tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16900767820371022952024-02-21T00:31:15.276-06:00Olivia MartinezOfficial blog of the Mistfall Series.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-69852121737437684812014-08-11T14:05:00.003-05:002014-08-11T14:05:43.812-05:00I Need Your Opinions!I still cannot fund book 2, Burn, at this time. So, I'd like to hear your opinions on the two choices I'm giving all of you. Choice one, wait until I can fund the publishing expenses. Choice two, read the book in weekly installments, for free, here on this blog. Leave your decision in the comments. Thank you all!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-68064333058774186552014-07-03T16:52:00.001-05:002014-07-03T16:52:21.348-05:00Delays, delays delays.Confession time. Burn has been half written for over a year. Funding kept me from publishing last year. I got a little discouraged and was procrastinating for awhile. My big plan was to release it this fall. Unfortunately, funding is once again a problem. I'm considering doing something completely insane to get the book out though. Give me some time to think on it for more than the thirty seconds I've been at it. Don't give up hope, you'll get Burn sooner or later. :)<br />
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OliviaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-87077659037925710152014-04-26T22:24:00.000-05:002014-04-26T22:34:16.220-05:00Author Feature: Christina OW<div class="s4" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">Christina OW is an ambitious and passionate author. Like many authors, this career path is not one she chose, but one that chose her. Ms. OW doesn't just write your run of the mill romances. Her books run the gamut of emotions and drama one wants in a good book. Get to know Christina OW now because she's about to become a household name is the Historical Romance genre. </span></div>
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<i>Christina is currently running a blog tour and a rafflecopter giveaway. This is all leading up to her 2014 releases for the year. There's quite a few books coming out too! (I told you she's ambitious!)</i></div>
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<i>Below is a question, Christina OW provided an answer to. To be quite honest, I believe you'll find why her heart lies in this particular genre!</i><br>
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<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">Why Do Readers Love Regency/Historical Romance?</span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Generally, I believe people read to relax and escape the real world and just be apart of someone else’s fictional world. Now, when it comes to Regency/Historical books, we crave a true escape from the modern world and all our troubles that mostly came with the age of technology. We all wonder how life would be without a lot of the technology present today and all the bills that come with it. What would it be like to live with no electricity and no pollution, to have someone speak to you like the human being you truly are and not a machine? What would life like if it were simple?</span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Historical romances are a true escape from the modern would to journey to an old simple life.</span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Others read historical/regency romances for the fantasy aspect of it and the majority of these readers I believe are women. The sensation of living the life of the rich and well born, wearing beautiful gowns—a different one for each time of day or social event, going to endless balls, mixing with royals and aristocrats, with handsome heroes ready to duel over a lady’s honor and being properly courted by respectable gentlemen... to just be apart of the Cinderella lifestyle. Ladies want to be treated with courtesy, to have men stand when you enter or leave a room, watch their language when they speak, open and close the door for you and a hundred other little things that existed at that time and practically extinct along with chivalrous men. But that could also be said about women—are their any respectable, decent ladies left after the end of the regency era?</span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you are of one these readers be honest, do you sometime believe you were born in the wrong era?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">And of course we can’t forget the bleeding heart romantics. Forbidden loves between the wellborn and peasants, arranged marriages that began with disdain and indifference before the characters finally developed a friendship that grew into a true love story. Or two characters who are madly in love with each other but can’t act on it because they are trapped in their marriages and honor demands they not commit adultery and of course the exciting illicit affairs between the members of the ton.</span><span class="s6"> </span><span class="s6">Historical/Regency novels are true Cinderella stories that engaged readers until they become invested in the main characters love stories. This was the era that love matches were like unicorns and marriages were just business deals and to up one’s social standing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Historical/Regency novels allow us to be apart of a world that doesn’t exist anymore, a society that we can love to love or hate because of all the social rules and restrictions especially when it came to love. We cry and we laugh with these characters and fall madly in love with them because the men are our Prince Charming and the women live the lives we</span><span class="s6">wish still existed—well some part of it, I love the independence and the autonomy we have now from men—and live happily ever after.</span></span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Here's more info on one of Christina OW's wonderful books, Trial of Love, and her Rafflecopter giveaway! Be sure to check the author info to keep up with your new favorite author.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Trial </span><span class="s6">Of</span><span class="s6"> Love, a turbulent love story about a slave from America and the Earl who saved her from a fate worse than death.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Blurb: After her mother’s death, Melanie’s life in America is full of heartache. Still, she has never allowed herself to despair. She was responsible for the care of her beloved father. Then he remarried a woman to </span><span class="s6">wicked</span><span class="s6"> to be considered a mother to Melanie or her two sisters. After years of abuse, the stepmother sells Melanie off—to work in a brothel, and about to be sold to the highest bidder. Through a series of fortuitous events, Melanie falls into the care of Christopher, Earl of Ashworth, who has family issues of her own. The solution to his problems—and redemption for Melanie—wind together toward destiny.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Contact Author:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Website: <a href="http://tmdangel.wix.com/chrisitnaow">http://tmdangel.wix.com/chrisitnaow</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">GoodReads: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5817911.Christina_OW">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5817911.Christina_OW</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Facebook page- <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christina-OW/254729541266869?ref=hl">Christina OW</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Twitter</span><span class="s6">-</span><span class="s6"><a href="https://twitter.com/Christina_OW">https://twitter.com/Christina_OW</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/101667643242752249949/posts">Google +</a></span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Blog- <a href="http://www.christinaow.wordpress.com/"> Read Me</a></span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Rafflecopter- </span><a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f774880/">http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f774880/</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">See you in the pages of Trial </span><span class="s6">Of</span><span class="s6"> Love!</span></span></div>
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<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HMuvEykZ__92juHUOu87_iXpCHlatDJ9wRS0dcRNKHODUu0gZRWAZ19caOWIQXV0xJ5bc4YR55w7e3Zi1mX3c2gIxwzWOZVnGbDYJ9gr4Zy37oIgF73MIHSrBj2b89lCcxOnXv5N8oJh/s640/blogger-image-2125494768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HMuvEykZ__92juHUOu87_iXpCHlatDJ9wRS0dcRNKHODUu0gZRWAZ19caOWIQXV0xJ5bc4YR55w7e3Zi1mX3c2gIxwzWOZVnGbDYJ9gr4Zy37oIgF73MIHSrBj2b89lCcxOnXv5N8oJh/s640/blogger-image-2125494768.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrsassHg1JnG2ODqXFxqXqbGudZFRzbZo3pWFHUwTnPwThvueCHi4ZmXahruQQUO4G-1RHFyu3vhobZmpPnYGp9d3F0tA3z7kR0K2ENFG6Tk1DCOKtlIPtrN_erKRGrQVaAVjsy6asm8-/s640/blogger-image-726711157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrsassHg1JnG2ODqXFxqXqbGudZFRzbZo3pWFHUwTnPwThvueCHi4ZmXahruQQUO4G-1RHFyu3vhobZmpPnYGp9d3F0tA3z7kR0K2ENFG6Tk1DCOKtlIPtrN_erKRGrQVaAVjsy6asm8-/s640/blogger-image-726711157.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-86856422709057934702014-03-31T20:44:00.001-05:002014-03-31T20:44:39.534-05:00My Gift To YouI had such a wonderful time at my author takeover yesterday, that I'm ready to keep the party going.<br />
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What does that mean for you? It means I'm giving my book, Mistfall , away for free over the next few days. Woohoo!<br />
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Amazon and B&N won't let me price my books for free for some reason. Do not despair though. Smashwords offers ebooks in just about any format you need, including those for the Nook and Kindle.<br />
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Smashwords link: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/242246">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/242246</a><br />
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Coupon code (so it's free): <b>EC26Q</b><br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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P.S. Indie authors live and thrive on reviews. If you feel so inclined, please leave a review of my book on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, etc. It would be much appreciated.<br />
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~Olivia<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqxPPaQkPFDHRaivhzHfGkwd_bi7f602Do0WwOXd4HWG1FcKFdDeJs0lyaxTUM3wI_r9Do5wtOsmJlFOrZTxZJHL3p9Uwku6eCv-mXQfg7zJCwZr-HmgCNDCsMPDngLW6gnKSmtFJgW_O/s3200/16058415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqxPPaQkPFDHRaivhzHfGkwd_bi7f602Do0WwOXd4HWG1FcKFdDeJs0lyaxTUM3wI_r9Do5wtOsmJlFOrZTxZJHL3p9Uwku6eCv-mXQfg7zJCwZr-HmgCNDCsMPDngLW6gnKSmtFJgW_O/s3200/16058415.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-62418758021923919832014-03-30T08:01:00.001-05:002014-03-30T08:03:58.990-05:00Olivia's Author Takeover!!!Hi all! I'm doing an author takeover on Bex n' Books ' Facebook page. I have quite a few surprises for the main event, starting at 6pm, CST. Cone and check it out! Here's the link: <a href="https://m.facebook.com/?refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2">https://m.facebook.com/?refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-3943186575282628602014-03-02T14:19:00.001-06:002014-03-02T14:19:15.581-06:00Mark Your Calenders!!!Hi all! I'm going to be doing an author takeover on March 30th. I'm going to be on Bex n' Books Facebook page that day. I've just finished ordering some presents to give away for some of you lovely folks.<br />
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Click on this link, March 30th or anytime really. It's a great place to find honest book reviews!<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BexnBooks?ref=ts&fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/BexnBooks?ref=ts&fref=ts</a><br />
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See you all on the 30th!<br />
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OliviaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-88222964860262839842014-02-16T12:44:00.000-06:002014-02-16T12:44:14.103-06:00Here's A Little Something For You!While you're waiting on Burn, book 2 of The Mistfall Series, I have a little treat for you. This may or may not make it into the book. This is just one of many conversations the characters have had while in my head.<br />
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Conversations With Myself<br />
(Between Hailz and Luca)<br />
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"So where exactly is this 'Highway to Hell?'" Luca asks me lazily, using air quotes, while keeping a trained eye on Mags.<br />
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I roll my eyes, even though he won't notice. "Highway to Hell? How trite of you," I reply, the sarcasm dripping off of me like blood on the fangs of a rabid wolf.<br />
"Why is it that when anyone who's not an Underworlder thinks of the many ways to get to Hades, AC/DC is the only thing that comes to mind?"<br />
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All I receive in return is a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders from the Elf. I may have his ears, but the damsel in distress has all of his attention. My foot gets an itch. So, I kick out at the leg of the chair Luca was leaning back on. I don't like being ignored.<br />
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Flat on his back and caught by surprise, the Keebler Elf spewed out a colorful array of adjectives.<br />
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I hunched over his supine figure and hold a small knife over his throat. Now that I had a captive audience, I continued on, with a smile. "Doesn't Pathway to Perdition, Event Horizon of Evil, or even Boulevard of Broken Souls, sound much better?"<br />
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Confusion etches its way onto Luca's face in the form of the creases on his forehead. "What are you talking about?" he asks, incredulously.<br />
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Speaking of colorful adjectives, I think I hit every color in the known spectrum in reply. I move my knife to my non-dominate hand before I punch him in the face. I stand up and walk away, my daily quota for violence hardly sated.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-90820980091346145552014-01-21T12:49:00.001-06:002014-01-21T12:49:12.319-06:00Where is Book 2 (Burn) of the Mistfall series?It's quite simple really. Over the summer, my family packed up and moved. We moved to a new state and I did get some writing in while I was job hunting. Then, I got hired on at my new job and haven't had much time for writing. It stinks!<br />
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The book is half done in its rough draft. I have four or five chapters ready to be typed. I know the very last line in the book and how the other half of it goes. I know who's going to be killed off and who survives the cliffhanger at the end!<br />
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I'm truly sorry about the delay (bad, bad author!). Thank you to those of you who are waiting patiently and not giving up. I promise, good things are a coming.<br />
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OliviaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-54882889896982799322013-10-20T14:13:00.000-05:002013-10-20T14:16:12.537-05:00Author Feature: Carolyn Arnold<div class="s2">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Madison Knight is back</span><span class="s3">!</span><span class="s3"> Giveaway with </span><span class="s3">@</span><span class="s3">Carolyn_Arnold</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In celebration of the release of Found Innocent you can enter for your chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card. You can enter as many times as you like and various ways. The contest lasts<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://3" x-apple-data-detectors-result="3" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">until October 31st.</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Enter here: <a href="http://carolynarnold.net/FoundInnocent.html#FIExtras">http://carolynarnold.net/FoundInnocent.html#FIExtras</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="s3">If you haven’t already, m</span><span class="s3">eet Madison Knight, the chocolate-loving detective, who is determined to solve murder and find justice for the victims—even if that means coming into contact with the sight of blood.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">However, in </span><a href="http://carolynarnold.net/FoundInnocent.html"><span class="s6">Found Innocent</span></a><span class="s3">, the latest release in the series (releas</span><span class="s3">ing</span><span class="s3"> October 16th!), she doesn’t have to face too messy of a crime scene, at least </span><span class="s3">in </span><span class="s3">one sense. What she does have to deal with is whether or not she’s willing to jeopardize departmental relationships and cross the wall of blue.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Here, this is what it’s about:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">There's one code when it comes to the wall of blue…and Madison Knight may have to cross it.</span><br>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Any good cop knows you never report a brother for mishandling a case or accuse him of misconduct, but in order to find justice, Madison may not have a choice.</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lacy Rose had one goal for her twentieth birthday—to be found innocent of past sins—but her life is cut short.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">When Lacy's remains are found in a garden and the investigation becomes connected to a closed case, Madison must face her past. The lead detective on that case was Madison's ex-fiancé. At the risk of jeopardizing departmental relationships, and churning up the attention of an old flame at the same time, Madison must push hard </span><span class="s3">before the guilty are found innocent.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s9" style="font-weight: bold;">Excerpt,</span><span class="s9" style="font-weight: bold;"> Chapter 1:</span></span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“He didn’t do it!”</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The hysterical shouting pulled Madison’s attention from her monitor to a woman rushing toward her. </span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The station was supposed to be quiet today. Sunday. She wasn’t required to be there, and that made it the perfect day to dig into her cold case. She was so close to getting answers.</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With one more longing look at her screen, Madison rose from her chair and held up her hands to stop the woman.</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Detective Knight.” She stated this as if they had met before.</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Officer Ranson, the female officer who manned the front desk, came up behind them. “Come on—”</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Another officer brushed past Ranson and slipped his hands under the woman’s arms. “Let’s go.”</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He pulled on her, but she stayed still. Her eyes steadied on Madison.</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Please help me.” She attempted to shake loose from the officer’s grip.</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Her frown lines were deep burrows, her eyes were sunken, and the flesh around them was puffy. She appeared to be rough-edged, but there was something desperate about her, and she didn’t seem to be a threat to the lives of anyone here.</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I’ve got this,” Madison said.</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“All right, your call.” The male officer let go of the woman, and he and Ranson left.</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I saw your face in the paper.” The woman held up the Stiles Times. “It’s you, isn’t it?” Her lashes were caked with mascara, and she blinked slowly. Madison wondered if the cosmetic had sealed her eyes shut.</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Madison passed a glance to the paper. It captured a moment she wished to forget. A day when she had been forced to speak in front of a crowd and to take pride in the job she had done. The thing was, though, a good cop couldn’t care less about the recognition.</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The woman sobbed, yet her tears didn’t affect her makeup. “He wouldn’t do this…”</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Madison summoned patience. A list of envelope-printing companies—which could prove to be a vital link in the chain of evidence against the Russians—would be on her monitor, right now. </span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She took a deep breath, passed another glance to her computer, and turned back to the woman. “Come with me.”</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Madison kept the woman to the side of her. Her first impression was the woman didn’t pose a threat, but she still wasn’t willing to sacrifice her back by leading the way into the room.</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Inside, Madison gestured to a chair.</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The woman dropped her red bag heavily on the table. It was large enough to serve as a duffel bag. She pulled off her jean jacket, folded it over the back of the chair, and revealed a pink sweater that displayed more cleavage than Madison could ever hope to see on herself. The woman went rooting through the duffel bag and she stuffed a stick of gum in her mouth. She worked at chopping it into a soft, pliable distraction. It snapped in her mouth.</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Let’s start with your name—”</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">“Vilma with an ‘</span><span class="s3">i</span><span class="s3">’. Vilma Thorne, well, it would have been. My God, </span><span class="s3">Kev</span><span class="s3">!” She raised her face upward as if calling out to a Greater Being. Her gum chewing paused only momentarily.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Vilma—” Madison had to tune out the noise and the display of her open-mouth chewing. “Let’s start at the beginning. Why are you here?”</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Vilma stuck a finger through one of the large gold hoops dangling from her ears and leaned in.</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Madison detected the blend of cheap perfume and cigarettes. Maybe—she inhaled deeper, trying not to appear obvious—it wasn’t perfume but whiskey. It was hard to discern. Her eyes appeared normal, except for the abuse of eye makeup. Besides the thick mascara, her lids were weighed with the color purple. Her pupils weren’t dilated or pinpricks.</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Still, she didn’t respond to Madison’s question.</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Okay, Vilma, if you need my help, I need you to talk to me.”</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Possibly this woman was on a new line of drug that disguised itself behind brilliant colors? Maybe this was a mistake and Madison should have let her get hauled away.</span></div>
<div class="s11" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“My family is against what he did. But he didn’t do it!” Her voice rose, tears flowed. She stopped chewing and, sniffling, went rooting in the duffel bag again. She came out with a bunched up tissue and wiped her nose.</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Madison’s tolerance level had almost reached its limit. “You keep saying he didn’t do it. Do what?”</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A tissue still pinched on the tip of her nose, Vilma said, “He didn’t kill himself…someone killed him.”</span></div>
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<span class="s9" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Interested in reading more?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: black;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FV1GZ7U?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393177&creativeASIN=B00FV1GZ7U&linkCode=shr&tag=caroarno-20" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Amazon</span><span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> US</span></a></span><br>
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<a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/found-innocent-a-madison-knight-novel"><span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">Kobo</span></span></a><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s9" style="font-weight: bold;">The Madison Knight Series</span><span class="s3"> is a clean, murder mystery series meaning </span><span class="s3">mild</span><span class="s3"> graphic violence and language. Each book is self-contained so you can read any of the books, and out of order, if you wanted to. Books in the series in released order: Ties that Bind, Justified</span><span class="s3">, Sacrifice, Life Sentence (Prequel in </span><span class="s3">which Madison has a cameo role), </span><span class="s3">and </span><span class="s3">Found Innocent</span><span class="s3">.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s9" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span class="s9">Carolyn Arnold</span><span class="s3"> </span><span class="s3">started to take writing seriously </span><span class="s3">six</span><span class="s3"> plus years ago when a co-worker said “tell me a story”. Since then she’s written nine novels and has plans to write many more. She has a love for the canine world and has two beagles that are affectionately named Max and Chelsea. Like her female protagonist Madison Knight, she loves her chocolate</span><span class="s3"> and has been known, on occasion, to speak her mind.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Website: </span><a href="x-apple-ql-id:///word/www.carolynarnold.net"><span class="s6">www.carolynarnold.net</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Blog: </span><a href="http://sassy3421.blogspot.ca/"><span class="s6">http://sassy3421.blogspot.ca/</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold"><span class="s6">https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold</span></a></span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Facebook: </span><span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArno<span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">ld</span></span></a></span><br>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Have you ever read a book and desperately wanted to see it on television? Gillian Felix's "Family Portrait," is the first of many novels you will feel this way about. Read on to find out how the talented Gillian Felix knows how to send your imagination into overdrive!</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><u>Author Bio:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Gillian Felix has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She enjoys creating characters that could be your next-door neighbor, but would you want them as your neighbor is another story.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Originally from the island of Trinidad and Tobago, Miss Felix moved to the United States in 1998. Since then she has been involved in the entertainment industry for over fifteen years. Her experience ranges from script supervisor to production manager on many independent features. She is t</span><span class="s4">rained in the Meisner and Stanislavski </span><span class="s4">technique</span><span class="s4"> of acting</span><span class="s4">,</span><span class="s4"></span><span class="s4">which she credits as an asset to her character development and writing.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s4" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Miss Felix is an entrepreneur and advocate for children’s and women’s rights.</span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Connect:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">View book trailer:<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1091544508"> </a></span><span class="s3"><a href="http://youtu.be/EiBdwhT74NA">http://youtu.be/EiBdwhT74NA</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Facebook fan page:</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FamilyPortraitNovels"><span class="s5">https://www.facebook.com/FamilyPortraitNovels</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Website: </span><a href="http://www.plaintalkbm.com/family-portrait-novel/"><span class="s5">http://www.plaintalkbm.com/family-portrait-novel/</span></a><span class="s3">(Read the first chapter for free)</span></span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/gillianfx">http://www.twitter.com/gillianfx</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Purchase: </span><span class="s5"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EADYMCA">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EADYMCA</a></span></span></div>
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<b><u>Family Portrait-Changes Synopsis:</u></b></div>
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<span class="s3">Adriana Banovic’s 15th birthday sucked! She </span><span class="s3">got</span><span class="s3"> fired after eight years of playing Shayanne Montgomery on the #1 soap in the country, found out that her family was on the verge of bankruptcy and worst of all, forced to return to Westwood Academy. Her only saving grace was a chance glance at dreamy mystery boy Haze Lyndon. Armed with only his picture and a determination to find him—even if it means turning Los Angeles over on its ass.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">In this new adult novel y</span><span class="s3">ou'll meet Robin Banovic, Adriana's father; financially challenged, dealing with the death of a family member and his brother's disappearance. You'll meet Savannah DaCosta aka Savi, mother/manager; Savi enjoys the life her rock star daughter Leighann has provided. When Leighann makes a choice to end her career, Savi sees it as a personal attack. You'll meet college boy Haze Lyndon; New to Los Angeles, Haze soon realizes how quickly money changes hands in the City of Angels. Will he return to questionable ways to survive or go back to the safety of his family in Wisconsin?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s4" style="font-weight: bold;">This</span><span class="s4" style="font-weight: bold;"> novel is NOT for children, it contains strong language, reference to drug use and sexual situations, this novel is meant for mature teens and adults.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><u><span class="s3"><b>Fun facts about</b> </span><span class="s4" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Changes Vol. 1, (Family Portrait)</span></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Writing Adriana’s character was fun and challenging because she is such a bitch. It’s tricky because she shares the leading role with Leighann, who is sweet, and kind—they are polar opposites of each other. They both grew up in the entertainment industry but that’s about all they have in common. Adriana makes no apologies for who she is, she is reckless and wild and I’m sure some readers will hate her. It is only later on in the series you get to really see why she is the way she is.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Even though Leighann was a bigger star than Adriana, she was more protected by her mother. Savi may have her ways</span><span class="s3">,</span><span class="s3"> but she shielded Leighann from a lot of the outside world. So when Leighann defies her and ventures out into the ‘real world’, she begins to see how scary things can get.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Leighann’s fascination with the ‘real world’ is based on the fact that she has never had </span><span class="s3">a ‘normal’ life</span><span class="s3">. She sits in the tour bus and looks at the fans through the one way glass and</span><span class="s3">thinks</span><span class="s3"> </span><span class="s3">that </span><span class="s3">their life is so easy, and she longs for that.</span><span class="s3"> She wants to meet a boy, go to the movies, and do things normal teenagers do.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Westwood Academy of Higher Learning is a super school on steroids as one reviewer described it: </span><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">“we mustn't forget the whole larger-than-life high school scene on steroids in a world where appearances often mean more than substance”</span></span></div>
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<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The school is high tech and ridiculously over the top with chef catered lunches, marble floors, digital lockers, Jacuzzi. Seriously, I’d want to go to that school. How does any body get any studying done?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Astrid Wilson </span><span class="s3">is the Kim Kardashian of Westwood Academy. She decks out in Prada and all the latest designs by the hottest designers. No body can throw a hissy fit like Astrid. When Adriana returns to Westwood Academy, Astrid’s status is threatened especially where her boyfriend Warren is concerned.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s4" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Family Portrait</span><span class="s3"> is based on a television series I had written. The script got lots of interest in Hollywood but nothing came of it, so I decided to turn it into a book series. I have two seasons</span><span class="s3">, 24 episodes</span><span class="s3"> of the </span><span class="s3">television series</span><span class="s3"> already written.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Book two combines a couple episodes </span><span class="s3">from</span><span class="s3"> the script. </span><span class="s4" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Changes Vol. 1</span><span class="s3"> is </span><span class="s3">equivalent to</span><span class="s3"> the pilot </span><span class="s3">episode—</span><span class="s3">it introduces the audience to the characters. The script for television was meant for prime time so I had to tone it down</span><span class="s3">—</span><span class="s3">a lot. The book is the raw version</span><span class="s3">—drug use, foul language, sexual situations. The characters can get away with a lot more in the book than they could on screen, which is good for Adriana and Kevin’s character, because later in the series they really get naughty.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Right now I am working on Vol. 2 called </span><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">The Banovic Siblings. </span><span class="s3">In this book the siblings mostly Adriana and Kevin’s past catches up with them and their secrets are getting too close to home. Love triangles and tangles start to form with some of the supporting characters. Leighann’s character starts evolving, her sister L’Wren has a very powerful and emotional storyline which took a lot out of me to write. It really made me ‘go there’ which stretches me as a writer.</span><span class="s3"> Book two is a bit darker than </span><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">Changes</span><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">I </span><span class="s3">think V</span><span class="s3">ol. 2 may be available in November</span><span class="s3"> or December</span><span class="s3">, 2013. It still has the whole process to go through with the story editor, the proofreader and the cover still has to be designed. </span><span class="s3">I usually write like a fiend at night</span><span class="s3">—</span><span class="s3">Sunday through Thursday sometimes Friday nights.</span></span></div>
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<div class="s2">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">On the </span><span class="s6" style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook fan page</span><span class="s6" style="font-weight: bold;"></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FamilyPortraitNovels"><span class="s7">https://www.facebook.com/FamilyPortraitNovels</span></a><span class="s3"> fans can rummage through the character’s closets. Right now there is an app on there called Adriana’s closet and coming soon: Leighann’s wardrobe, Astrid’s locker, the sound track to go with some of the scenes, Westwood Academy emblem reveal, Westwood Academy gear, fun trivia’s, first read of the novels before they are published. So sign up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Thanks for having me. </span><span class="s6" style="font-weight: bold;">Purchase a copy of </span><span class="s4" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Changes Vol. 1 (Family Portrait)</span><span class="s6" style="font-weight: bold;"> here</span><span class="s3">.</span><span class="s3"> </span><span class="s3">(</span><span class="s3">:</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EADYMCA"><span class="s7">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EADYMCA</span></a><span class="s3">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6" style="font-weight: bold;">The reviews</span><span class="s6" style="font-weight: bold;"> on Amazon</span><span class="s6" style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">“</span><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">Each character has a story to tell, and I see their stories being entwined together, for better or worse as author Gillian Felix builds a strong and intriguing foundation for a new series with her novella, Changes, book 1 in the Family Portrait series.</span><span class="s3">”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">“</span><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">Part soap opera, part teen struggle in a world where they are expected to “follow the crowd” and feed the frenzied tabloids fodder for the prying eyes of the masses, all while dealing with personal and family crises, I see a huge following for this new series! I know I’m going to watch for more!</span><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">“</span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">So many drugs, schemes, and much more. One girl just wants to be normal. One girl just wants the limelight. Selfish motives abound and changes are coming for everyone. It's Hollywood....</span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">“</span><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">This book has many interesting characters and I am looking forward to the next volume. I was sorry to see it end.</span><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">”</span></span></div>
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<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAPTdmqCBFSx2VPWJFBaEWcvA7hqnwpFNU1DOBrzMhEuv8lv_On3hDmS99mnL3BRNVeaXlBm3YqZFCSLAFx5JmaxmkV31IGU9yzQjRsC7mYD83LL_E-4OmEdZqZdNZRkbX4WO-pJInSnT/s640/blogger-image--1110205561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAPTdmqCBFSx2VPWJFBaEWcvA7hqnwpFNU1DOBrzMhEuv8lv_On3hDmS99mnL3BRNVeaXlBm3YqZFCSLAFx5JmaxmkV31IGU9yzQjRsC7mYD83LL_E-4OmEdZqZdNZRkbX4WO-pJInSnT/s640/blogger-image--1110205561.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlE1XekcjUj7ZklzuqrqGhpHPq7eA-q86s1MX2vJtjDE2y-4LUJCpalEcCX0Ce5agrp6hZ2WZdPozl-A5kiEknhCn-WpscUR1CcRw9OgGl43WzrFWQesP7lWrhdju0lwEeddiBCZqOZSF/s640/blogger-image-2099455903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlE1XekcjUj7ZklzuqrqGhpHPq7eA-q86s1MX2vJtjDE2y-4LUJCpalEcCX0Ce5agrp6hZ2WZdPozl-A5kiEknhCn-WpscUR1CcRw9OgGl43WzrFWQesP7lWrhdju0lwEeddiBCZqOZSF/s640/blogger-image-2099455903.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtSYcZHj7Ah3B9FR1h3kJJkulwa7Pw_ZC4mXV_79sn5tH05e7lI7-FsmanP4ynZYuNV5jzlKyudzoFGAyp4kK0MenXn1PpSAfCqPs8T3pjLuTJesfLf8GWAkLSMaTbqZ1AVLfOOfJoLGo/s640/blogger-image--20856072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtSYcZHj7Ah3B9FR1h3kJJkulwa7Pw_ZC4mXV_79sn5tH05e7lI7-FsmanP4ynZYuNV5jzlKyudzoFGAyp4kK0MenXn1PpSAfCqPs8T3pjLuTJesfLf8GWAkLSMaTbqZ1AVLfOOfJoLGo/s640/blogger-image--20856072.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-76027803407522326072013-08-15T10:44:00.000-05:002013-08-15T10:44:02.676-05:00It's been awhile...I'm sorry I've been away. I moved to another state, been looking for a new job...those things that happen to get in the way of my writing. So, to make up for it, I've got a little news from book 2, BURN. <br />
<br />
Are you ready?<br />
<br />
A main character dies.<br />
<br />
I've known this since the end of book one. It's been written out in my head since the beginning.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-81948653556401200582013-05-15T17:39:00.000-05:002013-05-15T17:40:30.161-05:00Please Vote For Me!!!Hi all! I'm so excited. Mistfall has been entered in a contest for it's cover design. If you have a minute, please drop by <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: '.HelveticaNeueUI'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.tugboatdesign.net/first-annual-cover-contest.html">http://www.tugboatdesign.net/first-annual-cover-contest.html</a> and vote for me! </span><br>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: '.HelveticaNeueUI'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: .HelveticaNeueUI;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">If you enter your email address, you will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card. Thanks a bunch for voting!</span></span><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ04BKXC9byUR1JvqOraIa22c_RS6A1Gx1LL483p0E-z_PRUA9s1fjY-kPdVJV0vUTRXuctmCYy7coVn0joG7tmrD8raqienKDAdUOjDjKpDXT8qpWEnIsQDNebPgGw-_tK9K53G5EgWE5/s640/blogger-image-689712776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ04BKXC9byUR1JvqOraIa22c_RS6A1Gx1LL483p0E-z_PRUA9s1fjY-kPdVJV0vUTRXuctmCYy7coVn0joG7tmrD8raqienKDAdUOjDjKpDXT8qpWEnIsQDNebPgGw-_tK9K53G5EgWE5/s640/blogger-image-689712776.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-7582584667841572982013-05-15T16:45:00.000-05:002013-05-15T16:47:14.959-05:00Guest Post: Amanda Martin<br>
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<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">The book wrote me</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">I write romance novels. Contemporary women’s fiction is the category I’ve decided they fit into. I’ve started (and almost finished) four. I like </span><span class="s6">female protagonists in their</span><span class="s6"> late-twenties / early thirties (like I keep thinking I still am). </span><span class="s6">My protagonists are w</span><span class="s6">omen</span><span class="s6"> who are</span><span class="s6"> </span><span class="s6">searching for</span><span class="s6"> their place in the world, c</span><span class="s6">oming to terms with realistic relationships and (lately) </span><span class="s6">having</span><span class="s6">children. </span><span class="s6">The novels are</span><span class="s6"> written in the third person, often from</span><span class="s6"> both</span><span class="s6"> male and female perspective.</span></span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-top: 12px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">So why is my first self-published novel </span><span class="s6">written in the first person. </span><span class="s6">By a sixteen-year-old girl.</span><span class="s6">And why is it about</span><span class="s6"> dragons?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">I didn’t set out to wri</span><span class="s6">te the book. The book found me: </span><span class="s6">L</span><span class="s6">ast Easter</span><span class="s6"> to be precise</span><span class="s6">. (You can read about it </span><a href="https://writermummy.wordpress.com/2012/04/08/life-vs-writing-update-a-new-beginning/"><span class="s7">here</span></a><span class="s6">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">I woke one morning, after a broken night full of strange dreams, and the entire story was in my head. Unfortunately by the time I’d wrestled past two small children to find pen and paper (</span><span class="s6">or more accurately my mobile phone</span><span class="s6">) the story had evaporated, as they so often do. I believe if I could only capture my dreams writing would come much easier to me than it does now.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">All that remained was the idea of dragons and</span><span class="s6"> the first line of the story. “</span><span class="s6">My name is Leah, and I know the time and place of my death.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">In the twelve months since I wrote </span><span class="s6">that</span><span class="s6"> first line</span><span class="s6"> it</span><span class="s6"> hasn’t changed much. It now reads</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">“</span><span class="s6">My name is Leah. For a quarter of my life I have known the time and place of my death. I have spent the last four years running, from the truth, from the place. I can’t ru</span><span class="s6">n from the time. It's tomorrow.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">And that’s how </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Dragon Wraiths</span><span class="s6"> was born. By the beginning of</span><span class="s6"> May</span><span class="s6"> (less than a month after</span><span class="s6">the dream</span><span class="s6">) I had written 35,000 words and I still didn’t really understand what the novel was about.</span><span class="s6"> I hadn’t got to the part with the dragons. I was lost and decided Young Adult literature was not for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">I abandoned</span><span class="s6"> the novel and concentrated on releasing</span><span class="s6"> my contemporary novel, </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Baby Blues & Wedding Shoes</span><span class="s6"> (or </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Pictures of Love</span><span class="s6"> as it was called then) as a self-published </span><span class="s6">ebook</span><span class="s6">. My writing journey is interspersed with self-doubt, not just about my abilities as a writer but about combi</span><span class="s6">ning writing with the raising</span><span class="s6"> two small children. I </span><span class="s6">often feel that,</span><span class="s6"> if I’m going to send them to nursery two days a week</span><span class="s6">,</span><span class="s6"> I should be earning money on those two days. I wanted a finished book out there earning pennies and I felt the contemporary fiction was a better bet.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Then</span><span class="s6"> in July</span><span class="s6"> I found out about the Mslexia Children’s Novel competition</span><span class="s6"> and remembered my </span><span class="s6">languishing</span><span class="s6"> YA novel</span><span class="s6">. </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Baby Blues </span><span class="s6">was with beta readers and I decided why not?</span><span class="s6">Suddenly I had a deadline of September for</span><span class="s6"> completion of</span><span class="s6"> the first chapter and November for the finished/edited manuscript. I discovered I work best to deadlines. Generally I’m terrible at knuckling down and getting on with editing but I really wanted to enter the competition.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">To cut a rambling story short I entered the Mslexia </span><span class="s6">competition</span><span class="s6"> and was long</span><span class="s6">-</span><span class="s6">listed (meaning they requested the full manuscript). I didn’t make the sh</span><span class="s6">ortlist but I was encouraged enough to pass the novel to friends and family. Their reaction was amazing. My stepdad, who is a slow reader, finished the book in a day and said “Next one </span><span class="s6">please</span><span class="s6">.”</span></span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-top: 12px;">
<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I started querying the novel, although it is over-length for a YA book at 109k words (the average is 60-70k). When that didn’t work I decided to self-publish and see what happened.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">And so here I am. It’s early days, I haven’t sold many copies but over 400 have been downloaded during free promotion days. I’ve only had one review, a lovely positive one that compared </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Dragon Wraiths </span><span class="s6">to </span><span class="s6">Anne </span><span class="s6">MaCaffrey's</span><span class="s6"> </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Dragons of </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Pern</span><span class="s6"> series</span><span class="s6">. Praise indeed.</span></span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-top: 12px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">I’m still not sure self-publishing is for me. </span><span class="s6">Or Young Adult for that matter.</span><span class="s6"> But I’m glad</span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Dragon Wraiths</span><span class="s6"> found me, in my sleep-deprived state. I enjoyed writing and editing it more than anything I’ve done before or since. And who knows, one day it might be as famous as</span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Dragons of </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Pern</span><span class="s6">? Now wouldn’t that be nice?</span><span class="s6"></span></span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-top: 12px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6"><br></span><span class="s5" style="font-weight: bold;">An excerpt from "</span><span class="s5" style="font-weight: bold;">Dragon Wraiths</span><span class="s5" style="font-weight: bold;">."</span></span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-top: 12px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6"><br></span><span class="s5" style="font-weight: bold;">Part One</span><span class="s5" style="font-weight: bold;">: </span><span class="s5" style="font-weight: bold;">The Summoning</span></span></div>
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<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Preface</span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-top: 12px;">
<span class="s8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">My name is Leah. For a quarter of my life I have known the time and place of my death. I have spent the last four years running, from the truth, from the place. I can’t run from the time. It's tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Chapter One</span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-top: 12px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">I stare out the window, past curtains so grubby even Father would have shuddered at the sight of them. Outside I can see birds lined up along the power cables like notes of music on a</span><span class="s6">stave</span><span class="s6">. It reminds me of tortuous piano lessons with Miss Hay. I wonder what song they show. Is it morbid enough to mark the occasion?</span></span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-top: 12px;">
<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Past the power-lines I see hills. Not the dancing green hills I grew up with. These are craggy, a huddle of grumpy old men on the horizon. The sky is grey, the hills pewter and ochre, mixing to form a muddy palette of colours. It doesn’t feel like summer. The nearest thing to sunshine is the gold swirling pattern on the curtains. I know if I turn around to face the room I will see the matching bedspread and frilly lampshade. It’s a wretched place to spend what could be my last day on Earth.</span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-top: 12px;">
<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Uncle Theo says he chose this place, “for the location, Leah, not the décor.”</span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-top: 12px;">
<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Just as well.</span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-top: 12px;">
<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">They’re downstairs, Luke and Uncle Theo. I wonder what they’re talking about. What is there left to say? Either we have done enough, and I am far enough away to escape my fate, or this time tomorrow they’ll be heading back south without me. It doesn’t seem the basis for a jolly conversation.</span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On the dressing table in front of me, between a vase and a box of pink tissues, sit two journals. One is blank. It was a Christmas present from Uncle Theo. I want to write down my story, to leave some evidence behind of my existence. If – when - I die tomorrow, the only people that will remember me will be Uncle Theo and Luke, and I only met them last autumn. Sixteen years of thoughts and emotions will be snuffed out quicker than candles on a birthday cake.</span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Every time I sit down to write, my memories all merge together and I can’t decide where to begin. I have lived with the knowledge of my untimely demise for four years and it still makes no sense to me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Next to the empty journal is The Book. </span><span class="s6">Part diary, part scrap book, part mumbo-jumbo.</span><span class="s6"> I flick through the pages, even though I know every sentence, every symbol, </span><span class="s6">every</span><span class="s6"> newspaper clipping by heart. On some pages the writing is faded and smudged by fingers running over and over the words. It doesn’t matter. They are etched on my soul. I only wish I understood them.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I glance at the cuckoo clock above the bed. It wasn’t working when we arrived but I got the landlady, Mrs Simpkins, to wind it.</span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“It will drive you crazy my dear. The little bird seems charming at first, but when he’s warbled at you every hour through the night, you’ll be ready to wring his neck.”</span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I won’t be provoked by a wooden bird. I find it strangely comforting to have my last hours marked by the chirpy cuckoo.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">11.34pm. </span><span class="s6">Nearly</span><span class="s6"> lunchtime. </span><span class="s6">This time tomorrow.</span><span class="s6"> Well, best not think about it. Theo will send Luke for me soon, to call me down to eat. I think Theo keeps hoping we will make up, before the end. I don’t see how, unless Luke has a personality transplant in the next five minutes. I am tempted to stay up here, where I can breathe. There doesn’t seem much point eating lunch.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I still haven’t written anything. The blank pages of the journal pull at my eyes, taunting me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Just write</span><span class="s6">, I tell myself, </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">write anything</span><span class="s6">. But where do you start, when your life is about to end? Do I start with my birth, nearly sixteen years ago? </span><span class="s6">My happy childhood, the little cottage in the Welsh mountains, where the rabbits were our only neighbours?</span><span class="s6"> Or do I start with my parents?</span></span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A shiver prickles my skin. I reach forward and open The Book. Tucked into the back is a photograph, the only one I have left. I take it out and hold it up so the light coming through the dirty window shines on the surface.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">They look so young. The photo was taken before I came along, before Mother must have given up hope of ever having a child. I worked it out once: she was nearly forty when she had me. </span><span class="s6">Didn’t make it to fifty.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Father looks amazingly chilled. They’re standing on a mountain peak somewhere, beaming at the camera, sunlight highlighting the flecks of gold in Mother’s hair, the hints of grey that - even then - speckled Father’s head. They look happy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">I prop the photograph up against the vase. Without taking my eyes from theirs, as they beam their smile at me their only child, I reach for my pen. It sits heavy in my hand. </span><span class="s6">A proper pen, with ink and a nib.</span><span class="s6"> I have practised writing with it on scrap paper, so that I don’t blot my first words in the journal.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I try to think where to start and then it is obvious: there is only one place. The day of endings: The end of hope, of childhood, of my future. Not that I knew it then. It started as the best of days.</span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I touch the nib to the paper and watch as the ink sinks into the grain.</span></div>
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<span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Time to begin.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6"><br></span><span class="s5" style="font-weight: bold;">Author Bio:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Amanda Martin was born in Hertfordshire in 1976. After graduating with first class honours from Leeds University she wandered around the world trying to find her place in it. She tried various roles, in England and New Zealand, including Bar Manager, Marketing Manager, Consultant and Artist before deciding that WriterMummy summed her up best. She lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, two children and </span><span class="s6">labradoodle</span><span class="s6"> Kara. She can mostly be found at http://writermummy.wordpress.com</span><span class="s6"> where she is currently writing a novel in daily instalments called </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Two-Hundred Steps Home</span></span></div>
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<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Links:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Website: </span><span class="s10" style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amanda-martin.co.uk/">www.amanda-martin.co.uk</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Facebook: </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/writermummy"><span class="s10" style="text-decoration: underline;">http://www.facebook.com/</span><span class="s10" style="text-decoration: underline;">writermummy</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/writermummy"><span class="s10" style="text-decoration: underline;">https://twitter.com/</span><span class="s10" style="text-decoration: underline;">writermummy</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Blog: </span><span class="s10" style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://writermummy.wordpress.com/">http://writermummy.wordpress.com</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Purchase links:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Amazon</span><span class="s6"> UK</span><span class="s6">: </span><span class="s6"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BKZTRP8">http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BKZTRP8</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6">Amazon.com: </span><a href="http://amzn.com/B00BKZTRP8"><span class="s6">http://amzn.com/B00BKZT</span><span class="s6">RP8</span></a></span></div>
<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSBESwZUWRHQjvGgti0L9oKakW31prOk_7L3_tKMrLBx-vxSy19iHxNk2We-8YDAwe-jHu0S7FtyI4xabOPef95r7VjPPNY__ce-1hG_7gNFBn_6Nr8YRfR3Exj5hNSsVLmiocu0QN8gt/s640/blogger-image--716658958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSBESwZUWRHQjvGgti0L9oKakW31prOk_7L3_tKMrLBx-vxSy19iHxNk2We-8YDAwe-jHu0S7FtyI4xabOPef95r7VjPPNY__ce-1hG_7gNFBn_6Nr8YRfR3Exj5hNSsVLmiocu0QN8gt/s640/blogger-image--716658958.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajYIRBrcsGLF84ZhJDg4nxX16D83-VRDNu2akOcSYlV1rW97GvwPGYz4n4gXdS9kmGoS_03XuhgaHshSM4M-HVQnmApEI5NChbYWBB5FFbtHWTcyu1Qeb_2r_Wp92jNCnU6bwtLOvOTf8/s640/blogger-image--393902362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajYIRBrcsGLF84ZhJDg4nxX16D83-VRDNu2akOcSYlV1rW97GvwPGYz4n4gXdS9kmGoS_03XuhgaHshSM4M-HVQnmApEI5NChbYWBB5FFbtHWTcyu1Qeb_2r_Wp92jNCnU6bwtLOvOTf8/s640/blogger-image--393902362.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-59268983464415083902013-04-20T17:12:00.000-05:002013-04-20T17:12:50.549-05:00Pre-Order SJ Byrne's 'Once A Druid!!!'<br />
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<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> More will be happening on April 25th</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s5"> </span><span class="s5">than</span><span class="s5"> most realize...</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="s7" src="x-apple-ql-id://E368016E-D2C5-40C6-8295-2B73463445E5/x-apple-ql-magic/E8B3D000-87AA-4013-AFF6-C001BD17B3CB.jpg" style="height: 159px; width: 239px;" /></span></div>
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<span class="s8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"By the light of the Lunar Eclipse—let them see!"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s9" style="font-weight: bold;">There is something seriously wrong in </span><span class="s9" style="font-weight: bold;">Kirra</span><span class="s9" style="font-weight: bold;"> Munro's head. Besides suffering from amnesia, night after night she is plagued by dark dreams of other worldly rituals and a past she has no right in remembering—or does she?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s9" style="font-weight: bold;">Psychology professor </span><span class="s9" style="font-weight: bold;">Cayden</span><span class="s9" style="font-weight: bold;"> McKinnon has the ability to unlock the blockages in her mind, but after one visit things begin unraveling far too fast. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s9" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Time is running out...or has the battle for one woman's soul just begun?</span></div>
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<span class="s11" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Available in print and digital April 25th, 2013!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="s12" src="x-apple-ql-id://A92EB800-9CC4-4203-9E40-068E6EC1605B/x-apple-ql-magic/76E82132-5B43-422C-BC0B-922734B8180D.jpg" style="height: 238px; width: 169px;" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s13">Beyond her heavy eyelids, </span><span class="s13">Kirra</span><span class="s13"> knew she was no longer alone. In the darkest shadows a presence had joined her.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s13" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The being didn’t breathe. Her sensitive hearing would have detected the slight whoosh of air filtering through the spongy mass of a living lung.</span></div>
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<span class="s13" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It also wasn’t human—her tongue would have tingled from the imminent promise of a blood offering.</span></div>
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<span class="s13" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Whatever the thing was, she had never encountered its kind before.</span></div>
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<span class="s13" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A slight shift in the air to the left alerted her to the creature’s exact position. Part of her wanted to be afraid but her stronger essence knew there was nothing to fear.</span></div>
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<span class="s13" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A prickling began in the tips of her toes as she pushed the comforting thought into every corner of her brain. Curious about the cause, she stilled her mind and focused on the heat spreading from her feet throughout the rest of her body. Not an entirely unpleasant sensation, it was much like bathing in a gentle wash of warm water.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s13">Once the sensation penetrated her brain she knew all her past actions were being picked apart and judged by the invading heat. Somehow she understood that the being held her life in its hands. Despair saturated the </span><span class="s13">infrastructure of her spirit but ceased almost immediately, leaving a sense of weightlessness at her soul’s core.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s13" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Only the pure of heart can receive my protection—all others perish during the purging.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s13">The edict slipped into her thoughts like soft feathers turned to a thick warm liquid. Through the haze washing over her reflective process, </span><span class="s13">Kirra</span><span class="s13"> sensed her body being lifted off the slab of stone and was unable to resist the movement.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s13" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To be cradled against an essence exuding such strength and vitality made her want to cry. All she’d been lacking in her heart flooded her system, choking the breath from her lungs.</span></div>
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<span class="s13" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Weep not...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s13">The voice drifted off into unintelligible murmurings as the shadows behind her eyes turned pure black and </span><span class="s13">Kirra’s</span><span class="s13"> thoughts were no more.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s14" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Pre-order your print copy today!</span></div>
<span class="s15" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">Once a Druid</span></span><a href="http://sj-byrne.blogspot.com/p/order-now.html" target="_blank">Once a Druid</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="s16" src="x-apple-ql-id://DDB2CEAF-FAED-4F1C-B17C-51BC5C3D7D75/x-apple-ql-magic/792E3832-24FE-47E1-ABDA-F4A70C71612C.jpg" style="height: 204px; width: 238px;" /><span class="s11"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s17" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Living in the mountains of Western North Carolina Alex and SJ Byrne are just trying to make their way through the insanity that comes with creativity. Writing is SJ's passion—life is her muse, and Alex is the force that brought this long anticipated novel to light after 17 years in a box.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1690076782037102295" name="_GoBack"></a><span class="s17">Connect with SJ via:</span></span></div>
<span class="s18" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://on.fb.me/sjbyrne" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></span><br />
<span class="s18" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://bit.ly/sjbtwitter" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5164941.s_j_byrne" target="_blank">GoodReads</a><br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/sjblog" target="_blank">Blogger</a><br />
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<span class="s17" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Read more about her books on:</span></div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mo.dearbadan.de.sjb" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/mybttrfly">Amazon</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13450176-my-butterfly">Goodreads</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-39642696394339316222013-03-23T13:13:00.001-05:002013-03-23T13:15:51.914-05:00Cover Reveal: Opal's Song by SJ ByrneAuthor SJ Byrne has just revealed the cover to her latest novel, Opal's Song. You can find the cover at the end of the post, but read on to find out more about the book and your favorite author. SJ has also been kind enough to include a teaser to Opal's Song. Enjoy!<br />
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</div><div><div><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Opal's Song</span></u></b></div><div><br />
</div><div>Coming 2013 - Release date to be announced</div><div><br />
</div><div>A horrific accident on a rain slicked mountainside and permanent paralysis from the waist down.</div><div> 25 year old Lily Wade has to relearn simple, everyday activities just to live a seemingly normal life.</div><div> Opal—a precocious child in her rehabilitation group—teaches Lily about living joyfully after</div><div>surviving an immense tragedy and how to find peace within the pain.</div><div> To keep a promise made, Lily must dust off her once beloved cello and connect with the music she’s kept locked inside a velvet lined case for nearly a decade.</div><div><br />
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</div><div><b><u>A Teaser</u></b></div><div><br />
</div><div>The headlights of Darren’s extended cab Chevy swung from left to right as he took the switch back curves much faster than normal. Lines of tension formed beside his mouth, and his usually relaxed hands clutched the black leather steering wheel in a white knuckle death grip. Something about the way he pumped the brakes wasn’t quite right, and the momentum of the truck was picking up instead of slowing down. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Lily wanted to ask if everything was okay, but didn’t dare distract him from what was quickly becoming a dangerous situation. Deep ingrained reflex made her tug on the strap of her seat belt to ensure it would hold if the worst case scenario played itself out.</div><div><br />
</div><div>She’d ventured East with her boyfriend to explore and get away from the stifling rules of her parents. They had come into Western North Carolina via the Blue Ridge Mountains and immediately fallen in love with the place. Eclectic Asheville stole her heart with its combination of forward movement and backwards thinking. Only in that particular valley, surrounded by some of the oldest mountains in the world, could one community find the wherewithal to support so many varied lifestyle modalities. From the redneck–hillbilly descendants of the original Scottish settlers, to the new agers, dirty hippies, and flamboyant gays—Asheville catered to them all.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Lily wanted to share the exuberance of the area with her family, but suddenly feared the chance to do so would come at the cost of a glossy wooden box. Tears filled her eyes as she swallowed past a lump forming in her throat. She didn’t want to die.</div><div><br />
</div><div>“Aww, FUCK!”</div><div><br />
</div><div>Darren’s barely whispered expletive caught Lily’s attention as the tail end of the truck swung around. Suddenly they were facing the way they’d come. On any other day Darren would’ve calmly turned the wheel until the truck righted itself. For some reason the beast didn’t respond to his handling. The vehicle continued to spin until something in the front end snapped, and Lily stared in horror. One of the tires flew away from the truck, and in that instant she realized what people said was true—in the moments before death time slows down as the brain processes everything in minute detail. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Bright headlamps illuminated the surrounding forest as the front end of the truck crashed down onto the road. Heavy metal screeching on asphalt filled Lily’s ears only to be replaced with the sound of trees snapping beneath the force of a full sized pick-up rolling down the side of a mountain.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Up became down, and Lily’s insides threatened to come out as she was jerked about behind the increasingly tighter band of her protective belt. If she’d been sitting next to Darren her head would’ve been spared the repetitive abuse of being tossed against the passenger window. Lily didn’t want to scream out her fear, but found she had no control over her vocal cords—her screeches of distress echoed in the confined space until the imploding windshield drowned her out. Shards from the window flew towards them, cutting her neck and face as they tumbled around inside the cab.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Everything stopped all at once. The crashing roll of the truck, the cutting of the glass shards, even Lily’s screams. The Chevy landed on its side with her hanging by her seat belt, staring down at the unconscious form of her boyfriend. The smell of gasoline filled the air and Lily felt the spike of adrenaline wash through her nervous system.</div><div><br />
</div><div>“Darren! Darren, wake up!” She yelled as loud as her constricted lungs would allow behind the crushing force of the nylon strap. “Darren, we have to get out of this truck!”</div><div><br />
</div><div>Darren remained unconscious, and Lily refused to give into the blind panic threatening to take over. Breathing deep she quickly surveyed her position and the quickest escape route. The windshield had completely shattered, making that the only way out of the wreckage as the door above her wouldn’t budge when she tried pushing it open. Grabbing hold of the oh-shit handle, she pulled the weight of her body off the belt and pushed the release button. Blinding heat zipped through her body as she crashed face first against Darren's side and was knocked out cold by the force of their skulls connecting.</div><div><br />
</div><div>****</div><div><br />
</div><div>Something wet trickled down the side of her face just before an excruciating pain exploded behind her eyes, and Lily knew she was about to have the mother of all migraines. She thought to press the heels of both hands against her throbbing eye sockets, but found her body remained motionless against the command. A soft moan beneath her was worrying, though she couldn’t think why. The muscle of her shoulder flexed involuntarily and a jolt of pain flashed down her spine, stopping abruptly in her hips. A deep breath meant to calm her frantic thoughts brought more pain and then the blessed blackness.</div><div><br />
</div><div>****</div><div><br />
</div><div>“Hang in there little lady. We’ve almost got you out.”</div><div><br />
</div><div>Lily whimpered as a sudden shock of agony rippled through her arms and torso, but the sound of someone talking eased her anxiety. She wasn’t alone—thank god. The voice became a life line she clung to with her mind until sweet oblivion pulled her back into its warm embrace.</div><div><br />
</div><div>****</div><div><br />
</div><div>“They rolled down the side of Mount Pisgah. From what I can gather she was pinned in place by her seat belt, until she managed to undo it and then fell against his side.”</div><div><br />
</div><div>The conversation felt a million miles away. Surely they weren’t talking about her. Before she could give it another thought, the air was filled with excited chatter and frantic movements. She wanted to open her eyes and see what was going on, but her lids were too heavy to lift. Moving the muscles of her body required a strength she didn’t possess and fear flooded her thoughts as she cried out in frustration. The air she pulled through her nose tasted strange on the back of her tongue. Oblivion stretched out its arms and Lily went into them without a fight.</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>Find out more about Opal's Song and it's release </div><div>by visiting<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/sj-byrne/163037843739072" target="_blank"> SJ Byrne</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/opalssong" target="_blank">Opal's Song</a> on Facebook</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>A portion of all proceeds from Opal's Song will be donated </div><div>to help children with disabilities...more information forthcoming.</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
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<b><u>About the Author</u></b><br />
<b><u><br />
</u></b>Living in the mountains of Western North Carolina SJ Byrne is just trying to make her way through the insanity that comes with creativity. Writing is her passion - life is her muse. Keep an eye out for new books due later this year.<br />
<br />
Connect with SJ via:<br />
<a href="http://on.fb.me/sjbyrne" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/sjbtwitter" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5164941.s_j_byrne" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/sjblog" target="_blank">Blogger</a><br />
<br />
Read more about her books on:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mo.dearbadan.de.sjb" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/mybttrfly" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13450176-my-butterfly" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
<div><br />
</div></div></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5uFMPLFjL7-x7u24igQ172hR0s6SkW16q7hSShuQESQQxJlKyH2HwMDf74e0HxBVYNVCPKCkHmj9Slcd1iIdy4H4wSAmg-V1UygYiINHpmYESgaeG83Os-mjHfS-WCEl1ww6vn4RRdZs/s640/blogger-image--426811873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5uFMPLFjL7-x7u24igQ172hR0s6SkW16q7hSShuQESQQxJlKyH2HwMDf74e0HxBVYNVCPKCkHmj9Slcd1iIdy4H4wSAmg-V1UygYiINHpmYESgaeG83Os-mjHfS-WCEl1ww6vn4RRdZs/s640/blogger-image--426811873.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6njBrja-Zqw6gOnKP7Y2yz_Zpa6O0vyWQcdw3cB5GLNXqhutZ9SMdb4OOAaZu1bOnqCoDde7i6sg29Nnh32vKklOGXPZeafNqOqOgrovauncW2zxrCzOyvbdwwAXLOF6ZOrbm4sBvU_f/s640/blogger-image--1002382376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6njBrja-Zqw6gOnKP7Y2yz_Zpa6O0vyWQcdw3cB5GLNXqhutZ9SMdb4OOAaZu1bOnqCoDde7i6sg29Nnh32vKklOGXPZeafNqOqOgrovauncW2zxrCzOyvbdwwAXLOF6ZOrbm4sBvU_f/s640/blogger-image--1002382376.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-69270970849112162842013-03-18T08:00:00.000-05:002013-03-18T08:55:25.623-05:00Author Feature: Tammie Clarke Gibbs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesfYPLEGJRKKT3r_2tq_nH7EqloPu31EZED8oz9_5GK1yR1itTJgcAW4DVIxE0LQLmS3ddtL2Rk1Bsu1eSQCfqNSJSKDUtQ5jmWen3nLkqwyuj1wDKG_zcMvacwTDA0aiaGmfynO3PNU/s1600/tammie+5+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesfYPLEGJRKKT3r_2tq_nH7EqloPu31EZED8oz9_5GK1yR1itTJgcAW4DVIxE0LQLmS3ddtL2Rk1Bsu1eSQCfqNSJSKDUtQ5jmWen3nLkqwyuj1wDKG_zcMvacwTDA0aiaGmfynO3PNU/s200/tammie+5+7.jpg" width="160" /></a><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Author, Tammie Clarke Gibbs and her new Time</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> Travel Romantic Suspense - <em>SWORN TO SECRECY and the new series UNDERCOVER HEROES</em></span></strong></div>
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<em><strong>Tammie Clarke Gibbs</strong> is the author of the <strong>#1 Kindle Best Selling Gothic/Time Travel Romance Island of Secrets</strong> which has been consistently on three of the Amazon Best Seller Lists for over eighteen consecutive months. She is the author of three novels and multiple non-fiction titles. Tammie resides with her husband, son, and a very spoiled Maltese in South Georgia. She loves to hear from her fans and can be reached at her website and via email </em><a href="mailto:tammiecgibbs@yahoo.com%22%3E%3Cem%3Etammiecgibbs@yahoo.com%3C/em%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><em>You have a new series that just came out can you tell us a little about it.</em></strong> Sure. I love talking about my books. Actually, the first book in the series was not originally written for the series. It was originally released in Winter of 2011 and has been re-released as Keeping Secrets earlier this year as the anchor book for the Undercover Heroes series. The men in this first book were just too good not to give their own books. What's more exciting than a bunch of men who are all heroic in one way or another? After the publication of Keeping Secrets, which is Historical Romantic Suspense, the characters were screaming at me. Sworn to Secrecy was one of the easiest books, I've ever writen or rather dictated. All the characters just fit, and the next book is almost already plotted out. Readers will have to wait for a little while for it because I have another book, the first in my Legends series that has been scheduled next. I'm very excited about the launch book in that series too. I did learn with the publication of Keeping Secrets that I really missed having those little paranormal elements, and I'm so happy to be writing them again. My readers do love the time travel and other little things I like to sprinkle through my plots. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tell us about Sworn to Secrecy. You've been having a fantastic book launch can you share with us a little bit about the book and about your launch. It's been amazing. This is the first of my books that made it onto two best sellers lists on the day of launch. They've both made it before, but it's usually taken a few months to get there. Ranks are still very good. I am so excited because I'm already hearing from folks who grabbed some of those first day copies and have already finished the book. They all seem to love the story and are anxious for Book Three now. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The book launch itself has been beyong imagination. I've had so many folks offer to help and attendance at each of my events has been amazing. We had the Book Launch Party, then we also had a Pinning Party which was lots of fun where folks learned all about Pinterest and pinned my book as well as other books onto boards. There've been twitter campaigns and the support has just blown me away. I have provided a very short excerpt for your readers. A longer one is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble's online stores.</span></span><br />
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Thank you for letting me visit with you today on your blog.</span><br /></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><em>A little something from Tammie:</em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em>Be sure to visit all of the bloggers and authors that are hosting me during the Book Launch Celebration for Sworn to Secrecy for your chance to win prizes and read more about me and my books. I have something special planned with each of them.</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>During the launch, you can grab a copy for just <span style="font-size: large;">.99</span>. After March 20th, the price goes to its list price of $3.99. </strong></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZShqp-_KfO-KIwmPy6VIJrmblYhD6eS5A9MGIM9QW2zutczeX9zZ3WqIwqofCarfJnC57Q7dR4Hlt-ZFZssfuhfV8skOqI8FcmyEDYwIZcymwxjes_7UF12jg9gRsLGfaX5gIa2cnmFg/s1600/sworn+to+secrecyn1band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZShqp-_KfO-KIwmPy6VIJrmblYhD6eS5A9MGIM9QW2zutczeX9zZ3WqIwqofCarfJnC57Q7dR4Hlt-ZFZssfuhfV8skOqI8FcmyEDYwIZcymwxjes_7UF12jg9gRsLGfaX5gIa2cnmFg/s320/sworn+to+secrecyn1band.jpg" width="213" /></a><strong><em> An unlikely alliance...a love born from the ashes of
adversity....</em></strong>Dak Bartholomew is a US Secret Service agent. When
he wakes up locked in a dark room it's just another day until he realizes that
he's not alone.</div>
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Elizabeth Porter would like nothing more than to plunge
her knife through the stranger's heart for all the trouble he's caused.
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Together they'll take an unexpected journey to a time and place they
could never have imagined and discover a secret they'll be sworn to
protect.<br />
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<b>Don't miss Tammie's other novels-</b><br />
<i><b>ISLAND OF
SECRETS</b></i>: GOTHIC TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE<br />
<b><i>KEEPING SECRETS:</i></b>
HISTORICAL ROMANTIC SUSPENSE<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sworn-Secrecy-Adventure-Undercover-ebook/dp/B00BS28JB6/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1363029061&sr=8-10&keywords=tammie+gibbs"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Buy
on Amazon</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sworn-to-secrecy-tammie-clarke-gibbs/1046228989?ean=2940016267999"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Buy
on Barnes and Noble</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://authortammieclarkegibbs.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-launch-and-prizes-for-sworn-to.html%22%3E%3Cspan style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Help
spread the word by visiting my blog and participating in the giveaway.</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.tammieclarkegibbs.com/%22%3E%3Cspan style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.tammieclarkegibbs.com</span></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/431080006973856/" target="_blank">Like Tammie on Facebook</a><br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/tammiegibbs" target="_blank">Follow Tammie on Twitter</a><br />
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<strong><em>Scroll down for to read an excerpt</em></strong> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFTxbZtoVr3Wg7d59aEUW8T917qPe53aM8_gw47LDyK3YjRqCp77hUF7jlQynyeWsZLKmwTVvaHEDfu_cCThAgQbLw1Z9UQkx56fSEP6xrZUQKRAfscbORXJh0nsroR8ys2PPj2hGik8/s1600/sworn+to+secrecy+ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFTxbZtoVr3Wg7d59aEUW8T917qPe53aM8_gw47LDyK3YjRqCp77hUF7jlQynyeWsZLKmwTVvaHEDfu_cCThAgQbLw1Z9UQkx56fSEP6xrZUQKRAfscbORXJh0nsroR8ys2PPj2hGik8/s400/sworn+to+secrecy+ad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Click
on the links below to visit participating <br />Launch Partners & Read more…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://barbaraiviegreen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Author Barbara Ivie Green</a> - Live on March 12, 2013</span><br />
<a href="http://billhiatt.com/?p=411" target="_blank">Author Bill Hiatt</a> - Live on March 13, 2013<br />
<a href="http://sj-byrne.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Author SJ Byrne</a> - Live on March 13, 2013<br />
<a href="http://www.tearsofcrimson.com/" target="_blank">Author Michelle Hughes</a> - Live on March 14, 2013<br />
<a href="http://brian-bigelow.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Author Brian Bigelow</a> - Live on March 15, 2013<br />
<a href="http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Author Sheila Deeth</a> - Live on March 16, 2013<br />
<a href="http://www.reganblack.com/" target="_blank">Author Regan Black</a> - Live on March 16, 2013<br />
<a href="http://www.pamelaforeman.com/" target="_blank">Author Pamela Foreman</a> - Live on March 17, 2013<br />
<a href="http://www.olivia-m-martinez.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Author Olivia Martinez</a> -Live on March 18, 2013 </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <a href="http://mjb-wordlovers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Wordlovers by Melissa Bowersock</a> - Live on March 19, 2013</span><br />
<a href="http://andisrealm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Author Andrea Buginsky</a> - Live on March 19, 2013<br />
<a href="http://confessionsofreader.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Confessions of a Reader</a> -Live on March 19, 2013<br />
<a href="http://missuswolf.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Author Gemma Wilford</a> - Live on April 7, 2013<br />
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<a href="http://authortammieclarkegibbs.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-launch-and-prizes-for-sworn-to.html" target="_blank">Click Here to go to the Giveaway Post and enter for some great prizes</a><br />
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<strong>Excerpt of Sworn to Secrecy Copyright Tammie Clarke Gibbs</strong><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Dak
Bartholomew felt a trickle of blood run a cold wet trail down the side of his
face from the open gash at his temple. </span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">He
struggled to open his eyes, and after several moments succeeded. Focusing on
his surroundings took several more, but eventually, he could see the small,
dank-smelling room in more clarity than he even desired.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">The only
light came from a single window, its pane’s blackened all but for one small
section.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">He pulled
himself off the filthy mattress and felt his way toward the light. The window
had been painted from the inside, and it appeared that someone had literally
scratched at it until a small stream of light was allowed in from the outside.
Instinctively, he reached into his pocket for his knife, but it wasn’t there.
Nothing was there.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">There was a
faint cry from the corner of the room. Startled, Dak stepped back into the
darkness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">He felt his
way along the bed until he came to what he thought was a wall.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">The
darkness was deep and black, and the light cut only a sliver through it,
leaving the rest of the room engulfed in an ebony sea.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">He was weak
from having been drugged or loss of blood. He wasn’t sure which. Either would
have given him an excuse to forget he wasn’t alone and cower, but the pitiful
whimpers stoked within him a steely determination.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">“You
there,” he called and waited for an answer.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">The room
was quiet in response. No whimpering. No breathing.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">“Are you
hurt?” Dak asked this time, and his voice was softer. Still there was no
answer.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">He took
several short steps, feeling his way along the wall in the direction he’d heard
the sounds coming from.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">“I won’t
hurt you,” he said, this time louder. “I…”</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Dak felt a
dirty hand on his mouth and something sharp at his side.</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-48699569052225938632013-03-15T20:21:00.001-05:002013-03-15T20:21:52.409-05:00Wonderful Reads: New author in need of likes so lets help her out a...<a href="http://layladarnell.blogspot.com/2013/03/new-author-in-need-of-likes-so-lets.html?spref=bl">Wonderful Reads: New author in need of likes so lets help her out a...</a>: New author in need of likes so lets help her out and show our Indie support! Her debut novel pictured here will be released March 8th and d...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-56179132663658594272013-02-16T13:02:00.000-06:002013-02-16T13:04:18.626-06:00Guest Post Cinthia Ritchie<br />
<div class="s2"><span class="s4" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Hi all! Today I have author, Cinthia Ritchie guest posting today. A long time writer, she has just released her first novel, "Dolls Behaving Badly." Read on to find out about her writing and a sneak preview from her book!</span></div><div class="s2"><span class="s4" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span></div><div class="s2"><span class="s4" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Ghosts and Writing</span></div><div class="s2"><br />
</div><div class="s2"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s2">I never expected to include ghosts in my debut novel, </span><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">Dolls Behaving Badly. </span><span class="s2">I set out to write a contemporary women’s novel, a light-hearted book with a substantial message: That it’s okay to be imperfect. That some of our best moments come out of our worst messes.</span></span></div><div class="s2"><span class="s2" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yet, by the time I had reached the second chapter, the ghost of my protagonist’s Polish grandmother had intruded upon the story.</span></div><div class="s2"><span class="s2" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I tried to take her out. She squeezed her way back in (fat and disheveled and reeking of onions and garlic). I took her out again. She reappeared less than five pages later.</span></div><div class="s2"><span class="s2" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I did this over and over before it finally occurred to me: I needed this character in my book. I had no idea why but decided to trust my instincts and leave her in.</span></div><div class="s2"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s2">It was one of the best dec</span><span class="s2">isions I made. </span><span class="s2">Gramma</span><span class="s2">’s</span><span class="s2"> ghost </span><span class="s2">added </span><span class="s2">a bittersweet wisdom </span><span class="s2">that</span><span class="s2"> stabilized</span><span class="s2"> the storyline</span><span class="s2"> while providing</span><span class="s2"></span><span class="s2">continuity to the past.</span><span class="s2"></span></span></div><div class="s2"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s2">Still, I worried: A ghost? </span><span class="s2">In a modern day woman’s novel?</span><span class="s2"> What was I thinking?</span></span></div><div class="s2"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s2">Well, I wasn’t thinking, that was the point. I was writing from my gut, following the lead of my characters, allowing them to veer off in whichever dir</span><span class="s2">ection they needed to go. The grandmother</span><span class="s2"> needed to be a ghost, and that was that. Her voice was essential to the story, though I could exactly define why.</span></span></div><div class="s2"><span class="s2" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And I think that as writers we too often try to rein in our books. We try to be too exact, too precise. We too closely follow outlines and plot summaries and character sketches. But real life doesn’t follow an outline, and neither should books.</span></div><div class="s2"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s2">I’m not recommending that we throw away all semblance of order as we write, or that we abandon the editorial process, both critical, both necessary. No, I’m saying that we stop being so careful, that w</span><span class="s2">e write more from the heart instead of</span><span class="s2"> the head, that we trust our instincts and</span><span class="s2"> allow our characters to mess up and</span><span class="s2"> get their fictional hands dirty.</span></span></div><div class="s2"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s2">If I hadn’t done this, if I had filtered out the ghost, if I had kept cleanly</span><span class="s2"> on the surface, I wouldn’t have the book I have today and</span><span class="s2"> there’s a good chance that</span><span class="s2"> </span><span class="s5" style="font-style: italic;">Dolls Behaving Badly</span><span class="s2"> would</span><span class="s2">have never been picked up by a publisher.</span></span></div><div class="s2"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s2">My advice to writers?</span><span class="s2"> Write messy. Write big. Write the impos</span><span class="s2">sible, the improbable, and </span><span class="s2">find a way make it your own.</span></span></div><div class="s2"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1690076782037102295" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div><div class="s2"><br />
<br />
<b>An excerpt from "Dolls Behaving Badly."</b></div><div><div class="s5" style="margin-top: 18px;"><span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Thursday, Sept. 15</span></div><div class="s5" style="margin-top: 18px;"><span class="s7" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This is my diary, my pathetic little conversation with myself. No doubt I will burn it halfway through. I’ve never been one to finish anything. Mother used to say this was because I was born during a full moon, but like everything she says, it doesn’t make a lick of sense.</span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="s8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">It isn’t even the beginning of the year. Or even the month. It’s not even my birthday. I’m starting, typical of me, impulsively, in the middle of September. I’m starting with the facts.</span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="s8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">I’m thirty-eight years old. I’ve slept with nineteen and a half men.</span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">I live in Alaska, not the wild parts but smack in the middle of Anchorage, with the</span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Walmart</span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;"> and Home Depot squatting over streets littered with moose poop.</span></span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="s8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">I’m divorced. Last month my ex-husband paid child support in ptarmigan carcasses, those tiny bones snapping like fingers when I tried to eat them.</span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="s8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">I have one son, age eight and already in fourth grade. He is gifted, his teachers gush, remarking how unusual it is for such a child to come out of such unique (meaning underprivileged, meaning single parent, meaning they don’t think I’m very smart) circumstances.</span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="s8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">I work as a waitress in a Mexican restaurant. This is a step up: two years ago I was at Denny’s.</span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Yesterday, I was so worried about money I stayed home from work and tried to drown myself in the bathtub. I sank my head under the water and held my breath, but my face popped up in less than a minute. I tried a second time, but by then my heart wasn’t really in it so I got out, brushed the dog hair off the sofa and plopped down to watch Oprah on the cable channel.</span><span class="s10" style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">What happened next was a miracle, like </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">Gramma</span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;"> used to say. No angels sang, of course, and there was none of that ornery church music. Instead, a very tall woman (who might have been an angel if heaven had high ceilings) waved her arms. There were sweat stains under her sweater, and this impressed me so much that I leaned forward; I knew something important was about to happen.</span></span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="s8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">Most of what she said was New Age mumbo-jumbo, but when she mentioned the diary, I pulled myself up and rewrapped the towel around my waist. I knew she was speaking to me, almost as if this was her purpose in life, to make sure these words got directed my way.</span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">She said you didn’t need a fancy one; it didn’t even need a lock, like those little-girl ones I kept as a teenager. A notebook, she said, would work just fine. Or even a bunch of papers stapled together. The important thing was doing it. Committing </span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;">yourself</span><span class="s8" style="font-style: italic;"> to paper every day, regardless of whether anything exciting or thought-provoking actually happens.</span></span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="s8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">“Your thoughts are gold,” the giant woman said. “Hold them up to the light and they shine.”</span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="s8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">I was crying by then, sobbing into the dog’s neck. It was like a salvation, like those traveling preachers who used to come to town. Mother would never let us go but I snuck out with Julie, who was a Baptist. Those preachers believed, and while we were there in that tent, we did too.</span></div><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="s8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;">This is what I’m hoping for, that my words will deliver me something. Not the truth, exactly. But solace.</span></div><div class="s2"><br />
<br />
<b>Author Bio:</b><br />
<br />
</div><div><div class="s5"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Cinthia</span><span class="s3"> Ritchie is a former journalist who lives and runs mountains and marathons in Alaska. Her work can be found at </span><span class="s4" style="font-style: italic;">New York Times Magazine, Sport Literate, Water-Stone Review, Under the Sun, Memoir, </span><span class="s4" style="font-style: italic;">damselfly</span><span class="s4" style="font-style: italic;"> press, Slow Trains, 42opus</span><span class="s4" style="font-style: italic;">, Evening Street Review</span><span class="s3"> and over 45 literary magazines. Her first novel, </span><span class="s4" style="font-style: italic;">Dolls Behaving Badly</span><span class="s3">, released</span><span class="s3"> Feb. 5 from Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group.</span></span></div><div class="s5"><br />
</div><div class="s5"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s6" style="font-weight: bold;">Links:</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div><div class="s5"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Website: </span><a href="http://www.cinthiaritchie.com/"><span class="s8">www.cinthiaritchie.com</span></a></span></div><div class="s5"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Facebook: </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/"><span class="s8">http://www.facebook.com/#!/cinthia.ritchie</span></a></span></div><div class="s5"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/cinthiaritchie1"><span class="s8">https://twitter.com/cinthiaritchie1</span></a></span></div><div class="s5"><br />
</div><div class="s5"><br />
</div><div class="s5"><span class="s6" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Purchase links:</span></div><div class="s5"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Amazon:</span><span class="s2"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dolls-Behaving-Badly-Cinthia-Ritchie/dp/0446568139/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359625931&sr=8-1&keywords=cinthia+ritchie"><span class="s8">http://www.amazon.com/Dolls-Behaving-Badly-Cinthia-Ritchie/dp/0446568139/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359625931&sr=8-1&keywords=cinthia+ritchie#_</span></a></span></div><div class="s5"><br />
</div><div class="s5"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">Barnes & Noble:</span><span class="s2"> </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dolls-behaving-badly-cinthia-ritchie/1110621178"><span class="s8">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dolls-behaving-badly-cinthia-ritchie/1110621178</span></a></span></div><div class="s5"><br />
</div><div class="s5"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s3">IndieBound</span><span class="s3">:</span><span class="s2"> </span><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780446568135"><span class="s8">http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780446568135</span></a></span></div></div><div class="s2" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1690076782037102295" name="_GoBack"></a></div></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsuWv0cN6ueyyBgHYlabNkruZ5WBXgfjJsUMdeuJhc48FlN5DkOtiABuq4fJn2SGV61lHIhRPtwM6V9cdtsWvWln5yAait4ydsDwoAvsUPr688l-GVh932jdO4zxhbfuP4lNZHvEJ5SjL/s640/blogger-image--343460434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsuWv0cN6ueyyBgHYlabNkruZ5WBXgfjJsUMdeuJhc48FlN5DkOtiABuq4fJn2SGV61lHIhRPtwM6V9cdtsWvWln5yAait4ydsDwoAvsUPr688l-GVh932jdO4zxhbfuP4lNZHvEJ5SjL/s640/blogger-image--343460434.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-63528992754825319112012-12-15T18:04:00.001-06:002012-12-16T10:30:18.479-06:00BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!!Check out the giveaway section over at GoodReads. I'm giving away one signed paperback copy of my book, Mistfall! The contest starts December 16th and runs through January 16th. I'm looking forward to sending it to one lucky fan! The link to the GoodReads giveaway is: <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/40108-mistfall">http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/40108-mistfall</a></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-47497195025879365332012-12-12T18:59:00.001-06:002012-12-12T18:59:11.117-06:00Character Reveal!!!So, in case you need a visual, this is John! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iBOzWGUdZktzVj6x9KYNeTV0L_E0-PtQMZhQAf8-nScOsaAbBPtJTCzn8VD5qwvNm3G1HAMgBlmnlNXyDXdCakNKaXkfWr0Og0tvLLcEv7EPq831hlEEgIgv09Ay4oVP_Go_HZN3J6oS/s640/blogger-image-1293578894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iBOzWGUdZktzVj6x9KYNeTV0L_E0-PtQMZhQAf8-nScOsaAbBPtJTCzn8VD5qwvNm3G1HAMgBlmnlNXyDXdCakNKaXkfWr0Og0tvLLcEv7EPq831hlEEgIgv09Ay4oVP_Go_HZN3J6oS/s640/blogger-image-1293578894.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-71410781210430454962012-12-07T19:56:00.000-06:002012-12-07T19:57:39.925-06:00Author Feature: Amy MahHi all! Sorry it's been so long since my last post. A lot has been going on in that short time. The most exciting thing that has happened is that I got married October 26th!!! After five years of being together, my husband and I finally decided to tie the knot. We didn't have a big to-do, but a nice, quiet little ceremony at home with immediate family. It was rather lovely.<br />
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Second piece of news...Book 2 is well on it's way! I'm currently on chapter 6. As of right now, I'm pretty settled on "Burn" for the book title. There is going to be two new characters introduced. One of them is a fierce, warrior Fae by the name of Layla. The other's name is Diana, but she hasn't told me her story yet. I will keep all of you updated as the story tells itself to me.<br />
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Amy Mah recently did a book feature for me at: <a href="http://amymahvampire.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/mistfall-by-olivia-martinez.html">http://amymahvampire.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/mistfall-by-olivia-martinez.html</a><br />
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Ms. Mah happens to be an author too. If you like stories about teenage vampires, then you'll love her books. You won't find a watered down version of Twilight or some swill of that sort. Instead, you'll be treated to the fresh perspective Amelia Mah gives to vampires.<br />
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Today's world is difficult for everyone, especially teenagers. They face the stresses of school, deciding whom to date, and the biggie of sex, just to name a few. Imagine all of those things ten times worse, and you might get an idea of what it's like being a living, breathing teenage vampire. At last, the world can read about the life of a girl with good teeth, her problems with strong sunlight that gave her spots, and the sunblock that made her hair go yucky and produced more spots. Yes, sunlight was dangerous, as she could be the first teenager in history to die from terminal acne! In her everyday life, older vampires expected her to walk about at night in the traditional female uniform, a see-through, 18th-century nightdress, without undies! Well, this female vampire knew why the cold winds blowing along the corridors were called, "male winds," so she wore her see-through nightdress over jeans and a very thick jumper. To be sure that people would still know she was a vampire, the jumper had a very large, pink bat on it. And as to guys, well, it was normal for a girl to dream about guys; she just wished the dreams could have involved chocolates and holding hands, not leaping out at someone, ripping off his shirt, and demanding to know what blood type he was (at least not on the first date).</div>
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About the Author</h3>
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The Author Amelia Mah is a 20 something snarky, sarcastic and cynical author who has a very popular blog of how she sees the world from the point of view of a modern teenage vampire Following the success of her first book "FANGS RULE A girls guide to being a vampire" she had now expanded the idea of life as a teenage vampire into a full novel Amelia has given her avatar her own name so you can see the world first hand from a very bored teenage vampire that has been forced to remain a teenager for far too long She may have very good teeth and the ability to hang from ceilings but life is far from easy. Today's world is difficult for everyone, especially teenagers. They face the stresses of school, deciding whom to date, and the biggie of sex, just to name a few. Imagine all of those things ten times worse, and you might get an idea of what it's like being a living, breathing teenage vampire. At last, the world can read about the life of a girl with good teeth, her problems with strong sunlight that gave her spots, and the sunblock that made her hair go yucky and produced more spots. Yes, sunlight was dangerous, as she could be the first teenager in history to die from terminal acne! In her everyday life, older vampires expected her to walk about at night in the traditional female uniform, a see-through, 18th-century nightdress, without undies! Well, this female vampire knew why the cold winds blowing along the corridors were called, "male winds," so she wore her see-through nightdress over jeans and a very thick jumper. To be sure that people would still know she was a vampire, the jumper had a very large, pink bat on it. And as to guys, well, it was normal for a girl to dream about guys; she just wished the dreams could have involved chocolates and holding hands, not leaping out at someone, ripping off his shirt, and demanding to know what blood type he was (at least not on the first date).</div>
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<a href="http://www.fangsrule.com/buy.htm" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors="true">http://www.fangsrule.com/buy.htm</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15751638-amy-mah-vampire">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15751638-amy-mah-vampire</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Night-Life-Amy-Mah/dp/1874192626/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1351197944&sr=8-4&keywords=vampire+amy+mah">http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Night-Life-Amy-Mah/dp/1874192626/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1351197944&sr=8-4&keywords=vampire+amy+mah</a></div>
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<img border="0" id="9B9D6750-D2B6-4E90-A18B-98D1012CCFC6" src="cid:9B9D6750-D2B6-4E90-A18B-98D1012CCFC6" style="padding: 0px 1px 1px 0px;" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-34695049249860710892012-11-10T00:25:00.001-06:002012-11-10T00:25:44.793-06:00Celebrating Authors: I love Classical and Big Band music - Mini #Interv...<a href="http://celebratingauthors.blogspot.com/2012/11/i-love-classical-and-big-band-music.html?spref=bl">Celebrating Authors: I love Classical and Big Band music - Mini #Interv...</a>: MISTFALL by Olivia Martinez Genre: Paranormal romance/fantasy Buy on Amazon Mags has lived in hiding most of her life. One of...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-77178314908166634722012-11-09T18:01:00.001-06:002012-11-09T18:01:36.386-06:00Strand's Simply Tips: What the Experts Say: Fantasy Author Olivia Martin...<a href="http://strandssimplytips.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-experts-say-fantasy-author-olivia.html?spref=bl">Strand's Simply Tips: What the Experts Say: Fantasy Author Olivia Martin...</a>: Olivia Martinez, Author MISTFALL Fantasy author Olivia Martinez joins us to talk about her fun make-believe world in her new...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-38528980994870753732012-10-25T17:28:00.001-05:002012-10-25T17:28:12.117-05:00Life as a Teenage Vampire by Amy Mah (Vampire): MISTFALL by Olivia Martinez<a href="http://amymahvampire.blogspot.com/2012/10/mistfall-by-olivia-martinez.html?spref=bl">Life as a Teenage Vampire by Amy Mah (Vampire): MISTFALL by Olivia Martinez</a>: MISTFALL Halloween is coming up so get your reading material ready and here is a book to add to your list Mags has lived in hiding...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1690076782037102295.post-42617069364102858762012-10-24T10:46:00.001-05:002012-10-24T10:46:46.388-05:00Feed My Need . . . For a Good Read: Author Interview: Olivia Martinez<a href="http://teacherwritebookaholicohmy.blogspot.com/2012/10/author-interview-olivia-martinez.html?spref=bl">Feed My Need . . . For a Good Read: Author Interview: Olivia Martinez</a>: Please welcome to Feed My Need, the fabulous author, Olivia Martinez! Author Interview When and why did you begin writing? Like man...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246892774660720086noreply@blogger.com0