tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640255640945738992024-03-12T19:18:46.470-04:00FLOWERS AND THORNSWelcome to my blog!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-48975255658982047402014-08-24T09:00:00.000-04:002015-04-28T15:06:28.290-04:00Onward<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Newly released</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5LkbD5tfvP5w6lJXPeuED_b_5B2d-nNUnOZRe4SidPj9B_xJMxBETKYPUERiUir8cVdfUaFR_w5iAFYLNe9m4Q5p7e0RslLuMz3J2p3P9Mpi7B2EHV_agwpaTqWiRLkVYUsj370PL14X/s1600/Ecover_6x9_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5LkbD5tfvP5w6lJXPeuED_b_5B2d-nNUnOZRe4SidPj9B_xJMxBETKYPUERiUir8cVdfUaFR_w5iAFYLNe9m4Q5p7e0RslLuMz3J2p3P9Mpi7B2EHV_agwpaTqWiRLkVYUsj370PL14X/s1600/Ecover_6x9_sm.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">For the short story lover in you. An eclectic mix of genres to keep you from being bored. Get your copy now.</span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Check it out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Between-Dark-Light-Lorrie-Unites-Struiff-ebook/dp/B00WNE63E8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430247859&sr=8-1&keywords=Lorrie+Unites-Struiff">HERE</a></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<br /></h3>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Hi ho, hi ho,</h2>
It's off to self-pubbing I go.<br />
<br />
After the expiration of my contracts with my various publishers, I am now entering the scary world of self-publishing.<br />
<br />
So, take a gander at my new book cover for Gypsy Crystal. It's now available in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gypsy-Crystal-Lorrie-Unites-Struiff-ebook/dp/B00LAK1530/" target="_blank">Kindle ebook </a>format and print. Makes you want to duck, eh? Soon to be available on Nook and Kobo also.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrkEgDHtTX9tjWO3EmMKSvruS_unwwWjITste3jiRyvxYINydwOkw0WQxoEBdeIFO_CQTqWMnjS1EZlxdMUhSJ3g7SUfUSogZ5KTIxaw-EZBv3c8f9-9DcezrkQG9Z2VNvbJhvZ-Os_nU/s1600/GypsyCrystalBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrkEgDHtTX9tjWO3EmMKSvruS_unwwWjITste3jiRyvxYINydwOkw0WQxoEBdeIFO_CQTqWMnjS1EZlxdMUhSJ3g7SUfUSogZ5KTIxaw-EZBv3c8f9-9DcezrkQG9Z2VNvbJhvZ-Os_nU/s1600/GypsyCrystalBlog.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Blurb:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Everyone has secrets.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Homicide Detective Rita Moldova has a secret, a crystal amulet from her Roma bloodline that allows her to see the last image a victim had seen in their eyes before they died. Now, a ritual killer is terrorizing her town and the crystal’s magic has suddenly stopped doing its job. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
FBI agent, Matt Boulet, is sent to lead the task force and gives the group strange orders. Worse, Rita senses he is holding back a deep, dark secret about the killer. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
When she seeks her seer mother’s advice, she learns another secret about their clan that she finds impossible to swallow. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Rita swims through a whirlpool of confusion as the investigation continues. Can Rita deny the lore of the ancients? Can she deny her growing feelings for Matt Boulet? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Another new goodie for you.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlki1FlI_JDBEaCaBoDThYuBq8BeP-1y7_yYQfHBwGKMjLM-MXZ051z9Q9SoCOO0gczCFBMjLfpChrpJSlkF6JwXjELY4jtYBuuex068gEuu4v6qiiAZAS4q3TomobUQFk6RnKWV5rntN/s1600/WinnieCoverBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlki1FlI_JDBEaCaBoDThYuBq8BeP-1y7_yYQfHBwGKMjLM-MXZ051z9Q9SoCOO0gczCFBMjLfpChrpJSlkF6JwXjELY4jtYBuuex068gEuu4v6qiiAZAS4q3TomobUQFk6RnKWV5rntN/s1600/WinnieCoverBlog.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">Meet Winnie Krapski</span></em></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Come and meet Winnie Krapski who hugged a cherry tree during
a lightning storm. The bolt slammed her, splitting the tree in half. The
near-death experience bestowed her with a gift–one she’d rather not have. She can now see and talk to a dead person's ghost as they lay in a casket in a funeral home.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 4.3pt;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Drafted into the C.O.D. Club (Call on the Dead) by Fat Phil
Phillips, her mission is to grant the newly deceased’s ghost one last
reasonable request. Can Winnie honor her oath?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 4.3pt;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Well, she tries. But, not before she stumbles into
situations that almost get her killed. She’s one spunky broad. Follow her
adventures in:<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-family: Garamond;">The Unwanted Gift<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><u><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Going in
Style<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Going to a Doubleheader<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Winnie Gets Hijacked<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Going on a Sea Cruise</span></u></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">And a Bonus Story of Cora going <u>Splat</u></span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Secrets abound. Bullets fly.</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Yep, it's Winnie granting another dead person's wish</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Get you copy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Call-Dead-Club-Lorrie-Unites-Struiff-ebook/dp/B00LOWODUQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405442839&sr=8-1&keywords=Lorrie+Unites-Struiff">Here</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Nook and Kobo with carry this one soon.</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">AND LET'S NOT FORGET THIS ONE</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyDt1YBeNfIKU5lHvnaUkhCfEToAgTETpoyo5PLAxgzUs5YRiAe0ydlMU-TCzIE9REjSK7na8cVOREriDgu5o0X92NUDHEhSG_Yj9hDU2sJsiQHUTA73DTvSOnlqObzhyphenhyphen8CHwY9Y_AnXl/s1600/RustlingCoverBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyDt1YBeNfIKU5lHvnaUkhCfEToAgTETpoyo5PLAxgzUs5YRiAe0ydlMU-TCzIE9REjSK7na8cVOREriDgu5o0X92NUDHEhSG_Yj9hDU2sJsiQHUTA73DTvSOnlqObzhyphenhyphen8CHwY9Y_AnXl/s1600/RustlingCoverBlog.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The
newly arrived Mattie Wells sure jingles Sheriff Cole Walker’s spurs with just a
smile. He’s determined to court her and to win her hand. But Mattie hides a
dark secret and refuses to marry any man. Cole pushes to pry out her reasons
and change her mind while harboring a secret of his own. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
To win her heart Cole’s
forced to put up with an unwanted theivin’ ringtail monkey who thinks Cole is
his new BFF just because Mattie thinks Beggar is adorable.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
Now understand, Cole is fearless-- except when
it comes to critters, ever since his pa’s hound dog left teeth marks on his
butt when he was a little tyke. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While under pressure from
the Mayor to find and arrest the cattle rustlers causing trouble between the
Double J ranch and the farmers and to prevent an all out war, Cole tries to
wiggle Mattie’s past out of her. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sheriff
Cole chases after Mattie, who steals his heart, a gang that steals JJ’s cattle
and Beggar who steals the townspeople’s jewelry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
It's a thrill of a ride!!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Look for it on Amazon and soon Nook and Kobo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Come on, and as we all know who said this, "Make my day." Pick up a copy today.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Thank you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
Cellophane Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08166797508899835493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-44552572994655427192014-08-01T18:02:00.000-04:002014-08-01T18:02:18.386-04:00Free Kindle Ebook From Marva Dasef<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JQQQCAQ" target="_blank">August 1st and 2nd free at Amazon, the entire Witches of Galdorheim series in a single ebook. Can't beat the price. </a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FnIO9_2vwGs/UZ-R2wnqjCI/AAAAAAAAGfw/OX4rD_CwsPc/s1600/TrilogyFrontCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FnIO9_2vwGs/UZ-R2wnqjCI/AAAAAAAAGfw/OX4rD_CwsPc/s1600/TrilogyFrontCover.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
Cellophane Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08166797508899835493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-30589334847028332832014-01-26T20:55:00.002-05:002014-01-26T20:55:57.560-05:00Another Audio Book from Marva Dasef<b>MISSING, ASSUMED DEAD</b><br />
<i>Prejudice, murder, insanity, suicide: Every small town has its secrets.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Missing-Assumed-Dead/dp/B00I0WT3U8/" target="_blank">Amazon offers a discounted price ($13.08) if you purchase from their store. It just sends you to Audible anyway.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Missing-Assumed-Dead-Audiobook/B00HZSMTI6/" target="_blank">Audible has the higher price ($14.95), but "Missing" can be your book of the month if you're a member or you can get it free if you sign up to be a member. That's what I made my hubby do. He got two book by signing up.</a><br />
<br />
So, what are you waiting for? Oh, right! You're waiting for those freebie promo coupons. Well, I have NO idea when those will show up. So, go ahead buy the book. The freebie promo coupon gives you a book credit with which you can purchase another book. Either way, you'll get something free.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OsQCRUyXdJuhRMeYKlEwaUmGoYIYH2IqpFfEZKKP9nWZiWzoe0efMNHf9wX1qvMZ56AKzxNEIxW1vbY5MeYJ18EncozkU28fJgMiVHlv22Am5CQphBV_RdS4KhkscWKUKcset__Wd38/s1600/MissingAudioCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OsQCRUyXdJuhRMeYKlEwaUmGoYIYH2IqpFfEZKKP9nWZiWzoe0efMNHf9wX1qvMZ56AKzxNEIxW1vbY5MeYJ18EncozkU28fJgMiVHlv22Am5CQphBV_RdS4KhkscWKUKcset__Wd38/s1600/MissingAudioCover.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Cellophane Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08166797508899835493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-60143450211075160242014-01-01T15:07:00.000-05:002014-01-01T15:07:15.053-05:00LORRIE'S HIBERNATING SO I'M HIJACKING HER BLOG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7aFOCF0YvEQ/UsH1Hmi6xPI/AAAAAAAAIHA/XKzcfnfNom8/s1600/AudioCover1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7aFOCF0YvEQ/UsH1Hmi6xPI/AAAAAAAAIHA/XKzcfnfNom8/s320/AudioCover1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Woot! I'm a bounty hunter. Never join Audible.com? Well, do so today, and get my audio book, Tales of a Texas Boy, for FREE! I need at least three new signups on Audible.com who get my book free as one of the first three they purchase from Audible.<br />
<br />
The Fine Print: You need to stay on audible.com for 61 days. If you do that, my producer and I get to split a bounty fee worth way more than the royalty we give up since the book is free. Oh, yeah. You get another book free on signup too.<br />
<br />
Audible is a membership thing which costs a monthly amount (after you get your first month free) depending on how many books you want per month. You can access it quickly through my book link on Amazon.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tales-of-a-Texas-Boy/dp/B00HLPLG8M/" target="_blank">Tales of a Texas Boy on Amazon (discounted right now)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Tales-of-a-Texas-Boy-Audiobook/B00HJCF7BY/" target="_blank">Tales of a Texas Boy at Audible</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook/tales-texas-boy-unabridged/id790270290" target="_blank">Tales of a Texas Boy at iTunes</a>Cellophane Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08166797508899835493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-2381646807137471802014-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:002014-01-01T00:00:02.071-05:00HAPPY NEW YEAR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
I wish everyone a Happy New Year.</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Due to personal commitments this January of the New Year, I am not opening the blog for a limited time.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll inform all when it's guest time again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for understanding.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Lorrie</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-8676068068952314682013-12-28T00:00:00.000-05:002013-12-28T00:00:08.025-05:00IN BETWEEN THE HOLIDAYS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XW_7vFd8bvnOtnPD-6kpAji35BZOxC-Rq9WfVM4ovSuouM5hTUo0wdXcUM6kN4bv4CxBmC2vdw6VSOLqYVvorQXjpQy3FYJWSIx8ATXC5fpDHb9jOwUqW0s2siVyeFq4crg-Q6kwNI7p/s1600/santa-walking-animated.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XW_7vFd8bvnOtnPD-6kpAji35BZOxC-Rq9WfVM4ovSuouM5hTUo0wdXcUM6kN4bv4CxBmC2vdw6VSOLqYVvorQXjpQy3FYJWSIx8ATXC5fpDHb9jOwUqW0s2siVyeFq4crg-Q6kwNI7p/s1600/santa-walking-animated.gif" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
I hope Santa brought you everything that was on your list.</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
I hope you enjoyed the food and family.</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNepR3TZB9hbQMl9pc2eHTigx0ueeBju9E2DGY3Tdq4WazgN4wi1QfhW6CWw9_ZjfF5stmmBokILDIRcF-RafiuolJNLFn1Md1j-JSS7qLmUhNlG6Dt8VZSPO2lU0kHxhOYp8jECwtaC3/s1600/christmas-tree-v2-copyright-yram.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNepR3TZB9hbQMl9pc2eHTigx0ueeBju9E2DGY3Tdq4WazgN4wi1QfhW6CWw9_ZjfF5stmmBokILDIRcF-RafiuolJNLFn1Md1j-JSS7qLmUhNlG6Dt8VZSPO2lU0kHxhOYp8jECwtaC3/s320/christmas-tree-v2-copyright-yram.gif" width="240" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
The tree is still up and the lights are on.</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Leftovers are great to eat. Get creative.</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
New Year is next. Please have a safe one.</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
If you go to a party, be careful.</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y6XRWnSji4VuVXEHmYq-hj0Wr1ATtA8HzA0OJmAeaom90-DwRTu3edG8K8N9wWP-eDTOEUu3SlvO9R8ikvcjk_jxztrYa3V-vYye91_HThsdUlz8OXqnYyn-8aakxzFIrCW_CENIZrdv/s1600/santa-reindeer-dancing-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y6XRWnSji4VuVXEHmYq-hj0Wr1ATtA8HzA0OJmAeaom90-DwRTu3edG8K8N9wWP-eDTOEUu3SlvO9R8ikvcjk_jxztrYa3V-vYye91_HThsdUlz8OXqnYyn-8aakxzFIrCW_CENIZrdv/s1600/santa-reindeer-dancing-1.gif" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Watch out for those who are driving with too much alcohol.</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Have a safe and Happy New Year my friends.</h2>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-66175522007972290212013-12-24T00:00:00.000-05:002013-12-24T00:00:08.102-05:00SHIRLEY MARTIN REMEMBERS KOREA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2>
<em>Hello Shirley, <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIFsqIyDjARQeMO20yR8MfRsMvcqOanhnkn11XhbDxcqSpzhMnVHCCd25nrFtaCvL1zn15QQ0m1JXTxf_XGwV1N_dhB5zXRbusfmSZQ4mqxpS3xqWEgpjmhTvMKfj0kyUu5xJOQcGqhxM/s1600/christmas-tree-v2-copyright-yram.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIFsqIyDjARQeMO20yR8MfRsMvcqOanhnkn11XhbDxcqSpzhMnVHCCd25nrFtaCvL1zn15QQ0m1JXTxf_XGwV1N_dhB5zXRbusfmSZQ4mqxpS3xqWEgpjmhTvMKfj0kyUu5xJOQcGqhxM/s320/christmas-tree-v2-copyright-yram.gif" width="240" /></a></div>
</em></h2>
<h2>
<em>Thank you so much for sharing</em></h2>
<h2>
<em>this small memory with us.</em></h2>
<h2>
<em>And we have to remember those who could not be home for Christmas this year. Those who are still deployed overseas to keep us safe.</em></h2>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Born and raised
during the Depression, I shared a very simple Christmas with my parents and
three older brothers. I usually received about three gifts for Christmas, and
it never even occurred to me to wonder why I didn't get more. My stocking
usually held an orange, and apple, and some nuts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu18npQ24nOfGL65Ye0xXBQRTgVHxMC2ba5evv2yEiZgS7HztyZL_MEhOL4lYTqmiPXglpx-NQh_ojHkNAqMnKRP890sTSEbItFzW1SPRUUqxQCCh0Hh8g-3LES09puh50pcCQleccgQZj/s1600/th2GM5TPK2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu18npQ24nOfGL65Ye0xXBQRTgVHxMC2ba5evv2yEiZgS7HztyZL_MEhOL4lYTqmiPXglpx-NQh_ojHkNAqMnKRP890sTSEbItFzW1SPRUUqxQCCh0Hh8g-3LES09puh50pcCQleccgQZj/s1600/th2GM5TPK2.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Now
I'm going to jump ahead a few years to about 1950, during the Korean War. My
oldest brother joined the Army about that time and was sent to Korea, where the
war was fought under United Nations auspices. My mother got a Christmas package
ready and sent it to him, but my mom and dad worried that the package wouldn't
get there in time for the holiday. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">About that time, the Red Chinese entered the
war on the side of North Korea and sent troops across the Chinese border with
Korea. This offensive sent the Americans reeling back. And then we worried that
my brother might not come home at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> But
my brother did come home, safe and sound. And I'm still not sure if he ever got
the package. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shirley Martin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<a href="http://bookswelove.net/martin.php" title="http://bookswelove.net/martin.php"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://bookswelove.net/martin.php</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii50B37EA7hcdEfSDBwz0NoxZUT0l9I1YZ4TJ4OjCcNj1I8DJ6EPCN94-erpHKobtrqRuiIPFIKctnNt320v91frrtO6V2-hDc6guZluJkjvWsGjNfxe0L5qPhtRa1udivpnYhORdrYw-q/s1600/soldier-on-patrol-hi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii50B37EA7hcdEfSDBwz0NoxZUT0l9I1YZ4TJ4OjCcNj1I8DJ6EPCN94-erpHKobtrqRuiIPFIKctnNt320v91frrtO6V2-hDc6guZluJkjvWsGjNfxe0L5qPhtRa1udivpnYhORdrYw-q/s1600/soldier-on-patrol-hi.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<o:p> <em><span style="font-size: large;">I too remember the Korean war. Sad to say I lost a first cousin in that battle. </span></em></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em></o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<o:p><em><span style="font-size: large;">We have had many wars 'police actions' since. Bless all our troops and we pray for their safe return.</span></em></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<o:p><em><span style="font-size: large;">Peace on Earth, good will to men would truly be a miracle. </span></em></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmccJ_lDVpHiy9SXMhx1TATxezKdks3p97lWgSWKkYC7-X_JMsWkYjwL9_GmbMlqrGpRIjgbwanQWdcUOkfyi7hjQxGMCQwn-31Gk20GRsD_F9zJzlv-Htn1el4kNZBKNPo9MtJ_8Blkp/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmccJ_lDVpHiy9SXMhx1TATxezKdks3p97lWgSWKkYC7-X_JMsWkYjwL9_GmbMlqrGpRIjgbwanQWdcUOkfyi7hjQxGMCQwn-31Gk20GRsD_F9zJzlv-Htn1el4kNZBKNPo9MtJ_8Blkp/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<o:p><em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em></o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<o:p><em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em></o:p> </div>
<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-23553768349048302932013-12-21T00:00:00.000-05:002013-12-21T00:00:07.016-05:00CATE MASTERS AND HER BLUE CHRISTMAS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2>
Howdy Cate, and Merry Christmas. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8T6X_fSADTzLxpa-gECdKgqN-ylojYr3offBBZRSs-rM4oioD3GYx-trkxPMj0i5YitXXnaJqhfba-5-FGxygnRQkoX3XeyX91t4VINazog_MlsKK4DOEf1m1tVpcCPjVTbSTH9IHnwmf/s1600/point.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8T6X_fSADTzLxpa-gECdKgqN-ylojYr3offBBZRSs-rM4oioD3GYx-trkxPMj0i5YitXXnaJqhfba-5-FGxygnRQkoX3XeyX91t4VINazog_MlsKK4DOEf1m1tVpcCPjVTbSTH9IHnwmf/s320/point.gif" width="232" /></a></div>
</h2>
<h2>
Glad to have you today with your memory of the holiday and your new release.</h2>
<h2>
Tell us.</h2>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Blue
Christmas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When I
was growing up, Christmas was always a big deal at our house. My dad was a
rural mail carrier and would bring home lots of goodies every day that people
on his route left for him – cookies, fruitcake (I know, yech, lol), </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rs9OlKXyBr4iF-B5NCQa1bE0vmgypu2cLOeQqUwZtKfsXDKsFcxBQhjcTLFayLKvvuQA1LXORY6W9SRdsJOgPbjvkxQPkzjFOGmvFL3H5hyphenhyphenM_T1Cq9sOmGv86D5VdEU027vvVdhd8it-/s1600/whole-fruitcake-isolated-3529801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rs9OlKXyBr4iF-B5NCQa1bE0vmgypu2cLOeQqUwZtKfsXDKsFcxBQhjcTLFayLKvvuQA1LXORY6W9SRdsJOgPbjvkxQPkzjFOGmvFL3H5hyphenhyphenM_T1Cq9sOmGv86D5VdEU027vvVdhd8it-/s1600/whole-fruitcake-isolated-3529801.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">even
bottles of alcohol. My mom always put out the Elf on a Shelf – the original
one. And of course, we always had a tree. My mom’s dream tree was a horrendous
aluminum one with all blue balls. Worst. Tree. Ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtuVz2uBzm8LK7F2DEJeYdCprzhPAZtaVYbG54xJpdzuftB1U2ZqEa7j4Ope_pXSn-jHBzIgPouTcnVpClEw6efQUIdc5GcgvcRmZX8EXa1s_BYbXMwxRtOg60sLRQ00OJCJ3eNbIspqy/s1600/tree+two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtuVz2uBzm8LK7F2DEJeYdCprzhPAZtaVYbG54xJpdzuftB1U2ZqEa7j4Ope_pXSn-jHBzIgPouTcnVpClEw6efQUIdc5GcgvcRmZX8EXa1s_BYbXMwxRtOg60sLRQ00OJCJ3eNbIspqy/s1600/tree+two.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It’s a
tradition in my house to visit a tree farm and select a beautiful evergreen.
I’m not a tree snob, I don’t have to have a blue spruce or an expensive tree. I
do love full, tall ones with sturdy branches that can hold all my ornaments.
I’ve been collecting ornaments since the year I married my hubby. That’s
thirty-six years’ worth!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC1utU3yga0zCzFbMTGzSLCpE3W6mdKVS7swKL8n88IxK6ago5UocWI7Nyy4i-AJCbziHPneF8ilbpyyG7nwJhqnjfrkNuU8JbgQHfKGiDJLFBhcXWHeizDRw8nXM06T2dCb3J9f6Z_NH/s1600/two+O.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC1utU3yga0zCzFbMTGzSLCpE3W6mdKVS7swKL8n88IxK6ago5UocWI7Nyy4i-AJCbziHPneF8ilbpyyG7nwJhqnjfrkNuU8JbgQHfKGiDJLFBhcXWHeizDRw8nXM06T2dCb3J9f6Z_NH/s1600/two+O.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVCl6jwq30o2H_qi_kAaiwN_BVyu94Qwd-zW-2wcYT5doKKFBVWG8btQtHX5uC60XXH4SmBEBOAsRuMI1WGEx-6td30YpfJIigX7ck8oZxaHH2hgo7s_nCWOJzg4VgpOrnscb7pLGc9vb/s1600/One+O.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVCl6jwq30o2H_qi_kAaiwN_BVyu94Qwd-zW-2wcYT5doKKFBVWG8btQtHX5uC60XXH4SmBEBOAsRuMI1WGEx-6td30YpfJIigX7ck8oZxaHH2hgo7s_nCWOJzg4VgpOrnscb7pLGc9vb/s1600/One+O.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47AyY3ivwcnL7I9IJO21Nmu4OVR6HmXBgc3R8AO3de4exB0sljG4Vvpr-RIv1GoTIswxIYGNAYxeWhl3Ivi6sai77bYV3KyQq82QZmlHCzF4NRu-J2nFwwOWw0kr8mwOcNNhTNkqXPyul/s1600/three+O.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47AyY3ivwcnL7I9IJO21Nmu4OVR6HmXBgc3R8AO3de4exB0sljG4Vvpr-RIv1GoTIswxIYGNAYxeWhl3Ivi6sai77bYV3KyQq82QZmlHCzF4NRu-J2nFwwOWw0kr8mwOcNNhTNkqXPyul/s1600/three+O.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In the
past few years, I’ve stopped one of the traditions I started when my kids were
little. Every holiday, I’d buy a new ornament for each of my three children. I
wanted them to be able to someday fill their own Christmas trees with ornaments
that held wonderful memories of holidays past. But now they are adults
themselves. I have no idea where the time went, but I hope they treasure their
collection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I have
extra reason to celebrate this holiday! Yesterday, Decadent Publishing released
my holiday novella, Blue Moon Over Bliss Lake.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKf7tBGC3CezGh7G3SOsmOk4l8tvfFl7a26D2A5dvKbvwUqYe7Pc2vu5GCe5XtL0N6plSXbgyA5MTTP1Ui5cr0VB6k3R3L3_zEm-KJ9GzJJuRmEXbtFDBxjwrbQVdlxQuiGM_6qbfhmje/s1600/CM_Blue+Moon+over+Bliss+Lake_SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKf7tBGC3CezGh7G3SOsmOk4l8tvfFl7a26D2A5dvKbvwUqYe7Pc2vu5GCe5XtL0N6plSXbgyA5MTTP1Ui5cr0VB6k3R3L3_zEm-KJ9GzJJuRmEXbtFDBxjwrbQVdlxQuiGM_6qbfhmje/s1600/CM_Blue+Moon+over+Bliss+Lake_SM.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Available from Decadent Publishing</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" title="http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=881&osCsid=2g5ob1lflsi37njsv7icjss635">http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=881&osCsid=2g5ob1lflsi37njsv7icjss635</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Amazon</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" title="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Moon-Over-Bliss-Lake-ebook/dp/B00HDPK3QG/ref=la_B002OBQ98A_1_33?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387373613&sr=1-33">http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Moon-Over-Bliss-Lake-ebook/dp/B00HDPK3QG/ref=la_B002OBQ98A_1_33?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387373613&sr=1-33</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Barnes and Noble</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" title="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blue-moon-over-bliss-lake-cate-masters/1117750227?ean=2940148917434">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blue-moon-over-bliss-lake-cate-masters/1117750227?ean=2940148917434</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">All Romance</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" title="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bluemoonoverblisslake-1379722-177.html">https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bluemoonoverblisslake-1379722-177.html</a> </span></div>
</span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Blurb<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Can
Fate give two people a second chance at love? Sierra O’Brien and Carter Grove
are about to find out. After an accidental meeting near their hometown of
Bliss, Pennsylvania, events from their past reoccur. Will they make the same
mistakes and drift apart again?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
Bliss, the inexplicable is an everyday occurrence, and anything is
possible—especially during a blue moon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Book
video<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Direct
link: <span class="watch-page-link"><a href="http://youtu.be/yBozk9sRMCI" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">http://youtu.be/yBozk9sRMCI</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="watch-page-link"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">About Cate<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Cate Masters has made beautiful central
Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not
spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a
magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with
her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at <a href="http://catemasters.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://catemasters.blogspot.com</span></a> and
in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Cate loves to hear from readers! Email her
at: <a href="mailto:cate.masters@gmail.com"><span style="color: blue;">cate.masters@gmail.com</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Catch up to Cate<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://catemasters.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Blog</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Masters/89969413736?ref=ts"><span style="color: blue;">Facebook</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2944596.Cate_Masters"><span style="color: blue;">Goodreads</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cate-Masters/e/B002OBQ98A/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1331753999"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We love comments. Please leave one</div>
for us since you stopped by.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-oXasfR36KQ-VQoRNPK8jUL55xQi94oAJyIeqAeiSOAQQWI_1O9qoj9OKdfnOsTTuvpyMDjPSTTyKhefIjt1R3qxkEpkFlmeMDBCO39cRJEJxcytccje5ApQ0qVdtyYNd4kLJG15pSWc/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-oXasfR36KQ-VQoRNPK8jUL55xQi94oAJyIeqAeiSOAQQWI_1O9qoj9OKdfnOsTTuvpyMDjPSTTyKhefIjt1R3qxkEpkFlmeMDBCO39cRJEJxcytccje5ApQ0qVdtyYNd4kLJG15pSWc/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Key
words:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>second chances, contemporary
romance, Blue Moon series, hometown romance, holiday romance, magical realism,
Decadent Publishing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-57410356682133802692013-12-18T00:00:00.000-05:002013-12-18T00:00:14.300-05:00MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE BY GINGER SIMPSON--a short story of faith.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzq9ZPLAbVLM78z48IuKBsN_8RQfNRlOZ8PxdUtKNhvLi-rl7o1bSZOaLRLVIL707EdWpuP5nMsfb8W8eWlsrVuIB_hpYh_AP0ESSqpMG8p9bZKFYwTZ3-_8kdsMoCgv7eRvgCPkkPAtG/s1600/housesnow.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzq9ZPLAbVLM78z48IuKBsN_8RQfNRlOZ8PxdUtKNhvLi-rl7o1bSZOaLRLVIL707EdWpuP5nMsfb8W8eWlsrVuIB_hpYh_AP0ESSqpMG8p9bZKFYwTZ3-_8kdsMoCgv7eRvgCPkkPAtG/s1600/housesnow.gif" /></a><em><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Holiday, Ginger. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">So nice to have you back on my blog with the wonderful story you wrote about faith.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">I'll step back and let you share the story with our visitors today.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Make a Joyful Noise by Ginger Simpson</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Word Count - 1593<br />
<br />
Anne Collins curled up in her over-stuffed easy chair and glanced at the daily
newspaper. The glass of wine on the end table reflected the crackling fire
beyond the hearth. Her workday had prompted her to fill a much larger goblet
than normal. If one more person mentioned having a ‘Merry Christmas’, she
thought for certain she’d lose control. This year, the yuletide held no reason
to celebrate. Her husband, Daniel, lay in the hospital, hanging by a thread. Being
festive rated last on her ‘to do’ list.<br />
<br />
Warmth spread throughout the room as the logs on the grate crackled and popped,
chasing away the chill brought on by frigid temperatures and two feet of snow
outside. Anne grew comfortable and tossed the paper aside. She picked up her
white zinfandel and sipped it while reflecting on past holidays.<br />
<br />
She always considered her life was full and blessed…until the diagnosis. Daniel
never smoked a day in his life. How did he end up with throat cancer? Surely there
were plenty of murderers or child molesters God could punish. Why her husband?
He was the epitome of everything good.<br />
<br />
Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she took a tissue from a nearby box and
blotted her face. Hell couldn’t be any worse than watching Daniel waste away,
suffering with every breath. The radiation and chemotherapy burned his throat
and made it impossible for him to speak. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seemed an eternity had passed since he flashed
that smile she loved so much.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
This was the first time in their married life she’d picked out and put up a
Christmas tree without him. The anger festering inside made her want to rip it
down, burn the gifts, and rant at the Lord for the unfairness, but…<br />
<br />
A blast of cold air blew into the room as the door opened. “Hey, Mom, sorry,
I’m late, but I stayed after school to finish up a science project.”<br />
<br />
A smaller version of her mother, fourteen-year-old Casey slugged inside,
stamping her feet on the rug in the foyer to clear the flakes from her boots.
Peeling off her coat, she tackled the layer of sweaters beneath. “Boy, it is
freezing out there.” </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">She opened the hall closet and hung everything inside, then
turned to her mother with an arched brow. “Do you realize it’s the second week
of December and we’re the only house on the block without outside decorations?”<br />
<br />
Anne took a sip of wine to hide a grimace. “I know, dear. I just haven’t been
in the mood this year.” She looked at her daughter and sighed. Casey was the
only reason Anne hadn’t cracked under the stress.<br />
<br />
Casey crossed the room and perched on the chair’s arm. “I can help put up the
lights, Mom. All we need is a ladder. Dad left the little hooks up from last
year.”<br />
<br />
Anne shook her head. “We’ll do just fine without lights, Casey. Besides…” She
stared into her lap, her eyes blurred with unbidden tears.<br />
<br />
“Dad’s going to get better and come home, so why are you acting like he’s
gone?” Casey stood and pulled her lips into pout. “You know how much he enjoys
the holidays.” Her chocolate eyes glistened in the firelight, her tone demanded
an answer.<br />
<br />
Anne rose, walked to the mantle and picked up a filigreed picture frame.
Looking upon Daniel’s smiling face sent pain stabbing at her heart. The
photograph had been taken the year they went to <st1:place w:st="on">Maui</st1:place>.
Now thin and gaunt, he barely resembled the man she saw. It’d been weeks since
he’d even acknowledged her presence in the hospital room.<br />
<br />
She put the photo back and turned to her daughter. “Casey, I just can’t muster
up any Christmas spirit. Your dad isn’t doing very well and I don’t feel very
festive.” She returned to her chair and downed the rest of her wine, hoping it
would numb her worried mind.<br />
<br />
Casey peered down at her. “I know if Dad was standing here, he’d be
disappointed that you’ve lost faith. Why have we gone to church all these years
if you can’t trust God to take care of things?” She spun and stomped out of the
room.<br />
<br />
Anne pondered the question. Why couldn’t she trust God? The answer was easy.
He’d allowed Dan to get sick in the first place. She stood and wandered into
the kitchen, her wine glass in hand. After pouring a re-fill, she gazed out the
window over the sink at the drifts of snow in the backyard. The old tire swing
Casey used to love still hung from a giant branch now devoid of leaves. The
setting sun was lost behind a gray wintry haze, and everything looked frozen.
While her mind questioned God’s motives, Anne watched until the last trace of
daylight disappeared and darkness fell.<br />
<br />
She picked up her goblet and started to turn from the window, but a flash of
light caught her eye. Too bright at first, it soon softened, and Anne blinked
in disbelief. <br />
<br />
The shimmering outline of an angel, dressed all in white, appeared just outside
the glass. A glowing halo shone brightly above her head, and the assuring smile
on her face sent a peaceful feeling coursing through Anne’s body.</span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RaC-47Gnw47a_2NmAcWdp23RG64q11vZfjG-_kz_Nt6B8To-Oqdo-d2YY_3cn520yx6i8wgsPz2sShF6KTEdiIP3gczo7oTxdvScrAuQQBiUXVyN-r_pBXTCGbbgMXDIjXZ6pb2JowVo/s1600/angel-clipart-3_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RaC-47Gnw47a_2NmAcWdp23RG64q11vZfjG-_kz_Nt6B8To-Oqdo-d2YY_3cn520yx6i8wgsPz2sShF6KTEdiIP3gczo7oTxdvScrAuQQBiUXVyN-r_pBXTCGbbgMXDIjXZ6pb2JowVo/s1600/angel-clipart-3_large.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
The entity raised her arms, and as if by magic, an orb of light floated from
her hands and rose into the heavens. Anne’s gaze followed the star’s trail as
it climbed higher, illuminating the yard, the trees, the swing, and the old
storage shed in the corner where Dan kept the gardening tools. Anne thought to
call her daughter to witness the scene, but couldn’t find the voice to do it.
She stood rooted to the spot, her eyes fixed on the wonder outside.<br />
<br />
The heavenly creature floated a few feet above the ground and gestured toward
the sky. The gray haze was gone and a canopy of stars twinkled above. One stood
out above the rest, sending a blaze of light flashing to the ground. In the
snowdrift just beyond the trees, Anne beheld another wonder. Unveiled one
letter at a time, an invisible hand seemed to etch the glowing word ‘believe’
into the blanket of white. Anne gasped, trying to call out for Casey, but the
image, along with the angel, vanished as quickly as they’d appeared. The stars
still twinkled brightly overhead, but the yard turned dark again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her mouth agape, Anne marveled at lightness
in her heart.</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">***</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Casey sat at the desk in her room. Christmas music played softly on her radio,
and she struggled to concentrate on her homework. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could she possibly focus on school when
things at home were so depressing? She couldn’t bear to think of life without
her dad, and it hurt that her mother had all but given up on his getting
better. <br />
<br />
With a sigh, Casey stood and walked to the bookshelf across the room. She
searched the shelves until she found her Bible. She thumbed through the index,
looking for verses pertaining to hope and found Proverbs 3:3-4. Turning to the
passage, she read:<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Let love and faithfulness never leave
you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then
you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.<br />
<br />
</em>She’d barely finished when she heard a strange noise coming from
downstairs—a heavy thumping sound. Her put her Bible back in its place and
tilted her ear to listen. She heard it again. Casey opened her door and the
sound became louder. “Mom, what is that,” she called out.<br />
<br />
When she received no answer, Casey went to investigate. The noise had stopped but
she couldn’t find her mom. She walked through the entire house only to find it
empty. A half-filled wine glass sat near the easy chair, but no sight of her mother.
<br />
<br />
The thumping began again—close and right outside. The porch light cast a
strange-looking shadow on the front window. Casey grasped the knob and opened
the door just a crack. She saw a ladder and a pair of legs from the knees down.
She recognized the fur-lined boots.<br />
<br />
“Mom, what are you doing up there?” Casey walked to the edge of the porch and
peered up.<br />
<br />
Bundled against the weather, her mother hammered at the wooden eave. “I’m
putting up Christmas lights. Some of the hooks are loose and I’m tightening
them. How about if you get a coat on and check the bulbs in the next strand
while I finish hanging these.”</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSLFL8tKj1OrDdECirSyf1JJdO6rT0chu0mGONTCDkpRRilJSVoaRml7EInKqcVsgAOfaORfgBWB-4lUhBKRrWRnmoKu16T_x-bgWfk4foPgVce_Zrn4-T75pS5P7SmTSc9BQIsp9kwhT/s1600/christmas_lights.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSLFL8tKj1OrDdECirSyf1JJdO6rT0chu0mGONTCDkpRRilJSVoaRml7EInKqcVsgAOfaORfgBWB-4lUhBKRrWRnmoKu16T_x-bgWfk4foPgVce_Zrn4-T75pS5P7SmTSc9BQIsp9kwhT/s1600/christmas_lights.png" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
“But… I thought…” Forgetting the cold, Casey picked up a coiled cord and began
unraveling it. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
“I know, I know. I lost faith for a while,” her mother glanced down and
nodded,” but for some strange reason, I’ve found it again. I have a strong
feeling that Dad is coming home and we need to be ready.”<br />
<br />
Casey smiled up at her mother. “Let me get my coat and I’ll be right back.
Tomorrow we can put up the manger scene in the yard.”<br />
<br />
“Good idea.” Anne went back to pounding. <br />
<br />
Casey paused for a moment and looked to heaven. Her mind wandered to her last
week's Sunday School lesson. Make A Joyful Noise Unto the Lord - Psalm 100.
"Who would've thought hammering could qualify?" she muttered, then
smiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humming “Silent Night,” she
headed for the coat closet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the
first time in weeks, she enjoyed feeling a sense of peace that magnified the
joy of the holiday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faith would bind
their family together; love would sustain them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lr3gOHY93pseX44vpvwTNBsiToQDSGnPMT_FHtB95fDd35dCiE5TjmHO4kQoZknJQMZLPRNZbrFe1qyvOMm65Nxpkc1hX3jw8LGXRRulaACas7-qe3s-tpC2OcSyKYFAFCh2sV3sS1MX/s1600/4-animated-candles.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lr3gOHY93pseX44vpvwTNBsiToQDSGnPMT_FHtB95fDd35dCiE5TjmHO4kQoZknJQMZLPRNZbrFe1qyvOMm65Nxpkc1hX3jw8LGXRRulaACas7-qe3s-tpC2OcSyKYFAFCh2sV3sS1MX/s1600/4-animated-candles.gif" /></a></div>
</div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em>Ginger has written many novels, all great reads. Visit her page here at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ginger-Simpson/e/B002I7JX38/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1384098389&sr=1-2-ent">AMAZON</a> and treat yourself to another wonderful story for the holidays.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>We love comments. Since you dropped by, leave us a hello.</em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu266kxzdsO9qKJ5gfE5OT7DhHlbOgba2CRTq7nbTuZ0cQK560oOMoIh9jwIoZ3_8XyQpYLN23vw_DcRDmxQD2GkUXl0SV88_u2IuGbcnzxwnqBrSNsq011RYqSbgjMeu4X1vtNR7CjuG5/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu266kxzdsO9qKJ5gfE5OT7DhHlbOgba2CRTq7nbTuZ0cQK560oOMoIh9jwIoZ3_8XyQpYLN23vw_DcRDmxQD2GkUXl0SV88_u2IuGbcnzxwnqBrSNsq011RYqSbgjMeu4X1vtNR7CjuG5/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<em></em><br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_RhSCSmQIB8OYY1oyR54DFK79nFCUG5j8pf2mi0GHgMcpP_3U8XNQkXUHJN_Vz82d6hCwuYIeEFBlJ_rhcAK721LQWSHRkre2bBNqBsiUiv47zghq0SHN9Hj5prC3n6zBUNPYJMchdJ3/s1600/angel-clipart-3_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><em> </em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-11090977473850533512013-12-15T00:00:00.000-05:002013-12-15T12:50:31.745-05:00CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ALMOST, BUT NOT QUITE! COMING SOON!</span></div>
<br />
With a little bit of luck, Tales of a Texas Boy is now available as an audio book. I started this process at the end of October. I learned about <a href="http://acx.com/">http://ACX.COM</a>, Amazon's audio book division. Like Kindle and CreateSpace, Amazon is determined to take over books in every way, shape, and form. You can read books on your computer, smart phone, e-reader, or even a good ol' paperback. With audio books, you're able to listen to books on all those (except the paperback) and even have the narration waft in from the cloud to your ears.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I entered the info on the book and posted a couple of pages of text. Within a day, Baarns Narration and VO upload a sample narration of my script. Love at first listen? Yup. We made a deal and (as I write this in November), we're looking at TALES OF A TEXAS BOY being available at audio.com and Amazon by today. If it's earlier than today, then so much the better. I'll post a link when the book is available.<br />
<br />
Alas, the audio book isn't quite ready for production. One more pass through by the producer, Don Baarns, we should be in business. In the meantime, here's the new book trailer to keep you entertained.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/DQ9CTb8nlrE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Cellophane Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08166797508899835493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-70332519960068707412013-12-09T00:00:00.000-05:002013-12-09T00:00:10.461-05:00A CHRISTMAS MEMORY--A MAGIC CHRISTMAS BY VICTORIA CHATHAM<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrkKMypjBZ-SCAEKmVPLD8-UOwf94bun306w1K90n_hNOmCCGB4Y-9M_Aw2lU_OiZXECYbGpQYEkT9CrHBhMNtijalRx9-M0ipPxH6SAUuIwyc1X0NO7z6JqG3zgUYPDH02YBNRpeQsz1/s1600/graphics-christmas-bells-147545.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrkKMypjBZ-SCAEKmVPLD8-UOwf94bun306w1K90n_hNOmCCGB4Y-9M_Aw2lU_OiZXECYbGpQYEkT9CrHBhMNtijalRx9-M0ipPxH6SAUuIwyc1X0NO7z6JqG3zgUYPDH02YBNRpeQsz1/s1600/graphics-christmas-bells-147545.gif" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWs8AUeTIFlGFRWhAGehNHnYotOlq8MGsZykh17zIF4-H9JLei5B87feKY19tguBA4n5NheSBNKpPRWrA1aGiuEAKgcm3Md6XyPoiRf2cCQFXJ9RPMamw6O3an0kNzqCwsIK1VuCA6kssa/s1600/elf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
</a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome Victoria, </span></em></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><em> </em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you so much for sharing this adorable Santa </span></em><em><span style="font-size: large;">memory with us. Your dad sounds like quite the clever and inventive </span></em><em><span style="font-size: large;">man.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Take it away.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</span><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">CHRISTMAS MAGIC<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Victoria Chatham<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">We decided to spend Christmas at my parents’ house
which caused great consternation amongst my three young children.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">How would Santa know where they were? And, because
Gran and Gramp didn’t have a proper fireplace, how would he get down the
chimney? Assured by me and their father that Santa always knew where good boys
and girls were and being so magic could get down ANY chimney, we set off.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The children reviewed the offending fireplace, a circa
1970 coal-effect three-bar electric fire set into a tiled surround with a small
hearth, still unconvinced that anything good could possibly come from this
defection from the norm. My Dad, however, had a grand scheme. <o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">On Christmas Eve the children watched him roll out a
sheet of paper on the hearth, set on it a glass of milk and a cookie for Santa
and a dish of coloured sugar strands, those used to decorate cakes, for Santa’s
fairy helpers, and assured three still disbelieving children they would see for
themselves the following morning that Santa could, indeed, get down any
chimney.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Once the children settled down and finally fell
asleep, he set to work. Taking out his whittling knife and a circular eraser,
the like of which I never saw before or since, he carved tiny foot prints
around the outside edge of the eraser. Next, he took his hiking boots outside
to the site of his garden bonfire and pressed the heavy-treaded soles into the
ground, coating them with a mixture of dirt, soot and ashes. The boots were
then marched over the paper, looking for all the world as if Santa just stepped
out of the chimney and walked across the hearth to sample his treats.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The little carved eraser wheel received the same
treatment. Dad whizzed the wheel this way and that across the paper, running
his gadget between Santa’s footprints before finally scattering some of the
sugar strands across the paper, off the hearth and onto the carpet. Messy
fairies! He ate the rest of the strands, along with the cookie out of which he
took just one bite and left the rest crumbled beside the glass, now drained of
its contents. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Christmas morning dawned bright and clear, and far
too early for the adults in the house but we had to get up and follow the
children downstairs. They pushed open the door – and fell silent. They ignored
the massive stack of gifts making the room look like Aladdin’s cave and made
their way to the hearth. They pointed out the fairy footprints and the
scattered sugar strands, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Santa’s big boot print, the empty glass and
the cookie crumbs. Wide-eyed with wonder, they all began talking at once,
thrilled that Santa really had found them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysKQX4YOmePFEs4eApp1Z0V_tEt9tkGvMvt1lmrZKYCj-kil-7jzHZdylOGkUmaxTGB1o9KE44lGQiTmjBQoCwC8_muCTmAfL0o5gZjqJYZ9TJaR_iLF2HBOMTNYFYML8lvQ4rQZuBhgz/s1600/santa-walking-animated.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysKQX4YOmePFEs4eApp1Z0V_tEt9tkGvMvt1lmrZKYCj-kil-7jzHZdylOGkUmaxTGB1o9KE44lGQiTmjBQoCwC8_muCTmAfL0o5gZjqJYZ9TJaR_iLF2HBOMTNYFYML8lvQ4rQZuBhgz/s1600/santa-walking-animated.gif" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">I’m not sure who enjoyed that Christmas the most
but, even after my children were old enough to handle the truth about Santa,
they never forgot the magic of it. Thanks, Dad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> ~~~</o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p><em>Thanks to dad, Santa didn't miss them after all. A treasured memory, I'm sure.</em></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p><em></em></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p><em>Books by Victoria can be found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Chatham/e/B007OMJOTA/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1384019325&sr=1-2-ent">HERE</a></em></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p><em>Don't miss any, Victoris is a wondeful storyteller.</em></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p><em>Do you have a Christmas memory?</em></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p><em>Or do you just want to say hello to Victoria?</em></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p><em>We love comments. Please leave one for us.</em></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGu2iJNUhP_zy0pmLIpe7ZTnK9MDfVMbAdpqGiWIvM7QtXP2hpgmyhmqesTuvgEmn40Y9ML_k6Zp0Pourn2OckAZAcAZgL-p6qit7NADlxQq5I3TIeVV-NJNXXSn1beXvuSfKB0F3ZcXm/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGu2iJNUhP_zy0pmLIpe7ZTnK9MDfVMbAdpqGiWIvM7QtXP2hpgmyhmqesTuvgEmn40Y9ML_k6Zp0Pourn2OckAZAcAZgL-p6qit7NADlxQq5I3TIeVV-NJNXXSn1beXvuSfKB0F3ZcXm/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p><em></em></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
</span><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-83282944320830835772013-12-06T00:00:00.000-05:002013-12-06T00:00:12.123-05:00DENISE VERRICO EXPOUNDS ON ELVES<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">ELVES - FOLKLORE AND LITERATURE</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With the Christmas
season upon us, I thought it might be fun to discuss some of the
folkore and literature surrounding elves.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">In folklore, elves
are usually extraordinarily long lived or immortal beings that often
possess magical powers. They’ve become common fixtures in fantasy
literature, entertainment and popular culture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"> We’ve seen them in
commercials baking cookies in hollow trees, in film and fantasy
literature as badass warriors, on TV as would-be dentists and even as
video game characters. But where did the legends of these beings
spring from?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In Folklore, the
term elf and fairy are generally interchangeable. The word elf comes
from the Germanic languages (aelf) whereas fairy derives from Latin
(fata). Elves and fairies are generally thought of as nature spirits
and stories of them are found all over the world. They are also
referred to by the terms faery, fairie, fay, fae, Wee Folk, Good
Folk, People of Peace or the Fair Folk.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The elves that we
are familiar with in fantasy and pop culture stem from the folkloric
traditions and mythology of the Germanic and Norse peoples as well as
the Celts.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Norse believed
that there were both “light” and “dark” elves, the first a
benevolent, shining race of beings and the latter as malevolent
creatures bent on harming humans. Stories of the two races of elves
appeared in the </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Prose
Edda</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">,
but it is unclear whether the distinction between the two types was a
creation of the author or a result of the importation of the
Christian belief in angels.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">J. R. R.Tolkien was
influenced by the Norse concept of elves when he created Middle
Earth. The light elves of Norse myth inspired the elegant,
mysterious inhabitants of Lothlorien and Rivendell, where the dark
elves became the orcs. The word orc is derived from the Latin term
for monster (orcus), which is also the root of the name of the Killer
Whale (orca) and the term ogre.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Tolkien
was not a fan of industrialization. He was repelled by the harshness
of his experiences during WWI and romanticized the “simple life”
of an earlier age. But he wasn’t the first to do so.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">In
the Victorian age, many adults became caught up in a “fairy craze”,
which some scholars believe was partly influenced by the Industrial
Revolution. Fairy paintings and stories of the time were rich in
nostalgia for a vanishing way of life. The Pre–Raphaelite school of
art, in particular, depicted pastoral and woodland scenes from
romance, legend and myth, many of which featured elves and fairies.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">In
Celtic mythology, fae fall into two categories derived from Scottish
folklore: the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. Seelie are the
benevolent fae and unseelie malevolent. The term seelie is thought to
be the origin of the English word “silly”. The Seelie court and
unseely court fae are similar to the Norse division between light and
dark elves. Later, William Butler Yeats, in </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><i>Irish
Fairy and Folk Tales</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">,
divided the fae into Trooping Fairies and Solitary Fairies. The
Celtic tradition includes many fairy-type creatures, from pixies and
brownies to ogres and giants.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Baobhan sith
(pronounced baa'-van shee) are femme fatales found in Scottish Gaelic
oral tradition. These siren-like creatures waylay male travelers and
insist they dance with them. They are similar to Banshees and the
Rusalka and Wila of Eastern Europe as well as the sirens of ancient
greece. Wila is sometimes spelled as Veela. Fleur Delacourt in
Harry Potter is part Veela.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Folkloric
and mythological traditions throughout the world feature their own
versions of elves and fae. In classical myths we find nymphs, fauns
and satyrs.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dryads are a type a
nymph, considered to be the souls of trees. In </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
Chronicles of Narnia</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">
by C.S. Lewis, dryads fight alongside Aslan and the Pevensie
Children. A Dryad named Juniper appears in the Percy Jackson and the
Olympians series.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So how did elves
become bound up in the Santa Claus legend? Elves have long been
associated with Scandinavian and German gift-giving customs, but much
of the belief in the USA surrounding Jolly Old St, Nick has evolved
largely out of popular culture and advertising.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Back in the sixties,
my family used to have a plastic elf who allegedly reported back to
Santa when we kids were naughty. Imagine my surprise when I learned
of that there is a book now called </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
Elf on the Shelf</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">.
And I thought my Dad invented the custom. Talk about your
zeitgeist. Or is that </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>zeitalp?</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">
Did all parents get the same idea about these creepy plastic and
felt figures at the same time? Not my favorite custom surrounding
elves.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">It’s not really
clear where and when Santa’s elf army cobbled their way into the
mythos. Perhaps, like many Christmas customs we observe today, the
presence of benevolent elves is a reminder of an earlier time, when
people drew together in the shortest days of the year and feasted and
made merry in hopes of dispelling the cold and gloom of winter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">So, Happy Holidays,
whatever holidays you celebrate and don’t forget to leave some
cookies for Santa and a little something for the elves to boot—just
in case they happen plotting some mischief against you.</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">* * *</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelwBGlhWIsv0J-adK0GTRscEbYyErlipFB90YsqjBYzgo6NRppuGt7vW44A6WQ_buuaw75X_NVyaUdx_Q8SiChfetW5_I9YA-Prq8j1SDgFqMEz7cQ6s80sSwDEbCLqxAqssANfGdoAmH/s1600/Annals+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelwBGlhWIsv0J-adK0GTRscEbYyErlipFB90YsqjBYzgo6NRppuGt7vW44A6WQ_buuaw75X_NVyaUdx_Q8SiChfetW5_I9YA-Prq8j1SDgFqMEz7cQ6s80sSwDEbCLqxAqssANfGdoAmH/s320/Annals+Cover.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<i>Denise Verrico is the author of "The Immortyls" series, a blend of science fiction and urban magic. Check her websites for more information about her books. Also, catch a great deal on "Annals of the Immortals" now available on Amazon for only 99 cents. Isn't that a terrific cover?</i><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: -0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://deniseverricowriter.webs.com/">http://deniseverricowriter.webs.com/</a></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: -0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: -0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Denise-Verrico/e/B003DKLGDY/">http://www.amazon.com/Denise-Verrico/e/B003DKLGDY/</a></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>DENISE: THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT INFORMATION ON ELVES. TERRIFIC TOPIC FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.</i>Cellophane Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08166797508899835493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-41346214424038158952013-12-03T00:00:00.000-05:002013-12-03T00:00:02.382-05:00A CHRISTMAS MEMORY BY ROSEANNE DOWELL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOl-W96N43V6QEFw-AlYAcxvTeIb_VsAwzw0PzcTQcgyer6krWjRgQ7qwHnqK8bbPv8LhMdaCPI6JCtUZJNyPrWBVwHmiUYUyeXRJCgYv9EdwFgPkes9zaYVsDUtAEq-P3xRxC9v0AJhm/s1600/snowman-peace-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOl-W96N43V6QEFw-AlYAcxvTeIb_VsAwzw0PzcTQcgyer6krWjRgQ7qwHnqK8bbPv8LhMdaCPI6JCtUZJNyPrWBVwHmiUYUyeXRJCgYv9EdwFgPkes9zaYVsDUtAEq-P3xRxC9v0AJhm/s1600/snowman-peace-1.gif" /></a><em><span style="font-size: large;">Hello Roseanne, and a Merry Christmas to you.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnAzDkuladBauRZTSzsnFJlA7IZtns_5FHCZUkdjJG2TbQlruXir6KMr5tmhMIAveoPolLKJWjnC5KL9mfmN51MDrGZ0X7SLlMcSPyLYAktTR06kzaMiioEhdYYkdpl1PJ_3rXpIXZ50s/s1600/christmas-tree-v2-copyright-yram.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnAzDkuladBauRZTSzsnFJlA7IZtns_5FHCZUkdjJG2TbQlruXir6KMr5tmhMIAveoPolLKJWjnC5KL9mfmN51MDrGZ0X7SLlMcSPyLYAktTR06kzaMiioEhdYYkdpl1PJ_3rXpIXZ50s/s200/christmas-tree-v2-copyright-yram.gif" width="150" /></a><em><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks so much for stopping by to share one of your favorite Chrismas memories with us.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">You take the easy chair by the tree and settle back with a nice cup of hot choclate </span></em><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlY73oz8tsRPV-NaHZ4QiH4hEXZMtHCPFv7ZdpdNMw_dNn3wGmE9m_NuSShuoxgnH-ocdbAhTQj5JjV8k-g94iuY0HfivvkrVSb-J9nihwylLcrQBIyE9rbse-KrCmoWCGLA9XOneLve5/s1600/09_29_10_webredo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlY73oz8tsRPV-NaHZ4QiH4hEXZMtHCPFv7ZdpdNMw_dNn3wGmE9m_NuSShuoxgnH-ocdbAhTQj5JjV8k-g94iuY0HfivvkrVSb-J9nihwylLcrQBIyE9rbse-KrCmoWCGLA9XOneLve5/s1600/09_29_10_webredo.jpg" /></a><em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"> and tell us about your special memory.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Well, I’ve often
said, there are so many memories from my past. Heck, when you get to be my age,
there are tons of them. Besides all the ones from my childhood, there are ones
from my early marriage, ones with my children and grandchildren, and now I’ll
begin some with my great grandchildren. So which ones to write about? It’s a
hard decision, but I’ll start from my childhood.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24EHa9cgztkVxhJS2xyvDQ3T32wZafyrL5Y3zzwFpDfUdYeukIf4t9FYM7zPUJNPT04y9MLHEwWA5eUl4KrwVDvFjmXxUM7j-aC3eJKrCIc-KxiFt2krnQ6NlJmdl9HGmJmzPnbqZPdm0/s1600/cookies+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">I remember
growing up and my mother baking Christmas cookies beginning the day after
Thanksgiving. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqlHHgOyYKKOrGIcuznT_EfZUzyDCblHijO0fxakTLboPKgxoeASZdXxyiedpG1okGOtUjEh9T_FmwUupN0qrTKK5t-JTTXwb9AAnQ-C8G8hD7QIuBhX59b7wYJc9X9giVVa9EyHJx0FR/s1600/cookies+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqlHHgOyYKKOrGIcuznT_EfZUzyDCblHijO0fxakTLboPKgxoeASZdXxyiedpG1okGOtUjEh9T_FmwUupN0qrTKK5t-JTTXwb9AAnQ-C8G8hD7QIuBhX59b7wYJc9X9giVVa9EyHJx0FR/s1600/cookies+2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Oh the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen. Of course we got
to help. Later in December, she baked poppy seed and nut rolls and eventually
the little bread balls, we called balbaki, we used for our traditional
Christmas Eve dinner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">On December
5<sup>th</sup>, we put our stockings out to celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas
on December 6<sup>th</sup>. In the morning the stockings were filled with
apples, oranges, and small toys or combs and hair barrettes, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sometimes a harmonica or jacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz9X3kDj5cd-dZbBJGe8eOlkDkwlMcqIQKJu3UcTd8hausUDQ0ug9z3YWj7NfMjQziBT5iGvVCHCjc8VJPnd-k43K8VaNVRfROzsf31mkToCwas5uRcq02V9QU4qYawY8lyrOEigb_ionN/s1600/4+stockings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz9X3kDj5cd-dZbBJGe8eOlkDkwlMcqIQKJu3UcTd8hausUDQ0ug9z3YWj7NfMjQziBT5iGvVCHCjc8VJPnd-k43K8VaNVRfROzsf31mkToCwas5uRcq02V9QU4qYawY8lyrOEigb_ionN/s1600/4+stockings.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">We usually put our tree up around that time
also. Maybe that’s why Christmas is my favorite holiday. My parents, especially
my mom made it special. It wasn’t just a day, Christmas was a season, beginning
the day after Thanksgiving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">My older
brothers and sister were great about looking for gifts when my parents weren’t
home. They often found them, also. I remember one year, we had a sleeper couch
with storage for blankets and pillows underneath. Well, wouldn’t you know it,
my brothers and sister decided to open it when my parents were out for an
evening. Lo and behold, they found a magnetic football game. We played for an
hour or so, then my brothers packed it back in the box and put it back in the
couch just the way they found it. I don’t know if my parents suspected or knew
they found it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Hubby and I
got married November 24, 1962. We rented a two bedroom double with access to
the attic. I stored some Christmas stuff up stairs, but I often used the steps
for packages after I went Christmas shopping. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was easier than going all the way up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIkBBzwxxYkUYnQpgCIxC8AWxDpDI6kHxvsW08CrEyIlZhyphenhyphen34bgjmksZqNxPuhmfcsy67vdJmyKLaM9tWTXdZjDYGqN15KwQTzsF11jvrqM12W4zClSVY7v-l9mUniB9stEWFv9wP1_SG/s1600/wedding+band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIkBBzwxxYkUYnQpgCIxC8AWxDpDI6kHxvsW08CrEyIlZhyphenhyphen34bgjmksZqNxPuhmfcsy67vdJmyKLaM9tWTXdZjDYGqN15KwQTzsF11jvrqM12W4zClSVY7v-l9mUniB9stEWFv9wP1_SG/s1600/wedding+band.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Just before
Christmas, hubby lost his wedding ring. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">We were both upset and I thought about
buying him another one, but I really couldn’t afford it. He’d have to go
ringless until I could replace it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">One day, I
pulled my packages out to begin wrapping. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPpj8yCt8IJqfhCy5EeC4H2OYKJKpa7dnI07bDO4WTXFOfxDDCUVGsQF2EfwlkkuXWSOPiuLtA28nMtU8GA0vmH3_tCXei_eqkhQ91ZkVN0uivKBy7Icew5RyzdyXRPw9kU57slhxpAhg/s1600/wrapping+gift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPpj8yCt8IJqfhCy5EeC4H2OYKJKpa7dnI07bDO4WTXFOfxDDCUVGsQF2EfwlkkuXWSOPiuLtA28nMtU8GA0vmH3_tCXei_eqkhQ91ZkVN0uivKBy7Icew5RyzdyXRPw9kU57slhxpAhg/s1600/wrapping+gift.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Lo and behold in one of them, I found
hubby’s wedding ring. I guess some kids never grow up and snoop even as adults.
I almost wrapped it up for him, but I couldn’t hold a secret that long.
Besides, I wanted to pick on him about snooping, so I gave it to him that
night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">I had a
great time when he asked where I found it. I still tease him about it from time
to time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqGLDt-jqZZiMOMye49N48RE8jnkLT5bBau5snHsQgllWP6jvQiJ9l8lg5ArhIfN-PL99nEhMwzcLuaiOwHuf4409NA6wPb0Lm-iT5Zn6VL6_as6ZB4WoboycaG2JSrmRICS3i4HsRF8Q/s1600/holly_leaf_berries_2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqGLDt-jqZZiMOMye49N48RE8jnkLT5bBau5snHsQgllWP6jvQiJ9l8lg5ArhIfN-PL99nEhMwzcLuaiOwHuf4409NA6wPb0Lm-iT5Zn6VL6_as6ZB4WoboycaG2JSrmRICS3i4HsRF8Q/s1600/holly_leaf_berries_2.gif" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><em>What a cute memory. I think there is a short story in there somewhere. lol. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Speaking of stories, please share you latest with us.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em></em></span><br /></div>
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0D3Rb2VvDZQfnqmpU8AZUgmc_GcHGaWBM-3Fw955uwXoWCv6iTpsiFnujEL6ubj_h8-2DAh34LhI_sAJk6fZHM4cN-y7TGPiVg62WndDbpqfUKCSnc1p7od78_N4W0lvTIcrQsW-8hsv/s1600/Dowell-AllInTheFamily3-150x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0D3Rb2VvDZQfnqmpU8AZUgmc_GcHGaWBM-3Fw955uwXoWCv6iTpsiFnujEL6ubj_h8-2DAh34LhI_sAJk6fZHM4cN-y7TGPiVg62WndDbpqfUKCSnc1p7od78_N4W0lvTIcrQsW-8hsv/s1600/Dowell-AllInTheFamily3-150x225.jpg" /></a></div>
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">All in the Family by Roseanne Dowell</span></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Taking over the police chief’s job in her hometown should
have been easy for Callie Johnson. At least that's what she thought. After
working in a big city, small town crime would be a breeze. What a surprise when
she arrives to find her grandmother, the judge, accused of murder. As if that
wasn't enough she’s attacked while walking to her car. Between criminal
investigations, her nutty family’s antics and her Aunt Beatrice Lulu's
matchmaking, Callie definitely has her work cut out for her. Will her
grandmother be exonerated? Can Callie ward off her aunt’s unsuitable suitors?
What other surprises were in store for her? More importantly, can she find the
person who attacked her?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">You can find the novel <a href="http://amzn.to/1gzr41s">Here</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGB56e30sqaB4lRMrHTWf8SxX6bN4SxvUWCK6nU7Xuk6klugsMCkE9FgSakCrxNZxx8hGH8Pfn2ZPtdpxSJbdL790_HjqWtiVeyYfw4CqJrg14iAFpdIQYHovr6P4IjfVg1-6o_Ct1H03R/s1600/rosi+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGB56e30sqaB4lRMrHTWf8SxX6bN4SxvUWCK6nU7Xuk6klugsMCkE9FgSakCrxNZxx8hGH8Pfn2ZPtdpxSJbdL790_HjqWtiVeyYfw4CqJrg14iAFpdIQYHovr6P4IjfVg1-6o_Ct1H03R/s1600/rosi+5.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Thank you again, Roseanne, for sharing with us today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Folks, visit Roseanne's page to see more of her great books. I've enjoyed many of them. Please go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roseanne-Dowell/e/B002BLSEMC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1381607250&sr=1-2-ent">Amazon Page</a> You won't be sorry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now, we do like comments, Readers, so please leave one for us today so we can do the happy dance with Santa and his reindeer. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYiOt7eWB6QavYSAt7DZ3AKQl4L-RTMsfPZqDMlzGW68RJdvEu4MB7W3Ozg2nhMQ1YLH7CvFyGD7hJCihqZinQYFjMidsn2AvVnA-QykO5P-6w0lIz1uqKupX3nGVbxF80GM-zZn0ZBv4/s1600/santa-reindeer-dancing-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYiOt7eWB6QavYSAt7DZ3AKQl4L-RTMsfPZqDMlzGW68RJdvEu4MB7W3Ozg2nhMQ1YLH7CvFyGD7hJCihqZinQYFjMidsn2AvVnA-QykO5P-6w0lIz1uqKupX3nGVbxF80GM-zZn0ZBv4/s1600/santa-reindeer-dancing-1.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskxZL6xFE2PkEGh901kFFCDhQr16k_N9bvMugSxO8H0sRNSgysIFVB9b4-o06njcIRVqoKXsiXI8ECZ9RyHKs2A7zFAkLU-4y2w4tMqJGw2T9tKWdYm2MCoBmLNYQIb-nx7vOBQsnUtK5/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskxZL6xFE2PkEGh901kFFCDhQr16k_N9bvMugSxO8H0sRNSgysIFVB9b4-o06njcIRVqoKXsiXI8ECZ9RyHKs2A7zFAkLU-4y2w4tMqJGw2T9tKWdYm2MCoBmLNYQIb-nx7vOBQsnUtK5/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKBzweoqJdfgsxslFNUQpG0fIEfbbK4vQzTC6aBVZLNceAIM4p8kGOo8psGxuKS-yzB2nnB2Pi8KaO29wOcqOqeoQGs8kzqULFN9Z5nWfCIdLndiLF8WqvANnt2dblFP9BOTOnxuNxWl_/s1600/rosi+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><em></em></span> </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-51957357503100679032013-11-30T00:00:00.000-05:002013-11-30T00:00:06.533-05:00CONDA DOUGLAS HAS A GIVEAWAY AND SPECIAL RECIPE TODAY.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Welcome, Conda. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-ZCXxwe3ugAzZTGvfqa1jojlupU-kOTG2Us0sp2MrI39paFufvX5UQV7pd4kE9RYQVGCCoZeJkkR3_ez-FMogngESWgCu8vlbaBSzwRZ7VbM1CLsiulsM9Lg1qwxwPaJMDgW6m1qwFTX/s1600/christmas_wreath.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-ZCXxwe3ugAzZTGvfqa1jojlupU-kOTG2Us0sp2MrI39paFufvX5UQV7pd4kE9RYQVGCCoZeJkkR3_ez-FMogngESWgCu8vlbaBSzwRZ7VbM1CLsiulsM9Lg1qwxwPaJMDgW6m1qwFTX/s1600/christmas_wreath.gif" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Wow, you have some nice treats</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">for us today.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Read on, folks, this recipe is one I'm trying for the holidays.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Hi all, I'm Conda, author of
all sorts of things. It's great being on Lorrie's blog, thank you Lorrie! And I
have a couple of things for you all, a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">giveaway</b>
and a recipe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">First, my romance short story
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bridesmaid Wore Stains</i> is just
released. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bridesmaid Wore Stains</i>,
Katherine falls all over herself hiding her klutziness from her new guy. Will
she spill her secret along with everything else?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AqInjHJsjZOhR7wYCrWisW2VQn8vbOO5PNRncUGCGz7WNT4Vx5yKKRV6QrycZ14Jy7b-VJlI9JUSwZwAnUWz_jZNsFffPAkMdjZ-jFxinkOocWRAvSmwqv9UDAk8gKEmqiPIq2qcmB3Z/s1600/The+Bridesmaid+Wore+Stains+300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AqInjHJsjZOhR7wYCrWisW2VQn8vbOO5PNRncUGCGz7WNT4Vx5yKKRV6QrycZ14Jy7b-VJlI9JUSwZwAnUWz_jZNsFffPAkMdjZ-jFxinkOocWRAvSmwqv9UDAk8gKEmqiPIq2qcmB3Z/s320/The+Bridesmaid+Wore+Stains+300dpi.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">AND: in honor of
this new release, I'm <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">giving away</b> an
eBook copy of my short story romance, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A
Crispy Rice Christmas</i>—just in time for a fun Christmas read! Just comment
to be entered for your free copy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-LpCyn1A45Mh2-BPg34WBmEdOaQlEjPloO6GkacyQhrNwTm-35FCyPpv-MPYjGh2pf-IFDVC0jBOQuIyB0ch0WEA6XEUE8UhsocuGpd884gF1pSXQ0ovKVToetYYN4wRavOAURUqV7vi/s1600/ACrispyRiceChristmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-LpCyn1A45Mh2-BPg34WBmEdOaQlEjPloO6GkacyQhrNwTm-35FCyPpv-MPYjGh2pf-IFDVC0jBOQuIyB0ch0WEA6XEUE8UhsocuGpd884gF1pSXQ0ovKVToetYYN4wRavOAURUqV7vi/s320/ACrispyRiceChristmas.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">A Crispy Rice Christmas</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> was inspired by my mom's inability to cook, but I
love to cook as well as write. So here's a crispy rice cereal bar recipe from
my cookbook <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth
Cookbook</i>, with a little bit about one of the characters in my tween fantasy
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mall Fairies</i> series. The first of the
trilogy, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mall Fairies: Exile</i>, is
out now with the second, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mall
Fairies: War</i>, to be released spring/summer 2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRisrJDgaoOEi3u607cJtSfrP9KZ7izaj3NKci6BPS0je_swrkpeB4PQG4UslnNzXysripuEVf2uoAvDPsNNuzfgOQpfIqZtkX451j3bFYB2ty7L4fR3w5L8ZhPAteKracotDU4CXpP901/s1600/mall+faries+exile+200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRisrJDgaoOEi3u607cJtSfrP9KZ7izaj3NKci6BPS0je_swrkpeB4PQG4UslnNzXysripuEVf2uoAvDPsNNuzfgOQpfIqZtkX451j3bFYB2ty7L4fR3w5L8ZhPAteKracotDU4CXpP901/s1600/mall+faries+exile+200x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">POUT'S
CRISPY RICE CEREAL BARS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Pout,
the teenage fairy with the protruding lower lip, believes he is totally,
awesomely Goth. He affects to wear all black, with usually a press-on tattoo of
a skull or a bat on his skinny pale white chest. No way would he ever want
anyone to know that his favorite cookies are crispy rice cereal bars. He's
loved them since he was a tiny Toddle Wing, marshmallows and rice cereal, yum!
The only one who knows is his mom, and she won't tell, because she bribes him
with a cookie to wash those silly tattoos off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Basic
Recipe:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4 tablespoons margarine or butter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6 cups crispy rice cereal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 16 ounce bag of marshmallows
(fresh mini marshmallows work best)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a large saucepan, heat the butter
on medium heat until it melts. Add marshmallows and stir constantly until
marshmallows all melt. Remove from heat. Add crispy rice cereal and stir well.
Using a greased spatula, spread mixture in a buttered 15 X 10 inch pan. Cut
into bars when cooled.<br />
<br />
Okay, now for the variations:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Add
vanilla or rum or orange or lemon extract, a teaspoon or two to the melted
marshmallows and stir well for rum bars or lemon bars—well, you get the idea.<br />
Add a cup of nuts, or raisins or any dried fruit, or a cup of chocolate bits
(or a third a cup of each!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Add
any spices you like, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, or cardamom.<br />
Add mini chocolate chips, butterscotch chips or <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Add
1/3 cup of cocoa for chocolate bars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Or</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> be daring
and try adding a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">bit </b>of cayenne pepper
and hot sauce to the cocoa! Strange but good if you like it weird and spicy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzKSwK-wRBu6BYEMfUBg2MF1KIX2bVV3oNIZp81-N2TFmS7RutOtaDFsfd7bkjV3xBPYdO-MsWC_TftCU14fuk56XIyFtn9o-c8QyJC3D783Ke2OfO8Mj_FYnIk95V6pMEzOEKsfFv54n/s1600/Mall+Fairies+Cookbook+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzKSwK-wRBu6BYEMfUBg2MF1KIX2bVV3oNIZp81-N2TFmS7RutOtaDFsfd7bkjV3xBPYdO-MsWC_TftCU14fuk56XIyFtn9o-c8QyJC3D783Ke2OfO8Mj_FYnIk95V6pMEzOEKsfFv54n/s320/Mall+Fairies+Cookbook+Cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxi_Y0J-HuvADvCMt1dYzW7zF5VUxP_-qibYgKGnEErGPFhPitmYSqyzE86nEckxwEfkOmpRbf7ht7ryiYGhefRH0Hpkg_8UCCJxo0IkyIkUyetu8CwsrCPa0XGDiu-u-igPOGpTOr0KQ/s1600/Conda+3-11-12_02_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxi_Y0J-HuvADvCMt1dYzW7zF5VUxP_-qibYgKGnEErGPFhPitmYSqyzE86nEckxwEfkOmpRbf7ht7ryiYGhefRH0Hpkg_8UCCJxo0IkyIkUyetu8CwsrCPa0XGDiu-u-igPOGpTOr0KQ/s1600/Conda+3-11-12_02_small.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Links:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Blog: <a href="http://condascreativecenter.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://condascreativecenter.blogspot.com</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/conda.v.douglas"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.facebook.com/conda.v.douglas</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Pinterest: <a href="http://pinterest.com/condadouglas/"><span style="color: blue;">http://pinterest.com/condadouglas/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Conda_V"><span style="color: blue;">https://twitter.com/Conda_V</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Amazon author page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/author/condadouglas" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.amazon.com/author/condadouglas</span></a></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R-I1lk7AjaSrvzbt2ZFKEY9PiMGFQ2Hy-jlnON2jk8Fb_4-MSW3ccfvf9KzECqOmm7rYqocOk-y9Kep9S46ADnJGjs-wKNC51AVaPMesr5-hJZZdb-ynfxsx0rNu_4mJJ6NGRC-xS3n0/s1600/skatea.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R-I1lk7AjaSrvzbt2ZFKEY9PiMGFQ2Hy-jlnON2jk8Fb_4-MSW3ccfvf9KzECqOmm7rYqocOk-y9Kep9S46ADnJGjs-wKNC51AVaPMesr5-hJZZdb-ynfxsx0rNu_4mJJ6NGRC-xS3n0/s1600/skatea.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I'd love to answer any of
your questions, about, well, anything! Except perhaps about the meaning
of—um—anything! Ask away! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ekSJiwRwQLsaxZ-OQ_tFfBe-TvN3H8LBWaw1Hk1YwiJCZ8dCTpmdYt09q9d2BWTwa-3bf3zwbE4GB4mDGqQWJVmSyzRVCxwRz3_GuFkaYpWKMWU66MViLx2ydwg86Bnl-vy5AnhN0iJF/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ekSJiwRwQLsaxZ-OQ_tFfBe-TvN3H8LBWaw1Hk1YwiJCZ8dCTpmdYt09q9d2BWTwa-3bf3zwbE4GB4mDGqQWJVmSyzRVCxwRz3_GuFkaYpWKMWU66MViLx2ydwg86Bnl-vy5AnhN0iJF/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-38448145679491972692013-11-27T00:00:00.000-05:002013-11-27T00:00:10.073-05:00THE PROLIFIC DEB STOVER WITH A SPECIAL STORY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxfmE0Zao1FAaCqZltzMhRUn9L-UZFZwNj_2-o9ZRh01TYjHfgaTFlAyQqR8BKv6iDPs40yS5A0xpxYfWbni5u4dnXGuCTYaCynHhNFs8ykP33zPifDZIgrlYinlNhtLpYxc6MILIzO4c/s1600/fairy+on+pumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxfmE0Zao1FAaCqZltzMhRUn9L-UZFZwNj_2-o9ZRh01TYjHfgaTFlAyQqR8BKv6iDPs40yS5A0xpxYfWbni5u4dnXGuCTYaCynHhNFs8ykP33zPifDZIgrlYinlNhtLpYxc6MILIzO4c/s1600/fairy+on+pumpkin.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to Flowers and Thorns, Deb. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So wonderful of you to visit during this busy holiday week.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Please tell us about family and your new book to be released soon.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Family is
about more than blood or DNA or genetics. It's about love. The bonds that make
a family stay together through the trials and tribulations life throws at us
are far more complicated--yet simple--than birthright. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1wPMWqJBULcssnxpgba2tHZRY77glkabYonjJKPJ-CaHSXBMuLT9aLrCXDRrKBksfc1WSguP-dfHuxpMjwZdpuWfo9NDaj05JfzZkkdmZyeF6ion-eMH_s-3PF3S-0e4DFqizohEqKAL/s1600/twisty+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1wPMWqJBULcssnxpgba2tHZRY77glkabYonjJKPJ-CaHSXBMuLT9aLrCXDRrKBksfc1WSguP-dfHuxpMjwZdpuWfo9NDaj05JfzZkkdmZyeF6ion-eMH_s-3PF3S-0e4DFqizohEqKAL/s1600/twisty+tree.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MAID MARIAN
AND THE LAWMAN is a story about unconditional love, which is what my special
children and my late husband have taught me. It doesn't matter what we look
like, whose eyes we have, what color our skin is, or what our IQ is. All that
matters is love, dedication, loyalty, and honor.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I hope you
enjoy this special story as much as I have enjoyed my special family.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Barbi,
Bonnie and Ben--this one is for you and your daddy. Love, Mom.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">#</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Prologue</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Southern Kansas—1888<br />
<br />
The relentless north wind sliced through Mary Goode’s threadbare
coat as she trudged along the narrow trail. An image flashed through
her mind of a warm fire and sweet tea with hot milk. Ah, but England
was a far better place than this godforsaken land, where parents died
of mysterious fevers and left their children homeless orphans.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tears pricked her eyes,
but she blinked them into submission. Now was not the time, and if all
went as planned, she would never succumb to tears again. Crying was
for children, and fate had decreed that at thirteen, Mary was no longer
a child.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Huge snowflakes floated
down from the blue-black canopy until whiteness nearly obliterated the
dark sky. She paused and pulled her coat closer, wishing she still
had the warm muffler her mother had knitted last winter. Alas, her guardians
had taken everything.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Including Robin.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her breath caught in her
throat at the thought of seeing her brother again. Soon, she promised
herself. Very soon.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Turning her face into
the wind, she continued her journey, pausing at the top of a slight hill.
She tucked a stray curl beneath her hood and blinked several times.
At last, the massive brick and stone structure came into view.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God, please let him
still be here.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Three months had passed
since their parents’ deaths, when the sheriff had taken her brother to
this dreadful place. Though they called it an asylum, in truth it was
a prison where people like Robin were locked away until they died
and were no longer a burden to anyone.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mary would never forget
that horrible day when they’d dragged Robin from her side. Weak from the
same fever that had killed their parents, she’d been unable to run
away and hide her brother. But now she was strong, and she would take
Robin across the border to Indian Territory, where they would hide until
their grandfather came for them.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What horrible
things might these people have done to her smiling brother, whose laughter
brightened even the most dreary days? Her mother had often called him
one of God’s special angels, and their father had raised Robin
with patience and love. Not once could Mary recall having heard her
father refuse to read his son the same bedtime story. Every night
until that horrible fever had rendered their father unconscious, he had
read from <i>The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood</i>. Of
course it was also his favorite, which was why Lawrence Goode’s only son
bore the name Robin.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Mary knew the entire story by heart, though she no longer had the
book. That, along with everything else she’d loved, was gone. But no
one could take her memories. Those were hers to cherish, and soon
she would have her brother to share them.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She blinked,
certain no one in this place had ever read Robin his favorite bedtime
story. She would recite it to him herself once they were safe, but first
she had to find him. “Please, God, make it so,” she whispered into
the snowy night. “Please.”</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Her mother’s last words echoed through Mary’s mind, as they
often did. <i>Look after your brother, Mary. He
will always be a child.</i></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mary stumbled
and her throat worked convulsively, her vision blurred. <i>I will not
cry.</i> She drew a shuddering breath; the icy air cleansed her lungs
and purged her mind.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Stealthily, she crept around the building, searching for a window without
bars. There had to be a way for her to get inside to Robin. Soft
light streamed through a ground-floor window, spilling onto the
freshly fallen snow in a square of gold. Peering into the room,
she determined it was the kitchen and, more importantly, unoccupied.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
She widened her stance and gripped the window, easing it open
very slowly. The old wood creaked and her heart pressed against
her throat, a tight fist of trepidation.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
And hope.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Within a matter of moments, she was inside. At first, she thought to
leave the window open to aid their escape, but in this weather that
would surely draw unwanted attention. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After closing the
window, she rubbed her arms, savoring the kitchen’s warmth. Without
knowing where in this huge building she might find her brother, she
resigned herself to searching every room on every floor if necessary.
A narrow staircase drew her attention, and she decided upstairs made
the most sense this time of night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her eyes
readjusted to the darkness by the time she reached the next floor. She
stood with her back pressed against the wall, waiting and wondering,
listening to her heart pummel her ribs and echo through her head.<br />
A lone lamp burned at the far end of the hall, and she inched along
the wall until she came to the first closed door. With sweaty
fingers, she turned the handle and peered inside. A lamp burned near
the window, illuminating the room enough for her to see several
cage-like iron cribs lined up against the far wall. Most of them were
occupied by small bundles.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<i>Oh, dear God</i>. She held her breath and her throat burned with
the need to vent her rage at this injustice. If she were rich, she’d
take all the babies home and raise them herself. With a shudder and a
powerful sense of futility, she left the room and proceeded to the
next door.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
On the fourth floor, she noted one door slightly ajar with
light overflowing into the hall. She heard someone talking from
inside, though the words were muffled. Still, something about the
voice’s inflection and tone beckoned her.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Holding her breath, she peered through the open door. Joy surged through
her when she recognized Robin sitting cross-legged on a narrow bed
near the window. He clearly didn’t see or hear her as she stepped
into the room, for he continued moving his hands and talking
excitedly, reciting his favorite story.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<i>He remembers.</i> Mary’s determination renewed itself. She would
find a way to take Robin away from here, to a place where they could
live together again as brother and sister. Though he was six years her
senior, he would always be her little brother in so many ways.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Her eyes blurred as she searched the stark room until her gaze came
to rest on two men seated on the floor near Robin’s bed. They
were staring up at him, hanging on his every word. One of them was
very tall and dark, obviously an Indian. The other man was the
complete opposite, and she knew if he stood he wouldn’t even reach
her shoulder. She’d seen a man like him once—a midget, her father
had called him.<br />
At first, she remained in the shadows near the door, wondering if
the men would try to stop her. But the expressions on their faces
told her of the trust and adoration they obviously felt for her brother.<br />
Robin continued the story, pronouncing some words in ways she knew
most people wouldn’t understand. However, Robin’s audience,
whoever they were, obviously understood.<br />
Knowing she could delay no longer, Mary stepped into the lamplight.
“Robin,” she said quietly. “It’s me, Ma—”</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Robin leapt to his feet and rushed into her arms. “Maid Marian,”
he whispered.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Hearing her father’s pet name for her made Mary’s heart flutter.
“Yes, Robin. I’ve come for you.” She cast a furtive glance at the
men, who now rose.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
“This is Little John,” he indicated the towering Indian, “and
that’s Friar Tuck.” He patted the smaller man on the shoulder.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Mary swallowed hard. “How nice. I’m pleased to meet you both.”
She looked at her brother again. “We must hurry, Robin.”</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
“All right.” Obediently, he went to the corner and pulled on an
old coat, several sizes too large. “Make haste, men.”</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
As Mary stared in surprise, the mismatched pair imitated
Robin’s actions. The small man donned a coat far too large for his
short frame, while the Indian wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
“We go,” Little John said.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Friar Tuck put a fist on one hip and glowered up at Mary. “You’re but
a child,” he said, shaking his finger at her. “But that’s
all right, Maid Marian. I shall take care of you all.”</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Mary realized that if she refused to allow the men to accompany them,
they might alert the staff to Robin’s escape. “Very well then,
follow me.”</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
“Where we going?” Robin asked, his eyes wide and filled with unconditional trust.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Praying for a miracle, Mary reached up to push a stray dark curl from
her brother’s brow. With a smile, she said, “Why, to Sherwood
Forest, of course.”</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OKpYOXjjbQd1vPQ8wWsLTPYiykp5B-CbZMRaQjYKiDtDmsvkPVLwD_dBek1tzjPujcbhXwPcvHAtt094ZPGtPbzo1WR05Lm7E9OEIbBxu-jNqQslXGbZLsSa-zlRbx_4pBh-uMf6tIjA/s1600/grassy-forest-230x153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OKpYOXjjbQd1vPQ8wWsLTPYiykp5B-CbZMRaQjYKiDtDmsvkPVLwD_dBek1tzjPujcbhXwPcvHAtt094ZPGtPbzo1WR05Lm7E9OEIbBxu-jNqQslXGbZLsSa-zlRbx_4pBh-uMf6tIjA/s1600/grassy-forest-230x153.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7IM9RTkhc5AzwSKYaollTEWBv1fw63R2qsFdtOKaSJWAH64PGYDsLlERdOuTp2H2SITJQJW25dWQJuPjIUo4ivN4y-sR_usXiuaIyx7erQ4COutkpGyIlVZDZ_sX4hUG-mIb4qpnWQal/s1600/!cid_755E0468-0793-412F-8B85-934DCD99B31D@StoverFamily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7IM9RTkhc5AzwSKYaollTEWBv1fw63R2qsFdtOKaSJWAH64PGYDsLlERdOuTp2H2SITJQJW25dWQJuPjIUo4ivN4y-sR_usXiuaIyx7erQ4COutkpGyIlVZDZ_sX4hUG-mIb4qpnWQal/s320/!cid_755E0468-0793-412F-8B85-934DCD99B31D@StoverFamily.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1989: Front: Barbi Stover
Carr. In arms Ben Stover. Standing, Dave Stover. In backpack, Bonnie Stover
(our Sunshine).</span></span></div>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bio:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once upon a
time, Deb Stover wanted to be Lois Lane, until she discovered Clark Kent is a
fraud and there is no Superman. Since publication of her first novel in 1995,
Stover has received dozens of awards for her work, and published twenty titles,
including including contributions to anthologies. Her work has been published
internationally in several formats and languages.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A native of
Wichita, Kansas, Deb and her family have called five states home over the
years, but recently she made the choice to follow the Yellow Brick Road back to
her roots. There’s no place like home, after all, and there’s always another
story to tell.</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her next
scheduled release is MAID MARIAN AND THE LAWMAN in December 2013 from
Bellbridge Books. </span><a href="http://www.debstover.com/" title="http://www.debstover.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.debstover.com</span></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RqBU466ljdsSpEKqAmJ61UiFtaGvJZblndZ8WdrOQpvOljbRZFVAAsYdN9TwZ95-edJhScXOma5qTll9NkvjCVmX03tNTKMme3nqnBYygg9TnFepDOidBtM3ztFhyphenhyphenHldmSESscy-yPCe/s1600/wand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RqBU466ljdsSpEKqAmJ61UiFtaGvJZblndZ8WdrOQpvOljbRZFVAAsYdN9TwZ95-edJhScXOma5qTll9NkvjCVmX03tNTKMme3nqnBYygg9TnFepDOidBtM3ztFhyphenhyphenHldmSESscy-yPCe/s1600/wand.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">May all your
days include a bit of magic! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em>We love comments. Please leave one for Deb if you decided to stop by.</em></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrm8ZuACJcHNB5hAsb84czXg1BdMxiujAZf2sTCHLV6rQHEoJCwC-lz0Um1NRldI3YgHDpIErBxIt6NuPDexy8nFFwM9AJHh5iOHtSCKOiCPbqOGhtMnM_8wpe6IRUPL3bCcXY_63IsevV/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrm8ZuACJcHNB5hAsb84czXg1BdMxiujAZf2sTCHLV6rQHEoJCwC-lz0Um1NRldI3YgHDpIErBxIt6NuPDexy8nFFwM9AJHh5iOHtSCKOiCPbqOGhtMnM_8wpe6IRUPL3bCcXY_63IsevV/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p><br /></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-78057604839713959052013-11-24T00:00:00.000-05:002013-11-24T00:00:05.879-05:00MEET H.A. SOMERLED'S ANGEL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9AJ8tJCNUlEUJwGzJgiXQhPliy33ixvPxN1zyd1P6w6an1UHx2HCKBeBvEw22u92rqc_CEjD_wBtvK0VyKYMs61HOIDNba_fymd727DUt7ovuxvXVNJhwdAPuLpgpR5Cus84_MU1BBvh/s1600/tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9AJ8tJCNUlEUJwGzJgiXQhPliy33ixvPxN1zyd1P6w6an1UHx2HCKBeBvEw22u92rqc_CEjD_wBtvK0VyKYMs61HOIDNba_fymd727DUt7ovuxvXVNJhwdAPuLpgpR5Cus84_MU1BBvh/s1600/tree.jpg" /></a><em><span style="font-size: large;">Hi Heather, and welcome to my blog this great month of November. Enjoy our crisp weather and the smell of spices in the house.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, Thanksgiving is fast approaching so sit back, relax, and have a glass of warm cider. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Let's talk about your book and let's learn more about Angel. </span></em><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><em>-Excerpt from Angel's
Code-</em></span> </div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="When_she_took_this_assignment_"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><em>When she took this assignment, it was
recommended that she wipe her slate clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Faking her death was a good decision, going to her own funeral was not.</em></span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
</span><div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlmRABTKPqtPqSiLEOnQ0G_yIUjkspb_QZeEl2QMzqb8-OdNPkLo5m8s2-6811IHqShssZ_9ewcZffnlzyqc_sXNeGQRVCwYmxs4SKui7Gy66Qs0CJIESJvhNq2h1FpU4s7O-XAiwg8eR/s1600/!cid_E24764A4-C692-4D7A-8707-4CCA5663E307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlmRABTKPqtPqSiLEOnQ0G_yIUjkspb_QZeEl2QMzqb8-OdNPkLo5m8s2-6811IHqShssZ_9ewcZffnlzyqc_sXNeGQRVCwYmxs4SKui7Gy66Qs0CJIESJvhNq2h1FpU4s7O-XAiwg8eR/s320/!cid_E24764A4-C692-4D7A-8707-4CCA5663E307.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></em><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;">Angel’s Code is an exciting romp through the seedy world of cyber
crime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based in London, the story
revolves around Danny Murray and his introduction into the hacker lifestyle.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;">Danny is a young, bored web design student at Birkbeck
College, who dreams of becoming more than just an IT guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wants to make a mark on the world, and
releases a prank virus, attracting the attention of internationally renown
hacker, “The Fallen Angel.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Angel agrees to
teach the young Danny the ways of the hacker, but his online skills are not the
ones in need of refining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The only setback
Danny has is his older brother, Oliver Murray, who has just been promoted head
inspector of the cyber crime division for London’s Metropolitan Police.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oliver feels it is his main duty to keep
Danny away from the mysterious, and dangerous Angel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;">However, when the tables are turned and Oliver is the one in
need of rescuing, will the skills Danny learned from Angel be enough to save
his brother from Cyber Terrorist Ahmed Eid?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYiUTOhs5r5tPbIUD-ZXLJPDqqSY38UiPucFbfh5YQNZP4lNv55sHc20Ks4EWKbB8SDIOiaLwEuGOTza7U6y2uFrgX8KFLRQljOhs6F6AJfLGkajn97rdcSgQUHCKhbS78LiEV4p6SiyU/s1600/animated-fall-leaves.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYiUTOhs5r5tPbIUD-ZXLJPDqqSY38UiPucFbfh5YQNZP4lNv55sHc20Ks4EWKbB8SDIOiaLwEuGOTza7U6y2uFrgX8KFLRQljOhs6F6AJfLGkajn97rdcSgQUHCKhbS78LiEV4p6SiyU/s1600/animated-fall-leaves.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;">Today I'd like to introduce you to the last of the
characters, The Fallen Angel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;">Angel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Angel is a master
of disguise, even her protégé Danny doesn't know what she really looks
like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With wigs, contacts, and her
extensive knowledge of human behavior, she is able to blend into any
situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also get out of trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angel is athletic and well versed in parkour
- a combination of gymnastics and running. (Think Ninja)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Angel doesn't
allow many into her inner circle, but with the influx of wannabe hackers, she
brings in the brilliant Danny to help her fight the more dangerous cyber
criminals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She and Oliver do not see eye
to eye, though they are fighting for the same cause, though there is something
about Oliver Angel cannot leave alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The feeling is mutual for Oliver.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>What can I say
about Angel, she's loosely - and I mean like two sizes too big loose - based
after me. (In a previous life I worked for the Navy as an intelligence
analyst.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No, in reality
Angel is who I want to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool under
pressure, smart, mysterious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose
you can say she was also inspired on Lisabeth Salander from The Millenium
Series by Steg Larson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except there are
some big differences between Angel and Lisabeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all, she's not a lesbian - or
bi-sexual or whatever Lisabeth was, which was part of her wound - confusing sex
and love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Angel is not as
messed up as Lisabeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to
create a character who was strong not because she was abused, but because she
had made mistakes and learned from them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think there is a lack of that in heroines today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can't women just be strong?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angel is also human, I wanted to stress that
near the end of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure she's
tough on Danny, almost to the point of being sadistic, but she softens as you
get to know her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>I also didn't
want to reveal too much about her past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her memory about going to her funeral is just a glimpse into her psyche,
why she is the way she is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Oliver,
Angel's backstory comes into focus more in the second book, Angel's Betrayal,
which should be out sometime this winter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;">Thank you to those who have followed my blog hop. If you
would like to read more on the Characters of Angel's Code, you can find them on
these blogs hosted by Amber Dalton and Janette Harjo, and also the beginning on
my blog.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEThMMJcQKRSSzTNG_4xn7iK26Fkdpr-zeqo8Ai3-1IRDxNKKTYgBmayQ3F2zSe1hTnHKtrMr8a1QnFJCKEbt5G-bNoI1OizLETP5igeeZLiUaRSRN6WonX6DcMOYVGPyZEE5btM4jvjw/s1600/%2521cid_E24764A4-C692-4D7A-8707-4CCA5663E307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEThMMJcQKRSSzTNG_4xn7iK26Fkdpr-zeqo8Ai3-1IRDxNKKTYgBmayQ3F2zSe1hTnHKtrMr8a1QnFJCKEbt5G-bNoI1OizLETP5igeeZLiUaRSRN6WonX6DcMOYVGPyZEE5btM4jvjw/s320/%2521cid_E24764A4-C692-4D7A-8707-4CCA5663E307.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><a href="http://www.amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><a href="http://www.authorjanetteharjo.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.authorjanetteharjo.blogspot.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHbv9o5eCWPAUveoMGG_ABbUeJdE6cePrJmj7E6mlbgGPhoRkyjwoEmHSPyweIWw6yiyBTueGrXr9cBjp1tmbP16omiBrABsYuueAtD9Ztt924tvCUnkAWWg2EuW3SXXX5PBGkH6aDnNj/s1600/%5Bportraint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHbv9o5eCWPAUveoMGG_ABbUeJdE6cePrJmj7E6mlbgGPhoRkyjwoEmHSPyweIWw6yiyBTueGrXr9cBjp1tmbP16omiBrABsYuueAtD9Ztt924tvCUnkAWWg2EuW3SXXX5PBGkH6aDnNj/s320/%5Bportraint.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;">H. A. Somerled lives in the Missoula, Montana area. After an
uneventful tour in the U.S. Navy, she followed her passions and enrolled in
Culinary School. She graduated from the Colorado Institute of Art and has also
completed a writing course from the Long Ridge Writer's Group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is her first published work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;">She has two dogs, a puggle named Fritter and a pug named
Flapjack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She considers herself lucky to
be single and claims she's half the age she really is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;">Websites<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/HASomerled"><span style="color: blue;">www.facebook.com/HASomerled</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/hasomerled"><span style="color: blue;">www.twitter.com/hasomerled</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><a href="http://www.hasomerled.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.hasomerled.blogspot.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><a href="http://www.bookstogonow.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.bookstogonow.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/angels-code/id716429665?mt=11"><span style="color: blue;">https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/angels-code/id716429665?mt=11</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/angels-code-ha-somerled/1116922884?ean=2940148437772"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/angels-code-ha-somerled/1116922884?ean=2940148437772</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angels-Angel-Hacker-Series-ebook/dp/B00F8UDUFE/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1379430949&sr=8-6&keywords=angels+code+H.A"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.com/Angels-Angel-Hacker-Series-ebook/dp/B00F8UDUFE/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1379430949&sr=8-6&keywords=angels+code+H.A</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Thank
you Lorrie for hosting me.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><em>Well, what do you think, folks? Angel seems to be quite the character. As you know, we love comments. Please leave one for Heather today to let her know you dropped by to learn about her character.</em></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIe3199O5erkHAMQWDiKwIFtGpbaS662u1TFBw0zl6aGUyU-j5ocWy2A3cWpReJ47O9BZEBkuZ2IpyixkRT19w5wyLqrdZMkxKDx1BU2dtQSw2JjGjgBROYNU1Y7E0B7Hn33pooZ5by2o/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIe3199O5erkHAMQWDiKwIFtGpbaS662u1TFBw0zl6aGUyU-j5ocWy2A3cWpReJ47O9BZEBkuZ2IpyixkRT19w5wyLqrdZMkxKDx1BU2dtQSw2JjGjgBROYNU1Y7E0B7Hn33pooZ5by2o/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><em></em></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
</o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<em></em> </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-53065762487032825652013-11-21T00:00:00.000-05:002013-11-21T00:00:06.777-05:00I HAVE THE ONE AND ONLY DEE DAVIS ON MY BLOG TODAY & WITH ONE AUDIO FREEBIE.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Dee, thank you so much for consenting </span></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qe1v5yiYD33WLYCjIZQhY5UsmiIOjGtp_FY1ksRM8dkDcdGTS3LpRkKgJ6vjnRSkHGQ7n9jNnpw7PUqY3a1v8MS9Dj2NJ7-hjOcciYn2T2F4fkuby7kbps0j4xOuTvBqxl5-nEPgU6Sh/s1600/fairy+on+pumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qe1v5yiYD33WLYCjIZQhY5UsmiIOjGtp_FY1ksRM8dkDcdGTS3LpRkKgJ6vjnRSkHGQ7n9jNnpw7PUqY3a1v8MS9Dj2NJ7-hjOcciYn2T2F4fkuby7kbps0j4xOuTvBqxl5-nEPgU6Sh/s1600/fairy+on+pumpkin.jpg" /></a></span></em></div>
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">to be on my blog. It's such a thrill to have such </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">a popular author grace these pages.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Gads! I'm acting like a teenage fan. Sorry. I'll slap myself upside the head and fly right.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">And you are giving one commenter today a free download of your audio book. How great is that folks?</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">But first, tell us all about your love of cooking.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I love to cook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anything and everything. Give me a recipe and
I’m in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I particularly love to try
and recreate a great dish I’ve eaten somewhere else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a challenge of identifying the separate
parts and recreating the mouth-watering whole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So it follows that eventually I’d write a book about food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, at least about another woman who loves
it as much as I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">My love affair with cooking
started, like a lot of people, with my grandmother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She loved to cook. And always made it feel
like an event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there was my very
first cookbook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Peanuts
Cookbook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucy’s Lemon Squares were my
favorites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along with Linus’ cinnamon
toast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could make a pretty mean
pudding pie, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My daddy’s favorite
was butterscotch and I still think of him when I make a pie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Cooking became a serious
hobby when I graduated from college and had my own apartment and kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was determined to entertain as well as my
grandmother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember for my very
first dinner party I went out and bought a fry-daddy just so that I could serve
homemade sopapillas with the meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wanted it all to be perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">My first job was doing, among
other things, cooking demonstrations for Lone Star Gas Company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d travel around central Texas demonstrating
the marvels of cooking with gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even
had my own demonstration kitchen and a quarterly segment on a local television
show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was totally hooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Of course not everything
always goes as expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my first
official Thanksgiving as a new bride, my rolls failed to rise, the pie crust
drooped, and the fruit salad I’d made sat in the back of the refrigerator
totally forgotten until the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">When we lived in
Vienna—finding familiar food became an obsession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To the point of tracking down a rumored
source for corn tortillas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A man named
Gunter Gonzales who made them in the basement of his apartment building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He only sold them in batches of a hundred,
but hey, tortillas freeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still
remember the warm tortillas in my hands as we rode back from Gunter’s on the
bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exhilaration ruled the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Back in Texas, I settled in
to cooking with my favorite ingredients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I still remember walking into an HEB and marveling at an entire
aisle of Mexican foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A whole shelf of
salsas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grocery stores overseas are a lot
smaller than ours, but bigger than the ones in Manhattan where finding
ingredients was sometimes something of a scavenger hunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that I’m back in the real
world—Connecticut—I’m happy to say there are huge grocery stores
everywhere!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which I’ve got to admit is a
little bit of heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">But the latest development in
my obsession with food has got the be the advent of cooking TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Food Network.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bravo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Alton Brown, Ina Garten, Bobby Flay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Chopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of course the chef
competition shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Top Chef, Iron Chef, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>The Next Food Network Star.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If I’d been born in a different generation, I suspect I’d have longed
for a show of my own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Which is why, Andi Sevalas,
in the newly re-released Set-Up in SoHo, got a show of her own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What’s
Cooking in the City</i> is my attempt to live vicariously through my
character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I hope you enjoy reading
Andi’s story as much as I did writing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For a recipe featured in the book (and one of my personal favorites)
check out <a href="http://www.deedavis.com/">www.deedavis.com</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQw5MSz8O-xrPOGEY5-xptCmUJJKeCASeGstCQoMTcGjt-KxbrSXpyNIp6dE0jvi-Nor17t72VMXgwyQXGOY3__zezUFbGAhVn61yFgsN60XFW6MoHqLEnNdAWqP_fb_XoRaZ22WnhN5Ob/s1600/DeeDavis_setupinSoho_200px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQw5MSz8O-xrPOGEY5-xptCmUJJKeCASeGstCQoMTcGjt-KxbrSXpyNIp6dE0jvi-Nor17t72VMXgwyQXGOY3__zezUFbGAhVn61yFgsN60XFW6MoHqLEnNdAWqP_fb_XoRaZ22WnhN5Ob/s320/DeeDavis_setupinSoho_200px.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div>
When Andrea Sevalas’ long time boyfriend announces he’s seeing someone else, Andi’s thrown for a loop—well, actually, down a cellar. Head throbbing and nose out of joint, she’s rescued by one of New York’s finest – attorneys that is. Ethan McCay is the Upper East Side heir to the kingdom of Manhattan. But Andi isn’t interested in princes. At least not the uptown variety. She’s a downtown girl with no time for Park Avenue royalty.<br />
So what’s a fairy godmother supposed to do? Well, if she’s Andi’s Aunt Althea (the infamous Manhattan matchmaker) a little manipulation is in order. After all, even Cinderella needed a little prodding to go to the ball. And with a little help from her friends, Althea’s plan goes charmingly – until the clock strikes midnight and the truth is revealed. Certain that she’s been betrayed by the people she trusted the most, Andi runs for the safety of Soho. But matchmakers don’t give up that easily, and with Althea at the helm, Andi will discover that love comes in all kinds of packages, and that sometimes, all it takes to recognize the fact is opening your heart to the possibility.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">This re-release sounds like a fun read for us romance lovers.</span></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Tell us about the audio download you are offering to one commenter today</span></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfv6gEVnptQ-TUOE_quudaied4ie62_Vr5sfhGpcCubkOdFw24uR8AuOMAx7zWfLZ8Vu5dmIRbu9WdNyWEvn1wfXwr0_Ah8UfjfP9Ed4T3M-i5imfRzvbd8mCDlqFaoX187n6wOEVyhDx/s1600/EIIT_AudioCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfv6gEVnptQ-TUOE_quudaied4ie62_Vr5sfhGpcCubkOdFw24uR8AuOMAx7zWfLZ8Vu5dmIRbu9WdNyWEvn1wfXwr0_Ah8UfjfP9Ed4T3M-i5imfRzvbd8mCDlqFaoX187n6wOEVyhDx/s320/EIIT_AudioCover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Years ago while vacationing in Scotland, Katherine St. Claire believed she’d found the love of her life. She shared a night of passion with a stranger, in a hotel castle called Duncreag. But come morning, her lover had disappeared. And she has spent the last eight years trying to convince herself it was all a dream... Living in the 15th century, Iain Mackintosh remains haunted by the memory of his greatest love. Eight years ago, she disappeared, leaving behind a cairngorm earring as the only evidence of her existence. Iain’s family wants him to stop pining for this fantasy woman and submit to a sensible marriage. But Katherine suddenly returns to him and reveals to him where—and when she’s from... The re-release of Dee Davis’ award winning Debut novel.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">And one lucky winner will be picked.</span></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Check out all of Dee's novels on her page at</span></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dee-Davis/e/B001IXRP2E/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1384011531&sr=1-2-ent">AMAZON PAGE</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Thanksgiving will be here in a few days so from both of us</span></em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJF6yks_LZ4_1ESbbNp_s1LmtG3wVJ2RyuQfA6V7-C7S9Mx8vLy6Z-tISfaSimeb49MBE8sDwzqDji-ZOT8KqTNUZ4eGGUtEzNSAaFXIneTvTXwVr86f6zWN3c4s58fiDbG5xXt16IUhpQ/s1600/cornucopia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJF6yks_LZ4_1ESbbNp_s1LmtG3wVJ2RyuQfA6V7-C7S9Mx8vLy6Z-tISfaSimeb49MBE8sDwzqDji-ZOT8KqTNUZ4eGGUtEzNSAaFXIneTvTXwVr86f6zWN3c4s58fiDbG5xXt16IUhpQ/s1600/cornucopia.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Dee would love to hear about some
of your favorite food memories.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">And you know we love comments. Please say hi to Dee below.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicLWn9oYkNeUxNU7C7eNR9w-AoUBfeAMf18YEbMQvJMxjOnZ5jcOVcwDo1Cw0-W2L3o6Nwy5JGz7TOrq1OcQbn6ChtJJg11K3xEZ1xj5rVn-RyOMWTcEAbEsERKntiLF0TMEyu7AqcRA1/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicLWn9oYkNeUxNU7C7eNR9w-AoUBfeAMf18YEbMQvJMxjOnZ5jcOVcwDo1Cw0-W2L3o6Nwy5JGz7TOrq1OcQbn6ChtJJg11K3xEZ1xj5rVn-RyOMWTcEAbEsERKntiLF0TMEyu7AqcRA1/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-64242057058754073402013-11-18T00:00:00.000-05:002013-11-18T00:00:08.811-05:00 I SNAGGED AN INTERVIEW WITH TOP SELLING MYSTERY WRITER DAVID BISHOP <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrbGsvfCFmx-lkZbjSZ6CQRZnXZ8IAb_JT8QDoG_nTZwP88T6P1hTv7HyDxWR4yqlKJGtL_tHWx0eCaPKxkVINJGbyYYy_fJ9JO7IUoqSBy5k_zNeDamMkJHJZ1odofQh65qM0teQGj7n/s1600/ist1_5972533-person-from-behind-in-the-fog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrbGsvfCFmx-lkZbjSZ6CQRZnXZ8IAb_JT8QDoG_nTZwP88T6P1hTv7HyDxWR4yqlKJGtL_tHWx0eCaPKxkVINJGbyYYy_fJ9JO7IUoqSBy5k_zNeDamMkJHJZ1odofQh65qM0teQGj7n/s200/ist1_5972533-person-from-behind-in-the-fog.jpg" width="178" /></a><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I'm excited to have you here on my blog,</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">David. Thanks so much for permitting me </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">to ask some tough questions.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; 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: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Thank
you, Lorrie, for your interest in my writing career.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Well, let's not keep our readers waiting.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>L-- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please,
David, tell us something about one of your novels</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DB -- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How about “Who Murdered Garson Talmadge,” a
Matt Kile Mystery, to direct my answer toward. I currently have nine writings
published (seven novels and two short stories). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who Murdered Garson Talmadge was my first of
three in the Matt Kile mystery series (a fourth will be out in a few weeks). I
have always loved mysteries and finally decided to stop working at other things
and become a full-time novelist. <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">L--What
do you do when you are not writing? Do you pick up something from your to be
read pile? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DB-- T<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he only thing I don’t like about being a
novelist is that it limits my time to read the works of others. Most of what I
read is the stories I am developing, read them and revise them and read them
again and so on. However, I do get to read one to three novels by others each
month. It is a joy to read books I don’t already know inside and out. To see
how other wordsmiths have crafted a story. </i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">L--
What do you look for in a book when you sit down to read for fun?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DB-- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Like many of your readers, I am first
attracted to a cover that catches my eye. Then I read the short description of
the story. Sometimes I will read the sample pages which are available for
eBooks without purchase. Should I find myself not wanting to put the book down
when the sample portion ends, I buy the book. The exception is if the author is
one I have read before and trust to deliver an enjoyable, well told story. With
those authors I just order the book.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">L--
What has been your favorite part of being an author? What has been your least
favorite?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DB-- Golly,
I love everything about being an author. I’m doing what I love to do and making
a living doing it. It doesn’t get any better than that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">L
--Did you get to quit your day job and become an author or do you still have a
day job and writing is something you do for fun? If you still have a day job,
what is it? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DB --<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Writing fiction is my full time job. I love
it and get to do it all day long. Years ago I quit my day job as a financial
analyst to write full time. The skills I honed as an analyst allow me to
develop and salt clues into my mysteries. <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">L
--What is your favorite junk food vice? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DB-- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ah, your question assumes I have one. Yes, I
confess, I do. I’m also glad you narrowed down my vices to just junk food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That helped keep the list short. I love ice
cream. Mint chip, rocky road, homemade strawberry, almost any flavor, but those
are favorites. Also chocolate, to confess to a second one. For some reason,
from talking to fiction writers, I suspect chocolate is a common vice among us.
But then, is chocolate a vice? I think of it as a basic food group, a pleasure,
a diversion, a stimulant for my creative juices. As you can tell, I am also
skilled at rationalizing my vices.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">L--We
all have our little things when it comes to reading, is there anything that bugs
you when you read a novel? What is it? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DB--<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> I am turned off by overwritten descriptions
of people, places, or things. When that happens I find myself skipping ahead to
the next paragraph to see if the author has returned to the story. If it
happens too often, that book becomes a wall banger and I pick up a different
one. <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the tension builds in a scene,
the story should be pedantic in detail with each detail embellishing that
tension. However, the description of people or whatever should be adequate but
not verbose. To overwrite descriptions slows the story and robs the reader of
seeing each person or thing a little in that reader’s own eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The descriptions should “show” what
is being described but leave room for the reader to “add” some element. An
example: The lady CIA Director had the look of a librarian, but the heart of a
cobra. This describes but allows the reader to see “librarian” as each reader
sees a librarian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is done
subconsciously, but it is part of subtly leaving room for the reader to enter
the story. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">L--What
seven words would you use to describe yourself?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DB --<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wow. This is a hard one and I am confident
you would get very different words should you ask someone else who knows me
well. Actually, I hope you wouldn’t, but you’ve asked for mine so here goes:
Dependable. Loved. Intelligent. Imaginative. Healthy. Self-confident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s six, so a seventh? Ah, yes, humble,
although that might appear in doubt after the first six. This of course ignores
words like handsome, rich, and famous. But then, you asked for words, not
dreams. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">L—lol.
I think everyone has those <span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">dreams.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is there anything else that you would
like to share or say to those who will read this interview?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">DB-- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As a writer, I conjure up occurrences
designed to quickly bring the story to roiling boil. Along the way, I invent
people. Victims and villains and heroes are needed, as well as a supporting
cast. I make these people fun and interesting so you will welcome them and
introduce them to your friends. Primary characters need habits and tics and
talents, the qualities that bring them to life and make you love them or hate
them. You’ll want to see them humiliated or hunted down, be successful or
seduced.</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">I don't know about other authors, but I can learn a lot from this interview, David.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">My mysteries offer you the
opportunity to be challenged to find the villain from among the suspects. Clues
as large as a log or as tiny as a bump thereon are salted throughout my
stories. There are distractions in the form of false clues, called red
herrings, which point to someone other than the real villain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Take
a journey with me. Laugh. Hold your breath. Cheer. Boo. The characters are rich
and the plots are grabbers. I promise you’ll be glad you came along. Some
people don’t like golf or chocolate or even a hearty laugh. But I’ll bet you like
some of those things and I’ll bet you’ll like my mysteries. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: red;">I have loved your books, David, and here I have to tell the readers a funny story.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Sorry to say, a year back I was not familiar with David's work. Well, his promoed novel on Facebook looked yummy, so I read it. Oooh, instant like. Since I'd seen David on Facebook. I thought I'd be a nice person, so I sent him a private message. I asked if he'd like me to give him a review on Amazon. I really, really thought I was doing him a great big favor. Ha, ha, ha. He wrote back to thank me and said if I wanted to add mine to the other hundreds he had, that would be fine. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbQSEzBPTitQ3-R3yq79prfaywemxF8qXUFN_zIdBvhN2xRDeo7eF3NxIgvelFrMlw8fGveRnYL1aZN2Onsk10bTwaTH-cxehQtExPbrZEaW6RN8hIArdsRMEVEteUyqgLwN1YkKNivY4/s1600/smileys7.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbQSEzBPTitQ3-R3yq79prfaywemxF8qXUFN_zIdBvhN2xRDeo7eF3NxIgvelFrMlw8fGveRnYL1aZN2Onsk10bTwaTH-cxehQtExPbrZEaW6RN8hIArdsRMEVEteUyqgLwN1YkKNivY4/s1600/smileys7.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
Me the idiot</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
I've since read all his other novels that I didn't know he had released at the time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
Back to our blog</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; 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: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: red;">Here is the cover and prologue
to the novel David mentioned above</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; 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: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Who Murdered Garson Talmadge, a Matt Kile Mystery<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">By:
David Bishop<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfgAmCK4Mx7sbwsI6fEcz1jhDRcngZWd5Arvcih8Ska__za_JlrvPBkGShUKgZvI6fVKG0TPiaOzoipWKn4_X7Cw0bgJUq5z1BVmxdK9mDV1y3-z2oQy_XEaJRPGKmgKJkKXDhHeiKJGI/s1600/WMGT-full-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfgAmCK4Mx7sbwsI6fEcz1jhDRcngZWd5Arvcih8Ska__za_JlrvPBkGShUKgZvI6fVKG0TPiaOzoipWKn4_X7Cw0bgJUq5z1BVmxdK9mDV1y3-z2oQy_XEaJRPGKmgKJkKXDhHeiKJGI/s320/WMGT-full-cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Prologue</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">It’s funny the way a kiss
stays with you. How it lingers. How you can feel it long after it ends. I
understand what amputees mean when they speak of phantom limbs. It’s there, but
it isn’t. You know it isn’t. But you feel it’s still with you. While I was in
prison, my wife divorced me; I thought she was with me, but she wasn’t. She
said I destroyed our marriage in a moment of rage in a search for some kind of
perverted justice. I didn’t think it was perverted, but I didn’t blame her for
the divorce.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">But
enough sad stuff. Yesterday I left the smells and perversions of men, and,
wearing the same clothes I had worn the last day of my trial, reentered the
world of three-dimensional women and meals you choose for yourself; things I
used to take for granted, but don’t any longer. My old suit fit looser and had
a musty smell, but nothing could be bad on a con’s first day of freedom. I
tilted my head back and inhaled. Free air smelled different, felt different
tossing my hair and puffing my shirt.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">I
had no excuses. I had been guilty. I knew that. The jury knew that. The city
knew that. The whole damn country knew. I had shot the guy in front of the TV
cameras, emptied my gun into him. He had raped and killed a woman, then killed
her three children for having walked in during his deed. The homicide team of
Kile and Fidgery had found the evidence that linked the man I killed to the
crime. Sergeant Matthew Kile, that was me, still is me, only now there’s no <i>Sergeant
</i>in front of my name, and my then partner, Detective Terrence Fidgery. We
arrested the scum, and he readily confessed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">The
judge ruled our search illegal and all that followed bad fruit, which included
the thug’s confession. Cute words for giving a rapist-killer a
get-out-of-jail-free card. In chambers the judge had wrung his hands while
saying, “I have to let him walk.” Judges talk about their rules of evidence as
though they had replaced the rules about right and wrong. Justice isn’t about
guilt and innocence, not anymore. Over time, criminal trials had become a game
for wins and losses between district attorneys and the mouthpieces for the
accused. Heavy wins get defense attorneys bigger fees. For district attorneys,
wins mean advancement into higher office and maybe even a political career.
They should take the robes away from the judges and make them wear striped
shirts like referees in other sports.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">On
the courthouse steps, the news hounds had surrounded the rapist-killer like he
was a movie star. Fame or infamy can make you a celebrity, and America treats
celebrity like virtue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">I
still see the woman’s husband, the father of the dead children, stepping out
from the crowd, standing there looking at the man who had murdered his family,
palpable fury filling his eyes. His body pulsing from the strain of controlled
rage that was fraying around the edges, ready to explode. The justice system
had failed him, and because we all rely on it, failed us all. Because I had been
the arresting officer, I had also failed him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">The
thug spit on the father and punched him, knocking him down onto the dirty-white
marble stairs; he rolled all the way to the bottom, stopping on the sidewalk.
The police arrested the man we all knew to be a murderer, charging him with
assault and battery.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">The
thug laughed. “I’ll plead to assault,” he boasted. “Is this a great country or
what?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">At
that moment, without a conscious decision to do so, I drew my service revolver
and fired until my gun emptied. The lowlife went down. The sentence he
deserved, delivered.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">The
district attorney tried me for murder-two. The same judge who had let the thug
walk gave me seven years. Three months after my incarceration, the surviving
husband and father, a wealthy business owner, funded a public opinion poll that
showed more than eighty percent of the people felt the judge was wrong, with an
excess of two-thirds thinking I did right. All I knew was the world was better
off without that piece of shit, and people who would have been damaged in the
future had this guy lived, would now be safe. That was enough; it had to be.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">A
big reward offered by the husband/father eventually found a witness who had
bought a woman’s Rolex from the man I killed. The Rolex had belonged to the
murdered woman. Eventually, the father convinced the governor to grant me what
is technically known in California as a Certificate of Rehabilitation and
Pardon. My time served, four years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">While
in prison I had started writing mysteries, something I had always wanted to do,
I finally had the time to do. During my second year inside, I secured a
literary agent and a publisher. I guessed, they figured that stories written by
a former homicide cop and convicted murderer would sell.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 120%; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU;"><span style="color: black;">My
literary agent had wanted to meet me at the gate, but I said no. After walking
far enough to put the prison out of sight, I paid a cabbie part of the modest
advance on my first novel to drive me to Long Beach, California. I told the
hack not to talk to me during the drive. He probably thought that a bit odd,
but that was his concern, not mine. If I had wanted to gab, I would have let my
literary agent meet me. This trip was about looking out a window without bars,
about being able to close my eyes without first checking to see who was nearby.
In short, I wanted to quietly absorb the subtleties of freedom regained.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; 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: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;">The Prologue of: Who Murdered Garson Talmadge, a
Matt Kile Mystery, available in eBook and print editions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.davidbishopbooks.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.davidbishopbooks.com</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4_5OFUpA5Segk_xlJOL6DBXw8yh_txdFJXs4XVXfxU6dpe18izYo-dTPlWkRrPCyUSlzF-lB96wEBaPxWprfZwR4_RbOtgGVyrVAmFfxMKNdTmloOB1dTnj28VY4LpV7rQ4K7pTfNjdT/s1600/DoaB-full-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4_5OFUpA5Segk_xlJOL6DBXw8yh_txdFJXs4XVXfxU6dpe18izYo-dTPlWkRrPCyUSlzF-lB96wEBaPxWprfZwR4_RbOtgGVyrVAmFfxMKNdTmloOB1dTnj28VY4LpV7rQ4K7pTfNjdT/s320/DoaB-full-cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; 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: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: small;">And another goodie for us above. I suggest you read David's page on Amazon to see all his mystery series <a href="http://www.amazon.com/David-Bishop/e/B005W2FFY2/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1381598859&sr=1-2-ent">Here</a></span> </div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqNMcrtgRMeH9F-TZ_ZMHgkbyrg9dkrmjdMcgoo4Vj1JggEWasBf8cr89opOtEVwFec6JxFoesyBMFC6OQBvi9frB6iK9OQlYsOaGhC1ST8tWtoErmkhHhkvcDRu_cQxSS9yRp1Z_tU5e/s1600/DoaB-cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqNMcrtgRMeH9F-TZ_ZMHgkbyrg9dkrmjdMcgoo4Vj1JggEWasBf8cr89opOtEVwFec6JxFoesyBMFC6OQBvi9frB6iK9OQlYsOaGhC1ST8tWtoErmkhHhkvcDRu_cQxSS9yRp1Z_tU5e/s320/DoaB-cat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><em></em></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi235FJPBoC5Fg4Ks84R-lh0tY6UXdKbIsXicvGo3fIjOFjR7X8-s-YsJlJN2iUFzC3jAxJa5NMKuGFXb3zpd5UTzNvwSzUQEXShXFZ5IEs1yWpGP25w1y8ju0QKCDk9xzt4P42vQgAnjws/s1600/David's+picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi235FJPBoC5Fg4Ks84R-lh0tY6UXdKbIsXicvGo3fIjOFjR7X8-s-YsJlJN2iUFzC3jAxJa5NMKuGFXb3zpd5UTzNvwSzUQEXShXFZ5IEs1yWpGP25w1y8ju0QKCDk9xzt4P42vQgAnjws/s1600/David's+picture.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><em></em></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">I was born in Washington, D.C. From there my life likely mirrored
that of a lot of my readers. We moved around. I got some education. Played some
sports, and got some more education. Prior to becoming a novelist, I worked as a
financial analyst determining the value of companies. But let's talk about my
current and final career, writing mystery novels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 5.65pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: small;">David
Bishop stuck his author nose under the edge of the mystery tent with his first
novel in October 2011. Since then his mysteries have maintained a constant
presence on Amazon Best Selling Lists in multiple categories of mystery novels.
He has also been listed numerous times among the 100 best selling authors of
mysteries, including appearances among the top 10.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 5.65pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: small;">He
writes several series characters:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 5.65pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: small;">MATT
KILE MYSTERIES (in the order of release): Who Murdered Garson Talmadge, The
Original Alibi, and Money & Murder.<br />
MADDIE RICHARDS MYSTERIES (in order of release): The Beholder, and Death of a
Bankster.<br />
JACK McCALL MYSTERIES (in order of release): The Third Coincidence, and The
Blackmail Club.<br />
The stories within these series are independent, not continuing. They can be
read in any order.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 5.65pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;">Again, to order any of David's wonderfull, thrilling mysteries, go to David's page <a href="http://www.amazon.com/David-Bishop/e/B005W2FFY2/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1381599102&sr=1-2-ent">Here</a></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 5.65pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaEqjthp4aykmHBgNo-KJ5-PX7ukKdJhXD97kWrcXEGElmDUACorsleWCXCda7lb3hadWi4KYQRQrq9La1ijFJTLrWX1T1LyPmCUKc-MrTbzrp3J5wWu_uBjdHhay1LIHDCdIjfLaRD5x/s1600/pumpkin+and+haystack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaEqjthp4aykmHBgNo-KJ5-PX7ukKdJhXD97kWrcXEGElmDUACorsleWCXCda7lb3hadWi4KYQRQrq9La1ijFJTLrWX1T1LyPmCUKc-MrTbzrp3J5wWu_uBjdHhay1LIHDCdIjfLaRD5x/s1600/pumpkin+and+haystack.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2vYLlTBiG62h5M4pFBW7929aV6n9KOuJclo2Hoy4MSyrU9wuKPnfhw0OfsPRNNGWQSee7P9Gk0A7EkD0oqFocbQvBf-G28w2e2MueVEXNYsvPdOlnhUxSVJLK7xvQDGRZ9fiaByqPdQs/s1600/Pumpkin+slower+twirling+head.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
Since it's that time of year, here's our wish for a safe and happy Thanksgiving.<br />
<div align="center">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 5.65pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maybe you'd like to ask David a question?</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 5.65pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Regardless, if you've dropped by, please leave a comment for David.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 5.65pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We do love comments.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnYj1w6kwNIKzXfX1_VHkSUSyVvJ_vS-ztqyJV1JTjFMGc_l_e9MWkzCWPAlLRyhSN3GF1sZURX_bgN0ojwuExJrFJCjc8rhv0QsMpXaVEi8Fwy4V3oCoo8u_f1fhXFmokkP1gi11Scu2/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnYj1w6kwNIKzXfX1_VHkSUSyVvJ_vS-ztqyJV1JTjFMGc_l_e9MWkzCWPAlLRyhSN3GF1sZURX_bgN0ojwuExJrFJCjc8rhv0QsMpXaVEi8Fwy4V3oCoo8u_f1fhXFmokkP1gi11Scu2/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 5.65pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 5.65pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 5.65pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="color: black;"> </span></o:p></span></i></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-86399719691770385122013-11-15T00:00:00.000-05:002013-11-15T00:00:04.911-05:00GET FREE MATCHBOOKS AT AMAZONAmazon, in it's continuing quest to conquer and own the entire publishing business of the world, has offered a new way for customers to get a twofer deal. Matchbook allows a customer to buy the print edition of a book and get the ebook anywhere from free to $2.99. Here are the links to my special Matchbook offers. The first link is to the ebook. The second link is to the print edition(s).<br />
<br />
Keep your eyes peeled for the Matchbook text on the book product pages. You might be able to buy someone that print book they'd like and snag the ebook for yourself absolutely free.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FmpnQr_dwew/UnaRjvnMxhI/AAAAAAAAHqw/f0JBIqmx7UY/s1600/MySelfPubs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FmpnQr_dwew/UnaRjvnMxhI/AAAAAAAAHqw/f0JBIqmx7UY/s640/MySelfPubs.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-large;">Buy the print book and get the ebook FREE:</b><br />
<div>
<b style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Spellslinger</b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DKABHC2">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DKABHC2</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1492177075">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1492177075</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
</span>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>Eagle Quest</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
<div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JBI2CA">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JBI2CA</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1451592809">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1451592809</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</span></div>
<div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>First Duty</b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TJAW5W">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TJAW5W</a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1453636218">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1453636218</a></span><br />
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>Quest for the Simurgh</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LLNDVY">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LLNDVY</a> </span><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0578004992">http://www.amazon.com/dp/0578004992</a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>Mixed Bag II: Supersized</b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XTWYRG">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XTWYRG</a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1461157943">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1461157943</a></span><br />
<br />
<b style="font-size: medium;">Mixed Bag</b><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OEKC9C">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OEKC9C</a></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
</span>
<div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1460943686">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1460943686</a></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="font-size: x-large;">Buy the print book and get the ebook for 99 cents:</b></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>Tales of Abu Nuwas</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HW6AWY">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HW6AWY</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0578003783">http://www.amazon.com/dp/0578003783</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<b>Tales of a Texas Boy</b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E3A0RU">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E3A0RU</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Trade paperback <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615148964">http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615148964</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Large print <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1438235453">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1438235453</a></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Cellophane Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08166797508899835493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-62618685970519615592013-11-12T00:00:00.000-05:002013-11-12T00:00:10.735-05:00FREE CHAPTER OF A HEAP OF TROUBLE/ROMANCE/WESTERN HUMOR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyInhWK5sJQAXGojxq5XmfdB9ATmY8G40Dy-LD45ePf6uA85O4z5l4FxPVQW-RSS1ZI2LLKLiacRVe9qUqQN9NDtYNb5uh61dmqA9tujZXW6y6E16wbU7RCoED51U-lJ2EWwobHr6rhNu7/s1600/A+HeapofTrouble200x300.jpg" /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyInhWK5sJQAXGojxq5XmfdB9ATmY8G40Dy-LD45ePf6uA85O4z5l4FxPVQW-RSS1ZI2LLKLiacRVe9qUqQN9NDtYNb5uh61dmqA9tujZXW6y6E16wbU7RCoED51U-lJ2EWwobHr6rhNu7/s1600/A+HeapofTrouble200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyInhWK5sJQAXGojxq5XmfdB9ATmY8G40Dy-LD45ePf6uA85O4z5l4FxPVQW-RSS1ZI2LLKLiacRVe9qUqQN9NDtYNb5uh61dmqA9tujZXW6y6E16wbU7RCoED51U-lJ2EWwobHr6rhNu7/s1600/A+HeapofTrouble200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjNl9kb14eNkPmQZLaqYNn4YoH4e-RDPyAY965_JVBV8p9qnLK33JulFbMlTfW-HoE7wxALxb3KQW9b615uDWjNmgUuWPoIBtwc3dHXYz_B2LrGtdMx5VEqFxlNot8K0KP0iSDq3HNBsx/s1600/flower_19_animated.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjNl9kb14eNkPmQZLaqYNn4YoH4e-RDPyAY965_JVBV8p9qnLK33JulFbMlTfW-HoE7wxALxb3KQW9b615uDWjNmgUuWPoIBtwc3dHXYz_B2LrGtdMx5VEqFxlNot8K0KP0iSDq3HNBsx/s1600/flower_19_animated.gif" /></a></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Free chapter below covers</em></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Here are two covers for the same novel. This first one is in e-book format and can be purchased here at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Heap-of-Trouble-ebook/dp/B0099VXLLG/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1380474226&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Lorrie+Unites-Struiff">Amazon</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjNl9kb14eNkPmQZLaqYNn4YoH4e-RDPyAY965_JVBV8p9qnLK33JulFbMlTfW-HoE7wxALxb3KQW9b615uDWjNmgUuWPoIBtwc3dHXYz_B2LrGtdMx5VEqFxlNot8K0KP0iSDq3HNBsx/s1600/flower_19_animated.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjNl9kb14eNkPmQZLaqYNn4YoH4e-RDPyAY965_JVBV8p9qnLK33JulFbMlTfW-HoE7wxALxb3KQW9b615uDWjNmgUuWPoIBtwc3dHXYz_B2LrGtdMx5VEqFxlNot8K0KP0iSDq3HNBsx/s1600/flower_19_animated.gif" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHg3hqBNtapm1VcG3O6BMzJvWSmhkp0wuUAvxxsQmo9CQ8H0onrzFuxj6BPtvP6sZYiatb9QWcg848c9FW2wPAqKakAF7XWecqdx_wmZzi0EnB3FUjaXZw2X7a5-02b8D4O5ncmE1p8xO/s1600/Heap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHg3hqBNtapm1VcG3O6BMzJvWSmhkp0wuUAvxxsQmo9CQ8H0onrzFuxj6BPtvP6sZYiatb9QWcg848c9FW2wPAqKakAF7XWecqdx_wmZzi0EnB3FUjaXZw2X7a5-02b8D4O5ncmE1p8xO/s320/Heap.jpg" width="206" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </h2>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </h2>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </h2>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This is the same book with a different cover for you print lovers out there and can be purchased here at</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heap-Trouble-Lorrie-Unites-Struiff/dp/1483905497/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380474226&sr=1-4&keywords=Lorrie+Unites-Struiff"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Chapter one</u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;"></span></u> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sheriff Cole Walker shifted his aching butt in the saddle
and flicked the reins. “Come on, Scout. We’re home.” He urged the horse onto
the hard-packed dirt street of Cold Creek. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He left Scout with the Smithy and crossed the street,
pausing briefly to stretch his long legs. Opening his office door, he breathed
in the heady aroma of the fried chicken and biscuits left on his desk by Old
Baldy. The cook at the Sundance Saloon really knew how to do up chicken, all
tender and smackin’ good. Licking his lips, he headed for the food basket.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He pulled up short. “What the ….?” Thumbing back his
Stetson, he stared at the half-eaten chicken pieces and crumbs littering the
desktop and floor. “Who the heck ate my lunch? Someone’s sure in for a passel
of trouble.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cole checked the two jail cells in the back room. Still
empty. Maybe a hard-luck case decided to sneak upstairs to his living quarters
and get cozy at his expense. He took the steps two-at-a-time.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Nope. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Dang it! This sure galls me after spending two nights sleepin’
under the stars.” The steps groaned as he stomped back downstairs. He jammed
his hat on the wall-peg by the door then ran his fingers through his sweaty
dark hair, not relishing the notion of fetching more food in this heat. Baldy
would probably ring his ears off, too. He’d rather starve than listen to the
old coot, no matter how tasty his chicken and fixin’s.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Something shuffled under the desk. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The hair on the back of Cole’s neck prickled. He drew his
six-shooter and worked his way over slow and easy like then leaped in front of
the desk. “Come out you dang thief, or I’ll pump you full of lead.”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Silence.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He bent his knees, his eyes glued on the darkness under the
desk, the gun steady. Two small eyes focused on him. His heart smacked the
bottom of his ribs and his stomach jumped up to meet it. He jerked upright and
backpedalled—fast. “Who let a critter in the office? Someone playing a
joke?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cole settled his finger on the trigger. Any critter was a
menace, clear and simple. He still had the scar on his butt from his pa’s hound
dog when he was a little mite to prove it. And, he didn’t even want to think
about the time Widow Cox’s cat wouldn’t come down from her apple tree. When he
had reached for the cat, it lunged and buried its claws into his chest. Cole
had bellowed like a wounded mule and fell into the blackberry thorns below,
ripping his new shirt to shreds. Uh-uh, critters didn’t cotton to him, nothing
but bad luck and a heap of trouble.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Six-shooter firmly gripped, he hunkered down and peered under
the desk again. Soft brown eyes in a little face blinked back. The animal
chattered and poked out its head. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cole steadied his pistol. His mouth popped open. “A monkey!
Here in Kansas?” </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The monkey screeched and covered its eyes with tiny hands.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, Cole
eased back on the trigger. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The critter peeked at him from between small fingers then
curled into a quivering ball on the plank floor. Cole stepped back to the wall,
crouched, gun held steady on the bundle of fur. A shiny metal collar encircled
its neck. “A pet? Who in tarnation would take to owning a monkey in these
parts?”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He took a deep breath to settle his nerves and eyed the
broom propped in the corner. Maybe he could swoosh the varmint out the door. He
didn’t have to get close to it, and he had a fast draw if needed. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="Index" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="Index" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Eyes never leaving the monkey, he stood and slid his back along
the rough wall, his shirt rasping on the wood. He made his way slowly past the
grimy window and snatched the broom. Cole holstered his gun, sidled over to the
door and opened it wide, the piercing August sunlight almost blinding him. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He swallowed hard. “Come on fella, get outta here!” The
bristles sent the animal screeching and scurrying to the back room toward the
cells. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cole lightened his steps and peered around the corner. The
menace was hanging onto one of the jail bars. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Wielding the broom handle like a spear, Cole poked at the
animal. The monkey hissed, baring his teeth. Cole yelped and scooted backward
until the bars rammed into his hip. The creature screamed and raced back into
the front room. Cole followed hot on its tail.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Dang. He ran under the desk again and the door’s wide open.
Cole peeked at the monkey huddled in the dark kneehole. “If you don’t get out
that door and get lost, I’m gonna have to shoot you. You understand? Now get!
Shoo!” Cole flapped his arms like a wounded bird trying for flight and stomped
on the floor, making a ruckus. No luck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He leaned on his long handled weapon, sighed, then slid his
hand down the wood handle and sat on the floor. He didn’t trust the monkey
worth a dang. Critters belonged outside, not underfoot—especially under his
foot. But, what if it belonged to some youngster? He couldn’t stand the thought
of some snot-nosed tyke crying his little heart out and badmouthing the big bad
sheriff who shot his pet.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A rumble from his stomach reminded him the varmint ate his
lunch. Now he’d have to wait till suppertime for a decent meal. Sweat pooled
under his arms, his shirt stuck to his back. He needed a smoke …bad. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cole reached into his shirt pocket and took out his makings.
He laid the broom tight to his thigh. Unsteady hands lost some tobacco but he
managed to roll a cigarette and light it. He had to think up a way to get this
unholy terror out of his office. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The monkey peered at him, blinking his eyes pathetically. It
crept from under the desk. Cole held his breath and inched his hand toward the
broom. The monkey somersaulted, stood straight, and clapped its hands. Cole
swore the little thing was grinning. It somersaulted again then hopped up and
down, clapping.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cole snapped his fingers. The monkey chattered, nodded its
head, then did another tumble. After a long drag on the cigarette, Cole snapped
his fingers again, his right hand never far from the broom, or his holster. The
creature sat on the floor, tilted its head, and stared at him. Cole evil-eyed
him back while he ground the butt out on the floor.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A biscuit lay next to the wall. Cole threw it at his foe.
The monkey made a quick one-handed grab, blinked, and gnawed on the crust. The
thing did look a little scrawny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“When you’re done eating my lunch, will you leave?”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The monkey looked up and shook its head.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Huh? If I pack you a lunch, will you leave?” Again, the
monkey blinked and shook its head. Cole’s chest tightened and he put his hand
on the warm grip of his pistol. “If I shoot at you, will you leave?” The monkey
shrieked, ran under the desk, and hid its eyes with its hands.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Who are you shooting at, Cole? And why in the world are you
sitting on the floor?”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">His head snapped up and he found himself sinking into the
sweetest blue eyes. Mattie Wells grinned, deepening the dimples in her cheeks.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTMGnqE5QGnqzj0eaee6XoOc0NO2gWeIrNNCS82dOjRlyDrk6jM4KT8h92HCUiEZ8UwigoCUk4MUHBouCsQ-vMcA1FV9vQaThJy6YSwRnKS7viS09xYABOcDD_zuFz9w2ow3nLH2t4RCi/s1600/monkeys15.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTMGnqE5QGnqzj0eaee6XoOc0NO2gWeIrNNCS82dOjRlyDrk6jM4KT8h92HCUiEZ8UwigoCUk4MUHBouCsQ-vMcA1FV9vQaThJy6YSwRnKS7viS09xYABOcDD_zuFz9w2ow3nLH2t4RCi/s1600/monkeys15.gif" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
<u>Excerpt</u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Honey curls
caught his eye, right next to that string bean of a dandy, Thaddeus Preston,
owner of the Sundance Saloon. The man wore a fancy blue shirt with pearl-like
buttons. His shiny dark hair was parted in the middle and slicked back. He held
a straw hat, and he was sure flashing a lot of teeth at Mattie. Her laughter
sent heat curling to Cole’s stomach. He strode over and tried to muster a
smile, but his lips were too stiff.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Oh, Cole, there
you are.” Mattie slipped her arm through his, her touch sending little jitters
up his shoulder. “I was just telling Thaddeus that I brought plenty of food and
invited him to join us. It seems he has many wonderful tales to tell about the
early territory here, and I love learning about the history of places.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">
</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dang, he’d left
his gun with Sully. He nodded to Preston and glanced down at Mattie. “I
reckon…if that’s what you want.” But he didn’t have to like it one bit. The man
was greasier than a wheel on an axle and known to be a smooth talker with the
women. Cole had been in the Sundance Saloon enough times to drink sarsaparillas
and get a sniff of the skunk’s ways.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Preston’s hand
shot out and shooed something away from Mattie’s head. “See, the bees take to
honey.” He flashed more teeth. “I can’t let that insect sting your lovely
skin.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cole looked
around. He didn’t see a bee—anywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pushing wisps of
hair from her face, Mattie smiled. “Why, how thoughtful of you,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thaddeus.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 12pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thoughtful
my butt. </span></span></i><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cole swallowed his anger.</span> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VTI_Z955jsBcUhGdnfCxyyY9XGLJcxNXEpE1n1cIQ0EZfwfUCQykeBxtLkrdztF9ztQZ-eA1NsraX_dYlm1OCe4yK-7pgQ4piyx0PHYQ3CMZDWL9nEg_Lqd9TRaePAMB64d3ewfzgnAT/s1600/monkey4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VTI_Z955jsBcUhGdnfCxyyY9XGLJcxNXEpE1n1cIQ0EZfwfUCQykeBxtLkrdztF9ztQZ-eA1NsraX_dYlm1OCe4yK-7pgQ4piyx0PHYQ3CMZDWL9nEg_Lqd9TRaePAMB64d3ewfzgnAT/s1600/monkey4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VTI_Z955jsBcUhGdnfCxyyY9XGLJcxNXEpE1n1cIQ0EZfwfUCQykeBxtLkrdztF9ztQZ-eA1NsraX_dYlm1OCe4yK-7pgQ4piyx0PHYQ3CMZDWL9nEg_Lqd9TRaePAMB64d3ewfzgnAT/s1600/monkey4.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 12pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnB5E7LA48ySwzSgwrQKQIrPAlay1FDRGxLfRm0ilSPRI_SNg_CJbQQ50s5MJlxdrWuAWoRVPn41RZLNBCm6Lo_8Xote8Ly6eSxx_XywBgeFC2MoObxbB1M8aneGI0iQVC_Fc3L_AQ_ato/s1600/1272934033b9k7T6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnB5E7LA48ySwzSgwrQKQIrPAlay1FDRGxLfRm0ilSPRI_SNg_CJbQQ50s5MJlxdrWuAWoRVPn41RZLNBCm6Lo_8Xote8Ly6eSxx_XywBgeFC2MoObxbB1M8aneGI0iQVC_Fc3L_AQ_ato/s1600/1272934033b9k7T6.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 12pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: large;">These two characters make a fun pair.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 12pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sDGd9xER8XBUSrgj3YKdkjMix626fCtEgwOF-KIxa3DCYd8VhJ68pBgP2RfuQtBRZheGHvPS5LEqAN3Au3yZ3NTo-Fiepln1KavBILqDJS0MUgZrJBhatWAYqQZp2Drx59hdr8OANY3m/s1600/Monkey_hides.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sDGd9xER8XBUSrgj3YKdkjMix626fCtEgwOF-KIxa3DCYd8VhJ68pBgP2RfuQtBRZheGHvPS5LEqAN3Au3yZ3NTo-Fiepln1KavBILqDJS0MUgZrJBhatWAYqQZp2Drx59hdr8OANY3m/s1600/Monkey_hides.gif" /></a></div>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Aw, now come on over and take a peek at those links for a fun read published by </em></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPk9qQkqLzFLqSa_s1trw2Rp0dLFHLc9sxR3uX0X1SEP3UH9HN5QdNDWhhFcpK4JJmfTyfvKlRUG9aQEOu5UlswJJoLUvD2saLW25Y0RIyLIPVVhZSQ4KviQDcX-qFLr48TgxZGmeDj7sR/s1600/75281_194950023959572_510459413_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPk9qQkqLzFLqSa_s1trw2Rp0dLFHLc9sxR3uX0X1SEP3UH9HN5QdNDWhhFcpK4JJmfTyfvKlRUG9aQEOu5UlswJJoLUvD2saLW25Y0RIyLIPVVhZSQ4KviQDcX-qFLr48TgxZGmeDj7sR/s1600/75281_194950023959572_510459413_n.jpg" /></a></em></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;"></span></u> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;"></span></u> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;"></span></u> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Oh, let me remind you. I do love comments. I'd be mighty pleased if you left one for me.</span></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRj2Qx6prfHP2MAYs7YYU5zZE-6IgA110KFDDSjIc5PeErrj6lSu17yCvHy_n6hZPduMDSRQFvPyL9SnGJ1AY9uZ3oqTkrNXgylkAds-EEZ58nmkkPAOEnBoBAA3m5mB0-AFQch_XZjUpW/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRj2Qx6prfHP2MAYs7YYU5zZE-6IgA110KFDDSjIc5PeErrj6lSu17yCvHy_n6hZPduMDSRQFvPyL9SnGJ1AY9uZ3oqTkrNXgylkAds-EEZ58nmkkPAOEnBoBAA3m5mB0-AFQch_XZjUpW/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-47931356888697549282013-11-09T00:00:00.001-05:002013-11-09T00:00:00.162-05:00JULIE HAYES HEARS VOICES IN HER HEAD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vMMQ-tPXu8bTM-jFVn57X_uN39ZI_i7UE852ZPDQZIhq9gUua3WED3aN8hFNVk5-JEvzjp4YRhYXRVAqPVUxO27a05aMlAfGK6rcW9DYcwgWtUuym-fvqljrRWY9YbWSiPscpNVotNGF/s1600/leaf+holding+umbrella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vMMQ-tPXu8bTM-jFVn57X_uN39ZI_i7UE852ZPDQZIhq9gUua3WED3aN8hFNVk5-JEvzjp4YRhYXRVAqPVUxO27a05aMlAfGK6rcW9DYcwgWtUuym-fvqljrRWY9YbWSiPscpNVotNGF/s1600/leaf+holding+umbrella.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Hi, Julie, welcome back to Flowers and Thorns. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I see you have another intriguing novel for our readers today.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And what's this? You hear voices? Should we worry about you?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No, I’m not
daft or certifiable—at least no more than any other writer, I think. The voices
that I hear are not the kind that tell me to do strange things or incite me to
desperate acts, rather they belong to my characters, both those I know and
those I’ve yet to meet. And I’ve learned something in over forty years of
writing—when they speak, I listen!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Carrying
paper and pencil or pen is wonderful advice for those moments when your
characters begin to speak and you want to capture them for posterity. It’s all
well and good to say oh, I’ll remember that, no problem, until<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you’re sitting in front of your computer
screen and your fingers are in place upon the keyboard and suddenly you’ve
forgotten every single word you were sure you’d remember forever. As they talk,
you should write, that much is just a given.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But
sometimes you aren’t in a position to write—for example, while you’re driving,
or when you’re showering (bathing isn’t quite so bad, at least you can take the
paper and pen into the bathroom and write while you soak), or even when you’re
having sex. So what do you do? If it’s just one line, you can keep repeating it
to yourself until you’re in a position to write it down, and that can work. But
what if it’s more than that?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have a
little trick for those moments. At least it works for me. I get a mental
picture of the emotions involved, and capture them visually, imprinting them with
the words, almost like a hot key. So that when I’m ready, I “press” the key,
and then it comes out where I can capture it. If I let the character ramble
before I’m ready, I find that I lose the words. But if I imprint them in this
way, then they stay there, waiting for me to access them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For example,
a couple of years ago my daughter and I went to see Inception at the theatre,
the Leonardo di Caprio film. I wasn’t even sure at first that I wanted to see
it, but she did so I agreed to go. Before we went, I got to thinking about Leo
and other films that I’ve seen him in over the years, including Total Eclipse
(Leo and David Thewlis – totally hot! Kissing and nakedness, very delicious!),
and I heard a voice speak to me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Did you
know that Leonardo di Caprio is a vampire?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sounds like
an odd beginning or introduction even for a character. But I thought what the
heck, let’s listen. I realized that this was a new character, so I kept the
line in my head, all through Inception. Afterwards, I worked on the story, as I
drove home. First, I needed character names. In Inception, Cillian Murphy plays
a guy named Robert Fisher. He’s an important character, and his name stuck in
my head, but I reversed it and changed it slightly. So Robert Fisher became
Fisher Roberts. One character down, now for number two (I already knew this
would be m/m, so I needed another male name). As I was driving, I scanned
everything around me—billboards, businesses, vehicles, whatever—for the mate to
Fisher Roberts. I saw an ad for hunting, and suddenly I had it—Hunter, who
became Hunter Long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t til long
after I began to write that I saw what I had inadvertently done – Fisher and
Hunter. It might seem contrived to some, but I swear to you it was totally
accidental.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I knew
nothing about these two guys, but I began to write, using that first line, and
I kept writing until some 35k later, I was done. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or at least I thought it was. After a brief
stint with a publisher who shall remain nameless, I received Leo back into my
own hands and then I took the original story and added 5k to it, in the form of
Hunter’s POV, and then I sold it to Torquere. And now we have a happy ending,
as well as a new cover and more depth to the story of Hunter and Fisher.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This isn’t
the only time this has happened to me, far from it. There once was a time when
I was researching a non-fiction book, a children’s book about composer Percy
Granger, when a voice began to speak, and he told me he was a gay werewolf. I
could feel that he was a nice man, so I politely told him to please wait til I
was done with the other book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he
kept talking, so to appease him I thought I would just write down a few notes
and hold onto them until I was ready. Those few notes became the first chapter
of To The Max. Which became an entire book. And which now has a sequel. All
because a voice wanted to be heard. Oh, that other book never got written yet.
Guess Percy needs to speak louder, eh?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another
time, it was Judas Iscariot that spoke, and that book became Revelations (for
which I’m still seeking a publisher). Sometimes I only get to the first
chapter, and then it sits as a WIP until I get back to it. But at least it’s a
start.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hate to
think about all of the characters that I have lost or forgotten because I
wasn’t able to keep their words in my head. Perhaps they’ll come back again
someday, but I’m not holding my breath. That goes for the books I’ve written in
my dreams, but forget the moment I wake up. Since I started using my little
mnemonic trick, I haven’t lost a thing, and that’s a good feeling. I just hope
my readers agree that it was worth it!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>We'll find out. Let's see this new unique titled novel of yours.</em></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVXPsiz8V1YDQHIFMnDoQ4m9WUJ4yuflBMrAnS23gQF-2WxRZkwx3tKaGDLh3q4OrJs9NY2dTzMOPpoQnloyo9kyRR1TLAZ1bMz_QX5F4jJRoMe0sqSaVEZ2KSB3wNjgLE1wSwlEWZMqY/s1600/leonardodicaprioisavampirefinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVXPsiz8V1YDQHIFMnDoQ4m9WUJ4yuflBMrAnS23gQF-2WxRZkwx3tKaGDLh3q4OrJs9NY2dTzMOPpoQnloyo9kyRR1TLAZ1bMz_QX5F4jJRoMe0sqSaVEZ2KSB3wNjgLE1wSwlEWZMqY/s320/leonardodicaprioisavampirefinal.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><em></em></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><em>Say what?????? Well, now we have to have a blub for this one.</em></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Halloween is the night when the veil between the
worlds grows thin... Not that Fisher Roberts believes in Halloween or any other
holiday. Unlike his roommate and longtime best friend, Hunter Long. The trouble
is that Fisher’s feelings for Hunter are more than that of a friend, and it’s
getting harder and harder to hide those feelings from Hunter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Fisher has promised Hunter
to attend a Halloween party with him on All Hallow’s eve, even though he’d
really rather not. Things start out badly and then take a decided turn for the
strange. Hunter confesses to being a vampire. Not that Fisher believes that, of
course—that’s just Hunter’s strange sense of humor. But the kiss in the park...
what’s that about? And at the Halloween party from Hell, nothing and no one are
what they seem to be... Halloween madness or something more?</span></div>
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Oh, come on Julie, you have to give us more. Give us an excerpt, pretty please.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Fisher trembled, an expectant trembling, as if he were
waiting for something to happen. He didn't have to wait long. Suddenly those
beautiful lips were touching his, and then they were kissing, truly kissing.
No, it wasn't Fisher's first kiss, but it was his first with a man. His only
kiss with a man. And he was amazed at what a difference there was between this
kiss and the others. Not because of gender, but because it was with Hunter.
Because Hunter was someone special.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">He felt himself giving in to those
lips, melting into that touch, with a heat that penetrated his entire body,
vibrating in its intensity. Now Hunter was nibbling at his lips, soft tender
kisses that shook him to his very foundation. His head was reeling, and he was
on the verge of losing all sense of self when he felt the first raindrops
splash upon his upturned face.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">What the hell. He pulled back at this
sudden insertion of reality into a very unreal scene, his mouth forming a large
"O" of amazement, his eyes going into saucer-plate mode. But even as
he did, Hunter moved forward, sliding his hips until their knees were touching.
From this position, luckily, they couldn't get much closer, or Hunter would
realize what else he had raised beside's Fisher's blood pressure.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">He was going to do it again. Fisher
just knew it, he could feel it, and oh God how badly he wanted it, as he felt a
whimper rise in his throat, indicating a neediness he wasn't aware he even
possessed. But the drops were turning thicker now, more of them, and they were
brutally cold. A definite shock to the system. His brain was screaming to him
to get out, get out now.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Even though this was what he wanted,
exactly what he wanted. So what was the problem? What did he think would happen
if he gave in to his feelings? He didn’t know. He was afraid of things that he
couldn't even explain to himself.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">He practically threw himself backward
from the picnic table in his haste to get away, landing on the hard ground that
would soon be turning to mud if this downpour kept up. A steady rain it was
now, and lightning crackled angrily above their heads.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">"Fisher?" Hunter rose
hastily, reaching for him. So Fisher did the only logical thing he could do -- he
gained his feet and ran, as hard and as fast as he could. He hated himself with
every step that he took -- and he knew he had never loved Hunter Long more.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVXPsiz8V1YDQHIFMnDoQ4m9WUJ4yuflBMrAnS23gQF-2WxRZkwx3tKaGDLh3q4OrJs9NY2dTzMOPpoQnloyo9kyRR1TLAZ1bMz_QX5F4jJRoMe0sqSaVEZ2KSB3wNjgLE1wSwlEWZMqY/s1600/leonardodicaprioisavampirefinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVXPsiz8V1YDQHIFMnDoQ4m9WUJ4yuflBMrAnS23gQF-2WxRZkwx3tKaGDLh3q4OrJs9NY2dTzMOPpoQnloyo9kyRR1TLAZ1bMz_QX5F4jJRoMe0sqSaVEZ2KSB3wNjgLE1wSwlEWZMqY/s320/leonardodicaprioisavampirefinal.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Links:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Torquere<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=4047"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=4047</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My
blog:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My website: </span><a href="http://www.julielynnhayes.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">www.julielynnhayes.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My facebook:
</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527332074"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527332074</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My
Goodreads: </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My
Publishers:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dreamspinner
Press: </span><a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_222"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_222</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Museit Up
Publishing: </span><a href="http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">eXtasy
Books:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/index.php?route=product%2Fauthor&author_id=979"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">http://www.extasybooks.com/index.php?route=product%2Fauthor&author_id=979</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><em><span style="font-size: large;">This looks like another goodie for you, Julie. Let's tell the folks a little about you.</span></em></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Julie Lynn Hayes was
reading at the age of two and writing by the age of nine and always wanted to
be a writer when she grew up. Two marriages, five children, and more than forty
years later, that is still her dream. She blames her younger daughters for introducing
her to yaoi and the world of M/M love, a world which has captured her
imagination and her heart and fueled her writing in ways she'd never dreamed of
before. She especially loves stories of two men finding true love and happiness
in one another's arms and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She
lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and two cats, loves books and
movies, and hopes to be a world traveler some day. She enjoys crafts, such as
crocheting and cross stitch, knitting and needlepoint and loves to cook. While
working a temporary day job, she continues to write her books and stories and
reviews, which she posts in various places on the internet. Her family thinks
she is a bit off, but she doesn't mind. Marching to the beat of one's own
drummer is a good thing, after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, MuseitUp Publishing,
Torquere Press, and eXtasy Books. She has also begun to self-publish and is an
editor at MuseitUp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">You can find her on
her blog at </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com</span></span></b></a></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">, and you can contact
her at </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="mailto:tothemax.wolf@gmail.com"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">tothemax.wolf@gmail.com</span></span></b></a></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdovd_WjuqxaaDhkqj3M_pVsU0ODX80rkk-_7PFWZ0dC_tFqX3IwqRqZu8EdPWIFMO704Sh1__VoFCERqK-ix8C-e8-HDEcIiZGnL5cCPtj6S1rzNUuan89yO6kzvEsvyfJ1AVYN9872HQ/s1600/fairy+on+pumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdovd_WjuqxaaDhkqj3M_pVsU0ODX80rkk-_7PFWZ0dC_tFqX3IwqRqZu8EdPWIFMO704Sh1__VoFCERqK-ix8C-e8-HDEcIiZGnL5cCPtj6S1rzNUuan89yO6kzvEsvyfJ1AVYN9872HQ/s1600/fairy+on+pumpkin.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip793UolNBYZFXcYlE7uoB2IJibw_rizR4GIjX9y109QcyRYdMXhQ_avUSpmAyRfowtE-7AN24sfiL-w7pk-akUPgywtW7OsWdUohXMTqnTtxOG9jHOLF8-iSXFl34R_E8CaBRNKUAGc7n/s1600/turkey-hunt.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </b></div>
<b> </b></div>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do your
characters talk to you? Do you have any tricks you use for getting your
characters down onto paper?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d love to
hear about it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks for having me, Lorrie,
have a great day, everyone!</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><span style="font-size: large;">Leave your comments for Julie below. And yes, we'd love to hear from you.</span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxB4sc-o5eshEKYB6jiWLRJr59hv50FFnAVzfPZls0XYrb4NVuTWZ6YiGTqcMbWXDbsCUpvJq1nTS8eF49HD0m6gdutMAjv0uKQOW381ZH3_PmPWNnp89c0u6t4pLIRuKzha-YmDqgzlP/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxB4sc-o5eshEKYB6jiWLRJr59hv50FFnAVzfPZls0XYrb4NVuTWZ6YiGTqcMbWXDbsCUpvJq1nTS8eF49HD0m6gdutMAjv0uKQOW381ZH3_PmPWNnp89c0u6t4pLIRuKzha-YmDqgzlP/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
</span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
</span><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><br /></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.65pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
</span><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-25555686927458184742013-11-06T00:00:00.000-05:002013-11-06T00:00:05.860-05:00GADS, MIKKI SADIL REALLY TOOK A BARGE TRIP DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Hello, Mikki, </span></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdinrzmQIDscH1qqcamtG8Yf4iTS-97LDR8k3nVayVfj89XskOR48z1hQlJ7Y4TsjdOLOXAacJUQG24iIK1NxDM2s9mcfou6SnG-KxXRKGPnQtcuEyLHAHyk3ymaS76dkkmO0WRs_9_90/s1600/pumpkin+and+haystack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdinrzmQIDscH1qqcamtG8Yf4iTS-97LDR8k3nVayVfj89XskOR48z1hQlJ7Y4TsjdOLOXAacJUQG24iIK1NxDM2s9mcfou6SnG-KxXRKGPnQtcuEyLHAHyk3ymaS76dkkmO0WRs_9_90/s1600/pumpkin+and+haystack.jpg" /></a></span></em></div>
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome aboard the Flowers and </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Thorns.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">This may not be as exciting as your barge trip down Ole Miss, but I'm so happy you're here to tell us about it and your brand new book.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Tell us first about your trip, I'm dying to read it.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">My husband and I took a
barge trip down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers in the late 1990s. It was an
awesome trip, going through some of the biggest locks I’ve ever seen, and
traveling slowly down the Ohio River first, before turning into the confluence
of the Ohio and Mississippi. We visited some of the oldest and most historic
towns in the US, most of which were also very small, and related in some way to
the Civil War. Many had museums with everything from spent shells from cannons
and muskets to still-bloodied and torn uniforms of both Union and Confederate
soldiers to diaries printed by hand from slaves. Some of the diaries and
journals had been written while the person was still a slave, others had been
written after they had gained their freedom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">We visited the remnants of
slave dwellings, the remains of forts, and saw the kind of farm wagons with
false bottoms that runaway slaves had been secreted in when Quakers or
Abolitionists were helping them. I sat in one of the ‘death coaches’ that had
carried many slaves hidden in coffins inside the glass interior. We saw tiny
hiding places in ramshackle barns, and walked up shaky staircases to hidden
attic rooms. We saw the kinds of instruments, such as an iron collar and a Cat
O’Nine Tails whip, used to punish disobedient slaves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Marietta, Ohio, is a small
town that played an important part in the Civil War as it was a major station
in the Underground Railroad. Many people offered their homes with hidden attic
or basement rooms as “safe houses” for escaping slaves. We visited a couple of
those houses, and in one, the basement had been left pretty much as it was in
1862…it was still full of boxes and barrels which contained the stench of the
rotting fruits and vegetables the owners had left there. They hid slaves in the
back part of the basement room, and the horrible smell of rotten food kept the
slave hunters from going any deeper into the basement and finding the slaves.
When we were in Marietta, it was a charming, very friendly town filled with
little shops with names like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mad Hen,
Needful Things, Two Peas in a Pod, Turquoise Spirit, and Twisted Sister.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">When we finally came home,
I told my husband that some day I was going to write about the things we had
seen. It was seven years later that I began my story, at that time titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Escape on the Train Without Tracks,” </i>and
another seven years before the story reached the publishable <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>stage.
At this point, it has changed in many ways, and although <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Freedom Thief</i> doesn’t resemble “Escape…” much at all, the
thoughts I had during that trip, and the things I saw are still incorporated in
the present novel.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tImfiJFQTjBvQwjjhMpr0InhxMWMCsFp3pI2-XXYQaK-PQBZC-bmbKClj5fkkvkMbOr1b6qpJW0wvjVrrd3w6R9zS1iparVyosNsrcTdtt_rMtSH1L3Qz3QxkOTuqrrMWZcXx3H2QxYi/s1600/rafting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tImfiJFQTjBvQwjjhMpr0InhxMWMCsFp3pI2-XXYQaK-PQBZC-bmbKClj5fkkvkMbOr1b6qpJW0wvjVrrd3w6R9zS1iparVyosNsrcTdtt_rMtSH1L3Qz3QxkOTuqrrMWZcXx3H2QxYi/s1600/rafting.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><em>Mikki, that sounds wonderful. And I understand your book is to be released in a few days. Nov. 8th. right? Let's read more about it.</em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><em></em></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvYoSVBqXJ-JrGi4m2YHCdZpiln6nTi5YG6nVJFSte2lpc2ezFBFXYl0Ec1ybzkqHisGbnL-npEueeUdqfwl9gnAOjzj4TwwO6AfMY0RobaF-qF59p7ipQr4JhFBApbgd8j9YofEWE1Eb/s1600/aninew.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvYoSVBqXJ-JrGi4m2YHCdZpiln6nTi5YG6nVJFSte2lpc2ezFBFXYl0Ec1ybzkqHisGbnL-npEueeUdqfwl9gnAOjzj4TwwO6AfMY0RobaF-qF59p7ipQr4JhFBApbgd8j9YofEWE1Eb/s1600/aninew.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">THE FREEDON THEIF</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
BLURB</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Thirteen year-old Ben
McKenna lives on his grandmother’s plantation with his parents and two older
brothers in pre-Civil War Kentucky. His best friend is a crippled slave boy
named Josiah. When Ben learns his father is going to sell Josiah, Ben knows the
only way to prevent this is to help Josiah and his parents, Bess and Jesse,
escape. Without any kind of plan, without even a map of Kentucky, Ben and the
slaves embark upon a journey to freedom into a world of hostility, danger, and
deception. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Through a collapsing
underground tunnel, into a dangerous swamp, and through almost impenetrable
forests, Ben and his friends make their way towards the Ohio River. A near
disaster for Josiah in the swamp, deceptive “rescuers” who imprison them for
weeks, a daring rooftop escape in broad daylight, and a near capture by Union
soldiers add to the dangers they face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">For months, they endure
the hardships of hiding in barns, tiny attic rooms, cellars full of rotting
fruit and vegetables, and even secret travel in wagons with false bottoms and
coffins in a death coach. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2fQIY5kCZ_ifwbyyRmBrfUdPQmJXqZ9L9ruAKXpdZu55jU-qDizWjfQe9ak3g3sTRgMph_zFLBeC_vqJsAlY-FCG4lKG3BXnW7zAMwXNG87UvSUCbYYRINh2XKXoQL3up3vDKgvyCMTx/s1600/slave+with+knapsack.jpg" /><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Free Blacks, Quakers, and
a strange young man offer their help to the runaways, sometimes with
questionable results. Will they ever reach the Ohio River, and the freedom that
is promised on the other side? Will Ben go with them, or will he choose to
return home to face the consequences of his actions?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuJoTYvEkvIQ2yjAMqe4Q620l8hbsgyhCSTPGV-7sBoPUZMZf447lCe6-6xCph4ct_UadOIGLjpWo7DF2AKyH43LMGu4MtfTM9holN0nJRBVdobxjMdeCeHtSWU18ZPv3nSJ7FU7dcanM/s1600/thefreedomthief200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuJoTYvEkvIQ2yjAMqe4Q620l8hbsgyhCSTPGV-7sBoPUZMZf447lCe6-6xCph4ct_UadOIGLjpWo7DF2AKyH43LMGu4MtfTM9holN0nJRBVdobxjMdeCeHtSWU18ZPv3nSJ7FU7dcanM/s1600/thefreedomthief200x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
EXCERPT</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Ben and the slaves are on their final leg of their journey
before reaching the safety of the Ohio River, and the man who will get them
across. They are hiding in another thick forest, with the Union Fort just ahead
of them. The problem before them now is to get beyond the fort, stay out of the
moonlight, and onto the beach without the soldiers seeing them.)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The forest came alive as a
fox yipped in the distance, and somewhere overhead, a night owl hooted and
swooped away from its nest. Small animals rustled in the underbrush, a coyote
sang, and occasionally, a tiny scream signaled the death of a small animal in
the jaws of a predator. A breeze rippled through the trees, bringing a fresh
coolness to dispense the daytime humidity. Still, Ben refused to move out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">He crept to the edge of
the forest and watched the fort. When most of the lamps within were
extinguished and only those on the parapets were lit, he moved back to his
friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> "</o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Okay, we should go now,
but we have to be fast and quiet. The moon’s up, which means the soldiers could
see us if they’re looking. But there’s only one soldier on the parapet now, so
I think it’s the best time. I’ll go first, Bess next. Jesse, you best carry
Josiah since he can’t run fast. Be sure to follow exactly where I go.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">They waited at the edge of
the forest. The lone soldier was pacing slowly black and forth from one end of
the parapet to the other. When he reached the far end, Ben whispered quickly,
“I’m going now. Wait until he’s at the same place, then come one at a time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">He bent over, trying to
make his shadow as small as possible, and raced to the wall of the fort. In a
couple of minutes, Bess joined him, followed by Jesse and Josiah. They huddled
tightly together and Ben knew they were all barely breathing. Even though the
fort wall was at least thirty feet high, if the soldier looked down he could
see them. He continued his pacing without interruption.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Pressed against the wall,
they moved single file toward the end of the fort. Here and there, small
patches of snow crunched under their feet and they stopped for fear of being
heard. The soldier marched on, thankfully oblivious to their presence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The wall angled out to the
left, toward the river. Closest to them was a huge wooden gate that opened for
wagons and soldiers returning on horseback. Now there were two soldiers walking
their duty line on the parapet above the gate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Ben looked out beyond the
fort. The bright moon cast light that shimmered on water far down the road.
Boats, beached for the winter, were illuminated as they lay against the white
sand. A few were still in the water, tied to slips near the riverbank.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Between the end of the
fort’s walls and the beach, the area was wide open. Off to the right, at the
edge of the forest, only a few trees here and there leaned across the sand far
enough to cast even small shadows. This was the dangerous part, running in the
open to the limited safety of the beached boats. It was more than a half mile
of open ground, easily seen by the soldiers if they chose to look in that
direction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">He turned to the others
and whispered, “Look, see where those boats are? That’s where the man is going
to be.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">He looked around at the
beach before them and the edge of the forest a short distance away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">“No matter how we do this,
we can be seen if the soldiers start looking down this way. I reckon the best
way is to get to the edge of the forest over there.” He pointed to where the
sand trickled back into the woods. “Those big trees that lean out over the sand
are the only shadows we have, and we’re still going to be in the open between
them. But that’s the best chance we have. Let’s go.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Single file, they ran
silently from the protection of the fort wall out into the open and toward the
edge of the forest. They had just reached the shadowy edge of the first few
trees when Jesse, who was carrying Josiah, slipped on a thin patch of icy
ground and fell. Josiah cried out as he rolled away before Jesse could grab
him. He hit a rock and lay still.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Immediately, a shot rang
out, and a voiced yelled, “Stop! Who goes there?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
~~~~~</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Wow, that excerpt reads so tense and exciting. I can't wait to get my hands on this one, Mikki.</span></em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Remember, folks.</span></em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Release date from MuseItUp is Nov. 8 and will be available in their bookstore plus Amazon and other sites.</span></em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QBf_b-u4SXuc_UtaYROx2AF54pej0AY4XdGps3UoqrTm1QonqbkCRd2R-THN8G1a1VYgCAW39f25JmnOr5IL1Q6hJCqSazGNa2-DLuOosLNK9GeMwDOegZyPuRwdUwdta9cHOuLQSqSq/s1600/thefreedomthief200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QBf_b-u4SXuc_UtaYROx2AF54pej0AY4XdGps3UoqrTm1QonqbkCRd2R-THN8G1a1VYgCAW39f25JmnOr5IL1Q6hJCqSazGNa2-DLuOosLNK9GeMwDOegZyPuRwdUwdta9cHOuLQSqSq/s1600/thefreedomthief200x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Happy Fall Season</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mDyNwxKQ_PJfx6HWf6enj-59H1eJc0SP1GLp7QzZ8fCJtzHuVUjdN13Zlgx3Y6STQGeK5ZdqBB7SuVzvs8b4lTnU7r-ohvaKg-jwbpBIk6jeABn4Mv4F-o82pOge_pJzEjWT6ioBd-M9/s1600/pretty+leaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mDyNwxKQ_PJfx6HWf6enj-59H1eJc0SP1GLp7QzZ8fCJtzHuVUjdN13Zlgx3Y6STQGeK5ZdqBB7SuVzvs8b4lTnU7r-ohvaKg-jwbpBIk6jeABn4Mv4F-o82pOge_pJzEjWT6ioBd-M9/s1600/pretty+leaves.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<em>Now, you know we love comments. So, since you're here, please say hello.</em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<em>We like to hear from friends and fans.</em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<em></em> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCZRW1sKWIG3VSSRu_dSXxtdoyZnuhdRoNWl_zCncpk4bVdlinwW-2Tphl80edlukd_JZTujNNc0BYIaldyhcKIzChCqg9-ShIz0HGPSQE7pan_ZKJWORj0xJSTyw8alVmGyepItS7Y3J/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCZRW1sKWIG3VSSRu_dSXxtdoyZnuhdRoNWl_zCncpk4bVdlinwW-2Tphl80edlukd_JZTujNNc0BYIaldyhcKIzChCqg9-ShIz0HGPSQE7pan_ZKJWORj0xJSTyw8alVmGyepItS7Y3J/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-ms-text-autospace: ideograph-numeric; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></em></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-32136980071633025622013-11-03T00:00:00.000-04:002013-11-03T00:00:01.250-04:00Showcasing Jane Toombs on my blog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdRdjqeOa3oxw9VGkMNkMgxXrsSlUvbfAaRttaoIQ8kg04JXrhxd0dCDnhe-nz_yExB0nN40W-ZWsqM5qIp-Gobcyq99-sC1lZGzE6m7R1PRifcdYeO9uJnpKcPdacDvUmL7gWIh2zP_E/s1600/twisty+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdRdjqeOa3oxw9VGkMNkMgxXrsSlUvbfAaRttaoIQ8kg04JXrhxd0dCDnhe-nz_yExB0nN40W-ZWsqM5qIp-Gobcyq99-sC1lZGzE6m7R1PRifcdYeO9uJnpKcPdacDvUmL7gWIh2zP_E/s1600/twisty+tree.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">It's so lovely to have a prolific and wonderful story teller as Jane Toombs to showcase on my blog today.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have seen Jane's page on Amazon and am green with envy as to the many books she has written.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Jane tells us here a little about rejection and to revise or not.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To revise or not to revise</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">by</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Jane Toombs</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Your rejection
letter says the editor liked a few things about your ms, but…then comes a list
of the problems she had with the plot or the characters or both. She doesn’t
suggest revision. You do?</div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
If this is the
first time you’ve sent the ms. out, read the rejection over carefully to see if
you agree with the rejection. If you do, revise that part or parts and send it
to another publisher.</div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
If the second
editor rejects it, agreeing more or less with the first, study their comments
and make revisions before sending to the next publisher. But if the second
editor has a completely new list of problems, unless you find something in her
comments that strikes you as right on, should you revise?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always do so if something an editor said
speaks to you. Otherwise, simply send it out again.</div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Always compare
your rejection letters and always revise if more than one editor mentions the
same problem. Bug if the time comes when no one seems to want the ms., stop and
think. New writers sometimes have a problem shelving a ms. because they’re in
love with their story and unable to give it up. They fall into the trap of
believing they can get the ms. right if they go on revising and rewriting.
Unfortunately, this is rarely true.</div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Published writers
have less of a problem with shelving a ms. because they’ve learned some plots
are not viable. But, yes, it always hurts. However, a shevled ms. isn’t always
a complete loss. You’ve learned something from writing that story.</div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
And who knows—it’s
always possible that sometime in the future you’ll be able to use a character,
a scene or a description—even, maybe, part of a plot in a new story.</div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I sold My first
two books with no problems. The third, a gothic like the other two got rejected
everywhere, I had no idea why. I may never had sold another book if my agent
hadn’t called to tell me a Packager was doing a Zodiac gothic series and needed
a Sagittarius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
All I had to do was
send a synopsis and three chapters. I had no idea how to write a synopsis, but
he convinced it was simply a short way of telling the story, so I gave it a
try.</div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt -150.4pt 0pt 0in;">
My synopsis
and three chapters sold to the Packager and I learned a valuable lesson. I
needed</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
that synopsis. When I had time, I
tried to write a synopsis using the third story and could not </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
because it wandered all over the place.</div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This was my AHA! moment.
After writing a new synopsis for that story, I revised it accordingly and The Fog Maiden sold.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5DYUdyW2rnqrrBiwzbh4SB06W66QEEBHw7X3Tf0B-5WIpLcA9WjFskS5NHg2lzjRCjg_mLiPBA8Z98X8MwrzUBsHlBSn2Vddf3UNLkfIjm48FTYRWk-3YE8l8Ng7fS6Km1y5ha8uDMQr/s1600/The+fog+lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5DYUdyW2rnqrrBiwzbh4SB06W66QEEBHw7X3Tf0B-5WIpLcA9WjFskS5NHg2lzjRCjg_mLiPBA8Z98X8MwrzUBsHlBSn2Vddf3UNLkfIjm48FTYRWk-3YE8l8Ng7fS6Km1y5ha8uDMQr/s1600/The+fog+lady.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt -150.4pt 0pt 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly, Samhain
has bought The Fog Maiden and is bringing it out as an ebook in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
April of 2014. As a matter of fact, they’re bringing to life all my old
gothics, in their Reto line,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
including Tule Witch, </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8ArhOvPNSO6yiOVWzR5_mf73yV7wCKUzlN_g97e7UtylW676pEbEG0wYOGNuf4sFvHrnUikveck5gKT5KjY0XoRS5sBNwC5kr2gMFtY6C6sDJoJXIAUlJfpFNpZEJS9XU0qVCdbR0cGO/s1600/Tule+witch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8ArhOvPNSO6yiOVWzR5_mf73yV7wCKUzlN_g97e7UtylW676pEbEG0wYOGNuf4sFvHrnUikveck5gKT5KjY0XoRS5sBNwC5kr2gMFtY6C6sDJoJXIAUlJfpFNpZEJS9XU0qVCdbR0cGO/s1600/Tule+witch.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the very first book I ever wrote which is out now
and up at Amazon.</div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt -150.4pt 0pt 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So rejection doesn’t
necessarily have to rhyme with dejection</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
~~~</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRm0uOZzPGU0k8AYDOOrQjfXmeN1SUQvQF3Oco87olldfBB8uQKwFVIaclohWCAmXVhuLIlWhf8k5Xw9Fm8WwktfPLHf2rXcAwJiAk5m8jyGhZr-5hnBs9u6TtOXsPMfZeyDPqaOzVM1y/s1600/Gold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRm0uOZzPGU0k8AYDOOrQjfXmeN1SUQvQF3Oco87olldfBB8uQKwFVIaclohWCAmXVhuLIlWhf8k5Xw9Fm8WwktfPLHf2rXcAwJiAk5m8jyGhZr-5hnBs9u6TtOXsPMfZeyDPqaOzVM1y/s1600/Gold.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">GOLD</span></div>
<div class="content">
</div>
<div class="content">
<div class="content">
<div id="outer_postBodyPS" style="height: auto; overflow: hidden; z-index: 1;">
<div id="postBodyPS">
All America went crazy when gold was discovered in California
in 1849, Which explains why the characters in Gold! act as they do. Life was far
from normal in Hangtown or even San Francisco. Will Pamela and Selena, mother
and daughter, ever find true love in this mad time?</div>
</div>
<div class="psGradient" id="psGradient" style="display: none;">
</div>
<div id="psPlaceHolder" style="display: none; height: 20px;">
<div id="expandPS" style="display: none; z-index: 3;">
<span class="swSprite s_expandChevron"></span><a class="showMore" href="http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Jane-Toombs-ebook/dp/B00FIGAGIC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383247353&sr=8-1&keywords=Jane+Toombs#">Show more</a> </div>
</div>
<div id="collapsePS" style="display: none; padding-top: 3px;">
<span class="swSprite s_collapseChevron"></span><a class="showLess" href="http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Jane-Toombs-ebook/dp/B00FIGAGIC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383247353&sr=8-1&keywords=Jane+Toombs#">Show less</a> </div>
<noscript></noscript><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="psGradient" id="psGradient" style="display: none;">
</div>
<div class="content">
</div>
<div class="content">
<div id="psPlaceHolder" style="display: none; height: 20px;">
<div id="expandPS" style="display: none; z-index: 3;">
<span class="swSprite s_expandChevron"></span><a class="showMore" href="http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Jane-Toombs-ebook/dp/B00FIGAGIC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383247353&sr=8-1&keywords=Jane+Toombs#">Show more</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="content">
</div>
<div class="content" id="collapsePS" style="display: none; padding-top: 3px;">
<span class="swSprite s_collapseChevron"></span><a class="showLess" href="http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Jane-Toombs-ebook/dp/B00FIGAGIC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383247353&sr=8-1&keywords=Jane+Toombs#">Show less</a> </div>
<noscript></noscript> </div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt -150.4pt 0pt 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 6pt -150.4pt 0pt 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqMa8b2jX2oUvV5BBjZnRKpLNtwwr_odH0PS48SdcNBkNtu6qm8FVvs35suAlCJuaBXT7Md_SwpS2ouS9AGRoxSxOAwmzQt3ZoUYy1mCe9sgE27RcVpudxPw6HU602VurBJO2amUNxgZg/s1600/Loves+Odyssey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqMa8b2jX2oUvV5BBjZnRKpLNtwwr_odH0PS48SdcNBkNtu6qm8FVvs35suAlCJuaBXT7Md_SwpS2ouS9AGRoxSxOAwmzQt3ZoUYy1mCe9sgE27RcVpudxPw6HU602VurBJO2amUNxgZg/s1600/Loves+Odyssey.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Love's Odyssey</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="content">
<div id="outer_postBodyPS" style="height: auto; overflow: hidden; z-index: 1;">
<div id="postBodyPS">
This is the story of a sixteen-year-old American girl who is
orphaned when her father dies and she is sent to live with her English uncle.
Unfortunately he falls out of favor with the king and is killed. This is where
she meets Adrien who saves her from a dire fate by taking her to Holland to live
with her mother’s sisters. They sail to Java on the same ship, but Rommel and
Adrien are fated to be torn apart again and again. She has only her courage and
her beauty to keep her alive—and her impossible love for Adrien. He never gives
up searching for her, even after she is abducted by a Chinese pirate and taken
to Amoy. He’ll need all his ability as a swordsman to survive long enough to
rescue her.</div>
</div>
<div class="psGradient" id="psGradient" style="display: none;">
</div>
<div id="psPlaceHolder" style="display: none; height: 20px;">
<div id="expandPS" style="display: none; z-index: 3;">
<span class="swSprite s_expandChevron"></span><a class="showMore" href="http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Odyssey-Jane-Toombs-ebook/dp/B00DP7UCBC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1383247353&sr=8-2&keywords=Jane+Toombs#">Show more</a> </div>
</div>
<div id="collapsePS" style="display: none; padding-top: 3px;">
<span class="swSprite s_collapseChevron"></span><a class="showLess" href="http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Odyssey-Jane-Toombs-ebook/dp/B00DP7UCBC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1383247353&sr=8-2&keywords=Jane+Toombs#">Show less</a> </div>
<noscript></noscript><br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4q5c0H-cII4Kqx5Gu6RuKYdMg0lgarJK1eHNHhkcIv6lrMN50OxupM5NpEWw6kjzP6CBlHtTXPZqS685D9RZ5yVt6po-RtV6S1YLJRc46sGd7lhhykZ-TSg5L-4TWaYSFUDfobRw1X1zK/s1600/Bride+of+Bajz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4q5c0H-cII4Kqx5Gu6RuKYdMg0lgarJK1eHNHhkcIv6lrMN50OxupM5NpEWw6kjzP6CBlHtTXPZqS685D9RZ5yVt6po-RtV6S1YLJRc46sGd7lhhykZ-TSg5L-4TWaYSFUDfobRw1X1zK/s1600/Bride+of+Bajz.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Bride of Baja</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><div class="content">
<div id="outer_postBodyPS" style="height: auto; overflow: hidden; z-index: 1;">
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: large;">Alitha is aboard her father's ship, heading to the Sandwich
Islands where she plans to marry Thomas, a minister. After surviving the wreck
of her father's ship, Alitha is cast adrift on a uninhabited island off the
Pacific coast. Rescued eventually, first by Indians and then Esteban, a
Californio (which is what the Spanish settlers were called). Believing herself
in love with him, she travels with him to Mexico. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile Jordan's
ship is captured by pirates and, since his bride-to-be, Esteban's sister, is
aboard, he loses both bride (she kills herself) and ship. He's cast adrift in
Mexico. Thomas, hearing of the wreck of the Flying Yankee, also winds up in
Mexico, searching for Alitha. The pirates are refurbishing their two ships in
Mexico--like the other characters, in the Baja peninsula. Will Alitha be
captured by the pirates? And, in the end, which man will she choose to marry?
</span></div>
</div>
<div class="psGradient" id="psGradient" oldblock="block" style="display: none;">
</div>
<div id="psPlaceHolder" oldblock="block" style="display: none; height: 20px;">
<div id="expandPS" style="z-index: 3;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="swSprite s_expandChevron"></span><a class="showMore" href="http://www.amazon.com/Bride-Baja-Jane-Toombs-ebook/dp/B00FN3I9RA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1383247353&sr=8-3&keywords=Jane+Toombs#">Show more</a> </span></div>
</div>
<div id="collapsePS" style="display: none; padding-top: 3px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="swSprite s_collapseChevron"></span><a class="showLess" href="http://www.amazon.com/Bride-Baja-Jane-Toombs-ebook/dp/B00FN3I9RA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1383247353&sr=8-3&keywords=Jane+Toombs#">Show less</a> </span></div>
<noscript></noscript><br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
See Jane's numerous books on her Amazon listing page <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Jane%20Toombs">Here</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Give yourself a treat this holiday month of Novemeber with a good book to read. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ko6dHpSPxRBX3Dn8PVWhaqJurDxWzxC8I7zqPaRvObJ4r290EtbCBJHA4ZtQwMyh8-1kYMPqW37zk8Sr4MvhJHeEIN-XsjA4dghgq-He8z5J4Tj4H66g49qt9rwdTVXqm_N6l-ccRvVV/s1600/turkey-waving-animation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ko6dHpSPxRBX3Dn8PVWhaqJurDxWzxC8I7zqPaRvObJ4r290EtbCBJHA4ZtQwMyh8-1kYMPqW37zk8Sr4MvhJHeEIN-XsjA4dghgq-He8z5J4Tj4H66g49qt9rwdTVXqm_N6l-ccRvVV/s1600/turkey-waving-animation.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> And we love comments. Say hello to Jane today when you drop in.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUm8BHA6qAD-IV2G9Nec_HoDaxWprO_0mjTkx3aqwwDOgZmFSgO0YHwvbiC4za9bmg_SioRCf1nwOrJxE_nuQjp5aKTb4MBfspd6INOpJvyZdSdjWMbeMPTanxC1v3c4rOA02a6jgEaYO/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUm8BHA6qAD-IV2G9Nec_HoDaxWprO_0mjTkx3aqwwDOgZmFSgO0YHwvbiC4za9bmg_SioRCf1nwOrJxE_nuQjp5aKTb4MBfspd6INOpJvyZdSdjWMbeMPTanxC1v3c4rOA02a6jgEaYO/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-46076372165338728742013-10-31T00:00:00.000-04:002013-10-31T00:00:06.681-04:00MARGARET MENDEL TRULY LIVES IN A HAUNTED APARTMENT.--READ THE HAUNTING HERE.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKyE1xpAT1OW-s_NF9j6OJhiUKXCDkHMhKkHNv2kbTen7gjkOcnPVkpjVpH3ka1gwfp5CyjTb8Un0AXJgogXKMO1Y_wij5pxuP_hR90rWhyOmVrdoDL0F_C7IdLDSWLNiTIYOXDVeX20P/s1600/spookey+red+eyes02.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKyE1xpAT1OW-s_NF9j6OJhiUKXCDkHMhKkHNv2kbTen7gjkOcnPVkpjVpH3ka1gwfp5CyjTb8Un0AXJgogXKMO1Y_wij5pxuP_hR90rWhyOmVrdoDL0F_C7IdLDSWLNiTIYOXDVeX20P/s1600/spookey+red+eyes02.gif" /></a><em><span style="font-size: large;">Wow, Margaret,</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">First let me say, welcome to my blog. </span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Second, let me say, you really scared</span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">me with this story. And to think it's real. You make me shudder.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">What an eerie tale for Halloween. Tell us about it.</span></em></div>
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Most people think of houses when they think of something
haunted. They think of dark creaky old wooden stairways, or closed, locked
rooms that groan and whisper in desolate homes overgrown with weeds and twisted
vines. These are the places people usually think of when they talk about a
haunted house. I used to think that too, but not any more.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I live in an apartment building and I know my apartment is
haunted. A shiver can still run down my spine when I remember the first time I
realized this. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTysnSCsKE9vthIWNabVQ0gJbYU8suNIfYM7rYrHBW3wmdGwrWhclnOHNBz89O1M9ihs-nDonbB5nPKWezc9cpKMMyU9whtSh7Tp-46SUp4Nip_zEHOhupaA8e601WgTNLCNA8HB-rxtls/s1600/PHOTO+%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTysnSCsKE9vthIWNabVQ0gJbYU8suNIfYM7rYrHBW3wmdGwrWhclnOHNBz89O1M9ihs-nDonbB5nPKWezc9cpKMMyU9whtSh7Tp-46SUp4Nip_zEHOhupaA8e601WgTNLCNA8HB-rxtls/s320/PHOTO+%231.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Our building, constructed in 1926 is a sturdy four-story
walk up. From our dining room windows we look out onto a charming courtyard
with trees that were planted when the structure was first built. Today the
trees nearly reach the top of the roof, the branches spread out like a canopy,
and the roots stretch far beneath the foundation of the apartment house, or so
we imagine. When our windows are open in the warm weather we can hear the
leaves rustle and chatter in the gentle breezes. No mater what the season,
birds and squirrels scamper about in the trees. Who would suspect in this
tranquil setting there would be something haunting us?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I believe the haunting comes from the cement, the plaster,
the wood, and the paint, and from within the pores of the very brick that makes
this building stand so tall; the haunting comes from the blood and the bones of
the building itself. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
There is a pattern to the haunting. Everything is quiet for
a while. The weeks go along, the months, and there is a rhythmic hum in our
ordinary lives. Then it happens. Light bulbs burn out all at the same time;
faucets leak, appliances break down, and milk sours quickly in the
refrigerator. That’s how I know the haunting has come. That’s when I see
something -- a momentary blankness, emptiness in the air, and I think I see a
shadowy image flit down the hallway like quickly moving smoke. But, then, when
I look, whatever I’ve seen is gone. All that remains is a lingering,
disquieting smell. A smell that sits on the back of my tongue, an odor that I
smell as I exhale. And in the air I taste the moldy leaves rotting under the
trees. I sense eyes, too, eyes that look out from behind the layers of paint on
the walls, following me, silently waiting, watching.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
At night when everyone has gone to bed I sometimes hear
footsteps coming down the hallway. The footsteps approach the door to my
bedroom, and then stop. Just as suddenly it’s gone and I know now that it
retreats back into the walls. I used to excuse this sound as the wood expanding
and contracting. But it’s footsteps, one after the other, deliberate,
purposeful steps, walking down the hallway.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iF_zhXqpZiavlJjV3myj5TId8jZKsg4vM05MT241JXOQaaqpnfcdPr4l38Z9UH82xnj7Z6bf1zxJAW35DeioaOMOZhBr6j7WN3RdBXfjp_zkXJs83EPbBDpVY1JSuU_xLi4n07NdIyca/s1600/PHOTO+%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iF_zhXqpZiavlJjV3myj5TId8jZKsg4vM05MT241JXOQaaqpnfcdPr4l38Z9UH82xnj7Z6bf1zxJAW35DeioaOMOZhBr6j7WN3RdBXfjp_zkXJs83EPbBDpVY1JSuU_xLi4n07NdIyca/s320/PHOTO+%232.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Other people have thought they’ve seen something, or heard
something in their apartments, too. They discount any strange sound or
movements as being caused by their neighbors on the other side of the walls. I,
too, was once skeptical about the thing that haunts, but something happened,
and I no longer deny what I see or hear.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
One day after my son left home and moved into an apartment
of his own, I was moving furniture, turning his newly empty bedroom into a
study for myself. I had taken my son’s bed apart, and then moved his comic book
collection and schoolbooks into the closet. I took his rock music posters down
from the wall and put up my own choice of art, a plaster head of Nefertiti and
a large photo of Billy Holiday. I was hard at work when all of a sudden I
thought I saw something, a movement, perhaps a dust fairy floating past my
vision. At first I ignored whatever it was, and told myself that nothing was
there. However, the image persisted at the corner of my eye. Something stood in
the doorway of my son’s room. I slowly turned. And there in the doorway stood
the strangest little fellow. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“Where the heck did you come from,” I murmured. Then I
closed my eyes. I could not believe what I saw. When I looked again, he was
still there. I waited for him to say something or to move. He did neither. He
simply stood silently watching me. I looked away again; wondering was he only a
piece of lint on my eyeball. I looked back. He was still standing in the
doorway.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
This thing, this strange little man stood no taller than a
yardstick. His dark eyes, deeply set under bushy brows, glistened like candle
flames. His face and hands were the texture and color of tree bark and he wore
garments of coarse fabric. Gnarled misshapen toes poked out from under the
ragged edges of his pants legs. Thick, dark, bristly globs of hair stuck out
all about his head and his knobby hands hung at his side.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I remember thinking, “So, this is what you look like. I knew
you’d show up some day.” And I wondered if he had been living in my son’s messy
room all these years.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
As we stood watching each other I felt as if we had spoken
before, or maybe we had touched each other somewhere, in the walls, in the
clothes closet, under the trees. After a moment I realized that all those night
of worry and hearing something coming down the hallway, coming toward me,
scaring me, were not so frightening after all. Then as unexpectedly as this
strange little man had appeared he was gone again, like a fading echo. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
An icy chill crept down my back while I waited for him to
return. The skin on my hands was sweaty when I locked my fingers together
seeking my own comfort. I sat in a chair by the window and watched the doorway
for what seemed hours, but he never returned.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryYX0uKUdVumJqYHq4fXInOdUhQbq4eyolCj6zXBDZercqjQxwgoTcjSrxE8cxW-10fJFLVwbJ_1LEMqv1ogWPFo7jK6192M5Cr6zwObeqausJtCU0yq_1SFspgSfMR6r063iOwZLYUHm/s1600/PHOTO+%233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryYX0uKUdVumJqYHq4fXInOdUhQbq4eyolCj6zXBDZercqjQxwgoTcjSrxE8cxW-10fJFLVwbJ_1LEMqv1ogWPFo7jK6192M5Cr6zwObeqausJtCU0yq_1SFspgSfMR6r063iOwZLYUHm/s320/PHOTO+%233.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I don’t know what it was that happened that day, but
I do know that something definitely stood in that doorway looking at me. Some
days I’ve wondered if it had been a dream. I really did see something that day,
though, and I’ve asked myself many times, if this little guy was a part of the
building or was he a part of me. I don’t know which. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I do believe there is something magical about the
building I live in. I think I hear it breathing on some days. I feel it
contracting and expanding as I imagine the structure trying to heal itself,
make itself whole again when it learns of the pain and sadness in the lives of
the people who live inside the rooms. I like to think that the laughter of
children playing rains down on the courtyard and comforts the tired old
building as the giggles are sucked into the cracks of the brick and mortar
walls. And this strange little being, this thing that moves through wood and
plaster, a soul with eyes that flickered at me, has anyone else seen him? </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I know that the light bulbs will continue to burn out all at
the same time and that there will be other strange happenings that no one will
be able to explain. And I also know that every once in a while this little
fellow will flit down the hallway making another vaporous appearance to a
purpose I cannot understand.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
THE END<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkrp2GBMHU2ytYvOPhfXpgoBFnzM-MO2vEJPXE4ZDN1iMbTXb4Es8WX1LdaCB6IcMw055rlcsuHMkciyqnThR_2YoNZAyKnWJ2VZHg4S79bO1bQRNxLHCp7ElbHaRwHhZ7QPYzLnz8iM0/s1600/ghost+disappearing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkrp2GBMHU2ytYvOPhfXpgoBFnzM-MO2vEJPXE4ZDN1iMbTXb4Es8WX1LdaCB6IcMw055rlcsuHMkciyqnThR_2YoNZAyKnWJ2VZHg4S79bO1bQRNxLHCp7ElbHaRwHhZ7QPYzLnz8iM0/s1600/ghost+disappearing.gif" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><em> Very, very creepy Margaret </em></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><em></em></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><em></em></span> </div>
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><em><div align="center" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">To be released in the
spring of 2014 from MuseItUP Publishing</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">FISH KICKER</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
by Margaret Mendel</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span> </div>
</em><div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Against the
unforgiving landscape of Alaska, Sharon Wolf, a single mother, struggles to
reclaim her life from alcohol abuse and regain the custody of her daughter. But
first she must overcome dwindling funds and find a place to live before the
harsh winter sets in. She gets a job as a fry cook in a backcountry bar, aptly
named The Nowhere, and begins to reconstruct her life. Her struggles are
further complicated when she is stalked by a murderer who thinks she witnessed
him kill an associate of his. In order to get her life back on track and regain
custody of her daughter, Sharon must call upon her inner strength and learn to
accept help from unexpected sources. Ultimately she learns to trust herself
when the murderer kidnaps her daughter and Sharon finds herself in a life and
death struggle.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">About Margaret</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DM_3KspnRIchgq6kwuo0JLKNHOukakHP4MV7KdUQGX3jUIMc2e-PY9KUQV83yIoCvFRtp52IZwkgIkQyeRyKpw050cdZx34SOy6uk1P2N2IZFzFJF-NjXR2HcscNrm5VXNBM04VFkINI/s1600/photo+of+margaret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DM_3KspnRIchgq6kwuo0JLKNHOukakHP4MV7KdUQGX3jUIMc2e-PY9KUQV83yIoCvFRtp52IZwkgIkQyeRyKpw050cdZx34SOy6uk1P2N2IZFzFJF-NjXR2HcscNrm5VXNBM04VFkINI/s320/photo+of+margaret.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Margaret
Mendel lives in New York City and is a past board member of Mystery Writers of
America and Sisters in Crime, NYC. She has an MFA in creative writing from
Sarah Lawrence. Many of her short stories have appeared in literary journals
and anthologies. For more than twenty years she worked in the mental health
field, though now she devotes herself to writing full time. She is an avid
photographer and not only drags a laptop, but a Nikon D7000 camera wherever she
goes. Read more about Margaret on her blog at: <a href="http://www.pushingtime.com/home/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.pushingtime.com/home/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Or join her
on facebook at: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/margaret.mendel">https://www.facebook.com/margaret.mendel</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em>Thank you for scaring us to death this Halloween, Margaret. </em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em>Well readers? Do you believe? Tell us about the ghost you met. Ahem, personally, I haven't and really don't care to meet any ghost soon.</em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em></em> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<em>Oh we do love comments. How about leaving one for Margaret today.</em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlH-xNIjBe9oYx4_4BhIKyyPwCrWnkzCj-OBAkoP5Cvssokcq8M10dyCVREGxayERWUPSvIevkaNWVLjvGBLQP9l0HxhjiegeWJhOyoO4IyyCE7VU1E-UleKV9AHaJdIWrrTABO2ysQLk/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlH-xNIjBe9oYx4_4BhIKyyPwCrWnkzCj-OBAkoP5Cvssokcq8M10dyCVREGxayERWUPSvIevkaNWVLjvGBLQP9l0HxhjiegeWJhOyoO4IyyCE7VU1E-UleKV9AHaJdIWrrTABO2ysQLk/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em></em> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em></em> </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-564025564094573899.post-90673863328089295392013-10-28T00:00:00.000-04:002013-10-28T00:00:05.437-04:00I HAVE THE POPULAR TABATHA SHAY ON MY BLOG TODAY AND GIVING AWAY A FREEBIE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAP_4s1G8saYxDNQULfGITF53Sx94HjKQhR9b74xVpF_Xn4ORUjTBt_XnovPM14ecUImXTdOZ1uTUQpKoSTr7XhoijaD9aMI_WBqiF9X63AXp6USWht_5e_dmBoFr7hqoRO0Nn50oJpCik/s1600/scarecrow_and_bird.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAP_4s1G8saYxDNQULfGITF53Sx94HjKQhR9b74xVpF_Xn4ORUjTBt_XnovPM14ecUImXTdOZ1uTUQpKoSTr7XhoijaD9aMI_WBqiF9X63AXp6USWht_5e_dmBoFr7hqoRO0Nn50oJpCik/s1600/scarecrow_and_bird.gif" /></a><em><span style="font-size: large;">Tab's, you've been on my blog a few times, and</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">it's always such a thrill to have you here. And right before Halloween, too.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">I do know that you have the series "Witches of Salem" that is very popular with your fans, plus your "Montana Men" series. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">You sure have a lot of novels out and everyone one of them is a gem. Your huge fan base can attest to that statement.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">I can personally say that everyone of yours that I have read, I loved. Yeah, I guess you'd call me a fan, too. lol.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">What do you have for us today?</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;">In
the Badlands of the Dakota Territory, a war rages between good and evil,
between <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;">angels
and Satan’s three sons…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;">Earth
Angel —Elizabeth Bonner’s plans for her wedding dissolve when she discovers her
fiancé cheating. To escape the pain and humiliation, she flees to the rowdy
mining town of Deadwood Gulch where one person stands between her and
hell—Gabriel King.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;">Dark
Angel —Gabriel is feared by most, but he meets his match with Elizabeth. 1876,
Dakota Territory is no place for a lady whose innocence is tempting as sin.
Toss in a couple of trouble-making cherubs, and the Old West will never be the
same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;">Elizabeth
and Gabriel —more than one war is brewing in the Black Hills…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmdBZHuZCkqEFm0Uj7ZEBBDqglTIxpudpbq9DcmQnDRgQJ6twcRYEQ6DhO4COF05-Dnzq_BOgWCaKlw-ySBPQ2MaTb_yS6HVNhcdbnQIoyiRcdU6euH7O1xlkPPZyowfgb9HhQRPxqpDC/s1600/SendHimAnAngel_SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmdBZHuZCkqEFm0Uj7ZEBBDqglTIxpudpbq9DcmQnDRgQJ6twcRYEQ6DhO4COF05-Dnzq_BOgWCaKlw-ySBPQ2MaTb_yS6HVNhcdbnQIoyiRcdU6euH7O1xlkPPZyowfgb9HhQRPxqpDC/s1600/SendHimAnAngel_SM.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><em> Excerpt </em><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Inside her gloves,
her fingers itched and felt moist. She stilled when she saw him track her
nervous habit of rubbing her hands down the sides of her gown. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">He lifted his head
and their gazes locked. His lips curved with a knowing smile. “Miss Bonner, we
haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Gabriel King, Gabe, if you like.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">She didn’t like.
She refused to be on friendly terms with him.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">“I hope my
presence here doesn’t bother you.” His eyes said he couldn’t care less if he
bothered her or not.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Her
hackles raised another notch. “You don’t bother me at all,” she replied,
refusing to tone down the tartness in her voice. She was ready for a fight and
this man was the one she was ready to battle. “I know who you are, and I know <em>what</em>
you want.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Fire shimmered in
his eyes. The color changed swiftly from pale blue to fierce cobalt. Elizabeth blinked
twice to be certain it wasn’t her imagination. He slid his hot gaze over her,
pausing on her mouth, then casually drifted to her breasts to linger for an uncomfortable
amount of time. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">He lifted a most
arrogant brow, then eyed the toes of her emerald-green silk slippers that
flirted from beneath the hem of her long skirt. A smile teased his lips, as if
he thought her shoes a bit whimsical. Taking his time, he slid his gaze back
up, a long, slow journey that had her literally squirming inside. There wasn’t
an inch of her body his eyes didn’t touch or dwell on.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">“No, I don’t think
you <em>do</em> know what I want,” he said
with a lazy drawl. “Not…yet.”</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">~~~</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Buy site for Send him and Angel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Send-Angel-Angels-Deadwood-Gulch-ebook/dp/B00BWBF8QM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382120125&sr=8-1&keywords=tabitha+shay">HERE</a> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Check out more of Tab's series books <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=tabitha%20shay&sprefix=tabit%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Atabitha%20shay">HERE</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Tabs will be offering a pdf copy of Send Him an Angel to some lucky
commentator...so don't forget to jump in with a comment.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxxJbd2AGa_0Uf8WhiTsXwLH_IskPOlq8p50V15uistf-zJuQvW_nx8HS0VXYY_xHmV_5ASgDT61BnvhuxWN-7cZaknGcRzd1Mgbub2B_JaurgDaADnjKPHW5IzVdaBiMfAnafSUJXWc_/s1600/AUTHOR+PIC+JPEG+IMAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxxJbd2AGa_0Uf8WhiTsXwLH_IskPOlq8p50V15uistf-zJuQvW_nx8HS0VXYY_xHmV_5ASgDT61BnvhuxWN-7cZaknGcRzd1Mgbub2B_JaurgDaADnjKPHW5IzVdaBiMfAnafSUJXWc_/s1600/AUTHOR+PIC+JPEG+IMAGE.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Author
Bio:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Tabitha
Shay</span></b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"> is the author of paranormal romances, <i>Witch’s Brew, Witch’s
Heart,</i> <i>Witch‘s Moon, Witch’s Magic, and Witch’s Fire</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">A member of the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation, Inc., she has served as
both a category chair and judge. Her books have been nominated for several
awards, including the prestigious P.E.A.R.L. Award for <i>Witch’s Magic</i> and
<i>Witch’s Moon, </i>which was also nominated for Best All Around Paranormal in
2008. <i>Witch’s Fire </i>won Runner Up for Best Paranormal Book of 2010 at
LRC. Her latest release is a paranormal historical titled, <i>Send Him an Angel</i>,
book one in the <i>Angels of Deadwood Gulch Series.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Ms. Shay also writes under the name, Jaydyn Chelcee, and is the
author of the contemporary western romances, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Montana Men</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Series</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In the Arms of Danger, No Holds Barred, Too
Hot to Handle/Too Close to the Fire, Playing for Keeps, </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wild.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.tabithashay.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.tabithashay.com/</span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.secretcravingspublishing.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.secretcravingspublishing.com/</span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.jaydynchelcee.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.jaydynchelcee.com</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUeJzgDr3raRqIzrYu3_8SKXWbUzEFeDGpUeQ6KwLh5DxsmJ93WZvay4DKsZUcreZAXrLpNM64-e81UiNue3Fw-dKfDiVcLoERKcAHFHYzkO0KHxtTFKNWVTdEogd6Fznw9zzQKHhz8qH/s1600/SendHimAnAngel_SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUeJzgDr3raRqIzrYu3_8SKXWbUzEFeDGpUeQ6KwLh5DxsmJ93WZvay4DKsZUcreZAXrLpNM64-e81UiNue3Fw-dKfDiVcLoERKcAHFHYzkO0KHxtTFKNWVTdEogd6Fznw9zzQKHhz8qH/s1600/SendHimAnAngel_SM.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">So which Halloween commentator will win the free download?</span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Hey, it could be you.</span></em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcR6MBcPX4ygYenntes0jDvYi2oqR8ZLdsnUK0CNnSB5VoatLlENlv_E0wxkzr6jDSzehOA9tLY-5NSUNUfwXnRV1ubq5IjkrAkF4RQOQClB-6iZd5rSlzf_k6hCiK_JYH9KIeghfwCj_n/s1600/Pumpkin+moving+eyes.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcR6MBcPX4ygYenntes0jDvYi2oqR8ZLdsnUK0CNnSB5VoatLlENlv_E0wxkzr6jDSzehOA9tLY-5NSUNUfwXnRV1ubq5IjkrAkF4RQOQClB-6iZd5rSlzf_k6hCiK_JYH9KIeghfwCj_n/s1600/Pumpkin+moving+eyes.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="font-size: large;">So, leave your comment below for Tabs, and keep your fingers crossed that you will be the grand winner.</span></em></div>
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqY24NCW3Qrp0Dd9JSO8E7Pk08pIuBk23n1HDaxkMvrsIStib2aMJnfOkITGAsBNQyWgM_Ts45kuiG0wTVKGuM7YC46CE_Xaek-Bq46dh8eMHA6KaKV7aCIk0NdYcX91MOn4-7BAfSP3e/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqY24NCW3Qrp0Dd9JSO8E7Pk08pIuBk23n1HDaxkMvrsIStib2aMJnfOkITGAsBNQyWgM_Ts45kuiG0wTVKGuM7YC46CE_Xaek-Bq46dh8eMHA6KaKV7aCIk0NdYcX91MOn4-7BAfSP3e/s1600/thCAPZ7ZKQ.jpg" /></a></div>
</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00296793847863721845noreply@blogger.com2