd had. Mysti would kill him if he'd actually
touched her work. Before he could tell her his dream, the kids bounded in to
see what Santa had left for them.</div>
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He watched as Mysti passed out the gifts from under the
tree. The children squealed in delight as they opened their packages. Then,
Mysti looked at her own gifts. She held up the gold embossed package and smiled
up at him. His eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped open. When she didn't see
a name on the tag except her own, she sweetly asked who the gift was from. <br />
<br /></div>
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</div>
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</div>
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"Santa Claus," he whispered.</div>
Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-28129572411734203362013-12-05T13:09:00.000-08:002013-12-05T13:09:10.456-08:00Mysti Parker's 50th Hit GiveawayMysti Parker is having an awesome giveaway. I have donated two ebooks of Hemphill Towers plus a 4x6 glossy of the cover and an inkpen.<br />
<br />
Event Page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/318710204933906/">https://www.facebook.com/events/318710204933906/</a><br />
<br />
The link to the Romance Giveaway: <a href="http://mystiparker.blogspot.com/2013/12/50000th-hit-giveaway-books-that-make.html">http://mystiparker.blogspot.com/2013/12/50000th-hit-giveaway-books-that-make.html</a><br />
<br />
One Grand prize up for grabs is a Kindle and $15 Amazon card. Click here for a Rafflecopter entry.<a href="http://tinyurl.com/ka2vtg8">http://tinyurl.com/ka2vtg8</a>Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-80394330956345999252013-12-01T19:31:00.001-08:002013-12-06T07:18:05.109-08:00Welcome Penny Estelle<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It’s my pleasure to shine a
spotlight on Penny Estelle and let her tell you why she is happy today. Congratulations, Penny.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I can’t tell you how excited
I am that my very first ever Christmas story is being released today. <i>The
Unwanted Christmas Guest</i> is a story about Elizabeth McMurphy, an up and
coming high powered attorney, who is after vengeance. Her sights are set on one of the richest and
most powerful families in <st1:state w:st="on">Colorado</st1:state>.
Steve York is an obnoxious reporter that thinks the ice queen has gone too far
and does all he can to get under her skin.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When one of the worst
blizzards in history, hits <st1:state w:st="on">Colorado</st1:state> and leaves
a hurt Steve York, stranded with <st1:place w:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:place>
in a mountain cabin, she must decide to either take care of him, or throw him
out to fend for himself. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9WwTnm62wSNoTgUtQomErkgWCXSoSdHg9gQggKwb9xLMDoPOtbMLTECG74Rd1cvYMaMf8LC14KaobD9iQwcFta3zdJfT5Vuxr_LAixpiAB0sNFfhgcFumqZtIrhbr5Stb730IqYC6RA/s1600/The+Unwanted+Christamas+Guest+200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9WwTnm62wSNoTgUtQomErkgWCXSoSdHg9gQggKwb9xLMDoPOtbMLTECG74Rd1cvYMaMf8LC14KaobD9iQwcFta3zdJfT5Vuxr_LAixpiAB0sNFfhgcFumqZtIrhbr5Stb730IqYC6RA/s1600/The+Unwanted+Christamas+Guest+200x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Excerpt<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA">“What’s
going on here? Where the hell are my pants?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA"> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:city></st1:place>
practically jumped out of her skin. Steve stood in the bedroom doorway, wearing
only some tight fitting pink sweats. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN-CA">“I found you after your car went nose to nose with a tree.” She
crossed her arms. “The question is, what were you doing up here in a snowstorm?
Were you coming up here to spy on me?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA"> “Jesus, my head hurts.” Steve groaned and
sat at the kitchen table. “And don’t flatter yourself.” He brought up his hands
to rub his eyes and push on his temples. He started to say something when a
giggle and a round of undistinguishable sounds caught his attention. Steve
stared at the little girl, a whisper of a smile on his pale face. “You have a
daughter?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA"> She chose to ignore the question. “Again,
Mr. York, you were headed…where?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA"> “I was going to see some friends in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Granby</st1:city></st1:place>, then on to
Steamboat to spend the holidays with my family.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA"> “You figured on taking a short cut on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Badger Springs Road</st1:address></st1:street>?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA"> “Basically,” he muttered. “I had a phone
in my pants pocket…” Steve looked down at the pink sweats. “Yours, I presume?”
At her nod, he asked with a smirk, “And you’re the one that took my clothes
off?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA"> “Junior, my neighbor.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA"> “If you’ll allow me to use your phone,
I’ll call Triple A and get myself and my car out of your life.” He reached over
to Katy and she latched onto his finger, the brightest smile ever illuminating
her sweet face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><span lang="EN-CA">Elizabeth</span></st1:city></st1:place><span lang="EN-CA"> quickly picked her up, as if he would contaminate her by his
touch. “Phones are out.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA"> “Internet?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA"> “Nope.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<span lang="EN-CA"> “How the hell do you live here?” he asked
irritably.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA">Please find The Unwanted Christmas Guest and my other stories with
MuseItUp publishing @<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=146&Itemid=82">https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=146&Itemid=82</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Feel free to stop by and check out my other stories and/or
leave me a message. I love visitors!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxy22mj2qqMqJ9vIn0i3cqGedlf6dZzpwKZ54TLtP3_npraenCrPN4V0CNLEJwxsRYMuwSHnWn03vFC7Rl5qLd8nJNIO1wKNoQI29qu0ohwum6f-FRCluPTAcl9oUUUzPbvlL44xJDXyo/s1600/Penny+-+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxy22mj2qqMqJ9vIn0i3cqGedlf6dZzpwKZ54TLtP3_npraenCrPN4V0CNLEJwxsRYMuwSHnWn03vFC7Rl5qLd8nJNIO1wKNoQI29qu0ohwum6f-FRCluPTAcl9oUUUzPbvlL44xJDXyo/s1600/Penny+-+002.jpg" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.pennystales.com/">www.pennystales.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.pennyestelle.blogspot.com/">www.pennyestelle.blogspot.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Pennystales">https://twitter.com/Pennystales</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5820078.Penny_Estelle">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5820078.Penny_Estelle</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://pinterest.com/pennyestelle/pennystales/">http://www.facebook.com/pennystales</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Penny-Estelle/e/B006S62XBY">http://www.amazon.com/Penny-Estelle/e/B006S62XBY</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
Bio:<br />
<div class="yiv806796987MsoNormal">
Hi everybody!<span> </span>My name
is Penny Estelle.<span> </span>I was a school
secretary for 21 years and retired in 2009.<span>
</span>We moved to our retirement home in Kingman,
AZ, and we live on 54 acres in a
very rural area.<span> </span>Actually we live “off
the grid”, on solar and wind.<span> </span>A real
adjustment for a city girl.<span> </span>I must say –
I love it.<span> </span>Nothing like looking out your
window in the early morning and see a wave of quail running across the
property, or walking out your front door at night and hear coyotes howling in
the distance and seeing a sky bursting with stars.<span> </span>It is breathtaking! </div>
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</div>
<div class="yiv806796987MsoNormal">
I started writing for kids right before I retired.<span> </span>There is always material when kids are
involved.<span> </span>I am pleased to say I have
several middle grade/tween books out and my debut book for adults, under P. A.
Estelle,<span> </span>was just recently
released.<span> </span>I also have a non-fiction
story out about our life with solar.</div>
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Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-37000179721610574922013-11-27T21:05:00.000-08:002013-11-28T05:15:25.927-08:00A Life Full of Stories: Meet Jack GermondWriters seek to leave a mark on the world. They work to draft the pages and words that will invade the human psyche and make people feel. Or make them laugh.Or make them think. It is a difficult journey, and many writers never quite reach that mark. Still, others meet and surpass it, and even when they are gone, their words linger. Some of the classical greats come to mind. Shakespeare. London. Orwell. Twain. And now sadly, another great writer, Jack Germond, must be added to that list. A man who lived a life full of stories. So many, that even as he was saying goodbye to this world, he was kind enough to leave us with one to savor.<br />
<br />
A story to make us feel. To make us laugh. To make us think.<br />
<br />
<i>Jack Germond passed away on August 14, 2013, the same day as the e-book release of his book. The veritable, Alice Travis Germond, Jack's loving wife, has graciously agreed to embark on a blog tour on Jack's behalf. She is always happy to hear from readers and fans. Please feel free to leave your thoughts in our comments.</i><br />
<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>A Small Story for Page 3</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>By political pundit Jack Germond </i></span><br />
<br />
Harry Fletcher can’t for the life of him figure out what exactly the ‘nugget’ of information his colleague, Eddie Concannon, uncovered prior to his death is. Picking his way along the threads of information, Harry soon finds himself at odds with government officials and his own newspaper seems to be involved in the collusion. Join Harry as he deciphers the clues and enjoy a journey into the world of investigative reporting set against a colorful back drop of characters and locations.<br />
<br />
Find Jack's book online:<br />
<a href="https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/mainstream/a-small-story-for-page-3-detail" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MuseItUp Publishing Store</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/mainstream/a-small-story-for-page-3-detail" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a> </span><a href="https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/mainstream/a-small-story-for-page-3-detail"></a>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-CA">An excerpt: </span></i></b></div>
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"Oddly enough, ladies and gentlemen of the TV audience," Harry announced in his persona as Larry Largelungs of Action Central News, "the condemned man was smiling and singing as he approached the gallows."<br />
<br />
The mood changed when he arrived at Wear's office to find the executive editor and the managing editor waiting and somberly reading printouts of the story.<br />
<br />
"This thing has to be settled today," Wear said. "It's gone on long enough, it's tied us in knots, and we need to find a solution."<br />
<br />
"I thought we had one," Harry said. "The story shows he has been sailing under false colors as a corruption fighter by trying to protect one of the targets of the investigation with whom he had a connection, perhaps lucrative, not previously disclosed."<br />
<br />
"We're not the ones who have to be convinced," Mike reminded him. <br />
<br />
When they walked into Marcotte's office, it was obvious he was not prepared to be persuaded. The publisher remained behind his huge mahogany desk and with a brusque gesture he seated the others at the small conference table.<br />
<br />
"I've read the story you people seem to think should run on Page One as soon as possible," he said, "I think it’s still libelous horseshit, and I intend to spike it, this time for good. You still have no hard evidence that Tyler Bannister resisted Phase Two because of some personal concern. But Tyler denies it flat-out and there's no quote from him to corroborate it."Harry was trying to contain his fury. "The only quote from him in reply was “go fuck yourself.” Do you want to use that?"<br />
<br />
"Don't be flippant, Fletcher, this is a serious question."<br />
<br />
"We all understand that, Dave," Wear said, stepping in quickly. "If you want a clearer denial in more decorous terms, we can do that."<br />
<br />
"A denial isn't going to change the fact that we are doing serious damage to Tyler Bannister's reputation and potentially his political career," Marcotte said, his voice rising. "I don't intend to be a party to that."<br />
<br />
"That was never our intention," Wear said. "We've gone where the story has taken us. The truth is that this episode raises serious questions about Bannister's candidacy."<br />
<br />
"It shows him interceding in behalf of a friend and former business associate in an official investigation," Harry said with some heat. "That's a part of the truth about him that we know but our readers do not."<br />
<br />
"Don't give me that truth and readers crap, Fletcher," the publisher said. "I remember you calling him a trimmer way back there. You had it in for him from the start. So did Concannon."<br />
<br />
"This story quotes Tom Lawton saying Bannister called him with a warning about being on Carvaggio's list of targets and it quotes Rudy Myers as confirming that Bannister ordered Lawton's name stricken from that list once he agreed to retire from the bench."<br />
<br />
"I know what the story says but, as I told you earlier, Fletcher," Marcotte said, "it is the publisher, not the reporter, who decides what appears in the News and I have made the decision on this one." After an interminable twenty seconds of silence, he continued, "I think we're through here, gentlemen. Thanks for coming in." When the elevator dropped them at the third floor, Wear beckoned them into his office and closed the door on Meg. "I don't know what we do now," he said.<br />
<br />
"What you and Mike do," Harry said, "is keep faith with the good people here who depend on you to let them put out a good newspaper and hope for change. What I do, is clean a few things out of my desk and walk out of the building. I don't have any choice now."<br />
<br />
"What are you going to do about the story," Mike asked.<br />
<br />
"I haven't thought it through, Mike, but I'm not going to give it to the Trib or some television station. I don't know if the story is mine to use elsewhere or what. It would take a lot of time and effort for anyone else to duplicate it."<br />
<br />
Wear had a different concern. "What are you going to say when the word gets out that you've left the building?" he asked.<br />
<br />
"I could just tell the truth—that I have left the News after almost thirty years because of a decision by the publisher to spike a story I wrote. Period." He laughed. "I'll leave it to Amy Whiting to fill in the blanks."<br />
<br />
At Wear's office door, he turned to his two old friends. "Look, this isn't the end of the world. Let's all have dinner later in the week, some place public for all to see. Meanwhile, I'll keep you posted." <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><b>About the Author </b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglOVbZilcZNzog-UUIc17sb765gy-xILiqXRJJZQb53ineqljzGE2hS5NhslwpvsOU-6DleXFlIkK-6-nPbhzvenEJdMp7Z0aiLuV1OA196N9DOqyQNG9oTeDPEjjkRdbg1ulI5FMqyn2/s1600/jack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglOVbZilcZNzog-UUIc17sb765gy-xILiqXRJJZQb53ineqljzGE2hS5NhslwpvsOU-6DleXFlIkK-6-nPbhzvenEJdMp7Z0aiLuV1OA196N9DOqyQNG9oTeDPEjjkRdbg1ulI5FMqyn2/s320/jack.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></span></div>
</div>
Jack Germond (January 30, 1928 – August 14, 2013) was a retired newspaper man, columnist and TV pundit. But like a Thoroughbred racehorse, a reporter never actually retires—he just writes about other things. The author brings his vast knowledge and understanding of the press and the business of getting the information to public to bear in his breakout novel, A Small Story for Page 3.<br />
<br />
Mr. Germond was nationally known as a bemused liberal and was a regular on The McLaughlin Group as well as appearing on other public affairs TV programs — CNN, Meet The Press and The Today Show among others. He covered ten presidential elections, and with Jules Witcover wrote a book covering each presidential election from 1980 to 1992. Timothy Crouse made Germond a prominent figure in “Boys on the Bus” his acclaimed book on the 1972 presidential election. Mr. Germond has previously published two non-fiction books, his memoir “Fat Man in A Middle Seat” (Random House 2002) and “Fat Man Fed Up” (Random House 2005) a scride on the decline of politics in the United States. Along with Jules Witcover he wrote a syndicated column that ran in 140 papers five days a week from 1977 to 2001. 2000. <br />
<br />
Chris Farley once spoofed Germond on Saturday Night Live. Germond was known for his no nonsense approach to reporting and his love of good food, good liquor and good friends. He instituted The Germond Rule which two generations of political reporters have adhered to. The rule simply stated that when a group of reporters dined together the tab would be split evenly, no matter who ate or drank more. This caused his many friends to eat and drink defensively when covering stories and enjoying good company.RevolutionaryVJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02094316029232494452noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-26434383218752471482013-11-19T12:46:00.000-08:002013-11-20T05:54:56.838-08:00Lethal Journey by Kim Cresswell<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
Welcome to my blog, Kim. After reading Reflection, I knew I'd love Lethal
Journey which can be pre-ordered for $.99 using the link below. What a bargain!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Lauren
Taylor worked her way up to Manhattan District Attorney and was assigned first
chair in the trial to prosecute mob boss, Gino Valdina, for murdering his wife.
What mobster sits back and waits to be convicted? Kim Cresswell gives us plenty
of people to eye with suspicion as possible Valdina cronies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Detective Eric Brennan, Lauren’s former boyfriend, searches for his father’s
killer while trying to protect Lauren from attempts on her life. Sparks fly
between the two as they conspire to see justice done while not knowing who to
trust. This book is an action-packed page turner with twists and turns to keep
you guessing. I highly recommend Lethal Journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Blurb: </span></div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A killer lurks in the shadows of Hyde Park, New York...waiting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Manhattan
District Attorney, Lauren Taylor, is about to take on the most important case
of her career, prosecuting Gino Valdina, acting mob boss of New York's most
influential crime syndicate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">For
three decades, Gino Valdina has led New York's Valdina crime family. Since his
recent indictment for murder, the leadership of the family is in turmoil,
appalled by the death of one of their own, Gino's wife, Madelina. Without the
support of the family behind him, Valdina will do anything to save himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
Lauren soon discovers, things aren't always as they seem when she's tossed into
a mystery, a deadly conspiracy that reaches far beyond the criminal underworld
and a journey into the past makes her a target...and anyone she's ever loved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="text-indent: 0in;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Lethal Journey Excerpt</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<i style="text-indent: 0in;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">September 1997</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Rain pounded down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Lauren Taylor squinted through the windshield, a
backwash of water battered the glass. She flicked the wipers on high and
tightened her hands around the steering wheel. With a quick glance in the
rear-view mirror she noticed headlights behind her. The vehicle appeared to
speed up, fall back, and then speed up again.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Her muscles tensed. “That driver behind us seems to be
in a big hurry.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Her father leaned forward in the seat and peered into
the side mirror. “He’s all over the road. Might be drunk or something.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“He’s crazy driving like that in this weather. I’m
letting him go by.” She downshifted the Jaguar and steered onto the side of the
road and rolled to a stop.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">As the van raced by. A giant wave of water pelted the
side of the car.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">H</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">er father watched out the window. “Christ, he’s
flying”</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Taillights flickered and quickly faded ahead into the
blackened night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">With a quick glimpse in the mirror, Lauren steered the
car back onto the road, her grip relaxed around the wheel. “That’s better.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Her father repositioned himself in the leather seat
and stretched his legs. “The Law Society’s dinner is next week. You going?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">God, the dinner. She’d bought an expensive navy and
white designer dress for the occasion and even toyed with the idea of having
her hair cut into something more sophisticated and polished for a New York
district attorney.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“I’ll have to check my schedule.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Not good enough. I want you there, Lauren. My chance
to show you off. Do some bragging, big time.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">She couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, Dad. Okay.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“And don’t forget to bring a date for protection.
Don’t want a bunch of drunken seedy lawyers groping you on the dance floor. And
by the way, I heard Eric was back in town.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Her smile faded as she remembered the annual dinner
years before. She’d never forgotten a single detail of that night—how Eric held
her in his arms and how his mouth devoured her willing lips then pulled away
and left her mouth burning for more...</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“What else did you hear about him?” she blurted out.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Not much. Can’t even remember where I heard the news.
Thought you didn’t want to talk about Brennan?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“I don’t. I just wondered when he got back.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Her father's jaw tightened. “Don’t know.” His voice
turned hard. “Just heard he’s back.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">At one point in their relationship, Eric begged her to
come with him and start a new life in Florida. She didn’t have the courage to
leave her father and walk away from her job. Four years later, she was taking
on the most important case of her career—prosecuting Gino Valdina, head of New
York’s crime family, just like her father had done a decade before. But this
time would be different. Gino Valdina wasn’t going to get away with murder.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The sky split and lightning lit the wet road. Lauren
eyed the exit sign to Hyde Park.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The whining squeal of an engine roared from behind.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Lauren glanced over her shoulder. “God, that van is back.”
She clicked on the turning signal and steered onto the off-ramp. Her eyes
darted back to the side mirror.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Headlights swerved from side to side.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">A shiver drove up her spine. She clutched the steering
wheel.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“I’m calling the police.” Her father grabbed his cell
phone out of the glove box and turned it on. “Damn it. I can’t get a signal.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Keep trying.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">The van’s driver gunned the engine.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The grill came into view, massive and powerful.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Close. Too close.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Metal connected and scraped against the bumper.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The van shoved the Jaguar ahead on the road.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">High-beams from the other lane blinded her.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Lauren blinked and turned her head.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The van rammed the back of the car. Metal popped as
the back window disintegrated into the back seat.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The seat belt snapped across her shoulder. Her head
slammed back on the head rest then forward. “Oh my God!”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The cell phone flew from her father’s hand. “What
the—”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Dad!”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Like a slingshot the Jaguar shot down the slick road.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Lauren slammed on the brakes.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The car slid a half circle and spun out of control. A
massive tidal wave of water washed over the roof.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Her father clutched the dashboard with both hands.
“The tree!”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">She yanked the steering wheel hard to the left.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Wood splintered. Metal buckled, squealed and cracked.
The air bag struck her body like a fist, and smacked her head against the side
window. She pushed at it, viciously. With every move, fiery pain shot through
her face and down her neck. The sickening sweet stench of gasoline and smoke
filled her nostrils. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Her head clouded.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Lauren heard her own voice, pinched and muffled, cry
out. “Dad!” until her words drifted into silence.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Bio:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoooejFYdR4BNh5EgimnFzGdwxnR_t02gUfsEpVRddSjP853K_-q_gbPjIbTYaoZHKsvEEz0ooZUjkwBs-Sz85MnbMTx1mOkg-28bpSU2AeK82o8lJtzLbyuV_X-JYcE6wn9TlaE1TLJo/s1600/newkim2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoooejFYdR4BNh5EgimnFzGdwxnR_t02gUfsEpVRddSjP853K_-q_gbPjIbTYaoZHKsvEEz0ooZUjkwBs-Sz85MnbMTx1mOkg-28bpSU2AeK82o8lJtzLbyuV_X-JYcE6wn9TlaE1TLJo/s320/newkim2012.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Trained
as a legal assistant, Kim has been a story-teller all her life but took many
detours including; working in legal and adult education before returning to her
first love, writing.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Her
debut thriller, REFLECTION, has won numerous awards. UP Authors Fiction
Challenge Winner (2013), Silicon Valley's Romance Writers of America (RWA)
"Gotcha!" Romantic Suspense Winner (2004) and an Honourable Mention
in Calgary's (RWA) The Writer's Voice Contest (2006).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">LETHAL
JOURNEY was a finalist in From the Heart Romance Writers (FTHRW) Golden Gate
Contest (2003).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Her
action-packed thrillers have been highly praised by reviewers and readers. As
one reviewer said, "Buckle up, hang on tight!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">LETHAL
JOURNEY - A killer lurks in the shadows of Hyde Park, New York...waiting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Pre-order
at a special price of $0.99 - Save $3.00!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Kobo: <a href="http://goo.gl/o6Kd3P">http://goo.gl/o6Kd3P</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">iTunes: <a href="http://goo.gl/eIsBBw">http://goo.gl/eIsBBw</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Barnes
& Noble: <a href="http://goo.gl/enh1HJ">http://goo.gl/enh1HJ</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Indigo: <a href="http://tiny.cc/py6s4w">http://tiny.cc/py6s4w</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">REFLECTION
- Award-winning romantic thriller! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">MuseItUp
Publishing: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ctwm5cp">http://tinyurl.com/ctwm5cp</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Amazon: <a href="http://tiny.cc/hp6s4w">http://tiny.cc/hp6s4w</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Kobo: <a href="http://tiny.cc/qq6s4w">http://tiny.cc/qq6s4w</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Barnes
& Noble: <a href="http://tiny.cc/6q6s4w">http://tiny.cc/6q6s4w</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">iTunes: <a href="http://tiny.cc/7r6s4w">http://tiny.cc/7r6s4w</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/KimCresswellBooks">www.facebook.com/KimCresswellBooks</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://twitter.com/kimcresswell">http://twitter.com/kimcresswell</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.kimcresswell.ca/">www.kimcresswell.ca</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://kimberleycresswell.wordpress.com/">http://kimberleycresswell.wordpress.com/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Here's
a link to a Rafflecopter where Kim will be giving away two signed ebooks of
Reflection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YzFiNzNlOTg2ZDhiODZhNzRmNmNhNDg0ZjBlNjA3OjQ=/" target="_blank">http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YzFiNzNlOTg2ZDhiODZhNzRmNmNhNDg0ZjBlNjA3OjQ=/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-54366023042720409522013-10-25T14:35:00.000-07:002013-10-25T18:21:06.201-07:00Anything is Possible--I'm on tonight's news! <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Anything is possible. <a href="https://twitter.com/Leona_Pence">@Leona_Pence</a>'s book launches today, but she can't type w/ hands. Story tonight on <a href="https://twitter.com/WMBD31News">@WMBD31News</a>. <a href="http://t.co/ri8bAvFBW6">pic.twitter.com/ri8bAvFBW6</a></p>— Eugene Daniel III (@_EugeneDaniel) <a href="https://twitter.com/_EugeneDaniel/statuses/393810678739255297">October 25, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Von Ruperthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14044313560954982126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-31623382711196459472013-10-23T11:12:00.000-07:002013-10-25T06:20:33.647-07:00It's Launch Day!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Yes,
the day I’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. Can you believe that I,
Leona Pence, am now a published author? Pinch me somebody.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsAJFEpUAJMuVpI2tHIKen-QbIeo5fMiEi1qH7c57ZE-llozfFLGuggbP9n-JMvlmglKxjrfrHZnpFgKlRZJba-swFyXcKLftOvlVMQwhUrJ4wn_d0nyKWTY6654pmxeJlgwlGp7wndI/s1600/hht3d.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsAJFEpUAJMuVpI2tHIKen-QbIeo5fMiEi1qH7c57ZE-llozfFLGuggbP9n-JMvlmglKxjrfrHZnpFgKlRZJba-swFyXcKLftOvlVMQwhUrJ4wn_d0nyKWTY6654pmxeJlgwlGp7wndI/s320/hht3d.png" width="206" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I’m
planning a big Facebook Event soon with lots of cool prizes. I want my family
and friends to celebrate with me. You are all invited— Instead of a launch party, it will be :<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Come Celebrate With Me!</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Date and Time details </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: black;"> <span style="color: red;">Sunday November 3</span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;">12:30-4:30 CST </span></span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: black;"></span> </b></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> Short excerpt:</span><br />
They walked outside through sliding glass doors to the pool area.<br />
<br />
“Would you like to go for a swim before dinner?”<br />
<br />
“I don't have a swim suit with me.”<br />
<br />
“We can skinny dip.” His eyes twinkled.<br />
<br />
She grinned at him. “I don't think so.”<br />
<br />
“There are a few more options. I could locate one of Katie's but...humm...I doubt<br />
the top will fit.”<br />
<br />
She picked up a towel from a stack and threw it at him.<br />
<br />
“I can lend you a white tee-shirt that will cover you nicely.”<br />
<br />
Stella laughed at that suggestion. She could tell by his face that he was visualizing<br />
a wet t-shirt on her. “Next time, I'll bring my swim suit. I promise.”<br />
<br />
They strolled around the pool and down a beautiful garden path that led to a<br />
wooded area. A small pond came into view.<br />
<br />
“We can fish for our dinner sometime in this pond. It’s well stocked and has to be<br />
thinned out once in a while. Ducks are often gliding on the water. Katie loved to<br />
watch them.”<br />
<br />
“I’ve never fished before. Would I have to touch a worm?”<br />
<br />
JB laughed and pulled her close. “No, I’ll be happy to bait the hook for you.”<br />
<br />
MuseItUp Book Store : <a href="http://tinyurl.com/lrqon56">Hemphill Towers</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/:http://goo.gl/T97WNW" style="font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px; text-indent: 0in;">Bump Off Your Enemies</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/:http://goo.gl/YX3Xre">The Darwin Murders</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/author.leona.pence">Facebook Author Page</a>
</div>
Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-51754466640555149462013-10-08T20:29:00.001-07:002013-10-10T10:16:30.402-07:00Hemphill Towers Cover Reveal.<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Woo Hoo! Hemphill Towers now has a beautiful cover,
thanks to the talented Marion Sipe. Even though I’m deaf, I can hear the
applause from my characters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwhds1CPotHsIRQlAk7lYDJ6iM7gvfm0NsccK5D1NO4ZBfkr4QW_m2CUD4o1B3JVk0DlwCp6_qw6MWxTBScgM2JQKqII0W62LpGmN8dEbHPixIDUEulnThbi99NaZ9DsdT9PXA7yBGC4/s1600/hemphilltowers333x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwhds1CPotHsIRQlAk7lYDJ6iM7gvfm0NsccK5D1NO4ZBfkr4QW_m2CUD4o1B3JVk0DlwCp6_qw6MWxTBScgM2JQKqII0W62LpGmN8dEbHPixIDUEulnThbi99NaZ9DsdT9PXA7yBGC4/s320/hemphilltowers333x500.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Quiet now, I know you’re happy. Riley, what do you
think of the cover?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Riley: “I love it! Trent looks so handsome. Will
Marion read this? If not, tell her she matched us well.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I’ll be sure she knows how you feel. Are you excited
that our book will be published soon?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Riley: “Oh yes! I can’t wait for people to read our story.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Dierk: “Hey! Why am I not on the cover?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Well, Dierk, you know everybody wouldn’t fit on
there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Dierk: “Yes, but without me, there’d be no book, and
you know it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Trent: “Knock it off, Dierk. It was hard enough
having to share book pages with you. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">We don’t need you to spoil our cover.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in 227.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in 227.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">JB and Federico in unison: “Amen!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in 227.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Stella: “Come on people. This is a time
to celebrate. Let’s put the spotlight on our creator so she can tell us what
comes next.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in 227.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in 227.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Birdie: “I second that. Leona, a birdie
told me (no pun intended) that we’ll celebrate the reveal with ‘Leona’ wine.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAkTPwHLsww27BVYnOL-gBHj755PjLCPgO-7dtdTLntViV28qEZlXedr7JDJplTxHf3MrDygEUciVBONj2G3ZMtKpgKoPrQTzV58ISzxyuOt-Mt9CvTVYd6MzpmMrKUOwaakuc6Bqh8I/s1600/leonamerlot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAkTPwHLsww27BVYnOL-gBHj755PjLCPgO-7dtdTLntViV28qEZlXedr7JDJplTxHf3MrDygEUciVBONj2G3ZMtKpgKoPrQTzV58ISzxyuOt-Mt9CvTVYd6MzpmMrKUOwaakuc6Bqh8I/s200/leonamerlot.png" width="62" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: .5in 227.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Yes. I’d love to have a glass of wine
with my characters. Even you, Dierk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“No, thanks If I can’t share the cover,
why should I share the wine?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">JB: “You’re absolutely right, Dierk.
Goodbye, catch you later, maybe.” (Door
slams, followed by laughter.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">He might feel better when the book
launches in Oct./Nov. We’ll have a big party then. Mayor Hemphill will be our
honored guest. But for now, enjoy your wine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Three cheers for my characters who made
this cover reveal possible!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Al</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">l: </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;"> "Hear! Hear</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;">Hemphill Towers coming in Oct/Nov from:<a href="http://museituppublishing.com/"> MuseItUp</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/lo5yjzx">Anthology: Bump off Your Enemies</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://preview.tinyurl.com/k2lb2am">Anthology: The Darwin Murders</a> </span><br />
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Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-17992133685988805692013-09-23T09:45:00.000-07:002013-10-02T06:14:47.719-07:00Meradeth Houston~Colors Like MemoriesIt's my pleasure to welcome Meradeth Houston to tell you all about her print book release. Congratulations, Meradeth! The cover is beautiful.<br />
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Hi! *waves* I'm incredibly excited to announce the paperback release for COLORS LIKE MEMORIES. The ebook release has been a blast, and it is especially awesome to actually hold the book in my hands :) Here are three things I think you might find fun about the book:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHNFVjUp5cnTX9O0lKbADD3e8cLiobiLOrswPdlsVgqLvL1zJPx2iA1bRtuEIpviCteIygMZVwVmX0QyMz0olHiNNH0IrJU-SeIBrjQlom27cBVL9ui1tX3HT7O_aNBMSEAjR0AsaDB-3/s1600/Colors+Like+Memories+200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHNFVjUp5cnTX9O0lKbADD3e8cLiobiLOrswPdlsVgqLvL1zJPx2iA1bRtuEIpviCteIygMZVwVmX0QyMz0olHiNNH0IrJU-SeIBrjQlom27cBVL9ui1tX3HT7O_aNBMSEAjR0AsaDB-3/s1600/Colors+Like+Memories+200x300.jpg" /></a><b>1. It's got a pretty sweet cover :) And I'm rather partial to the blurb:</b><br />
<b></b><br />
Julia has a secret: she killed the guy she loved. It was an accident—sort of.<br />
<br />
Julia is a Sary, the soul of a child who died before taking her first breath. Without this 'breath of life' she and others like her must help those on the verge of suicide. It's a job Julia used to enjoy, until the accident that claimed her boyfriend’s life—an accident she knows was her fault. If living with the guilt weren't enough, she's now assigned to help a girl dealing with the loss of her mother, something Julia's not exactly the best role model for. If she can't figure out a way to help her, Julia's going to lose her position in the Sary, something she swore to her boyfriend would never happen.<br />
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<b>2. There have been some pretty awesome things said about it (if I do say so myself, but I may be a bit biased). See:</b><br />
<br />
-<i>"...I applaud the author for providing a writing that has the power to encourage, inspire, help, heal and simply serve as a platform to stimulate communication for any reader (regardless of age), who is feeling hopeless. If you are looking for an interesting read, this book is well written, interesting and has several positive messages that the reader can take away from the story. I would recommend this book to any reader."</i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R3NOGC60BAJEN6/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0083ODXSG&nodeID=&tag=" target="_blank">TWC Amazon Review</a><br />
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-"<i>Colors Like Memories was an amazing YA paranormal romance. It will make you soar with wings then drop you off and catch you once you get near the ground.</i>" <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R1D2L37FHDBRTU/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0083ODXSG&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=">Michelle Kullman Amazon Review</a><br />
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-"<i>COLORS LIKE MEMORIES is an achingly beautiful tale of love, loss, and new beginnings. Meradeth Houston writes with a clean, clear prose that packs a punch. She carries her characters through the full spectrum of emotions, and the reader is swept along in the journey.</i>" <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/RW9K3DNVO1BR4/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0083ODXSG&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=">RunningnWriting Amazon Review</a><br />
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<b>3. You don't have to wait for book #2! THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE, also set in the Sary world, is already available, and you can grab a copy at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Colors-Like-Memories-ebook/dp/B0083ODXSG/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-chemistry-of-fate-meradeth-houston/1115195062?ean=2940016492834">B&N</a>, or my publisher <a href="http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/new-releases/series/colors-like-memories-print-book-detail" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MuseItUp Publishing</a>. Book #3, SURRENDER THE SKY, will also be released soon :)</b><br />
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You can pre-order COLORS LIKE MEMORIES at my publisher's site: <a href="http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/new-releases/series/colors-like-memories-print-book-detail">MuseItUp Publishing</a>, or find it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Colors-Like-Memories-ebook/dp/B0083ODXSG/ref=la_B0083U5AH2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379875195&sr=1-1">Amazon</a>, and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/colors-like-memories-meradeth-houston/1112133529?ean=2940044687257">Barnes & Noble</a>. Ebook copies are also available on all vendor sites!<br />
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Those are my three things, and if that's not enough to interest you, well, I've also got a little giveaway running for a book of your choice. Check out the rafflecopter below :)<br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4S2FhVqwWzjU_PoBfpeD5uJFUFQQ2e5_8NQpMJm4IlJe2OKs_busD2OfAF972ssUMadS7Ze-9k5DjvPfCnZA5ANnNN_f4fwZq2ikieBzyLGTLBk4Zq8zoaCn7TmF5tE1p8SKu79HKIjUf/s1600/MeradethHouston.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4S2FhVqwWzjU_PoBfpeD5uJFUFQQ2e5_8NQpMJm4IlJe2OKs_busD2OfAF972ssUMadS7Ze-9k5DjvPfCnZA5ANnNN_f4fwZq2ikieBzyLGTLBk4Zq8zoaCn7TmF5tE1p8SKu79HKIjUf/s1600/MeradethHouston.JPG" /></a></b> <i><b>A bit about Meradeth:</b></i><br />
>She’s a Northern California girl, but now lives and teaches anthropology in Montana.<br />
>When she’s not writing, she’s sequencing dead people’s DNA. For fun!<br />
>She’s been writing since she was 11 years old. It's her hobby, her passion, and she’s so happy to get to share her work!<br />
>If she could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because she’s terrified of heights.<br />
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Find her online:<br />
<a href="http://www.meradethhouston.com/">Website</a> : <a href="http://meradethhouston.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> : <a href="https://twitter.com/MeradethHouston">Twitter</a> : <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MeradethHouston">Facebook</a> : <a href="http://pinterest.com/merbear95695/">Pinterest</a> : <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17452243-the-chemistry-of-fate">Goodreads</a><br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/97a33711/" id="rc-97a33711" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>
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<a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/OTdhMzM3MDc3MmYxMDI3OTZmNWMwZTNiOGEwZDEzOjEx/" target="_blank">Direct link to Rafflecopter.</a><br />
<br />Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-31030704889817823662013-08-28T06:58:00.000-07:002013-08-28T07:08:49.271-07:00Welcome TJ MarshallIt’s my pleasure to welcome Thomas J. Marshall to my blog. TJ has agreed to answer some questions and talk about his newly released book, Finder’s Tome.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/O/P/Y/O/h/P/red-coffee-mug-md.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/O/P/Y/O/h/P/red-coffee-mug-md.png" width="190" /></a>Pull up a chair TJ and have a mug of coffee while we talk.<br />
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<b>Do you take yours black or with cream and sugar? </b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk1f2JlwfH_nFXEKzRr7I_F8dKde8yjRxXiWD816wYjHIqjgzBc53KDWBu4KEomOSDK5JAF_GmTOu6yjERmEzgWZ5Kuyh1-h9JGtwRtzLZp1AJ-z69heMxVLWdnK6y-zDxdBKac7KAhY/s1600/TomeWeb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> Leo, I love ya. Black is fine. <br />
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<b>Let’s start by you telling us where you’re from and a little about yourself?</b><br />
I’m originally from Illinois, but after 22 years of serving in the Army, I’ve lived just about everywhere. Currently I’m in Texas, near Ft Hood, and plan to retire from the military early next year here. <b> </b><br />
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<b>How long have you considered yourself a writer? </b><br />
I found out that I was a writer in January 2012 shortly after I enrolled in <a href="https://www.writersvillage.com/wvu2/">F2K</a>. Sure I wrote a few things prior to that, but they were mainly just humorous letters I would send to my family when I was away, nothing I thought of as “story-telling”.<br />
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<b>From the time I met you in F2K, I knew you were a talented writer. Do the words come easily for you? Any writer’s block, thus far?</b><br />
Do words come easy… Well, that’s sort of hit and miss, many times they do. You see, when I write, I usually start off knowing the general idea for what I’m going to write about, maybe not the entire thing, but at least the concept. Then I get the characters together and “talk” to them, they usually know a lot more about the scene than I do. As far as writer’s block, I can’t say I’ve had that, although I’ve had a short period of what I refer to as writer’s fatigue, basically not being motivated, due to working too hard previously. <br />
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<b>What genre do you write? Do you think you might try a different one for your next book?</b><br />
My primary genre is fantasy adventure, but I’ve dabbled in a few other genre’s – Humor, drama, although I’ve seemed to steer clear of romance so far. I’ve even written science fiction before. I don’t have any plans to write a novel outside of fantasy adventure yet since I have two novels in the making right now that go along with my first book.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk1f2JlwfH_nFXEKzRr7I_F8dKde8yjRxXiWD816wYjHIqjgzBc53KDWBu4KEomOSDK5JAF_GmTOu6yjERmEzgWZ5Kuyh1-h9JGtwRtzLZp1AJ-z69heMxVLWdnK6y-zDxdBKac7KAhY/s1600/TomeWeb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk1f2JlwfH_nFXEKzRr7I_F8dKde8yjRxXiWD816wYjHIqjgzBc53KDWBu4KEomOSDK5JAF_GmTOu6yjERmEzgWZ5Kuyh1-h9JGtwRtzLZp1AJ-z69heMxVLWdnK6y-zDxdBKac7KAhY/s320/TomeWeb.jpg" /></a><b>Tell us a bit about Finder’s Tome and what inspired you to write it.</b><br />
Here’s the back cover write up I did for Finder’s Tome:<br />
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The Deadly Gates have been opened. An exiled prince plots the return of trolls into FourPosts. <br />
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Jacob “Feather” Moore is given an ancient book to read. It shows him where he can find Mandrake’s Key, an artifact with the power to relock the Deadly Gates.<br />
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In a race for his life and the future of FourPosts, Feather is pursued through caverns, deserts and foreign cities. Lost, hungry and desperate, he struggles to reach the Great Hollow and the portal it holds. His only hope lies in the visions given by a book called Finder’s Tome.<br />
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The original inspiration for this story came in 1994 when I took a creative writing class in college. The teacher had us free write for 10 minutes with the subject being the moon. I wrote two pages detailing this clumsy boy hiding in an alley who gets scared by a shift of light which later turns out to be the moon coming from behind a cloud. A version of that original free writing exercise can be found in this novel.<br />
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<b>Do you write on a daily basis?</b><br />
For the most part, yes, but what I write varies from day to day. I have a ritual that starts with waking up at 4 am, making coffee, and putting on some inspirational music. Then I write. Some days I may just be editing previously written chapters, others it’s working on new projects, but every day, I’ll do something writing oriented.<br />
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<b>How has being in the Army affected your writing, if at all?</b><br />
Being in an organization for as long as I have definitely has an impact on a writer’s work. It’s unavoidable. For me, I get characters and names. The army has people from all walks of life and from every culture. I’ve met some very colorful characters during my time in the Army. For example, one of my characters in Finder’s Tome, the elf king Kellian Par’Voua, is based off the mannerism of a bull-headed officer I encountered not too long ago. Also, being able to travel the world I gained the experience of many different cultures and landscapes. I chose to include a desert scene primarily due to my time in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.<br />
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<b>Do your daughters read your work?</b><br />
At times they do, but they are busy being kids. I’ve read many of my flash fiction pieces to them and they just loved the short story I wrote about a dragon.<br />
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<b>Do you have a favorite Author? Did any one author inspire you to become a writer?</b><br />
My all-time favorite author is JRR Tolkien, although I am a big fan of many, such as Stephen King, Dan Brown, Robert Ludlum, and who doesn’t like Douglas Adams? But JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit was what drew me to fantasy writing.<br />
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<b>One word answers:</b><br />
A) <b>Motorcycles or SUVs?</b> SUVs<br />
B) <b>Winter or summer?</b> Summer<br />
C) <b>Hamburger or steak?</b> Steak<br />
D) <b>Television or movies?</b> Movies<br />
E) <b>Pie or cake?</b> Pie<br />
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<b>Do you have any advice for new writers? Something you wish somebody had told you?</b><br />
Write what you like and don’t worry about whether it falls within the latest trends. Trends change more often than a baby’s diaper, and most stink worse too.<br />
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<b>We’d like to see an excerpt from Finder’s Tome.</b><br />
Sure. In this scene, Feather, having just finished fighting a band of hobgoblins, meets the half-elf Chelsey for the first time:<br />
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“Um Geoffrey, we might have a problem.” <br />
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“What is it?” He turned and saw the giant beast closing on them. “It’s a Wildebear. They’re said to embody the spirits of the forest. Where did it come from?” He raised the glass rod and pointed it at the magical creature. <br />
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An arrow struck the ground between the wizard’s feet. “Don’t you dare!” A female voice came from the trees above them. <br />
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Feather squinted, looking for the shadow he had seen earlier. <br />
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The ground thumped to Feather’s right. He flinched. <br />
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A woman stood next to him. She wore a long, brown and gray fur cloak over a thin frame and was as tall as Feather. Her auburn hair was pinned back from her temples, revealing long pointed ears. Almond-shaped eyes, the color of emeralds, held Feather’s stare. In her hands, she held a delicate silver bow aimed at Geoffrey’s chest. <br />
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“Who are you and why are you in my forest?” The elfish girl asked, her eyes narrowing. <br />
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Geoffrey’s lips turned into a gentle smile. “Looking for you I believe, Chesley Fa’Quin.” <br />
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Chelsey’s brow furrowed as she strapped the bow to her back. “How do you know my name?” <br />
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“You’re beautiful.” Feather clamped a hand over his mouth and looked down. His heartbeat pounded in his temples while his face heated. “I’m sorry, I just expected someone living in the woods to be more… rough-looking.”<br />
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<b>Thank you so much, TJ, for being here today.</b><br />
It was my pleasure, Leo. Thank you for having me. <br />
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<i>TJ Marshall spent the majority of his adult life in the US Army, and during this time, had traveled to more than two dozen countries as well as visiting nearly every state. A veteran of both Desert Storm and the Global War on Terror, TJ finally decided to retire and start a new life in Texas with his two daughters Courtney and Shea. A newcomer to writing, Finder’s Tome is TJ’s first novel, but in the short time he’s been writing, he has produced countless short stories, one of which was the winner of an internet writing contest hosted by First Page Last Page. TJ is currently working on a second novel titled The Struggles due to be released in summer 2014.</i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">TJ can be found here:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ES5Q5H0/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk">Finder's Tome</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FourPostsAuthor">www.facebook.com/FourPostsAuthor</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FindersTome">www.facebook.com/FindersTome</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-42345520287076025402013-07-02T13:09:00.001-07:002013-07-03T09:34:09.388-07:00Welcome, Maryetta Ackenbom aka Mar<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnxjePiNq9HqCh6KwrnhtJxJlUkRYPqvSAq5O7e4DCubuX__Ig4A3yt9raZPXz7xKwpBVGziIKPFZc9eR87N-ydRmuoVYgHEPBztEWk3VNCozoVFXOSJCLX1nnIfRGDzKKVaw5TcdTHZr/s512/bookstack.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnxjePiNq9HqCh6KwrnhtJxJlUkRYPqvSAq5O7e4DCubuX__Ig4A3yt9raZPXz7xKwpBVGziIKPFZc9eR87N-ydRmuoVYgHEPBztEWk3VNCozoVFXOSJCLX1nnIfRGDzKKVaw5TcdTHZr/s200/bookstack.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Please welcome my guest, Maryetta Ackenbom, who just released her new book, Georgia’s Hope. Mar became my friend several years ago during an F2K session. (Free writing course.) She and I have been Mentors there for at least three years. <br />
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Pull up a chair Mar, have some coffee, and let me quiz you a bit.<br />
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<b>Where do you hail from? Tell us a little about you.</b><br />
<i>Leona, I’ve lived in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico for more than 15 years. Before that, I lived in a number of places in the U.S. and abroad. The world traveler is now staying home. </i><br />
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<b>How long have you been writing, Mar?</b><i> </i><br />
<i>Can I say, all my life? I began to seriously write short stories about 20 years ago.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yfLrHxAZP9VV05cs33ckbuCDG76FBW3DiA2iLdkYTfoBvdGTFpewK4VCec8hvGLStTzP8S-ssp5OqpBH_gBkN6H_lBdoOZJzW5TgfKDzXBjC_S07ra4KCTCDTc5QdqziO2vsGLr7V3Dg/s576/cover+mars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yfLrHxAZP9VV05cs33ckbuCDG76FBW3DiA2iLdkYTfoBvdGTFpewK4VCec8hvGLStTzP8S-ssp5OqpBH_gBkN6H_lBdoOZJzW5TgfKDzXBjC_S07ra4KCTCDTc5QdqziO2vsGLr7V3Dg/s400/cover+mars.jpg" width="260" /></a><b>When did you start working on Georgia’s Hope?</b><br />
<i>I began it as a short story, some six or seven years ago. </i><br />
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<b>Did you ever think of giving up?</b><i> </i><br />
<i>I despaired, occasionally, but never gave up.</i><br />
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<b>Do you see a sequel in the near future?</b><i> </i><br />
<i>I can see a place for a sequel, but I think Georgia’s Hope is my one and only.</i><br />
<b><br />What other published works do you have to your credit?</b><i> </i><br />
<i>I’ve published about a dozen short stories in online magazines.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Give me a one word answer:</b><br />
A) Coffee or tea? <i>coffee</i><br />
B) Dogs or cats? <i>animals</i><br />
C) Winter or summer? <i>summer</i><br />
D) Romance books: tame or steamy?<i> no</i><br />
E) Henry or Jerome? <i>Jerome!</i><br />
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<b>Do you have a favorite author or two? </b><br />
<i>My favorites are Somerset Maugham and Jean Auel, with James Michener coming in a close third.</i> <br />
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<b>Do you feel overwhelmed by the promo/marketing aspect of publishing?</b><br />
<i>Yes, I do, but I have to grit my teeth and start. Thank you for helping me with that, Leona.</i><br />
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<b>Could we see a short excerpt from Georgia’s Hope?</b><br />
<i>This quote sets the beginning scene of the novel:</i><br />
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<blockquote>
During the night, a rare ice storm had blanketed Dallas, changing our back yard into a crystalline garden. Dull browns of winter turned into bright rainbows under the light of the rising sun. More than half-an-inch of ice covered everything exposed to the weather—every building, every street, every tree limb and blade of grass had turned to crystal. <br />
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“Oh my God, it’s like a fairyland.” Mom pulled the drapes open a little more.<br />
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“If you’re caught in it, it’s a monster land. Mom, Mr. and Mrs. Gomez froze to death. I can’t imagine that happening in Dallas. The children are in the hospital. Will you go with me to see them?”<br />
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“How awful! Yes, right away. We’ll let Dad sleep—he’s had a hard week.”<br />
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We pulled on slacks, sweaters and parkas and wrote a quick note to let Dad know where we’d gone. I drove the Lincoln, hoping the car’s weight would help us negotiate the icy streets. Mom wrung her hands as I slid along, skidding several times.<br />
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A half hour later, I maneuvered the Lincoln into the lot at Parkland Hospital, usually a five-minute drive from our home in Highland Park. We slipped and slid over the walkway into the emergency entrance. While my mother explained to the attending nurse that she met the Gomez family at the Episcopal Church shelter, I studied the typical hospital waiting room. Here, they brought John Kennedy, dead or dying, just a little over two years ago. That thought, and the ice outside, made me shiver.<br />
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I heard the nurse’s voice. “The Negro family? In intensive care, right down that hall. What a tragedy—those poor babies!”<br />
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We hurried through sterile halls which smelled of disinfectant and something that I could only think might be fear. Uniformed medical personnel walked purposefully, and anxious relatives simply milled around. We soon came to the room where the youngest children lay, hooked up to oxygen and intravenous tubes.<br />
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Mom and I clung to each other and wept, as we stood and watched the pitiful small bodies. The two little girls were no longer black, but an unhealthy shade of gray. In a few minutes, one of the nurses slipped in and told us that two of the other children had died. An older boy was barely alive in the next cubicle.</blockquote>
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<b>Thank you very much, Maryetta. I hope you’ll come back to visit again. </b><br />
<i> Thank you, Leona, for lending me your time and space to talk about my book. I’ll stop by often.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yfLrHxAZP9VV05cs33ckbuCDG76FBW3DiA2iLdkYTfoBvdGTFpewK4VCec8hvGLStTzP8S-ssp5OqpBH_gBkN6H_lBdoOZJzW5TgfKDzXBjC_S07ra4KCTCDTc5QdqziO2vsGLr7V3Dg/s576/cover+mars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yfLrHxAZP9VV05cs33ckbuCDG76FBW3DiA2iLdkYTfoBvdGTFpewK4VCec8hvGLStTzP8S-ssp5OqpBH_gBkN6H_lBdoOZJzW5TgfKDzXBjC_S07ra4KCTCDTc5QdqziO2vsGLr7V3Dg/s200/cover+mars.jpg" width="130" /></a>You can find out more and grab a copy Georgia's Hope on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Georgias-Hope-ebook/dp/B00DPVH5GS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1372778841&sr=1-1&keywords=Georgia%27s+Hope" target="_blank">Amazon.</a> <br />
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<b>Author Bio: </b><i>Originally from Oklahoma, Marryetta traveled with her family to more than a dozen different places before she was 15. Travel suited her, so she joined the U.S. Foreign Service, spending time in Africa, Asia, France, and Mexico. Retirement brought her to Merida, Yucatan, Mexico more than 15 years ago. There, she teaches basic English to a small group, writes and enjoys the symphony and the cuisine as well as the warm climate and the equally warm people. </i><br />
<br />Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371156661924293919.post-18875285387797160292013-06-26T10:21:00.000-07:002013-06-26T10:21:05.674-07:00Why I Write - By Michael HiebertHi! I'm substituting in for a blog post for Leo today. Don't worry, she's doing the same thing on my blog, so if you want to read her (and of course you do), you can scoot on over to my blog at <a href="http://www.michaelhiebert.com/blog">www.michaelhiebert.com/blog</a> and see what she has to say right now.<br />
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Okay, for the few of you that are left, I want to thank you for humoring me. I'll try to make this an enjoyable read and, (and this part will be the toughest) I'll try to keep it short.<br />
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I'm sure most of you have no idea who I am. There might be one or two. Mom, are you out there? Well, I'm an author who's been struggling to get published and become a "professional" for the last ten years. Ten years ago I walked out of my "real" job and never again worked a job that required me to wear anything more than my underwear. And I didn't work much. Mainly, I spent every minute of my waking hours thinking about or actually performing writing.<br />
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Usually a very dramatic one. Unfortunately, it nearly always ends up being a tragedy.<br />
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People either don't have the patience it takes and so they quit, or they don't have the luck it takes and so they go through their entire life thinking they just aren't good enough.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrgGnZmn9cjQS7atjNUce0llvT7Y-w21NskHeWWWB5sUWYbaXrCNPMLE8co86CubkAdzhEr1J48yoiKuamHKW4L1F0ecDMKq65KatphmNRtOmhsxzpCcdZx9_QKrd_p676vuleQOGGW3e/s1600/DWLA_300px.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrgGnZmn9cjQS7atjNUce0llvT7Y-w21NskHeWWWB5sUWYbaXrCNPMLE8co86CubkAdzhEr1J48yoiKuamHKW4L1F0ecDMKq65KatphmNRtOmhsxzpCcdZx9_QKrd_p676vuleQOGGW3e/s1600/DWLA_300px.png" /></a>Yesterday, I had my first major book released by a New York publisher. The novel's called <i>Dream with Little Angels</i> and the publisher is Kensington. So far, the book has been unbelievably well received and even managed to get a starred review on Publisher's Weekly. On July 7th, the New York Times will be reviewing it. If they review it favorably, I have no mental concept of what could be the result. The New York Times reviews can create bestsellers—it's called "making the list" in book circles; that list being the New York Times bestseller list.<br />
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I'm trying not to even consider that possibility, although my agent and my editor both seem to think it's in the realm of likelihood.<br />
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All I know is that whether I "make the list" or not, one thing is for certain: I will not change. I've had too much change in my life. And I've worked at this too hard. Even if I pull in a million dollars, when I think of the time I've spent working at my writing, it's not a huge amount of money when you amortize it across all those hours.<br />
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At least I keep telling myself that.<br />
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But then, when my agent called me two years ago to tell me she'd made the sale my reaction surprised her. And yes, it took two years for the book to go from being sold to coming to marketand this was a <i>finished</i> book. I didn't have to rewrite a word of it.<br />
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My reaction to her news was very nonchalant. Not because I wasn't happy, more because I'd spent ten years working at it. It was damn well time it happened. In a way, I was angry. Angry that she expected me to yell and scream and jump up and down for something I had expected to happen eight years earlier.<br />
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Why did it take two years for my book to go from sale to being published? Simple. Publishing moves at a glacial pace unless you're doing it on your own as an Indie author. I actually do both. I write so much content that I have far more than I could possibly sell to a single publisher, so I put much of it out under my own imprint (which is a fancy name for "publishing company"). My imprint is called DangerBoy Books.<br />
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If it's any consolation, after I hung up from my conversation that day with agent having told me I finally sold my first book and sat down and actually thought about everything, I did get pretty happy. But not over the moon happy. She sold that same publisher a second booka sequelsix months later, entirely on proposal. That made me happier.<br />
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But the main reason I wasn't exploding with combustible energy was because something happened to me throughout those ten years I wrote so many words and so many novels (I managed to complete sixteen books and over a hundred short stories); I stopped writing in hope of being published and started writing for myself. I wrote to entertain <i>me</i>.<br />
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I write very fast. I used to keep track of the number of words I crafted every year. For two years running, I managed to make it over the million mark. And I wrote those words because I was telling myself stories. I would sit down at my keyboard and just start typing, having no idea what was going to happen next. When you type as fast as I do and stop caring about the rest of the world, the words just come to you and your characters really do dictate their own story. It was like reading a book, only a book with a secret plot, kept squirreled away between me and the right side of my own brain.<br />
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And that led to another funny thing happening. Turns out that writing is just like every other craft in the world. If you do a lot of it, you simply get better at it. I was doing writing like Robert Downey Jr. used to do cocaine and one day I noticed that, hey, I was starting to get pretty good. So I started taking it seriously again. But not too seriously. I didn't want to ruin the covenant between me and my brain.<br />
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Lately, though, I think it's something else pushing me on. I am still writing fast. I started a new novel three days ago and I am already twenty thousand words into it and have the proposal a fair way done. Probably in another week it will be at a stage where I can stop working on it for now and sell it.<br />
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See? There's that "sell it" thing at the end and the part about "stop working on it for now" which means I'm no longer doing it to entertain myself. I think now I'm doing it to entertain other people.<br />
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I'll divulge a secret: I have horrible stage fright. I know what you're thinking: <i>oh, don't worry about that, we all do. Take Toastmasters or some sort of public speaking course</i>. Well, let me explain something. I <i>did</i> take Toastmasters once. They made me the <i>Timer</i> and just having <i>that</i> much attention focused on me made me have to run to the restroom halfway through the evening and throw up. The <i>Timer</i>.<br />
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But when I write, I can say anything I want to say and everything I've always wished I <i>could</i> say. I can shout things out from rooftops. I can be a boy again, only this time not one afraid of all the other boys. I can be one of the jockey guys who hung out together and laughed when the ones like me with the arm full of binders and textbooks slunk by them in the halls. Or I can be one of those girls, those deliriously beautiful girls with the glossy lip balm and the sparkly eyes who stood by their lockers as long as they could between classes chatting and giggling in ways that made my heart miss beats.<br />
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And who knows? Now that I'm being published, maybe after I'm gone someone will find one of my books somewhere all dogeared and creased and, peering at the crinkled cover, read my name wondering who this Michael Hiebert guy was and what the heck did he have to say that was so gall dang important that he had to put it in a book anyway?<br />
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And maybe he'll buy that book and take it home and read it and I'll get one final person enjoying my work even without me here.<br />
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I like that possibility. I like it a lot.<br />
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So why <i>do</i> I write?
It's definitely not for the money, so far that's been ridiculously minimal. And it's definitely not for the women, those ones from school never did notice me, even after I grew up. And it's certainly not to entertain myself anymore.<br />
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So my choices are getting pretty thin. But I think I know what it is.<br />
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When I think about it, really there's nothing closer to me than my writing.<br />
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Like I said, it's a covenant. It's a small piece of me, containing a little bit of my thoughts a tiny slice of my heart, and a sprinkling of my humor. Along with a dash of my dark wit that gets me into so much trouble sometimes.<br />
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But mostly, it's a chance to leave those little pieces of me behind when I go, just a tiny hint of me left for someone else to discover. For someone to maybe look at and think: he was here.<br />
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Yeah. That's it. I was here.<br />
<br />
Michael out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZaJ1-xobVK3LQqWrioW6M95kYTaRp6QR0l0LN4qL0KVVP7y_W0hbGRdZNuPVaMOwYCbnUp_PE92MlNn5MWL_eEON4QwqQJOIB78eC3uvXvg5DqzzNLm5W5XOri7kQ5Gp6yVcapxGTeIu/s1600/UBC_angels_retouched.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZaJ1-xobVK3LQqWrioW6M95kYTaRp6QR0l0LN4qL0KVVP7y_W0hbGRdZNuPVaMOwYCbnUp_PE92MlNn5MWL_eEON4QwqQJOIB78eC3uvXvg5DqzzNLm5W5XOri7kQ5Gp6yVcapxGTeIu/s320/UBC_angels_retouched.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Michael Hiebert is the award winning author of the critically acclaimed mystery <i>Dream with Little Angels</i>. He lives in British Columbia, Canada, and spends a lot of his time writing. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading graphic novels, building Lego with his youngest son, Legend, and hanging out with his two older children, a boy named Sagan and a daughter called Valentine. He wants to sincerely thank Leo for allowing him to ramble on someone else's site other than his own for once.<br />
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He can be contacted a number of ways:<br />
His website is: <b><a href="http://www.michaelhiebert.com/">www.michaelhiebert.com</a> </b><br />
He's on Facebook at: <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/michael.hiebert67">http://www.facebook.com/michael.hiebert67</a> </b><br />
His twitter handle is: <b>@Hiebert_M
</b>Leona~Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07402887334910900186noreply@blogger.com22