tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31529509643316558402024-03-21T09:18:36.127-04:00Gobs and Gobs of BooksRead, Write, Go On Adventures.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.comBlogger295125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-73958725449108770812014-10-30T14:44:00.003-04:002014-10-30T14:55:20.520-04:00So, I'm still alive (!)...and I have an Etsy shop now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Helloooo there. This is the person who used to post on this blog but kind of sunk into a rut and didn't post for like 3 months....yeah, it's me. I'm a bad blogger. *sad face* But, my blogging absence aside, I have something *somewhat* book related that I want to share with you!</div>
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While I was taking my unexpected hiatus from book blogging, I created an Etsy shop, which is something I've been meaning to do for a while. I've been making handmade jewelry for YEARS now (ya know, when I'm not reading) and since it's nice to have a little extra income (for buying books), I decided to start selling it. The link's below, if you want to check it out. And you WILL want to check it out. *wink*<br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShelbyLDesigns">Shelby L Designs: Handmade Pendant Necklaces, Earrings, and Studs</a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2KGxnpLGJhI/VFKG0Lh6kTI/AAAAAAAACcU/0iRTu1wdXdg/s1600/screen%2Bshot%2Betsy%2Bshop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2KGxnpLGJhI/VFKG0Lh6kTI/AAAAAAAACcU/0iRTu1wdXdg/s1600/screen%2Bshot%2Betsy%2Bshop.JPG" height="321" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you can see, it's called Shelby L Designs, and I mostly make handmade pendant necklaces, dangle earrings, and button studs. A good deal of my products are pretty inexpensive, and some, like the <b><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/197295708/alices-adventures-in-wonderland-queen-of?ref=shop_home_active_1">Alice in Wonderland necklace</a></b> and the <b><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/197558180/bag-end-door-hobbit-door-pendant?ref=shop_home_active_24">Hobbit door necklace</a></b>, are BOOKISH (ie perfect for book lovers/readers/authors).</div>
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If you have an Etsy account, please favorite my shop or any of my products that fancy you! I would be greatly in your debt. And, if you see something that really strikes your fancy, buy it! And leave an honest product review, because the best of people leave reviews. :)<br />
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Lastly, thanks for letting me share this random nugget after leaving y'all high and dry for several months. I will do my utmost to return to the grand ol' world of book blogging very, very soon.<br />
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Ciao!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-24583950356695855072014-09-03T00:00:00.000-04:002014-09-03T00:00:02.540-04:00Blog Tour: Madame Picasso (Spotlight)<br />
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<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/madamepicassoblogtour/9780778316350-indd/" rel="attachment wp-att-4040" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="9780778316350.indd" class="alignleft wp-image-4040" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/cover-madame-picasso-661x1024.jpg" height="473" width="305" /></a>Publication Date: August 26, 2014 <br />
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Harlequin MIRA <br />
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Formats: eBook, Paperback <br />
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Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19486758-madame-picasso?ac=1" rel="attachment wp-att-4070" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-4070 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.annegirardauthor.com/excerpt.htm" target="_blank">READ AN EXCERPT</a>. <br />
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The mesmerizing and untold story of Eva Gouel, the unforgettable woman who stole the heart of the greatest artist of our time. <br />
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When Eva Gouel moves to Paris from the countryside, she is full of ambition and dreams of stardom. Though young and inexperienced, she manages to find work as a costumer at the famous Moulin Rouge, and it is here that she first catches the attention of Pablo Picasso, a rising star in the art world.<br />
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A brilliant but eccentric artist, Picasso sets his sights on Eva, and Eva can't help but be drawn into his web. But what starts as a torrid affair soon evolves into what will become the first great love of Picasso's life.<br />
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With sparkling insight and passion, Madame Picasso introduces us to a dazzling heroine, taking us from the salon of Gertrude Stein to the glamorous Moulin Rouge and inside the studio and heart of one of the most enigmatic and iconic artists of the twentieth century.<br />
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Watch the Book Trailer</h2>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7TwPoFmJUuk?rel=0" width="560"></iframe> <br />
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Praise for Madame Picasso</h2>
"Early twentieth century Paris and Picasso's lost love come to enchanted, vivid life in Madame Picasso. With a deft eye for detail and deep understanding for her protagonists, Anne Girard captures the earnest young woman who enthralled the famous artist and became his unsung muse." - C.W. Gortner, bestselling author of THE QUEEN'S VOW<br />
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Buy the Book</h2>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Madame-Picasso-Anne-Girard/dp/0778316351/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&qid=1397576140&sr=8-1&tag=dianhaeg-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/madame-picasso-anne-girard/1117716184?ean=9780778316350" target="_blank"> Barnes & Noble</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-7506684-42121?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FMadame-Picasso%2FAnne-Girard%2F9780778316350%3Fid%3D5975762741286" target="_blank">Books-a-Million</a> <br />
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/anne-girard/id832949208?mt=11&uo=4&at=11lxzA" target="_blank"> iTunes</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780778316350?aff=Dlhaeger" target="_blank">IndieBound</a> <br />
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ddQ9JcNV1sTu31ueu089KzdSf3bQzvco3TAgCzGwvlLRvutLJf0sbndsfqLKkncxWyKVT-iXHQCOvBrzPmYhlKeriTHIpAcF5rlnpQz7kiJG12XuxvjQ_0UdhNudXwBFdhrASL9IOw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="03_Anne Girard" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-4042 " src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/03_Anne-Girard-201x300.jpg" height="201" width="135" /></a>About the Author</h2>
Anne Girard was born with writing in her blood. The daughter of a hard-driving Chicago newsman, she has always had the same passion for storytelling that fueled his lifelong career. She hand-wrote her first novel (admittedly, not a very good one) at the age of fourteen, and never stopped imagining characters and their stories. Writing only ever took a backseat to her love of reading.<br />
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After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature from UCLA and a Master's degree in psychology from Pepperdine University, a chance meeting with the acclaimed author, Irving Stone, sharply focused her ambition onto telling great stories from history with detailed research. "Live where your characters lived, see the things they saw," he said, "only then can you truly bring them to life for your readers." Anne took that advice to heart. After Stone's encouragement twenty years ago, she sold her first novel. When she is not traveling the world researching her stories, Anne and her family make their home in Southern California. When she is not traveling or writing, she is reading fiction.<br />
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Anne also writes historical fiction under the name Diane Haeger. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.dianehaeger.com/" target="_blank">www.dianehaeger.com</a>. You can also find her on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/annegirardauthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/annegirard1" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7563277.Anne_Girard" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.<br />
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Madame Picasso Blog Tour Schedule</h2>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 25</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Flashlight Commentary</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 26</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://historicalfictionnotebook.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Notebook</a> <br />
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Interview & Giveaway at <a href="http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Flashlight Commentary</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 27</strong></span> <br />
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Review & Giveaway at <a href="http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com/" target="_blank">Peeking Between the Pages</a> <br />
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Interview & Giveaway at <a href="http://historicalfictionnotebook.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Notebook</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 28</strong></span> <br />
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Review & Giveaway at <a href="http://wordsandpeace.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Words and Peace</a> <br />
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Review & Giveaway at K<a href="http://www.kinxsbooknook.com/" target="_blank">inx's Book Nook</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 29</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://scandalouswoman.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Scandalous Women</a> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://www.curlingupbythefire.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Curling Up by the Fire</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, September 1</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a> <br />
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Spotlight & Giveaway at <a href="http://www.passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, September 2</strong></span> <br />
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Review & Giveaway at <a href="http://luxuryreading.com/" target="_blank">Luxury Reading</a> <br />
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Interview & Giveaway at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, September 3</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://gobsandgobsofbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Gobs and Gobs of Books</a> <br />
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Spotlight & Giveaway at <a href="http://www.susanheimonwriting.com/" target="_blank">Susan Heim on Writing</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 4</strong></span> <br />
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Review & Giveaway at <a href="http://themaidenscourt.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Maiden's Court</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, September 5</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" target="_blank">To Read or Not to Read</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, September 8</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://bookofsecretsblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Book of Secrets</a> <br />
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Review & Giveaway at <a href="http://minadecaro.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mina's Bookshelf</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, September 9</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Chick Who Reads</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, September 10</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://booksintheburbs.com/" target="_blank">Books in the Burbs</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 11</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://agelesspagesreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ageless Pages Reviews</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, September 12</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://carolinewilsonwrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Caroline Wilson Writes</a> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://bookbindersdaughter.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Book Binder's Daughter</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, September 15</strong></span> <br />
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Review at L<a href="http://layeredpages.com/" target="_blank">ayered Pages</a> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://www.caroleraesramblings.com/" target="_blank">Carole's Ramblings</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, September 16</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://she-is-too-fond-of-books.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">She is Too Fond of Books</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, September 17</strong></span> <br />
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Interview & Giveaway at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 18</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://onebooktime.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">One Book of a Time</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, September 19</strong></span> <br />
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Spotlight & Giveaway at <a href="http://theteddyrosebookreviewsplusmore.com/" target="_blank">So Many Precious Books, So Little Time</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, September 22</strong></span> <br />
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Review & Giveaway at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, September 23</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://librarianfatale.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Librarian Fatale</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, September 24</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://wtfareyoureading.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">WTF Are You Reading?</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, September 25</strong></span> <br />
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Review at <a href="http://kincavelkorner.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Kincavel Korner</a> <br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, September 26</strong></span> <br />
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Interview at <a href="http://kincavelkorner.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Kincavel Korner</a> <br />
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<a href="http://s443.photobucket.com/user/abruno77/media/ff7bfbdc-32bd-45e3-913c-b7143f67952f.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo ff7bfbdc-32bd-45e3-913c-b7143f67952f.png" border="0" src="http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/abruno77/ff7bfbdc-32bd-45e3-913c-b7143f67952f.png" /></a>
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<b>Favorite Daughter, Part One </b><br />
By Paula Margulies <br />ISBN 13: 978-0-9913545-2-8<br />ISBN 10: 0991354524<br />One People Press: July 21, 2014<br />$15.99 <br />www.paulamargulies.com<br />www.amazon.com<br /><br /><h2>
Q & A with Paula Margulies</h2>
1) Where and when do you write? In my home office mostly, although I try to sneak away to artist residencies whenever my teaching and client work schedule will allow. I usually write on Sundays, but that all depends on how much life intrudes (and it does that often, believe me!).<br /><br />2) Why did you write your book? I’ve always been fascinated with the story of Pocahontas, and since so much of her history has been told to us by English explorers like John Smith, I decided that retelling her story, from her perspective, might make for an interesting read. <br /><br />3) There have been many books written about Pocahontas. How is this book different? There are a number<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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of differing versions of the history of that time, and much of what we know about Pocahontas comes from the writing of John Smith and the other colonists, who reported on what they found in the new land when they returned to England. Favorite Daughter, Part One is based on my research on works about her by Native Americans, many of whom tell a darker tale than the English history. Also, there aren’t many fictional works about that time from a Native American perspective, and the majority of those that do exist are written for young adults. Favorite Daughter, Part One is written for adults and focuses on Pocahontas’s coming of age into womanhood and becoming a wife and mother, in addition to her work as a representative of her tribe and, eventually, as a celebrity in England (that part of her story will be covered in Part Two). <br /><br />4) Are you of Native American heritage? No, both of my parents are of Italian descent. But my father, Douglas Roccaforte, loved Native American history and was a collector of American Indian artifacts, so I grew up with a deep appreciation of Native American culture and history. <br /><br />5) Whose work inspires you? So many authors inspire me that it’s hard to choose! I’ve always been a huge fan of the Southern gothic – William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor are my all-time favorite writers. As a graduate student in English Literature, I studied Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Bellow, Doctorow, Didion, Heller, and Pynchon. Recent authors whose stories have haunted me, stunned me, or made me weep: Sherman Alexie, Ha Jin, Vikram Seth, David Mitchell, Barbara Kingsolver, Louise Erdrich, Jane Smiley, Jane Hamilton, Sena Jeter Naslund, Anna Quindlen, and Elizabeth Berg.<br /><br />6) What do you like to do in your spare time? When I’m not working on my publicity business or teaching classes, I enjoy meditation, reading, writing, and experimenting with artisan bread recipes. In the summer, I try to go to as many local Native American pow wows as I can (there are quite a few here in the San Diego area), and I’ve been known to enjoy an Indian taco (or two) on occasion. <br /><br />7) What are the words you live by? Less is more (except when we’re talking about Indian tacos). ☺<br /> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-73841263266449759192014-08-11T06:00:00.000-04:002014-08-11T06:00:01.242-04:00Book Blast: The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee<br />
Author Alison Atlee's The Typewriter Girl is now an audiobook, narrated by Audie winner Rosalyn Landor, and in celebration she'll be touring the blogosphere from August 4-29 with HF Virtual Book Tours!<br />
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<img alt="02_The Typewriter Girl" class="wp-image-4117 alignleft" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/02_The-Typewriter-Girl.jpg" height="360" width="361" /><br />
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Audible Audio Book Edition<br />
Audible.com Release Date: April 4, 2014<br />
Listening Length: 12 hours and 39 minutes<br />
Publisher: Audible Studios<br />
Language: English<br />
ASIN: B00JH0L9HW<br />
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Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13547262-the-typewriter-girl?ac=1" rel="attachment wp-att-4070" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to GR Button" class="alignleft wp-image-4070 size-full" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Add-to-GR-Button.png" height="41" width="130" /></a><br />
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A <em>Publishers Weekly </em><strong>Best Books of the Year</strong> pick: <em>The Typewriter Girl </em>is a “spectacular debut, set in a perfectly realized Victorian England.”<br />
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<strong><em>When Betsey Dobson disembarks from the London train</em> </strong>in the seaside resort of Idensea, all she owns is a small valise and a canary in a cage. After an attempt to forge a letter of reference she knew would be denied her, Betsey has been fired from the typing pool of her previous employer. Her vigorous protest left one man wounded, another jilted, and her character permanently besmirched.</div>
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Now, without money or a reference for a new job, the future looks even bleaker than the debacle she left behind her.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But her life is about to change … because a young Welshman on the railroad quay, waiting for another woman, is the one finally willing to believe in her.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Mr. Jones is inept in matters of love, but a genius at things mechanical. In Idensea, he has constructed a glittering pier that astounds the wealthy tourists. And in Betsey, he recognizes the ideal tour manager for the Idensea Pier & Pleasure Building Company.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After a lifetime of guarding her secrets and breaking the rules, Betsey becomes a force to be reckoned with. Together, she and Mr. Jones must find a way for her to succeed in a society that would reject her, and figure the price of surrendering to the tides of love.</div>
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<h2>
Praise for The Typewriter Girl</h2>
“Atlee’s out¬standing debut unflinchingly explores … the unforgiving man’s world of Victorian England.” –PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)<br />
<br />
“Easily one of the most romantic books I’ll read all year … John and Betsey are compelling and worth rooting for.” –DEAR AUTHOR (a Recommended Read)<br />
<br />
“Sweeps readers to a satisfying conclusion.” –LIBRARY JOURNAL<br />
<h2>
Buy the AudioBook</h2>
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Typewriter-Girl-Unabridged/dp/B00JFO5O3U/ref=sr_1_1_title_2_audd?ie=UTF8&qid=1401407201&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Typewriter+Girl" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Typewriter-Girl/dp/B00JH0L9HW/ref=sr_1_1_title_2_audd?ie=UTF8&qid=1401407178&sr=8-1&keywords=typewriter+girl" target="_blank">Amazon US</a><br />
<a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/The-Typewriter-Girl-Audiobook/B00JFG8XD6/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1401407271&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Audible.com</a><br />
<h2>
About the Author</h2>
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thetypewritergirlblogtourandblast/03_alison-atlee/" rel="attachment wp-att-4132" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="03_Alison Atlee" class="alignright wp-image-4132" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/03_Alison-Atlee.jpg" height="164" width="136" /></a>Alison Atlee spent her childhood re-enacting Little Women and trying to fashion nineteenth century wardrobes for her Barbie dolls. Happily, these activities turned out to be good preparation for writing historical novels. She now lives in Kentucky.<br />
<br />
For more information please visit Alison Atlee's <a href="http://alisonatlee.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. You can also connect with her on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/alisonatlee" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/AlisonAtlee" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://plus.google.com/111834978373969210245/posts" target="_blank">Google+</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5778068.Alison_Atlee" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> and <a href="http://pinterest.com/alisonatlee/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
The Typewriter Girl Blog Tour & Book Blast Schedule</h2>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 4</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com/" target="_blank">Peeking Between the Pages</a> (Audio Book)<br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://minadecaro.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mina's Bookshelf</a><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://princessofeboli1540.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Princess of Eboli</a><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://literarychanteuse.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Literary Chanteuse</a><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/" target="_blank">What Is That Book About</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 5</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://expatiatemiscellanarian.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bibliotaph's Reviews</a> (Print)<br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 6</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 7</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://marireads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mari Reads</a><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://bookloversparadise.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Lovers Paradise</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 8</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://bookblastcentral.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Book Blast Central</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, August 9</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://carolinewilsonwrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Caroline Wilson Writes</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, August 10</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://booknerdloleotodo.blogspot.com/">Book Nerd</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 11</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" target="_blank" title="Betraying Mercy">Just One More Chapter</a> (Audio Book)<br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://gobsandgobsofbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Gobs and Gobs of Books</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 12</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://queenofallshereads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Queen of All She Reads</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 13</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://historicaltapestry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Tapestry</a> (Audio Book)<br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://thelitbitch.com/" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 14</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a> (Print)<br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://historicaltapestry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Tapestry</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 15</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.brookeblogs.com/" target="_blank">Brooke Blogs</a> (Audio Book)<br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, August 16</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, August 17</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.closedthecover.com/" target="_blank">Closed the Cover</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 18</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://themaidenscourt.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Maiden's Court</a> (Audio Book)<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 19</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at Layered Pages<br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Always with a Book</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 20</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://literaryetc.com/" target="_blank">Literary, Etc.</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 21</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://booksintheburbs.com/" target="_blank" title="Bianca’s Vineyard">Books in the Burbs</a> (Print)<br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://www.bibliotica.com/" target="_blank">Bibliotica</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 22</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bibliophiliaplease.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bibliophilia, Please</a> (Audio Book)<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, August 23</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://readinglark.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Reading Lark</a><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://agelesspagesreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ageless Pages Reviews</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, August 24</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://www.passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 25</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Flashlight Commentary</a> (Audio Book)<br />
Book Blast at Historical Fiction Connection<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 26</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Flashlight Commentary</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 27</strong></span><br />
Book Blast at <a href="http://www.susanheimonwriting.com/" target="_blank">Susan Heim on Writing</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 28</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://luxuryreading.com/" target="_blank">Luxury Reading</a> (Print)<br />
Review at <a href="http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The True Book Addict</a> (Audio Book)<br />
Review at <a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" target="_blank" title="Bianca’s Vineyard">Jorie Loves a Story</a> (Print)<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 29</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" target="_blank">Jorie Loves a Story</a><br />
<h2>
The Typewriter Girl Swag Giveaway</h2>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
One copy of The Typewriter Girl (Audio Book or Print)<br />
Set of earbuds in a cute typewriter print pouch<br />
A Typewriter Girl Happily-Ever-After t-shirt (features last lines from famous novels)<br />
A vintage style postcard "from" Idensea, the setting of The Typewriter Girl<br />
A "dream wildly" ribbon bookmark with typewriter key charms</div>
<strong>To enter, please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open to residents in the US, Canada, and the UK.</strong><br />
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on August 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on August 30th and notified via email.<br />
Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.</div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3522df31156/" id="rc-3522df31156" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script><br />
<br />
<a href="http://s443.photobucket.com/user/abruno77/media/c8a944a5-7d21-4826-aaba-c397ae052e01.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo c8a944a5-7d21-4826-aaba-c397ae052e01.png" border="0" src="http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/abruno77/c8a944a5-7d21-4826-aaba-c397ae052e01.png" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-180616697787401852014-08-11T00:00:00.000-04:002014-08-11T00:00:04.444-04:00Book Blast: The Graham Saga by Anna Belfrage <br />
Join Anna Belfrage as her beloved time-slip series, The Graham Saga, is featured around the blogosphere from July 28-August 15 with HF Virtual Book Tours and enter to win your own set of Books 1-6!<br />
<h2>
About The Graham Saga</h2>
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/grahamsagabookblast/the-graham-saga-series/" rel="attachment wp-att-4816"><img alt="The Graham Saga Series" class="aligncenter wp-image-4816" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/The-Graham-Saga-Series-1024x264.png" height="160" width="620" /></a><br />
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This is the story of Alex and Matthew, two people who should never have met - not when she was born three hundred years after him.<br />
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It all began the day Alex Lind got caught in a thunderstorm. Not your ordinary storm, no this was the mother of all storms, causing a most unusual rift in the fabric of time. Alex was dragged three centuries backwards in time, landing more or less at the feet of a very surprised Matthew Graham.<br />
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In a series of books we follow the life and adventures of the expanding Graham family, both in Scotland and in the New World - and let me tell you it is quite an exciting life, at times excessively so in Alex' opinion.<br />
<br />
Sometimes people ask me why Alex had to be born in the twentieth century, why not make her a woman born and bred in the seventeenth century where the story is set? The answer to that is I have no idea. Alex Lind is an insistent, vibrant character that sprung into my head one morning and simply wouldn't let go.<br />
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Seductively she whispered about terrible thunderstorms, about a gorgeous man with magic, hazel eyes, about loss and sorrow, about love - always this love, for her man and her children, for the people she lives with. With a throaty chuckle she shared insights into a life very far removed from mine, now and then stopping to shake her head and tell me that it probably hadn't been easy for Matthew, to have such an outspoken, strange and independent woman at his side.<br />
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At this point Matthew groaned into life. Nay, he sighed, this woman of his was at times far too obstinate, with no notion of how a wife should be, meek and dutiful. But, he added with a laugh, he wouldn't want her any different, for all that she was half heathen and a right hand-full. No, he said, stretching to his full length, if truth be told not a day went by without him offering fervent thanks for his marvelous wife, a gift from God no less, how else to explain the propitious circumstances that had her landing at his feet that long gone August day?<br />
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Still, dear reader, it isn't always easy. At times Alex thinks he's an overbearing bastard, at others he's sorely tempted to belt her. But the moment their fingertips graze against each other, the moment their eyes meet, the electrical current that always buzzes between them peaks and surges, it rushes through their veins, it makes their breathing hitch and ... She is his woman, he is her man. That's how it is, that's how it always will be.<br />
<h2>
Graham Saga Titles</h2>
Book One: A Rip in the Veil<br />
Book Two: Like Chaff in the Wind<br />
Book Three: The Prodigal Son<br />
Book Four: A Newfound Land<br />
Book Five: Serpents in the Garden<br />
Book Six: Revenge & Retribution<br />
Book Seven: Whither Thou Goest (November 2014)<br />
Book Eight: To Catch a Falling Star (March 2015)<br />
<h2>
About the Author</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/serpentsinthegardentour/anna-belfrage-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-2748" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Anna Belfrage" class="alignright wp-image-2748" src="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Anna-Belfrage.jpg" height="264" width="199" /></a></div>
Anna was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions.<br />
As a result she's multilingual and most of her reading is historical- both non-fiction and fiction. Possessed of a lively imagination, she has drawers full of potential stories, all of them set in the past. She was always going to be a writer - or a historian, preferably both. Ideally, Anna aspired to becoming a pioneer time traveller, but science has as yet not advanced to the point of making that possible. Instead she ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for her most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career Anna raised her four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive…<br />
<br />
For years she combined a challenging career with four children and the odd snatched moment of writing. Nowadays Anna spends most of her spare time at her writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and she slips away into her imaginary world, with her imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in her life pops his head in to ensure she's still there.<br />
<br />
For additional information regarding Anna, her characters, extra scenes, and teasers for her next books, have a look at Anna's website at: <a href="http://www.annabelfrage.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.annabelfrage.com</a>. You can also find her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anna.belfrage.3?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/Anna_Belfrage" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<br />
<h2>
Book Blast Schedule</h2>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, July 28</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a><br />
<a href="http://kincavelkorner.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Kincavel Korner</a><br />
<a href="http://bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">bookworm2bookworm's Blog</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, July 29</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://somanybookssolittletimeblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">So Many Books, So Little Time</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, July 30</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://expatiatemiscellanarian.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bibliotaph's Reviews</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, July 31</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://abookdrunkard.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Book Drunkard</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 1</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://thelitbitch.com/" target="_blank">The Lit Bitch</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, August 2</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://booknerdloleotodo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Nerd</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, August 3</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://literarychanteuse.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Literary Chanteuse</a><br />
<a href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 4</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://www.a-bookish-girl.com/" target="_blank">A Bookish Girl</a><br />
<a href="http://historicaltapestry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Historical Tapestry</a><br />
<a href="http://toreadornottoread.net/" target="_blank">To Read, Or Not to Read</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 5</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CelticLady's Reviews</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 6</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The True Book Addict</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 7</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://impressionsinink.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Impressions in Ink</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 8</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a><br />
<a href="http://carrieslager.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Mad Reviewer</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, August 9</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://www.hf-connection.com/" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Connection</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, August 11</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://gobsandgobsofbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Gobs and Gobs of Books</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, August 12</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://pagesofcomfort.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pages of Comfort</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, August 13</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://www.historyundressed.com/" target="_blank">History Undressed</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, August 14</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, August 15</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://minadecaro.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mina's Bookshelf</a><br />
<h2>
Giveaway</h2>
To win a set of Anna Belfrage's Graham Saga (Books 1-6) please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Two winners will be chosen. Giveaway is open internationally!<br />
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on August 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
Winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter on August 16th and notified via email.<br />
Winners have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.</div>
<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3522df31155/" id="rc-3522df31155" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script><br />
<br />
<a href="http://s443.photobucket.com/user/abruno77/media/b8161478-475b-4635-8f63-e34129b181a2.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo b8161478-475b-4635-8f63-e34129b181a2.png" border="0" src="http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/abruno77/b8161478-475b-4635-8f63-e34129b181a2.png" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-50918583099685077122014-08-09T17:01:00.001-04:002014-08-09T17:01:37.216-04:00Excerpt: Honor and Innocence by Glen Thomas Hierlmeier<div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9n-4DtSga7M/U-aJAVmYBQI/AAAAAAAACbE/VVE06eJOfBE/s1600/Honor+and+Innocence.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9n-4DtSga7M/U-aJAVmYBQI/AAAAAAAACbE/VVE06eJOfBE/s1600/Honor+and+Innocence.png" height="400" width="273" /></a></div>
<h2>
Synopsis:</h2>
<br />Honor and Innocence: Against the Tides of War, a historical romance novel by Glen Hierlmeier, was released March 2014. This book takes the reader through the devastation left by World War II across the European and Asian continents following its main character Hank Fischer, who was drafted to the American Army in 1945 shortly after his high school graduation.<br /><br />During his service, Hank befriends a German prisoner-of-war, Max, who tells Hank of his twin sister, Roberta, also in captivity. An unlikely romance buds between her and Hank, leaving Hank conflicted between his allegiance to the American Army and his love for Roberta. Hank decides to break out Max and Roberta, and together they make a desperate flight through war-torn Germany where they witness first-hand the destruction post-war Europe has endured. Leaving Max behind in Switzerland, they make their way to the port city of Trieste, where they board a ship and depart to the seas, dealing with pirates, facing adversity, making new friends, and desperately seeking a safe refuge in a place where their love can flourish.<br /><br />Follow Hank and Roberta on their intense and captivating journey from country to country as they seek refuge. Read as they make their way through bombed-out cities, giving a rare glimpse into the tragic consequences of war, as they remain together bound by love.<br /><br /><h2>
About the Author:</h2>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--BjJzniy9Zo/U-aJDJsmuaI/AAAAAAAACbM/V87RpJ-SMNk/s1600/Glen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--BjJzniy9Zo/U-aJDJsmuaI/AAAAAAAACbM/V87RpJ-SMNk/s1600/Glen.jpg" height="320" width="246" /></a></div>
<br /><br />Glen graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, then earned a Masters of Business Administration at The University of Wisconsin at Madison. He served in the US Air Force on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory space exploration program and on the design phase of the development of the F-15 fighter aircraft. After leaving the Air Force, Glen returned to Wisconsin and became Vice President of the largest bank in his home state, First Wisconsin National Bank. In 1979, he moved on to become President and CEO of several real estate development and management companies. Glen retired in 2009 to devote full time to his grandchildren and his writing. Glen is the author of Honor and Innocence, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/We-Had-Live-No-Choice/dp/1469140802">We Had to Live: We Had No Choice…,</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thoughts-Yesterday-Glen-Thomas-Hierlmeier/dp/1479780715">Thoughts From Yesterday: Moments to Remember.</a><br /><br /><h2>
Links:</h2>
<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Glen-Hierlmeier/664924423550587">Facebook</a>: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Glen-Hierlmeier/664924423550587">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Glen-Hierlmeier/664924423550587</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/GlenHierlmeier">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/GlenHierlmeier">https://twitter.com/GlenHierlmeier</a><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6035175.Glen_Thomas_Hierlmeier">Goodreads</a>: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6035175.Glen_Thomas_Hierlmeier">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6035175.Glen_Thomas_Hierlmeier</a><br /><a href="http://glenthomasbooks.com/">Website</a>: <a href="http://glenthomasbooks.net/">http://glenthomasbooks.net/</a> <br />Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Honor-Innocence-Against-Tides-War/dp/1495207617">http://www.amazon.com/Honor-Innocence-Against-Tides-War/dp/1495207617</a><br /><br /><h2>
Excerpt:</h2>
<br />There was little rest for Hank again that night. His heart and his mind were being pulled in different directions. He had made commitments to Max and Oliver, then to Captain Stein, and now to Roberta. He had always been trusted by everyone, a pillar of integrity. Now, he would surely destroy that reputation. As he tossed and turned, and scolded himself for getting himself into such a quandary, his thoughts kept going back to Roberta, warm thoughts full of wonder and excitement. But, as the night progressed, doubts began to creep into his head.<br /><br />Hank couldn’t deny how he felt; he felt fantastic, incredible. He had met the girl of his dreams---love at first sight. He couldn’t wait to see her again. She was everything he had always imagined she would be, everything he hoped for in a woman. Yet, he began to wonder, is this real? Could it be possible for two people to be in love when they’ve only known each other for two days? Was he being foolish? Had the events of the past five months and his absence from the comforts of home made him vulnerable in a dangerous way? A frightful pang of fear shot through his gut as he thought: Is she just using me? Does she see me as her way out of confinement? Am I being fooled by her? Maybe she doesn’t care about me at all; she only needs me to get what she really wants. Why should I trust her? I don’t really know her. Oh, what a fool I must be to fall for the first beautiful woman who shows an interest in me, who caresses me. Am I that vulnerable? Am I that foolish?<br /><br />Thoughts of Roberta dazzled and confused him; nothing in his young life had ever left him so unsure of himself. No amount of concentration overcame the cascade of emotions flooding his chest. He tossed and turned long into the night, soaked his pillow through with his sweat, though he wasn’t warm, and felt his pulse exploding his temples; alternating between visions of pure, romantic love and sheer foolishness. The pull on his heart skidded back and forth like a tug of war. That is…until he recalled his mother’s words, spoken on his eighteenth birthday, just after a high school sweetheart informed him that another man had won her heart.<br /><br />Hank, you are such a precious son. I adore you. I am sad when you are sad, but you must know this pain you feel will pass. Sometimes love is fleeting, it may disappear as quickly as it appears. You have your whole life ahead of you. I know you will meet the woman who will love you completely, and for your lifetime. I have no doubt. Love between a man and a woman cannot be easily defined; love comes in many forms and is never the same for everyone. Almost always love charges into your life like a cosmic experience, even magical, it is so difficult to predict or understand. Sometimes that special feeling in your heart really is true love---sometimes not. When love comes suddenly, we can be swept off our feet. It’s a dazzling experience that confuses us. That’s often called love at first sight, but it’s never really love at first sight. If it happens to you, don’t take it for granted, it’s very special and you won’t want to lose it. It’s one of the best feelings you will ever have, and I believe the best beginning for true love.<br /><br />Don’t be deceived, true love has to be built; it takes a lot of hard work and may take a very long time. When two people stop working on their love, it fades, no matter if it’s the first month, the first year, the tenth or the twenty-fifth. There will always be difficulties and complications, that’s how life is, not just marriage. Use those difficulties to work on making your marriage stronger. Don’t expect not to have challenges, welcome them and be ready to take them on together. Everything really worthwhile in your life will require hard work. Your marriage is the one very most worthwhile jewel you will ever have.<br /><br />Laying silently in the darkness, eyes wide open, thinking warm thoughts of his mother, a smile came across his face. Of course, he thought, mother is right. I have to work on it. Tomorrow I’ll have to find out if Roberta truly feels the same way about me. Sleep finally came.<br /><br />He should have been exhausted the next morning, with little sleep and tormented the whole night through with all his mixed emotions, but his adrenalin had taken over. Hank needed to get things resolved, and though he wasn’t sure how to do that, he needed to attack his demons head on. By the time he met with Oliver and Max in the evening he wanted to have his life back on track. Since he was drafted there had not been a dull day in Hank’s life. He never knew quite what to expect, and that day would be no different. It would begin with his report to Captain Stein.<br /><br />Hank was surprised to see the Captain waiting for him. Stein motioned Hank to his office as soon as Hank appeared in the doorway. Hank’s curiosity was aroused.<br /><br />“Hank, we have to release everyone except the SS Officers. The staff and family are being released as soon as possible. We’ll have 30 days to hold the officers and unless we can get enough evidence they participated in war crimes we’ll have to release them too! Something about the Geneva Convention says we can’t hold them unless we have sufficient evidence to take them to trial. It’s foolish as far as I’m concerned. What kind of fair trial did the millions of dead Jews get?”<br /><br />Hank was stunned again. His first emotion was that he was losing Roberta, but his first thought was that might be best. He had to set his feelings aside and listen to Stein without revealing his feelings. <br /><br />“I’m sorry, sir. I know how important this is to you. It really would be a shame if guilty men went free.”<br /><br />“Ya, well, there’s nothing we can do about it but work our butts off to get the evidence we need to hold the bastards. That’s our job, and by God, we’re going to make sure every last one of them hangs for what they’ve done. Did you get anything out of the girl?”<br /><br />“I thought I was really close…I mean…I think she was beginning to trust me. I needed more time; maybe a few more days, but I’m not sure she knew anything.”<br /><br />“Come on, Corporal, of course she knows things. I’ll bet she knows plenty. We’re losing a good opportunity by letting them all go. It makes our job harder.”<br /><br />“What will we do now?”<br /><br />“We’ll get busy interrogating the officers. The British have been at it for weeks. They have files on all of them. The Russians are sending men to help too, and we’re getting some young Army lawyers by next week. Today, you and I are going out there to go through files. We’ll make a list of the ones that look like they were in charge, in some position of leadership, the higher the better, then we’ll start meeting with them. I want to get the top guys.”<br /><br />Hank didn’t know what to think. His emotions all melted together in a jumble of confusion. All he could do was follow orders for the moment, until he could sort through all the feelings bombarding him. <br /><br />Within a few minutes he and Stein were on their way to the compound, where they came upon a blur of activity. Those who were being released were jubilant as groups of them gathered in the streets to celebrate. There was pitched cheering, yet, others pushed against the fence separating them from officers, loved ones and former employers who they would be leaving behind. There was sadness and tears, as well as questions about what may lay ahead for each of them, the uncertainty for those who were released to communities that may not still exist, and for those who remained in custody, facing the possibility of imprisonment or death. <br /><br />As Stein and Hank walked into the officer’s compound, Hank did his best to keep Stein from seeing him looking among those being released through the fence. In spite of his doubts, his heart told him he was in love and he was growing desperate about losing Roberta so soon, thinking she could be gone forever, and wishing he could know for sure if what they had begun was truly love, or whether he was just a fool. They were moving too quickly for him to see clearly. He couldn’t find her. They were up the steps and into the meeting hall, leaving behind any chance he might see her again. He was numb, unaware of anything going on around him.<br /><br />“Hank, Hank, come on, get moving. Pay attention!” Stein gave him a nudge toward the stairway leading to a room above, where they spent the rest of the morning poring through files, assessing information that had been gathered by the British, looking for clues to help them decide which officers they would interrogate first. Stacks of files were set aside, awaiting the lawyer’s arrival. Hank couldn’t focus his attention; all he could think about was that he may be losing the one person who was right for him, the one he would commit his life to. Convicting German criminals wasn’t important to him at that moment.<br /><br />By noon Stein was satisfied they had enough files to get started. They were loaded in the back of the truck and about to leave.<br /><br />“Captain Stein, I’d like to see if I can find Roberta and make an appeal to her to give us the information you believe she has. Once she is gone, it will be lost. I think it’s worth a try.”<br /><br />“If you think so, Hank. There can’t be any harm in trying. In fact, I like your attitude. Go ahead, get what you can, and jump on another truck heading back later. I’ll see you in the morning. Good luck.”<br /><br />Hank felt relieved that Stein went along with the idea, but he felt a tinge of guilt for taking advantage of Stein’s trust in him. <br /><br />Trucks loaded with released detainees were rolling out the gate as Hank walked over to the camp. He ran alongside each truck calling Roberta’s name but got no response. Others were still loading near a barracks building to the rear. He ran into the building asking each person he came to about Roberta until an older woman stopped him.<br /><br />“Yes. Roberta was here. But she has gone.”<br /><br />Hank’s world came to a sudden stop. He just stood there as people pushed past him toward the trucks. He lost her. She was gone. Maybe she didn’t love him after all. Maybe she just didn’t need him anymore. He really didn’t know what to think. He only knew this was the worst day of his life.<br /><br />As he walked back toward the gate past the office where he had met with Roberta, the guard who had brought Roberta to the meetings called out to him.<br /><br />“Corporal! Corporal Fischer! Come quickly. There is someone who wants to see you.”<br /><br />Hank wouldn’t allow himself to believe it could be her. He hurried into the building and found the front office area empty, but the door to the room in back was ajar. He slowly opened the door and there sat Roberta. She leaped from her chair and into his arms with a scream of delight.<br /><br />“Oh, Hank, Hank! I knew you would come for me. I knew it in my heart!”<br /><br />“They told me you had left. I thought you were gone!”<br /><br />“I couldn’t go. Where would I go without you now that I have found you? I love you, Hank, I love you! I feel like I have loved you since always, and forever.”<br /><br />Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and her lips found his. Her words washed away any doubt. He had never known such elation. He was in love. It was real. He was sure of it.<br /><br />“I love you, Roberta. I love you, too!”Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-10486930047268546382014-08-08T21:07:00.000-04:002014-08-17T21:13:22.625-04:00Blog Tour: The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo (Character Spotlight + Giveaway)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5UhGUswPmB4/U-VwwoSVL6I/AAAAAAAACaE/c8B7_ISBgfY/s1600/GhostBrideFINALREV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5UhGUswPmB4/U-VwwoSVL6I/AAAAAAAACaE/c8B7_ISBgfY/s1600/GhostBrideFINALREV.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><b>Character Spotlight: Old Wong</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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My book, THE GHOST BRIDE, is a historical fantasy set in
1890s colonial Malaya (the old name for Malaysia where I come from) and is
about a young Chinese woman who receives a marriage proposal for the son of the
wealthiest family in town. The only problem is, he’s dead.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had a lot of fun writing this book, based as it is on the
blurred borderline between spirits and humans. In fact, there's strong Chinese
literary tradition of strange tales set in the shadowy, elaborate Chinese ghost
world, where nothing is as it seems and beautiful women turn out to be foxes. I
enjoyed reading a lot of these stories when I was young, and I also heard many
odd stories about ghosts while I was growing up in Malaysia. One of these, in
fact, led to the creation of the character Old Wong.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When people ask me who my favourite character in this book
is, I have to say that besides the main character Li Lan, my favourite has to
be the cook, Old Wong. He's a crotchety old Chinese man who has worked for Li
Lan's family since she was a child, and has seen their household fall into
penniless straits. I based him on the numerous grouchy old Chinese people in my
life who have constantly lectured and loved me. Writing dialogue for Old Wong
was surprisingly easy. I just had to listen to the little voice that berates me
in my head and translate what it said from Cantonese into English, retaining,
of course, the occasional exclamation of "Cheh!" and
"Aiya!" for good measure! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Old Wong has a secret in the book that I'll reveal to you
(much to his displeasure). He can see dead people. This is also based on a real
story told to me by friends. In fact, when I first watched the movie "The
Sixth Sense", I let out a yelp of surprise and told my husband that this
was exactly what had happened to my sister's friend's husband back in
Singapore. I've actually come across two people who claimed to see the dead. I
think it is, in some ways, a difficult gift to live with, and in writing Old
Wong's character, I made it part of his general taciturnity and reluctance to
talk much about himself. Still, because he can see ghosts, he's able to help Li
Lan when she gets stranded in the spirit world. I really enjoyed writing about
Old Wong - he is an unexpectedly funny character and I hope that readers enjoy
him too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you so much for having me - it's been a pleasure!<o:p></o:p></div>
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[Photo caption: Characters from THE GHOST BRIDE, illustrated
by Singaporean comic book artist Sonny Liew who is working on the graphic novel
with me]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Author bio:</b></div>
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Yangsze Choo is a fourth generation Chinese from Malaysia.
After graduating from Harvard, she worked in various corporate jobs while secretly
writing fiction in her spare time. Yangsze eats and reads too much and often
does both at her blog http://yschoo.com/<o:p></o:p></div>
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THE GHOST BRIDE<o:p></o:p></div>
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Oprah.com’s Book of the Week, a Carnegie Medal nominee, and
Goodreads 2013 Best Fantasy finalist. THE GHOST BRIDE is a historical fantasy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“One evening, my father asked me if I would like to become a
ghost bride…”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Li Lan, a young Chinese woman, lives in 1890s colonial
Malaya with her quietly ruined father, who returns one evening with a
proposition — the fabulously wealthy Lim family want Li Lan to marry their dead
son. After a fateful visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself
haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the
Lim’s handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the
shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper
funeral offerings, vengeful spirits and monstrous bureaucracy. Li Lan must
uncover the Lim family’s darkest secrets, before she is trapped in this ghostly
world forever<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> ***Giveaway***</o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="background-color: #ebebeb; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 22.5px; text-align: center;"><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f2a372f978/" id="rc-f2a372f978" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></span><br style="background-color: #ebebeb; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 22.5px; text-align: center;" /><span style="background-color: #ebebeb; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 22.5px; text-align: center;"><script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script></span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-16067717536499274132014-07-17T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-17T00:00:05.187-04:00Blog Tour: Revolutionary (Anomaly #3) by Krista McGee (Review + Giveaway)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span><a href="http://yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/2014/05/blog-tour-sign-up-revolutionary-anomaly.html" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">Blog Tour Schedule</a></div>
Published:
July 15<sup>th</sup>, 2014 (Thomas Nelson) <o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Pages:
336<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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5/5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Source:
NetGalley (Blog Tour)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18806299-revolutionary?from_search=true">Goodreads</a>
~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401688764/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1401688764&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #181818; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>All her life
Thalli thought she was an anomaly. Now she must use her gifts to fulfill the
role she was called to play: Revolutionary.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Back in the
underground State against her will, Thalli is no longer the anomaly she was
before. She has pr</span></span></div>
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oven herself to be a powerful leader aboveground and returns
with information that Dr. Loudin needs to complete his plan of uniting the
world under one leader: himself. But he, too, has information. A secret he has
kept from Thalli her entire life. A secret that, once revealed, changes
everything about the person Thalli thought she was.<br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Hoping to help
Thalli rise up against the Scientists, both Berk and Alex join her underground,
but their presence only brings more trouble for her. Now Dr. Loudin knows just
the leverage to use on his captive, and she is forced to choose between the two
of them. Is her first love her true love? Or does Alex ultimately claim her
heart?</span><br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Unsure of
everything around her, including her own identity, Thalli doesn’t know where to
turn. She knows she needs the Designer, but he seems further away than ever.
What she does know, though, is that if she doesn’t do something to stop Loudin,
the fragile world aboveground will be lost once and for all.
[Description from Goodreads]<span style="color: #181818;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">I
read </span><i style="line-height: 115%;">Revolutionary</i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> immediately after
reading </span><i style="line-height: 115%;">Luminary</i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> (#2), and can I just
say that this book series is one you just don’t tire of. I love Krista’s
writing style- as stupid as this statement sounds, it’s easy to read and enjoy
(trust me, some writing styles </span><u style="line-height: 115%;">can</u><span style="line-height: 115%;"> be difficult to read!). One other “side
detail” of the book that I really like is the cover. I love the covers for all
the books in the trilogy, in fact, because they effectively represent the theme
of the books.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Now
down to the nitty gritty stuff. I loved how this book wraps it all up in such a
dramatic way. Sooo many secrets are revealed! Dr. Loudin’s true self is
uncovered, Thalli finds out more about
herself that she didn’t know before, and she even discovers secrets about her
friends from New Hope. It was almost like every chapter was a book in itself, with
drama and a climax and a cliffhanger ending. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I
have to admit, in the past two books, I’d been a little disappointed in Dr.
Loudin’s degree of evilness (is that a thing? I’m making it a thing). I don’t
think I even realized I was disappointed until I read <i>Revolutionary</i>, though. Because in <i>Revolutionary</i>, Loudin is SO mean. He’s just a super big meanie. He’s
about as mean as Loki was in the Avengers, when Loki shot Agent Coulson with
that huge gun. That’s pretty mean, ya know? Granted, I didn’t invision Loudin
being as gorgeous as Loki is, but that just made Loudin’s actions that much
more treacherous. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">But
enough about villains…on to our incredible protagonist, Thalli! I loved seeing
her grow over the span of the series. She’s come a long way since <i>Anomaly</i>. I do wish we could have seen
some more changes due to her time aboveground. One thing was the fact that she
still doesn’t use contractions. There aren’t many contractions used by much of
anyone, in fact, and for some reason that really bugged me in all three books.
It’s just the littlest detail, but for some reason it annoyed me at times. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m
really glad that we were introduced to Alex’s character, and that he got a lot
more attention in <i>Revolutionary</i>. Alex
has definitely become one of my favorites from the trilogy…he’s just adorable.
And I’m also glad that there was a significant increase in romance in this last
book, as there was in <i>Luminary</i>
(compared to <i>Anomaly</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I
found <i>Revolutionary</i> to be a fantastic
ending to this unique and ground-breaking series! I might have said this
before, but Krista McGee has done a great job in mixing more of the dystopian genre
with the YA Christian genre. This hybrid is something I’m seeing more of on
bookshelves today, and hopefully something I’ll continue to see. If you haven’t
read <i>Anomaly</i>, be sure to do that this
summer! Or if you have, be sure to finish the series. You won’t be disappointed…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">Quick
Content Review: *may contain spoilers*</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Language:
None<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Violence:
Very Mild<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Sexual:
None</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">About the Author:</span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">Krista writes
for teens, teaches teens, and more often than not, acts like a teen. She and
her family have lived and ministered in Texas, Costa Rica, and Spain. Her
current hometown is Tampa, FL.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">Author Links:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://kristamcgeebooks.com/"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">http://kristamcgeebooks.com/</span></a><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5015496.Krista_McGee"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5015496.Krista_McGee</span></a><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><a href="https://twitter.com/KristaMcGeeYA">https://twitter.com/KristaMcGeeYA</a></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px; padding: 0in;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/krista.a.mcgee" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15.693333625793457px;">https://www.facebook.com/krista.a.mcgee</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-41309714744448214542014-06-16T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-16T00:00:02.633-04:00Review: Come Back To Me by Mila Gray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Published:
June 19<sup>th</sup>, 2014</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Pages:
373</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Rating:
4/5</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Source:
e-ARC from author</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20935107-come-back-to-me?ac=1" style="line-height: 115%;">Goodreads</a><span style="line-height: 115%;">
~ </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KCRMYU0/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00KCRMYU0&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" style="line-height: 115%;">Amazon </a><br />
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">Home on leave in sunny California, Marine and
local lothario Kit Ryan finds himself dangerously drawn to his best friend's
sister, Jessa - the one girl he can't have.</span> But Kit's not about to let a
few obstacles stand in his way and soon Jessa's falling for his irresistible
charms. <span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">What starts out as
a summer romance of secret hook-ups and magical first times quickly develops
into a passionate love affair that turns both their worlds upside down.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">When summer's over
and it's time for Kit to redeploy, neither Kit nor Jessa are ready to say
goodbye. Jessa's finally following her dreams and Kit's discovered there's
someone he'd sacrifice everything for. Jessa's prepared to wait for Kit
no matter what. But when something more than distance and time rips them apart
they're forced to decide whether what they have is really worth fighting for.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">A breathtaking,
scorchingly hot story about love, friendship, family and finding your way back
from the edge of heartbreak. (</span><em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Description
from Goodreads)</span></em><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">*I
received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">First
things first: I don’t normally read New Adult. It’s just a genre that I haven’t
really jumped into yet, and in the past, I’ve even swore myself off of it (in a
post on this blog!). Problem is, I’m getting old(er), and I’ve found it a
little difficult at times to relate to YA characters. NA characters are more my
age; thus I relate better to them. I’m (slowly) making my way into reading more
NA, but I just wanted to put that out there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">That
being said, <i>Come Back To Me</i> was the
perfect introduction into NA. I was hooked from the start; heck, I was hooked
just knowing that the book was a “military love story.” Basically two of my
favorite things. I have a weird thing for books with a military aspect…and I
kinda have a thing for military men, too, but that’s a different blog post. I’m
pretty sure I was certifiably addicted to this book. I even cried a little at
some parts (because there’s some legit heavy stuff). GUYS, WATER CAME OUT OF MY
EYES, and all because of this book (that doesn’t happen…ever). I don’t get emotional
over books or movies, aside from the <i>Book
Thief</i> film; it had me sobbing. <i>Come
Back To Me</i> is such a sweet, passionate, emotional roller coaster that all I
want to do is ride again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The
story is told from both characters POV, which was a good move on the author’s
part. Seeing Kit’s side of the story really added a lot to the story, and I
think that’s something that helped keep my attention throughout the book. I
love reading male perspectives on falling in love- it’s like getting inside a
guy’s head. And who doesn’t love to do that?! Let me also say that Kit’s
perspective made some of the love scenes a whoooooole lot hotter. *saucy wink*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> Kit’s just come back from serving overseas to
find Jessa all grown up. She’s not the little kid who followed Riley and him around
before they enlisted. Kit holds a playboy reputation, but he’s leaving all that
behind. After dreaming about Jessa for a year now, Kit’s ready for her to be
his. I felt that this, as well as other parts of the story, was a tad cliché.
Kit can have almost any woman he wants, but he chooses the one he can’t have.
Some parts were predictable, like which character dies in action (can you
guess?). But most love stories are a little predictable, simply because they
are overdone. I feel like that didn’t distract me from the story, though, and I
still managed to really enjoy the love story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Let
me tell you one thing that was totally unpredictable, something I loved about
the story: When Kit comes home after the tragedy, he doesn’t immediately fall
into Jessa’s waiting arms. They don’t cry on each other’s shoulders. They don’t
mourn together. THAT would be predictable. The truth is that they stay
painfully separated. And that really played with my emotions, because I wanted
them to be together, just like they wanted to be together, but this awful, intangible
thing was keeping them apart. It’s all so poetic and beautiful that I almost
want to go find a couch to swoon on. </span></div>
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<i><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Come Back To Me</span></i><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> is a bittersweet love story
that will (hopefully) tug at your heart as much as it did mine. You’ll fall for
Kit, and squeal at how perfect Jessa and Kit are together, and even maybe cry a
little (it’s very possible). I highly recommend this book to mature teen and
adult readers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">*Reviewer
Note: This being a New Adult title, there is sexual material included in this
book, some of which is graphic/explicit. Because of that, I wouldn’t recommend
this title to anyone under 18.*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-90905887931527366372014-05-16T00:00:00.000-04:002014-05-16T00:00:03.789-04:00Guest Post: Christine Pisera Naman, author of Nine Days<div class="MsoNormal">
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Author Christine Pisera Naman is on the blog today, sharing some of her favorite comforting Scripture verses. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My Bible is worn, dog eared, and very well used. I so often turn to it when I am having a bad day or going through a rough time. Because I read it daily, it doesn’t have time to collect dust. Through my many readings, I have underlined passages, fragments, and sometimes even single words that have touched me. It is in times of trouble that I reach for my Bible. I actually do it constantly. I keep it on my night table next to my bed. But sometimes, when things really seem to be bleak, I actually carry it through the day with me. And throughout these darker days I steal quick peeks at the gems I found throughout my previous readings. They always seem to give me comfort no matter how familiar they have become.<br /><br />One passage that always comforts me is Romans 8-38-39<br /><br />“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”<br /><br />Could there be anything better than knowing that nothing could ever separate us from God’s love? To me, no. Sometimes, this is exactly what I need to hear. When I feel myself growing distant I remind myself that His love is stronger than all and ever present.<br /><br />I’m not by nature the most confident person and, sometimes I open my Bible for a little pep talk. Philippians 4:13 is short and sweet but does the trick for me.<br /><br />“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”<br /><br />I think what I like most about the way I read this passage is that it’s not about what I can do or choose to do but instead it is about God’s will and His glory. And that in itself somehow makes me feel strong and confident. <br /><br />But I think the passage I turn to the most often is Jeremiah 29:11<br /><br />“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”<br /><br />As much as I’m always fighting God for the steering wheel I know it is best when He’s driving. I love knowing that He has not only a plan for me but a good plan at that. I know I’m happier and better off when I’m letting Him guide me and I feel an excitement inside of me when I realize the endless possibilities of the wonderful life He has laid ahead of me.<br /><br />My worn, written in, tattered Bible remains my most precious possession. In it I find passages to turn to when having a bad day or going through a rough time. In it I find serenity.<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WUE9diOdR2o/U3Qke9iSOzI/AAAAAAAACXc/OSw0tMSCTa8/s1600/Nine+Days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WUE9diOdR2o/U3Qke9iSOzI/AAAAAAAACXc/OSw0tMSCTa8/s1600/Nine+Days.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a>In NINE DAYS, twenty-three year-old Mary Grace Mastrianni returns home to face her difficult past. She had a lonely childhood after the painful death of her mother, and Mary Grace left it all behind her when she escaped to New York City to attend college and build a new life. When Mary Grace is forced to return to sell the family home, memories of her early years suddenly surround her, making her come to terms with unresolved feelings and desires she had pushed away for so long. </div>
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<br />Mary Grace finds her mother’s tattered sweater that has not been touched since the day of her mother’s passing, Mary Grace slides her hand into its pocket to discover a yellowing square of paper on which a Novena is printed. The prayer promises that any request will be granted as long as the person fervently prays the prayer in church for nine consecutive days. Mary Grace, who often lacks faith, decides to stay in town just long enough to pray the Novena. In her heart she holds a very special request. In addition, Mary Grace stumbles upon the “to-do” list her mother was in the middle of when she died. Mary Grace understands that her mother was the most faith-filled person she ever knew, and Mary Grace decides to not only pray the Novena but complete the “to-do” list as well. She hopes that by walking in her mother’s shoes, her chances of having her Novena request granted will increase.</div>
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<br />Mary Grace spends the next nine days completing her journey of prayer, visiting the church each day and following through on the not-so-easy tasks on the “to-do” list. During these nine days, Mary Grace meets a variety of people who help her build her own faith by sharing their faith with her: She volunteers in a hospital neonatal unit caring for a sick baby, reads to children at the local library, visits with a lonely elderly man in need of company, serves food in a soup kitchen, goes to Confession and visits the gravesites of family who have passed. As Mary Grace dutifully proceeds along her nine-day journey of prayer, she feels her faith growing. The beauty of God surrounds her, but she can’t help but wonder if her most private, heartfelt prayer will be answered.<br /><br /><u><b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b></u><br /><br />Christine Pisera Naman is the author of six books including, Faces of Hope 10 Years Later (Health Communications, 2011), The Believers (Kirk House Publishers, 2011), Christmas Lights (Random House, 2007), Caterpillar Kisses (Random House, 2005), Faces of Hope (Health Communications, 2002). Christine has appeared on many national television programs including the Today Show and Fox & Friends, featured in a variety of national and local print and online outlets and interviewed on numerous radio shows around the country. Prior to her illustrious writing career, Christine was a Catholic school Kindergarten teacher. For additional information please visit her at www.<a href="http://christinenaman.com/">christinenaman.com</a>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-67642095117937122352014-05-15T00:00:00.000-04:002014-05-21T20:40:34.270-04:00Guest Post: Cathi Shaw, author of Five Corners<br />
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Today we have YA fantasy author Cathi Shaw with us, talking a little about the editing process.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGjyrIevquI/U3QgKDpNGkI/AAAAAAAACW4/WBRS5djE9nY/s1600/Author+Photos+Cathi+Shaw-Cathi+Shaw-0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGjyrIevquI/U3QgKDpNGkI/AAAAAAAACW4/WBRS5djE9nY/s1600/Author+Photos+Cathi+Shaw-Cathi+Shaw-0007.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a><b>The Secret to Editing</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Editing is
the secret to good writing (but if you’re reading this you probably already
know that). Editing is also the most skipped over part of the writing process.
I always tell my students that 60% of their writing time should be taken up by
editing. Unfortunately, most of us hate editing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think one
of the ways to make the editing process work best, is if you can take a break
from your project before you leap into the edits. We all feel as if it is DONE
when we put those final few words on a draft. In reality it is just starting
but it’s hard to see that when you’ve just finished your masterpiece.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My practice
is to finish the draft and then take a week or two off. Write something else,
take a break from writing altogether, do some spring cleaning – whatever will
keep you away from your project (I usually start a new project if I can because
there’s nothing so all encompassing as a new story idea).<o:p></o:p></div>
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After I’ve
taken some time away from my manuscript, I sit down with it and start reading
it. I try to do this with fresh eyes; to look at the story from the reader’s
point of view. And inevitably by the second page I’m making changes (some of
them big and some of them small). <o:p></o:p></div>
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For me, this
first stage of editing takes anywhere from a week to several months. It doesn’t
really matter how long it takes – the crucial piece to making it successful is
that break at the start.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After I’ve
edited my MS to death (at least that’s how it feels at that stage), I send it
out to my trusty beta readers. I do it at this stage for a few reasons. First,
if there are any major problems with the plotline that I’m too blind to see,
I’d like to find out at this stage rather than at the stage when I think the
story is actually finished. Second, by this time I really can’t see what needs
to still be done with the MS – sometimes there needs to be more character
development, sometimes a certain scene doesn’t make sense to an outside reader,
sometimes it’s just massive rewording of some sections of the story. So I turn
to my readers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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By the way,
if you do have some trusted readers who will give you honest feedback, it’s
helpful to provide them with some guiding questions. I keep these pretty
general: where did you feel lost in the story, what parts were boring or
repetitive, what parts needed more information or description?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Give your
beta readers some time to get through your masterpiece. This is one of the
toughest parts – waiting (I’m impatient by nature so waiting for anything is
akin to torture for me). Be realistic. For my novels (which are about 70,000
words) I give a month. If you need feedback within a certain timeline, let your
readers know. Some of them might not be able to help you out. That’s okay, too.
Just move on to other beta readers (you should start collecting as many eager
readers as you can early on).<o:p></o:p></div>
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When you
get feedback from your readers, <i>read</i>
it. I know that sounds pretty simple but often you won’t necessarily agree with
the feedback or it will be a bit negative and it’s hard to read a critique of
your own work. It is normal to be hurt by less positive feedback, but if you
truly want to improve your MS, you really need to listen to what your readers
are telling you. Sometime the advice or suggestions is totally off base, but,
more often than not, it actually is the truth. Especially if two or more of
your beta readers are saying the same thing, you probably should listen to
them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I try to
read my feedback, give it a few days and then reread it. From there I jump into
the next round of edits, making changes as suggested by my readers, correcting
an errors they caught and so on. This stage takes me between 2-3 weeks usually
but it really depends on how big the edits need to be.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then
I’m ready to send the manuscript to my publisher! Don’t think the editing is
over at this stage … it just reaches a new level. Depending on your publisher,
you may have to engage in major edits to the storyline or simple copy edits.
I’ve had to do both, depending on project. At any rate, expect to make changes
after the publisher receives the book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So the
editing process is fairly detailed. The best advice I can give is to remember
that editing really is writing. It takes up the bulk of your time as a writer
and, yes, it can be onerous. But a detailed editing process is what makes a
mediocre manuscript into a masterpiece!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Author Bio<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Cathi Shaw lives in Summerland, BC with her husband and
three children. She is often found wandering around her home, muttering
in a seemingly incoherent manner, particularly when her characters have
embarked on new adventure. In addition to writing fiction, she teaches rhetoric
and professional writing in the Department of Communications at Okanagan
College and is the co-author of the textbook <i>Writing Today</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b> Five Corners Book Blurb (from
Goodreads)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQ9xuAMeM_k/U31HcOQyONI/AAAAAAAACXs/BM-IgipGxpw/s1600/Five+Corners+Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQ9xuAMeM_k/U31HcOQyONI/AAAAAAAACXs/BM-IgipGxpw/s1600/Five+Corners+Cover.png" height="320" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Growing up in a sleepy village untouched by
distant wars and political conflicts, it was easy for Thia, Mina and Kiara to
forget such horrors existed in the Five Corners. That is until the dead child
is found; a child that bears the same strange birthmark that all three sisters
possess. A Mark their mother had always told them was unique to the girls.
Kiara's suspicions grow as their Inn is soon overrun with outsiders from all
walks of life. Strangers, soldiers and Elders who all seem to know more about
what is happening than the girls do. After Mina barely survives an attack in the
forest, the sisters are faced with a shattering secret their mother has kept
from them for years. As danger closes in around them, the sisters are forced
from their home and must put their trust in the hands of strangers. With more
questions than answers, Kiara finds herself separated from everyone she loves
and reliant on an Outlander who has spent too much time in army. She doesn't
trust Caedmon but she needs him if she has any hope of being reunited with her
sisters and learning what the Mark might mean.</span></div>
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<b>Contact Links</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Twitter: @CathiShaw <br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheMarkedOnesSeries"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">https://www.facebook.com/TheMarkedOnesSeries</span></a> <br />
Tumblr: <a href="http://themarkedones.tumblr.com/"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">http://themarkedones.tumblr.com/</span></a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buy links for book:</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
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PUBLISHER: <a href="http://ink-smith.com/product/five-corners-the-marked-one/"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">http://ink-smith.com/product/five-corners-the-marked-one/</span></a> <br />
AMAZON: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Five-Corners-The-Marked-Ones/dp/1939156246/ref=sr_1_1"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">http://www.amazon.com/Five-Corners-The-Marked-Ones/dp/1939156246/ref=sr_1_1</span></a>? <br />
BARNES AND NOBLE: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/five-corners-cathi-shaw/1117922571"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/five-corners-cathi-shaw/1117922571</span></a>?<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-32417631264237396212014-05-14T14:08:00.001-04:002014-05-14T14:08:38.989-04:00Blog Tour: Miss Darcy Decides by Reina M. Williams (Review)<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hd4A57tGd7U/U3OvsZWKf4I/AAAAAAAACWA/AOd0B3OMpsM/s1600/Miss+Darcy+Decides_Tour+Banner_FINAL.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hd4A57tGd7U/U3OvsZWKf4I/AAAAAAAACWA/AOd0B3OMpsM/s1600/Miss+Darcy+Decides_Tour+Banner_FINAL.png" height="136" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6xB3AVw8VmY/U3Ovq3UV6WI/AAAAAAAACV4/K_cFkDnpySs/s1600/02_Miss+Darcy+Decides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6xB3AVw8VmY/U3Ovq3UV6WI/AAAAAAAACV4/K_cFkDnpySs/s1600/02_Miss+Darcy+Decides.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">Published:
January 21</span><sup style="line-height: 115%;">st</sup><span style="line-height: 115%;">, 2014 (ADS, Inc.)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Pages:
77<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Rating:
4/5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20619281-miss-darcy-decides?from_search=true">Goodreads</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Miss Darcy Decides is a light, sweet Pride and Prejudice novella, book two in the Love at Pemberley series.<br /><br />While visiting a young woman—who was not so fortunate as Miss Georgiana Darcy in escaping the persuasions of a rogue—Georgiana meets Sir Camden Sutton, whose reputation causes Georgiana to wonder as to his motives. Her wondering soon turns to a different feeling when Sir Camden comes to stay at Pemberley, showing himself to be a very different man than was rumored. While Sir Camden struggles with his past and his commitment to his future, as well as the ill intentions of haughty Caroline Bingley, Miss Darcy must decide whether to listen to others, or the words written on her heart.<div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">Jane
Austen spin-offs are my cup of tea. They can be done really well or really
badly, and thankfully this one was done very well. It’s the perfect little
novella for a road trip or an afternoon by the pool.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I
feel like Reina did a great job of staying true to Austen’s original
characters. This is something that I feel is relatively important to do. I love
the addition of Sir Camden. Georgiana’s true forgiving nature and her ability
to see the good in others is amplified in the character of Sir Camden. This
sweet little romance is a good reminder that a certain amount of forgiveness
and forgetfulness is required to make any relationship work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Through
it was short and sweet, I enjoyed every page of Miss Darcy Decides. We the
grown-up side of Georgiana as she begins to make bold decision about what she
believes and wants. I’m looking forward to reading more stories from the Love
at Pemberley series. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WfyRy1KTsT4/U3OvrVfo5kI/AAAAAAAACV8/7A5MmTq4hcE/s1600/04_Reina+M.+Williams.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WfyRy1KTsT4/U3OvrVfo5kI/AAAAAAAACV8/7A5MmTq4hcE/s1600/04_Reina+M.+Williams.JPG" height="320" width="247" /></a><b>Buy the Novella</b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Darcy-Decides-Prejudice-Novella-Pemberley-ebook/dp/B00HZU3F0A/ref=la_B006J7K9VS_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396629317&sr=1-4" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Amazon</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miss-darcy-decides-reina-m-williams/1118176743?ean=2940148353775" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Barnes & Noble</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #1155cc;"><a href="http://prod-www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Miss-Darcy-Decides/book-wxcuVo-vYU-yZSfjJa4ntQ/page1.html" target="_blank">Kobo Books</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>About the Author<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Reina M.
Williams loves period dramas, sweet reads, fairy tales, cooking and baking. She
lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her two boys, who hope to someday take
a research trip to England with their mom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For more
information please visit Reina M. Williams’s <span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://www.reinamwilliams.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">website</span></a>.
</span>You can also connect with her on<span style="color: #222222;"> <a href="https://twitter.com/reinamwilliams" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Twitter</span></a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5370454.Reina_M_Williams" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Goodreads</span></a>, </span>and<span style="color: #222222;"> <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/reinamw" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Pinterest</span></a>.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-91896613765962993362014-05-12T00:00:00.000-04:002014-05-12T00:00:03.591-04:00Blog Tour: Sinners and the Sea by Rebecca Kanner (Review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LP-owg5slYI/U3AM9bAzPJI/AAAAAAAACVM/ivJRpEkGOb0/s1600/02_Sinners+and+the+Sea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LP-owg5slYI/U3AM9bAzPJI/AAAAAAAACVM/ivJRpEkGOb0/s1600/02_Sinners+and+the+Sea.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a>Published: April 2nd, 2013 (Howard Books)<br />Pages: 304<br />Rating: 3/5<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15770316-the-sinners-and-the-sea">*Goodreads*</a><br /><br />The young heroine in Sinners and the Sea is destined for greatness. Known only as “wife” in the Bible and cursed with a birthmark that many think is the brand of a demon, this unnamed woman lives anew through Rebecca Kanner. The author gives this virtuous woman the perfect voice to make one of the Old Testament’s stories come alive like never before.<br /><br />Desperate to keep her safe, the woman’s father gives her to the righteous Noah, who weds her and takes her to the town of Sorum, a haven for outcasts. Alone in her new life, Noah’s wife give<br /><br /> s him three sons. But living in this wicked and perverse town with an aloof husband who speaks more to God than to her takes its toll. She tries to make friends with the violent and dissolute people of Sorum while raising a brood that, despite its pious upbringing, develops some sinful tendencies of its own. While Noah carries out the Lord’s commands, she tries to hide her mark and her shame as she weathers the scorn and taunts of the townspeople.<br /><br />But these trials are nothing compared to what awaits her after God tells her husband that a flood is coming—and that Noah and his family must build an ark so that they alone can repopulate the world. As the floodwaters draw near, she grows in courage and honor, and when the water finally recedes, she emerges whole, displaying once and for all the indomitable strength of women. Drawing on the biblical narrative and Jewish mythology, Sinners and the Sea is a beautifully written account of the antediluvian world told in cinematic detail. <br /><br /></div>
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<br />Most of us are taught the story of Noah and the ark when we’re young. It usually goes something like this: Noah was a jolly old man, the only good man left on the earth. Everyone else misbehaved. God told Noah to build a boat because God was going to send a flood. Animal couples came and got on the ark with Noah and his wife and three sons and their wives, and it rained and rained and rained. Then it stopped, and everyone got off the ark, and there was a pretty rainbow. The End.<br /><br />The sad thing is, I think I’ve carried that version of the story into my adulthood. Maybe most of us do. But Rebecca’s novel is nothing like that. Told from the perspective of Noah’s unnamed, virtually unknown wife, Sinners and the Sea is gritty and dark. It delves into the details of Noah’s life, the sin and evil that vastly covered the earth, the flood, and everything in between. It opens up the raw, harsh specifics that you never really thought about before (and maybe don’t want to think about). The character of Noah’s wife is so unique- I love how we see her grow from young outcast to strong woman. I wasn’t quite pleased with how Noah was portrayed at first, but I soon realized that Kanner’s description is probably accurate of who he was. I was kind of surprised at the varying personalities of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Yet through both my disgust and my surprise, I realized that they weren’t perfect, and they weren’t supposed to be. They were humans, part of mankind, sinners. And though God had cleansed the earth of the evil that had inhabited it before, Shem, Ham, and Japheth would continue to sin and their sons would sin and their grandsons would sin, and so on. This sin would lead up to the greatest act in history- Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, to take away sin, to fill the gap. So that there could be a flood of forgiveness, if you will. J <br /><br />However…<br /><br />There seems to be a steady trend in entertainment and media recently. There’s a curious focus on the story of Noah and his ark, and the events surrounding the flood. However, I haven’t yet run across a version of the story (whether in movies, books, etc) that has it right. I don’t know why people feel the need to embellish this story. The Biblical text has been interpreted in so many outrageous ways by so many people for so long- but I guess this is the case for the whole Bible, sadly. And yet, with Noah’s story, it seems to be done more often- magical is added, detail is subtracted, whatever the case may be. I feel like for the most part, Rebecca did an excellent job telling the story in its true form. I was a bit skeptical of the giants or “Nephilims” at first, until I checked my own Bible and discovered them to be there as well. The one thing that I feel was highly misrepresented was God. And, well, He’s kind of an important part. <br /><br />He was seen as an angry God, and even Kanner admits this in her interview <a href="http://www.twincities.com/entertainment/ci_22893886/two-twin-cities-authors-have-never-met-but">here</a>. She even goes so far as to say that the God in her book is “imperfect” and “makes mistakes.” I don’t know which god she’s talking about, but the One I know is certainly not imperfect. He’s a wrathful God, yes. He punishes sin, yes. But that’s not the part I have an issue with. It’s the “imperfect” part I have an issue with. I’d like to also mention that I was disappointed that Kanner failed to mention any part of God’s covenant with Noah: aka the first rainbow. That’s an essential part of the story- it’s a symbol of God’s love and His promise to never flood the earth again. The story is lacking without the rainbow. And without the rainbow, God is portrayed only as an angry God, void of love and commitment. Long story short, this was the sole issue I had with this book, and thus dropped my rating from four stars to three. <br /><br />Overall, I enjoyed this life-changing story told from the eyes of Noah’s wife. It truly altered my view on the story of Noah, the ark, and the flood, in such a way that I’ll never look at it the same again. It’s not an easy ride- it’s a story full of violence, emotional, and heartache. But it’ll move you, guaranteed. <br />~~~~~<br /><br /><br />
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<b>Watch the Book Trailer</b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GvxcTs_xG-8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GvxcTs_xG-8</a><br /></div>
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<b>Praise for Sinners and the Sea</b><br /><br />“Kanner animates a harsh, almost dystopic world of fallen people struggling to survive. Noah’s unnamed wife is a powerful, memorable character.” – Publisher’s Weekly<br /><br />“[Noah's wife] proves her strength and character as she tries to protect her family… from the outside forces that threaten. Kanner successfully undertakes a formidable task retelling a familiar religious story through the eyes of Noah’s wife. The narrative’s well-articulated, evenly balanced and stimulating—but it’s definitely not the familiar tale that’s so frequently illustrated in children’s books” – Kirkus Reviews<br /><br /> “We think we know Noah’s story but he was not alone on the ark; what was the experience of his wife, his family? Rebecca Kanner’s vividly imagined telling recreates the world of the bible, and asks powerful questions about the story and about ourselves.” – Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, named the most influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek Magazine (2012). Author of WHY FAITH MATTERS<br /><br /> “First-time novelist Kanner has written an utterly absorbing novel, one that flows seamlessly.” – Historical Novel Society</div>
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<br /><b>Buy the Book</b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Sinners%20and%20the%20Sea">Amazon UK</a><br /> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Sinners%20and%20the%20Sea">Amazon US</a><br /> <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Sinners-and-the-Sea-Audiobook/B00C324WNY?source_code=GO1DG9048SH080912&gclid=CKDUu6rf_rwCFYRQ7Aodxk0AYw&mkwid=s1z9coEyT_dc&pkw=PLA&pmt=broad&pcrid=36223458129">Audible.com</a><br /> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sinners-and-the-sea-rebecca-kanner/1112033275?ean=9781451695250">Barnes & Noble</a><br /> <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Sinners-Sea-Rebecca-Kanner/9781451695250">Book Depository</a><br /> <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=5912906407705&query=Sinners+and+the+Sea&where=All&search.x=34&search.y=11">Books-a-Million</a><br /> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinners-and-the-sea/id543379367?mt=11">iTunes</a><br /></div>
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<b>About the Author</b><br /><br />Sinners and the Sea is Rebecca Kanner’s debut novel. Rebecca is a Twin Cities native and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction Writing from Washington University in St. Louis. Her writing has won an Associated Writing Programs Award, a Loft mentorship Award and a 2012/2013 Minnesota State Arts Board Grant. Her personal essay, “Safety,” is listed as a Notable Essay in Best American Essays 2011. Her stories have been published in numerous journals including The Kenyon Review and The Cincinnati Review.<br /><br />Along with other authors including Anita Diamant, Michael Cunningham, Joyce Carol Oates, Russell Banks and Ron Hansen, Rebecca will be featured in the upcoming title Truthful Fictions: Conversations with American Biographical Novelists.<br /><br />You can learn more about Rebecca, and find links to selected stories and essays, at <a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/sinnersandtheseatour/www.rebeccakanner.com">www.rebeccakanner.com</a>. You can also find her on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaKanner">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RebeccaKanner">Twitter</a>.<br /> </div>
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Jen from YA Romantics posted a great discussion-starter post about YA contemporaries. It seems like a large amount of contemps are being made into series rather than having them stand alone. Personally, I like a balance (a little of each). I'll agree that it's hard to find stand alone books, especially in YA, and that's annoying. What are your thoughts? Post them below or comment on Facebook. Also, go give Jen some love on her post as well!<br />
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<a href="http://jenryland.blogspot.com/2014/05/trending-thursday-will-ya-contemps.html">Trending Thursday: Will YA Contemps Become the New Neverending Story?</a></h3>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-19168974439590601092014-04-11T18:37:00.001-04:002014-04-11T18:39:04.424-04:00Blog Post Spotlight: 21 Questions to Ask When You're in a Book Blogging Slump<br />
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The lovely Stormy from Book. Blog. Bake. posted the most amazing blog post yesterday. It's all about those awful book blogging slumps everyone goes through (it's not just you!) and how to avoid/get out of them. Go check out her post, and give her some loving while you're over there!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bookblogbake.com/2014/04/10/25-questions-ask-youre-book-blogging-slump/">21 Questions to Ask When You're in a Book Blogging Slump</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-38383632763024584812014-04-11T00:00:00.000-04:002014-04-11T00:00:06.223-04:00Spotlight: Believe by S. F. Malik<div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nybgya7SumE/U0X7g_BzZzI/AAAAAAAACUs/4MSBJ4Z_UdY/s1600/believe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nybgya7SumE/U0X7g_BzZzI/AAAAAAAACUs/4MSBJ4Z_UdY/s1600/believe.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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Synopses:<br /><br /><br />They are the most brutal Empire we have known for generations. I am a seventeen year old slave boy, who must endure a life of servitude and sacrifice to keep my family alive. They took away my mother, my sister, my friends, everything I have cared for including my love. I inadvertently struck out and my actions started a chain reaction which led to war and a full scale rebellion. They have sent two armies to crush our resistance. I have an army of 300 maltreated slave children. They have an army of 5000 battle hardened men. I have hijacked an armoured State train. They have a limitless arsenal of the most sophisticated weapons on the face of the earth. I have promised my army of slave children to get them to freedom or die trying. They have vowed to kill every single slave child and have promised to handsomely reward the one who brings my head. I have made a pledge to my younger sister and will cheat death as many times as it takes to fulfill it. They are planning victory celebrations as a foregone conclusion, and have ordered ingeniously gruesome deaths for my soldiers and our families. What they don't know is . . . we have a stolen nuclear warhead in our possession and we intend to deliver it to the Emperor's doorstep.<br /><br /><br /><br /> About the Author:<div>
<br />I grew up and went to school in the historic city of Nottingham, where the legend of Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood enchanted a young boy's imagination. Encouraged by remarkable teachers I fell in love with writing stories. Growing up I did a variety of jobs all of which were rewarding, but it was my love for writing that won in the end. I now live in London and write to my heart's content. I sincerely hope my books can provide joy for my readers and most of all inspire more people to write! And keep the magic alive.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-50930257546222525002014-04-10T00:00:00.000-04:002014-04-10T00:00:08.726-04:00Making It Reel: Indies Rock Auction <a href="https://www.makingitreel.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IndiesRock1.jpg"><img alt="IndiesRock1" class="alignleft wp-image-927" height="360" src="https://www.makingitreel.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IndiesRock1.jpg" width="600" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.makingitreel.net/indies-rock-auction/" target="_blank">Making It Reel</a> is hosting a new and fresh way to promote all indie artists from anywhere in the world! If you are an indie cover artist, formatter, editor, website designer, marketer, or if you own your own small business, you can participate in this promotional opportunity.</div>
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How? It's simple. Just donate an item or service, which Making It Reel will auction off. In return for your contribution, Making It Reel will promote your item and business to <strong>over 500 blogs, social media, and forums</strong>. This gives the indie artist or small business owner a considerable spike in visibility and exposure to the people you want to reach--your customers!</div>
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Making It Reel has already received many wonderful contributions, which include editing services, e-book cover art, cake pops from an independently owned bakery, customized doll clothes, marketing services, and more! Join Making It Reel and all of our contributors in helping small businesses thrive! Because lets face it. <strong>Indies Rock!</strong></div>
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If you're an indie rock star, grab the button below!</div>
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Auctions begin March 20th! We are still accepting contributions, so be sure to stop in and check it out!</div>
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<a href="https://www.makingitreel.net/indies-rock-auction/"><strong>We are still open for contributions! </strong></a></div>
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-Theresa and Molly</div>
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Please note: This is not a charity auction of any kind. This auction is hosted by Making It Reel as a promotional service only.</div>
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**Giveaway**</div>
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Click <a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6ea73316/">here</a> to enter!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-49056414108019011452014-03-18T00:00:00.000-04:002014-03-18T00:00:05.005-04:00“Standing out in a sea of Dystopia” Guest Post by Rebecca Finlayson<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WOIz4imPGPQ/Ux5wQ5NzInI/AAAAAAAACTs/bSPvehtqVDk/s1600/x+and+y.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WOIz4imPGPQ/Ux5wQ5NzInI/AAAAAAAACTs/bSPvehtqVDk/s1600/x+and+y.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a><b>Today we have author Rebecca Finlayson on the blog, talking about her experience with writing YA dystopian.</b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">When
I go into a bookshop or a library in the UK it’s always satisfying to see so many
books on offer for the YA market. In our fast-paced world we can access everything
we want, when we want, at the touch of a button – and even get frustrated when
it doesn’t pop up instantly. (First world problems or what?) </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway, to see so
many YA books around and to know that teenagers are reading them and devoting
hours to them, is great and exciting for any lover of books, particularly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The
challenge that I had with “X&Y” was making my book stand out. There are so many
great YA Dystopian books out there, after all. It was a mountain to climb. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The
first thing that encouraged me, though, was that I had a story to tell that –
as far as I could tell – had not been told before. Genetic engineering had been
touched on in various stories but it wasn’t the main story. I thought it would
be fascinating to look at it through the eyes of a teenager. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The
second thing was the position of my female lead. Olivia Adonane is from a very wealthy,
very powerful family, and so to have a protagonist in a position where she literally
has everything to risk made for very interesting writing from my perspective!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Another
important thing was setting. Most of the YA Dystopian books I’ve read and enjoyed
(The Hunger Games, Divergent, and the Gone series) take place in the USA. I
thought it would be really interesting to have the focus on Britain, and how it
would have adapted to the ‘System’ which is in place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Apart
from the authors of the above books, one particular author who has inspired me
is Joanne Harris. She does plot so well, and the stories and twists of her
novels like “Gentlemen and Players”, “Holy Fools” and “Five Quarters of the
Orange” are just fantastic. I’ve learned a lot from her work about timing in
particular – for example, what to reveal and when to reveal it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I
really enjoyed writing “X&Y”. The subject matter made for really
fascinating exploration, and putting the characters in a quietly brutal setting
was equally thrilling and difficult to work through. It’s been great having
people read my work and give me feedback from it, not to mention seeing the
number of downloads increase, particularly on my “free promotion” days! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Below
is the opening chapter of “X&Y”. You can head over to Amazon Kindle for a free
seven-chapter sample.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Excerpt:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Thunder
rumbles in the early hours of this morning and when I wake I think of Lily and
what we’re going to do today. We’re meeting before school so we can post off
our university applications together. To anyone who does not know who we are it
seems such a little thing, but in this day and age it is not. My Ambition means
I’m guaranteed a place at a prestigious institution, but Lily’s venture is a
little more uncertain. Her portfolio, given to her parents when she was still
in her mother’s womb, states that her Ambition is to be a waitress, which I’ve
always thought was some kind of mix-up, as I’ve never thought she was right for
the Service Industry. Very clumsy, and perpetually distracted by “higher
things”, as she calls them, her different Preparation Experiences in cafes and
restaurants have always ended spectacularly badly, though I will give her
current boss come credit; she is unremittingly patient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<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;">Lily
is also extraordinarily clever, which is why I persuaded her to fill in a
university application in the first place. Strange, I think, considering her
family’s Ambitions, that her Tag gave her the chance to advance as much as she
has. I know that Lily thinks this is too risky, bordering on dangerous –
especially when the admissions boards find out about her humble family background.
What harm is there in trying, though? Despite her reluctance, I know when she
gets offered an opportunity to study Philosophy and Poetry she’ll be ecstatic
and all the fear will have been worth it.<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;">My
own Ambition is very different. I will be following my father down the Designer
route. First, six years of medical school followed by three more years of
theoretical and practical study at the School of Human Design. I will learn how
to create Tags with which to start unborn babies off on their uniquely selected
paths, learn to further the research that reduces – and, hopefully, eventually
eradicates – glitches in the System, and such like. My father is the most
renowned Designer in the country, the head of the Triad – the Triad comprises
of the country’s top three Designers – and one day I will take his place. It is
a huge responsibility, but it is one for which I have specifically been Designed.
I have no need to doubt myself. <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;">“Good
morning, father,” I chime, kissing him on the cheek as I bounce down to the
dining room for breakfast, schoolbag and big brown envelope at the ready. I
fling them down untidily on a chair and fix myself some cereal. “Where’s
mother?”<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;">“Still
in bed; she’s a little under the weather this morning. Not to worry though,
she’ll be up and about in no time,” he says while sipping his coffee and reading
the newspaper.<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;">“What
is the news like this morning?” <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;">“Calm,
as usual,” he smiles, and my curious doubts are quieted. Why do I harbour them?
Our Society is near perfect. While other nations are constantly embroiled in
bitter civil struggles, slowly destroying themselves from within, our country
enjoys peace and prosperity. The “Utopia”, that the old writers dreamt of, is
being achieved at last. I just wonder what the other countries are doing so
wrong. Father soon breaks me out of my reverie. <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;">“Is
that what I think it is?” he asks, indicating the brown envelope. <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;">“Yes,”
I say proudly. “I wonder which school will want me.”<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;">“All
of them, I expect. Look how strong your application is, after all.” <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;">“It
doesn’t hurt that I have your name on it, though,” I say slyly. <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;">“True,”
he says, winking at me. “But if your Ambition was not to follow in my
footsteps, they would turn you down as any other school would turn down an
applicant whose Ambition did not meet with their requirements.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“There’s
something I wanted to ask you related to that,” I say. “You know Lily, my best
friend?” <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;">“Yes?”
His tone is careful. He has never met Lily and there’s something about his
wariness whenever I mention her that makes me uneasy, like he doesn’t think we
should be friends. <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;">“Do
you know if her Tag and her Ambition portfolio got mixed up somehow before she
was born?” I ask.<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;">“I
don’t know; I wasn’t assigned to her case. You would have to find that out from
her hospital. Why?”<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;">“Well,
her Ambition is for her to be a waitress, but she’s not suited to that at all.”<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;">“Waitressing
is a perfectly good and sturdy profession,” my father says, his tone
reprimanding. <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;">“I
know; I’m not being high and mighty. It’s just that, Lily doesn’t seem to enjoy
it at all. She seems much more interested in pursuing Academia after Mandatory
Education is over. I just wondered whether her original Portfolio was along the
lines of some kind of Higher Educator, and the folder got mixed up in the
hospital.”<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%;">“That’s
impossible,” he says, though his dark eyebrows narrow a little over his
thick-rimmed black glasses. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">“Are you sure this isn’t just some Secondary
Interest that she is feeling quite strongly about at the moment?”</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;">“I
don’t think so,” I say, although my instincts tell me to shut up. <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;">“Even
in between her work breaks she’s always reading a book of some poet or another.
She excels at school – really, she would do much better at my school – and it
crushes me to think she can’t do what she really wants.”<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;">“She
wants to be a waitress,” my father says quietly. “If her portfolio says so,
then that is what her Tag has prepared her for, and that is what she will do. I
think you might be seeing more in this situation than there is.”<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;">“But-”
I start to argue, about to reveal that I’ve helped her fill in university
application, but something in his voice tells me that would be dangerous. His
mobile phone rings and he frowns when he sees who is calling <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;">“What
is it?” he snaps into the phone. His eyes widen as the speaker on the other end
rapidly relays information, though I can’t hear what he is saying. “I’ll come
immediately.” He clicks off, his expression a mixture of annoyance and
something else. Dismay?<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;">“We’ll
talk about this later,” he says quickly as he dons his suit jacket and picks up
his briefcase and I assume he means our earlier conversation. “I have to go.
I’ll see you for dinner. We’re going out to The Glade tonight.” He kisses my
head and leaves. Soon I hear the car rev up and speed away, gravel flying
everywhere.<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;">“Sure,”
I murmur, wondering what on earth that was about.<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;"><b>Find the book online:</b></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;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/X-Y-Rebecca-Finlayson-ebook/dp/B00GZ8EOKS">Amazon</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19046066-x-y">Goodreads</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://rebeccafinlaysonbooks.blogspot.co.uk/">Rebecca's Blog</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">About the Author…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Rebecca
Finlayson was born in the north of England - specifically Blackburn, Lancashire
– but actually spent most of her childhood in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire
(fans of Harry Potter will recognise that name!). Inspired by reading a
children’s version of “The Odyssey” 20+ times while growing up, she decided to
study Classical Civilisation at Warwick University and took a job as a Teaching
Assistant upon graduating. After two years she decided to take a year out in
order to do some charity work but, more significantly, pursue some writing
projects that had been nagging at her for some time. The first of these projects
to be completed, a Young Adult Dystopian novel entitled “X&Y” is now on
sale on Amazon Kindle. The second – a fantasy novel entitled “The Secrets of Nethiaria:
The Magician’s Book” will be out in Spring 2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-50305544412266601002014-03-17T00:00:00.000-04:002014-03-17T00:00:03.168-04:00Spotlight: Believe by Sohail Malik <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u-OyvawRS0o/Ux5olw4V95I/AAAAAAAACTg/22c77G1ynms/s1600/believe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u-OyvawRS0o/Ux5olw4V95I/AAAAAAAACTg/22c77G1ynms/s1600/believe.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><br />
<br />
Published: November 25th, 2013<br />
<br />
<br />
They are the most brutal Empire we have known for generations. I am a seventeen year old slave boy, who must endure a life of servitude and sacrifice to keep my family alive. They took away my mother, my sister, my friends, everything I have cared for including my love. I inadvertently struck out and my actions started a chain reaction which led to war and a full scale rebellion. They have sent two armies to crush our resistance. I have an army of 300 maltreated slave children. They have an army of 5000 battle hardened men. I have hijacked an armoured State train. They have a limitless arsenal of the most sophisticated weapons on the face of the earth. I have promised my army of slave children to get them to freedom or die trying. They have vowed to kill every single slave child and have promised to handsomely reward the one who brings my head. I have made a pledge to my younger sister and will cheat death as many times as it takes to fulfil it. They are planning victory celebrations as a foregone conclusion, and have ordered ingeniously gruesome deaths for my soldiers and our families. What they don't know is . . . we have a stolen nuclear warhead in our possession and we intend to deliver it to the Emperor's doorstep.<br />
<br />
<div>
<b>Find the book online: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Believe-S-F-Malik/dp/1491882743">Amazon</a></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-8531235863771170632014-03-14T00:00:00.000-04:002014-03-14T00:00:08.698-04:00Spotlight: A Special Love by Krissy Bells<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Q09tW3J2RA/Ux5VedG-AII/AAAAAAAACS4/TZCjMG29RXM/s1600/A+special+love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Q09tW3J2RA/Ux5VedG-AII/AAAAAAAACS4/TZCjMG29RXM/s1600/A+special+love.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a><br />
Published: February 27th, 2014 (Harold Blue Publishing)<br />
<br />
Links: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Special-Love-Krissy-Bells-ebook/dp/B00IPPI3DI/ref=la_B00IPS6FWQ_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393973625&sr=1-1">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20936777-a-special-love?ac=1">Goodreads</a><br />
<br />
When Robert Adler and Meredith Conrad fall in love, all that is left for them to do is prepare to live a fairy-tale life. With the blessing of their second child, a son named Michael, everything they have always dreamed of begins to become a reality. But his autism diagnosis is something they never anticipated. The struggle they face after the diagnosis puts a strain on their family that begins to tear them apart. Years later, Michael begins high school, and the true love his older <br />
sister Ann Marie finds there helps bring her insight and appreciation of Michael’s unique gifts and identity. It might be just what is needed to put their family back together.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Excerpt: </b><br />
<br />
<br />“What are you, retarded?” Luke yelled, his words echoing throughout the cafeteria. Michael jumped backward, caught only by the table behind him. He leaned back, startled. Luke’s monstrous shout drew Ann Marie’s attention, along with the rest of the lunchroom’s, to the altercation. He swung around to find Michael to be the perpetrator of his chair’s assault. “My bad,” he said. “You are retarded, you idiot!” He grabbed the plastic water bottle from Michael’s hand and poured it over his head. Distracted by the water falling over him, Michael began to smile and bounce up and down. “Look, he likes it!” Luke said, and with the bottle now empty, he whipped it at Michael. It rebounded off of his forehead and landed on the floor. <br /><br />A silence now resonated through the cafeteria, only pierced by the taps of the empty plastic bottle bouncing on the tile floor. Michael’s face, only seconds before filled with joy, was now changing. After the bottle struck him, his expression became carnal. Michael’s eyes squinted, his forehead crinkled, his jaw clenched, and he exposed his teeth. He emitted a soft but growing roar as he prepared to retaliate. <br /><br />“What is this weirdo doing?” Luke turned his back, laughing with his friends. Ann Marie approached the scene, silently sliding between them, coming face-to-face with her brother. She took his hands in hers, terrified at what he might do. Still furious, he stared past her to the back of Luke’s head. <br /><br />“You want to get your soda, don’t you, Michael?” she asked. Michael’s focus was unfazed. Ann Marie stepped to the right, interrupting his line of vision. “Michael, look at me. Look at Ann.” His eyes met hers briefly and then darted back to Luke. “No, Michael, look at me.” She moved, meeting his eyes again. “Let’s go get a 7 Up.” <br /><br />“No, a Coke, Ann. I want a Coke!” Michael replied. <br /><br />“Look at this,” Luke said, now turning toward them to observe their exchange. “This retard has a hot girlfriend!” <br /><br />Ann Marie turned, but before she could speak, someone stepped in between them. Like Michael, Kevin McKendrick was new to Willow Creek, though his arrival had sent the school’s female population into a frenzy. He was clean-cut but casual, usually found in a T-shirt and jeans. He was still unsure of his place there, thus he had so far kept mostly to himself, choosing to remain polite but distant. Ann Marie had noticed him in her U.S. history class when he had done a presentation on the Revolutionary War. He was hard not to notice. He looked more like he belonged on the cover of a magazine than in a classroom. Though his back was now to her, she could easily tell it was him; his tall, brawny frame and closely cropped chestnut hair was a clear giveaway.<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“Apologize,” he said.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uy4BbaDHcgc/Ux5VmvDeiRI/AAAAAAAACTA/qgbaolndgoc/s1600/krissy+bells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uy4BbaDHcgc/Ux5VmvDeiRI/AAAAAAAACTA/qgbaolndgoc/s1600/krissy+bells.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a><b style="text-align: center;"></b>
<b style="text-align: center;">About the Author...</b><br />
<br />
Krissy Bells was born and raised in the Detroit metro area. A former school secretary, she now spends her days as a stay-at-home mom. She is passionate about her family and friends, her Dachshund named Harry, and anything topped with cheese or chocolate. Krissy can be contacted at authorkrissybells@gmail.com. Thank you for reading!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_M5Jpwxg3dM/Ux5kKAtyQCI/AAAAAAAACTQ/lb1-r_Jl_eQ/s1600/the+autisic+mind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_M5Jpwxg3dM/Ux5kKAtyQCI/AAAAAAAACTQ/lb1-r_Jl_eQ/s1600/the+autisic+mind.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-45738483651575145122014-03-13T00:00:00.000-04:002014-03-13T00:00:03.682-04:00Reading the Prophets: Guest Post by Heather Zempel<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Today we have Heather Zempel, author of Amazed and Confused, on the blog talking about the Prophets of the Old Testament. Be sure to check out her new book as well as all the other books in the <a href="http://inscribedstudies.com/">InScribed series</a>! </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jvbDzzpDgl0/Ux50VHk-6WI/AAAAAAAACUA/8vJ_okB4aBQ/s1600/Heather_Zempel_400_600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jvbDzzpDgl0/Ux50VHk-6WI/AAAAAAAACUA/8vJ_okB4aBQ/s1600/Heather_Zempel_400_600.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Several years ago, a friend of mine commented, “I really hope I don’t get seated next to Obadiah at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, because I’m going to have to tell him, ‘I’m really sorry, dude, but I never read your book.’”</span><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-4eee3f1f-aeef-e182-f697-8cbc55bbfdd2" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I laughed, but I also embraced a new mission to help people navigate the odd world of prophetic writings. They seem so weird and irrelevant. In </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Handbook on the Prophets</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, author and professor Robert Chisholm admits:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible presents great interpretive obstacles. Its poetry, though teeming with vivid imagery that engages the imagination and emotions, challenges the reader’s understanding because of its economy of expression, rapid shifts in mood, and sometimes cryptic allusions. The reader of the prophetic literature quickly realizes that these books were written at particular points in time to specific groups of people with whom the modern reader seems to share little.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So true. However, Chisholm also contends that they demand our attention because they are the Word of God and contain a message that transcends time and space by helping us see dimensions of God’s character more clearly and challenging us to relate to Him and the world around us according to His ways.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I read the prophets with new eyes, I realized they were more relevant than I had thought. The prophets accepted the tension of living in a fallen world while waiting hopefully for a new world to come. Their hearts pounded for justice, and they warned that religion was empty unless accompanied by action. They lived through circumstances that didn’t make sense, questioned authority, and challenged people to live at a level higher than the rest of culture expected of them. To me, it seemed the Prophets might be the most real, raw, and relevant writings in the entire Bible. The world in which these authors lived, though separated from my own by thousands of years and thousands of miles, also felt very familiar. Their voices and their messages were as critical and germane to my life as they were to a distant generation; it just took some unraveling and cultural and historical insight to ensure their words resonated in my ears the way they hit their original audiences.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zgvzS1h46CM/Ux50AX1GJfI/AAAAAAAACT4/HxTk6TLqZXM/s1600/amazed+and+confused.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zgvzS1h46CM/Ux50AX1GJfI/AAAAAAAACT4/HxTk6TLqZXM/s1600/amazed+and+confused.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The prophet Habakkuk begged God for revival and that He would turn the hearts of faithless people back to Him. God’s answer to Habakkuk was “Take a look at the nations and watch </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">what</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">happens</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! You will be shocked and amazed” (1:5, The Voice). The vision God gave Habakkuk was on of warfare and exile. Not exactly the response you’d expect from a “good God.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have you ever prayed for something or someone in earnest, seeking God’s will, only to be left confused by God’s response? Have you questioned why a good God would allow bad things to happen to good people? Has a long-standing prayer request gone unanswered? In </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazed and Confused</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I’ll tackle these questions head-on by exploring the book of Habakkuk, </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you respond when God’s actions seem out of line with his character and promises? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazed and Confused</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> proceeds systematically through the book of Habakkuk, exploring the prophet’s prayer, God’s response, and the prophet’s journey from confusion to worship. Please join me on this journey of discovering the Minor Prophets and the wealth of wisdom they have to share. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback if you do. Leave me a message on my website, heatherzempel.com or connect through social media, Facebook.com/heather.zempel or twitter.com/heatherzempel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazed and Confused</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is part of the InScribed book collection. Learn more about InScribed and other books in this collection by visiting InScribedStudies.com. Parts of this blog are excerpts from my book, Amazed and Confused, released March 4, 2014 through Thomas Nelson. </span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Heather Zempel </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Heather Zempel is the discipleship pastor at National Community Church in Washington, DC. Having obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biological engineering from Louisiana State University, Heather worked as an environmental engineer and as a policy consultant on energy and environment in the United States Senate. Heather lives on Capitol Hill where she can be found searching out the best barbeque joints, watching college football, and enjoying theater with her husband Ryan. In addition to InScribed’s Amazed and Confused : When God’s Actions Collide with Expectations which is </span><a href="http://inscribedstudies.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">available now</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(</span><a href="http://inscribedstudies.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://inscribedstudies.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Heather is also the author of Sacred Roads and Community is Messy.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-2318082610568650932014-03-11T00:00:00.000-04:002014-03-11T00:00:03.267-04:00Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme
hosted by </span><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Broke and the Bookish</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I stole today’s topic from last week, because today’s
*chosen* topic was one I’ve done over and over and over…and over (<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Top Ten All Time Favorite
Books in X Genre). But because I was slack last week and didn’t post, it all
worked out nicely. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> So here’s my last week’s list this week. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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1) <b>J.K. Rowling</b>.
Go ahead, hate me. Nah, I’ve never read <i>Harry
Potter</i>. How am I still breathing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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2) <b>Gayle Forman</b>.
Literally all her books are on my to-read list. <o:p></o:p></div>
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3) <b>Susane Colasanti</b>.
Her books look so cute, though. <o:p></o:p></div>
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4) <b>Sarah Dessen</b>.
I half-way read one of her books in middle school, but that doesn’t count. <o:p></o:p></div>
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5) <b>Jodi Meadows</b>.
I have <i>Incarnate</i> on my shelf, I
promise you!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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6) <b>Kiersten White</b>.
Heard so much about her, never read a single sentence she’s written.<o:p></o:p></div>
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7) <b>Jennifer Echols</b>.
I’m dying to read <i>Such a Rush</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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8) <b>Maggie Stiefvator</b>.
Why am I such an awful person.<o:p></o:p></div>
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9) <b>Jennifer
Armentrout</b>. Basically everything she writes, everyone loves. Or so it
seems. <o:p></o:p></div>
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10) <b>Abbi Glines</b>. One
summer I’m just going to solely read Abbi Glines. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Share your Top Ten in
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-79577489001932472972014-02-20T00:00:00.000-05:002014-02-20T00:00:07.045-05:00Sci-Fi YA Panel with Beth Revis, Amie Kauffman, and Meagan Spooner<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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This past weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend
an author event (my first ever!) with Beth Revis (Across the Universe series),
Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (These Broken Stars). Lissa Price (Starters
and Enders) and Jodi Meadows (Incarnate) were supposed to be in attendance as well, but
sadly, snowstorm Pax had other plans. Beth, Amie and Meagan were fabulous,
though, and I was so excited to get to see them!</div>
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The three authors first chatting among themselves and with
readers about some commonly asked questions that they get. It was so hilarious
to get to hear them talk about their own writing processes (apparently Meagan
likes to talk to herself and act out scenes). I don’t want to play favorites,
but Beth was definitely my favorite out of the three. She just has a fun
personality and is super hilarious. She told a story about a time when she was
enacting a scene with her husband. This particular enactment just happened to
require a fake gun and Beth being held in a choke hold by her husband, and the
UPS man just happened to be dropping off some packages at that time. ;)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Both books (Across the Universe and These Broken Stars) are
set in space, and it was interesting to hear some of the research the authors
had to do. Lots of visits to the NASA website! Apparently it’s now known that
the Russians are much more daring in space than Americans…records of various accidents
and stunts have proven that to be very true. Whenever Amie or Meagan mentioned
anything regarding plot/climax in relation to the space topic, Beth would chime
in and reiterate her love for explosions. She really does love blowing things
up. Exclusively in her books, hopefully. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Some people asked about writing advice or book covers (the
dress on the cover of These Broken Stars got a lot of attention…apparently
these three draped it over a statue at Biltmore, just for fun!). My favorite
question, though, was “Which authors are you most thankful to be friends with,
excluding the present authors?” I know for a fact that Beth is pretty chummy
with Lauren DeStefano, and Meagan mentioned Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the
French Kiss). Stephanie is another author I’d love to meet- she’s a fellow
North Carolinian like Meagan and Beth. Beth then went on to mention the time
she met J.K. Rowling, and almost threw up. I’m tellin’ ya, this woman doesn’t
get any more hilarious. Everyone was in stitches. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When I had Beth sign my book, she was like, “Shelby?! Like
the city? I have a character in A Million Suns named Shelby!” And I was like,
“Awesome, that’s cool.” And then she was like, “But I kill her off.” And I was
all, “Ok, I guess that’s cool, too.” Ha. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I had such a fun time just listening to Beth, Amie, and
Meagan talk about writing and their books. And it was great chatting to fellow
English majors in line! Finally, people like me! I really felt like I belonged.
I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for YA author events in my area. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-45086915632691686132014-02-19T00:00:00.000-05:002014-02-19T00:00:04.245-05:00Waiting on Wednesday #26<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMyio1vprSs/UwLFsG1mOVI/AAAAAAAACRs/3ca5JQXQah4/s1600/header_waiting-on-wednesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMyio1vprSs/UwLFsG1mOVI/AAAAAAAACRs/3ca5JQXQah4/s1600/header_waiting-on-wednesday.jpg" height="115" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme
hosted by Jill at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Breaking the Spine</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13409664-nearly-gone?bf=500&from_search=true">Nearly Gone</a> by Elle Cosimano<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Release
date: March 25<sup>th</sup>, 2014 (Kathy Dawson Books)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Pages:
388<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<em><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bones</span></b></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></b></span><strong><span style="background: white; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">meets</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></b></span><em><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Fringe</span></b></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></b></span><strong><span style="background: white; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">in a big,
dark, scary, brilliantly-plotted urban thriller that will leave you guessing
until the very end.</span></strong><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Nearly Boswell
knows how to keep secrets. Living in a DC trailer park, she knows better than
to share anything that would make her a target with her classmates. Like her
mother's job as an exotic dancer, her obsession with the personal ads, and
especially the emotions she can taste when she brushes against someone's skin.
But when a serial killer goes on a killing spree and starts attacking students,
leaving cryptic ads in the newspaper that only Nearly can decipher, she
confides in the one person she shouldn't trust: the new guy at school—a
reformed bad boy working undercover for the police, doing surveillance. . . on
her.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Nearly might be the
one person who can put all the clues together, and if she doesn't figure it all
out soon—she'll be next. </span>[Description from Goodreads]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">What are you waiting on this
Wednesday? Leave a comment or link below.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152950964331655840.post-45617785987391171162014-02-18T00:00:00.000-05:002014-02-18T00:00:07.423-05:00Top Ten Reasons I Love Being a Book Blogger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rBsCof4pqOk/UwLCwyRO4fI/AAAAAAAACRg/msVeliftAM8/s1600/Top-Ten-TuesdayLOGO4(pp_w875_h349).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rBsCof4pqOk/UwLCwyRO4fI/AAAAAAAACRg/msVeliftAM8/s1600/Top-Ten-TuesdayLOGO4(pp_w875_h349).jpg" height="127" width="320" /></a></div>
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Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a></div>
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<b>1) Getting to share
my opinion with YOU!</b> I love hearing others’ thoughts on books they’ve read,
and giving my input as well!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>2) Growing to love
books through other people. </b>There are several people I’ve met through
blogging whose opinions on books are so impeccable, that I’ll literally read
anything they suggest. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3) Makin’ new
friends. =) </b>I’m really bad at connect with people online, but I’m working
on it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>4) Expanding my
reading horizons.</b> Reading things I normally wouldn’t read, and loving it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>5) Having a reason to
be super analytical/critical when reading. </b>I think as I’ve blogged, I’ve
become more critical about what I read…which, I think, is a good thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>6) Getting inspired
by authors and fellow writers.</b> You don’t have to be a blogger to get
inspired, but over the years, I’ve heard tons of good advice that’s helped me
in my own writing pursuits! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>7) Picking out blog
templates. </b>That’s half the fun, right?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>8) Having an excuse
to spend an appalling amount of money on books.</b> Not joking. I legitimately
use this as an excuse. It’s downright shameful. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>9) The free books. </b>I’m
not gonna lie and say I don’t like this part of the business. I’m not blogging
BECAUSE of the free books, but it is a nice added bonus. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>10) Honing writing
skills by writing reviews. </b>You don’t get better until you practice,
practice practice…. and practice some more. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07517629132352002392noreply@blogger.com1