tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65650892975353333012024-03-14T00:52:14.889-04:00Amethyst EyesAmethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-34400115656646869132020-02-27T17:22:00.002-05:002020-02-27T17:22:31.884-05:00Amethyst Eyes 3, the Final ChapterI DID IT!<br />
<br />
The final chapter, the final line, that final word, and voila, my story is finally done. This is where I lean back and close my eyes as a smile spreads across my face. Getting bigger than I ever thought possible. Days later, I'm still on a high as I wait to see the cover art my very talented publisher has come up with. How exciting is that? Trust me, VERY!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TYzSsiQGJ4/Xkg0JHSJjgI/AAAAAAAAB8k/JGf_73F_n2AXy1oFouxGsmHLnYzgvslPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/writing-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TYzSsiQGJ4/Xkg0JHSJjgI/AAAAAAAAB8k/JGf_73F_n2AXy1oFouxGsmHLnYzgvslPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/writing-.jpg" width="320" /></a>There were times I wondered if I would get it done, if there would be some kind of wrap up. Not because I was out of ideas, though. Not in the least. You know how they say that life sometimes gets in the way? Well, this would be an understatement. I had fallen in the stairs, aggravating my already fragile gait, making my last 9 months the most physically challenging (not to mention painful) ever. I could not sit, I could barely stand, and lying down was the worst. Very little sleep, and a lot of challenges to get to where I am. But I never gave up. I couldn't.<br />
I very much wanted, and needed, to climb back into the story and finish it. That's kind of my process. I reread the last bit, and allow the characters to lead the way. All to often, if I hadn't managed to really get back into it, my brain would kick in with negative comments, deflating the already soft raft I was in. But then, something happened. Like it used to, and the whole thing drew in a long overdue breath and took off. What an amazing feeling. You are literally living the unfolding of the story with no clue of who or what is going to show up next. It is the absolute most amazing feeling ever.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VScCzRS8OwY/XlaizJKyT7I/AAAAAAAAB8w/dZcS9wHFP6opjb1FC_rJtHUTMKiFWwTtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VScCzRS8OwY/XlaizJKyT7I/AAAAAAAAB8w/dZcS9wHFP6opjb1FC_rJtHUTMKiFWwTtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/reading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Speaking for myself, I think there is no greater adventure than the one a book can offer, outside of real life, that is. Television and cinema do not come close to it, and virtual reality games cannot convey the inner emotions of the other characters. Reading can transport you to new worlds where you develop ties to the characters and feel for them. You get to see, touch, smell and feel an adventure from a book! And you haven't even left your home.<br />
Reading is truly magic.<br />
On a side note...just because, I want to add that I am a paper book kinda girl. I love physical books. However, I truly appreciate my kindles. Yes, I own more than one. The fire, because it can read to me. Amazing, isn't it? I can be driving while someone, in whichever accent fancies me, continues reading the story. This is also great when you have to prepare food for the family. They really do get cranky when the food supply slows. But, I can have the book read to me while I slice and dice. My Paperwhite is awesome for the beach, with bright sunlight or even in the dark. Not hard on the eyes at all. And the best part is that I can bring hundreds of books along with me, everywhere I go, in my pocket! No more torturing myself trying to pick only a few books to bring...because I always had a book with me, somewhere. Even if I was only going to do groceries. Most often, I didn't get a chance to read, and I knew that would likely be the case, but I had to have a book -or books, with me.<br />
No more damaged corners just because I had to bring my book along.<br />
<br />
But the stories we find in books, and the stories I have the privilege of putting to paper are blessings. You all know that feeling, when it comes to an end and you close the book...how you very much want it to go on. How your heart aches for a bit more... What a feeling.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4NyhRzZnwY/Xlam3qLbOAI/AAAAAAAAB88/Gma50ayYyPIJJt5QRJpDirOOx0-q0q_3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/reading%2Bmagic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4NyhRzZnwY/Xlam3qLbOAI/AAAAAAAAB88/Gma50ayYyPIJJt5QRJpDirOOx0-q0q_3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/reading%2Bmagic.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Books truly are magic. When I look back over the Amethyst Eyes trilogy, along with Emma, depicting the story of how Tommy's parents met and he came to be, I feel truly blessed to have been part of the adventure. I didn't make it up, I wrote it down. It came to me and spilled out of me onto the page. I had to hustle and try and keep up, frantically typing the words to describe what was happening. (And I am in no way a skilled typist).<br />
<br />
What a ride it has been. I sit here and wonder what other stories may be brought forth through me. What other adventures will I embark on with new and unknown characters? I look forward to it.<br />
If ever another adventure begins to unfold, I promise to keep you informed. I wonder where it will take me. Who will I meet? And I cannot help but wonder why it might choose me to bring it into the world, but I will do my best. So, on that, I shall return to my celebrating and in between smiles of happiness and feelings of satisfaction, I will face my keyboard and write whatever comes up, following where it leads as I embark on a new adventure.Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-16142448208149658622018-02-15T12:31:00.000-05:002018-02-15T12:31:12.606-05:00Can Dreams Come True? Krysten Lindsay Hager, Cover RevealYes! Pass out the party hats, it's time to celebrate.<br />
<br />We have it for you right here, the latest book by the awesome Krysten Lindsey Hagar. Do you remember her previous novel, Best Friends Forever? How much did you love that one? Were you anxiously awaiting more from this wonderful author? Well, the wait is over! Almost, but now you get to look at the beautiful cover, and a<br />
<br />
Let's take a peek at the blurb:<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cecily has always had a huge crush on singer Andrew Holiday and she wants to be an actress, so she tags along when her friend auditions for his new video. However, the director isn’t looking for an actress, but rather the girl next door—and so is Andrew. Cecily gets a part in the video and all of Andrew’s attention on the set. Her friend begins to see red and Cecily’s boyfriend is seeing green—as in major jealousy. A misunderstanding leaves Cecily and her boyfriend on the outs and Andrew hopes to pick up the pieces as he’s looking for someone more stable in his life than the models he’s dated. Soon Cecily begins to realize Andrew understands her more than her small-town boyfriend—but can her perfect love match really be her favorite rock star?</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VFh8TQyPlPw/WoW5MyJAbNI/AAAAAAAABuk/lt77OSdl2B4kfruOt065y4UQgWg4sj_2gCLcBGAs/s1600/28126179_10155407869883576_1238610057_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VFh8TQyPlPw/WoW5MyJAbNI/AAAAAAAABuk/lt77OSdl2B4kfruOt065y4UQgWg4sj_2gCLcBGAs/s640/28126179_10155407869883576_1238610057_o.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cover artwork<span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> </span>was done<span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> by Cora Graphics for Clean Reads. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like that? Well you can pre-order the book here: </span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079S3KJSH">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079S3KJSH</a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The book officially releases in ebook and paperback </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">on March 20<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">You check out the Can Dreams Come True Pinterest inspiration board here!: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/can-dreams-come-true-the-cecily-taylor-series/">https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/can-dreams-come-true-the-cecily-taylor-series/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">ABOUT THE AUTHOR: <span style="font-size: large;">Krysten Lindsay Hager writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. She is the author of <i>True Colors, Best Friends...Forever?, Next Door to a Star, Landry in Like, Competing with the Star (The Star Series: Book 2)</i> and <i>Dating the It Guy</i>. <i>True Colors</i>, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book and the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for childen/teens. <i>Competing with the Star</i> is a Readers' Favorite Book Award Finalist. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> Krysten's work has been featured in <i>USA Today, The Flint Journal, the Grand Haven Tribune, the Beavercreek Current, the Bellbrook Times, Springfield News-Sun, Grand Blanc View, Dayton Daily News</i> and on the talk show Living Dayton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5LMVBWNNNbY/WoXAIqNXB7I/AAAAAAAABu0/ubsIBuMVEOEWRuqnGQh3ZG3gaIH7Fv6bwCLcBGAs/s1600/author-pic_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="413" height="303" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5LMVBWNNNbY/WoXAIqNXB7I/AAAAAAAABu0/ubsIBuMVEOEWRuqnGQh3ZG3gaIH7Fv6bwCLcBGAs/s320/author-pic_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Would you like to connect with Kyrsten? Look no further! I have all the links right here. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">WEBSITE: <a href="http://www.krystenlindsay.com/">http://www.krystenlindsay.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">INSTAGRAM: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/">https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">TWITTER: <a href="https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay">https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">FACEBOOK: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor">https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">PINTEREST: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/">https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">AMAZON BIO: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Krysten-Lindsay-Hager/e/B00L2JC9P2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1518310668&sr=8-1">https://www.amazon.com/Krysten-Lindsay-Hager/e/B00L2JC9P2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1518310668&sr=8-1</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Amazon US: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079S3KJSH">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079S3KJSH</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Amazon UK: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079S3KJSH">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079S3KJSH</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Amazon IN: <a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B079S3KJSH">https://www.amazon.in/dp/B079S3KJSH</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Amazon Germany: <a href="https://www.amazon.de/dp/B079S3KJSH">https://www.amazon.de/dp/B079S3KJSH</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Amazon Canada: <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B079S3KJSH">https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B079S3KJSH</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-12993533260116125772018-02-15T11:32:00.000-05:002018-02-15T11:32:22.771-05:00We're Back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FP5R6nkWy4k/WoW1YprH4uI/AAAAAAAABuY/asHbsNBOdgsq5CzZ1jwOn9PMjF5NXxktgCLcBGAs/s1600/grad.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FP5R6nkWy4k/WoW1YprH4uI/AAAAAAAABuY/asHbsNBOdgsq5CzZ1jwOn9PMjF5NXxktgCLcBGAs/s640/grad.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
Just a quick "HI!"<br />
<br />We've been off this past year, studying with the Amazing Sue Dumais, taking a course to become an Intuitive Coach. Graduation is on March 26th. This is so exciting!<br />
But slowly, I am stepping back into the author/writing/mentoring light. And, rest assured, I have continued to work on the final installment of Amethyst Eyes.<br /><br />I want to thank you all for your patience and support over this time. Looking forward to being back in the game.<br /><br />
Hugs!<br />Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-59955989098243826132016-12-01T01:00:00.000-05:002016-12-01T01:00:00.153-05:00Books from SantaA Book for Christmas? Are you serious? Has Santa fallen on his head? OK, even if you don't celebrate Christmas....a book, as a <i>G-I-F-T</i>?<br />
Hmmm, I might need to think about this...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9SxsF8lvZxE/WDzqhD2wvlI/AAAAAAAABbk/OU85ZJdh3ts1kQ9QJHRdvUSGN5r4GO77ACLcB/s1600/4%2Bgifts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9SxsF8lvZxE/WDzqhD2wvlI/AAAAAAAABbk/OU85ZJdh3ts1kQ9QJHRdvUSGN5r4GO77ACLcB/s400/4%2Bgifts.jpg" width="296" /></a>No, but wait!<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Haven't you seen it? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">It’s been making its way around the internet. You know, on sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Personally, I like it. So here it is:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">...Something to read...now why would you want to do that?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Excellent question! Because you see, it is the most wondrous gift of all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><i>"<span style="font-size: large;">Something they </span></i><i class=""><span style="font-size: large;">want</span>,"</i> will be quickly replaced by what they <i>really want</i> -come January.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><i>"<span style="font-size: large;">Something they need</span>," </i>will move over so the next need can make itself known,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><i>"<span style="font-size: large;">Something to wear</span>,"</i> will be outgrown in the blink of an eye, if not outdated before, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">but </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">"<span style="font-size: large;">Something to read</span>,"</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> will live on forever. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Wait, hear me out. Just think about it...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">A book is so much more than a movie. It's portable, doesn't require batteries, and then there's the fact that you can get inside your character's head. You know their </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">innermost </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">thoughts and emotions. you feel along with them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The special effects are as limitless as the imagination, and the stories are more fantastic than one's dreams.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Every time you read it, you notice something that might have been overlooked in the past. Yes, you can re-read a book. This is not a 'one-time' gift.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3XHgTbE18nw/WD8nrpAVPOI/AAAAAAAABb8/e6OsLDmoz5orYAQGtbYbTccQr-OIOlm6ACLcB/s1600/girls%2Breading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3XHgTbE18nw/WD8nrpAVPOI/AAAAAAAABb8/e6OsLDmoz5orYAQGtbYbTccQr-OIOlm6ACLcB/s1600/girls%2Breading.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">You get to know and love the characters. You think about them as though they were right there beside you...making you laugh or cry, taking you on the ultimate adventure to save the universe or just sharing good conversation and a comforting cup of cocoa.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Here are two articles that give you 10 reasons why people who read more make <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/276361/10-reasons-why-people-who-read-lot-are-more-likely-good-leaders" target="_blank">better leaders</a>, or how they are more likely to be <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-reasons-people-read-lot-likely-successful.html" target="_blank">successful</a>. They go on to list how these readers have better people skills, a wider vocabulary, a more rounded perspective, to name a few. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Now aren't these good reasons to promote reading? Your gift can impact a person's life....whoa, profound.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Paperbacks and hardcovers can be expensive, but have you ever considered an e-book? It can be read on one's phone, iPad or PC if the receiver doesn't have an e-reader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tYV8gqGjygw/WD8tp-uGB0I/AAAAAAAABcM/a4OEMZQ7uTACeGTraNMrVpChfSSMi1MFACLcB/s1600/FTX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tYV8gqGjygw/WD8tp-uGB0I/AAAAAAAABcM/a4OEMZQ7uTACeGTraNMrVpChfSSMi1MFACLcB/s1600/FTX.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Owning an e-reader means you can carry literally thousands of books with you everywhere you go. With built-in dictionaries and some models who can read to you, this makes the idea of offering a gift that 'keeps on giving' phenomenal. From the very young to the very old, makes it out to be one fantastic gift. (Not to mention the tons of free or bargain priced books offered by authors, just waiting to load up the e-reader).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Taking a trip to your local bookstore can be quite the treat once that spark for reading has been ignited. And it is one that will burn on throughout a lifetime. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">From picture books to comics, reference manuals to novels, cookbooks and craft ideas, there IS something for everyone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Now admit it....this is something that just can't be beat!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-32543853587776304192016-07-01T15:43:00.000-04:002016-07-01T15:43:10.043-04:00A Lesson in Living History<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>History</i>, a word that has made many cringe, shudder, and possibly cry in high school. But what if we were to consider just how much we could learn from reading historical novels of any genre. Fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes, or writers like Jane Austin, have allowed us a glimpse into an era long past. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tWPH-OSQe-M/V3bHIXT3PVI/AAAAAAAABac/2XBUzzBK_JETeM9PcKoMCX4gpBY2r5pSACLcB/s1600/CD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tWPH-OSQe-M/V3bHIXT3PVI/AAAAAAAABac/2XBUzzBK_JETeM9PcKoMCX4gpBY2r5pSACLcB/s200/CD.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles Dickens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Historical fiction authors have the burden of research, and the joy of discovery, while today’s readers have a wonderful opportunity to step back in time and let a world long gone come alive in a way no history book could compete with. If you choose an author like Charles Dickens, his authentic characters and descriptions of setting must have some measure of historical accuracy…don't you think?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t2PsE-WIFFs/V3bFeedo_CI/AAAAAAAABaI/FNtvKPTcqE8hejPeNgb9cODC4O3n0n-zACLcB/s1600/ellis%2Bisland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t2PsE-WIFFs/V3bFeedo_CI/AAAAAAAABaI/FNtvKPTcqE8hejPeNgb9cODC4O3n0n-zACLcB/s200/ellis%2Bisland.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving at Ellis Island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The magic comes alive as you open a book, for amidst the lines on the page you find yourself walking through New York over one hundred years ago, breathing in the smells from the steamships docked at the port. It’d rained yesterday, transforming the streets into a thick mud that clings to everything that dares touch it. You wait, anxiously glancing around, hoping to spot your family coming in from Ireland, praying they made it past the inspection on Ellis Island…hoping they haven’t succumbed to illness on the long ride in the overcrowded, unsanitary conditions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4mzOQTOqSGY/V3bFr9Eo0UI/AAAAAAAABaM/XX8yq8HGEro0NxIgKaSoMCuoPxjb_RD8gCLcB/s1600/CO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4mzOQTOqSGY/V3bFr9Eo0UI/AAAAAAAABaM/XX8yq8HGEro0NxIgKaSoMCuoPxjb_RD8gCLcB/s200/CO.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stark Home, Co</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or maybe, you're a young woman, moving west to a new life. Promised to a man you’ve never met. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Used to a life of privilege overseas, nothing could rightfully prepare you for what lies ahead. As our heroine comes to face her reality, so can readers.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The richness found in novels brings not only random facts, but life itself, filled with emotions, situations, struggles, sights and smells of a time lost to us. So when you add a date and event to the lives of these characters, it makes history real, easier to remember, and if you’re lucky, stirs your curiosity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Read on, Watson.<o:p></o:p></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-43318273650396871842016-06-23T16:34:00.000-04:002016-06-23T16:34:43.685-04:00A Marketing We Will Go...with Colorado Marshal<b>Summer! Yes, it appears to have arrived at last. (So we won't complain about it being only 3 degrees above freezing last week). Yes, I know, and I'm sorry that the posts have been sparse of late, but let's hope we can get back into the swing of internet things. </b><b>Today we are going to welcome Colorado Marshal, so let's dive into is and see where it takes us. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have always been telling stories. I grew up on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, so self-entertainment was a necessity. I used to pass the time by watching a lot of old, classic movies and trying out my own wild adventures on the Breyer collection I had. I don’t know when I started writing things down, but once I did I couldn’t get enough of it. When I was little, I had extreme night terrors, and my mom used to help me try to “fix” the endings to the dreams; added to that, I had a really bad time as a teenager – depression, horrible anxiety, and zero confidence – so writing became a lifeline. I used it to heal. I suspect the impetus for using storytelling to improve my own situation came from my mom and those horrid dreams I had. <b>I can relate to using writing as a means to heal. Good for you to have made use of your creativity to heal!</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I write as much as possible. At any given time I will hold between 2 and 4 jobs during the summer, but as I live in a tourist town, it dies off in winter. I use those months to write (a lot). I spent an entire winter, standing at the back counter of the ice cream shop I managed at the time, working on my book. The longer I do it, the more I am realizing the importance of routine, and the establishment of one. <b>A routine can give the craziest of days a semblance of normality.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What genre do you write? Do you think your genre makes marketing easier or harder?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am adventure romance all the way! A lot of my influences were the old movies I watched as a kid; as a result, my writing reflects similar values, methods, and relationships. I don’t believe this genre is any harder or easier to market than anything else, but my target audience is smaller than that of most adventure romance novels due to the “clean” nature of what I write. <b>In the end, you must respect your writing and not worry about writing for others or the market because that'll be reflected in the writing. Trust that there is an audience for your work...and your job is to find it.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you know your target audience? What efforts do you make to reach out to these potential readers?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am currently in the process of narrowing down and defining a specific audience. I have it generalized at the moment, and am starting to “stalk” them online to find out where they hang out. So it's kind of like stalking? <b>You might want to rethink that in the future lol, but for now, as long as it is strictly for research, I suppose you can get away with it.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have a traditional publishing contract, are you with an Indie publisher or do you Indie publish your own work?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I currently publish my own work and hope to expand into publishing the works of others, as well. <b>Now that's ambitious. I couldn't imagine adding publishing to my schedule because then I'd really have to give up sleep.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have an author platform? Can you tell us what yours consists of? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Crickets* <b>Well maybe you can pick up some tips from the other authors participating in our blog series. Or let me know if you'd like my help.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time? Please elaborate on your methods.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the moment I am taking it one day at a time, learning the craft of marketing, and trying to understand the various methods and outlets. Once I have done that and gotten my feet wet with a few reviews, experiences, etc, I will take what I’ve learned and properly establish a set plan. I believe a marketing plan is just as essential as a timeline for a novel; you need to know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there to avoid being distracted by all the tangents you will encounter along the way. <b>Marketing today is an ever-changing experience. What worked today, may be of no use tomorrow. One must keep on trying and learning. Action, any action, is better than none.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have perma-free books, occasional sales or leave your books at a fixed price?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will. Once I have finished/published Part II of the trilogy, I will set Part I as perma-free. I think this method will work particularly well for series that have heavily-integrated plotlines, where the reader must finish all books in order to finish the story itself. <b>That seems to be a popular option.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where can your books be found?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amazon.com at the moment, as well as all outlets enabled for their extended reach (paperback only). The ebook version is Kindle only for the time being.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you actively seek out promotional sites?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes. Currently, this is what I am doing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Are there any sites or actions you now avoid when it comes to marketing, either due to poor response, or large costs vs poor income results?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Get back to me in a few months once I’ve done some experimenting, and we shall see! <b>OK, fair enough. But don't hesitate to reach out and let us know what you've been up to.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you use Goodreads, LibraryThing, Bookbub author page or other sites to promote yourself?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have only tried Bookbub and got rejected after 48 hours, so still working on that one!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;">EXCERPT FROM T<u>HE HUN</u>T<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;">The only option is consorting with the enemy. What is your next move?</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “That was close,” Jared said, wiping a hand over his forehead. “Sorry, man, I thought I killed the program.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “It’s all right, Jared,” Gregg said. “But Miss Goldstein is right: we can’t stay here. It won’t take them long to find us. What I want to know is who set that alarm off.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “Well, they were about to shut down for the night. Maybe somebody walked past the wrong sensor.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “The alarm wouldn’t have been armed yet, as there was still staff inside,” Amantha said. “Someone set it off intentionally. The only place to do that is in the back of the building, near where I ran into that guy –”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “What guy?” Gregg asked sharply. Even as he said it, the situation became clear. Gregg looked at Jared, found him looking back, and slumped hopelessly back against the wall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Ian. Ian was the guy. Gregg should have known he couldn’t lose him for long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “An uncouth beast,” Marilla said indignantly. “Had his arms all the way around Amantha, he did. The poor girl was pressed against him like a grape.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “Yeah that sounds about right,” Gregg muttered to himself as Amantha tried, rather unsuccessfully, to hide the blush coloring her fair cheeks. Even in the darkness, her discomfiture was tangible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Bloody Ian. He had set up this whole thing, waiting until Gregg was well and truly committed before setting off the alarm in the building and making things too hot to handle. Somehow, some way, he had known about the museum despite Gregg not saying anything, used the information to his advantage, and engineered a very slick job. He had set up the trap, sat back, and was probably somewhere nearby, just waiting for Gregg to call him for help. And by doing that, Ian would get his hands on what he really wanted: Marian’s Necklace, and the riddle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Add Amantha Goldstein into the mix, and Ian would think all his Christmases had come at once.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> How had he known? How had he figured it out? Gregg sighed. Maybe, at the end of the day, Ian was just that damn good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “What are you going to do?” Jared’s question was quiet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “You know what I’m going to do.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “Look… I know I suggested it, but I was sort of kidding. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “Nope.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> What Ian would do with them was uncertain. For all Gregg knew, calling him might be worse than taking their chances on foot. The problem was he didn’t have a choice. Two men had just come into view through the gloom and found Jared’s trail across the way, five more were fanning out along the street on either side. Flashlight beams were everywhere. Slowly, the entourage began to tighten their circle, heading right for the small alcove where Gregg and the others waited like so many ducks in thunder. One of them was pointing at the building across the street; it wouldn’t be long before they closed in. And Gregg knew there was only one thing to do. He only prayed Ian wouldn’t shoot him on sight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “Who are you ringing?” Amantha asked as Gregg whipped out his phone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “The bloody guy that got us into this bloody mess in the bloody first place,” Gregg groused, and hit call.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “Who’s that?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “Ian Lowell.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Amantha glanced over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “And who is he?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;">EXCERPT FROM T<u>HE LEGEN</u>D<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;">Home at last. But at what cost?</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“Robert of Locksley,” she said. The voice was not kind. “I see you have found your way back.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “Hello, Marian,” Robin said. “It’s been a long time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Marian Fitzwalter stepped forward slowly, out of the doorway, light sliding in muted shafts up her figure. And Robin knew as soon as he saw her that his previous expectations were far from accurate. “Little Marian” was no longer a child. She was no longer the girl he used to play with. She was a woman, and a beautiful one at that, endowed with a grace and poise he had seen in very few places – or on very few people. Her hair had darkened over the years to a color nearly touching black, a contrast made all the more apparent by the cream of her skin and vibrant, sizzling green of her eyes. Robin could only imagine how easily those eyes could shift straight to blue with the right hint of color. Her figure was curvy without being too much so, imparting a willowy elegance fit for royalty, one that would surpass even the most perfecting of opinions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> If Marian noticed the slight look of surprise that crossed his face, however, she ignored it, sauntering casually into the courtyard with her arms hugged lightly to her chest. The expression on her face was tolerant enough, but far from welcoming. Not surprised at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “It has been a long time,” she said as she reached them. “I believe the last time we met was the day you allowed my brother to accompany you on this suicide trip you called a crusade.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Robin knew he should have expected this; Marian hadn’t changed in the least. Subconsciously he prepared for battle. Again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “He made his own decision,” he answered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “He followed you,” Marian said sharply. “He <i>always</i> followed you because he respected you.” She surveyed him briefly, reading in his eyes what Robin couldn’t say aloud. “He’s dead, isn’t he?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Robin nodded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “I should have known,” Marian said, her voice edged with bitterness. “It was a fool’s hope I entertained that you would look after him.” She turned to Jasmine, who, though unknown to her, provided an adequate outlet for anger that had been pent up for a long time. “You may not know it,” she added in an enlightening tone, “but you are traveling with a man who has managed to single-handedly take away the two things I held most important in this life, all within five years.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “I know little about him,” Jasmine answered in Robin’s defense. “Only that he has <i>given</i> me the thing I hold most dear. Freedom.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> Marian rounded on Robin again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “And just what is it you want to give me, Robert? Come to pay your penance?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> “I’ve paid my penance, Marian,” Robin said, and he could hear the anger etched into his own voice. “I spent a year locked up with twenty other men who would have gladly given their lives for our king’s quest, eleven of whom did, rotting away like rats in a cage while the rest of the army came home without a second thought. I watched men suffer and grow ill with fever, watched their hope slowly fade away until there was nothing left. I have seen war and killing and bloodshed, all of it locked away in my mind forever, never to be removed, never to be forgiven, so believe me when I tell you, Marian, <i>I have paid my penance</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;">Reviews for Forever the Horizon: Part I, Fortune’s Charm</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ggcxtaZVMmg/V2xA6YRjpDI/AAAAAAAABY4/nB9-Iap_dNcYH8-Y_h79gONShB3JFUMogCLcB/s1600/The%2BHorizon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ggcxtaZVMmg/V2xA6YRjpDI/AAAAAAAABY4/nB9-Iap_dNcYH8-Y_h79gONShB3JFUMogCLcB/s1600/The%2BHorizon.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“I<span style="color: #111111;">f you like the story of Robin Hood (and who doesn't) you will LOVE this book!!! The author has done a tremendous amount of research on the Robin Hood story and incorporates this into a modern day treasure hunt! This is a fun, fast- paced, action-packed read with a little romance thrown in for good measure. A must buy! The only bummer..... waiting for Part Two!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: right; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">D. Shinn</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: right; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br clear="ALL" /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“A cool spin on Robin Hood's adventurous life! Flashbacks really make this fun to read...this definitely has "movie" written all over it!”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: right; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">C. Christie</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: right; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br clear="ALL" /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Great Read. A quirky little insight into Robin Hood and a group modern-day treasure hunters. Fast-paced and easy to read.”</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: right; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Davo</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;">Purchasing and Review Information</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Paperback purchase:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Horizon-Part-Fortunes-Charm/dp/0646947036/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1457684737&sr=8-4&keywords=forever+the+horizon"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Horizon-Part-Fortunes-Charm/dp/0646947036/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1457684737&sr=8-4&keywords=forever+the+horizon</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">eBook purchase:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Horizon-Part-Fortunes-Charm-ebook/dp/B01B1R530W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457684737&sr=8-1&keywords=forever+the+horizon"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Horizon-Part-Fortunes-Charm-ebook/dp/B01B1R530W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457684737&sr=8-1&keywords=forever+the+horizon</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Paperback review:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/forever-the-horizon/dp/0646947036"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">http://www.amazon.com/forever-the-horizon/dp/0646947036</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">eBook review:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/forever-the-horizon-ebook/dp/B01B1R530W"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">http://www.amazon.com/forever-the-horizon-ebook/dp/B01B1R530W</span></a></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;">Contact Information</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Website: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.tomcatalleypress.com/"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">www.tomcatalleypress.com</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Facebook: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/tomcatalleyproductions/"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">https://www.facebook.com/tomcatalleyproductions/</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Email: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="mailto:tomcat_alley_press@outlook.com"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">tomcat_alley_press@outlook.com</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;">About the Author<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ksV_ItKH9VE/V2xBU0L9muI/AAAAAAAABZA/43HYXz453NAGzHkBewbQMJpqhx-Qg3_dACLcB/s1600/Author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ksV_ItKH9VE/V2xBU0L9muI/AAAAAAAABZA/43HYXz453NAGzHkBewbQMJpqhx-Qg3_dACLcB/s1600/Author.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Colorado Marshal was born and raised in rural California. An avid storyteller, she has been writing for most of her life. A wide variety of interests and hobbies gives her plenty to put on the page, and themes ranging from aviation to equestrian vaulting are all likely to crop up in her books at some point or another. In addition to writing, she is in the process of starting her own publishing company, Tomcat Alley Press, with the intent of helping other writers achieve their literary dreams. She divides her time between beautiful San Luis Obispo County, California and the equally-beautiful Margaret River Region of Western Australia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;">About the Press<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_6TXRc10cxc/V2xHB1buqbI/AAAAAAAABZc/bJydP1Wq7lIX4tWCxdsAx_UbZkhbK_cmwCLcB/s1600/cropped-Header-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_6TXRc10cxc/V2xHB1buqbI/AAAAAAAABZc/bJydP1Wq7lIX4tWCxdsAx_UbZkhbK_cmwCLcB/s1600/cropped-Header-3.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Tomcat Alley Press was derived from the simple notion that adventure is everywhere in life, and all you have to do is reach out and grab it. Adventure means many things to many people. Sometimes, it is simply creative expression at its finest, those moments in life when one’s desires match up perfectly with their actions. Writing. Singing. Painting. Creating something that, until then, only existed in the mind. Tomcat Alley Press is an embodiment of many of these concepts. The thrill of travel, the freedom of flying. The reward of success after a long, hard road to the top. Our authors are the alley cats of art: they are tough, resilient, and determined to succeed in their craft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" 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: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Welcome to Tomcat Alley Press. Adventure lives here. Enjoy the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-18754470737313587702016-05-22T15:39:00.000-04:002016-05-22T15:39:47.302-04:00A Marketing We Will Go...A closer look at authors and their personal marketing journey<b>I had planned on getting this series up and running last month, but like Spring in Quebec...we're a little behind schedule. Snow last weekend! Can you believe it? Today, </b><b>and I kid you not, it's </b><b>27 degrees C....that's 80 degrees F. Oh well, we aren't going to complain about the heat!</b><br />
<b><br /></b> <b>For now, let's get back on-topic because it's a serious one if you're an author. Marketing. </b><br />
<b>Hmm, just as I thought. The mere mention of the word has sent a few of our authors running. What we're going to do in this series, is interview authors regarding their marketing practices. Where it gets interesting is when we look at their results, and in the end, compare and contrast the results with the others.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>We are chatting with </b><b>M. K. Wiseman on this lovely spring day. Let's she what insights we can gain into marketing through her eyes.</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-34InyhPcJYs/V0Hzr6VljdI/AAAAAAAABX8/66-UU762ddsWod2QsFQ20D4Tj0WSGKKggCLcB/s1600/auhtor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-34InyhPcJYs/V0Hzr6VljdI/AAAAAAAABX8/66-UU762ddsWod2QsFQ20D4Tj0WSGKKggCLcB/s320/auhtor.jpg" width="239" /></a></b></div>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My first love, admittedly, was animation. During my undergraduate at UW-Madison, I threw myself into a program called “Integrated Arts and Technology” -- basically an excuse to play with really expensive animation/video editing suites. <b>Ooh, now I'm tempted to try out a course like that just to get my hands on those programs! Oh, sorry, continue, please.</b> But then, faced with the reality that I would have to move to California to become that Academy Award Winning animator (hahaha), I did an about-face and ended up going for a librarian degree. So books and storytelling haunted my background for some time and I just dabbled in writing for a bit of fun. But then, writing ought to be fun, yes? <b>Oh, for sure! Until you're having it out with an uncooperative character.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing? </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I actually am lucky enough to be able to write full time. I have a very patient patron of the arts (e.g. my husband) who has agreed that I need to jump into this whole ‘author thing’ feet first and see what happens. What happens, apparently, is that I sometimes am so entrenched in my fictional worlds that I forget to make dinner or iron the clothes. <b>Wow, lucky you! </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What genre do you write? Do you think your genre makes marketing easier or harder?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My <i>Bookminder</i> series sits squarely in YA fantasy. It is what I most enjoy reading. Which makes it easy for me to market from the standpoint of connecting with a reader . . . but it makes it infinitely difficult when you realize how flooded the YA and fantasy markets both are. Some days my book feels like a mere drop of water in the oceans of the world. Also—and perhaps I am wrong—it feels like the YA genre, being so wide, is much more subject to ‘trends’ than other genres, meaning you’ve got to be a bit luckier at hitting things ‘just right’ than in other genres. <b>This is a genre we share, and my thoughts and opinions are very similar to your own. I find that YA marketing is infinitely more difficult than say romance or mystery.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you know your target audience? What efforts do you make to reach out to these potential readers?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A while back, there were memes going around social media about “. . . the songs of my people!!!” That’s how I feel about my target audience. They are me. They are my fellow geeks who kept reading YA long after middle school, high school, college . . . etc. etc.<br />
Take Twitter. Twitter, for me, is not the slog of “have to” that a lot of people have lamented. It is a glorious place for me to expand my own massive TBR list on Goodreads; it is a platform for finding friends—I received an <i>actual</i> Christmas card from an <i>actual</i> Twitter follower/friend whom I have never met! <b>Now, see, this is where your comments become interesting. This is definitely an important point authors will have to examine more closely, and then re-evaluate their use of Twitter.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have a traditional publishing contract, are you with an Indie publisher or do you Indie publish your own work? </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am published through the lovely small press, Xchyler Publishing. Brilliant team, they really “get” what I am about but also have not let me be complacent in my writing. I feel like I’ve been living under a lucky star with this whole writing experience, truly. <b>Awesome, now all you have to do is save some of that stardust for emergencies.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mPVOv2h-CO4/V0IJ_64CS6I/AAAAAAAABYo/-YuMPWavKjI1PxMXuOgHXZCqd4dPXRGswCLcB/s1600/61Gsa9MchvL._UY200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mPVOv2h-CO4/V0IJ_64CS6I/AAAAAAAABYo/-YuMPWavKjI1PxMXuOgHXZCqd4dPXRGswCLcB/s1600/61Gsa9MchvL._UY200_.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have an author platform? Can you tell us what yours consists of?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Erm . . . I’m going to say no, I do not(?)<br />
Or maybe I do and am thinking that a “platform” should be bigger and less Timey-Wimey-Wibbly-Wobbly in appearance. Because, even with my reach on social, even with my contacts in Real Life, even with public appearances and the net that my publisher provides, I am haunted by this feeling of invisibility. <b>I will admit that I was surprised at how many authors were unaware of what the author platform was or how to use it. But then, as an author, I thought my job was done when I typed "The End"...yeah, the joke was on me.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How much time is set aside for marketing?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ah . . . ah-haha-haha . . . the marketing monster . . . that which tries to tell me that sitting online all day trying to be visible, viable, and buyable is a perfect excuse to not get to that which is really important: writing the next book.<br />
If I really look at the time spent for marketing, it far exceeds what I planned on spending. Because an email or a press release always takes longer than you ever expected. Trying to catch that perfect moment of the day to Tweet some-clever-thing that is sure to triple your exposure to the masses takes sitting on social all day. Heck, even updating my website with a quick “here’s what’s new” (I built my own site. Hardcoded HTML. I am a terrible person) can end up burning through a morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, for me, I don’t ‘set aside time’ because I would likely miss many of the organic just-sprang-into-my-mind opportunities with which I might build my struggling little platform. In essence, my marketing simply likes to share time with my writing. <b>And life, lol.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time? Please elaborate on your methods.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used to have a plan. Two massive computer crashes back, I had spent about 100+ hours researching different avenues/making massive spreadsheets/generally being a big, ol’ thorough nerd about the whole thing. I had a pre- and post-release schedule of Things I was Going To Do. I had entire spreadsheets of Ways To Do Those Things.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After losing said documentation twice (yes, it’s been a bad year for me, computing-wise) I have sort of winged it, sticking with what has worked so far and, as ideas come my way, vetting the rest as quick as I may. I’ve become a big fan of the ‘slow and steady’ method of building and am quick to shy away from anything that purports itself as a quick fix. <b>I don't think there is a 'quick fix' when it comes to marketing. I think you're on the right path.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have perma-free books, occasional sales or leave your books at a fixed price?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do not have perma-free or even 99¢ books. This is largely because pricing is at the discretion of my publisher. Yes, we have had super-duper sales (e.g. Black Friday) but, for the most part, prices generally stay fixed. <b>That's what I thought about my books too, but I have found that if I give my publisher a 'head's up', she lowers the prices so I can participate in promotions and such.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where can your books be found?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Bookminder</i> is sold through the usual outlets—Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, etc. But it can be found on Overdrive (ask your library to stock it!!); it is listed on Goodreads and LibraryThing; and I managed to get it listed in iAuthor.uk.com so that people would have access to a sample.<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lPjrhMXC-8k/V0IJ2MiaA5I/AAAAAAAABYg/uqKVXXF_w8MhXF9qizVPMecam1O9j7-IQCLcB/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lPjrhMXC-8k/V0IJ2MiaA5I/AAAAAAAABYg/uqKVXXF_w8MhXF9qizVPMecam1O9j7-IQCLcB/s640/images.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Which sites sell the most books?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*blush* I actually haven’t the foggiest. The book is too new for me to have seen any hard numbers yet. My guess is Amazon. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you actively seek out promotional sites?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is actually what flitted through my mind while I was ruminating on my ‘marketing plan’ above. I have actively sought out any number of different promo sites and opportunities, often becoming mired in the “yes, it’s great/no, stay away” back and forth of internet commentary. As such, I have chased many false starts before later coming to my senses. Note: Any opportunity that isn’t free (or near to) has almost always been debunked as ‘ick’ once I took a closer look. Not to say that such sites/opportunities are not great but for me they just have not seemed a good fit as of yet. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What has worked best for you when it comes to marketing your book?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reaching out to networks of people that I actually know seems to have worked quite well. It has landed me press releases in publications and local signings/talks. That and Goodreads giveaways. Nifty way to connect with the readers that would love your book but would not otherwise know <i>of</i> your book.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Are there any sites or actions you now avoid when it comes to marketing, either due to poor response, or large costs vs poor income results?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amazon Giveaways. (Terrible to say, as I have a giveaway going on as I type this very sentence.) They are well run, I’ll give them that. Really, the problems I see have nothing to do with Amazon or their system. But I’ve found that it’s a lot of flash with almost zero serious connection to readers. My Twitter follower count has seemed to flood with faceless, near-empty accounts that seem bent on winning <i>anything</i> for <i>any reason</i> both times I have given this a try. It’s disheartening . . . not just because of money or effort spent. But the librarian in me likes to think the ‘right reader’ finding the ‘right book’ and I just don’t think this does it very well, if at all. (Note: If someone out there has received my book as part of one of these promos and loved it, my hearty congratulations! That would make my day to hear!)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How many reviews do you have per book? Do you think this helps promote or sell your books?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a handful of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Not sure if it helps promote my book but I would assume that it probably helps sell it, should someone be directly curious about <i>Bookminder</i>. I mean, as a reader I am susceptible to reviews. Sometimes a person says just the right thing to confirm that you have, indeed, found the right book. This works especially well with people who review a lot and clearly have a ‘type’ of book they like. <b>And to tie in with your comment above about finding the right reader...my first book had been part of a book tour set up through a goodreads group, and some of the hosts/reviewers were far from a good match to my genre. This made an impact when one of the hosts reviewed a book in a genre she hates....no comment :P</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you use Goodreads, LibraryThing, Bookbub author page or other sites to promote yourself?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I became aware of Goodreads and LibraryThing in library school. Surrounded as I was by fellow book-junkies, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. We then all abandoned LibraryThing in short order when we found that they limited the number of books you could list in your account if you did not pay for an ‘institutional’ membership. I have only recently come back to LibraryThing, discovering that I no longer had that obnoxious limit on my account. But I have not been all that active as most of the books I want to add in are currently stored in boxes due to lack of shelving at my new place. I hope they survive their growing pains, I do. I fear they killed off a lot of interest at a critical time and Goodreads took advantage of it.<br />
Goodreads, on the other hand . . . I live there. Seriously, they’re going to have to start charging me rent soon! I love it so much that I have begged and begged the Goodreads people to develop some sort of browser plug-in that would work similar to Pinterest’s “Pin it” button. Imagine being able to add a book to your TBR list in a couple of clicks. *swoon!!* Goodreads is absolutely lovely, even when I take off my ‘author hat’ and just enjoy being an avid reader. For me, that’s the mark of excellence—they’re where I go to find books. <b>What impressed me most about Goodreads was the realization that is was endless...or at least, it seems to be. What displeases me, is that I sometimes have books added to my page that I did not write, even though Goodreads seems to think I did....and I can't remove them without going through a librarian.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Scroll down and learn a little more about our guest and her YA novel. </b></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VTa2MLAu47g/V0IJUCdhEzI/AAAAAAAABYc/lXfucaKRs-47wXrwWoGq6xH0gMWXygG4ACLcB/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VTa2MLAu47g/V0IJUCdhEzI/AAAAAAAABYc/lXfucaKRs-47wXrwWoGq6xH0gMWXygG4ACLcB/s400/book.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<u><span lang="EN-US">Title/tagline: </span></u><i><span lang="EN-US"><br />The Bookminder</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> – Knowledge, the most dangerous magick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<br /></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<u><span lang="EN-US">Blurb:<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Istria, 1679 A.D.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Sired by magick and violence, sixteen-year-old Liara is found guilty of witchcraft and banished from her tiny village by the very priest who raised, then betrayed her. However, a mysterious mage steps forward to assume custody of her: Nagarath, the Wizard of Parentino, whose secret spellwork has long protected both Liara and Dvigrad from the ravages of war.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Despite Liara’s best hopes, Nagarath refuses to apprentice her to his craft but tasks her instead with the restoration of his neglected library. Liara gleans what magickal knowledge she can on the sly, determined to learn, come what may. But the first test of her stolen knowledge goes awry and renews an evil wizard’s interest in the people of the Limska Draga valley.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Only by tapping Liara’s inherent magick and joining it with his own can Nagarath protect Parentino from suffering a horrible fate. However, her discovery of his secrets destroys their fragile trust and ignites the darker tendencies of her gift. Now, he must rescue her from the influence of his mortal enemy before their powerful new alliance destroys them all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<br /></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<u><span lang="EN-US">Book Excerpt:</span></u><span lang="EN-US"> (note: longer excerpt available for free from iauthor.uk.com if desired)<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Though her resentment toward her situation had doubled the moment Nagarath reaffirmed that he wouldn’t be teaching her magick, Liara couldn’t help but feel a small spark of warmth for the man as his laughter rang out in the darkening wood. The wizard was nothing like Phenlick, who’d have likely scolded her for her impudence. She liked the difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Encouraged by the mage’s response, she pressed him for details, feigning interest in answers magickal and non-magickal alike, teasing out in the exchange what bits of information she might find useful later on. She would again build her nest, this time with knowledge rather than mere trinkets. After all, she was about to enter the home of a wizard. There would be time to press the issue of her magickal education later. With Liara, a tactical retreat was never surrender.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">And, she was curious. Superstitious accounts of a wizard were one thing. It was another thing entirely to come face to face with said rumors, finding that the fabled wizard of the wood actually existed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Clearly Father Phenlick knew him. She’d seen their silent conference, noting that the men recognized one another. The priest had outlawed magick in the Limska Draga valley some twenty years ago, and here was Nagarath, wizard of Parentino, come to claim Dvigrad’s magicked orphan girl. Why hadn’t Phenlick banished him?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">It occurred to Liara that perhaps this wizard was a sham, a fake. He certainly didn’t look the part of wizard: eyes alight with laughter and good humor, face open and honest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">“So you’re a real wizard?” Liara approached the matter directly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘real,’ but yes, I am a mage who performs magick.” Nagarath’s reply came with a sly smile. Liara suspected the wizard might be playing her own game against her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Even though Father Phenlick said you shouldn’t.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">“He and I have an understanding, if that’s what you are getting at.” Nagarath seemed more cautious, prompting Liara to switch tactics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">“I just wanted to know how you’re able to live in the wreck of a castle, that’s all.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">The last of the late evening sunshine had ceased to illuminate the small footpath before them. In the deepening gloom, Liara imagined she could see Nagarath’s answering smile. But no words followed to answer her query. Quiet alarm reentered her mind. She remembered the journey across the valley to Parentino’s ruins from her excursions with her friend, Krešimir. It was not long, nor difficult, and though the fading daylight rendered the landscape foreign, she knew they should be close . . . if, in fact, that was their destination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Lost in new worries, her footsteps lagging, she nearly ran into the wizard from behind. Nagarath turned, gently ushering Liara ahead of him on the path.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Behold, Liara. My humble home.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Rising darkly amidst the towering wood, Parentino looked just as Liara remembered it. Stone thrown from stone, crawling vines crisscrossed over broken walls, the ruins were every bit as forbidding as she feared. And while the tops of the nearby trees still wore their crown of late-evening gold from the sun’s fading rays, the ruins stood in hulking darkness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Facing the wreck of the old castle, Liara almost wished that the wizard had been spiriting her off to somewhere unknown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Deep and gravelly, Nagarath’s voice sounded behind her, the foreign words delivered in a near whisper, strange and sharp. Liara felt her skin prickle, first from apprehension, then from the mage’s touch as his hands rested gently upon her shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Liara had little time to ponder the spell—for spell it must be, of this she had little doubt. The sight before her demanded all of her attention: Parentino was growing. Twisting upward, the stones shook off their leafy cover, piling neatly upon one another as walls and sagging battlements righted themselves. In the space of a breath, the castle ruins became a wonder, restored to their former glory by the mage’s power.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Reluctant to look away from the fortress, lest it somehow change back to tumbled stone, Liara stared at the castle with hungry eyes until Nagarath dropped his hands, calling her back to herself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">“And that is how I manage to live in a ‘wreck of a castle,’ Liara.” The mage was smug. He had every right to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Liara let out a slow breath, her mind still trying to process what she had just seen. “How did you—?” She reached up to her shoulder thoughtfully. Had Parentino just changed, or had she?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">- Excerpt From: M. K. Wiseman. “The Bookminder”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<br /></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<u><span lang="EN-US">Reviews excerpts:<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">“I think this book just cemented my interest in historical fantasy . . . an absolutely compelling read, pulling you into the character’s world very skillfully. The superb writing and descriptions also helped contribute to this. Make sure you get your hands on a copy of this book . . .” - Fatima, Goodreads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">“. . . a clever book to read for fans of complex and unique magic systems. As a matter of fact, the whole book is dripping with this sort of magick from start to finish. . . . I had no problems slipping into the Croatian locales of Dvigrad, Parentino, and Vrsar. All the dialogue between the characters felt natural and nothing of note took me out of the story. I mostly enjoyed the multi-layered and flawed characters such as Father Phenlick, Nagarath, and even the impetuous Liara (though she frustrated me to no end). I felt great sympathy for them as they tried to succeed in their various goals and lamented past mistakes as we all do. Their flaws, failures, and desires to fix them resonated deeply with me . . .” - BelartTheIlliterateReviewer, Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">“The Bookminder by M. K. Wiseman is beautifully written. The characters are complex and delightfully flawed, making them relatable, and the magick system is well-developed and quite believable. The author has a talent for writing vivid descriptions. The plot advanced at a good pace and left room for a sequel, without leaving loose ends within this book. I can't wait for book #2 of the Bookminder series!” - KA, Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<br /></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<u><span lang="EN-US">Contact info: (links)</span></u><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Official website <a href="http://mkwisemanauthor.com/"><span class="InternetLink">http://mkwisemanauthor.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/FaublesFables"><span class="InternetLink">https://twitter.com/FaublesFables</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FaublesFables"><span class="InternetLink">https://www.facebook.com/FaublesFables</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Pinterest <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/faublesfables/"><span class="InternetLink">https://www.pinterest.com/faublesfables/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Goodreads <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073540.M_K_Wiseman"><span class="InternetLink">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073540.M_K_Wiseman</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Amazon (author page) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M.-K.-Wiseman/e/B00CMJK19W"><span class="InternetLink">http://www.amazon.com/M.-K.-Wiseman/e/B00CMJK19W</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<br /></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<u><span lang="EN-US">M. K. Wiseman bio:<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">M. K. Wiseman was born in Wisconsin but lived in New Mexico for a time, falling in love with the Southwest. She later returned to Milwaukee, immersing herself in her Croatian culture. With degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in animation/video and library science, she lives for stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<br /></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<u><span lang="EN-US">Purchase links:<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1940810507/"><span class="InternetLink">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1940810507/</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">AmazonKindle <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0198HKWSU/"><span class="InternetLink">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0198HKWSU/</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Barnes & Noble <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bookminder-m-k-wiseman/1123130882"><span class="InternetLink">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bookminder-m-k-wiseman/1123130882</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Kobo <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-bookminder"><span class="InternetLink">https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-bookminder</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="TextBody">
<span lang="EN-US">Smashwords <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/599931"><span class="InternetLink">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/599931</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="TextBody">
<br /></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-64397898187728087352016-03-04T10:00:00.000-05:002016-03-04T10:06:25.903-05:00All About that B....er Review<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Hello! This morning we are going to grab the bull by the horns and have a little chit-chat about authors, books, readers, and reviews. So you might want to start your day with an awesome smoothie, an open mind, and a little consideration. </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: "dauphin" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">R-E-V-I-E-W</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Broken down that way hardly seems to be the kind of thing to make an accomplished author want to quit on the spot…but the blade of the review can be sharp and merciless, leaving behind a wound so deep that it can be near impossible to recover from.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RFjl5tvroiY/Vs4vOkcdq0I/AAAAAAAABWA/0WMQvFXKMTI/s1600/r3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RFjl5tvroiY/Vs4vOkcdq0I/AAAAAAAABWA/0WMQvFXKMTI/s320/r3.jpg" width="320" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
In truth, all authors hope their readers will take the time to leave a review, but in reality, very few of them do. I have had people tell me how much they <i>loved</i> my book. Much appreciated…until I asked them if they might post a review. You’d think I’d just asked them to streak at the next Super Bowl. Either that or they pull out the red pen and dissect the novel…hardly what I was going for, and didn’t you just tell me you loved it?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Taste is personal. Just because you like something that I don’t, doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s simply not my taste. Do I strip away the stars in a review? Not necessarily. There are some points to take into consideration. Things like spelling and grammar, plot, storyline, character development, and conflict are all essential items. But as a ‘reader’ leaving a review, no one asked me to put on my ‘editor’ cap and dissect the piece.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pUozQAftTvw/Vs4wm2usXXI/AAAAAAAABWI/UTGcFzbC58Q/s1600/r4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pUozQAftTvw/Vs4wm2usXXI/AAAAAAAABWI/UTGcFzbC58Q/s200/r4.jpg" width="200" /></a>When we give an evaluation in the military, we are asked to highlight strong points, and bring up points to improve on, indicating WHAT and WHY. How does this apply to a review? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Don’t just say, “Ugh, I hated it.” What does that tell the author or the other readers? Try something like this: <span style="color: #20124d;">“I didn’t like the MC. Maybe she was bi-polar, I simply couldn’t believe her ‘I’m superwoman and can handle everything,’ one minute, and her psychotic meltdowns the next.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
OR<br />
<span style="color: #351c75;">“I liked it because the characters had such depth and were so believable I couldn’t help but feel what they were going through. I had to cheer them on…”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Now, when you consider that there are only 5 stars to begin with, that doesn’t leave much leeway for a good vs bad balance. Some things are a given, like spelling and grammar. If you are putting a book out there, there is no excuse for an over-abundance of mistakes. If English wasn’t your forte in school, then hire an editor. I spend an average of $500 per book to have my work edited, (and my manuscript is as polished as I can get it before sending it in). Sadly, that does not guarantee a 100% typo-free book, and yes, it is a lot of money. I am the author, the ‘professional’. I am responsible for my creation and its quality.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wzUxpcSNT7M/Vs4ryhAxLLI/AAAAAAAABV0/1h_fVFn9PMU/s1600/5stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wzUxpcSNT7M/Vs4ryhAxLLI/AAAAAAAABV0/1h_fVFn9PMU/s320/5stars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Another point is accuracy. In the last book I just finished, the MC notices her suitor’s dimples the first time they meet and she melts…and then near the end of the story he smiles and she does a repeat, claiming to see them for the first time and melts...again. (This could get messy). This was a novella…not the Bible. How can you forget a simple detail that creates such a dramatic response barely 80 pages down the line?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
In another, the MC is supposed to be Hispanic, and uses Spanish expressions throughout the story….only he comes from Brazil…and they speak Portuguese there…not Spanish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Yet another story has the group charter a flight and take off in an ice storm….uh, no. There is no way a small plane would ever risk flying when freezing rain is coming down. Even commercial airliners do not blindly take off under these conditions. (I have flown single engine planes, but if you don’t have that personal knowledge, GOOGLE IT!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pThzXuas0_k/Vs4xIT0dyKI/AAAAAAAABWM/ixYT63eHT7g/s1600/r2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pThzXuas0_k/Vs4xIT0dyKI/AAAAAAAABWM/ixYT63eHT7g/s200/r2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
And lastly (though trust me, I have many more), name changes….In book One, the names given to the kids vanish somewhere down the line, and in the latest book, the kids now sport the names that had originally been given to the dogs. Hopefully, if these are mentioned in a review, the author will pay more attention to details next time around. (Or if you're lucky, correct the mistakes and upload a new version for readers).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Not every author has taken a creative writing class. Some simply respond to the deep and overwhelming urge to write, to express themselves, and not everyone (classes or not) is born to be a storyteller. A constructive review can help authors improve their writing. If the descriptions were so vivid and realistic, to the point that you were convinced you were there, then say so. The dialogue was convincing and poignant, let the author know the good and the bad. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Let’s recap. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Why write a review? In a nutshell, people need oxygen, authors need reviews. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DyS2KozBd1Q/Vs4xRNlEsmI/AAAAAAAABWQ/uYlgOWNQToA/s1600/r1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DyS2KozBd1Q/Vs4xRNlEsmI/AAAAAAAABWQ/uYlgOWNQToA/s200/r1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Anyone can write a short, honest and constructive review. No one said it had to go on forever. And when I say constructive, I mean tell them something that will be useful to encourage the author to continue working on his/her craft, by pointing out things that need improvement as well as the things that rocked. You’ll be doing everyone a favor. And that star rating thing….I’ve been given detailed, awesome reviews, yet only 3 stars and no clue why. I once received an impressive review, pointing out things others hadn’t, BUT since the reader did not like Sci-Fi, and it happened to be just that…she gave it 3 stars. In the end, I am more inclined to relate to the comment than the rating. I am grateful to have someone take the time to write a review, and guide me on my journey as a writer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
See it as teamwork, creating better stories and adventures for all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-17350235637525798782016-02-28T23:22:00.002-05:002016-02-28T23:22:46.269-05:00Celebrate Love Blog Series with author Beth Honeycutt and What Dreams May Come<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">WooHoo! I am off for a week, and can stay around home with my girls, take them skating and warm ourselves by the fire. I can't wait! Savannah, my two-year-old has been pretending to skate around the kitchen wearing slippery socks. I am excited to see how she likes the real thing, and we're lucky enough to have this awesome place to go where the icy path winds its way through the woods. I might even share pics.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">OK, ok, back to work now...and on to our next guest, Beth! Read on, you won't be disappointed. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you share a little about what led you to become a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love stories of all kinds, especially those with happy endings, and being a writer is the only career I've ever really wanted. When I was in fourth grade, I wrote my first book—a story about some baby birds we’d rescued. It won a Young Authors award at school and my mom laminated it (the book, not the award, LOL) and I've never looked back. <b>Wow, that is so cool!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I do write full-time but sadly, not novels. In my day job, I write marketing copy and corporate communications. <b>Now I have to wonder if your work writing interferes with your creative writing, or does your creative writing disturb your work writing.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you tell us a little about your novel? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; text-transform: uppercase;">What Dreams May Come</span> is about Ellie, a shy and overlooked girl who would rather live in her dreams than in reality, where she’s a constant disappointment to her mom, who wants her to be slim and pretty, popular and outgoing. Her one comfort is her imaginary friend, Gabe, who's always there for her, waiting in her dreams whenever she needs him. <b>Ooh, I like that.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But then a new guy shows up at her school and he knows things about Ellie—secret things—that he shouldn’t have any way of knowing. Suddenly, Ellie’s faced with the possibility that she may not be as ordinary as she’s always thought and that maybe it doesn't matter if the whole world knows your name, as long as someone special sees you for who you really are. <b>I love it.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where does the inspiration for your story come from?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This was actually an idea I had for a short story, but as I started writing, it grew into a novel. It all grew out of one tiny seed of an idea about a girl who meets a boy who knows things about her that he shouldn’t have any way of knowing, like how she got the scar on the bottom of her foot. She doesn't know him, but he knows all about her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I thought about how unnerving that would be, to be faced with someone you couldn’t hide from, who already knew all your deepest secrets, and how interesting it would be to see that play out—especially for a girl like Ellie, who’s so used to being invisible and overlooked, who’s made her way through life hiding away from the world. And how cool it would be to find that this person who knows you so well—the good, the bad, the ugly—loves you anyway, just as you are. <b>Sounds like a great read, something you definitely want to fall into.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What do you think makes a good romance story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A happy ending, of course. LOL It might be easier to say what I <i>don’t</i> think makes a good romance. I don’t like stories where one of the characters is abusive or mean to the other, who puts up with it in the name of love, hoping to improve them. I don’t like stories where both characters would be better off if they <i>didn’t</i> get together, since their relationship obviously won’t be healthy. And I don’t like stories that aren’t grounded in genuine emotion and character development, but are just focused on the physical aspects of the relationship. Also (and I know this is unpopular), but I <i>hate</i> love triangles. I truly believe you can have a compelling romance without introducing a love triangle. I love romances where the relationship brings joy and light and love to the characters’ lives and they become better together than they were alone. I love romances where the main characters are good friends and really like each other, as well as love each other; where they respect each other and really talk about things. <b>Thanks for sharing, those are good points.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ac0gQHIGca0/VtPGYeyOCVI/AAAAAAAABXY/oH_THD1j5n8/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ac0gQHIGca0/VtPGYeyOCVI/AAAAAAAABXY/oH_THD1j5n8/s400/book.jpg" width="280" /></a><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story around or did it develop as your characters came to life?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A little bit of both. The message behind my story is that you don't have to change in order to be loved, that there is someone out there who will love you and accept you, just as you are. You have value, even if you don't meet the definition of what our culture calls beautiful. There <i>is</i> beauty in you, no matter who you are or what you look like. <b>Now you need to go print out t-shirts with that message and pass them around.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I fly by the seat of my pants. I used to try to outline, but I found that knowing everything that is going to happen makes me lose interest in the story. What drives me to write is finding out what's going to happen next. I do usually have a vague idea of the beginning and, hopefully, the end. But for what comes in between, your guess is as good as mine. J <b>Now that's my kind of writing!</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My novel takes place over the course of just a few days. However, there are flashbacks to incidents in the past that show our couples' history together before they actually meet in the novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How much research went into your story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love research! It's actually kind of dangerous for me, because I get so wrapped up in finding cool information that I forget I’m supposed to be writing. LOL Actually, this story didn't involve as much research as some of my others. I read interesting things and they stick with me, and then I sometimes incorporate them into stories. That's something that happened with this one. <b>I am the same way with research and I often end up with pages and pages of notes that never make it into the story, but hey, I learned something!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How does this book differ from what you have written in the past?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of my other novels are more plot-driven and often have some sort of suspenseful or even scary elements in them. This novel was definitely driven more by the characters and getting to see their relationship blossom. The remaining two books in the trilogy will have more of the suspense and plot-driven elements, but this one is really sort of a gentle love story, allowing the reader to get to know the characters as people and as a couple before we jump into the actiony parts of the series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The amount of planning I do varies—sometimes I have a plan I’m following, other times, it’s just a day at a time. I've attended a lot of sessions on marketing at conferences and try to follow the advice I’ve gotten there and from other authors. I definitely don't spend as much time on marketing as I should, though, because my free time’s so limited. When I do have free time, I’d rather write than do marketing. I’d kill for a publicist. <o:p></o:p></span><b>I hear you! </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My biggest advice is to find out what method works for you, whether you’re a plotter (someone who outlines and plans it all out) or a pantser (someone who writes by the seat of their pants) or a mixture of the two. Either way, I find the most motivating thing for actually finishing a project—whether it’s flash fiction, a short story, or a novel—is to have a deadline and accountability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For this reason, one of the best resources out there, and one that I recommend to all aspiring writers, is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Not only is it a great motivator that provides accountability and a deadline, but it provides companionship with other authors and turns the novel-writing experience into a wild, crazy roller coaster of writing fun. Definitely check it out! If nothing else, it’s nice to hang out with other people who won’t look at you funny if you say something like, “I just found the coolest way to kill someone!” <b>For sure, LOL. I remember getting worried because of the strange searches I was doing online. But, I wouldn't have it any other way.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you tell us what you’re working on now? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Definitely! I'm working on WHERE NIGHTMARES WALK, the sequel to WHAT DREAMS MAY COME. It starts to introduce more suspense and danger into the couple's storyline, but rest assured that everything they face, they face together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US">What Dreams May Come: In Dreams, book 1</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span lang="EN-US">He knows her darkest secrets, sees into her dreams. Math class will never be the same.</span></i><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reality is overrated. Or so Ellie Cross believes. She greatly prefers the dreams she shares with her imaginary friend and lifelong BFF, Gabe, to the nightmare of her real life. And okay, so yeah, lately Ellie’s noticed that Gabe’s kinda hot. Make that incredibly hot. But that doesn’t mean she’s crazy or anything. So what if she happens to have an itsy-bitsy crush on her reality-challenged friend? Who’s it hurting, really?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But things are about to get complicated, because there’s a new guy in school—a guy with hauntingly familiar eyes. A guy who knows things about Ellie that he shouldn’t have any way of knowing…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Come check out the book that readers are calling "fantastic," "wonderfully sweet," and "a young adult novel with true heart and soul."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Excerpt<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Across the room, their gazes locked. Time seemed to move syrup-slow. Green—she could see now that his eyes were a familiar, brilliant green. All the saliva in her mouth dried up.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Those eyes…they were the eyes from her dreams. It was impossible, but…he had Gabe’s eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">***<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For a long moment Ellie sat stunned, just staring at the new guy. She felt lightheaded and dizzy, like the world had fallen off its axis and was spinning madly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She realized she’d forgotten how to breathe. Crap. Breathing—that was important. How did that work again? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She started to panic as black dots appeared in front of her eyes. <i>So</i> not good. Forcing herself to close her eyes, she concentrated and finally drew a shuddering breath, then another. Phew, back in business.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that she was fully functional again, she opened one eye, peeking at the new arrival, then, when he still appeared to be there, she opened the other, looking at him full on. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He was definitely still there, still staring back at her with those impossible eyes as he took his new textbook from Mr. Barker and deliberately made his way across the classroom toward where she sat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Was this a dream? None of her Gabe dreams had ever taken place at school before. Just to be sure, she pinched herself. Yep, that hurt. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Still, this couldn’t actually be happening—she <i>had </i>to be dreaming. Or was this it? Was <i>this</i> the moment she finally lost her ability to tell the waking world from the dream one? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was just…his eyes. She looked down at the notepaper in front of her, then back to the new guy who seemed to be watching her with interest, as if somehow aware that she was experiencing an existential crisis. Watching her with Gabe’s eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ellie shook herself, trying to dislodge the idea. They were just green eyes. Just regular, ordinary, not-belonging-to-a-figment-of-her-imagination eyes. Not <i>Gabe’s</i> eyes. Just <i>eyes…</i>belonging to a guy with an admittedly similar name... <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That must be it—the name. It was making her see things that weren’t there, making her think he was looking at her like he knew her. But…that wasn’t possible. Gabe was <i>imaginary.</i> As in <i>not real.</i> She’d made him up. And—this was ridiculous. She was arguing with <i>herself.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Someday I’ll find you, Ellie,</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> her memory whispered in Gabe’s voice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W2fm_zEC1UA/VtPGmOpcmlI/AAAAAAAABXc/Ee2l4HfGG1g/s1600/auhtor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W2fm_zEC1UA/VtPGmOpcmlI/AAAAAAAABXc/Ee2l4HfGG1g/s320/auhtor.jpg" width="248" /></a><span class="null"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Beth M. Honeycutt<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A professional writer and editor, Beth has written everything from poetry and short stories to proposals for government contracts, science textbooks, and standardized tests (yes, you have her to thank for those!). Her real love is writing fiction, though, especially YA. She loves to travel and has been to nine different countries (more if you count layovers!). At home or abroad, she can usually be found with her head in a book or madly scribbling down ideas for a book of her own. She loves spending time with family, stories of all kinds, and happy endings. She firmly believes in the enduring power of love.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reviews</span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I haven't found a book since the Twilight series that held my attention long enough to finish. I couldn't put this book down. 5 STAR all the way."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Wow, this book rates right up there with some of the best I have read. LOVED IT."<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-size-basereview-text"><span lang="EN-US">“Ms. Honeycutt weaves a tale of magic. Effortlessly written and thoroughly enjoyable.”</span></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-size-basereview-text"><span lang="EN-US">“This story was everything I hoped for as well as everything I believed that it would be. It was sweet without being too sensual and romantic without being too sappy. My heart just smiled with every endearment that was spoken. It was truly just beautiful.”</span></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"A sweet story about finding love unexpectedly and finding the courage to take a chance with the seemingly impossible. It's a quick read, but a must."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I'm so glad I read this book. This is a well written, 'clean' book that proves that you don't need sexual innuendo and filthy language to keep a reader's attention. I love the unique story and very likable characters. I can't wait to read the sequel!"<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy the book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KMR0P1K">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KMR0P1K</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span lang="EN-US"> </span></u></b><b style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span lang="EN-US">Social Media Links</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorbethmhoneycutt">https://www.facebook.com/authorbethmhoneycutt</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/bethmhoneycutt">http://www.amazon.com/author/bethmhoneycutt</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/BethMHoneycutt">https://twitter.com/BethMHoneycutt</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8304339.Beth_M_Honeycutt">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8304339.Beth_M_Honeycutt</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/bethhoneycu0434/">https://www.pinterest.com/bethhoneycu0434/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Google +: <a href="https://plus.google.com/+BethMHoneycutt">https://plus.google.com/+BethMHoneycutt</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Newsletter Signup: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorbethmhoneycutt/app/191387770912394/">https://www.facebook.com/authorbethmhoneycutt/app/191387770912394/</a></span></span></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-26153440182433404192016-02-26T17:39:00.000-05:002016-02-26T17:39:23.105-05:00Celebrate Love Blog Series with author Sarah McLendon and My Forever<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Tomorrow is going to be a long day, becasue before I even get into uniform, I have a 15 hour day ahrad of me....outside in the snow once again. So while I should be getting my gear ready, I am taking a few moments to get this out to you. Our next guest id from Georgia...I'm pretty sure there's no snow down there. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am in the education field and have been since the age of 19. I am married to an amazing man named John and we have 2 fur babies. I have always had a love of reading and after losing my mom, I channeled my pain and healing into writing a book. <b>I started writing after having lost my daughter, so I can relate to that.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I work full-time so I do not have a tremendous amount of time to write. Usually, weekends and evenings are used for writing but I balance that with the time I spend with my husband.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Could you tell us a little about your novel?</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“My Forever” is fictional but I drew on my own grief and loss to hopefully make the reader believe the character’s pain. It begins with loss and pain but slowly evolves into a love story. It has some twists and turns, but the reader will have to read to find out if there is a happily ever after. I am also working on the sequel to “My Forever”. It is entitled “Forever After”<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Would you take us on a brief tour of your novel and the world you’ve created? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is set in the scenic North Georgia Mountains. The main characters both have suffered loss in their past and are both trying to heal. The meet and try to develop a relationship and while helping oneanother heal and grow at the same time. They both work in the medical field. The book is a clean read.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Where does the inspiration for your main character and story come from? </b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IBAnpjHj1BM/Vs6JcBLQ8JI/AAAAAAAABXI/v4kKdGDtEJI/s320/auhtor.jpg" width="320" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Savannah is loosely </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">based on me and the loss of my mother.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What do you think makes a good romance story? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">True love, trust between the characters, ups and downs and a little drama. <b>We're going for the full load here!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How do you handle the emotional side of romance writing? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I feel the pain and anguish that my characters feel. <b>For sure knowing first-hand what those emotions are makes it easier to write down...much more so than trying to imagine what it is supposed to feel like.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Which elements do you think are more important in this type of writing? </b>Emotion. You need to be able to make your reader feel</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">what the character is going through. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What is the message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story around or did it develop as your characters came to life? </b>The message behind “My Forever” is to have faith, believe in God and be patient that your blessings will come. The story started as a way for me to heal and such evolved as I wrote. <b>I hope you found some peace through your writing.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I do not use an outline to write from. I sit and write when I am in a writing frame of mind and the words flow onto the page. <b>My favorite way to write!</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years? </b>“My Forever” occurs over about a year and a half time frame.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How much research went into your story? </b>I researched Blue Ridge and the size of the town to make it more realistic but I travel to Blue Ridge frequently and am familiar with the feel of the town. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Could you tell us how you go about your research, how you ‘catalogue’ information to make it all work? </b>While I get information on size and location and climate, I really just write what I am feeling at the time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time? </b>I have a publisher and they handle some of the marketing but I rely heavily on social media and people that I know to promote my writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? </b>Start writing and worry about formatting later. Get your thoughts and ideas on paper and then organize them. Never give up. If a publisher turns you down, there are 100 more and someone will say yes when God feels it is the right time. I wrote “My Forever” 7 years before it was published.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Could you tell us what you’re working on now? </b>The sequel to “My Forever” as well as a Biography about a very dear friend with terminal breast cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hSB0Cai4Ljc/Vs6JPfxdngI/AAAAAAAABXE/oMT8LFfViO4/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hSB0Cai4Ljc/Vs6JPfxdngI/AAAAAAAABXE/oMT8LFfViO4/s320/book.jpg" width="256" /></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #141823;">My Forever </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sarah McLendon<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christian Romance, Romance, Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Only a few years after tragically losing her hearing, Savannah James is blindsided by the death of her mother. Alone, in a world that can hear what she cannot, Savannah struggles to find her way without the most important person in her life. She returns to the radiology department at Mountain View Hospital, hopeful that immersing herself in work will help ease her pain. With her self-esteem at an all-time low, can Savannah's chance encounter with Nurse Carter Reed, with secrets of his own, lead to a blossoming romance? For the first time, Savannah is not self-conscious about being deaf. Will Carter and Savannah be able to overcome the darkness they both have had to face in their lives to find My Forever...</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author Bio:</span></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sarah McLendon is from Georgia and lives with her husband John and 2 furry children. <i>My Forever</i> is her first published book and she is currently working on the sequel. She is also working on a biography about a terminal breast cancer patient. She has been published in the Reader’s Gazette and was featured in the Blog for London Books (Clean Indie Reads), the home of Flinch Free Fiction. She has spent the last 22 years in the Education Field and she values her Faith in God and uses it daily to help her live her life like she is meant to live it!</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Purchase Links:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1516813936?keywords=my%20forever%20sarah%20mclendon&qid=1444698672" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #141823; font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-forever-sarah-mclendon/1122494031?ean=9781516813933" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble </a></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b style="color: #141823; line-height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Contact Links:</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b style="color: #141823; line-height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #141823; font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Sarah-403815069809445/timeline/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></b><b style="line-height: 15pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #141823; font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #141823; font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Twitter: </span></b><b style="line-height: 15pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #141823; font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">@mclendonsarah</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-4552574188108433232016-02-24T22:44:00.000-05:002016-02-24T22:44:55.572-05:00Celebrate Love Blog Series with author Donna G Driver and Passing Notes<b>February is coming to an end, and we are down to the last few romance authors. Fear not, those who have already run out of chocolate, Easter is around the corner! </b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t plan on being a writer when I was a kid. I was always planning on being an actress/singer. I even majored in Drama in college. All the while, though, I was writing as a hobby: stories, poems, songs, plays and one fairly horrible horror novel in my spare time. Around the time I graduated college I had finished that first novel and was starting a series of romantic fairy tale novellas and children’s novels. When I finally sold a story and got a play produced I was hooked, and I’ve been writing (with intention) ever since. Eventually, I gave up pursuing acting in Hollywood and turned all my creative focus on writing. Now that I’m a little older and living in Tennessee, I do an occasional community theater musical to satisfy that theater itch, but I’ve really had to pull back on those to make more time for my writing career. <b>Quite an interesting evolution.</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BvNecpPOfHA/Vs5uYLs9BsI/AAAAAAAABWo/5ND4AElqInQ/s1600/12696256_1127942780569284_828537785_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BvNecpPOfHA/Vs5uYLs9BsI/AAAAAAAABWo/5ND4AElqInQ/s320/12696256_1127942780569284_828537785_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b><o:p></o:p></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a full-time teaching job, and I’m a wife and mother. My writing happens in the evenings after work (when I can fit it in) and mostly on the weekends in writing sprints. Most of my weeknight time tends to go more toward marketing than writing. <b>I get that. I am sitting here going over the interview, wearing my field dress </b><b>(combat) </b><b>uniform, taking advantage of the available time.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you tell us a little about your novel? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Passing Notes</i> is a young adult romance novella. It’s not terribly long, but it’s very sweet with a paranormal twist to it. In this story, Mark is a senior in high school and has been in love with Bethany for years. She’s finally given him a chance, but he’s pretty inept when it comes to flirtatious texts or romantic emails. He begins finding little handwritten notes giving him advice about how to write the perfect love letter. Who is haunting him with this advice? And if he follows the suggestions, will it work and win Bethany’s love?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Would you take us on a brief tour of your novel and the world you’ve created?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mark isn’t a great student, and he’s planning to join the Army when he graduates. He’s not in any of Bethany’s classes, because she’s one of those really smart girls in the Honors classes. The story takes place in the realms of his life: school, his fast-food job, and his home where he lives with his parents and Alzheimer’s-stricken grandmother. While this is a high school love story, Mark’s relationship with his family is also important to the story and something that has attracted adult readers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where does the inspiration for your main character and story come from?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This novella began as a short story. One of my step-daughters was in a relationship where they only texted each other, never talking, and all of their texts were silly and nonsense. There was nothing personal or romantic about it. Not surprisingly, the relationship didn’t last. Around the same time a lot of the elementary schools were beginning to drop cursive as a course of study. I thought that was terribly sad. So, I wanted to write a story about reviving the art of the handwritten romantic love letter. Who would have no idea how to write one? Someone like Mark. Who would appreciate one? Someone like Bethany. Who would teach him how to do it? Well, that is the question, isn’t it? <b>Ha! Love it.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8A28TzC8YEA/Vs5ufPhROgI/AAAAAAAABWs/TgCVEJ6CLHE/s1600/12696043_1127943333902562_1933314442_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8A28TzC8YEA/Vs5ufPhROgI/AAAAAAAABWs/TgCVEJ6CLHE/s320/12696043_1127943333902562_1933314442_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you think makes a good romance story?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I like to see how characters meet and connect. That’s my favorite part of romantic stories. I like when two people are able to get past all the nonsense and see each other as they really are. I’m a sucker for happiness and romantic gestures. <b>Which is something we could all use a dose of.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How do you handle the emotional side of romance writing? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whether the story is a romance or not, it should have an emotional side. I’ll admit to having wept while writing a sad scene and clenching my jaw through stressful ones. I definitely experienced some of that when writing <i>Passing Notes</i>. <b>I agree. So much of our everyday life is emotion-based, so it's important to be able to bring out emotions in our readers. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Which elements do you think are more important in this type of writing? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not a romance author per se. I’m a YA author, so my focus is more on writing authentic teen characters even if I put them in slightly fantastic situations. So far my YA books have focused on blooming romances. First love. That said, I think an author needs to write characters the reader cares about, or they won’t care if they fall in love or if the guy gets the girl. <b>Agreed. I think writing characters that the readers can relate to is a must to draw them into the story. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is the message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story around or did it develop as your characters came to life?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Passing Notes</i> is about being genuine. It’s about being expressive. It’s about being true to yourself and caring for your family. Did I plan this ahead of time? No. It all came from Mark and his relationship with the ghost sending him notes. <b>I’m going to have to read that.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? If you use an outline, how detailed is it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Normally I do write from outlines, but not this time. As I wrote above, this story began as a short story. I wrote it to enter into a contest. It didn’t win, so I put it away for a while not knowing what to do with it. Then one day I got an idea of how to stretch it out into a longer format. I never did an outline for this story. I just started adding to it like adding shadows and highlights to a painting. Fire and Ice YA Books (who had published my novel <i>Cry of the Sea</i> earlier in the year) agreed to publish this novella as an ebook. <b>That’s great.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story takes place over a week – the first week of the 2<sup>nd</sup> semester of school. <b>I always find it fascinating how a hundred years can fill a few pages and a few days can fill an entire novel.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How does this book differ from what you have written in the past?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I like to write contemporary fantasy or magic realism, so this story fits into that genre because of the paranormal aspect of it. My other fiction tends to be more plot-driven adventure, however. Whereas <i>Passing Notes</i> is a quiet, romantic, character-based piece. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How have the changes in present-day publishing impacted your schedule as a writer?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Social media and marketing take up a tremendous amount of time. I feel the urge to constantly be posting on my pages or updating the blog, finding new reviewers, places to guest blog, etc. With my limited time, my writing time evaporates quickly. I used to write a lot faster than I do now. I actually do better writing if I take my laptop somewhere where there is no wifi. Even if it means sitting in my car at the park. I am not a self-published writer, so I don’t have a hand in how my books are produced. I do want to try to put out at least one book a year, if possible, through Fire and Ice as long as they’re into it. I am shopping manuscripts around to agents too, mostly my Middle-Grade fiction. <b>Marketing can be overwhelming for sure. I look at others who have completely self-published, doing things I cannot do because I have a publisher behind me as well, (you know, like having they one typo corrected, lol). I am completely satisfied with Ravenswood Publishing and couldn't imagine going at it alone.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f4DiGmhpoKc/Vs5uvkfPWeI/AAAAAAAABWw/pPBi3dAe2nM/s1600/book%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f4DiGmhpoKc/Vs5uvkfPWeI/AAAAAAAABWw/pPBi3dAe2nM/s400/book%2Bcover.jpg" width="263" /></a><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sadly, I don’t have a plan. I have slowly but surely been making connections with bloggers and other authors. We help each other out. I really do take this all one day at a time. <b>It can be some overwhelming; I think that pacing yourself through the process is best. Sadly, what works for one does nothing for another, so there is not 'right' way to go about it.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Don’t rush. Take the time to make a good quality story. It’s not a race. Really, it’s not. The book will sell more if it’s awesome than it will if it’s so-so because you were in too much of a hurry to get it on the market. <b>Sound advice. I always wonder how some authors manage to pump out books several times a year.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you tell us what you’re working on now? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve just finished plotting the 3<sup>rd</sup> book of my Juniper Sawfeather series. <i>Cry of the Sea</i> and <i>Whisper of the Woods</i> are the first two books about a teen daughter of environmental activists who discovers mythical creatures during her efforts to protect the natural world. The first book involved mermaids, and the second book involved an ancient tree spirit. I can’t say what she’ll find in the 3<sup>rd</sup> book yet. It’s a secret. Learn more about these books at my website: <span lang="FR-CA"><a href="http://www.dgdriver.com/"><span lang="EN-CA">www.dgdriver.com</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I am very excited to share a character interview with you from Passing Notes. I'll go whip up a few steaming mugs of that awesome hot cocoa from Snow Job while you read on. Enjoy!<span style="color: #0070c0;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #0070c0; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Interview with Mark Dowd from <i>Passing Notes</i> by D. G. Driver<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tell us a little something about yourself.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know what there is to know. I’m 17 and almost done with high school, thank goodness. I’m in ROTC, so I’ll be joining up right after graduation. I used to be on the hockey team but had to quit when my grandma got Alzheimer’s and had to move in with us. So, now I just work at the Sonic drive-through after school. I guess I’m kind of an ordinary guy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>But something extra-ordinary has happened to you, hasn’t it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yeah, I guess you could say that. Over Winter Break, Bethany Rivers started going out with me. I don’t know if we’re for sure boyfriend/girlfriend, but I thought it was going that way. She’s been pretty distant since we got back to school, though. I think her friends are telling her not to be with me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Yes, that’s interesting and sweet, but that’s not the extra-ordinary thing I was asking about? Care to share?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, about the notes? Is that what you’re asking about? I kind of was keeping that a secret. I thought only Jill Pietenpol knew about them. Did she tell you? She’s such a busy-body. I should never have asked her to read that first one for me. It’s just that it was in cursive, and I couldn’t read it very well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Mark, just answer the question. What’s going on with the notes?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, I keep finding them. Sometimes they’re in my desk or my backpack. They’re all in cursive and have annoying messages about how letters need to be sweet, polite, private and written in nice handwriting. Stuff like that. Thing is, they always seem to show up right after I say or do something awkward around Bethany. I send her a dumb text and BAM! there’s a note telling me how stupid I was and how I should try again with more romance and tact. I’m not good at that kind of wordy romantic stuff, and whoever’s giving me the notes is kind of getting on my nerves.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you know who it is?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No. At first I thought I was finding notes from long ago that someone lost. Next I thought someone was being sneaky or playing a trick on me. But then the words on the paper changed in front of my eyes, like they were being written by an invisible person. Now I’m wondering…. You’re going to think this sounds stupid.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Just say it. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think it might be a ghost.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you think this <i>ghost</i> wants?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me to write a great love letter to Bethany, I guess.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>But why? Doesn’t sound like a typical haunting, does it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know. That’s what I keep asking myself. Why would my love life matter some old ghost? But hey, I’ve got a question for you, interviewer: do you think I should do what the ghost suggests? Should I follow his advice?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Couldn’t hurt, Mark. I know if I got a beautiful love letter, I’d be pretty tickled.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aw, that’s what I thought you’d say, but then again, you’re a writer, aren’t you?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Is Bethany a writer?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No, but she’s super smart and on the debate team so she’s great with words. She reads a lot of books. I’m not even close to being as intelligent as her. Plus, she’s really pretty and has always been nice to me. I’ve known her for years.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>You really care for her, don’t you?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yeah. So much.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>That ghost might be onto something then. What are you going to do?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know yet. I definitely don’t want to embarrass myself any more than I already have. I’ll think about it and get back to you. Okay?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Blurb: </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A sweet YA romance with a paranormal twist!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 18.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mark has finally gotten the attention of the girl of his dreams. Only, his lame attempts at romance through texts and emails seem to be turning her off. When he gets put in the back of the room in an over-full class at school, he begins to discover old notes giving advice about how to write a great love letter. At first, he thinks he’s stumbled on some long-forgotten notes passed in class ages ago, but every time he reads them they seem directed specifically to him. They also appear at the perfect moment each time he needs more advice. It’s like someone is haunting him. How do the notes keep appearing? Who’s writing them? Why?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And if Mark follows the ghostly writer’s advice, will he win Bethany’s love?</span><span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ready to find out more about our guest author? Well then you're in luck, I just happen to have her bio on hand. Read on...</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Q73sVj7r3g/Vs5vyXsoP2I/AAAAAAAABW0/qQxWlb_3Wd0/s1600/auhtor%2Bpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Q73sVj7r3g/Vs5vyXsoP2I/AAAAAAAABW0/qQxWlb_3Wd0/s320/auhtor%2Bpic.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author D. G. Driver has been a published author for 21 years. She has several award-winning, critically acclaimed nonfiction books as Donna Getzinger. Through Fire and Ice YA Books, she has published three Young Adult contemporary fantasies: <i>Passing Notes</i>, and the Juniper Sawfeather Novels, <i>Cry of the Sea</i> and <i>Whisper of the Woods</i>. In addition to being a writer, she is an actress/singer and a teacher in Nashville, TN. </span><span style="color: #31849b; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Contact Links:</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #d9d2e9; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.dgdriver.com/" target="_blank">Mailing List</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/donnagdriver" style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank">Facebook </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #3b5998;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/DGDriverAuthor" style="background-color: #d9d2e9;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #3b5998;"><a href="http://www.instagram.com/d-g-driver" style="background-color: #d9d2e9;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #d9d2e9; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Email: <a href="mailto:donnadriver68@gmail.com">donnadriver68@gmail.com</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #d9d2e9; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><b>Purchase Links:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #d9d2e9; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Passing-Notes-D-G-Driverebook/dp/B00RMZBLJK" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #d9d2e9; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><b><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/505480" target="_blank">Nook</a></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #d9d2e9; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><b><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/505480" target="_blank">Smashwords:</a></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #d9d2e9; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.fireandiceya.com/authors/dgdriver/passingnotes.html" target="_blank"><b>Publisher's website</b></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<b><a href="http://www.dgdriver.com/passing-notes.html" target="_blank">Author's Website</a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-size: 18.0pt;">What Reviewers are Writing About <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-shade-rectfill-pctbottom: 50.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-shade-rectfill-pctleft: 50.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-shade-rectfill-pctright: 50.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-shade-rectfill-pcttop: 50.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-shadetype: path-circle; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-stoplist: "0 \#A00000 -1 100000 shade=30000 satm=115000\,50000 \#E60000 -1 100000 shade=67500 satm=115000\,100000 \#FF0000 -1 100000 shade=100000 satm=115000"; mso-style-textfill-type: gradient;">Passing
Notes</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: Algerian; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-shade-rectfill-pctbottom: 50.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-shade-rectfill-pctleft: 50.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-shade-rectfill-pctright: 50.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-shade-rectfill-pcttop: 50.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-shadetype: path-circle; mso-style-textfill-fill-gradientfill-stoplist: "0 \#A00000 -1 100000 shade=30000 satm=115000\,50000 \#E60000 -1 100000 shade=67500 satm=115000\,100000 \#FF0000 -1 100000 shade=100000 satm=115000"; mso-style-textfill-type: gradient;">
</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-size: 18.0pt;">by D. G. Driver<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<em><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4caac9; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"</span></em><strong><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4caac9; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Passing Notes</span></i></strong><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4caac9; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
is a novella about young love but with a touch of paranormal. It’s a sweet
story that I enjoyed. Even though this is a novella, D.G. Driver did a good job
at developing the characters. It’s obvious that Mark, who is telling the story,
is a good guy who is hopelessly in love. A couple of current issues are brought
to attention, both of which are bothersome to me. One is how much texting and
emailing replaces talking and spending time together in relationships. The
other is that cursive writing seems to be becoming a thing of the past. I
enjoyed </span></strong><em><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4caac9; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Passing Notes</span></b></em><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4caac9; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
and I believe young adults and adults alike would like it. I wish it had been
longer!"</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4caac9; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">- <i>Bound4Escape</i></span></strong><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">"This is such a good read!!</span></strong><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> <strong>I
really enjoyed reading this short novella. I really did feel Mark's frustration
when he would attempt something to woo Bethany and it would just backfire in
his face. Then he started getting the letters, and when he listens... it's
amazing for him! He learns of a long-forgotten connection, and he learns a new
skill as he goes. You will love the ending, and you will love the whole
package!"</strong></span></b><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">- </span></strong><em><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Dowie's
Place Reviews<o:p></o:p></span></b></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #6cb83a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Passing Notes had a beautiful and fitting end that came
full circle and was satisfying to read. For any teen that stumbles through
dating, this is a wonderfully informative and entertaining novella that they
can learn from."</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #6cb83a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">- </span></strong><em><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Rachel
Barnard Reviews</span></b></em><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Coming Soon","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"The subtle moral of this novella is that love can only grow
when we put some thought and effort into it. With the use of texting and social
media days, it's easy to become lazy and complacent in our relationships so I
honestly believe that this should be required reading for any young (or young
at heart) person in your life. It might even save a few marriages…</span></strong><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
<strong>Oh, and you'll probably
be able to guess who the ghost is but the confirmation provided one of the most
powerful moments of the story. Ms. Driver proves once again that she's an
author to watch!"</strong></span></b><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">– </span></strong><em><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Cullen
House Reviews</span></b></em><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Coming Soon","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">"I really liked this
story. I liked how Mark just couldn't seem to convey his feelings
properly to the girl he so desperately wanted. I liked the element of a
little magic helping him along. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">I liked how the whole thing tied to
his family. The only thing I didn't like was that it was too short!!!!!!"</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #e0bf5c; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">- <em><b>Read
Around Sue</b></em></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Coming Soon","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">“I can't
explain how amazing this short read was. It’s so simple but the impact and the
message in and of itself is beyond powerful… Grinning like a damn idiot just
remembering the goodness of this book.”</span></b><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00b0f0; font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span></i></b><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">– Curious Obsessive
Bookworm</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #141823; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-59612236978052386352016-02-22T00:00:00.000-05:002016-02-22T00:00:20.815-05:00Fill Your Kindle GiveawayFill Your Kindle Giveaway <a href="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Banner1.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-3263"><img alt="Banner1" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3263" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Banner1.jpg" height="162" width="864" /></a><span id="inserted6033" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 18px;">Ten clean indie authors. Sixteen gripping stories. One HUGE giveaway.</span><br />
<strong>Enter below for your chance to win 16 books plus a $100 Amazon card.</strong><br />
<a href="http://ctt.ec/0Ox65" target="_blank">Click to Tweet</a><br />
<hr />
<a href="http://amazon.com/dp/B00WYDIE6I" rel="attachment wp-att-3196" target="_blank"><img alt="AtAF_Cover_Kindle" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3256" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/AtAF_Cover_Kindle-186x300.jpg" height="300" width="186" /></a><br />
<span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;"><a href="http://amazon.com/dp/B00WYDIE6I" target="_blank">As The Ash Fell</a> </span>by <a href="http://ajpowers.com/" target="_blank">AJ Powers</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://amazon.com/dp/B00WYDIE6I" rel="attachment wp-att-2153" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="wp-image-3246 alignnone" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kindle_button.png" height="30" width="170" /></a><span id="inserted2825" style="color: #b8072e;">Dystopian</span><br />
<br />
<br />
Taking care of ten kids was the last thing Clay Whitaker expected by his twentieth birthday. Then again, after acclimating to the volatile nature of life in the Texan frozen wastelands, he's not surprised by much anymore. That is, until he meets Kelsey Lambert. Now, with a brutal winter rolling in earlier than ever, Clay must swiftly adapt to the changes in his life to ensure the safety of those he cares about.<br />
<hr />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1UalXXC" rel="attachment wp-att-3201" target="_blank"><img alt="Cowboy Leaning in Doorway of Barn" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3201" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/The-Cowboys-Last-Goodbye-200x300.jpg" height="300" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1UalXXC" target="_blank"><span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;">The Cowboy's Last Goodbye</span></a>by <a href="http://shannahatfield.com/" target="_blank">Shanna Hatfield</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1UalXXC" rel="attachment wp-att-2153" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="wp-image-3246 alignnone" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kindle_button.png" height="30" width="170" /></a><span id="inserted2825" style="color: #b8072e;">Contemporary Western Romance</span><br />
<br />
<br />
Ben Morgan has no problem safeguarding his heart until he meets a sweet woman determined to ignore his considerable charms. Harper Hayes knows the very last thing she needs is the entanglement of a relationship, especially with a handsome cowboy like Ben Morgan. However, their hearts, her uncle, and a military dog have other ideas.<br />
<hr />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AOHP5YO" rel="attachment wp-att-3196" target="_blank"><img alt="FindingFaithCover" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3196" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FindingFaithCover-200x300.jpg" height="300" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AOHP5YO" target="_blank"><span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;">Finding Faith (Love's Compass: Book Four)</span></a>by <a href="http://www.melaniedsnitker.com/" target="_blank">Melanie D. Snitker</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AOHP5YO" rel="attachment wp-att-2153" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-3246" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kindle_button.png" height="31" width="178" /></a><span id="inserted2825" style="color: #b8072e;">Contemporary Christian Romance</span><br />
<br />
<br />
Single mom Serenity Chandler is determined to do anything to provide better opportunities for her son, Gideon. That includes moving so he can attend a special needs school. The satisfaction of helping children and being a part of their lives is one reason Aaron Randall loves his job as a music therapist. Dueto Hope Academy's dating policy, any relationship between them will put his job at risk. The more time Aaron spends with Serenity and Gideon, the harder it is to ignore what they could have together. With Aaron's job and Gideon's education hanging in the balance, they'll have to rely on faith to find their way.<br />
<hr />
<a href="http://wesleybanksauthor.com/in-her-eyes/" rel="attachment wp-att-3197" target="_blank"><img alt="inhereyes-kind-final-1600x2560" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3197" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/inhereyes-kind-final-1600x2560-188x300.jpg" height="300" width="188" /></a><br />
<a href="http://wesleybanksauthor.com/in-her-eyes/" target="_blank"><span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;">In Her Eyes</span></a>by <a href="http://wesleybanksauthor.com/" target="_blank">Wesley Banks</a><br />
<span id="inserted2825" style="color: #b8072e;">Sports Romance</span><a href="http://wesleybanksauthor.com/in-her-eyes/" target="_blank">Book Page</a><br />
(Pre-order ComingSoon)When Ben Wilder is given a second chance he focuses on the one thing he's always been good at: running. After walking on to the University of Florida he begins to quickly move up the national rankings,paving a path towards the NCAA Track & Field Championships. Everything is going the way he planned, until the day he bumps into Casey Taylor. <em>*Disclaimer: Content includes explicit language*</em><br />
<hr />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019E15S0M/" rel="attachment wp-att-3198" target="_blank"><img alt="Life and Salvation_Front" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3198" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Life-and-Salvation_Front-188x300.jpg" height="300" width="188" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019E15S0M/" target="_blank"><span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;">Life and Salvation</span></a>by <a href="http://www.faithblum.com/" target="_blank">Faith Blum</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019E15S0M/" rel="attachment wp-att-2153" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-3246" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kindle_button.png" height="31" width="178" /></a><span id="inserted2825" style="color: #b8072e;">Christian Western Romance</span><br />
<br />
<br />
Three novellas, three men, three women, three very different problems. God is leading each couple, but will they listen? Will they all find true love in the midst of their problems? <br />
<hr />
<a href="http://mybook.to/Mercys_Prince" rel="attachment wp-att-3199" target="_blank"><img alt="Mercy's Prince Kindle cover" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3199" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Mercys-Prince-Kindle-cover-202x300.jpg" height="300" width="202" /></a><br />
<a href="http://mybook.to/Mercys_Prince" target="_blank"><span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;">Mercy's Prince</span></a>by <a href="http://www.katyhuthjones.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Katy Jones</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mybook.to/Mercys_Prince" rel="attachment wp-att-2153" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-3246" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kindle_button.png" height="31" width="178" /></a><span id="inserted2825" style="color: #b8072e;">Young Adult Christian Fantasy</span><br />
<br />
<br />
When his older brother dies in battle, Valerian must set aside his dream to be a scholarly monk and become crown prince. Armed with a brave heart and the love of a pacifist Healer named Mercy, Valerian sets out to find the legendary dragons, the only hope of salvation for his kingdom.<br />
<hr />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/None-But-Austen-Inspirations-Book-ebook/dp/B01B109N9G" rel="attachment wp-att-3195" target="_blank"><img alt="COVERnonebutyou_KINDLE" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3195" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/COVERnonebutyou_KINDLE-188x300.jpg" height="300" width="188" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/None-But-Austen-Inspirations-Book-ebook/dp/B01B109N9G" target="_blank"><span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;">None But You</span></a>by <a href="http://frankybrown.com/" target="_blank">Franky Brown</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/None-But-Austen-Inspirations-Book-ebook/dp/B01B109N9G" rel="attachment wp-att-2153" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-3246" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kindle_button.png" height="31" width="178" /></a><span id="inserted2825" style="color: #b8072e;">Chick Lit</span><br />
<br />
<br />
Anna never expected to see Erick Walsworth again. Breaking off their engagement eight years ago was the worst decision of her life. With circumstances throwing them together and a best friend insisting on playing matchmaker, Anna can’t escape the one question she fears most: What happens if she can’t convince her first love to give her a second chance?<br />
<hr />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QEE7MHA/?tag=cleanromancebooks-20" rel="attachment wp-att-3200" target="_blank"><img alt="ReluctantlyMarried-FINAL" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3200" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ReluctantlyMarried-FINAL-200x300.jpg" height="300" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QEE7MHA/?tag=cleanromancebooks-20" target="_blank"><span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;">Reluctantly Married</span></a>by <a href="http://victorinelieske.com/" target="_blank">Victorine Lieske</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QEE7MHA/?tag=cleanromancebooks-20" rel="attachment wp-att-2153" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-3246" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kindle_button.png" height="31" width="178" /></a> <span style="color: #b8072e;">Contemporary Romantic Comedy</span><br />
<br />
What starts out as a harmless on-air date between local morning show co-hosts ends up going viral, and Megan Holloway is thrown into a whirlwind fake romance. But what starts out as pretend, soon becomes real, and she must decide if her heart can take a chance on love.<br />
<hr />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015W01YFW" rel="attachment wp-att-3231" target="_blank"><img alt="SJ1" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3231" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SJ1-205x300.jpg" height="300" width="205" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015W01YFW" rel="attachment wp-att-3231" target="_blank"><span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;">Snow Job</span></a>by <a href="http://welcometomywritingworld.weebly.com/index.html" target="_blank">Debbie Brown</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015W01YFW" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-3246" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kindle_button.png" height="31" width="178" /></a>Mystery<br />
<br />
<br />
When NY divorce lawyer, Sarah Lindquist, stepped out of her office to clear her mind before her next client showed up, the last thing she expected was to come to in the middle of the Colorado Rockies, with two park rangers standing over her. The ex-military rangers are convinced someone wants her out of the way, but how to find out who, without putting her life at risk and letting that 'someone' know they've missed the target?<br />
<hr />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Write-Me-Home-Book-ebook/dp/B01AR1SM7O/ie=UTF8?m=&keywords=clean+romance+novels&tag=wwwcrystalwal-20" rel="attachment wp-att-3148" target="_blank"><img alt="Write Me Home-FINAL Ebook" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3148" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Write-Me-Home-FINAL-Ebook-200x300.jpg" height="300" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Write-Me-Home-Book-ebook/dp/B01AR1SM7O/ie=UTF8?m=&keywords=clean+romance+novels&tag=wwwcrystalwal-20" target="_blank"><span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;">Write Me Home</span></a>by <a href="http://crystal-walton.com/" target="_blank">Crystal Walton</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Write-Me-Home-Book-ebook/dp/B01AR1SM7O/ie=UTF8?m=&keywords=clean+romance+novels&tag=wwwcrystalwal-20" rel="attachment wp-att-2153" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-3246" src="http://crystal-walton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kindle_button.png" height="31" width="178" /></a><span id="inserted2825" style="color: #b8072e;">Contemporary Clean Romance</span><br />
<br />
<br />
Firefighter Ethan DeLuca couldn’t get out of Haven’s Creek fast enough. But the trouble with trying to outrun his past? Memories still burn under the ashes. Especially when coming home brings a feisty redheaded fire into his life that he has no idea how to put out.<br />
<hr />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;">Fill Your Kindle Giveaway - 16 books plus a $100 Gift Card</span> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_-8Tlg8cO0/VsJ5aGHJc4I/AAAAAAAABUI/KZ0HRQComv8/s1600/FillYourKindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_-8Tlg8cO0/VsJ5aGHJc4I/AAAAAAAABUI/KZ0HRQComv8/s320/FillYourKindle.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>
<br />
<strong>Enter for your chance to win this massive giveaway, including:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Paperback or gifted Kindle copy of <a href="http://amazon.com/dp/B00WYDIE6I" target="_blank">As The Ash Fell</a></li>
<li>eBook copy of the entire <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00CJDDYN6/kindle/ref=sr_bookseries_null_B00CJDDYN6" target="_blank">Grass Valley Cowboy's series</a></li>
<li>eBook copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AOHP5YO" target="_blank">Finding Faith</a></li>
<li>eBook copy of <a href="http://wesleybanksauthor.com/in-her-eyes/" target="_blank">In Her Eyes</a></li>
<li>Paperback or eBook copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019E15S0M/" target="_blank">Life and Salvation</a></li>
<li>Paperback or eBook copy of <a href="http://mybook.to/Mercys_Prince" target="_blank">Mercy's Prince</a></li>
<li>Paperback or eBook copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/None-But-Austen-Inspirations-Book-ebook/dp/B01B109N9G" target="_blank">None But You</a></li>
<li>Paperback or eBook copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QEE7MHA/?tag=cleanromancebooks-20" target="_blank">Reluctantly Married</a></li>
<li>eBook copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015W01YFW" target="_blank">Snow Job</a> plus one of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Debbie-Brown/e/B007JBSKZK" target="_blank">Brown's other books</a></li>
<li>Paperback or eBook copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Write-Me-Home-Book-ebook/dp/B01AR1SM7O/ie=UTF8?m=&keywords=clean+romance+novels&tag=wwwcrystalwal-20" target="_blank">Write Me Home</a></li>
</ul>
<span id="inserted1470" style="color: #b8072e; font-size: 22px;">How To Win</span><br />
Enter the Rafflecopter form below. Note, the more entries you submit, the greater your chances are of winning this sweet giveaway! Don't forget to spread the word. <a href="http://ctt.ec/0Ox65" target="_blank">Click to tweet.</a><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="4ed25e2a2" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4ed25e2a2/" id="rcwidget_qgtr15tz" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-64586432350537795512016-02-19T21:23:00.000-05:002016-02-19T21:23:29.924-05:00Celebrate Love Blog Series with Author Ines Bautista Yau and her novel Plain Vanilla<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Our next guest brings Ice Cream...and that is awesome! I mean, don't get me wrong. I like chocolate....but I love Ice cream. </span></b><span style="font-family: wingdings;"><b>J</b></span><b><span lang="EN-US"> Oh, and </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">I'm not going to talk about the weather because someone up there can't make up their minds if they want to freeze us or snow us in. So, back to ice cream, and our next guest, Ines Bautista Yau. Welcome back Ines! </span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-US">Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?</span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I studied Communication Arts in college because I always wanted to write. It didn’t matter what form it took, I just wanted to write. Then when I began working in a public relations company, a friend suggested I teach in my former high school. I had no idea what to teach, but something inside was ignited and I couldn’t sleep that night. The next day, I called the school and asked if I could apply. I figured I could try to be an English teacher. It was my favorite subject anyway. So I got accepted and I studied my masters degree in English Language and Literature Teaching (I am a comprehensive exam and thesis away from my degree). Afterward, I joined the editorial team of Candy magazine, a teen magazine. My life has always been in flux between writing and teaching. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Right now, I freelance and work from home because I have two little girls and I want to be there when they need me. <b>Hmm, if that's anything like my youngest ( which I believe are the same age as your two), they need you ALL the time. Or more specifically, as soon as you try to do anything for yourself, worke related or not.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">I began writing when I was a child. I guess, like all writers, I love to read, and as a child, I always carried a book around with me wherever I went. Somehow, the natural progression was to begin writing my own stories as well. At first, I began writing in a diary because I was given one by an aunt, but I grew tired of merely recording what happened to me that day. So I made up my own stories and the thrill and freedom that came with that hasn’t left me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-The2kAuxvxY/VsePiMwjM6I/AAAAAAAABVE/hVP2TyUCxl4/s1600/Only%2BA%2BKiss%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-The2kAuxvxY/VsePiMwjM6I/AAAAAAAABVE/hVP2TyUCxl4/s320/Only%2BA%2BKiss%2BCover.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">My full time job is being a mom. I</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">m taking care of my two-year-old for what feels like 24/7 and my seven-year-old when she</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s home from school. When I find time in between to breathe, I write. It</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s incredibly challenging and I don</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">t know how I</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">m going to finish another book, but I was able to do it last year and I know I can push myself to do it again this year! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Could you tell us a little about your novel? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">My novella is entitled Only A Kiss. It is a sweet romance set in the Philippines and it’s about two best friends, Chris and Katie. They went to the same grade school and always had each other’s backs. When high school hit, things began to change. Chris had his heart broken for the first time and his life spun out of control (at least, according to Katie). In the end, they learn a thing or two about love and friendship. <b>I enjoyed reading this one very much.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US"> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">What do you think makes a good romance story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I believe a good romance story must be believable. It has characters that tug at your heartstrings and make you feel something, characters that make you care about what happens to them, and of course, characters who fall in love and find a way to be together in the end. And very important, they have to end up together! Haha! <b>Yeah...that one, tiny, last detail, is the reason my novel, <i>Emma, to Begin Again</i>, could not be considered romance. But alas, their fate had been sealed by the previous novel.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">How do you handle the emotional side of romance writing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tyDhnDfEgzM/VsePQ3u0MKI/AAAAAAAABVA/_iccZBfV_3Y/s1600/just%2Ba%2Blittle%2Bbit%2Bof%2Blove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tyDhnDfEgzM/VsePQ3u0MKI/AAAAAAAABVA/_iccZBfV_3Y/s320/just%2Ba%2Blittle%2Bbit%2Bof%2Blove.jpg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US">I love this part. It</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s when I have to dig deep and call forth the emotions my characters are feeling. It</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s not easy if it</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s something I haven</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">t experienced yet but that</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s when I tell my imagination to run wild and come back with something I can work with. So far, it works but it takes a toll on my tummy because more often than not, it</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s tied in knots alongside my characters</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US"> tummies! <b>Lol, the sign of a true artist.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Which elements do you think are more important in this type of writing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I think the characters need to shine through and be very real. This is the only way the reader can be invested in them and want their happiness. If the reader doesn</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">t like them, then she won</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">t care what happens to them in the end</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">—</span><span lang="EN-US">and your happily ever after will be pointless. <b>Now that makes sense!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">What is the message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story around or did it develop as your characters came to life?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">That love will happen, though it may take time. It’s funny, I didn’t really set out to include a message in the book, but readers have been telling me that they’ve learned a lot from it and that they now have hope that someday, they too will find love. And even if I didn’t mean for that to happen, I’m glad that’s what they took away. <b>Ah, the sign of inspired writing.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">Years </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span lang="EN-US"> It begins when they</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">re children and ends when they are in their twenties.</span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Could you tell us about your other works?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I have just released a short story collection called Just A Little Bit of Love and the stories basically happen in the same world as Only A Kiss. They can stand on their own, however, and do not need to be read together. What I love about this collection is there are three doses of love but they all pack a lot of feels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ViZz8ll69-4/VsePnpjOfNI/AAAAAAAABVI/16yaM7mToLo/s1600/plain%2Bvanilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ViZz8ll69-4/VsePnpjOfNI/AAAAAAAABVI/16yaM7mToLo/s320/plain%2Bvanilla.jpg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US">I also plan to release a short story for Valentine</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s called Plain Vanilla. The story opens on Valentine</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s Day when a teenage girl named Tempest attends a Valentine</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s party thrown by her wild and wacky family. She feels she</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s the only normal person there then she meets Paco, a boy who intrigues her. But when she finds out he calls her </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“</span><span lang="EN-US">vanilla</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">”</span><span lang="EN-US"> on Facebook, she gets really upset and sets out to prove him wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">How does this book differ from what you have written in the past?</span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">This is only my third book, but my other two did not span almost an entire lifetime. I think that</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s the main difference. Also, I cover both points of view in Only A Kiss</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">—</span><span lang="EN-US">Katie</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s and Chris</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s. In my other two books, I use the first person point of view. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US">Don’t give up. Learn everything you can about your craft. Don’t ever stop learning. And don’t ever stop writing. You can only get better with time and practice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IzAQFyg9ux0/VseQbgEef6I/AAAAAAAABVQ/vWv0uqMdwtA/s1600/Someday-With-You-cover-rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IzAQFyg9ux0/VseQbgEef6I/AAAAAAAABVQ/vWv0uqMdwtA/s320/Someday-With-You-cover-rev.jpg" width="200" /></a><b><span lang="EN-US">Could you tell us about your other works?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I have just released a short story collection called Just A Little Bit of Love and the stories basically happen in the same world as Only A Kiss. They can stand on their own, however, and do not need to be read together. What I love about this collection is there are three doses of love but they all pack a lot of feels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I released a short story for Valentine</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s called Plain Vanilla. The story opens on Valentine</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s Day when a teenage girl named Tempest attends a Valentine</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s party thrown by her wild and wacky family. She feels she</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s the only normal person there then she meets Paco, a boy who intrigues her. But when she finds out he calls her </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“</span><span lang="EN-US">vanilla</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">”</span><span lang="EN-US"> on Facebook, she gets really upset and sets out to prove him wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<b>Oh, I want to know what happens! That sound like fun.</b></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b>I just wanted to add that I love your book covers. They are beautiful. Different from what we often see. Well done.</b></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="Body">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Ines Bautista-Yao</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> is the author of <i>One Crazy Summer</i>, <i>What’s in your Heart</i>, <i>Only a </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yybav11naKc/VsfNkg9S-cI/AAAAAAAABVk/8CcLEbZPj9g/s1600/091213-calendar-074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yybav11naKc/VsfNkg9S-cI/AAAAAAAABVk/8CcLEbZPj9g/s320/091213-calendar-074.JPG" width="212" /></a></i></div>
<i>Kiss, </i>and <i>Just A Little Bit of Love</i>. She has also written four short stories: “Someday With You,” “Flashbacks and Echoes,” “Plain Vanilla,” and “A Captured Dream,” one of the four short stories in <i>Sola Musica: Love Notes from a Festival.</i> <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">She is the former editor-in-chief of <i>Candy</i> and <i>K-Zone</i> magazines and a former high school and college English and Literature teacher. She is also a wife and mom to two little girls and blogs about the many challenges and joys of motherhood at theeverydayprojectblog.com. The Author Project is a section in her current blog devoted to the stories in her head. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You can find her at: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/inesbautistayao" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Twitter and instagram: @inesbyao <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://theeverydayprojectblog.com/inesbyao-author-project/" target="_blank">Website</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Purchase Links:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Only A Kiss <a href="http://goo.gl/G1AV43" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Only A Kiss <a href="http://www.buqo.ph/Shop/Book/954a811b-eed6-4658-84f9-ab52ef27e35f/only-a-kiss" target="_blank">Buqo.ph</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="FR-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: FR-CA;">Plain Vanilla <a href="http://www.buqo.ph/Shop/Book/13540ce7-bcd4-4554-b15a-2a831c0a10a9/buqoya-2-sweet-complications" target="_blank">Buqu.ph</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">What’s in your Heart <a href="http://www.buqo.ph/Shop/Book/889cebb2-cf29-45cb-b9f3-67aad26baf82/whats-in-your-heart" target="_blank">Buqu.ph</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">One Crazy Summer <a href="http://www.buqo.ph/Shop/Book/ac6385f8-866a-4a53-95f4-639e57bcc748/one-crazy-summer" target="_blank">Buqu.ph</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Sola Musica <a href="http://www.buqo.ph/Shop/Book/32c5df8b-0e0e-4d97-b0f1-ae99650b7adf/sola-musica-love-notes-from-a-festival" target="_blank">Buqu.ph</a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Someday With You <a href="http://www.buqo.ph/Shop/Book/6301542f-93db-4931-8e86-42ec14893a2a" target="_blank">Buqu.ph</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-50327192097638030822016-02-18T00:00:00.000-05:002016-02-18T00:00:15.625-05:00Celebrate Love Blog Series with Author Sarah Johnson and Cupid’s Traps: A Matchmaker’s Tale<div style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">After the brutal cold, Mother Nature dumped close to two feet of snow and topped it off with freezing rain. The up-side is that we're supposed to have an awesome spring. It can start anytime now...I'm ready. But sadly, we're still mid February, and winter has been known to drag its feet. The good thing about this time of year is that almost everyone should have lots of chocolate on hand!</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">And what better way to enjoy some of that chocolate than to curl up with a book that has <i>Cupid</i> in it's title? Read on, I'll go get my stash, there's plenty to share.</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uto2Ij8ON2o/VsUsFu9WDlI/AAAAAAAABUw/JfmkLu2oMoI/s1600/CupidsTraps-AdvertisingBanner-Layers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uto2Ij8ON2o/VsUsFu9WDlI/AAAAAAAABUw/JfmkLu2oMoI/s320/CupidsTraps-AdvertisingBanner-Layers2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My journey to picking up the pen was completely out of the blue. I wrote a little in school, but was otherwise never inspired to do so again until one day a forum I was often on announced a new writer’s contest. I figured, sure, I can try it. I was never short on ideas, so after forming something in my head, I wrote it. I won some prizes for that contest! While that was exciting, what was more exciting was that the story I wrote did not stop in my mind with the original scene. So, I continued to write it, and it turned into a long story of over 300,000 words, later to be turned into my first published novel series, Leaving Bennet Behind. <b>I love how life pushes us into these situations that we might have totally ignored had we not dared take a chance. Good for you.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I do write full time, but am hardly ever alone. Some weeks I get more time than others, as my family responsibilities take over. I do not work outside of the home, so I take care of meal planning, cooking, and cleaning, as well as homeschooling our six children. My writing takes place between the spills and pencil wars that come with such a life. <b>Haha, I can relate!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What do you think makes a good romance story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My husband, my mom, and all my friends will immediately tell you that they are shocked that I write romance stories, as I am not a romantic person. I guess my ultimate definition of a romance would be: love and good wins while hate and evil are vanquished. <b>Now that just fuels my belief that as an author, our job is to express the story that is already there, in its entirety, waiting to see the light.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? If you use an outline, how detailed is it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I usually start a story with a small seed of an idea, and then write about 5,000 words or so before I need to stop and figure out where it is going. I have a general idea by then usually, but the journey to getting there always works best when I leave it to play out while I write. There are times I look at sections, though, and think that the resolution is happening too quickly, so I will rearrange things, but generally I try to write in order or how it ends up being. It helps me build the characters properly when I write in order. <b>That I understand.</b> <b>Personally, I can’t imagine writing scenes out of order. It would be like hindering the flow and not letting the story come to life.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you tell us how you go about your research, how you ‘catalogue’ information to make it all work?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, since I write historical fiction, I have been collecting tid-bits of information for many years. There are some things I just know, and a lot of things I keep in a notebook by my desk or bookmarked in my browser. I have a small list of websites I check first when I need to know something new.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have tried all sorts of ways, and I do whatever I feel might work at the time, but I have found, through the years, that the best marketing for a book is to get another one written.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t quit! Keep working towards that moment when you finally write “the end”, and then have a little party, but don’t stop there. Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you tell us a little about your novel?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cupid’s Traps: A Matchmaker’s Tale is a novella that is different than all of my others. I wanted to explore writing more comedic scenes, so it has a lot of slips, trips, and falls, as well as a great happily ever after. The inspiration for it was Shakespeare’s line in Much Ado About Nothing (Act 3, Scene 1) that says: Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps. It caught my attention, and I had fun coming up with ways Cupid, and his cohorts, would help bring about happiness for a couple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where does the inspiration for your main character and story come from?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I write stories based on Jane Austen’s characters from the novel Pride & Prejudice. It has always been one of my favorite books, and it is fun getting to explore how I can change just one thing here or another thing there and end up with a completely different story for Elizabeth and Darcy. It is almost like a perpetual choose your own adventure book for me. <b>Now that sounds like fun.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cupid’s Traps: A Matchmaker’s Tale, takes place over the course of just a few weeks’ time, starting with the Easter holiday at Rosings Park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How much research went into your story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There were some fun things I had to research – such as knot tying and boats in the Regency period. Mostly it was just a fun tale though, drawing on information I already knew. <b>Now you never can tell when knot tying will come in handy!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you tell us what you’re working on now?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am currently finishing the fourth and last book in my novel series, Leaving Bennet Behind. My goal was to have it out this month, but then I got sick, so maybe Easter is a more realistic time frame for it being ready. The series is, again, based off of Pride & Prejudice, and explores the changes that could take place with a major accident that alters the family dynamic just a few years before it begins. That altered dynamic, of course, leads them down a different path, and this series follows all five Bennet sisters as they each find love and leave the name of Bennet forever behind them. <b>Now that one went right over my head. I thought some poor guy was being left behind, lol.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 13.5pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oRmdV0jrkzU/VsUakIcm8UI/AAAAAAAABUY/dkLUF2phUk8/s1600/SarahJohnson-CupidsTraps-Full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oRmdV0jrkzU/VsUakIcm8UI/AAAAAAAABUY/dkLUF2phUk8/s640/SarahJohnson-CupidsTraps-Full.jpg" width="425" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Synopsis:</b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">William Shakespeare said it best when he penned, ‘Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps’. Georgiana Darcy, in her first matchmaking adventure, might need to call in a few favors from her family, or even Cupid himself, in order to pull off the perfect match for her brother, Fitzwilliam Darcy. He is truly smitten, but the lady, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, is not impressed with his character. Within the throes of Cupid’s traps, will she finally see that her heart is touched by this handsome gentleman before these traps force them into a union?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Excerpt:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taken from Chapter III<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> The four were so eagerly discussing the awe-inspiring experience that they did not notice the latch on the door did not fully catch when they left the cage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Anne was compelled into a coughing fit, and the next thing they knew, a flock of parrots flew overhead, squawking loudly, with more coming out of the opened door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> A curdling scream came from the sitting area, and all four rushed to find out what had happened. They were brought to a stop immediately when they rounded the corner and saw Georgiana’s favorite parrot sitting atop Lady Catherine’s head, firmly planted in her hair, while Mr Collins’ flailing arms tried to fend off another persistent bird. Charlotte was in such shock she watched on in stunned silence. Maria jumped into the fray and tried to help her brother-in-law, but only succeeded in chasing him, and the bird, in circles and making herself quite dizzy. The colonel was no help to anyone as he was laughing so hard he was doubled over and nearly on the floor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> The four raced over and tried to help Lady Catherine, but the squawking only increased as two more parrots joined in on the attack. Anne was trying to remain composed and help her mother, but when Lady Catherine’s prized peacock, which had always had full run of the solarium, came running towards them, his tail feathers wide and on display for all to see, she could control herself no longer and began to laugh just as hard as her cousin Richard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Georgiana joined Maria in trying to chase off the parrot that was engaged in a game of tag with Mr Collins, leaving Elizabeth and Darcy to battle the birds that were attracted to Lady Catherine’s hair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Servants were filling the room quickly, most busily trying to find all the escaped birds to put them back into their enclosure, though none dared step in to be hit by the flying arms of their mistress, Lady Catherine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Elizabeth tried to get the most annoying of the parrots off of the grand lady, but his talon was stuck in her hair. Lady Catherine was putting up such a fuss that Elizabeth was willing to do anything to free the bird, so she pulled harder. What she thought was Lady Catherine’s hair turned out to be nothing more than a wig, and the tugging made it come off, exposing Lady Catherine’s bald head to all in the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> The grand lady’s hands immediately went to her head and her shrill voice filled the air as shrieks of ‘how dare you’ and ‘you will pay for exposing me to such censure’ escaped her lips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> In her anger, Lady Catherine pushed Elizabeth away, causing her to stumble backwards and right into Darcy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Darcy was already stunned by the revelation that his aunt had no hair, and when Elizabeth fell into him, he did not have the wherewithal to do anything but grab at her falling form. His arms reached around her in a most ungentlemanly fashion, and their feet became entangled, causing both of them to land on the floor in such a manner as to send Lady Catherine into shrieks once again, this time about the compromising position in which Elizabeth now lay, sprawled out atop her nephew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Every eye in the room now turned to the two, and, in her haste to stand, Elizabeth caused the ties of her dress to become caught on Mr Darcy’s coat button. She felt mortified and trapped. Scrambling to get to her feet was not working and was only causing more problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Richard stepped in to lead his enraged aunt from the room, followed closely by Mr Collins, who still flailed his arms about trying to rid himself of the persistent bird, his loud voice booming his concern to ensure the serenity of his patroness once again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Anne rolled her eyes at the ridiculous man and turned away to address the servants, ensuring the others were given some privacy as Charlotte knelt beside her distraught friend, joined by Georgiana as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Maria, not knowing what to do now that her brother-in-law was not in the room, turned her attention to the two who lay sprawled out on the floor, a wicked grin displayed on her lips as she thought of what fun her good friend Lydia Bennet was missing. This was certainly something she would have to tell in great detail!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Elizabeth was on her back, lying atop Mr Darcy, who was amazingly still for such chaos surrounding them. As she looked up to the ceiling above where birds still flew overhead, her eyes filled with tears. What had happened to lead to such a situation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Darcy was completely mortified at his own actions, even if they were unintentional. When Elizabeth fell against him, his arms flew around to catch her and his feet stumbled backwards, causing their fall. But what was now so mortifying was where exactly his hands had grabbed in his attempt. Being a well-sought after gentleman, he had occasionally had a lady rub against his arm when he offered his assistance, especially Miss Bingley. But he had long tried to remain as far from those women as possible, for he did not wish to be put in such a position as to be forced to offer his hand. Now here he was, being/acting the one whose hands had grabbed so willingly, and with Miss Elizabeth as well! After all they had both said today, this was certainly not going to help his plight. He tried to remain as still as possible now, knowing that if he moved, he might embarrass them both even more. Just her moving atop him was enough to cause his heart to race. He had to focus on something else, so he chose, instead, to think of the pain he felt at her elbow being in his ribs, hoping it would be enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Georgiana and Charlotte both tried to undo the knots that held the two entwined, but when it was clear something more was needed, Georgiana ran off to get the scissors from her sewing box.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> While they waited, Charlotte assured Elizabeth it would be well, but the more she said the more distraught her friend became. Finally she just chose to remain silent as they awaited Georgiana’s return.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Soon the scissors were produced, and the ties on Elizabeth’s dress were cut, allowing the two to stand once again, though it was not so easy to accomplish as Elizabeth had to hold the top of her dress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> When Elizabeth was once again on her feet, Charlotte said, “I must go and find my husband now. Come, Maria,” she grabbed her sister’s hand, pulling her out of the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Georgiana quietly added, “I will check on Aunt Catherine,” and followed as well, leaving the two alone in the solarium.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Darcy removed his coat and draped it over Elizabeth’s shoulders as he asked, “Are you injured?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Elizabeth looked from the doorway back to the man at her side, then down to the coat that now hung on her shoulders. She reached her arms out into the sleeves and buttoned the front, folding the lapels up and over the top portion of her dress. “It is only my pride that is injured, sir.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> “I believe you once espoused that you dearly love to laugh at follies and nonsense, and you even accused me of being without them. Do you still feel as such?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> His tease was just enough to ease the anxiety that had arisen in her chest. She pushed the sleeves of his coat up, a laugh finally escaping her lips, “Certainly we both espoused much nonsense that evening. I believe I was most shocked at your teasing Miss Bingley about her figure being to the greatest advantage when we took a turn about the room.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Darcy’s eyes grew dark, “It was not Miss Bingley to whom I was referring when I made such a statement.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Elizabeth looked up into his eyes, not knowing what to say to such a statement. Could he have been admiring her all those months ago?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Her thoughts were interrupted when her cousin came storming back into the room, talking of the situation, followed by Charlotte and Maria. He insisted they must leave, and Darcy watched as the four gathered their belongings and left the solarium, Elizabeth still wearing his coat. Once they were gone, he went to find his cousins and sister and see what needed to be done about keeping the servants quiet after such an evening. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author Biography:</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sarah Johnson is a professional juggler in the circus of life! Married to her own Mr Darcy for seventeen years, they traveled the world thanks to the US Army. Now back in the</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVYszvq76Hk/VsUbQMqg2sI/AAAAAAAABUg/OG-7Sp9_e4I/s1600/SarahJohnson-AuthorImage-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVYszvq76Hk/VsUbQMqg2sI/AAAAAAAABUg/OG-7Sp9_e4I/s320/SarahJohnson-AuthorImage-1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">civilian life and settled in Texas, where she grew up, they focus on homeschooling their six children and participating in church and community activities. She can often be found writing a manuscript between spills, science labs, and pencil wars, or late into the night when the house is finally still enough for her imagination to run wild! When she has a few spare moments, she enjoys just about anything crafty - scrapbooking, painting, sewing, quilting, crocheting - basically anything except knitting, a craft she swears few left-handers truly ever pick up well.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A devotee of all things Jane Austen, she enjoys exploring the story lines Jane never lived long enough to give the world. She is often found discussing with her online friends the intricacies of the novels we do have from our dearest author. It is these discussions that often lead to the plot bunnies that have now become many stories over the last few years, and hopefully further into the future as well. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reviews:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon Reviewer: J Bennet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A hilarious sweet romance. ... Perils of Pauline combined with Wuthering Heights! This is a laugh-out-loud romp that will make you love the P&P [Pride & Prejudice] characters more than ever. Don't miss this engaging short story. It deserves every one of its five stars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon Reviewer: RCM Silvia<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a delightfully amusing romp along the courtship trail-- akin to A Comedy of Errors! The novella is charmingly narrated by a determined Georgiana via inter-chapters wherein she explains her good intentions leading the chapter itself to reveal the lengths and depths of ensuing confusion. A very fun read!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon Reviewer: maryann<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What a great novel. It is light, airy, and easy reading as well as it keeps you interested and you really don't want to put it down. This one is a matchmaking plot primarily by Georgianna with the help of the Colonel and cousin Anne at times. It is comical, entertaining and truly a love match that cupid's arrow hit Darcy's heart from the beginning but Cupid's trap caught Lizzy. You will have to read this novel to really see why I gave it 5 stars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon Reviewer: T. Garcia Ruy Sanchez<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You really have to read this story if you want to spend a very agreeable time with a really novel approach to a twist of a favorite book. It's really worth it!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon Reviewer: Debra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Delightful tale! I thoroughly enjoyed this humorous version of my favorite couple. Georgina is cupid's accomplice in this sweet version of how Lizzie comes to love Mr, Darcy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Contact Links:</span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://sarahjohnsonbooks.com/" target="_blank">Website</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SarahJohnsonAuthor/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Facebook</span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/SarahJohnsonPL" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Twitter</span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8118710.Sarah_Johnson" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goodreads</span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/sarahjohnsonpl/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pinterest</span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sarahjohnsonauthor/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Instagram</span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtYL0gkVKtA3NSkiYhdnpmw" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">YouTube</span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Email: sarah.johnson.jaff@gmail.com</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Purchase Links:</span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cupids-Traps-Matchmakers-Sarah-Johnson-ebook/dp/B00ZGQG6LK/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon</span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/snow-storms-kissing-games-sarah-johnson/1120062269?ean=9781500583446" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Barnes & Noble</span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://www.createspace.com/4913121" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Create Space</span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHTGGzCbA4w" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Book Trailer </span></b></a></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-63365856871596867632016-02-14T14:09:00.001-05:002016-02-14T14:09:11.593-05:00Celebrate Love Blog Series with author Kari Trumbo and her new release, For Richer or Poorer<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7lbgpgO5Sfg/VsDQdlJXz1I/AAAAAAAABTI/I4-UnojwHUY/s1600/ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7lbgpgO5Sfg/VsDQdlJXz1I/AAAAAAAABTI/I4-UnojwHUY/s320/ice.jpg" width="176" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Happy Valentines. all! By tonight, everyone will be tucked into their beds, all nice and warm. I never expected to see all those smiling faces this morning after braving temperatures close to -50 C. These kids are awesome! Personally, I think it'll take me a week to thaw. The good news is that we'll be back up to temperatures just below freezing...some 47 degrees warmer by Tuesday. Too bad old Mother Nature couldn't just skip her sadistic dip into the arctic zone.</b></span><br />
<b><br /></b> <b>Yesterday we had Melanie with her latest release, and today Kari is the proud Mama of her latest novel, For Richer or Poorer. So stay away from the doors and windows, keep close to the fire and read on. Oh, I know, Onisha, you're already warm down in Florida. One day I hope to join you for a glass of lemonade!</b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am a writer of Christian fiction, homeschooling mom of 4, and wife. I’ve always had stories in my head, but it took having a friend who finally fulfilled <i>her</i> dream of writing before I believed enough in myself to do it. I loved writing, but thought my gift was helping others. <b>Well stand up and take a bow, because you did it!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t. With running a house, homeschooling, and other activities I can’t devote my full days to it yet. I do devote two hours a night to writing. I must write at least 1000 words a night, 6 days a week. <b>That is still quite the goal!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you tell us a little about your novel?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For Richer or Poorer is a historical novel set half in Kansas (like the first book in the series) and half on the Minnesota/Canada border. It centers on Elizabeth Whitte who has run away to find a husband to beat her sister to the inheritance in their father’s will. She is stranded there for a time and meets Robert, a Canadian Mountie, who turns her world upside down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Would you take us on a brief tour of your novel and the world you’ve created?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am from central MN so the first half of the novel takes place close to where I grew up. MN has many lakes and rivers, with beautiful conifer trees and snow at least four months a year. Fort Frances does exist today, but the Fort Frances in my story is out of my imagination. It is directly across the border from International Falls, MN.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where does the inspiration for your main character and story come from?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Elizabeth was a secondary character in the first novel in the Western Vows Series, she was mean and nasty. She desperately needed Jesus and I couldn’t wait to watch her take steps to mature and grow, at the start by accident, then to really become a beautiful woman inside and out. <b>I can't wait to see how you pulled that off. It sounds like a wonderful story of growth.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What do you think makes a good romance story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A good romance needs two main characters that when they finally do realize they have this growing relationship are better together than they are apart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How do you handle the emotional side of romance writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A box of tissues and a secret stash of chocolate. <b>Ooh, I can do chocolate! </b>In all seriousness, the emotional side is difficult because I do want my readers to love my characters as much as I do, voluntarily putting yourself through these situations can wring you out, but it is worth it. <b>True, I remember finishing an emotional scene feeling like I'd run a marathon. It felt like I had gone through the trials in the story.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Which elements do you think are more important in this type of writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Understanding people and how they would react to a situation, realizing that it isn’t always how you would. People are a palette of emotion and in romance, you need a narrow brush and a lot of colors. <b>As an artist who loves painting, I approve of your analogy.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What is the message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story around or did it </b><b><span lang="EN-US">develop</span></b><b> as your characters came to life?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is, at its heart, a redemption story. Elizabeth seems hopelessly lost, but through trials and situations, she learns how she used to act toward people, how she hurt them. Not only that, she learns that forgiveness is more than just what you say. This was not intentional, I fully believe that I am meant to grow and learn right along with my characters. I learn new truths as the characters live it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? If you use an outline, how detailed is it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have tried both ways, but I’ve had the most success with seat of my pants writing. Plotting so far has felt restrictive, though I would eventually like to get into that mode of writing. <b>From a fellow 'pantster', Tis a noble goal!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The novel spans roughly nine months. I like my romances to take a little time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H7nZAs8H_uU/VsDP0PuPOlI/AAAAAAAABTE/KRoqZg5MrTI/s1600/kari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H7nZAs8H_uU/VsDP0PuPOlI/AAAAAAAABTE/KRoqZg5MrTI/s400/kari.jpg" width="266" /></a><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How much research went into your story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Quite a bit, I studied the Canadian Mounties, Anishinaabe Native People, fashions of 1900-1901, dance cards, Percherons, Nurses and maps of the Northern border of MN. I find the research part of writing fun. <b>Isn’t it now? How awesome is it that we get to learn so much just from our writing?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you tell us how you go about your research, how you ‘catalogue’ information to make it all work?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For this book, I had to go to the library and look up some things, those facts were put in a notebook for future reference. Many things I look up are done with simple online searches. I keep folders on my search engine for each novel. That way, it is easy to locate a site if I need to remember anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How have the changes in present-day publishing impacted your schedule as a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love that as a self-published author I can make my own deadlines, and I do make them. When you promise people you will have a novel out in a given month, you’d better have it ready.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I do have a marketing plan, it focuses on my goals and how many people I can reach. I don’t have a publicist, so I look for opportunities to fulfill my marketing goals. I have a list of daily things that I do, then keep my eyes open for other ways to achieve those goals faster. <b>You should come back and share these daily things. I’m sure other authors could use some good ideas.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Never stop learning and getting your work critiqued. The more you learn and receive good feedback, the better you will get at your craft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you tell us what you’re working on now?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am currently working on the prequel to the Western Vows Series, Forsaking All Others and the third book in the series To Love and Comfort. I have the start of another series outlined (so you see I do outline a little). That one is scheduled for writing in October of 2016. <b>We'll keep an eye out for it.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For Richer or Poorer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Western Vows, Book 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">By Kari Trumbo<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Genre: Historical Christian Romance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Summary:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Elizabeth Whitte finds herself on the frigid border of Minnesota and Canada as winter is about to set in. When her plans of finding a husband and rushing back to Kansas fall through, she has to stay and learn a few things…like how to care for others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Robert is a Mountie in Fort Frances, Canada. When he meets Elizabeth, his first instinct is to send her home. He’s been burned by wealthy women in the past and knows his life isn’t suited for them. Elizabeth’s pull is strong, but he cannot leave his beloved Canada.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As Elizabeth matures in many ways, Robert must decide if sending her back to Kansas is still a good idea. Could she learn to love him, even if he can’t provide all <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">that she’s used to having?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Excerpt</b> from <i>For Richer or Poorer</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Elizabeth gasped, she’d forgotten to get something for Robert. That would have been a good thing to do. She hadn’t had much time with Meg here, but what a terrible excuse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Luc handed her a ball of entwined branches with delicate, tear-shaped leaves and white berries, a red ribbon tied to it as a hanger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Sticks?” She looked at him through her eyebrows. “You want me to give the man I want to convince to marry me a ball of sticks?” She held her hand back to throw it at him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“It isn’t just sticks.” He raised up his hands to catch it if she followed through with her threat. “It’s a mistletoe ball. Don’t you know about mistletoe?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“No. I don’t know why leaves would help me or be a good gift, hence, why I want to throw this at you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Well don’t. It’s pretty fragile. I just made it this morning. A mistletoe ball is placed in a doorway and the woman caught underneath it must be given a kiss.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Elizabeth considered this. “Kissing sticks?” She laughed inspecting the little green ball with one eyebrow notched dangerously high. “Does Robert know of this nonsense, or am I going to have to explain it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m sure Robert knows. I think I even caught him a year or two ago kissing some unsuspecting lass under the mistletoe.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Elizabeth shot daggers at him with her eyes. “Where can I find him?”</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dOV2Hy2cnhM/VsDMWUjr43I/AAAAAAAABS8/29Kp7g6Lk74/s1600/Kari%2BTrumbo%2BAuthor%2Bpicture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dOV2Hy2cnhM/VsDMWUjr43I/AAAAAAAABS8/29Kp7g6Lk74/s320/Kari%2BTrumbo%2BAuthor%2Bpicture.jpg" width="279" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">About the Author:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kari Trumbo is a writer of Christian Historical Romance and a stay-at-home mom to four vibrant children. She does freelance developmental editing, blogging, and book reviews. When she isn’t writing or editing, she homeschools her children and pretends to keep up with them. Kari has written two other novels in the Western Vows series and one prequel/novella. The second novel in the series, For Richer or Poorer will be released in February. Kari loves reading, listening to contemporary Christian music, singing with the worship team, and curling up near the wood stove when winter hits. She makes her home in central Minnesota with her husband of eighteen years, two daughters, two sons, and four cats.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Places to follow Kari:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.theeditorsnote.com/">Website</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/theeditorsnote">Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/karitrumbo">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/kari_trumbo">Pinterest</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kari-Trumbo/e/B015IJOLN4">Amazon</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-88496559846424903592016-02-13T17:14:00.002-05:002016-02-13T17:34:56.821-05:00Celebrate Love Blog Series with Melanie D Snitker and Finding Faith<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Although this winter has been very, very mild (especially after the bitter, endless cold of last winter), but this weekend, Mother Nature is making up for it. Wouldn't you know it...we have 70 cadets out on a winter expedition when temperatures will plummet to -46C...yes, everyone will be sleeping outside in their snow shelters. Brrrrrr</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">OK, let'd move on and meet our next guest, Melanie D Snitker, and her 'hot off the press' <i>new release.......Finding Faith.....yeah!</i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sure! I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I made up episodes for cartoons when I was a kid. I wrote a lot of science fiction stories (and even a book) when I was in high school. Once I got into college, I didn’t have much time for writing and finally made it one of my priorities in 2014. I love being able to share the characters I create with other people. <b>It is fun, isn't it? For us, they are so real.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">No, I don’t write full time. I stay at home with our two kids and we homeschool. I usually do most of my writing in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed and then I try to get a couple of extra hours in over the weekend. <b>Nice.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you tell us a little about your novel? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finding Faith is the fourth book in my Love’s Compass series. Serenity Chandler is a single mom to her son, Gideon, who has autism. She’s always relied on her family for help, but an opportunity to help Gideon presents itself and she chooses to move. She’s now on her own for the first time. This is where she meets Aaron Randall, a music therapist who works at Gideon’s new special needs school. He’s dedicated to help the kids there and make a difference in their lives. He’s always thought that was enough – until he meets Serenity. Unfortunately, there’s an anti-dating policy in place at the school and any relationship between them will put his job at risk. The more they get to know each other, the harder it is to ignore how they feel. They have to rely on faith to find their way through. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm reading this going, 'Hey, wait! I know this!' You'll have to forgive me....of course I know this! I've read it :o) And I LOVED IT.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where does the inspiration for your main character and story come from?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The first book in the series, Finding Peace, focused on Tuck Chandler, Serenity’s older brother. I created Serenity at this point and knew that I’d want to write a story for her and Gideon, but had no idea what that story would be yet. Her character has slowly grown throughout both Finding Peace and the second book, Finding Hope. By the time I got to Finding Faith, Serenity definitely had a mind of her own and the Story unfolded from there. <b>Yup, what a character, lol.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What do you think makes a good romance story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A great storyline with a good combination of both emotional and physical attraction. I personally like to see a romance develop naturally as a couple gets to know each other through a series of events and over time. As a reader, I’m much more interested in a romance that’s long-term and that has carried over into my writing. <b>I agree, you want to feel it build and evolve in a believable way.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How do you handle the emotional side of romance writing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For me, the emotional side of romance writing is one of the most important aspects. I’ve read many stories where the physical attraction is the main focus and I feel like none of that means anything if there’s not an emotional connection in place first. In my case, I feel strongly about having my characters get to know each other and build a level of friendship that everything else is based off of. Having that investment in each other makes it easier to develop the emotional side of a romance. <b>Beautiful! Please stand and take a bow.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story around or did it develop as your characters came to life?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of it developed as my characters came to life. I always start out with an idea for them, but they quickly decide what direction their story is going to go. Finding Faith is especially close to my heart because my husband and I have a son with autism. I wanted to show my readers the real personality behind a child on the spectrum and maybe give them a glance into the challenges and rewards that come along with raising that child. While Gideon is very different from our son in a lot of ways, there are some similarities as well. I can say that tears were shed while writing more than one scene in this book. I was very emotionally connected to it. <b>You made me cry a time or two as well. As a nurse, my first job was with mentally handicapped people that also included autism, though back then they were rare.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? If you use an outline, how detailed is it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I used to just go with the flow and that worked pretty well for me – until about mid-novel. Then I’d have to struggle to pull all the pieces together. I guess I’m kind of in the middle now. I do write out some details for specific scenes, but generally I let my characters lead me from chapter to chapter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The novel takes place over about three months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How much research went into your story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn’t need to do much research for this particular book. I did look into music therapists as that’s not a type of therapy we’ve experienced with our son. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How have the changes in present day publishing impacted your schedule as a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a lot of pressure for independent authors to get something published as frequently as possible. This leaves us trying to find the balance between putting enough books out there and making sure we leave ourselves enough time to properly edit and format the books. Our readers deserve quality! For myself, putting three books out a year seems to be working well right now. <b>Wow, three books a year is a lot! Good for you.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Marketing has definitely been the hardest part of the independent publishing experience. When I published my first book, I had no idea what I was doing and certainly didn’t have a plan. I’ve since learned that, at least in my case, that doesn’t work. I feel like I have a better handle on marketing and I try to get one of my books out there each month. But when it comes to promotions, I’m still learning. <b>Sadly, things change so fast as we go along, that it always seems as though we have to learn and try something new -yet again.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t give up and write when you get the chance! I remember reading articles where “they” said it was important to write something every single day. I’ll tell you that there were many years where I’d write a lot for a week or two, then may not write anything at all for months. But I was able to use what I’d written at a later time. It’s more important to write when you have time and when you feel the inspiration. If you’re called to be an author, the rest will work itself out. <b>For sure. I think peole should not put pressure on themselves for having a life and other responsabilities, because it takes the fun out of it.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you tell us what you’re working on now? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve just started a new series with a tentative name of Reinventing Love. I’m in the planning stages so don’t have a lot to share about it yet. I also have a standalone novel and another book in the Love’s Compass series in the works for this year. <b>You are one busy lady!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Impressed? Want to hear more about Melanie? Well you're in luck. Here's her </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">BIO</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zClsJriwNN4/Vr-jP-9tj6I/AAAAAAAABSc/p1NxzuDA6Pc/s1600/1148131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zClsJriwNN4/Vr-jP-9tj6I/AAAAAAAABSc/p1NxzuDA6Pc/s320/1148131.jpg" width="264" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I enjoyed writing from a young age. My brothers and I used to watch Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers when we were kids. I would write episodes that I wanted to see and then I would trace images from coloring books and arrange them the way I wanted to create the illustrations for my books. This later turned into writing a couple of scripts for episodes I wanted to see on Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Nothing really came of them, but they were great practice and a lot of fun to write. <b>Oh, well, now if you're a Star Trek fan as well, you have an extra vote of support from me!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My love for writing progressed from there. I wrote a lot of short stories and a science fiction novel that I still intend to go back and polish up some day. I began writing romance in my early college years, but my classes pushed my writing to the back burner. I really wasn't able to make writing a priority until the last year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am finally in a place in my life where I can really focus on my writing. My husband and two children (9 and 4) are inspirations to me. I feel blessed that I am able to stay at home with our children and that we are able to homeschool them - an adventure all on its own! Our two dogs definitely add humor (and challenge) to my life as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Currently, I am writing Christian romance novels that are clean and appropriate for any age - something I feel very strongly about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition to writing, I also enjoy crochet, baking, camping, archery, learning about and using essential oils, and photography.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Finding Faith</b> is the fourth book in the Love's Compass series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--f-Cjfdrs6M/Vr-ldtRBJyI/AAAAAAAABSo/VPs971Q09WA/s1600/12696694_10153546247994773_86925058_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--f-Cjfdrs6M/Vr-ldtRBJyI/AAAAAAAABSo/VPs971Q09WA/s400/12696694_10153546247994773_86925058_o.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>BLURB</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Single mom Serenity Chandler is determined to do anything to provide better opportunities for her son, Gideon. Moving away from her family support system so Gideon can attend a special school seems like the right choice, even if it means her entire life is about to change. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The satisfaction of helping children and being a part of their lives is one reason Aaron Randall loves his job as a music therapist. When Hope Academy instills a dating policy, he doesn't give it a second thought. Until the new co-worker who'd caught his attention turns out to be the parent of one of his students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Any relationship between them will put his job at risk. The more time Aaron spends with Serenity and Gideon, the harder it is to ignore what they could have together. With Aaron's job and Gideon's education hanging in the balance, they'll have to rely on faith to find their way.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I know, no one asked me, but since it's my blog I can tell ya'll anyway. I LOVE her book covers. (Finding Peace is my favorite one), but how awesome is it to get a book that is as good on the inside as it is on the outside?!</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>You can find Melanie and her books HERE:</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AOHP5YO" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.melaniedsnitker.com/" target="_blank">My website</a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/melaniedsnitker" target="_blank">Facebook</a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://twitter.com/MelanieDSnitker" target="_blank">Twitter</a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-23616466287571523022016-02-11T15:59:00.002-05:002016-02-11T15:59:53.846-05:00Celebrate Love Blog Series, with K.D. Harp’s WHAT A TANGLED WED<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Well now that my unit will be outdoors over the next 4 days, temperatures have decided to drop to -40. Did I mention that they sleep out in the snow? The first night is spent in a tent, but the others in either a quinsy or some form of individual snow shelter. Yeah, no comment.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sooo to keep warm let's turn our attention to our next author, K.D. Harp, and her book, <i>What a Tangled Wed</i>. Hmm, I thought that was a typo, at first, lol.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Oh, although this is a fun but short interview, we do have a character interview to share too. And since we're going to try and avoid going out in the cold, settle down to read while I fix some hot cocoa.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Do you write full time?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">No. I write OVERtime. (Unfortunately, there’s no bonus pay involved.) <b>Now does that fall into the 'midnight to three in the morning' category?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US">How much of your life is set aside for writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Too much. If the non-writing authorly chores (testing promotional sites, edits, reedits, proofing, spellchecking, yelling at my stubborn hard-of-hearing voice to text software, checking in at GoodReads, cover design, editing some more, remembering to tweet, buying emergency voodoo dolls in case of bad review, etc.,) weren’t enough, I write a lot of romantic suspense, so the basically the <i>entire universe</i> is research. I can’t pin a barbecue recipe without thinking about putting it in a story, or kiss my husband without trying to remember How It’s Done, you know, for a scen<i>e</i>. (Fortunately he doesn’t get stage fright often.) <b>Sounds like he has his hands full!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where does the inspiration for your main character and story come from?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">While nowhere near as wealthy as Pierce, my older brother was a brilliant engineer, successful enough with his crowd and drew the romantic attentions of more women than he counted upon. <b>What A Tangled Wed</b> was dedicated on the occasion of his marriage to the lovely Susan, the one woman who could give as good as she got, and so much more! As fate would have it an editor showed interest in another project and ‘Wed was shelved. I found the lost draft mere weeks after he died suddenly of a brain tumor. Naturally, my whole schedule was scrapped to complete it. I’d always thought of romantic comedy as being pretty lightweight on the Meaningful Writing Scale, but crafting this book helped me work through my own grief many, many times. If it can distract someone else from what they’re going through, so much the better! <b>HUGS</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How much research went into your story?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Way, way</i> more than expected! I usually write romantic suspense, a world where authors chat about gunshot residue, poisons and body decomposition farms over lunch. Frankly, I figured romantic comedy to be a cakewalk research-wise, but ended up setting the schedule back to accommodate investigating all the ‘getting it right’ details. You’ll find pins of floral arrangements, Georgia resorts, French train tickets, luxury entertainment in Dubai, Nepalese disaster photos, the world’s most expensive and exotic aphrodisiac, a to-die-for ice cream bombe recipe, and a bunch of other stuff researched for <b>What A Tangled Wed</b> here: (<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/kdharpbooks/">https://www.pinterest.com/kdharpbooks/</a></span>) <b>Ooh, now that sounds like fun stuff to sift through, especially since you've gathered it all into one place for us!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US">What is the message behind the story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">All of my work has an underlying theme of supporting women in demanding more for themselves from their man than Western entertainment generally endorses these days. Beyonce’s on the right track with “put a ring on it”. <i>There’s</i> empowerment! <i>Expect</i> to be respected. There’s a huge difference between lust and love, and too many times women settle for being in a relationship, any relationship or a nice physical buzz and sacrifice (or don’t even <i>acknowledge</i>) their other needs. Set the standard to <i>your</i> scale. Be willing to walk out if you’re not respected, and don’t settle for giving more than you’re getting in return. <i>That’s</i> a foundation for a love that can last your lifetime and you deserve it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">(My publicist is afraid I’m about to jump up on your desk and start yelling at passersby. …Don’t blame her, really. I CAN get a bit het up. …I’m supposed to curtsey politely now before you call security.) <b>Oh, no worries, I already cleared off my desk-top for you and was wondering when you were going to take this on the road.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Thanks so much for letting me share some time with you and your readers, Debbie! <b>You are most welcome.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W5PtVgh4aTk/VrzztRDmt3I/AAAAAAAABR8/HKmavF6rP50/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W5PtVgh4aTk/VrzztRDmt3I/AAAAAAAABR8/HKmavF6rP50/s400/book.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Tagline</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> “Books worth reading …again.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Blurb<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Evening gowns and tuxedos embellish a hall set for romance, so their eyes <i>should’ve</i> met across a crowded room …but the stuffed partridge glued to her shoulder blocked his view.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pierce Grayson,</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Engineering Genius, a man who repairs disaster zones as easily as most make a cup of coffee, just destroyed his only shot at True Love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A string of hopeful Mrs. Graysons (who take the term "chained to my desk" TOO literally), make the billionaire appreciate the intelligent selflessness of gifted muralist <b>Allison Stanford, </b>(a woman so loyal, she humbles herself in the <b>World's Most Ridiculous Maid Of Honor Outfit</b> for an impish little sis with an axe to grind). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">True Love</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is off to a good start but Pierce gambles their relationship to win a bet and messes up Big Time. Luckily, Allison’s <b>Mema </b>takes a shine to the lovelorn engineer and decides he needs educating on women. Suddenly the man who helps others for a living needs aid! Mema puppet masters the two young'uns into Happily Ever After before they know what hit them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(With only minor damage).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Snuggle up and escape the craziness of modern life as you join Pierce and Allison while they navigate the insanity of theirs in this smart, clean, read suitable for all audiences from tweens to twilight years who can tolerate a smooch or two and understand <i>Mema</i> Knows Best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US">Excerpt:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">As if wriggling her way over a high window ledge weren’t enough, a familiar and determined moist muzzle now hung over Allison’s backside as the horse sniffed and whinnied at the storm. Its warm neck and chest spooned her, pressing Allison’s back and head against the interior wall while the rest of her dangled helpless; </span><span lang="EN-US">upside-down and </span><span lang="EN-US">growing damper by the second. Grunting louder, she squirmed inside a bit more (somehow, <i>without</i> popping the pushy creature in the nose with her flailing feet).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Nosey unabashedly nuzzled Allison’s hips and behind, then nipped her fanny, bruising flesh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Allison yelped before cringing at the volume of her outburst, sure to catch the attention of anyone nearby. (Not that she was in any position to <i>see</i> them at present.) Her leg jerked in response, sending a loafer flying into the cosmos. A sudden deep, aching, pain in her <i>gluteus maximus </i>added to the fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">At least it can’t get any worse.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">She writhed forward against the window sill and the water bottle stashed into her front pocket ruptured and spewed. She felt the sodden cling of her shirt, and dropped toward the brick floor, chin first. She managed to slow her descent with a quick grab at the horse’s legs. The rest of her slunk safely inside, (and temporarily out of snacking range of the horse), but still wedged vertically between the creature and the wall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Blood rushed to Allison’s head, heralded by a constant pounding with each beat of her heart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">At least no one’s around to witness this fiasco.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">‘Whoa’ means stop, but how do you tell a horse to go in reverse?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">“Nice horsey. Back up, please.” More than a bit breathless, Allison’s hopeful instruction fell on deaf ears. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Instead, Nosey pressed harder against her and leaned toward the shrubbery for fresh greens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Essentially imprisoned hanging upside down, Allison braced her hands against the floor to support some of her weight and watched the water dripping from her hair start to pool on the brick. Somewhere high overhead, graceful gothic arches, the color of aged bourbon, spanned the building and supported a stately slate roof. Twin rows of hardwood stalls stood like silent sentries down its length, enlivened by the smell of fresh hay and the soft nickers of their well-bred residents. At the moment, if she cocked her eyes up high enough, Allison got an up close and personal view of the underside of one immaculately-groomed mare. She relaxed her gaze, noting the high polish of reflected light on the horse’s hooves as she tried to think. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">Wait a second. It’s raining cats and dogs. That’s not sunlight shining on her hooves. It’s--.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A pair of boots walked into her line of sight. A man spoke to the horse in French before familiar dark hair dangled from his head as he turned upside-down to investigate the stable intruder. His grin hid behind the line of the mare’s underbelly, but merry eyes betrayed the amusement beneath his sexy tone. “<i>Bonjour, mademoiselle</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aSMbsAZ9XII/Vrz1cKx6pYI/AAAAAAAABSM/lNYaIDgTnvM/s1600/promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aSMbsAZ9XII/Vrz1cKx6pYI/AAAAAAAABSM/lNYaIDgTnvM/s400/promo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Reviews <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">“Absolutely loved it! The story line kept me reading until the end!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> “It's rare that I actually laugh out loud mid-read. Kudos to K.D for accomplishing that! (My seal-like bark of laughter was quite startling).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> “A little bit of everything all rolled into a great story!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">“…a smashing good job”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Author Bio <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fAvJQWmBGko/VrzzzRVOx7I/AAAAAAAABSA/3ODfim8Ccck/s1600/author%2Bpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fAvJQWmBGko/VrzzzRVOx7I/AAAAAAAABSA/3ODfim8Ccck/s320/author%2Bpic.jpg" width="281" /></a><span lang="EN-US">Native Atlantan K.D. Harp enjoys world travel, volunteering, and educating non-Southern folk about the appropriate use of the phrase "Bless his heart," the original meaning of which has NOTHING to do with sarcastically calling someone a sucker or dimwit, and is properly used to imply an empathetic 'there but for the Grace of God' sentiment. <br />Bored and dismayed by the trend in fiction to equate genuine love with the pale imitation of lust without personal investment, K.D. portrays people of character engaged with a world that lacks it. When they do it without losing the physical passion and sense of humor God would give to them, it's a total win.<br />The Georgia State University B.B.A grad volunteers with her local police department, has no patience for dumb protagonists, and true to form, most of her female leads will MacGyver their way out of a situation whether it's jury-rigging a flamethrower with kitchen supplies or finding new uses for a fire extinguisher to escape an inferno. K.D.'s been recognized by such international competitions/organizations as an American Christian Fiction Writers’ <i>GENESIS</i> semi-finalist, placed 4<sup>th</sup> in the <i>Hook. Line & Sinker!</i> Awards, and listed on the “Most Popular Authors” list on Goodreads!)<b> <br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Sample, softcover and kindle book purchase links can be found at:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.kdharp.com/">http://www.kdharp.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>CHARACTER INTERVIEW</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">We’re here with Annie Garner, septuagenarian, day trader, cross-stitch fanatic and more recently, matchmaker extraordinaire to score a never printed before behind-the-scenes look at <b>What A Tangled Wed</b>. Tell us Annie,-.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">All the smart folk call me ‘Mema’, Sugar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">OK…. Mema, what made you decide Pierce was a good match for your granddaughter Allison; his looks, his intellect, his philanthropic endeavors, or all that cold, hard cash?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Definitely his physique.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">His lean body? Chiseled jaw? Those searing dark eyes?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">No, he’s tall enough to reach the top cabinet and I’ve had a stash of Snickers going stale up there ever since the stepstool busted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I see. And er, did he retrieve them for you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Of course he did! The boy might hobnob with ambassadors but he’s been raised right. …Even bought me a step stool afterward, which was mighty thoughtful and liked to kill the whole deal with Allison, but he grows on you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">(winks) Like a fungus?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Careful young’un! The boy’s my grandson-in-law now. My kind can train fire ants to nest in yer nose, you know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">My apologies. Did you have any advice for Pierce or Allison as they travelled on their journey together?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">What? Like tipping your porter or saving some paper napkins in case yer stuck in one of those pay bathrooms stocked with little wax paper squares?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">No, ah, I meant their <i>romantic</i> journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Well sure! What’s a Mema for?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">What did you have to say?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">As I understand it, Miz Brown don’t intend to let us take over her <i>whole</i> <i>website</i> here. In a nutshell, if you’re lookin’ for True Love, never underestimate the power of keeping yer knees together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Is that some sort of isometric exercise?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I can tell you need some one-on-one tutoring, Sugar. Let’s put that wrinkly shirt back in the tumble dry, shall we? In the old days, they’d say something like “Why buy the cow if the milk’s free?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Free milk? Is the farmer trying to start a new dairy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">We’re talkin’ about genuine, last-your-lifetime <b>l-o-v-e </b>here! What does startin’ a dairy have to do with anything?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I’m still trying to figure out the isometrics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">(sighs) If they ever needed prime evidence against survival of the fittest, you’re it, Sugar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Prime evidence! Thanks, Mema! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Please, call me Annie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">(Find an assortment of Pin, Tweet, and Share friendly quote graphics from Mema on the <b>What A Tangled Wed</b> page at <a href="http://www.kdharp.com/">http://www.kdharp.com</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US">Contact Info</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: 0cm;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 72pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><a href="http://www.kdharp.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/kdharpbooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://twitter.com/kdharpbooks" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/kdharpbooks/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/kdharpbookscom" target="_blank">GoodReads</a></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/kdharp" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/k-d-harp" target="_blank">Book Bub</a></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>You might want to get in on this Goodreads Giveaway!</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/172855-what-a-tangled-wed" target="_blank">Goodreads Giveaway</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-66873633766003147002016-02-08T22:02:00.001-05:002016-02-08T22:02:13.245-05:00Celebrate Love, Blog Series with author Angela Carling and Becoming Bryn<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>We have another wonderful author to share with you tonight. Yes, it's night time here, and oh so cold with temperatures dropping down to thirty below this week. I'm going to stay inside and throw an extra log on the fire....except for this Thursday, where I'll be out in the bush getting the cadets ready for the next three days on their winter expedition...you know, where you sleep out in a snowbank. 0-o</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hi all. I’m an accidental author. I wrote my first book Unbreakable Love to show my son that I could finish something that was really hard for me and amazingly enough someone wanted to publish it. Crazy huh? After that, I just kept going. <b>Now that sounds amazing!</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m probably more like a part time writer, but if you take into consideration all the marketing time I do, I’m sure I work full time…when I’m not being mom! <b>So if you give up those wasted hours you have left, you know, the ones between midnight and three AM, you could easily be a full-time writer!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you tell us a little about your novel?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Becoming Bryn is a twist on switching lives. Twin Sister’s Jesse and Bryn get in a tragic accident and Bryn dies(although we follow her into the observation room where she can see down on earth). Jesse awakes from a coma to find that everyone including Bryn’s gorgeous boyfriend thinks she is her sister. That’s when she has to choose which life she’ll live and if she can live with the consequences of her choice! The story is loaded with both tension and heart and honestly is one of my favorites. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Would you take us on a brief tour of your novel and the world you’ve created?</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u1Qm31Lx4Oc/VrlWWYxiEZI/AAAAAAAABRo/jqFqlzB_VRQ/s1600/train%2Btracks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u1Qm31Lx4Oc/VrlWWYxiEZI/AAAAAAAABRo/jqFqlzB_VRQ/s400/train%2Btracks.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jesse and Bryn’s world is much like yours. Of course there is family dynamics. Jesse also has a best friend named Ethan who stays with her despite the fact that she throws up on his tennis shoes, twice. The unique part of the book is the observation room. It is a place that you can go to get closure before you walk through the door to “move on.” Bryn spends time there and makes unlikely friends while watching her sister and parents back on earth. The room is long and narrow with a massive window. It sounds a little morbid, but there is a lot of humor and quirky little interactions that make this part of the story a lot of fun. <b>Cool, I like that!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where does the inspiration for your main character and story come from?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A news story from years ago. Perfect strangers were misidentified in a car accident. One day I was thinking about those families and what they must’ve gone through and I wondered, what if they were twins. How that affect their families and common friends. The drama was too tempting and Becoming Bryn was born. <b>Ooh, I like that!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you think makes a good romance story?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you have to overcome something really tough to be with the one that you love…and I’m a sucker for a really hot kiss! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How do you handle the emotional side of romance writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a teen and young adult, I experienced all those emotions, love, rejection, conflict and according to my husband dated every guy in town. (He exaggerates) <b>Hmmm, that might merit an experiment to see how he reacts. You know, for writing sake ;o) </b>To write really good romance, I have to feel that longing, that pain, and the hopefulness that makes for a really great romantic story.<b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Which elements do you think are more important in this type of writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think you and the reader have to know what makes a person tick and where the holes are in their life. These are the things that lead us to or away from love and drive many if not most of our decisions. If you don’t write a character that readers can connect with, the romance, no matter how well written will not feel real. <b>Good point.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is the message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story around or did it develop as your characters came to life?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The message, while somewhere bouncing around in my head, developed more fully with the story. I wanted girls and women to see their beauty and ability to find happiness within themselves. These twins are teenagers and a lot of times I don’t think we recognize our sense of self at that age. All women have amazing things to offer and can find a sense of peace, with or without someone making them feel valued. <b>For sure. Our focus in today's society is to seek approval outside of ourselves. We think we need others and things to make us happy, when in fact, our true happiness depends on none other than ourselves.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? If you use an outline, how detailed is it?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I work within a very vague outline. Most importantly, I start knowing my climactic moment and the general path to get there, but other than that, I do most of the prewriting mentally. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G4Gf9rOPIIE/VrlWcDn_r-I/AAAAAAAABRs/I1Q7pP6JdDk/s1600/dress%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G4Gf9rOPIIE/VrlWcDn_r-I/AAAAAAAABRs/I1Q7pP6JdDk/s400/dress%2Bcover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It takes place between Halloween and New Year’s eve and each holiday plays into the story somehow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How much research went into your story?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I researched the original case of the mistaken identity and also had to do some medical research about head trauma, but that was about it. The funny thing is a made up a cement truck company called Rock Solid and one day I drove by a cement truck with the name Rock Solid printed on the cab. That was a little freaky. <b>Ha! Take that as a sign you're on the right track. In my novel Amethyst Eyes, I named one of the characters 'Grey Wolf', and later found that the town I picked as host for my story had a golf course named 'Grey Wolf'. It's awesome, isn't it?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How does this book differ from what you have written in the past?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It delved into the family relationships a lot more than my other books. I even address the topic of homelessness and adoption. Also, the story gets into how death affects people but not in a somber, depressing way. I lost my mother very young so I know how long that loss stays with a person and I wanted to address it in a YA format. After all, the best part of reading is seeing life and solutions for life through a character. <b>We don't get over our loss, we learn to live with it.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How have the changes in present-day publishing impacted your schedule as a writer?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publishing is a very competitive field now more than ever. I’ve had to learn how to be disciplined and still creative. I also started a mentoring group where I help ten teenage girls prepare to publish so they don’t have to go through the learning curve many of us authors face when we start out. It’s busy, gratifying, but very busy. <b>Nice!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do most of it on my own. I feel responsible as the author of the work to get it out there. I have hired out some of the services. No one can do everything and I enjoy working with other creative people when my time or talents fall short of my needs. <b>I'd like to know how those endeavors pan out! You'll have to get back to me.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My new cover for IN THE DYING LIGHT was created by a talented gentleman last month. I’ll give you a sneak peek below!<b><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t"
path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/>
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:343.2pt;
height:549.6pt'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\DELL65~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg"
o:title="in-the-dying-light-Amazon"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--> <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E9cyCCL9Fb8/VrlQOZL0API/AAAAAAAABRQ/4in-kwNZ61s/s1600/Book%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E9cyCCL9Fb8/VrlQOZL0API/AAAAAAAABRQ/4in-kwNZ61s/s400/Book%2Bcover.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Plan on a journey and only do it for the love of storytelling and writing. Otherwise, pick a different hobby. It’ll make your life a lot easier. (Sorry, you ask<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>) <b>All too often I come across authors who are literally overwhelmed by what the 'job' has become. It is so much than just writing, so if it is not for the right reasons...I agree with you!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you tell us what you’re working on now?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sooo fun! In a couple months the second book in the Secret Keeper series (In the Dying Light) will come out. This is my first series and revolves around a unique paranormal concept. There is also an amazing love story woven in so watch for that. I’ve also begun another sort-of series called Five Days, Five Kisses. It deals with the lives of three recently graduated friends and has a fun rom-com feel to it. I hope to publish the first book this summer. <b>Sounds like you have a busy schedule! </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Blurb for Becoming Bryn:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For months, Jesse has been envious of her twin sister Bryn and even has a crush on Bryn’s gorgeous, popular boyfriend, Quinton. When Jesse awakens from a coma to learn that everyone thinks she IS Brin, the option of actually taking over her sister’s life is beyond tempting, but there’s a downside. She’d have to give up her relationship with Ethan, her best friend and the only person she trusts. Could she actually live s Brin for the rest of her life? And if her family and friends found out, would they ever forgive her?</span><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>A short excerpt from Becoming Bryn:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i>I never saw it coming. Below me in the driver’s seat, Jesse made this weak gasping noise and I heard it, but barely above the music and chaos. I figured she was surprised at all the people milling around, but then I felt the crushing blow that threw my body forward, breaking both my legs instantly. The searing pain didn’t last long. The second impact, the one from the cement truck, ripped my tattered body from the car and for a brief second I felt myself flung through the air. Then, I felt nothing. No light, no sound, no pain, and absolutely no thought. It was as if I disappeared even to myself.</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">I don’t know how long I was out, but I came to lying on an exquisitely comfortable bed. All around me soft, fuzzy blankets cocooned me and my head rested on a pillow, so light and feathery that it rivaled even the most comfortable pillow I’d ever slept on before. For a second I laid there, feeling calm and oddly relaxed. Then I remembered that I should be in pain, terrible, mind-numbing pain. I sat straight up, my back stiff like a board. I looked all around, frantically trying to understand where I was. The room was the same shade of bubble gum pink as my bedroom at home but everything else was wrong. Why was I here in this strange bed? Where was Jesse, where were the car and the screaming teenagers?</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">From the doorway, I heard a soft, nearly soundless rustling and then, out of nowhere, a woman appeared, filling the entire doorframe with her broad smile and gentle green eyes.</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">“It’s all right darling,” she said with a strong Southern accent “I’m here to help you through the transition.” I was getting more confused by the minute. She continued on undaunted. “My name is Maggie, and I’m here to answer any questions you might have.””</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">I glanced around the room again. Maggie had noiselessly crossed the floor, but we were all alone. I could tell Maggie was my best shot at figuring out what was going on.</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">“Where am I?” I asked, working fervently to subdue the sense of hysteria that kept trying push its way up.</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">Maggie reached out and lifted my chin with her fingers so that she could look me squarely in the eyes. I couldn’t feel her touch. Why couldn’t I feel her touch? Were my nerve endings damaged? Was I paralyzed?</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">“You moved on, honey,” she said. Her words came at me but I couldn’t absorb them; they didn’t make sense. What did she mean, I’d moved on, and how did she know anything about my life? Maggie’s chest rose and fell as if she’d taken a deep breath, as if she were shoring up for what she was about to do. I watched her in horror, suddenly understanding what her words meant, yet still needing her to finish.</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">“You’re dead, sweetheart,” she said gently but firmly, “You’re never going back to earth.””</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">I looked down at my body, my arms, my legs and suddenly realized why I felt no pain. My heart didn’t beat, my blood didn’t flow. I looked like me, but now I was different. I might as well have been a colored beam of light or a hologram. I was a whisper of my former self.</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">My hand went to my mouth in shock and then I dropped my hand, realizing I had reacted out of habit and I that I had no hand, at least not a solid one.</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">Maggie watched me calmly as I worked through the news. She had seen this before, I could tell. After a while, she asked me, “Do you want to see your family now?” I was stunned again. How could she know the questions that burned in my mind, but she did. I looked up at Maggie, feeling very small and unsure about anything. It seemed like a minute ago that I was flying, on top of the world and now… all I could muster was a simple nod yes.</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">Lovingly, Maggie reached out and took my hand, and although I couldn’t actually feel it, I found it comforting and followed her without protest.</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="calibre18" style="line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span class="italic1"><i><span lang="EN-US">“Where are we going?” I asked as we walked. Without turning around, I heard her response, “We’re going to the observation room, darlin’.”</span></i></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Links to purchase Becoming Bryn<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Bryn-Angela-Carling-ebook/dp/B00YQ374V0/" target="_blank">Amazon </a></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/becoming-bryn-angela-carling/1115422613?ean=9781935089667" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/becoming-bryn" target="_blank">Kobo</a></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/546216" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>A couple of short reviews:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="a-size-base6"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Becoming Bryn went to places I didn't expect. You want to laugh and cry and swoon (yes, very much swooning indeed... there was an excellent kiss... not telling you with WHO though!) and not be able to put the book down because of it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid #4F81BD 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0cm 0cm 4.0pt 0cm;">
<div class="MsoTitle">
<em><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi;">-Jessica </span></em><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1G7XS76FX7PG0/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdp?ie=UTF8"><em><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">L Sankiewicz</span></em></a></span><em><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="a-size-base6"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The book is beautifully written very well done from start to finish. I ended up staying up super late till three in the morning reading, even had tears in my eyes because the end is just so amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="a-size-base6"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">-<i>Mandy Sickle, Reading Diaries</i></span></span><i><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Author bio:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CTjazll7ckU/VrlU5yKfNBI/AAAAAAAABRc/NLxHdhel8sg/s1600/author%2Bpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CTjazll7ckU/VrlU5yKfNBI/AAAAAAAABRc/NLxHdhel8sg/s400/author%2Bpic.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="uficommentbody"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="uficommentbody"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="uficommentbody">A little about Angela <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="uficommentbody"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Angela Carling was raised in Palm Springs California, but lives Arizona with her husband, three kids and five felines. After years of denial she finally admitted that she is a hopeless romantic which led her to write her first Young Adult book Unbreakable Love. Since then she’s published three more books, Shackled, Becoming Bryn and The Secret Keeper. Shackled won the silver IPGA award in 2012 and has been optioned as a screenplay. She always eats the frosting off her cake and leaves the rest, and can be caught singing in public bathrooms for the acoustics. When she’s not writing YA novels, she’s mentoring teen writers, making pizza with her family or dreaming of taking a nap, not necessarily in that order. <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="uficommentbody"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="uficommentbody"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="uficommentbody"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="uficommentbody"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="uficommentbody"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Links to connect with Angela</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="uficommentbody"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><a href="http://www.angelacarling.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.angelacarling.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>Blog</b></a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><a href="https://twitter.com/angelacarling" target="_blank">Twitter</a></b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><a href="https://twitter.com/angelacarling" target="_blank">Facebook </a></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/5331346.Angela_Carling" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ThePajamWriter/videos?view=0" target="_blank">Youtube</a></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/angelacarling/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-59500901658415654872016-02-05T21:18:00.000-05:002016-02-05T21:18:06.432-05:00Celebrate Love, Blog Series with author Frances Hoelsema and Growing Up Neighbours<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Today we have our third author in the Romantic Spotlight. Our guest today promises stories that leave you feeling good about love. Now how can you resist? I will pain you no longer, and let you read on while I go throw another log on the fire. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>I am a wife and work-at-home mom of two boys from Michigan. I’ve always enjoyed reading, and on certain occasions I would envision telling my own story. But I never did anything about it. When I had gotten my first Kindle for Christmas a few years ago and started reading even more, the nudge to write got stronger and stronger. I knew exactly the story I wanted to tell, and this time I decided to tell it. <b>Good for you! I know that nudge...kind of like being pushed off the couch ;o)</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>I do not write full time. I have two young boys to watch over, as well as my part-time job I do from home. When I write it’s usually just in the afternoons during quiet time. I’d say maybe two hours a day is devoted to writing when I’m working on a book. When a book has been completed I work on other things so then my writing is pretty much not happening. <b>Two hours a day is awesome! I am quiet time deprived, myself.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you tell us a little about your novel? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b><i>Growing Up Neighbors</i> is part non-fiction in that it centers around the love story my husband and I experienced. However, it has a lot of details that are completely made up. <b>Ah, now one has to wonder if the made up part is from things you might have desired…unless of course it’s the tragedy...then I'm sorry. </b>It is about two neighbors that grow to be the best of friends. As they age, their friendship deepens, but neither of them realize their true feelings for one another until tragedy strikes. It’s an excellent, sweet story geared towards young adults that will leave the reader feeling good about love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Would you take us on a brief tour of your novel and the world you’ve created?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>This novel spans a huge chunk of time. We follow Deborah Harrington and Nicholas Michaels from childhood to adulthood. They live in Michigan, although cities and other places have been totally made up. Here you’ll experience life and all that life offers, both the good and the bad. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where does the inspiration for your main character and story come from?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>The inspiration for the main character in Growing Up Neighbors, as well as the overall story, comes from me and my life. Deborah is me! <b>Actually, Deborah is my given name ;)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you think makes a good romance story?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DgC2UwLbxkI/VrUoD4vIQ5I/AAAAAAAABQ8/v-QbGytsvAE/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DgC2UwLbxkI/VrUoD4vIQ5I/AAAAAAAABQ8/v-QbGytsvAE/s400/book.jpg" width="262" /></a><b> </b>What I think makes a good love story is something that is believable. It’s hard to get a true feeling for romance when it’s instant and there’s no basis behind it. There needs to be passion and friendship, as well as connection and reason. <b>I so agree.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How do you handle the emotional side of romance writing? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>For starters, Growing Up Neighbors does deal with tough situations and tragedy, which I just draw emotions from how I felt. But the overall love story this is and all my writing will be are stories that leave you feeling good about love. They’ll be sweet and happy because many relationships actually end up that way. <b>Nice!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What elements do you think are more important in this type of writing? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>With romance writing, like I mentioned above, I think the elements that are important are for the readers to be able to connect with the characters through something that is believable. Readers need to be able to see the love and follow with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is the message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story around or did it develop as your characters came to life?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>The message behind the story is that life is a journey to something. Growing Up Neighbors is about a journey to love. And most importantly, love wins. And yes, I wrote the story around the message because it’s what I experienced.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? If you use an outline, how detailed is it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do work from an outline. I stay more focused and can write much better when I have an outline. I am a very organized person so it’s something I really need. With Growing Up Neighbors I had what I wanted each chapter to mention as well as each section of that chapter detailed on what I wanted to cover. The new novel I’m working on I wrote out actual sentences I wanted to include, but this story is not so much based on my real life so I needed to have more structure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>Growing Up Neighbors takes place over years.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How much research went into your story?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t do any research with this story because it was all written around what I already knew, and everything I went through. <b>And yet I’ll bet you’ll come across people who will challenge what you have written lol.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you tell us how you go about your research, how you ‘catalogue’ information to make it all work?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>I didn’t do research on Growing Up Neighbors. In my new novel, however, one of the characters has fibromyalgia and so I asked those I knew about what they live with, as well as researched some medical websites to know more. I just wanted to know the basics for this disease, as well as what individuals can experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How does this book differ from what you have written in the past?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is my first novel. The only other things I have written in the past are school reports, in which case Growing Up Neighbors is far, far different.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How have the changes in present day publishing impacted your schedule as a writer?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>I’m not too familiar with the publishing world. I did set out on this journey knowing I’d probably just self-publish because it seemed easier. But I’m still learning about all of that as well. My goal is just to do what I need to do to get my name/book out there so I’m pursuing all avenues. As far as changes and scheduling, it hasn’t done anything to me seeing as I’m new. <b>The CIR group is an awesome place to draw on the information and experiences of other authors. Don’t hesitate to ask when you are uncertain about any writing/publishing/marketing related topic.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do all my own marketing since I’m self-published. This is another area that I’m constantly learning about. Right now I take one day at a time, one sale at a time. Any sales I make I’m super thrilled. <b>In today’s reality, even traditionally published authors have to handle aspects of marketing.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To the aspiring authors I would say that if you have a story to tell, do it. Don’t wait or think you can’t. Just do it. Never stop or give up in any way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you tell us what you’re working on now? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m working on book two in the Neighbors series called Next Door Neighbors. I hope to have this published come spring 2016. This Neighbors story only takes place in the span of less than two years and follows two adult neighbors on their journey to love. It’s full of pain, passion and pursuit. The message in this novel is that love is not merely a feeling, but an action.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vxVN5CluEmM/VrUoFgiz_lI/AAAAAAAABRE/WId0GsUyBhE/s1600/author%2Bpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vxVN5CluEmM/VrUoFgiz_lI/AAAAAAAABRE/WId0GsUyBhE/s1600/author%2Bpic.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="FR-CA"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vxVN5CluEmM/VrUoFgiz_lI/AAAAAAAABRE/WId0GsUyBhE/s1600/author%2Bpic.jpg"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; text-decoration: none;"></span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bio</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">: Frances Hoelsema is a wife and work-at-home mom residing in Holland, Michigan. Some of her favorites are traveling, kayaking, hiking, shopping and cats. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing and engaging with others around the world through social media. Ideas for her novels are mostly derived from her own personal feelings, emotions and life experiences, as well as from those she is in contact with. To find out more and/or to connect with Frances, please visit: www.facebook.com/frances.hoelsema.author<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tagline</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">: Embark on a journey through life’s ups and downs, and ultimately to love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Blurb</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">: Little Deborah Harrington stared across the street the day the Michaels family moved in. Who was this family? Would she even like them? Nicholas Michaels hated the fact he had to move away from everything and everyone in his life, but his feelings change when he meets the Harringtons. Deborah and Nicholas become the best of friends, and as the children grow up, their friendship deepens. But then tragedy strikes. Will this cause them to part ways? Or will it perhaps make them realize they may have stronger feelings for one another before it's too late?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Excerpt:</b> “Wow. This is beautiful,” she said. “But I don’t get it. The book I get and the CD I get, but this I don’t. You know I don’t wear a lot of jewelry so why the bracelet?” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Nicholas had bought the bracelet that had her birthstone all around it in small gems, in hopes that she’d wear it to the prom with him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“Well, I was hoping that you’d wear it to prom. I think you’d look nice with it on,” Nicholas explained.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“Nick, I can’t go to the prom since I’m only a sophomore. You know that the prom is for seniors only, right?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“Not unless a senior invites someone from a different grade to go.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“So what are you saying?” Deborah asked as she looked puzzlingly up at Nicholas.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“I’m asking if you’d go to the prom with me.” Nicholas added his wink and smile that he felt for sure would charm her into saying yes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“What?” Deborah was completely shocked. She thought for sure that he’d want to go with a group of friends, a girl his own age or maybe his own girlfriend if he had one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
After a few seconds had passed, which seemed like forever to Nicholas, he asked, “So will you?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“Yeah! I’d love to. And, yes, I’ll wear this beautiful bracelet.” She gave him a smile and then returned to admire the beautiful piece of jewelry that it was.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
“Great! I’m so glad you said yes."<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
"Did you think I wouldn't have?"<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
"Well, you never know," Nicholas shrugged.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
The two of them let out a small giggle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Nicholas looked at the time on his watch and added, "Look, I’ve got to go. I hope you enjoyed your birthday.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, I did. Thanks to you,” Deborah assured him. She gave him another hug and then he left. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Deborah gathered her gifts, including the ones that all her friends got for her, and brought them up to her room, the whole time not being able to wipe off the smile that was on her face. She loved all the gifts, but the fact that Nicholas asked her to the prom meant the world to her. Of course she knew it was just as friends that they’d be going together, but the fact remained that he asked her and got her something beautiful to wear to it as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was the best day of my life, Deborah thought as she put her pajamas on and went to bed feeling like a princess as she fell asleep.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="line-height: 14.25pt;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="line-height: 14.25pt;">Reviews</b><span style="line-height: 14.25pt;">: </span><span lang="FR-CA" style="line-height: 14.25pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1G3LRNGD4WWX9/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Diane L. Weiner</span></a></span><span style="line-height: 14.25pt;">, “Growing up Neighbors is a sweet romance which follows Nicholas and Deborah, two neighbors, from when they first meet through their wedding. The characters are typical, believable characters and go through things such as dealing with arguing parents, divorce, getting a first job, going away to college, and the ups and downs of romance. It's a young adult book which I think would be enjoyed by tween and early teen girls. It's an easy read-- I read it in one sitting--and the pace is steady. I like how the author ended the story.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span lang="FR-CA"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1ECNIR64EAWMV/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdp?ie=UTF8"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Marcene</span></a></span>, “Brilliant story about the misunderstandings and the triumphs of growing up, friendship and love!!!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span lang="FR-CA"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2FHUXHIAKQH8N/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdp?ie=UTF8"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Katie Blythe</span></a></span>, “I really loved this story. It was a very cozy read for me. The best thing about this story, is that there is no “instalove.” The characters know each other at a young age and are very close friends first. They don’t grow up and they instantaneously see each other across the room and realize they are completely head over heels for each other and never realized it until that moment, which is a very good break from a lot of other stories. The friendship they have grows naturally and is very believable. It’s definitely a book to read during the fall/winter season.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Contact Info</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">: FB-www.facebook.com/frances.hoelsema.author<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Twitter-@FrancesHoelsema<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Blog-www.franceshoelsema.wordpress.com<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Purchase Links</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">: http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Up-Neighbors-Frances-Hoelsema/dp/B00PJGYW40/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452550302&sr=8-1&keywords=Growing+Up+Neighbors<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-26472000615691658812016-02-03T01:00:00.000-05:002016-02-03T01:00:00.778-05:00Celebrate Love, Blog Series with author Jay E. Tria and Blossom Among Flowers<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">We are moving ahead with our romance author spotlight. Setting the mood for Valentine's Day, so grab a nice warm cup of hot cocoa and curl up by the fire while you read on...</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Hi! I’m Jay, and I write contemporary romance, young adult, and sometimes paranormal/urban fantasy. I guess like most writers, I started with reading. Often I’d find books that I didn’t want to end, or endings that I didn’t like, or characters I loved that didn’t get to shine. Just some reaction or other, positive or otherwise, that drove me to start daydreaming bits and scenes. Eventually, the daydreams got too long and detailed I had to write them down. <b>You made me laugh. I remember going to the movies once and loving the movie until we got to the end. It was pathetic. I was so angry I went out, bought the book, tore out the ending and re-wrote it. There's nothing wrong with a good ending that doesn’t end in tragedy. It was like, oh, yes! he finally gets it, they can now try to build a life together, and he gets struck by lightning putting out the trash :P<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Could you tell us a little about your novel? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Blossom Among Flowers is the first novel I have finished (stories written on notebooks when I was a pre-teen don’t count). It’s about Hikaru Saito, a Japanese high school student who’d rather spend her days buried deep in her <i>manga</i> than pay attention in school. This gets her into trouble when she fails an important exam, and her teacher had to assign her a tutor in the form of a beautiful snob of a genius named Takeshi Hinata. They start a strict tutor-student relationship that develops into a tentative friendship, and soon, something more. <b>I had to go look at your profile again because I was like ''Wait! Jay isn't Japanese, is she?"</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x0aZ_FovOZ4/Vq-5YOilU_I/AAAAAAAABQY/65bRwXmHfpE/s1600/BAF.cover.front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x0aZ_FovOZ4/Vq-5YOilU_I/AAAAAAAABQY/65bRwXmHfpE/s400/BAF.cover.front.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Where does the inspiration for your main character and story come from?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I was addicted to Japanese comics (also called <i>manga</i>), anime, and dramas when I was a kid. I don’t have much time to indulge in them now, but don’t tempt me because I can easily get into them. Anyway, I was sad because the guy in this drama that I was rooting for didn’t get the girl. So I just started imagining someone like him as the love interest in this new story. It kind of snowballed from there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">What do you think makes a good romance story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I’ve been thinking a lot about this, because I’m trying to figure out what makes a romance cheesy to some but awesome to others. And I think it’s about relatability. Even if the hero is godlike and the romantic scenes are impossibly epic, as long as the reader can identify one way or another to the characters and to the story, it’s going to feel real. It’s going to make the reader swoon and believe. If the reader feels alienated, it’s not going to work. You won’t be able to make everyone think yours is a good romance story, obviously, but there will be readers who will love it, as long as they feel that the story is real. <b>I like that! It makes sense. I had never read a romance novel until I started writing Emma. I wanted to see how other authors portrayed emotions...well my first reaction was ''Woman are not that dumb." My second was amusement at the cookie-cutter details of the man character that seemed to be repeated from one book to another.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">How do you handle the emotional side of romance writing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I get very attached, which is hard and makes it difficult to write something on a deadline. I need space to get into the characters’ heads, to ask questions about them, and know why they would do something. I have to hear them talk in my ear, because when that happens that means I’ve gotten to know them already. I get really immersed and I kind of get carried away. <b>I think this is the first time I hear about this style of writing. Fascinating…<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Which elements do you think are more important in this type of writing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Humor, logic, and a good kiss scene. I particularly like rain/snow scenes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I had no outline when I was first writing, so with <i>Blossom</i> it turned into this episodic thing that had no underlying story arc. By the time I realized it could go on forever, I’ve hit 160k+ words. So then I had to write an outline and start cutting. It was a very painful process. I write with detailed outlines since then. <b>Now that’s one way to get an author to use an outline.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">How much research went into your story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fn-8mtALikU/Vq-8BHyLXxI/AAAAAAAABQk/oP6JouASoaA/s1600/Jay%2BE%2BTria%2Bpicture%2B082015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fn-8mtALikU/Vq-8BHyLXxI/AAAAAAAABQk/oP6JouASoaA/s320/Jay%2BE%2BTria%2Bpicture%2B082015.jpg" width="288" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">A lot! Because I’m not Japanese, and when I was writing this, I hadn’t been to Japan yet. So a lot of the things in that story are exclusively from the anime/manga/dramas I’ve consumed. I had to fact check everything and make sure I was not disrespecting the culture. But it was a fun exercise. I’d do it again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">How does this book differ from what you have written so far?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Blossom Among Flowers</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> is contemporary YA that reads like an anime/manga/drama. It’s really cool when readers give me that comment because that was what’s in my head when I was writing it. I have a New Adult romance series that starts with the novella <i>Songs of Our Breakup</i>, and it tells the story of an indie rock band and a Japanese celebrity. It’s about music, rock and roll, and moving on. Apart from the difference in genre, <i>Songs</i> is set in the Philippines, where I’m from, and has Filipino characters (apart from the one foreign celebrity). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">How have the changes in present-day publishing impacted your schedule as a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">It makes me want to write more and write faster. I want to keep up because things change all the time. But I also have to keep telling myself to slow down a bit so I can enjoy the process. Sometimes my sister takes it upon herself to remind me of that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Oh boy, marketing, that elusive friend. Someone once told me marketing is not about selling, but it’s about sharing something you like with others who can like it too. I’m trying to keep that in mind when it starts to feel too much like work. That it’s about presence and interaction that will eventually (hopefully) lead to readership. I used to have a plan, but I got so stressed out about it. So now I just have a loose outline and a really supportive writing community. Doing this with fellow authors makes marketing seem less of a scary monster. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><b>That’s a good way to go about marketing. It can be so overwhelming when you have to go at it on your own.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Loving your craft is a given, but I think it’s also important to love your story and your characters. You’ll be spending a whole lot of time with them, so you have to have a deep affection for them so you don’t give up in the middle of a crisis, i.e. harsh edits, heartless reader comments, writer’s block. Funny, but it’s like a relationship, isn’t it? <b>Ha ha, I think it can be even more intense, lol.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Could you tell us what you’re working on now? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">I have a new clean read for release soon. It’s a paranormal/urban fantasy story called <i>Majesty</i>, and it’s the story of Andy and the ghost of her best friend Majesty. It’s about how friendship endures even death, and how loss and grief can bring you love, if you allow it. It was painful to write this book. It broke my heart a few times, but I’m glad I did it. <b>Sounds very interesting :)</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Buy links</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0120BCAOK?*Version*=1&*entries*=0" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon </span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1021281401" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Apple </span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blossom-among-flowers-jay-e-tria/1122340551?ean=2940152258028&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-je6NUbpObpQ-_-10:1" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">BN </span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/blossom-among-flowers?utm_source=linkshare_us&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=linkshare_us&siteID=je6NUbpObpQ-xmdGDWCBpLnD2vl8zmuWtA" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Kobo</span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Author bio</span></b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GYarJYpiK7c/Vq-8Ou1BAoI/AAAAAAAABQs/hJ_RuNVaEpM/s1600/MytkMvYP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GYarJYpiK7c/Vq-8Ou1BAoI/AAAAAAAABQs/hJ_RuNVaEpM/s320/MytkMvYP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Jay E. Tria is inspired by daydreams, celebrity crushes, a childhood fascination of Japanese drama and <i>manga</i>, and an incessant itch to travel. She writes contemporary young adult and new adult romance. Sometimes, paranormal fantasy too. Visit her website at </span><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.jayetria.com/" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: Georgia, serif;">www.jayetria.com</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Books by Jay: </span><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1MMF1eH" target="_blank"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Blossom Among Flowers</span></i></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> |</span><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1YENjca" target="_blank"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Songs of Our Breakup</span></i></a></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> | Majesty</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="FR-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jayetriawriter?fref=ts" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Facebook</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, </span><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/jayetria" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Twitter</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, </span><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://instagram.com/jayetria/" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Instagram</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="https://www.wattpad.com/user/jayetria" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">Wattpad</span></a>: jayetria</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Email: </span><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="mailto:jayetria@gmail.com" target="_blank">jayetria@gmail.com</a></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="FR-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="FR-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Reviews</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%;">"As someone who appreciates Japanese culture and its people, Tria got every nuance on point. The dialogue, narrative, and expressions used in the story flowed in one cohesive structure." <i>- Anne Plaza of WillReadforFeels</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">"This story is funny, full of romantic feels, and reads like you're watching a Japanese or Korean drama." <i>- Ines Bautista-Yao, author of Only a Kiss and What's In Your Heart</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-35306345742230778412016-02-01T01:00:00.000-05:002016-02-01T01:00:08.515-05:00Celebrate Love Blog Series with author CeeCee James and Wrecked and YoursLove is in the Air<br />
<br />
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I write to encourage anyone who needs to hear it that life is full of hope. This message burns inside of me, generated from a season in my own life when I needed to hear that message. <b>I feel for you and appreciate the gesture. I began writing after I lost my daughter. I needed to create a place where people truly cared about one another.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I don’t write full time. I try to write every day though. <b>A noble quest.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Could you tell us a little about your novel? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<i><span lang="EN-US">Wrecked and Yours,</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> begins with two sisters, Miranda and Cassie, who are run-aways, based lightly on a few of my own experiences. As they struggle to find their way, they meet another homeless teen, Jason. The main focus of the story is their connection as adults… will the walls break down enough to allow love? Or will their old ways come back to haunt them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Would you take us on a brief tour of your novel and the world you’ve created? </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Wrecked and Yours takes place over the span of 200 miles as the teenagers try to find a sustainable way to live. As adults Miranda, comes home to a small town where Jason lives. She’s heavy hearted and expecting rejection. <b>You have peaked my curiosity with your ‘sustainable way to live’…<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Where does the inspiration for your main character and story come from? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I experienced homelessness as a teen, and many of their struggles were things I could personally relate with. <b>Then I can imagine your writing will show a depth only imagined by others.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">What do you think makes a good romance story? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">A good romance story includes growth of character, love, and a happily ending. :) <b>I’m all for happy endings!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">How do you handle the emotional side of romance writing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I love the emotions. I hope I lead the readers to feel what the characters are feeling in a relatable way<b>.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">What elements do you think are more important in this type of writing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I think it’s important to take my time getting to know my characters, and relate them in as realistic way as possible even if everything in the story is unrealistic. <b>Yes! It’s sad when things are rushed; it feels as though we’ve been robbed.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">What is the message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story around or did it develop as your characters came to life? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">My message is about how important forgiveness is, and how precious it is. How there can be new beginnings, hope is real, and so is love. <b>Wow, nice.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? If you use an outline, how detailed is it? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I work from a very vague outline. I have a few ideas of where I want the story to go, and then I let the characters lead me there. It’s often a surprise to me too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">It jumps from their teen years to adulthood. <b>I had to laugh at the earlier question, where you said the story spanned 200 miles. I immediately thought of this question, and thought, ‘Well now that’s a first.’<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">How does this book differ from what you have written in the past?</span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">The books I’ve written in the past were memoirs. And I loved writing Wrecked and Yours after doing the memoirs! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?</span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I run sales from time to time. Some of my marketing comes from a few incredible opportunities to do radio interviews. I also am a public speaker<b>. Interesting.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">Don’t doubt yourself. Whenever I begin a book and picture how someone else will read it, my creativity always gets choked off. So, my advice is to write for yourself when doing the first draft. <b>I think if we start worrying about what people will think we’d never write.</b> <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Could you tell us what you’re working on now? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US">I am working on the third book to the series, and I’m very excited about it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>Now let's find out a little more about our guest through her bio.</b></span></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><i><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;">Bio<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">CeeCee James is a wife, mom, owner of two mini-dashchunds, writer, and watercolor artist. Most of all, she is a survivor. The story about overcoming strife is one that resonates with her. She lived it herself. An advocate for adult survivors of child abuse, her Ghost No More series is her true story of surviving and healing from childhood trauma. CeeCee's blog- http://joyfullivingpafterchildabuse.blogspot.com/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Her fictional series, Wrecked and Yours, is about a pair of siblings and how they navigate life. It's romantic, uncertain and messy, like life often is. It's describes their season to make a choice, "look at life honestly and deal with it, or continue to run away." CeeCee absolutely loved writing it, and hopes it resonates with you because everyone has an important story of what they've overcome.</span></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body">
<b><i><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Wrecked and Yours<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xy9Iq3Kmq1c/Vq68pp03xiI/AAAAAAAABQI/KlJMCi55F8E/s1600/12546327_1683754328568557_80955671_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xy9Iq3Kmq1c/Vq68pp03xiI/AAAAAAAABQI/KlJMCi55F8E/s400/12546327_1683754328568557_80955671_o.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="Body">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><i><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Tagline,</span></u></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFEFE; color: #373e4c; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Are there second chances in love?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><i><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Blurb,</span></u></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFEFE; color: #373e4c; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Five years ago Miranda and Jason were inseparable--runaway teens standing together against the rest of the world. But those days are long gone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Now in her twenties, Miranda is triggered by the ghosts of her past. Trying to escape, she abandons her old life and everyone she knew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jason swears his relationship with her is ruined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Just when she's back on her feet, her secret forces Miranda to return. Now, she must pair together with Jason to overcome the biggest challenge they've ever faced, or both of them be destroyed. But with so many scars separating them, can they learn to trust each other again?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><i><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><i><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><i><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Excerpt, <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="Default" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt; text-indent: 28.8pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Miranda</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">’</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%;">s red Jeep</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> jolted over the last few potholes of the dirt driveway. A cloud of dust rolled past the vehicle and up to the front door. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt; text-indent: 28.8pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“There goes my surprise attack,” she whispered, staring up at the house. It appeared empty, with its windows dark in the bright sunlight, but she knew he was there. His rust-covered Chevy truck was parked beside the old barn.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt; text-indent: 28.8pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">She flipped down the rear view mirror and rubbed away the mascara smears, then flicked her brown hair off her shoulders. Sighing, she opened the car door. She started to slam it, but then the bravado drained away. Instead, she shut it quietly and leaned against it momentarily for support before squaring her shoulders and walking up the porch steps.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><i><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Reviews</span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">FIVE STARS</span></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #101010; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: bold;">THIS novel is the reason I read books. An absolute MUST read.</span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><i><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Contact links:<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="Default">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/CeeCeeJamesAuthor/" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><i><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Book Purchase Links:<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="Default">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wrecked-Yours-Second-Chance-Book-ebook/dp/B013TAV50G" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;" target="_blank">Amazon US</a></div>
<br />
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-78710569795830467322016-01-27T15:46:00.001-05:002016-01-27T15:46:04.116-05:00Write it down!I'll bet that as an author, you'd think the title refers to stuff like -always carry a pad and paper around not to lose your ideas. Of course with today's technology, smartphones make that easy. I have a 'pen' inside my phone and it can actually read my handwriting. Now that's cool!<br />
But....no. That is not what this post is about.<br />
<br />
Authors, make notes. Not just for yourself, but for readers with great memories. You know, those people who seem to remember <i>every last detail</i>!<br />
Personally, I open a word doc and file it under 'story notes'. I have one for characters, one for invented words and technology since I write Sci-Fi. I make one for the different planets and such. Why? Because going back over a manuscript looking for that one word or detail is a waste of time I'm already short on.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K62msL4rRGA/VqkmEdVsuPI/AAAAAAAABPk/-s00HDS6rOU/s1600/Author%2Bimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K62msL4rRGA/VqkmEdVsuPI/AAAAAAAABPk/-s00HDS6rOU/s320/Author%2Bimage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So...what brought this on? Allow me to share. You know I'm going to anyway. OK, here goes. I was reading a book from an author I usually enjoy. I have many of her books, and even though this point has come up in the past, THIS TIME, she's outdone herself.<br />
<br />
So....in the beginning, she names her character Morgan....and she's named the puppies Linus and Lucy. So far, so good. Yet somehow, there was a temproal shift in that town, or something like that, because in her latest installment, Morgan is now Lucy, and she has renamed a cat and dog Lucy and Linus. Not to mention a family whose mother died after giving birth, leaving the 3 kids behind....now has 4 kids from that same deceased mom. Sigh, yes, it bothers me. In the past, her characters have aged at different rates and changed hair color, OK for a teen, but not a 3 year old!<br />
<br />
All she would have had to do was this:<br />
<br />
Character Info:<br />
<br />
Name Age Hair and Eye color Family Ties Ticks/Mannerisms Occupation<br />
<br />
<br />
See, all the info you need at the tip of your fingertips. Now of course, you would adjust the categories according to your needs, but the point here is this: You won't have to go back through a manuscript looking for that comment on family ties, or hair color (or species). Having had to look through my MS for that one detail is what pushed me to start my <i>Info Files</i>. What started as a character info sheet, turned inot a story file filled with details. The great thing is, when I decide to go back and write about these characters in the future, I won't be relying on my memory, but on a quick reference chart that has it all.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3KLTw7qzwQ/VqkpGxNmmSI/AAAAAAAABP4/Q-Bc5q9Zsl0/s1600/AE2pub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3KLTw7qzwQ/VqkpGxNmmSI/AAAAAAAABP4/Q-Bc5q9Zsl0/s320/AE2pub.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So do yourself a favor, (and your reader's as well), create that info sheet, and save time (and face) in the long run.<br />
<br />
My Sci-Fi docs have details that have helped me notice that I <i>LOVE</i> blue-green marbled things....like fruit and cups and even clothing (though not marbled), but it helps make sure I vary my descriptions. Same goes for the taste of the food my aliens eat, but it can be as simpla as -My characters always eat or drink the SAME thing. Something I would notice if I keep track of it in my files!<br />
<br />
If you are someone who pays attention to detail, I am sure this would be a great writing tip for you, and if you are a reader with an eye and memory for detail, you'll love your note-keeping authors even more.<br />
<br />
I have yet to use Scrivner, but I think they have some form of file or note saving system. So if you know about it, please share! Maybe it will get me to use my Scrivner once and for all :)<br />
<br />
Happy writing!Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-53214366625753016832016-01-11T13:11:00.000-05:002016-01-11T13:11:00.790-05:00Nese Ellyson and Escape to Sanctuary<b>So the holidays came and went, no snow on Christmas. It was 16 degrees Celcius here (61 F) and DH had to cut down the tree that had fallen over the car tempo. Less than a week later, we've got a foot of snow and temperatures drop down to around -29 C or -20 F....crazy Canadian weather my friends! Yesterday it poured cats and dogs (you might want to look up that expression, it's funny!), winds were unbelievable, and yup, power outages everywhere. I came home from drill team practice to a seven-year-old armed with flashlights. Zoey was thrilled that I had a portable camping stove to heat up the soup I had thankfully made a day earlier. No one would starve ;)</b><br />
<b>Fortunately, I'm hiding out indoors until tomorrow.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Now today we have one last Holiday book to present. I think you're going to like it!</b><br />
<b>Now let's meet our fascinating guest author...</b><br />
<b>BIO:</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4M9u5oKayjY/VpLp1B4g4RI/AAAAAAAABPU/ADjzs1fCr1w/s1600/AP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4M9u5oKayjY/VpLp1B4g4RI/AAAAAAAABPU/ADjzs1fCr1w/s320/AP.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #111111; line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nese Ellyson lives in a small town in rural Ohio with her own Prince Charming, two boys, and a cat they rescued. She's an avid fan of romance, particularly when it has a suspense element. She's always brimming with ideas and loves getting her thoughts down on paper. The day Denise released her first novel, Escape to Sanctuary, an inspirational romantic suspense, was one of the most exciting days of her life.<br /></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nese is a bit of a Mrs. Fix It, and enjoys doing repairs and renovations on her family home. She enjoys art and her paintings have been in several art shows. She feels she has the greatest job of all, working for her Christian ministry as an artist and designer</span></span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 16.1px;">.</span><br />
<br />
<b>Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?</b><br />
I’m and artist by trade. I have 2 boys and a great hubby. I live in rural Ohio, but was born in a suburb of Detroit. I started writing after my second son was born and I had a lot of time on my hands. My passion for romance started when I was a kid. I would make up stories in my head all the time. Every version of Cinderella I could come up with. <b>You could have some interesting conversations with my daughter around that! She took a fairy tale class in college. I never even knew they existed. Sorry, carry on... </b>Then I started reading them in 7th grade. When I became a stay at home mom with my youngest son I got serious about writing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing?</b><br />
I don’t write full time. I have lots of interests plus the boys activities and sports.<br />
I aim for writing an hour a day. <b>An hour a day would make many authors happy!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Could you tell us a little about your novel?</b><br />
This is the story of a woman who is trying to find out what happened to her step-mom. She’s shot at from the start of the book. She’s rescued by a homeless shelter. I love the heart of this story because it shows a community of giving. And the hero is humourlessly trying to protect her and keep her hidden but she’s a doctor so she ends up saving a lot of people who are thankful and want to tell others what she did for them. <b>Now there's a lot going on in that story!</b><br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What led you to choose a Christmas theme?</b><br />
My love of the season, and how it has the harsh elements as a back drop for people being warm and giving.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Would you take us on a brief tour of your novel and the world you’ve created?</b><br />
Sanctuary is a Homeless shelter in Rural Ohio where the pastor and his wife run the local church. They help lots of people who are in transition in their lives and just need a little help. There’s a wood cabin outside of town where Evie, the heroine, is stashed for a time, and there’s her ancestral home which is part of the plot.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Where does the inspiration for you main character and story come from?</b><br />
Evie’s a doctor who had been in service to as a medical missionary in Africa. She comes home to bury her step-mom and is attacked. Her heart to help and heal is something I always admire in medical workers. <b>I know that heart ;)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<br />
<b>What is the message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story around or did it develop as your characters came to life?</b><br />
It came to life as I wrote it. My theme of a homeless shelter was one I personally am passionate about. Helping others in times of need. <b>The world needs a bit more of that passion.</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? If you use an outline, how detailed is it?</b><br />
I’m a panster. I fly and write by the seat of my pants. <b>Ah, a fellow clan member.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years? How much research went into it?</b><br />
The novel spans a couple of weeks. I did research a lot of medical information to make sure I was accurate. Not that I expect anyone to use it as first aid but I didn’t want it to be obvious that the writer wasn’t in the medical profession. <b>You have my utmost respect for that! Nothing frustrates me more than details that could have been easily verified and corrected, but ruin the credibility of the author. </b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Could you tell us how you go about your research, how you ‘catalogue’ information to make it all work?</b><br />
I work scene by scene. While in a scene that has areas I need more information about I stop and look for it in Magazines, online, at the library, etc. Then I get back to the writing. Often I will have left a blank line if I needed to finish a thought and then come back to fill it in the researched part.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>How does this book differ from what y</b><b>ou have written in the past?</b><br />
<br />
This is an inspirational romantic suspense. Most of my other books are clean romance but not inspirational. <b>Must be the influence of the season.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b>How have the changes in present day publishing impacted your schedule as a writer?</b><br />
I have to do more promoting for readers to find me. I am currently working with an editor at Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense on another story but it moves much slower through the traditional publishers. <b>I turned down a contract with traditional publishing when I was told that the book wouldn't be out for another 12-18 months. Then he added, but lately it's more like 24...Well that did it for me. I turned to assisted publishing for the first novel, and have been with an indie publisher for the others.</b><br />
I love the speed of Indie publishing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?</b><br />
<br />
I recently got in touch with Deborah Gardner, a successful Indie author, for her recommendations for my books. It was to get them on a cycle so that as soon as it was available to run KDP countdowns, always with the option to run the freebie, if I could get a Bookbub ad. Once I get a Bookbub rejection I plan when to run the KDP countdown and then cycle through all of my books in this manner. <b>Interesting. Marketing is a challenge!</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?</b><br />
Get a great writing support group behind you. Sharing information with others is how to get the most out of your writing and marketing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Could you tell us what you’re working on now?</b><br />
I’m waiting for a second round of edits from Harlequin and I’ve got a Clean Contemporary Romance that is in the works. I gave it the working title of “Unblonde me”. <b>Hehe, you want to be careful with those working titles....that's how I ended up with "Snow Job" as a title for my last book. It was only supposed to be the working title.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Picture of the cover of Escape to Sanctuary done by Victorine Lieske:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x4id5wd8-SA/VpLprz_2PrI/AAAAAAAABPM/kqHxTGYe8M0/s1600/BP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x4id5wd8-SA/VpLprz_2PrI/AAAAAAAABPM/kqHxTGYe8M0/s320/BP.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Back of the book write up:</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When Dr. Evangeline Tourmaine's step-mother turns up dead, she comes back to the states and unwittingly becomes the target of a killer. FBI Agent Colton Segar swears he will protect Evie, if it's the last thing he does. Not easy to do when she keeps saving people in need of medical help. She's drawing a lot of attention. As Colton tries to keep her under the radar, he finds himself drawn to her, and soon protecting her is more than just his job. It becomes a matter of heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Snippet from some reviews:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 0%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R3D9QI681AZEM0/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B014BVT0CM&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=133140011&store=digital-text"><span style="color: #0066c0; text-decoration: none;">Best of both worlds</span></a><span style="color: #111111;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #111111;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #111111;">By </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2HLHHKOVO9HRS/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp"><span style="color: #0066c0; text-decoration: none;">Michelle Fayard</span></a><span style="color: #111111;"> on December 20, 2015</span><span style="color: #111111;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #111111;">Format: Kindle Edition</span><span style="color: #111111;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Filled with gripping and riveting romantic suspense, ESCAPED TO SANCTUARY features a truly wonderful hero and heroine skillfully brought to life by author Nese Ellyson. Another special facet about this book is that it strikes that rare but perfect balance between a Christian and secular romantic suspense. For readers who appreciate a Christian foundation to their novels, this title will be a very welcome addition to bookshelves. But for those who are drawn to quieter demonstrations of faith, this successfully bridges the enjoyment needs of both reading groups. Another trademark of Ms. Ellyson’s writing that readers are sure to appreciate is the bond of true and believable love that she develops between the main characters. Add in the beautiful and unexpected twist to this book’s ending, and you have a keeper in every way. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Purchase Link:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16.1px;"><b><a href="http://amzn.to/1Nl3dUj" target="_blank">Amazon </a> </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<b>Contact Links:</b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nese.ellyson" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://twitter.com/NeseDenise" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://neseellyson.890m.com/#" target="_blank">Blog</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-2914265121655819482016-01-07T15:29:00.000-05:002016-01-07T15:29:54.132-05:00Writing Outside Your Comfort Zone -A Twist on ‘Write What You Know’<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As an author, I often find myself in situations where I create and write the unknown. I usually write YA Sci-Fi, and since nothing in my life can give me that hands-on spaceflight experience, alien encounters or the exploration of an unknown planet, I have to wing it. Well, to a certain extent… We’ll get back to that in a bit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3sZufT-0_AQ/Vo7HqI8Cu7I/AAAAAAAABOo/bQgEvgBJNJM/s1600/DSCF6369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3sZufT-0_AQ/Vo7HqI8Cu7I/AAAAAAAABOo/bQgEvgBJNJM/s320/DSCF6369.JPG" width="320" /></a>On occasion, I find myself lacking in personal or professional experience to authentically forge a character or situation. The Internet is a blessing for so many of these details today because with one simple click of a mouse, I can find myself standing on Fifth Avenue in NY, on Nevsky Prospect in St. Petersburg, or on la rue Jussieu in Paris. I can google details from the past, present, and consider speculations about the future, stop by a hotel lobby or peruse the menu in an exotic restaurant, and if need be, I can explore an underwater shipwreck, or watch a tutorial on how to make my own soap on YouTube. All of this from the comfort of my home if I so desire…or an internet café, while riding the train, you name it. Research has come a long way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Human experience is another invaluable source of inspiration and information. We can ask friends and co-workers to help fill in the blanks, or toss questions out online through our Fb groups or other venues to have people share their experience with whatever situation that may be causing us grief while writing. I do not believe that television offers a valid source of information, though, since they tend to stretch the truth to make their stories larger than life. (Thanks to Myth Busters, I now know a car will not explode if bullets hit the gas tank). I prefer to remain as true and as accurate as possible in my writing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, and a word of caution with your research, especially if you are writing murder mysteries or thrillers, be careful what you type into that search engine because there are some topics that can attract unwanted attention to you. I know of one author on the “No Fly” list…I kid you not.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, there’s nothing wrong with learning something new to put into our stories. The main character in my last novel was a NY divorce lawyer. This is so not anywhere within my realm of expertise or knowledge. I did consult with a friend who is a family court lawyer, as well as spend days and days online looking up NY Law terms, procedures and protocol. I never did find out if they wore robes in NY family court, but here in Quebec they do, and since they sell those robes in the States, I went with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-get7Vr08gCU/Vo7HWYuACqI/AAAAAAAABOY/vALwXAqUQEg/s1600/FTX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-get7Vr08gCU/Vo7HWYuACqI/AAAAAAAABOY/vALwXAqUQEg/s1600/FTX.jpg" /></a>Writing what you know is awesome, not only because it significantly cuts down on research time, but because you should be comfortable creating from this space. A unique space found within, filled with sights, sounds, smells and emotions from the experience. No two authors are the same either, and each one has their own life story, adding to the supply of situations and people to colour and shape their own story. I consider myself lucky, because I can write about many different and interesting things, but at one point, like I mentioned in the last paragraph, you find yourself out of your comfort zone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I believe that research is a personal thing. How much is required, how detailed you have to be, and what to actually use or make up rests with the author. I love to learn new things, and therefore, enjoy the challenge of stretching myself a little farther to honor my quest for accuracy. In one book, I had my characters in a survival setting build a compost potty. Now aside from those two words, “compost potty,” none of my research made it into the story. I have pages and pages on various types of potties, their construction, and upkeep. In my opinion, it was necessary to make the best choice for my story, even though 99.9% of all that work and research never showed up in the novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
How do I handle Sci-Fi? I did my research there as well, using technology that has been tested on Earth. Some things, like transporting down from the ship to the planet, are a stretch of the possible. Scientists have managed to transport a molecule a few feet from its point of origin, so I allowed myself to use it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9cKEJKfoP7I/Vo7HvcqcwcI/AAAAAAAABOw/1rH4TQDkfbM/s1600/DSCF6385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9cKEJKfoP7I/Vo7HvcqcwcI/AAAAAAAABOw/1rH4TQDkfbM/s320/DSCF6385.JPG" width="320" /></a>All this to say what? Yes, for sure, write what you know, but then, never spurn the chance to learn and grow. Think about it. You could take a ride on an ambulance to get a feel for their day-to -day drama (yes, ride-alongs are permitted), or take a few classes in fencing or martial arts to allow you to form a more accurate feel for the sport. I hold balck belts in several disciplines, so I know that years of training and experience cannot be obtained in just a few classes, but it'll be that much more realistic than writing from no experience at all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Face it, us authors have the best jobs in the world. And if we don't like something, we can just rewrite it!</div>
<br />
<br />
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6565089297535333301.post-57019334468848369682015-12-19T14:17:00.000-05:002015-12-19T14:17:08.882-05:00Rebekah Jones and 24 Days Before Christmas<b>Oh, don't tease...3 snowflakes? Seriously? Even my two-year-old has taken up the "snow-dance"...but alas, to no avail. They're calling for pouring rain, and temperatures some ten degrees above freezing on Christmas Eve! The seasons have run amuck. So, better stay inside and enjoy a winter read. Our next guest, Miss Rebekah Jones. So let's see if she can bring us some holiday cheer. Oh, and since she writes a Christmas mystery, maybe she can solve the mystery of the missing snow...</b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you share a little about yourself and what led you to become a writer?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am twenty-five-years-old and live at home with my parents and siblings. I have many things that I enjoy doing, besides writing. <st1:city w:st="on">Reading</st1:city>, studying, singing, walking a baby to sleep, washing dishes, and playing the piano are just a few. I don’t ever really have enough time to do everything that I’d like to do or to learn everything I’d like to learn! (Especially since reading my entire “To Read” list could easily take up every inch of time alone!) <b>As long as you are alive you can learn. The day you stop learning, is the day you stop living. Enjoy your life, it sounds like youare off to a good start.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DYQeJR8i2jE/VnWn38DsFiI/AAAAAAAABNc/3LJhkJ9iLrs/s1600/20121027_IMG_9999_20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DYQeJR8i2jE/VnWn38DsFiI/AAAAAAAABNc/3LJhkJ9iLrs/s320/20121027_IMG_9999_20.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ever since I can remember, I have loved working with words. I started my first book, when I was eight or nine. I had countless “picture stories” and short stories before that, not to mention all of my songs and poems. (None of which, will likely, ever see the public eye, though I do still have many of them...) <b>Sounds like my seven year old. WHen my last novel had been sent off to the publisher, I enthusiastically told her that I was going to have another book published...to whic she replied, "I have a lot of those already."</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My two greatest inspirations for writing an actual book, however, probably came from Isabella Alden and Jessica Fletcher. Isabella Alden was a pastor’s wife, who wrote books at the turn of the twentieth century, under her pen name, Pansy. Jessica Fletcher is a fictional author in the old mystery show, <i>Murder She Wrote. </i>As I grew older, reading Charles Dickens’ books (and watching the films based on his books) played a major role in developing how and what I wanted to write about. And I would be remiss, if I didn’t mention that my love for Sherlock Holmes mysteries didn’t greatly influence me as well. Mostly, in giving me a greater love for the mystery genre. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you write full time? How much of your life is set aside for writing? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this time, no, I don’t write full time. Honestly, I write whenever I feel like it. Which, normally, means, at least a little every day. That little could be ten minutes or it could be five hours. When I’m in the middle of drafting a novel, I have been known to spend hours for days on end, working to complete it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tend to write whenever there is an open moment; when watching a movie, if I’m in the back of the car while we’re driving somewhere, if I can’t sleep, if I’m up early, if I’m home alone… Any time that there’s an open time, I often fill it with writing. <b>Sounds good, getting in writing whenever you can is perfect.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you tell us a little about your novel?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>24 Days Before Christmas</i> is my third novel and a Christmas Mystery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfNTPST9Obs/VnWn97VnqTI/AAAAAAAABNk/gRgIbiZTTa0/s1600/Front%2BCover%2B-%2B3%2B-%2B24%2BDays%2BBefore%2BChristmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfNTPST9Obs/VnWn97VnqTI/AAAAAAAABNk/gRgIbiZTTa0/s400/Front%2BCover%2B-%2B3%2B-%2B24%2BDays%2BBefore%2BChristmas.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Leland Bell disappears without a trace, the tiny town of <st1:city w:st="on">Poinsettia</st1:city> doesn’t even know how to react. Crime is almost unheard of in the peaceful streets, and the idea that Leland could have been kidnapped or, worse, murdered, is foreign and frightening. His brother and his friends are praying for him, but fear starts to take an ugly stand. Then, a body is found in the snow…<b>Oh sure, tease us!</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What lead you to choose a Christmas theme?<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Honestly? Because I started writing the book on Thanksgiving night and just felt like writing a Christmas themed story. <b>Fair enough.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where does the inspiration for you main character and story come from?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a handful of main characters, so I have multiple inspirations. Bits of Marley Winter’s personality came from two of my friends. Ebenezer’s shyness, (though not shown very much in this book) came from my own experience. Robbyn Singh’s life as an elder sister of several younger siblings, also came from my own experiences. James Hoffman came about, because I decided it was time I had an atheist in my stories and because of examples that my pastor had used in his sermon illustrations. My inspirations are rarely planned – they just seem to hit me. <b>The best kind, for sure.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is the message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story around or did it develop as your characters came to life?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The central theme to this book is trust. Specifically, trusting the Lord, especially in the midst of fear and uncertainty. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I sat down to really work out the full draft of this manuscript, the beginning of the book had already undergone a large handful of drafts, rewrites, and revisions. I’d been working on the book for a number of years. Finally, I decided it was time to start from the beginning and draft the entire book. I had just come out of finishing <i>Journeys of Four</i>, a book which the Lord greatly used in my own life, while I was working on it. When I sat down to start my new draft, I asked the Lord to lead me. I knew there would be a theme, I just didn’t know what it was. I asked Him to decide and to teach me what He wanted me to learn through this book… And He did. It hurt – it hurt a lot. It was worth it though.<b> Thar's very interesting, thank you for sharing.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jh6va3JuJ78/VnWoGkQE-OI/AAAAAAAABNs/mR5vdBLd7kc/s1600/24%2B-%2BQuote%2B-%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jh6va3JuJ78/VnWoGkQE-OI/AAAAAAAABNs/mR5vdBLd7kc/s320/24%2B-%2BQuote%2B-%2B3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? If you use an outline, how detailed is it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do not start out with an outline. This book started out with a town, an atheist, and a plea from my sister for a murder mystery. After three to four years of writing and rewriting the beginning, I ended up starting from page one and drafting the entire book in less than three months. I think I threw away, at least, 1,000 sheets of paper in this process… <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is the time span in your novel, weeks, months, years? How much research went into it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>24 Days Before Christmas </i>covers the twenty-four days before Christmas, and then Christmas Day. Each day gets one chapter. That was quite a stretch for me, but really fun in the end. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Research? Quite a bit, actually. I had to read up on crime scene investigation. That was quite fun. I also had to do research for snowstorms and the like. I also did Bible studies and Scripture searches.<b> I love book research! Sometimes more so after I have found what I was looking for, lol.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you tell us how you go about your research, how you ‘catalogue’ information to make it all work?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most of my research is old-fashioned – I read books on whatever subject that I want to learn about or I find people who are knowledgeable about the topic and ask them questions. For the books, I just leave them in an accessible place in my room after I read it. I usually know where to go, if I need to reference the information again for cross checking. I often take notes, but this usually only serves for cementing my memory – I rarely actually <i>use </i>my notes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I got the information from asking questions, I usually make a note or save that information in an e-mail. Since I used a Christmas carol theme and each chapter focused on a carol, I did make lists of the songs and referenced it regularly while writing. I often used the internet for finding the verses to the carols, since I wanted to go the length of knowing all the verses and few songbooks have that available. <b>Wow, now that sounds great!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How does this book differ from what you have written in the past?</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dt-vVdWNiyA/VnWo4UacNdI/AAAAAAAABN0/supY_q4OZYk/s1600/Front%2BCover%2B-%2B2%2B-%2BJourneys%2Bof%2BFour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dt-vVdWNiyA/VnWo4UacNdI/AAAAAAAABN0/supY_q4OZYk/s320/Front%2BCover%2B-%2B2%2B-%2BJourneys%2Bof%2BFour.jpg" width="211" /></a></b></div>
<b><o:p></o:p></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hmm… It’s longer for one. The entire story takes place in one month. It’s set in a different town, 180 miles away. (All of my books, so far, are connected to each other, in some way or another.) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While not my first mystery, it <i>is </i>my first murder and crime related mystery. It’s not my last though… :)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How do you handle marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m still trying to figure marketing out... Lord willing, I’ll get better at that in this coming year. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take your time. It’s easy to want to get this book done now and put it out, either out of excitement for sharing it or just being ready to get it done. Don’t do it. Take your time. Make sure it’s edited. Make sure you don’t have plot holes. Make sure that your book has reached its potential. Don’t over think it, but don’t rush it either. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Could you tell us what you’re working on now? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wow. Lots of things, actually… :D Among the ones that I am currently most excited about though? <i>Presumption and Partiality </i>is one. It’s a historical fiction, 1930’s rewrite of Jane Austen’s <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>. Also, <i>Prevented by Twelve</i>: <span lang="FR-CA">While on his way to commit suicide, a grieving young man finds his life changed by twelve very different people/circumstances... There will be more to this story, eventually. I’m working on it. It’s a tough story to write. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="FR-CA">I could go on... <i>My Name is Cinderella </i>or <i>Paper Jury </i>both come to mind... :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="FR-CA">Thank you so much, Debbie! :)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Thank you for stopping by! It was a pleasure to host you and share what you had to say with our readers. Want to know a little more about our guest? Here is her Bio: </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Rebekah Jones is
first and foremost a follower of the Living God. She's been writing since she
was a little girl, seeking to glorify her King with her stories. She's also an
avid reader, songwriter, pianist, artist, and history student, as well as a
homemaker-in-training. She lives with her family in the Southwestern desert.
She is the author of three novels, <i>Grandmother’s
Letters, Journeys of Four, </i>and <i>24
Days Before Christmas</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><b>Here is the book synopsis</b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: 20.0pt;">24
Days Before Christmas<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: 14.0pt;">December
has fallen on the tiny town of Poinsettia and, with it, the Christmas season.
The Singh and Winter families are already feeling celebratory, as they begin
sharing family traditions and memorizing Christmas carols. </span></i></div>
<i><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><div style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt;">Things take a decidedly unexpected turn, when their neighbor and good friend,
Ebenezer Bell, comes home from vacation and can’t find his brother. Blood on
the carpet, an absent vehicle, and missing fingerprints start to point the
finger at a possible crime. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: 14pt;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">When James Hoffman moved his sister and daughter to Poinsettia with the bright
idea of opening a bookshop, he expected things to be tight, but not this tight.
The readers of Poinsettia seem to be few and far between, and James is
beginning to second guess his decision. His sister insists on trusting the God
that he doesn’t even believe in, but when he discovers an old enemy, bringing
his buried anger back to the surface, even his sister’s trust is shaken. </span></span></i></div>
</span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: 14pt;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Carols and crime, memories and mystery, doubters and danger – will there be a
merry Christmas after all?</span></span></i></div>
</span></span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><b>Purchase Link: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Days-Before-Christmas-Rebekah-Jones-ebook/dp/B018IG65GA/" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x8EINRx52bk/VnWqyDHViGI/AAAAAAAABOA/YFmDDC4qUdw/s1600/24%2B-%2BQuote%2B-%2BBow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x8EINRx52bk/VnWqyDHViGI/AAAAAAAABOA/YFmDDC4qUdw/s400/24%2B-%2BQuote%2B-%2BBow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela;"><b>Rebekah Jones Contact links:</b><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela;">Email: <a href="mailto:Rebekahsquill@cox.net">Rebekahsquill@cox.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Rebekah-Jones-Author-293606874103524/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela;"><a href="https://twitter.com/RebekahsQuill" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6586987.Rebekah_Jones" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b>While we're at it, here is some infor on Rebekah's other novels...</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: 20.0pt;">Grandmother’s
Letters <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela;">Louise’s
friend is dragging her along on a dubious treasure hunt. She, however, would
rather be reading the recently discovered letters written by her
great-great-grandmother, Georgiana Donahue. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela;">Meanwhile,
Xavier, a young law student, is facing struggles of his own. He can’t find a
job, his uncle is constantly belittling his late father, and he can hardly
stand his seemingly perfect cousin. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela;">In the
next town, an old man’s reclusive ways are disturbed when he agrees to let
Malcolm Moore do his yard work. Although he desires to return to his seclusion,
he is perplexed by the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moores</st1:place></st1:city>'
willingness to welcome him into their lives. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela;">Almost
100 years in the past, Georgiana Donahue's life was turned upside down in the
course of one eventful year, and she was inclined to blame God for all of her
troubles. Little did she realize that the searching letters she wrote to her
brother and his wife would end up touching so many lives, so long after they
were written...<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grandmothers-Letters-Rebekah-Jones-ebook/dp/B00D71FM8Y/" target="_blank">Amazon </a></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: 20.0pt;">Journeys
of Four<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Gabriela;">Christine
Spurgeon is painfully shy and, at this point in her life, pretty miserable most
of the time. When her parents decide that they are going to start attending a
new church, she is less than pleased. Much to her surprise, the first sermon
strikes home, and Christine finds her sleepy Christianity shaken to the core. </span></i></div>
<i><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><br /></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><div style="font-family: Gabriela; text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">Peter Gottswald, a truck driver living with his younger brother, has started to
change. What started out as grief over his parents’ death, moves on to deeply
concern his family. As he tries to lose himself in a world of fiction and their
worry grows, his family tries to discover what he’s running away from before he
loses sight of reality altogether. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">Claudius Rivers wants nothing to do with Christianity whatsoever. He doesn’t
need it, so he doesn’t bother, beyond going to church with his family. At
first, Claudius manages to get away with ignoring just about everyone in the
congregation, until an older man befriends him. As he gets to know the man,
taking notice of the behavior of the rest of the people in the church, he’s
brought to a realization that he must either reject Christ or follow Him. </span></i></div>
</span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">Claudette Crutch has claimed to follow Christ for years, but that doesn’t stop
her from letting her rebellion against authority increase on a daily basis. She
thinks that she’s fine, until she witnesses the spiritual transformation of
another young woman in her church and she is forced to begin questioning her
so-called Christianity. </span></i></div>
</span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">When will the four paths connect, to where will they lead, and how will they
get there?</span></i></div>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LG8GXS8" target="_blank">Amazon </a></b></div>
Amethyst Eyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07816321068277918444noreply@blogger.com0