tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44484530949135053792024-02-24T22:46:45.515-08:00Howling Turtle Book Blog and Author ServicesLarissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.comBlogger1059125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-35742079488998725042022-03-10T09:20:00.004-08:002022-03-10T09:20:56.772-08:00Full circle: a nurse coming back to writing<p> Hello everyone! </p><p>It's been a long time since I posted here and I have some exciting updates!</p><p>Since we last spoke, I have gone to nursing school and am now working as a registered nurse on a cardiology floor. Doing an accelerated nursing program in the middle of a pandemic was intense, so that's part of why I've been quiet for so long. Now, I am coming back to writing, but my focus is going to be a bit different from here on out.</p><p>I am pivoting from book blogging to freelance writing. With my newfound expertise and passion for health and medical writing, I am focusing on cultivating freelance work in these areas. However, I am still a book lover at heart. I also still have all my experience from my time working on this blog and interning in publishing, so I am taking book-related content and editing jobs still too!</p><p>If you have book or literature-related content, copy, or editing gigs, I do still hope you will reach out. </p><p>I anticipate continuing to be fairly quiet on this blog, but I wanted to leave some other ways you can find me.</p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/howling-turtle-media-a390a868/" target="_blank">Linkedin: Howling Turtle Media</a></p><p>This is my freelance-focused Linkedin (I have one that is more geared towards my nursing career too). I have decided to keep the Howling Turtle name in this new phase of my writing business. I will be creating a Howling Turtle Media freelancing website soon and will update this post with the link to that once it is live.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/larissa_banitt" target="_blank">Twitter </a></p><p>I'd love to connect with you on Twitter! I'll be sharing my published projects and thoughts on writing and healthcare.</p><p>Email:</p><p>I still check the email for this blog, so if you'd like to reach out, send a message to:</p><p>howlingturtle19@gmail.com</p><p><br /></p><p>I hope you all have been well and that you'll join me as I set out on this new phase of my writing life.</p><p>~ Larissa</p>Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-85580957110583502092019-08-31T23:40:00.000-07:002019-08-31T23:40:05.246-07:00Review: Heart of Time (Ruined Hearts #1)<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B6H6XLB/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li2&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=306111b1cb310d2700b495bff99c7177&language=en_US" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07B6H6XLB&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20&language=en_US" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><b><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B07B6H6XLB" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b></span><b>Book: </b>Heart of Time (Ruined Hearts #1)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Author: </b>Skye MacKinnon<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Page Count: </b>231<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><a href="https://amzn.to/2UnyePD">Amazon</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>My Rating:</b> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">4 TURTLES: A great read, I definitely recommend</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><b>Description:</b></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span id="freeText7694507217516447259" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">What would you do if you could control time?<br /><br />In a world where magic is outlawed, Eona has been hiding her true nature all her life, only using it to make her circus performances even more spectacular. She's always known that her ability to manipulate time could make her a target, but she couldn't have prepared for being kidnapped, manipulated and imprisoned.<br /><br />After weeks in prison, the Royal sorcerer Lassadar offers her a way out by training her. But can she trust the King's right hand man?<br /><br /><br />In order to figure out what he wants from her, she needs to explore her own magic, the bond she feels with a mythical creature, and the feelings she has for a beautiful elven woman.<br /><br /><br />This book is the first in the Ruined Heart series, a reverse harem fantasy trilogy. There is no cliffhanger, and it can be read as a stand-alone.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></o:p></div>
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Review:<o:p></o:p></div>
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First of all, I’d like to thank the author for giving me
this book in exchange for an honest review.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book –
anything that combines medieval fantasy and LGBTQ+ representation catches my
eye. And after finishing this book, I think Skye MacKinnon is kicking off a
very entertaining and compelling series. My biggest concerns with this book are
that it started off a little slow for me and I’m worried this series may be an
abandoned project.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The beginning, for me, was a bit slow. The prologue that
introduces us to the main character and the first few years of her life are
written like a fairy tale, and it felt very disjointed compared with the style
of the rest of the book. Even after the main narration takes over, I didn’t
feel that the pace really picked up until around half way through.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After that point, though, I was hooked. The world-building
is very imaginative and well planned. I liked the little excerpts from
historical documents of that world that were placed throughout the novel to
continue building the world beyond what the characters might see. I also really
appreciated how the story ended with a good closing point, but left me wanting
more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The characters were also very well-drawn and distinct. Each
new person added to the story brought with them a new dimension to the book. I
especially loved the peryton! This half dragon half deer creature is both
adorable and mysterious and I want to know more about it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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After I finished this book I went looking for the sequel to
add it to my to-read list on Goodreads and saw something concerning. According
to Goodreads, the sequel should have already come out, but I can’t find the
sequel available for sale anywhere. Hopefully it is still coming but was
delayed for some reason, but I’m a little bit worried this is an abandoned
project. I hope not, because I’d love to read the sequel, but it’s something to
be aware of before you fully invest in this story as part of a series.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an
affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-91406075757790411002019-05-01T08:20:00.002-07:002019-05-01T08:20:29.163-07:00Hiatus Ending Soon!Hello everyone!<br />
<br />
I'm sorry about the unexplained hiatus. I got busy with my last semester of college and haven't had time to do much reading or blogging! I'll be back soon though and have plans for a review to come out within the next week.<br />
<br />
I also have some plans in the works for changes to this blog that I will be rolling out in the next six months likely, so stay tuned for that!<br />
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I hope you're all enjoying the first day of May!<br />
<br />
~ LarissaLarissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-56789851710403768632019-01-27T13:18:00.000-08:002019-01-27T13:18:12.481-08:00Review: Adam<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Adam-Perfect-World-Shari-Sakurai-ebook/dp/B01CH7AENQ/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1548623280&sr=1-1&keywords=9780992802462&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=855f524a735be70eeda4fbbd8fc47f87&language=en_US" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01CH7AENQ&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20&language=en_US" /></a><b><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B01CH7AENQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Book: </b>Adam (Perfect World 1.5)<br />
<b>Author: </b>Shari Sakurai<br />
<b>Page Count: </b>243<br />
<b><a href="https://amzn.to/2MALtZJ">Amazon</a></b><br />
<b>My Rating: </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px;">4 TURTLES: A great read, I definitely recommend.</span><br />
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<b>Description:</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Adam Larimore is on a mission of self-destruct. After learning that he was genetically engineered for the sole purpose of inheriting his father’s empire, Adam has been determined to ruin his father’s life and in the process his own. When Ivan Williams, the man soon to become the Head of the London Security Agency (L.S.A), approaches Adam with the offer of a business partnership, Adam discovers the appalling truth behind the technological and genetic advancements that have come to shape England. His relationship with his father is at breaking point and when events take a devastating turn, Adam finds himself pushed further than perhaps he wanted to go.</span><br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">First of all, thank you to the author for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">I spent several late nights reading this book - Adam is such a compelling character and I kept wanting to know what happened next! The book begins several years before Perfect World takes place, back when Adam Larimore was just the misbehaving, wayward son of the head of a powerful tech company. The novel follows his life through the events leading up to the government smearing him as the "supervillain" that he is painted to be in the first book in the series.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">I loved getting a chance to see events from Adam's perspective in this book. Even though we do learn a bit about his past in Perfect World, he is still such an enigma that it is hard to tell exactly where he's coming from. This book not only shows Adam's past in more detail, but delves into what he is thinking and feeling as all these events take place. It makes his actions in Perfect World all the more understandable. I love how complex of a character Adam is, and how all his motivations have layers to them. I think this is part of why I enjoyed Adam a bit more than Perfect World. It's not that I dislike Eric and things being told from his perspective, he's certainly a very sympathetic character, but his naivete sort of got on my nerves after a while, even if it was completely warranted.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Reading Adam gives me a new perspective going into the last book in the series - so now I'm even more excited to read it than I was before! </span><br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><i style="font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</i></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span>Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-15582579623328495292018-11-10T13:32:00.000-08:002018-11-10T13:32:12.368-08:00Review: Perfect World<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-World-Shari-Sakurai-ebook/dp/B00LXPO5WA/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1541885124&sr=1-1&keywords=perfect+world+shari&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=aa990c578853e996c996e278cb445e5f&language=en_US" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00LXPO5WA&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20&language=en_US" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B00LXPO5WA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B00LXPO5WA" style="border: none; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin: 0px;" width="1" /><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Book:</b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Perfect World</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Author:</b> Shari Sakurai<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Page Count</b>: 332<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2qGy20a"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Amazon</b><o:p></o:p></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>My Rating</b>: <o:p></o:p>3.5 TURTLES: A very enjoyable read, I recommend you check it out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Description</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">London, 2115</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">It is the year 2115 and the world is very different. With climate changes, natural disasters and war shaping the landscape, England has become a nation made up of several super cities and wasteland in between. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Eric Rawlins is a genetically engineered superhero created by the London Security Agency (L.S.A) to defend and protect the city against both national and international threats. With his superior abilities, celebrity status and beautiful girlfriend, Eric appears to have the perfect life. However, it is an illusion created by the L.S.A in order to control him.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Eric's nemesis is the charismatic Adam Larimore. The only son of billionaire business tycoon Victor Larimore, Adam is gifted with a genius level IQ as well as the same longevity as Eric. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">When the actions of the L.S.A throw the two of them together Eric finds himself questioning everything that he has ever known as well as discovering the true course of events that led to Adam turning to a life of crime. As they become closer Eric realises that the L.S.A may be the real threat to London. But can he trust Adam or is he part of Adam’s plan for revenge against those who have wronged him?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Review</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I loved the premise of this book. It’s sort of Gattaca meets
Captive Prince, so I was really excited to see what would happen. Although
Perfect World didn’t fully live up to my expectations and hopes, it’s still an
intriguing, fast-paced science fiction tale that I recommend you check out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">First of all, what’s not to love about the “hero who
realizes his perfect world isn’t what it’s cracked up to be and is forced to
fall in with his enemy” trope? Eric Rawlins is too naïve to see the corruption
around him until it is shoved in his face, but he clings to his morals no
matter what is going around him. From the get-go, I just felt for Eric and the
situation he is in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I also really enjoyed how Adam Larimore’as character was
revealed to the reader. I suspected there was more to him than what met the
eye, but even I wasn’t able to predict what was really going on in his head or
what he would do next all the time. He could still get on my nerves sometimes,
but despite that I still found myself rooting for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While there was a lot I liked about Perfect World, there were
aspects that fell flat for me. For one thing, I felt like Adam and Eric’s
relationship was way rushed. They go from being enemies to being in love in,
like, a day, and I didn’t quite buy the fact that they’d fallen in love over
the times they’d met as enemies. I could understand that to explain attraction,
but not love. Instalove may not bother other people, but it’s kind of a pet
peeve of mine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A smaller thing that I wasn’t a huge fan of was the constant
reference to Eric as “the hero” and Adam as “the villain.” I get it. Writing “Eric
said this,” “Eric thought this,” “Eric was this” can get repetitive and it is
nice to find other ways of referring to people other than their names. However,
using “hero” and “villain” came off as cartoonish and silly. It’s made
abundantly clear that the LSA and even Eric for the first half of the book (at
least) sees Eric as the hero and Adam as the villain, it’s unnecessary to spell
it out like that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While not perfect, Perfect World is still an entertaining
read that is absolutely worth your time. I’ll be excited to learn more about
Adam Larimore in the next book released in the series, Adam, that follows the
title character’s perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><i style="font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</i></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span></span>Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-55183407868665432652018-11-05T00:00:00.000-08:002018-11-05T00:00:02.334-08:00Blog Tour: Cordial Killing<div style="background-color: white;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUueLDO4p0W_ym3uM_muWQRfwi_QB7KxSgh43UoGfnde0korGjVsyBHNcBmDSWLbDkJGw6jbuC5ptfgadF9iFIFhhzFTo4GPCgahu677aULtwXEwbIvNpH8yNTcvFDgctWx4qeu1XRJsaw/s1600/NewRelease.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUueLDO4p0W_ym3uM_muWQRfwi_QB7KxSgh43UoGfnde0korGjVsyBHNcBmDSWLbDkJGw6jbuC5ptfgadF9iFIFhhzFTo4GPCgahu677aULtwXEwbIvNpH8yNTcvFDgctWx4qeu1XRJsaw/s400/NewRelease.png" /></a><h3>
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Cordial Killing (A Backyard Farming Mystery)</span></i></h3>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Anne is excited for the opening of the Brandywine Inn. Kandi and Hope are her partners in the bed-and-breakfast in Carolan Springs, Colorado, where they also provide homesteading and herbal workshops for guests.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As soon as the guests arrive, it’s plain that the five old college chums have bad blood between them. When Anne finds a threatening note, it's clear that someone is out for revenge. Then they find a guest dead. At first, the death appears to be natural, but suspicions begin to grow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When a blizzard threatens the Inn, will it trap them all with a killer and no way out?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cordial Killing is a classic who-dun-it with a twist. Set in the fictional small town of Carolan Springs, you will enjoy an armchair getaway into beautiful Colorado.</span><br />
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/Cordial-Killing-Backyard-Farming-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07JYC94Q8/ref%3Dsr_1_1?ie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1541012743%26sr%3D8-1%26keywords%3DCordial%2BKilling%2Bby%2BVikki%2BWalton&source=gmail&ust=1541380363872000&usg=AFQjCNGGUqAFQw9z0HvQbWy3gqh_eZhrFQ" href="https://www.amazon.com/Cordial-Killing-Backyard-Farming-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07JYC94Q8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541012743&sr=8-1&keywords=Cordial+Killing+by+Vikki+Walton" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Buy link </span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>About the Author:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><br /></b>Vikki’s first words were “I get it!” This attitude became her life-long mantra to always go after what she wants. It also helped her realize her desire to help others get what they really want out of life.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QujpCuWAIJQ3odzMysmqcdUsxydm7YQRf5KgGxcfyEcJ6yPJgkWtG96QrWuKUP65xlNkMAQ6KxODwQd3pd8SJxaeQr65XbWRYC9J0TatSHmRh2xrEfDrZG33jluh2edO5H4LmdXcZJjT/s1600/authorcentralpic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QujpCuWAIJQ3odzMysmqcdUsxydm7YQRf5KgGxcfyEcJ6yPJgkWtG96QrWuKUP65xlNkMAQ6KxODwQd3pd8SJxaeQr65XbWRYC9J0TatSHmRh2xrEfDrZG33jluh2edO5H4LmdXcZJjT/s400/authorcentralpic.jpeg" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">After spending years as a registered interior designer, Vikki began to write. While writing for periodicals, Vikki found herself on assignment interviewing publishers in Colorado Springs. It wasn’t long before the natural beauty of Colorado captured her heart.</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 35px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />After moving to Colorado, Vikki worked with nonprofits. However, she soon realized she needed more autonomy in her work.<br /><br />Vikki started her own business as a nonprofit consultant and grant writer. She has helped nonprofits across the U.S. to receive millions of dollars for their work. Yet, she realized doing one thing wouldn’t satisfy her for long.<br /><br />Vikki became a Work Quilter™ combining her many passions to create multiple income streams. She started speaking and teaching adults on myriad and diverse topics around her knowledge, skills and passions. She's taught and spoken on Creative Writing, Design for Heart and Home, Fundraising Fundamentals , Suburban Homesteading, Permaculture, How to Get What You Really Want, and of course, Work Quilting. Two words that continually appear on instructor and speaker feedback forms are "engaging" and "knowledgeable."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Born in Chicago, Vikki lived outside of Paris for a few years as a small child. That may account for her love of travel. She moved to Wichita with her parents before going on to live most of her life around the San Antonio, Texas area. She is the founder of #girlswantago and you can connect through <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/Girlswantago/&source=gmail&ust=1541380363872000&usg=AFQjCNH7iod7Vgt6UelFLXruN8GgyGJhsA" href="https://www.facebook.com/Girlswantago/" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://girlswantago.com/&source=gmail&ust=1541380363872000&usg=AFQjCNGNteffiqHBJL8rxKRQkhR23lm6XA" href="http://girlswantago.com/" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">www.<wbr></wbr>girlswantago.com </a></span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://girlswantago.com/&source=gmail&ust=1541380363872000&usg=AFQjCNGNteffiqHBJL8rxKRQkhR23lm6XA" href="http://girlswantago.com/" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Vikki is also an experienced, professional global house and pet sitter. </span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Vikki's favorite genre is mystery so it wasn't long before she had begun her first cozy mystery series. Incorporating her love of suburban homesteading, or as some call it, backyard farming, Vikki's first book is Chicken Culprit.<br /><br />You'll most often find Vikki out hiking with her dog, outside gardening, traveling abroad, house or pet sitting, or writing her next book.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFktWhiQHHFOGPoKMbNkcP8OdLcyyV9gyiePW9Ei8SWtpvaT8i0try8ErfKK5XJZczA0Mp9kqAtDM79pMlIfevyfdVXeRCKmo3xv90F2k_MZp39hbQxdqEqsdrws7VfW0qQbIvOQpOgqeI/s1600/CHICKENculpritgiveaway.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFktWhiQHHFOGPoKMbNkcP8OdLcyyV9gyiePW9Ei8SWtpvaT8i0try8ErfKK5XJZczA0Mp9kqAtDM79pMlIfevyfdVXeRCKmo3xv90F2k_MZp39hbQxdqEqsdrws7VfW0qQbIvOQpOgqeI/s400/CHICKENculpritgiveaway.png" /></a></div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="43966df377" data-template="548f02f7eba350f370c73469" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/43966df377/" id="rcwidget_651vhn1a" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a Rafflecopter giveaway</span></a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-75418435938920779602018-11-02T14:45:00.000-07:002018-11-02T14:45:47.408-07:00Blog Tour: The Childless Ones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kuKwzbmbzUgE1IlqnNPGFIuzOfmSCoBRUg-rWUOFGpdQfdLeW5s1DxCvHxQyCPheuBNX4TFfWA8two6CqR8mjQm1iL-65uFSSsH6ODo1YCEIjny1WYfHY4NlyMH1i2M_4YHgX8DCQQjo/s1600/tour+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="828" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kuKwzbmbzUgE1IlqnNPGFIuzOfmSCoBRUg-rWUOFGpdQfdLeW5s1DxCvHxQyCPheuBNX4TFfWA8two6CqR8mjQm1iL-65uFSSsH6ODo1YCEIjny1WYfHY4NlyMH1i2M_4YHgX8DCQQjo/s400/tour+cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Welcome to
the book tour for “The Childless Ones,” the debut novel of Cam Rhys Lay! “The
Childless Ones” will be released November 12, but you can preorder your copy
now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childless-Ones-Cam-Rhys-Lay-ebook/dp/B07HKKMLTP/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1537745122&sr=8-1&keywords=cam+lay+book&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=9bef107dc4f5cbdcac1afbe43895ccf0&language=en_US" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07HKKMLTP&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20&language=en_US" /></a><b><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B07HKKMLTP" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Book
description:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333;">TWO WORLDS...TWO ALTERNATING NARRATIVES...A REALIST
RELATIONSHIP DRAMA...AN EPIC FANTASY...</span><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">In the "real world," we open with Jack
Ampong just leaving a prostitute when he receives a phone call that his wife
Sarah has been assaulted. With this incident as a jumping off point, we watch
as Jack and Sarah deal with past guilt and regrets as well as their own ongoing
struggles with relationships, infertility and parenthood.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">In the "fantasy world"—ostensibly
written by Jack—a bureaucratic Empire rules with an iron fist...an ancient sect
of sorcerers have extraordinary powers but are cursed with the inability to
have children... and a race of beings called the Mandrakar live lives one
quarter the length of normal people, but have memories that are passed on to
future generations through the last of an ancient breed of tree. Along the way,
we meet a crotchety governor who just wants to do right by his granddaughter, a
hardboiled, lesbian, dwarf detective who just wants another drink, and a
villainous sorcerer whose motives form one of the central mysteries of the
story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Throughout the book, the two narratives echo off
one another—often in surprising ways—ultimately commenting on the very nature
of storytelling itself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7VeQyanvuSgaPSUUbSM0cC6mKt_DNt-O532u3I86uUqoYmbqgZBdXzKg-6gpyLEAWfRUZyts1PGS1XHhYYViiLZkLw4hWW2tJFj4SU63sKZHEOT3VzBcOFHSnzi5TiRCo7Ve4_v-oZwl/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-26+at+5.40.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="752" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7VeQyanvuSgaPSUUbSM0cC6mKt_DNt-O532u3I86uUqoYmbqgZBdXzKg-6gpyLEAWfRUZyts1PGS1XHhYYViiLZkLw4hWW2tJFj4SU63sKZHEOT3VzBcOFHSnzi5TiRCo7Ve4_v-oZwl/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-26+at+5.40.14+PM.png" width="229" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">About the Author:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Cam
Rhys Lay received his Bachelors Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and
his MFA from the University of Kansas. For five years, he worked as an
Associate Publisher at The Easton Press in Connecticut. Currently he lives in
Brooklyn, New York where he runs marketing for Skillshare, an online learning community
for creators. <i>The Childless Ones</i> is his first book. To learn
more about Cam and his writing, please visit him at </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: #e4af0a; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://camrhyslay.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e4af0a;">camrhyslay.com</span></a></span></span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Qc6iM0">Amazon link(Preorder)</a></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-childless-ones-cam-rhys-lay/1129615699;jsessionid=7597B204866FE41827603D0BF6915A4F.prodny_store01-atgap17?ean=9781732103511">Barnes and Noble <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">(Preorder)</b></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41957989-the-childless-ones?from_search=true">Add it on Goodreads<o:p></o:p></a></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Praise:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">"impressively creates two vivid worlds, each with its
own history and compelling characters, while also offering a meditation on the
relationship between creativity, fertility, and shared memory. A stunning
fantasy debut." -- </span><i>Kirkus Reviews</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #500050;"><i></i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background: white; color: #500050;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakZbfFt1hfRdJjRU3jdKAi7wZFX_c5If1uyUroQCQ83jOcFMKFKesXNVke1HD06mtYqA6kUYXkGy0qhz4IM-8GEDjZDkUvFzSFYwFOT-fE7QnIJ3yR1YiQy70j_4FdQJdactcKiyef94_/s1600/quote+image+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakZbfFt1hfRdJjRU3jdKAi7wZFX_c5If1uyUroQCQ83jOcFMKFKesXNVke1HD06mtYqA6kUYXkGy0qhz4IM-8GEDjZDkUvFzSFYwFOT-fE7QnIJ3yR1YiQy70j_4FdQJdactcKiyef94_/s320/quote+image+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="background: white; color: #500050;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
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Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-13823368357150930982018-09-19T20:50:00.000-07:002018-09-19T20:50:05.654-07:00Books are more than just the words on the page.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCnFKcNEhIsuHl0KzCDrpxzr-VvS3UFWvaQrxupqCauZLXqYPOzE41ouAFKpaP_uhpIKogEb4ii5LNNoopSTmu6vL21ENJr3P_zaTRF5iUufso8SKxb3TN5liQGOOv2Kqm6PW6cfcCIuX/s1600/blur-1283865_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCnFKcNEhIsuHl0KzCDrpxzr-VvS3UFWvaQrxupqCauZLXqYPOzE41ouAFKpaP_uhpIKogEb4ii5LNNoopSTmu6vL21ENJr3P_zaTRF5iUufso8SKxb3TN5liQGOOv2Kqm6PW6cfcCIuX/s1600/blur-1283865_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCnFKcNEhIsuHl0KzCDrpxzr-VvS3UFWvaQrxupqCauZLXqYPOzE41ouAFKpaP_uhpIKogEb4ii5LNNoopSTmu6vL21ENJr3P_zaTRF5iUufso8SKxb3TN5liQGOOv2Kqm6PW6cfcCIuX/s320/blur-1283865_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I’ve been thinking a lot about books as physical objects
lately.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One thing I’ve been thinking about is how they have been
used in ways they were not intended. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the English class I’m taking right now
we are learning about the Exeter Book, which is an anthology of Anglo-Saxon
literature made from vellum that is around a thousand years old. Researchers
have performed analysis on the book itself and found traces of beer on it and
particles in grooves on the book that suggest it was used as a board for cutting
cheese at one point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCnFKcNEhIsuHl0KzCDrpxzr-VvS3UFWvaQrxupqCauZLXqYPOzE41ouAFKpaP_uhpIKogEb4ii5LNNoopSTmu6vL21ENJr3P_zaTRF5iUufso8SKxb3TN5liQGOOv2Kqm6PW6cfcCIuX/s1600/blur-1283865_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The office I’m editing this post in had a book propping up
the leg of a wiggly table for several years before it was removed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Even when books are used the way they were intended, there’s
a lot to consider and appreciate about their form.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s funny. I’ve been a big reader my whole life, and, on
the whole prefer print books to ebooks, but up until recently I hadn’t put much
thought into the act of making the book itself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sure, I knew that most of the time books are released in
hardcover first, followed by a paperback run, and I knew artist must put a lot
of thought and effort into the cover design or image. It never occurred to me
that there would be other designers working behind the scenes to make a book
what it is when you see it in the bookstore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I attended a <a href="http://www.scps.nyu.edu/academics/departments/publishing/academic-offerings/summer-publishing-institute.html">publishing program in New York</a> this summer and
it was an amazingly in-depth overview of the publishing industry and what it
entails. I already knew what people like editors, publicists, and literary
agents were and did (though I learned an incredible amount of new things about
those professions too) but one day we had a presentation on book production and
it was so surprising to me because I’d never heard of it before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Book production is essentially the creation of the book that
you see in bookstores. The dimensions of a book, paper used for printing,
whether or not the outsides of the pages are smooth or ridged or colored – all
of this is the job of the book producer. And yes, the cover designer lays out
the look of the book. But if the cover is embossed or has a cut out or the
paper has a textured or holographic element to it? That’s the realm of the book
production department.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Another thing we learned in that program is that around five
to ten years ago, publishers were very worried that the physical book would
soon become obsolete, replaced by the ebook. If you look at the charts, there
was a boom in ebook sales and a decline in print sales for a while, but
eventually the levels plateaued and, actually, ebook sales are declining
somewhat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m sure there are multiple factors for this, but I think a
big part of it is that people do really appreciate books as physical objects,
not just words on a page, and have for thousands of years. Hopefully, people
appreciate the physicality more for its beauty of design like the book of Kells
or some tome one might see photographed for the #bookstagram tag and not its
utility as a cheese cutting board like the Exeter book or a block for propping
up a wobbly table leg.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Either way, books have an inherent value as objects that
cannot be replicated in digital form, though perhaps one gains the convenience
of being able to read on their phone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The next time you take out a book, I encourage you to really
look at it. Look at the things that you might normally overlook like the type
of paper it’s printed on, the textures on its cover, whether the pages lie flat
or have ridges, how the spine is bound – and know that a team of people spent
hours weighing options and looking at price points to bring you the final
product that rests in your hands. How does the book itself help tell the story
in its pages?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-85188977284890648682018-09-14T13:51:00.001-07:002018-09-14T13:51:15.974-07:00Spotlight: The Legend of Sassafras House<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Sassafras-House-Anita-Stafford/dp/1947381083/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1535632574&sr=8-1&keywords=the+legend+of+sassafras+house&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=c9ed7a9fa83e5fe4e55759b1c3f5736b&language=en_US" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1947381083&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20&language=en_US" /></a><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">About the Book:</b><b><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=1947381083" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Twelve-year-old Kale Flores knows life is not fair. He needs a friend, but more than that, he needs money. When he learns there could be a fortune hidden in the Sassafras house, he thinks his luck may have changed. Never mind the house is supposed to be haunted. When Jasmine Palmer revealed the legend of Sassafras house to Kale, she never thought it could lead to so much trouble. She says it's a place someone could go into and never come out. Is she right? The only thing Kale is sure of is that his problems will be solved if he finds the money. He doesn't know the deserted house holds secrets from the past, secrets that are waiting to tangle him in a dangerous web.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>About the Author:</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIBdJfY-q9YYiyHD0in8kM0Aswn0WxxhzNnA-qfMyFoy3hfQSwMrwKMaLp1B0h4REsQAaFGKqnAZ0ZmyGYQkxiyZZOYWpRm3D57mYkU5qj8eD8_f3v3578NRWTVy2VaJEpq4FEaHQnw5I/s1600/51LqAa0NGaL._US230_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIBdJfY-q9YYiyHD0in8kM0Aswn0WxxhzNnA-qfMyFoy3hfQSwMrwKMaLp1B0h4REsQAaFGKqnAZ0ZmyGYQkxiyZZOYWpRm3D57mYkU5qj8eD8_f3v3578NRWTVy2VaJEpq4FEaHQnw5I/s1600/51LqAa0NGaL._US230_.jpg" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Anita Stafford makes her home in the peaceful hills of northern Arkansas. She grew up on a dairy farm </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">surrounded by a large, loving, and always entertaining extended family. She is a wife and the mother of a son and two daughters. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has worked in public school as a teacher and a counselor.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Books by Anita Stafford:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><a href="https://amzn.to/2MzqnZQ" target="_blank">The Legend of Sassafras House</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A Vegetable Garden is Not for Cows (coming soon)</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Also find Anita at:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.anitastafford.com/">Author website</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://twitter.com/staffordanita?lang=en">Twitter</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://facebook.com/anitastaffordauthor/">Facebook</a></span><br />
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<strong style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><i style="font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</i></strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span>Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-89690660951620655172018-09-08T17:01:00.003-07:002018-09-08T17:01:41.164-07:00Guest Post: Jeffrey Bardwell<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ir1JqBiQbQFcS1PUm7WcPLP51q1t2Tj6PJC9nqWGdfWgrEy9Ya6Vz_MW4idYJ4DKPIv8Q3OEzNKKVF9zGmBisD7cE7wVcym-uPyaOjrLfKEuCR5WnrbhaiWUCU2Ep2e1BHRfxQKpZJUR/s1600/jeffrey-bardwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ir1JqBiQbQFcS1PUm7WcPLP51q1t2Tj6PJC9nqWGdfWgrEy9Ya6Vz_MW4idYJ4DKPIv8Q3OEzNKKVF9zGmBisD7cE7wVcym-uPyaOjrLfKEuCR5WnrbhaiWUCU2Ep2e1BHRfxQKpZJUR/s1600/jeffrey-bardwell.jpg" /></a>Many sources swirl together within an author's head to shape the overarching theme in a long form narrative and The Knight's Secret is no exception. Theme isn't usually conscious at first: it arises from the depths of your mind like Excalibur, guided by the wet, icy hand of your muse in lieu of The Lady of the Lakes. Now, many reading this will understand that allusion because we share a common history. I was inspired by that history and a nasty recurring pattern I saw there. Now, I don't claim my book will break the pattern or even warp it a little. Time is a wagon wheel, and we're all tied to the damn thing as it goes round and round again. However, the crushing cyclical nature of history does not magically rob those living through it of their free will.</div>
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There are numerous parallels between our mundane world and my dark little fantasy realm. Oppression comes round time and time again like a wheel rolling through different versions of the same putrid puddle of muck. You may have been reminded of stories of the parading auto da fe, the nightmare of the Holocaust, the cruel political machinations of McCarthyism, or the recent draconian changes to American immigration policy. Whenever those in power encourage bigotry and oppression, using a minority demographic as a scapegoat to distract the populace from the regime's own glaring flaws, we the people have three options within the confines of society and law: wink at the regime, turn a blind eye, or let the rage bleed from our eye sockets.</div>
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I bleed from my fingertips instead. We all fight oppression in our own way. Some wave placards. Some give speeches. I write books. I would be lying if I said that was the sole source of my inspiration for this series, but it played a large role, and writing these words has been very cathartic. I won't waste time repeating that old saw about those who ignore history and history repeating itself. History will repeat itself century by century on a scale of civilizations whether we acknowledge it or not.</div>
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The smaller scale of day to day human lives is more malleable, but I do not wish to dictate how you live your life. I only ask that you ponder what you've read. I seek to pose questions. The most relevant question is this: What will you do with your turn of the wheel when it splashes through the filth?</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C1NVBF8/ref=as_li_ss_il?&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=c090b830dd3ca807ec444f64f79b876e&language=en_US" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07C1NVBF8&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20&language=en_US" /></a><b>About the Book:</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B07C1NVBF8" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">A terrible secret. A vengeful empress. An unstable empire.</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When Sir Corbin, retired Hero of Jerkum Pass, dies on the eve of an urgent mission, his granddaughter Kelsa dons his armor and wrinkles. She ventures to the capital of the Iron Empire. The city is in an uproar. The emperor has been slain by rogue mages. The new empress is livid. Every mage is suspect, including Kelsa's mother.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Hidden behind a magic ring, Kelsa infiltrates her grandfather's old regiment. As the mission leads her down a path of dark suspicions and lurid adventures, Kelsa struggles to live up to her grandfather's legacy. Yet the more she examines it, the more holes she discovers, until Sir Corbin's secret past threatens to expose her.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Unravel The Knight’s Secret, the first fantasy adventure of The Mage Conspiracy series. Discover a world of romantic entanglements and political intrigue where lies cut deeper than any sword.</span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.books2read.com/the-knights-secret&source=gmail&ust=1536536345231000&usg=AFQjCNEwm989buYd4fkBrBjsA3R84VwKCA" href="https://www.books2read.com/the-knights-secret" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Find The Knight's Secret on Books2Read</a></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<b>About the Author:</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Jeffrey Bardwell writes epic fantasy with elements of darkness, steampunk, and romance set in the Metal vs. Magic Universe. His character-driven books are guaranteed to include gritty realism, political intrigue, lurid entanglements, dry wit, and dragons in differing proportions.</div>
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Email: <a href="mailto:jhbardwell@gmail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">jhbardwell@gmail.com</a> </div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jeffrey-bardwell&source=gmail&ust=1536536345232000&usg=AFQjCNFvW9SEROY9xnBnxXp9gnydHib4Yw" href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jeffrey-bardwell" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Bookbub Author Profile</a></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://twigboatpress.com/blog&source=gmail&ust=1536536345232000&usg=AFQjCNG5PEOxNHQUG5AgvDxAKnDLJqOGQg" href="http://twigboatpress.com/blog" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Blog</a><br />
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<strong style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><i style="font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</i></strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span></div>
Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-55686584776112347512018-08-29T18:43:00.000-07:002018-08-29T18:43:55.569-07:00Author Interview: Sarah Kay Moll<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Juj8kakB4AXBb4tBq2_V-_Op5RmR6UbeQQCOi5c-misfREP3r-Z2ECUY2k4-Pf6zNT2zfuEYrNzDAlUY3fd1m4tYXld4zBtyVQ_g156RSevS3nToTY4Cu4iJq5mjn-evVth3vQfNILIm/s1600/A1s1t%252BwcxEL._US230_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Juj8kakB4AXBb4tBq2_V-_Op5RmR6UbeQQCOi5c-misfREP3r-Z2ECUY2k4-Pf6zNT2zfuEYrNzDAlUY3fd1m4tYXld4zBtyVQ_g156RSevS3nToTY4Cu4iJq5mjn-evVth3vQfNILIm/s1600/A1s1t%252BwcxEL._US230_.jpg" /></a><b></b><br />
<b><b><i>Today I'd like to welcome Sarah Kay Moll, author of the LGBT+ crime thriller Dark City (I can't wait to read it!) She was kind enough to answer some of my questions.</i></b></b><br />
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<b>When did you know you wanted to be a writer?</b></div>
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As a kid, I wanted to be everything from an actress to an astronaut. It wasn't until I got to college and started writing seriously that I thought of it as a possible career option, but even then I was more interested in becoming a clinical psychologist or a librarian. When I came up with the idea for Dark City, though, then I knew I had found <br />
something that was worth devoting my time to, and I wanted to be the author that would create this book. </div>
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<b>What was your inspiration for Dark City?</b></div>
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My inspiration for Dark City is all over the place. I love all sorts of books, from literary fiction to comic books, and have eclectic taste in movies and video games as well. A lot of the inspiration for Dark City did come from Batman, and the city is very similar to Gotham, particularly as it's portrayed in the Christopher Nolan movies. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, my absolute favorite book, was also a huge source of inspiration, though there aren't a lot of obvious similarities between her work and mine. </div>
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<b>If you could jump into the world of any book, which would it be and why?</b></div>
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There are a lot of books I absolutely love but wouldn't want to jump into the world of--Game of Thrones springs to mind! But there are some I'd love to visit. If I could, I would jump into the world of the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. I would love to just sit in a tavern and hear Kvothe play and tell some stories. </div>
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<b>What advice do you have for aspiring writers?</b></div>
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Most writing advice is really just personal preference. The beauty of writing is that you can do just about anything, in just about any way you want to, as long as you do it well and with enough confidence. The only two rules a writer must follow are that you must write and that you must read. If you don't read, your stories and your prose will become stale. </div>
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<b>What is your favorite and least favorite thing about being a writer?</b></div>
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My favorite thing by far is that feeling I get when I'm writing. When the words are flowing and the story is shining, it's so intoxicating it's almost like being high. I chase that feeling every day when I sit down to write. My least favorite thing has got to be the marketing. It's really, really hard to sell a book. I understand this because as a reader I'm pretty skeptical when I go to buy, but as an author it's very difficult to get your work out there and find an audience, particularly when you write in an ill-defined genre like I do. </div>
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<b>What are you currently reading?</b></div>
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I am currently reading three books, which is about normal for me. The first is <a href="https://amzn.to/2LDs5sU" target="_blank">Metro 2033</a>, which is translated from the original Russian, and is a post-apocalyptic thriller about a world where humanity has been driven underground and struggles to survive in the Moscow Metro. The second is called <a href="https://amzn.to/2PMCG7U" target="_blank">Sonny Montes and Mexican American Activism in Oregon</a>. It's nonfiction about the Chicano movement as it arose from farmworker communities in western Oregon, right near Portland, where I live. I work for a small nonprofit that serves farmworkers (among others) here in the Portland metro area, so I've found it really interesting. The third book I'm reading is called Amigos, and it's a romance novel and (hopefully) the first "grown-up" book I'll finish reading entirely in Spanish. </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-City-Sarah-Kay-Moll-ebook/dp/B07FP4M6BH/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=b2fd3de9a1165213410b752a6543cd31&language=en_US" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07FP4M6BH&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20&language=en_US" /></a></div>
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<b>About Dark City:</b></div>
Jude has a tender heart. Yet he was born into a criminal empire and groomed from childhood to step into his father's violent footsteps. To survive, he created a second personality. Ras is everything Jude isn't--cruel, remorseless, and utterly without fear, as incapable of love as Jude is of malice.<br />
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But when Ras meets a ruthless socialite, he begins to feel a strange stirring of emotion, a brush of Jude's passion against his own dark heart. Meanwhile, Jude finds himself with a knife in his hand, the evil in Ras's soul bleeding into his own.</div>
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As the walls between them crumble, they could lose everything--their lovers, their family, and their hold on the dark city itself.</div>
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Coming together could break them...or make them whole.</div>
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2BYBonK" target="_blank">Check it out on Amazon</a></div>
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<b>About Sarah Kay Moll:</b></div>
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<span id="author_biography" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sarah Kay Moll is a wordsmith and an amateur homemaker. She's good with metaphors and bad with coffee stains, both of which result from a writing habit she hasn't been able to quit. She lives a mostly solitary life, and as a result, might never say the right thing at parties. She's passionate about books, and has about five hundred on her to-read pile. When she does go out, it's probably to the library, the theater, or the non-profit where she works.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Sarah lives in a beautiful corner of western Oregon where the trees are still changing color at the end of November and the mornings are misty and mysterious. She spends her free time playing video games and catering to her cat's every whim.</span></div>
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Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-78192229095716634882018-08-22T00:00:00.000-07:002018-08-22T00:00:06.726-07:00Author Interview: Joe Albanese<div class="Default" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZV49NM1sd6FNvt9Fl3-pPX9tTDLPrhbBI9e8a2eBbPrVCtuqA2lUvRVkybKooJ4TN4QYfaffPUdKGueO-YFcz9UUv42W8ewkxDd40BenJe4FzLaLwNCRiSwMR1Z504wj25JPGlcXUj7GQ/s1600/B159PierbHS._US230_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZV49NM1sd6FNvt9Fl3-pPX9tTDLPrhbBI9e8a2eBbPrVCtuqA2lUvRVkybKooJ4TN4QYfaffPUdKGueO-YFcz9UUv42W8ewkxDd40BenJe4FzLaLwNCRiSwMR1Z504wj25JPGlcXUj7GQ/s400/B159PierbHS._US230_.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How did you get the inspiration for Caina?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">The relationship between the brothers is based on my relationship with my brother. We’re not twins like the characters, but my brother is barely a year older than me. So growing up I was always kind of his shadow: he was more popular than me, was better looking, even though people said we looked alike. I always had his teachers a year after him, and they’d always call me by his name, so eventually I got tired of correcting them and just went with it. He wasn’t too big of an asshole, but he definitely had some asshole tendencies. We have a good relationship now, but I probably still have some lingering resentment.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What books/authors have had an impact on your writing?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">I think there’s probably a good amount of Hunter S. Thompson and Charles Bukowski in my writing, though I can’t say I’m specifically going for something. I always loved the way their personalities came through the page. They were funny, but you could tell they were dicks and unabashedly themselves in their work.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How long have you known you've wanted to be a writer?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">I think I originally wanted to be a writer in high school. Back then I was more into journalism. Then I took a journalism class and hated it. I went to school for Criminal Justice and started losing interest in that over the course of four years, but I always enjoyed writing papers that you could put some creativity into. It wasn’t until after college that my friend asked if I wanted to write a screenplay with him. I didn’t take it seriously, it was just something to do while unemployed. It didn’t turn out as planned: we have not gotten our Oscar yet, but I liked creating a story out of nothing. I kept writing by myself—I placed decent in a big screenwriting contest, but it never took off. Eventually I transitioned to poetry and prose and found some success.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What sort of research did you have to do for this book?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">I didn’t do a ton. Like I said, I went to school for Criminal Justice, so a lot of what I needed as it related to crime I already knew. I did do some additional research into drug trafficking, which actually is what led me to the drone delivery part of the plot and really broke the story for me and got it rolling.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What surprised you while you were writing this book?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">How much of myself I put into it. I already mentioned the relationship is based on me and my brother, but there is a lot of my personality in the main character, more so than any other character or story I’ve written. It didn’t start out that way, but I realized early on in writing it that it would have to be comedic in order to work. So there’s a a lot of my sense of humor in it. Several people have used the word “snarky” to describe the comedy. I guess you could use that to describe me. I’m just now realizing how unfunny I’ve been in this interview, which probably is not good marketing for a crime comedy, but it’s one in the morning here and you should never judge someone by their a.m. jokes anyway.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What do you do when you're not writing?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Nothing too exciting. I don’t currently have a regular job, so I’m one of the many people who use the word </span><span lang="DE" style="color: #222222;">“</span><span style="color: #222222;">writer” as a euphemism for </span><span lang="DE" style="color: #222222;">“</span><span style="color: #222222;">unemployed.” I exercise a good amount and like to watch sports, which is tough in the summer when your baseball team sucks. I have three nephews (twins and a single) who all turned two the past couple months, and I babysit them a lot.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What are you currently reading?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I’ve been terrible at reading this year. I read so much in 2017 and barely anything in 2018. I just finished <i>Neverwhere </i>by Neil Gaiman which I really liked. I think next on my bookshelf is <i>I Am Pilgrim </i>by Terry Hayes. </span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About Joe Albanese:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Joe Albanese is a writer from South Jersey. He has had short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry published in the United States, Austria, Bangladesh, Canada, England, India, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, and Sweden. Joe is the author of "Smash and Grab" and "Caina."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>About Caina:</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1643167847/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=85265155bcccf5b0f37a459dd0d51250&language=en_US" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1643167847&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20&language=en_US" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Twins tend to be closer than typical siblings. They often share a bond that is oftentimes unexplainable.*<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=1643167847" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For some reason that bond didn't apply to Grant and Lee Tolan. Grant was always the responsible one. Lee, on the other hand, was always in trouble and in jail, self-destructing to the point the twins hadn't seen or spoken in years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In trouble with the Irish mob who wanted him sleeping with the fishes, finding Grant dead of an apparent suicide, Lee did the only thing that made sense. He switched identities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Instead of making life easier, Lee is plunged into a world the Irish and Italian crime families, the Mexican cartel and the DEA. Pitting one against the other, Lee enlists the help of friends to save his own life. He will need a miracle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But Grant's secret is the biggest shock of all for Lee and he must re-evaluate his entire life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">*Maureen Healy, author of <span style="font-style: italic;">Growing Happy Kids.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2nWeiUT" target="_blank">Check it out on Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><i style="font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</i></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span></span></div>
Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-50672136915151846532018-08-21T15:12:00.001-07:002018-08-21T15:13:14.407-07:00Spotlight: Broken Arrow<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F28XPY5/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=0eee26e64f12a915da3af380d643fdff&language=en_US" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07F28XPY5&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20&language=en_US" /></span></a><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">About the Book:</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">An ancient power long kept dormant stirs in the shadows once more as one boy embarks on a quest to earn his freedom and the freedom of his world!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Magic has turned to myth, the Vaelhyreans of old to legend, and the power wielded by the ancients has long been forgotten. However, with Ealdred, a mere half-breed slave boy, myth becomes real, the forgotten remembered, and the power of legend is reborn within him.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ealdred is merged into a world of mystery, brimming with deceit, where the remaining Vaelhyreans are in a desperate fight for their very survival. When Ealdred is kidnapped by the power-mongering dark lord Zeldek himself, he must make a choice; to commit his newfound magic to Zeldek’s service or die. But when he meets Bellator, clever yet treacherous servant of Zeldek, an alternative is presented to him: to escape from Zeldek’s stronghold and embark on a quest to find a cursed arrow and free the Vaelhyreans from the spell that keeps their powers at bay.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yet how can he survive in a world where magic is illegal, half-breeds are hated, and the four countries are on the brink of war?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>About the Author:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8WphcYKyur8fOBcs_NF4SCeyy4YCrdrzB02Hk8PEHKbMaNZhOMO0r4KcXcRZ0wvxLnQLEfw4F1mnInknxsf210c47OIjSI07O75vDHjJ4JAzjQTax-00ck_whjqkE7D1yBc8OLWWiN5q/s1600/714wzLjhhbL._US230_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8WphcYKyur8fOBcs_NF4SCeyy4YCrdrzB02Hk8PEHKbMaNZhOMO0r4KcXcRZ0wvxLnQLEfw4F1mnInknxsf210c47OIjSI07O75vDHjJ4JAzjQTax-00ck_whjqkE7D1yBc8OLWWiN5q/s400/714wzLjhhbL._US230_.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #111111;">Azaria M.J. Durant is a passionate writer of fantasy with plans to branch out into sci-fi and dystopian. She enjoys writing stories with lots of adventure, unexpected twists, and fleshed out characters that challenge gender roles and expectations. </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #111111;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #111111;" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #111111;">Azaria lives in Atlantic Canada with her family, cats, and dogs, and her big dreams to travel the world. In the moments when she isn't writing, she is sketching concept art for her stories, participating in community theatre, or curled up with a good book and a box of mint chocolates. \</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Connect:</span></b></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://twitter.com/HerMajestyMJ&source=gmail&ust=1534030705033000&usg=AFQjCNFoocWiJjK8mxBvyycvktzm4d0-8w" href="https://twitter.com/HerMajestyMJ" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Twitter</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><i style="font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</i></strong> </span>Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-25463934151361776722018-08-08T11:59:00.001-07:002018-08-08T11:59:22.819-07:00Spotlight: Entangled Earth<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Entangled-Earth-David-Lea-ebook/dp/B07DFP4SNH/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1533754524&sr=8-1&keywords=entangled+earth&dpID=41g1KKYsVUL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=d4d5bb9cfcb3ece5707efc283bef4ab4&language=en_US" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07DFP4SNH&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B07DFP4SNH" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b>About the Book:</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Parallel worlds exist a hair’s breadth from our own. A failed experiment causes one of these worlds to collide with ours. The invisible reality begins to tear our world apart, raining down chaos. Physicist Mia Green finds herself stuck in Paris, in the middle of the unnatural disaster and she’s the only one who knows what needs to be done; Mia must get home to England and stop the experiment that’s ending the world. Reality has crumbled to an ephemeral and unpredictable puzzle, filled with danger and destruction, and amid this chaos, it will take everything that Mia has to fix the splintered worlds. Entangled Earth is a mind-bending science fiction adventure where everyday activities on another invisible world suddenly become a deadly threat to our world. </span><br />
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<strong>What everyone's saying about this ingenious, high concept thriller:</strong></div>
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“It's action, chaos and excitement all the way” CBY Book Reviews</div>
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“Fast paced and action packed” Geeky Nerfherder</div>
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“A visually-engaging adventure fiction” Red Sparrow – Amazon <strong>5 Stars</strong></div>
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“Action and suspense flows through every step of the way” Kayak Jay – Amazon <strong>5 Stars</strong></div>
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“A twisted labyrinth of sci-fi” Cyana Scriptora – Goodreads</div>
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“A nonstop adventure that makes it practically impossible to put the book down until you’ve finished it” Kathy Golden – Goodreads</div>
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<b>About the Author:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0r9F0uS6jrY1R2GzGW46GmNwQ8jFkQ4MzRqXtmoG0bDjXgRGwgHYIQTzjnLlEpmmuwQnQcJvFgSltsXDSAqe3dMbslJUy7HjaVa7nKrsFnVs2zbMGpEsBvWolDdKenUqEqXnRAibXv8BH/s1600/71E1LrnsR4L._UX250_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0r9F0uS6jrY1R2GzGW46GmNwQ8jFkQ4MzRqXtmoG0bDjXgRGwgHYIQTzjnLlEpmmuwQnQcJvFgSltsXDSAqe3dMbslJUy7HjaVa7nKrsFnVs2zbMGpEsBvWolDdKenUqEqXnRAibXv8BH/s320/71E1LrnsR4L._UX250_.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;">David Lea was born in Manchester in the United Kingdom in 1977. He grew up in Cheshire, not including a year in Washington DC as an impressionable 7-year-old. In his 20's David moved to London where he spent 10 years as a Forensic Scientist before moving into Business Analysis. He now lives in West Sussex.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;">David's first novel was Entangled Earth, an apocalyptic thriller, released in mid-2018. His next novel, Under Three Skies, is currently in progress.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2no2n1y">Check it out on Amazon</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><strong style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14.84999942779541px;"><i style="font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</span></i></strong><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14.84999942779541px;"> </span></span></div>
Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-47400753758371060562018-08-05T08:46:00.000-07:002018-08-05T09:04:55.637-07:00Book Sale: Mirror Trilogy and Amethyst Chronicles<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;">
KG Stutts will be celebrating her 36th birthday on Wednesday and to celebrate, <b>she's putting all eight of her sci-fi romance books on sale for $.99 on Amazon and Barnes and Noble from 8/5-8/11</b>! Find your new sci-fi addiction with the <i>Mirror</i>trilogy or <i>Amethyst Chronicles</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHnmTMRPC6s0_yD1mZqb56A0PphRJy_9TJ1C80gtMVttF84QaMCeqtL0ogwIt2UVWDbrAnSWxTJUCc86vzq8dasGh6dOzB1YibrneNDPkhvvwVbJ6qAFJOdIToP1F9Ydnuo-ttStIveia/s1600/MirrorImage.jpeg" 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/AVvXsEhXHnmTMRPC6s0_yD1mZqb56A0PphRJy_9TJ1C80gtMVttF84QaMCeqtL0ogwIt2UVWDbrAnSWxTJUCc86vzq8dasGh6dOzB1YibrneNDPkhvvwVbJ6qAFJOdIToP1F9Ydnuo-ttStIveia/s320/MirrorImage.jpeg" width="240" /></a>1st book in the YA trilogy. </div>
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Madison Mackenzie Rhodes has a comfortable life with a daily routine. When her life is disrupted by an unexpected stranger, she learns there is nothing typical. Her entire world is turned upside down when she finds out that she is a clone, created to hide the secret that we are not alone in this galaxy. Her counterpart, going by the nickname Mack, works for the Intergalactic Security Commission, which works with a coalition of other planets that protect each other and create technology. As if that wasn’t enough, she can’t stop thinking about John Brooks, one of Mack’s teammates. When an enemy rises from within the ISC that targets both Maddie and Mack, they must work together to save their lives as well as the planet.<br />
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With everything changing, and now with her heart involved, saving the world might be the easiest part of it all. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Get it at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AR6YCNC/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Amazon </a>or <b>download for free</b> at <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mirror-image-kg-stutts/1119689102;jsessionid=7531CDD312EB82B344264FB3544A75D8.prodny_store01-atgap07?ean=2940161995655" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>. Please let Amazon know Barnes and Noble has it for free!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">2nd book in the series. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP66-GzVELt6nVSC0d6gm96p6E7NpnWf16PLoAVT7WiVOyCcrvQ8WXUGypeRGxcuvy5EY7KFqQeUzyIQ0ctbVXTkXSUo6QE28J2oFwH80_jNWxlvOKK59ldrIF7pfW2NmnvTyQJKekWt2/s1600/Shattered+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP66-GzVELt6nVSC0d6gm96p6E7NpnWf16PLoAVT7WiVOyCcrvQ8WXUGypeRGxcuvy5EY7KFqQeUzyIQ0ctbVXTkXSUo6QE28J2oFwH80_jNWxlvOKK59ldrIF7pfW2NmnvTyQJKekWt2/s320/Shattered+Cover.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">It’s been two years since Maddie discovered the truth of her origins. No longer living the ‘comfortable life’ she has become a valued member of the Intergalactic Security Commission surpassing all expectations. Life isn’t easy as the ISC struggles under new leadership. Adding to the adjustment, the new leadership uncovers details that shake Mack and Maddie to their core.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></div>
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Amid the chaos of what has become, Mack, Maddie and their team are sent off world on a mission that eventually fails, as they narrowly escape with their lives. En route to home their most trusted ally, the Isgurd, delivers more bad news. The team is left with the knowledge that the ISC never existed and the option to repair damage done by the time altering Synth.<br />
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Returning to 1965 is the easiest decision they face.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Get it at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AR6YCQY/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Amazon </a>or at <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mirror-shattered-kg-stutts/1120034033?ean=2940161995815" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Final book in the trilogy! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1luUW3ZpHlg2emlmqvoX3_ZgFaRCb34qQLN6j5JKSJ5J_s1xUq4roidS9yq4JHoAy26SnzOSbkI9p6t-l5Kb77J3p2_GFIgR9fAwFNw_kT1trGzTUH2UhYcjFX7aUm_NW7kpEtf8mm6dY/s1600/MirrorReformed.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/AVvXsEg1luUW3ZpHlg2emlmqvoX3_ZgFaRCb34qQLN6j5JKSJ5J_s1xUq4roidS9yq4JHoAy26SnzOSbkI9p6t-l5Kb77J3p2_GFIgR9fAwFNw_kT1trGzTUH2UhYcjFX7aUm_NW7kpEtf8mm6dY/s320/MirrorReformed.jpg" width="241" /></a><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The ISC’s most dangerous foe, the Synth, is threatening Earth.</span></div>
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Mack, Maddie, and their team scramble to come up with a plan to defeat them once and for all. As the planet’s safety is in jeopardy, the team will have to put it all on the line, or give their lives in the process.<br />
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When the dust settles the world will stand together in support of those who are lost.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Find it at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AR6YBY2/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Amazon </a>or <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mirror-reformed-kg-stutts/1121090418?ean=2940161995914" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble </a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Learn about how it all started with the A Mirrors Beginning short story series. Book one, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OAXIBAY" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">John Brooks</a>, and book two, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T2FU554/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Seth and Logan Brooks</a>. Coming soon: Jackson Gray <o:p></o:p></div>
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Book one in this NA series! Amethyst is a secret team of genetically enhanced humans which is Earth’s greatest defensive weapon. Leading the team of super soldiers is Ember Wilson, a tough woman with a huge chip on her shoulder. The team gets their name from the after effect of the Genesis Project which turned their eyes and even their blood purple.<br />
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For decades, Earth has been ravaged by unpredictable weather which began to cause crops to fail. Most of the planet’s food sources have deteriorated. Dr. Clayton Rudo has proclaimed he has the means to save the soil. He has created a weather machine to regulate and help replenish. But Ember knew the truth. He didn’t want to save the planet. He wanted to control it. Amethyst destroyed the machine, but was placed in stasis. Two years later, Rudo recreated the device and has frozen Washington, DC and the west coast of the United States.<br />
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General Tom Blanchard brought Amethyst out of stasis to work with an elite Air Force team, led by Major Liam Ross. Tensions between Ember and Liam rise as they butt heads. Can they work together before Earth is completely under ice?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Get it on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FRPN16W/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Amazon </a>or download for free at <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amethyst-chronicles-kg-stutts/1120687312?ean=2940161995723" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>. Please let Amazon know BN has it for free! </div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Book Two: </span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Ember lost it all when she lost Amethyst.</span></div>
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Now, as she recovers physically she must come to terms with her new reality. The struggle to find herself again will push those who care the most away even the men who love her.<br />
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In time, an opportunity to recreate her transformation presents itself. Will she risk herself to find what she had? Is it worth her team? Her heart?...<o:p></o:p></div>
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Find it at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Croceus-Poison-Amethyst-Chronicles-Stutts-ebook/dp/B01FOR4CJS" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Amazon </a>or <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amethyst-chronicles-kg-stutts/1128942225?ean=2940161995761" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble </a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Recently released third book in this series! </span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">An accident sent Ember Wilson one thousand years into the past!</span></div>
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Amethyst was on a mission to recover a time travel device when it accidentally turned on and sent Ember back to the year 2017. She comes face-to-face with the ISC legends who shaped the future: Dr. Maddie Brooks, Dr. Mack Rhodes, and their families. Ember was expecting to lay low and get to know the men and women she has idolized since she was a child. However, destiny has other plans. While trying to figure out how to get Ember home, the team learn she is the only one who can protect a heavily pregnant Maddie from a threat. Shawn Silvers, the leader of Caeruleus team from Ember’s time has also traveled with plans on changing the future.<br />
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For so long, she has kept her heart out of her missions, except this time it might not be possible. The more time Ember spends with the legendary group, the more she feels connected with them. Especially with Logan Brooks, the handsome, enigmatic warrior who is as fascinated with her as she is with him. Her new goal is clear: protect Maddie from Silvers and return to 3018. However, how much of her heart is she willing to leave behind when she goes home, if she returns at all?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Get it at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DXJH7CR/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Amazon </a>or <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amethyst-chronicles-kg-stutts/1128942223?ean=2940161995693" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>All eight books will be $.99 for ONE WEEK ONLY!</b> Love among the stars was never as exciting.<o:p></o:p></div>
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About the author: Growing up in Texas and later South Carolina as the youngest in a house full of science-fiction fans, KG Stutts had her natural curiosity and imagination nurtured since birth by family movie nights where they would watch Star Wars, Indiana Jones and even timeless Disney favorites. A prolific writer of sci-fi, romance and mystery, KG draws much of her inspiration from those amazing works that gave her an appreciation for telling rich, compelling, character-driven stories for all audiences. Find her on her blog at <a href="http://kgstutts.blogspot.com/" style="color: #954f72;">kgstutts.blogspot.com</a>or on her website at <a href="http://kgstutts.webs.com/" style="color: #954f72;">kgstutts.webs.com</a>Connect with her on <a href="http://facebook.com/KGStutts" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Facebook </a>and follow her on <a href="http://twitter.com/KGStutts" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">Twitter</a>!<o:p></o:p></div>
Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-57222204947138788442018-07-19T17:05:00.002-07:002018-07-19T17:05:51.323-07:00Release Blitz: Letting Go of Gravity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-q6VQZD6k7_4efUsfZgInr1W7vPgtVicuq0PbcnJRdnQjbPKxdl_IGwK9plVbNDqGBsGjjiwRj_DQyVMHZ8BKYfkBjQEo1SA7UZEZgRFYsOwZxbX_qMzmQLfwarNDIvrCMzDhax8GhYB/s1600/LETTING+GO+OF+GRAVITY+RDB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="615" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-q6VQZD6k7_4efUsfZgInr1W7vPgtVicuq0PbcnJRdnQjbPKxdl_IGwK9plVbNDqGBsGjjiwRj_DQyVMHZ8BKYfkBjQEo1SA7UZEZgRFYsOwZxbX_qMzmQLfwarNDIvrCMzDhax8GhYB/s400/LETTING+GO+OF+GRAVITY+RDB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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to share the news!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">If you haven't yet heard about this wonderful book by
Author Meg Leder, be sure to check out all the details below. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">This blitz also includes a giveaway for 3 finished
copies of the book, courtesy of Simon Pulse and Rockstar Book Tours. So if
you'd like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this
post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Author: </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Meg Leder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Pub. Date:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> July 17, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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opposites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Where Charlie is fearless, Parker is careful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Charlie is confident while Parker aims to please.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Charlie is outgoing and outspoken; Parker is introverted and reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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And of course, there's the one other major difference: Charlie got leukemia.
Parker didn't.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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But now that Charlie is officially in remission, life couldn't be going better
for Parker. She's landed a prestigious summer internship at the hospital and is
headed to Harvard in the fall to study pediatric oncology-which is why the
anxiety she's felt since her Harvard acceptance is so unsettling. And it
doesn't help that her relationship with Charlie has been on the rocks since his
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Enter Finn, a boy who's been leaving strange graffiti messages all over town.
Parker can't stop thinking about those messages, or about Finn, who makes her
feel free for the first time: free to doubt, free to make mistakes, and free to
confront the truth that Parker has been hiding from for a long time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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That she keeps trying to save Charlie, when the person who really needs saving
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about letting go and finding your place in the world. Meg Leder has written a
story about a brother and sister that will break your heart and have you
whispering 'I got you' long after you've closed the book." -Kathleen
Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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good coming-of-age story, a realistic romance, and a novel where every
character gets to be a hero." -Kirkus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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story….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A compelling coming-of-age novel
sure to appeal to those who love realistic fiction." -School Library Journal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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families and how a person can get stuck acting out a persona and end up knowing
very little about herself." -Publishers Weekly<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">About Meg:</span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGTXGsjNfy70W7UJRL3-S-h7peG6PPou-dqoa0nh1IWsL4aLkMErLoQBzflujL6V-NYAA-Y8Z1vok9ie2CgivLGE7VbsuOAXuX4F0_mh74oek6heJNCPH735Nn1rzxcAAzDuiDmRWPW0M/s1600/Meg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGTXGsjNfy70W7UJRL3-S-h7peG6PPou-dqoa0nh1IWsL4aLkMErLoQBzflujL6V-NYAA-Y8Z1vok9ie2CgivLGE7VbsuOAXuX4F0_mh74oek6heJNCPH735Nn1rzxcAAzDuiDmRWPW0M/s1600/Meg.jpg" /></a></b></div>
<b> </b><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Meg Leder is the author of Letting Go of
Gravity and The Museum of Heartbreak, and the coauthor of books including The
Happy Book and The Book of Me. A former bookseller and teacher, she currently
works as a book editor in New York City. She spends her free time reading,
looking for street art, and people watching. She lives in Brooklyn with her cat
Tim Riggins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><a href="http://www.megleder.com/">Website</a></span></u><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> | <u><a href="https://twitter.com/megleder">Twitter</a></u>
| <u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/megleder1/">Facebook</a></u> | <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/megleder/">Instagram</a></u> | <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/196561.Meg_Leder">Goodreads</a></u>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-34693320768923784842018-07-13T14:43:00.000-07:002018-07-13T14:43:44.729-07:00Excerpt: Aphrodite's Tears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmgu-rkmmOBRWiNnMVixCzjNDvpEF4OvkHQCNaVy-KN5O96_Iv0cWi5O5R794tNskoUwG16in-zbvmoVpXnodzC-8JXH9eGcMTEmrS5tP_12gEhc1YyenQ0PkpCpO-NN8-BiwAHOlr7Dh/s1600/AT+teaser+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmgu-rkmmOBRWiNnMVixCzjNDvpEF4OvkHQCNaVy-KN5O96_Iv0cWi5O5R794tNskoUwG16in-zbvmoVpXnodzC-8JXH9eGcMTEmrS5tP_12gEhc1YyenQ0PkpCpO-NN8-BiwAHOlr7Dh/s400/AT+teaser+2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Aphrodites-Tears-Hannah-Fielding-ebook/dp/B076LPC1HP//ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=5a60c73808d9d288ba2b31a45d3afdde" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B076LPC1HP&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20" /></span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Description:</span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B076LPC1HP" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />In ancient Greece, one of the twelve labours of Heracles was to bring back a golden apple from the Garden of Hesperides. To archaeologist Oriel Anderson, joining a team of Greek divers on the island of Helios seems like the golden apple of her dreams. Yet the dream becomes a nightmare when she meets the devilish owner of the island, Damian Lekkas. In shocked recognition, she is flooded with the memory of a romantic night in a stranger’s arms, six summers ago. A very different man stands before her now, and Oriel senses that the sardonic Greek autocrat is hell-bent on playing a cat and mouse game with her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As they cross swords and passions mount, Oriel is aware that malevolent eyes watch her from the shadows. Dark rumours are whispered about the Lekkas family. What dangers lie in Helios, a bewitching land where ancient rituals are still enacted to appease the gods, young men risk their lives in the treacherous depths of the Ionian Sea, and the volatile earth can erupt at any moment? Will Oriel find the hidden treasures she seeks? Or will Damian’s tragic past catch up with them, threatening to engulf them both?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjMZaj30PRjboxu0Pv8cAb4pyEZ8ZlD2Uo9PAidkNBgIWSzaEqYyPFHctzaX9uNvpILgziSJQkWE35feq_x7uvm7SQgu07s72d2NjAMCALCiGYSuYfEE5BH6bVw2yAjN83ONpVfghSfbz/s1600/Hannah+Fielding.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjMZaj30PRjboxu0Pv8cAb4pyEZ8ZlD2Uo9PAidkNBgIWSzaEqYyPFHctzaX9uNvpILgziSJQkWE35feq_x7uvm7SQgu07s72d2NjAMCALCiGYSuYfEE5BH6bVw2yAjN83ONpVfghSfbz/s400/Hannah+Fielding.PNG" /></span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Author bio:<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hannah Fielding is an incurable romantic. The seeds for her writing career were sown in early childhood, spent in Egypt, when she came to an agreement with her governess Zula: for each fairy story Zula told, Hannah would invent and relate one of her own. Years later – following a degree in French literature, several years of travelling in Europe, falling in love with an Englishman, the arrival of two beautiful children and a career in property development – Hannah decided after so many years of yearning to write that the time was now. Today, she lives the dream: writing full time at her homes in Kent, England, and the South of France, where she dreams up romances overlooking breath-taking views of the Mediterranean.<br /><br />To date, Hannah has published six novels: <i>Burning Embers</i>, ‘romance like Hollywood used to make’, set in Kenya<i>; The Echoes of Love</i>, ‘an epic love story that is beautifully told’ set in Italy; the Andalucian Nights trilogy (<i>Indiscretion</i>, <i>Masquerade</i>and <i>Legacy</i>), set in sultry Spain; and <i>Aphrodite’s Tears</i>, set on the Greek islands, which won Best Romance in the 2018 NIEA Excellence Awards and the 2018 International Book Awards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Links<span style="color: #2e74b5; font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://hannahfielding.net/" style="color: #954f72;">Author's website</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/fieldinghannah" style="color: #954f72;">Twitter</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHannahFielding/" style="color: #954f72;">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5333898.Hannah_Fielding" style="color: #954f72;">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2usGFww" style="color: #954f72;">Amazon</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aphrodites-Tears-Hannah-Fielding-ebook/dp/B076LPC1HP/" style="color: #954f72;">Amazon UK</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Excerpt</b></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Oriel had been sitting on the boulder for a long time, gazing distractedly towards the water, when she became vaguely aware of something moving in the shallows. The moon had by now disappeared behind a bank of cloud, extinguishing the glitter of the waves and the silvery patina on the rocks. The shift in darkness of the night sky made it difficult to see what had rippled the surface of the water. Frogmen night diving, she thought, or the slight undulation of the sea in the warm, salty breeze. Oriel didn’t give it another thought, returning her attention to the winking lights of fishing boats on the horizon – and then, abruptly, he emerged ...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It was a man, but not one wearing a wetsuit, flippers or oxygen mask; this one was almost naked, his modesty barely protected by what could only be defined as an apology for a low-rise brief. He was no mere trick of the light. Sleek and glorious, he was suddenly hurtling out of the water, throwing spray off his body like Poseidon rising from the waves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Oriel’s breath caught in her throat as she watched him, a small frown crinkling her brow. A curious sense of apprehension seeped into her veins. In the near-darkness, he looked large, rather menacing, and disturbingly masculine as he strode through the shallows. There was an air of unquestioned dominance about this man, an arrogant power that expressed itself in the controlled motion of his body as he sauntered onto the beach. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For that fateful minute, she was totally helpless, in the grip of emotions too basic to be controlled by rational thought. Instead of turning to leave quickly, she continued to stare at the stranger who had materialized like a Greek god wading from the depths of the sea. The moon slid into view again, throwing a wash of silver over long muscular legs and narrow hips, wide shoulders and a sculpted torso, all combined in a vibrantly athletic stance. As his approaching form became more discernable, each smooth, fluid curve of muscle, each long line of sinew and bone, and each angular feature glistened with a radiance that stabbed Oriel straight to the heart. Hair as dark as the devil’s soul was dripping wet across his forehead and he lifted his hand to slick it away from his face, the moonlight catching every droplet that glittered like tiny diamonds across his skin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">All at once, Oriel gathered her wits, conscious that she too was only lightly clad with just a muslin sarong covering her bikini. She remembered her mother’s warning that it wasn’t wise for a woman to venture alone on a deserted beach, and she stood up to hurry back to her hotel, quickly tucking the letter and photograph into her sarong. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Too late! She had barely taken a step before she found herself confronted by the tall, dark figure. Well above the average height of other Greek men, he towered over her, a dark silhouette against the moonlit sky. His eyes gleamed like steel against his deeply tanned skin as his gaze wandered over her, then rested upon her hair falling heavily down her back, pale and shining as the moon on the water. He had a strong masculine face, rather insolent and somewhat primitive – so much so that despite the tinge of fear fluttering through her, Oriel couldn’t help but feel mesmerized by this Adonis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘What brings a beautiful girl to such a deserted place on this enchanting night?’ he asked in English. His obvious Greek accent gave a delightful, smoky edge to his deep voice, and it sent an involuntary warmth up her spine. Slicking back his dark wet hair once more, he studied her openly. ‘You look like the ocean nymph, Calypso, waiting for Odysseus on your island, ready to bewitch him with your mesmerizing voice.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Oriel had been too startled, too alarmed to reply at first. His comment was unexpected, and those glittering grey eyes seemed to hold her prisoner, flickering with amusement and something more intense. It was she who was bewitched.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘I thought I was alone,’ she said, finally finding her voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">His mouth quirked. ‘So did I.’ He nodded behind him. ‘I dropped anchor back there to come in for an evening swim. It’s been a hot day.’ His eyes returned to her, intent and appraising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Oriel’s gaze flitted away and caught sight of a small boat, moored next to the rocks on her left. Partially obscured by the craggy ridge that shaped the deserted cove, only the top of the sail was visible, billowing gently in the balmy breeze. She’d been too preoccupied by her brooding thoughts to notice its arrival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She felt an urge to push past this handsome stranger and run away to the safety of her hotel bedroom, but something about this man had held her there, transfixed. The intriguing power of his personality gripped her imagination. This stranger could have stepped straight out of Homer’s <i>Odyssey</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A silky platinum lock slipped from the scarf Oriel had tied around her head in a band to keep her heavy, tumbling mane in place, and the breeze blew it across her face. He reached out a bronzed hand with tapering long fingers and lightly pushed the strand away, before caressing the length of her hair almost reverently. There was a sultry burn now in the gaze that wandered from her hair to her mouth, settling on Oriel’s wild doe eyes, which stared back at him. Her stomach curled with instinctive heat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She felt the impulse to escape, like a fawn fleeing into the brush. Instead, she stood there, pulse racing, her legs trembling as an unfamiliar exquisite sensation flooded the lower part of her body. It was madness! Never before had this sense of danger – of seduction – hit her with such potency. Surely it was the island air that had gone to her head like an enchanted potion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The dark waves murmured on the sand, their gently rolling edges lit a luminous blue under the moonlight. Everything was cloaked in unreality, and it was as if the two of them were caught in a dream. Oriel sensed that the mysterious stranger before her was also aware of the extraordinary atmosphere that engulfed them. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-10425334129003433372018-07-08T10:00:00.001-07:002018-07-08T14:16:39.251-07:00Review: Lustre<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lustre-Witchlight-Novella-Jaime-Munn-ebook/dp/B071VWGYGB/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1531029133&sr=8-6&keywords=lustre+book&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=c40fc1e566e98c8b16ad645eac3066ae" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B071VWGYGB&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B071VWGYGB" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b>Title: </b>Lustre (A Witchlight novela)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Author: </b>Jaime Munn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Page Count:</b> 196</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>My Rating: </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px;">4 TURTLES: A great read, I definitely recommend.</span></span><br />
<b><a href="https://amzn.to/2KZvJRH" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Amazon</span></a></b><br />
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<b>Review:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nilla Hayes is still trying to get over her werewolf ex-girlfriend when an angel comes to call on her witchy services to track down a dream thief. Despite her reluctance to work for an angelic being – they’re usually bad news – she accepts and tracks the thief to the small town of Whisper Falls. Nilla quickly realizes her target is much more dangerous than she originally thought and has to catch him before it’s too late.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was a really fun and unexpected read!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I loved Nilla’s dry sense of humor and her wry and conversational narrating voice. The strong, humorous sense of voice was one of my favorite things about this story. It is so hard to craft and keep consistent, but when it’s done well it can make even slow points in a plot engaging and interesting. (Some of my favorite authors like Rick Riordan and Eoin Colfer have earned that spot because of this narration style). Since Lustre is so short, there isn’t much of a lull in the action, so the combo of voice and snappy plot made it a breeze to read!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the short span of the book we are introduced to a very complex urban fantasy world. While what is in the plot is only the tip of the iceberg, we get glimpses of what lays beneath the water and I’d be excited to see what more we’d learn in the future book set in this world. Having said that, I was a little confused because I don’t think we ever learn where on Earth Nilla is. We know she lives in a city and travels to a small town called Whisper Falls a ways outside the city, but we never learn which city it’s in, or even what country it’s in. Just saying what city it is, or making up a fictional city in a real country, would have grounded the story so much more. How I envision the surroundings is going to change so much depending where in the world, or where in a country, it is and it is an easy enough detail to through in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don’t want to give anything away, but I love the unexpected turns the story and characters take. Everything is much more complicated and personal than it first appears and it raises the stakes and makes the result all the more gratifying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I definitely recommend you check out Lustre! Fans of Urban Fantasy or TV shows like Supernatural or Grimm should especially consider putting it on your TBR lists! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong style="color: #333333;"><i style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</span></i></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span></span></div>
Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-37652116823746604552018-07-04T00:00:00.000-07:002018-07-04T00:00:10.769-07:00Blog Tour: A Study in Shifters<div style="margin: 0 auto 15px; text-align: center;">
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<strong>A Study In Shifters</strong><br /><strong>Majanka Verstraete</strong><br />(The Adventures of Marisol Holmes, #1)<br />Publication date: June 26th 2018<br />Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult<br />
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Seventeen-year-old Marisol Holmes may be the great-great-great granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes, but it's hard to live up to the family name when only one mistake can spell your downfall. After trusting the wrong guy in a case gone totally wrong, Marisol convinces the Conclave, an underground organization of detectives solving supernatural cases, to give her a last chance to prove her worth, and maybe even heal her broken heart<br />
After all, as a half-blood jaguar shifter, Marisol is uniquely qualified to solve this murder-and every scrap of evidence points toward the culprit being a fellow jaguar shifter. But is one of her own people involved, or is this all a ploy to kick Marisol's mother off the shifter throne?<br />
Then Marisol discovers her best friend, Roan, is missing, and maybe the killer's next target. The stakes just got higher than political intrigue. Just when things couldn't get worse, Marisol's ex-boyfriend-turned-nemesis, Mannix, starts leaving sinister clues for her. Marisol fears this case might be far more personal than she could've imagined.<br />
It's time for Marisol to prove her worth, or her people could fall into chaos while her best friend loses his life.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36684173-a-study-in-shifters" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Study-Shifters-Adventures-Marisol-Holmes-ebook/dp/B077V25K4X/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-study-in-shifters-majanka-verstraete/1127567206?ean=9781945723292" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/a-study-in-shifters" target="_blank">Kobo</a></div>
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<b>Author Bio:</b><br />
Author Majanka Verstraete has written more than twenty unique works of fiction. A native of Belgium, Majanka's novels explore the true nature of monsters: the good, the bad, and just about every species in between. Her young adult books include the acclaimed <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fractured-Mirrorland-Book-Majanka-Verstraete-ebook/dp/B00F63YHA0/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494359750&sr=1-2&keywords=Mirrorland+majanka">Mirrorland</a> (YA Dark Fantasy) and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Thief-Angel-Death-Book-ebook/dp/B01GNC57QK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494359619&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Soul+Thief+majanka">Angel of Death</a> (YA Paranormal) series of novels. At MHB, Majanka is currently developing a new YA shifter series with a fresh take on fierce female detectives called THE ADVENTURES OF MARISOL HOLMES.<br />
When she's not writing, Majanka is probably playing World of Warcraft or catching up with the dozens of TV series she's addicted to.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Majanka's Top 10 Fictional Villains</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Number 10: The Riddler from Batman</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Riddler is cool simply because he’s the Riddler. One riddle after another, he was my favorite Batman villain of all time… I liked him even better than the Joker, which is saying something! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Number 9: Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A Series of Unfortunate Events is one of my favorite series, and that is, in no small part, thanks to count Olaf, who always manages to change personalities with each new costume he tries on but who, in reality, is still as evil as ever! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Number 8: Spike from Buffy, The Vampire Slayer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s been ages since I’ve seen Buffy, The Vampire Slayer (I really have to re-watch my DVDs of this epic series) but I remember how much I loved Spike. The first season we saw him, he was this cool bad guy, but then he slowly became one of the Scoobies, and eventually, he even became a “good” guy, up to some degree at least… That made him very intriguing, and his relationship with Buffy was an added bonus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Number 7: Aubrey from “In The Forests of The Night” by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A lot of people probably won’t know this book, “In The Forests of The Night,” but I strongly recommend it, mainly because of its villain, a vampire named Aubrey who is, by all accounts, awesome. He’s complicated, dark, thrilling, and he’s evil just because he can be, but he’s also loyal and mysterious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Number 6: Crowley from Supernatural</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In Supernatural, for several seasons, Crowley is one of the top-notch villains. Then, he sort of becomes Sam and Dean’s sidekick, and eventually he turns into “one of the good guys”. And that’s why he’s so interesting! His personality changes over time, he grows and develops, and eventually becomes a better person. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Number 5: Darth Vader / Anakin from Star Wars</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the reasons why I like Darth Vader is the prequel trilogy (I know, most people hate it, but it adds a lot of depth and personality to what would otherwise be a rather generic villain). Still, Anakin’s descend from pretty-okay-guy to children-slaughtering-madman happens too fast to merit a spot in the top three. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Number 4: Loki from the Thor movies and the Avengers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Why is Loki so amazing? Because he’s not evil. He has a plan: he wants to take his father’s place, and to do that, he needs to get rid of his brother. But Loki is a lot more complicated than that. Sometimes he has Thor’s back, sometimes he double-crosses the God of Thunder. And that, his mischievous nature and the fact he’s not bad-bad is what makes him so intriguing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Number 3: Hannibal Lecter (from the movies and the TV series) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hannibal Lecter, both as he is portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the movies, and by Mads Mikkelsen in the TV series, is chilling, and that is in part because Hannibal is just such an amazing character. He’s evil and knows it, but he’s also complex and difficult to read, and </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Number 2: Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One of my favorite characters in Game of Thrones is, no doubt, Cersei Lannister. Why? Well, she is evil, that’s a given, but she has purpose and drive, a reason why she does what she does, and no matter how much peril she is in, she always finds a way out of it. This resourcefulness along with the fact she only gets more intriguing over time is why she’s one of my favorite villains. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Number 1: James Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes books</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course, I have to give the grand number one title to Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes’ books. I’m a little biased, but still, he’s one of the best villains ever written about. He’s clever, witty, and he’s a solid opponent for Sherlock Holmes. Also, he does things for a reason, not just because he’s evil: his motivations are far more complex. </span><br />
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">June 26th</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://bookbitereviews.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Book Bite Reviews</a> >> Excerpt<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="https://lovesgreatreadsblog.wordpress.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Loves Great Reads</a> >> Excerpt<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="https://moviesshowsnbooks.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Movies, Shows, & Books</a> >> Guest post<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="https://padmeslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Padme’s Library</a> >> Interview<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://www.amkindabusy.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Am Kinda Busy Reading</a> >> Review</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">June 27th</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://thhernandez.com/blog-tours-4/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Adventures in Writing</a> >> Excerpt<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://hauntedbybooksblog.wordpress.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Hauntedbybooks</a> >> Excerpt<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="https://twoendsofthepen.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Two Ends of the Pen</a> >> Interview<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://butterfly-o-meter.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Butterfly-o-Meter Books</a> >> Guest post</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">June 28th</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://www.facebook.com/thebookclubpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">The Book Club page</a> >> Review<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://fuonlyknew.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">FUONLYKNEW</a> >> Excerpt<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://gingermomreads.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Ginger Mom and the Kindle Quest</a> >> Review<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://www.bookladysreviews.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Book Lady’s Reviews</a> >> Review</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">June 29th</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://evermorebooks.weebly.com/blog" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Evermore Books</a> >> Excerpt<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://the-avidreader.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">The Avid Reader</a> >> Review<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://www.viviana-mackade.blog/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Viviana MacKade</a> >> Top 10 List<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://www.storytelleralley.com/blog" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Storyteller Alley</a> >> Review</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">July 2nd</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://stackingmybookshelves.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Stacking My Book Shelves!</a> >> Excerpt<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="https://theyounggirlwholovedbooks.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">The Book Girl</a> >> Top 10 List<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="https://melanieashford.wordpress.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Melanie Jayne Ashford</a> >> Review<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://misclisa.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Lisa Loves Literature</a> >> Interview</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">July 3rd</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://www.brookeblogs.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Brooke Blogs</a> >> Excerpt<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="https://bookreviewsbyjasmine.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Jazzy Book Reviews</a> >> Review<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://bibliobibuliya.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Bibliobibuli YA</a> >> Guest post<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://litflits.blogspot.co.uk/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Literary Flits</a> >>Excerpt</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">July 4th</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">The Phantom Paragrapher</a> >> Review<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="https://howlingturtle-pdx.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">The Howling Turtle</a> >> Top 10 List<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://dontjudgeread.blogspot.ca/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Don’t Judge, Read</a> >> Interview<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="https://somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">So Many Books, So Little Time</a> >> Excerpt</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">July 5th</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://alternative-read.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Alternative-Read.com</a> >> Review<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://thecovercontessa.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">The Cover Contessa</a> >> Interview<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="https://teaseraddictsbookblogblog.wordpress.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Teaser Addicts Book Blog</a> >> Excerpt<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://www.ruffdayreviews.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Ruff Day Reviews</a> >> Review</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">July 6th</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Smada’s Book Smack</a> >> Review<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="https://fromthejournalofareader.wordpress.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">From The Journal Of A Reader</a> >> Top 10 List<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />–<a href="http://crankytbc.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #42799b; text-decoration: none;">Cranky TBC</a> >> Review</div>
Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-13269012079514717842018-06-28T13:41:00.000-07:002018-06-29T07:26:26.130-07:00Interview: Authors of the Kissed Anthology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2gT7O__sk_zYr6J7fQk9gCOshqysfRPs9UQ67Qb68qNEKotRN2iB5fC0W-bVqVfx950OXDJ_Z2bEn0JW60-mPkodvRIVBhCKTbmekjuxKJKH3i8P_2IvePtwOqGBWJP3JD8IuqKgIgad/s1600/40508467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2gT7O__sk_zYr6J7fQk9gCOshqysfRPs9UQ67Qb68qNEKotRN2iB5fC0W-bVqVfx950OXDJ_Z2bEn0JW60-mPkodvRIVBhCKTbmekjuxKJKH3i8P_2IvePtwOqGBWJP3JD8IuqKgIgad/s320/40508467.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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The authors from Evernight Teen's new romance anthology, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40508467-kissed-anthology" target="_blank">Kissed</a>, agreed to answer a few of my questions about romance, anthologies, and reading! I don't know about you, but seeing how different each of their backgrounds are makes me really excited to see what they bring to YA romance!</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">About the KISSED Anthology:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pucker up for KISSED!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kisses can be innocent, playful, or just to comfort. Some are for luck and others have the promise of sweeter ones to come. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">That's why we've dedicated an anthology to the kiss. These eight hand-picked stories are brimming with romance, and they all begin and end with a kiss. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Our talented authors will prove that love knows no boundaries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Kissed Anthology is coming <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_981488338" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">July 20th</span></span> from <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.evernightteen.com&source=gmail&ust=1530368568640000&usg=AFQjCNHTmhG5Xz25UYIIK9V_V7qo34vpeQ" href="https://www.evernightteen.com/" target="_blank">Evernight Teen</a>!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Christine Rees<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just Like the Movies<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Why do you write romance?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I typically write more YA fiction/paranormal stories, but the KISSED anthology was the perfect opportunity to dip my toes into romance with "Just Like The Movies."</span> I craved writing in a genre I hadn't explored on its own yet and found genuine enjoyment in bringing aspects of my favorite romcoms to life in this story.<span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you think there is a stigma around reading or writing romance, and if so, how would you respond to it?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I believe that the stigma around reading or writing romance is that only a hopeless romantic can love them, but I don't believe this is true in all cases. I am a romantic but I am also a huge cynic at times, and I savor contemporary romance among other genres. Whether it's reading or writing, I think it depends on your current interests and where you are in your life when you find a desire to dive into romance.<span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Where do you go for writing inspiration?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I tend to get lost in music for inspiration. Plenty of authors use music to zone into their story and step out of the real world for a while, but I use music as a way of driving inspiration. I pop my earbuds in and go for a walk (or a run) and let the songs guide my imagination. Certain music genres open my creativity to specific scenes -- rock leads to fighting, pop leads to happier moments such as someone's first kiss or a meet-cute, etc. I take those scenes and build a story by developing characters, flaws, and problems that need to be resolved. The scenes are a gateway for new ideas that aid in moving the story along.<span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What was it like writing for this anthology?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was thrilled to try my hand at a contemporary romance in a short/novella format. It felt like a fresh take on a concept I always wanted to experiment with. As I mentioned, "Just Like The Movies" is my first contemporary romance but it is also my first contribution to an anthology. Having a limited amount of words to foster and flush out the idea was definitely a challenge, but an enjoyable one. This experience has led to a new appreciation for short stories and I intend to write more of them in the future.<span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What are you currently reading?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2yXZmh4" target="_blank">An Ember in the Ashes</a> by Sabaa Tahir. AEITA is a thrilling and heart-wrenching YA fantasy. It's truly an amazing ride!<span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">About Christine: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">Christine Rees is the author of an Amazon #1 Best Seller: THE HIDDEN LEGACY. Christine is a 25-year-old Western University graduate and Sheridan College alumni, YA book writer and lover of all literature. Also an admitted movie junkie, brunch enthusiast, and cat lady, Christine spends her free time writing books with a cat nestled on her lap.</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;"> </span><b> </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.christinerees.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Visit her website<b> </b></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Peri Elizabeth Scott<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It’s in His Kiss<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why do you write romance? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhujAmrjW7ywymh6G-sWVDbASEpu72zkFkdNnj3MYWVJyaolFPJCBe7PzwNGD4xIg26qudl9lePlEh2oYRBatl97ARMWzvEvn0PNdLTLWhUwvTGaiXpcozsUICWHqktxOC2grFlVaDOqQ/s1600/Peri+Elizabeth+Scott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhujAmrjW7ywymh6G-sWVDbASEpu72zkFkdNnj3MYWVJyaolFPJCBe7PzwNGD4xIg26qudl9lePlEh2oYRBatl97ARMWzvEvn0PNdLTLWhUwvTGaiXpcozsUICWHqktxOC2grFlVaDOqQ/s200/Peri+Elizabeth+Scott.jpg" width="151" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is a genre I’ve read for years and enjoy. And one I’ve written for years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you think there is a stigma around reading or writing romance, and if so, how would you respond to it? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I, personally, have found that the stigma isn’t as prevalent as in the past where people tended to hide their book covers! Romance might not be seen as ‘serious’ writing but it’s a huge part of everyday life. I’m often amused when someone will disparage it and yet haven’t picked up a book in years. I believe each to his own. There’s a genre for everyone.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Where do you go for writing inspiration? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not far! I just look around me, and listen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What was it like writing for this anthology? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In that I’d never written YA before, it was a delightful challenge. I wanted to write a strong heroine and a hero with depth as well as convey a simmering connection between them based on attraction and mutual appreciation, and think I achieved it. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What are you currently reading? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’m actually reading the <a href="https://amzn.to/2Kwg7l1" target="_blank">Brew Ha Ha box set</a> and loving it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">About Peri: </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Peri Elizabeth Scott lives in cottage country, Manitoba, Canada. She and her husband pretend to work well together in their seasonal business.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sasha Hibbs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">No Romeo<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why do you write romance?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Of all the emotions we go through—grief, horror, stress, sadness, depression—love is the one emotion that helps us to endure all the rest. I write romance because I feel that counteracts the darkness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzELRVXNQ-0jDLn3eDlOT8-NjlOEfKeTvuUaEmK0vCYeWOJpY5mgfgxBUd1rU3YgrPDgLTY9lrwKPbOst5MSW9qtlGz8n0w13DjVf7J9UcIhJ6D7CVrBZK-OIao7eGoxiPktQ8w5vBA99/s1600/7233732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you think there is a stigma around reading or writing romance, and if so, how would you respond to it?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzELRVXNQ-0jDLn3eDlOT8-NjlOEfKeTvuUaEmK0vCYeWOJpY5mgfgxBUd1rU3YgrPDgLTY9lrwKPbOst5MSW9qtlGz8n0w13DjVf7J9UcIhJ6D7CVrBZK-OIao7eGoxiPktQ8w5vBA99/s1600/7233732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzELRVXNQ-0jDLn3eDlOT8-NjlOEfKeTvuUaEmK0vCYeWOJpY5mgfgxBUd1rU3YgrPDgLTY9lrwKPbOst5MSW9qtlGz8n0w13DjVf7J9UcIhJ6D7CVrBZK-OIao7eGoxiPktQ8w5vBA99/s400/7233732.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Great question. I’ve honestly never thought about it. Now that I am, I’m sure there’s some stigma surrounding it … isn’t there always with things in life? I guess I would respond by continuing to do what I do and respect the opinions of others but not allow any bad stigma to have any power over what I love to do: read and write the heck out of romance J<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Where do you go for writing inspiration?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nowhere in particular, but I did have inspiration nearly hit me, literally, for my pervious release in January, Northern Pines. I was driving to work, using my boss’s car no less, and I came within an inch of hitting a cow. Not only was I terrified, but the inspiration for my last novel came directly from that event. I had the completed manuscript finished within a month of me nearly killing a cow and my boss’s car. I wondered what would’ve happened had I hit it. How would I pay for the damages? And boom! Just like that my mind went to being 17 again and hitting the cow that ironically belonged to the rivalry neighboring farm. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What was it like writing for this anthology?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wonderful! I had NO ROMEO completed in 4 days, I think. I love writing short stories for anthologies. There’s just the right dose of romance and when you’re finished with one story, all you have to do is flip the page to next great one. This particular story for me was fun and challenging. Please don’t throw rotten cabbage at me, but I’ve never liked Romeo and Juliet. It’s just too much! So, to challenge myself, I wanted to write a short story (minus the horrific ending) with that entire theme. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What are you currently reading?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2lIzY5K" target="_blank">UPON BROKEN WINGS</a> by E.L. Reedy and A.M. Wade. I’m half way through it, and wow. It’s deep and beautiful and lyrical and brings a voice to YA lit that was often just a whisper and not talked about. It explores suicide, always a tough subject to tackle and my hat is off to the authors. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">About Sasha:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">By age 5, Sasha Hibbs' favorite movie was Gone With the Wind. By age 12, she completed her 7th grade book report on the sequel, Scarlett. By 18, she met and married her very own Mr. Rhett Butler and as it turns out, she never had to worry about going back to Tara to win the love of her life back. Fortunately, he stuck with her. </span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">With a love of all things paranormal, the ambiance of the South with its gigantic antebellum mansions and canopies of Spanish moss, and a love for her husband’s rich storytelling of blacksmiths and the mythology surrounding their origins, it wasn’t long until the world of her debut novel, Black Amaranth, was born. </span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">When not working her day job as a nurse, you can find Sasha dreaming of her next beach trip, reading the latest YA novel, and drinking more white chocolate mocha than she should. </span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;">Sasha lives in mountainous West Virginia with her husband, Tim, and their two daughters, Aeliza and Ava. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lisa Borne Graves </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dare</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why do you write romance?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I absolutely love that butterfly-filled belly, pulse spiking, goose bump feeling when you first realize you’re attracted to someone. Compound that with the stark, sometimes overwhelmingly, plummet into love and it creates a euphoria that matches nothing else in this world. Since I found my soul mate already, I love recreating that feeling vicariously through fictional beings on the page to continue this blissful first-time feeling for myself and others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBXIjlyf9mChKvCxVqp0ai8UPHTOVjow4BnuE9kjG743CamkxEGlClu1XcR29EEte6gbdvLZWAT30sRLfMz9L7fqft2z3qwE1KKRA_fXvZXW7hSPCu4UlGKvvzUIXu_JoToqysa_eQJCF/s1600/MtjW7zr__400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBXIjlyf9mChKvCxVqp0ai8UPHTOVjow4BnuE9kjG743CamkxEGlClu1XcR29EEte6gbdvLZWAT30sRLfMz9L7fqft2z3qwE1KKRA_fXvZXW7hSPCu4UlGKvvzUIXu_JoToqysa_eQJCF/s200/MtjW7zr__400x400.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBXIjlyf9mChKvCxVqp0ai8UPHTOVjow4BnuE9kjG743CamkxEGlClu1XcR29EEte6gbdvLZWAT30sRLfMz9L7fqft2z3qwE1KKRA_fXvZXW7hSPCu4UlGKvvzUIXu_JoToqysa_eQJCF/s1600/MtjW7zr__400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></a><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Do you think there is a stigma around reading or writing romance, and if so, how would you respond to it?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I definitely think there is a stigma around reading and writing romance due to societal expectations of women that are utterly old fashioned and wrong, not to mention full of double standards. I read it and write it and say forget everyone else. I do what I like to do. At the same time, society cannot fully be ignored. You have to abide by some unspoken rules, which forces us to get creative in portraying some things when it comes to YA novels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Where do you go for writing inspiration?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">My muse, or imagination, rarely lets me down, so I find inspiration everywhere. But when I’m grappling for ideas I usually “go to” or read the classics. I’ve had my best ideas in Scotland and Wales, which I try to visit every couple years if possible. There’s something almost magical in the Celtic air, brooding in the beautiful landscapes, and rich in the antiquated architecture that demands inspiration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What was it like writing for this anthology?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Amazing! I’ve only published one story prior to this one, so it was a great learning experience. Everyone who works for Evernight Teen are nice, constructive, and professional. As for fellow writers, there’s a huge online community where we help and celebrate each other. I felt like I’m back in high school rooting for our team to win a completion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What are you currently reading?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2KxyNRz" target="_blank">Relentless</a><i> </i>by Karen Lynch and loving it so far. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">About Lisa:</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(117, 117, 117);"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Blogger, English Lecturer, YA author, avid reader, wife, and mother--not in that order but these roles constantly battle over me for center stage. We all feel torn in the many roles we must perform in life, but writing for me, and for most writers, is a necessity, almost a malady. I write not because I want to (because sleeping or simply relaxing would be preferential) but because I need to, that if these ideas do not get down on paper I won't be able to function as a human being. My mind would be otherwise diverted and I wouldn't be able to give anyone my undivided attention.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(117, 117, 117);"><b><a href="https://scrappapercompositions.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Visit her blog</span></a></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kate Larkindale<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Run to You<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why do you write romance?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">You know, I don’t really feel like I do write romance. Sure, there are always romantic elements to my books, but that’s because romance and intimacy are an important part of life, and often the source of the most pain and terrible behavior. Which is why it’s so good as a plot element - plenty of conflict!</span><span style="color: #500050;"><br /></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do you think there is a stigma around reading or writing romance, and if so, how would you respond to it?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">I think there possibly is a tiny bit of a stigma around reading romance, but I don’t really get it. Romance readers read far more than anyone else! And as far as I’m concerned, getting people to read is a good thing in this day and age where everyone seems to have a digital device glued to their fingertips at all times. </span><span style="color: #500050;"><br /></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Where do you go for writing inspiration?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">I find inspirations for stories all over the place. Newspaper articles, documentary films, other books I read, people I see on the street…. Often those sparks of ideas don’t go anywhere until one or more collide, but there are always stories spinning through my head, waiting until the right mixture of ideas come together.</span><span style="color: #500050;"><br /></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What was it like writing for this anthology?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">I really enjoyed writing for this anthology. I love having a writing prompt to set me off, and this was a nice loose prompt that allowed a lot of room for my own story to grow.</span><span style="color: #500050;"><br /></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What are you currently reading? </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’m reading a book called<a href="https://amzn.to/2KwrNay" target="_blank"> Diary of a Bookseller</a>. I thought it was going to be something quite different than what it actually is, but I’m actually enjoying reading the bookseller’s musings on the mundane details of running his second-hand bookshop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Thanks for having me!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">About Kate:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Having spent a lifetime travelling the globe, Kate Larkindale has settled in Wellington, New Zealand. A marketing executive, film reviewer and mother, she’s surprised she finds any time to write, but doesn’t sleep much. As a result, she can usually be found hanging out near the espresso machine.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">She is the author of contemporary YA novels An Unstill Life and Stumped along with several others that no one is allowed to see. She has also written one very bad historical romance, which will likely never see the light of day. She is working on several more YA novels that may or may not ever be finished…</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Her short stories have appeared in Halfway Down The Stairs, A Fly in Amber, Daily Flash Anthology, The Barrier Islands Review, Everyday Fiction, Death Rattle, Drastic Measures, Cutlass & Musket and Residential Aliens, among others.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://katelarkindale.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Visit her blog </span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kacie Ji<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It Started with a Kiss<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why do you write romance?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The short answer? Because it’s fun. With everything going on in the world these days I like to read stories that follow a couple falling in love and have endings that makes them, and me, happy. I’m hoping to do the same for someone else with what I write.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do you think there is a stigma around reading or writing romance, and if so, how would you respond to it?</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21kiXdENWWME30T_P2gAEhmP6qz3glENlhiYC5h008aXFY7Vw8FXSiXgIU1XDLHY5hgJ3lswC5jFLtD5MbTMM66phI3cbkHAJNIVYfOOK0w991SqgOzPjOUP89AsGZsa_08AWHSwJi6Bb/s1600/7053696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21kiXdENWWME30T_P2gAEhmP6qz3glENlhiYC5h008aXFY7Vw8FXSiXgIU1XDLHY5hgJ3lswC5jFLtD5MbTMM66phI3cbkHAJNIVYfOOK0w991SqgOzPjOUP89AsGZsa_08AWHSwJi6Bb/s400/7053696.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I do think there is a stigma around both reading and writing romance, as if it is something to be ashamed of. By why? If you like romance, great. If romance isn’t your thing, that’s fine too. Read and write what you want to and let others do the same.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Where do you go for writing inspiration?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don’t need to go far to get inspired to write but if I had to choose a place that would kickstart my brain, it would be the beach. There’s just something about the sight and smell of the water and the rhythm of the waves that clears my head every time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What was it like writing for this anthology?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was great fun! I’d been struggling with writing YA the past little while and this anthology gave me the opportunity to dip my toes back in. It’s definitely given me the push I needed to start writing in this genre again. So, a big thank you to Evernight Teen for putting out this call!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What are you currently reading?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’m about to start <a href="https://amzn.to/2KgIQOE" target="_blank">Insanity by Cameron Jace</a>. It’s been sitting on my TBR pile for far too long!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">About Kacie:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">When she’s not writing or sleeping, Kacie can be found discussing plot twists with her cat who usually seems to enjoy being a part of the process. On the days he’s not she usually finds herself wishing there was a way to mainline coffee while she writes, deletes and tweaks until she sees something that makes her smile.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://kacieji.com/" target="_blank"> Visit her site</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Roxas James <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After Tomorrow<span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Why do you write romance?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I write a lot of different things depending on what mood I'm in. I think that different types of writing accomplish different things. Mystery and adventure get your heart pumping. Horror gets your fear rising. Romance does all of those things though. For me, it's fun to imagine all the different ways that people can fall in love and all the obstacles that could stand in their way. As the writer, it gives me a little boost trying to come up with all the way they can work through it to get their, hopefully, happy ending. Besides, it's always fun to come up with a love story that you wish you could be living, isn't it?<span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you think there is a stigma around reading or writing romance, and if so, how would you respond to it?</b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think that there used to be a bigger stigma around romance novels in the past, but in recent years it’s gotten a lot less. That may have come with the invention of the ebook reader so now people can’t see what you’re reading. Anonymity always makes people a little braver because who cares about reading 50 Shades of Grey on the subway when no one can see what it is. And then people become more open to idea of reading whatever they want to. And for the ones out there who just call romance trash, they obviously haven’t read any because there are some really amazing “trashy” novels out there. <span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Where do you go for writing inspiration?<span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I go many different places for inspiration. A lot of times, I’ll get an idea while reading books or watching movies. Once, I got inspiration for a book I wrote from a knock off Louis Vuitton wallet. It might be a random line somewhere that makes me picture a scene. For this anthology, the second I read the topic for a starting kiss, I immediately picture someone kissing an old stone statue as part of a tradition, the rest of the story just followed. I never know when I’m going to get struck by an idea. <span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What was it like writing for this anthology?<span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Writing for this anthology has been a wonderful experience. This is my first time publishing a story the traditional way and it’s just been so much fun. From the moment I came across the open call to moment I submitted it, I felt drawn to completing this. Yes, there have been times where I’ve given up mid story, but I just knew it wasn’t possible with this story. And surprisingly, I found the editing part to be the most fun. I’ve never worked with a professional editor before and was terrified of the whole process, but it was great, despite learning I have a tendency to use the word ‘that’ way too many times for a normal human being. <span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What are you currently reading?<span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So many things. I’m listening to <a href="https://amzn.to/2yRagoT" target="_blank">Simon Vs. The Homosapien Agenda </a>on audiobook right now because I’ve read the book, watched the movie, and had to come back for more. As for reading reading, I’ve finally broken down and joined the rest of the world and started the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book-ebook/dp/B000QCS8TW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1530217937&sr=1-3" target="_blank">Game of Thrones </a>books. I’m currently on the second one. And on my kindle, I’m currently reading the other stories from the great authors who were selected for this anthology. I’m in good company. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">About Roxas:</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Roxas James is a teacher, writer, blogger, and generally exhausted human being. He has been writing since the second grade, which made many of his teachers very angry since he did most of it in the middle of their classes. When he is not working in various parts of Houston, Texas, he can usually be found in or around his local Starbucks, where he has been given many free cups of coffee, without which, he migh never right a single word again</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">M. Wiklund<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pixie Cuts and Purple Dye<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Why do you write romance?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqxz5aBVRMGwwUAyYahlNHsM5fdEbXagmMeel4eX54laEzPKW2uro7ws0qC9bYR-SnomKCt6je9esPOCwypm0rA0QXvoY-8WzkYp2CM3uPztnO0A5cHcFh_DqULIZdv0p-XIBAOUhXJHi/s1600/Melody+Wiklund.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/AVvXsEjtqxz5aBVRMGwwUAyYahlNHsM5fdEbXagmMeel4eX54laEzPKW2uro7ws0qC9bYR-SnomKCt6je9esPOCwypm0rA0QXvoY-8WzkYp2CM3uPztnO0A5cHcFh_DqULIZdv0p-XIBAOUhXJHi/s200/Melody+Wiklund.jpg" width="153" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I write romance because the most interesting thing in the world is exploring relationships between people, and romance is the only genre that has relationships as its focus. I especially love that romance is optimistic about relationships, believing that they can work out--and often optimistic in its view of the world in general. It can be dramatic and still you can believe in a happy ending.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you think there is a stigma around reading or writing romance, and if so, how would you respond to it?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is--I think there's a view that it's somewhat immature and, well, feminine. I'd say that romance being a woman's genre is actually a good thing, and also that although romance is often light reading, it's the kind of light reading that serves as strong catharsis and is good for the mind and heart. Besides which, it isn't necessarily immature; romance can also at times deal with serious issues or have quite complex plots.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Where do you go for writing inspiration?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sometimes I get inspiration from reading other people's writing. Other times I just get it from events in my own life. And when I'm absolutely desperate I may occasionally get it from prompts online--but it rarely comes down to that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What was it like writing for this anthology?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was tricky to condense the story of a relationship into such a short space, but it was also really fun. I hadn't actually written contemporary YA before so that was also very interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What are you currently reading?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Currently I'm reading <a href="https://amzn.to/2IAy8g8" target="_blank">House of Names</a> by Colm Toibin and <a href="https://amzn.to/2yRBA6J" target="_blank">Thorn Fruit</a> by Felicia Davin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">About M. Wiklund:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">M. Wiklund has contributed to the anthologies Kissed from Evernight Teen and BlackHearts from Dreaming Rabbit Press.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><i style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</i></strong><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></div>
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Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-5768438244763975292018-06-25T12:38:00.000-07:002018-06-25T12:38:15.940-07:00Review: Demons and Destiny<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Demons-Destiny-Angels-Avalon-Book-ebook/dp/B01MG61FCT/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529955198&sr=1-1&keywords=9780994762931&dpID=51tRKoXj4cL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=2dd6210772ebf13a2fcbb99f8b4f31db" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01MG61FCT&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B01MG61FCT" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Title:</b> Demons and Destiny (Angels and Avalon #2)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Author: </b>Catherine Milos</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Page Count: </b>314</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>My Rating:<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></b><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">3 TURTLES: An enjoyable read, but I suggest check out if you like the topic before adding it to your to-read list.</span></span><br />
<b><a href="https://amzn.to/2Mky0DM" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Amazon</span></a></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">*I received this book in exchange for an honest review</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Description:</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What else are friends for, but to rescue you from a deranged reincarnated dark Viking shaman serving a lazy lesser Celtic god? Ex-Angel Tyrel Hanson is cursed. He must send all demons back to Hell before he can be with the woman he loves. The mission is enough to drive him to darkness. Elizabeth McAllistar discovers she is magic-blind. A dangerous condition which could end up killing her and her best-friend Madison. Madison Porter is a scientist. When she suddenly discovers she has magic and a past-life with Tyrel her world is thrown into chaos. Her magic might be the only thing that can free Tyrel from his cursed destiny and keep them all alive.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);"><b>Review:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">When the author first reached out to me to review this book I was really excited. Angels and demons, Vikings and reincarnation? It sounded totally up my alley! And while I loved the use of mythology and the world-building around how magic worked in this story, this book never really clicked for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think one of the bigger issues that contributed to me not really getting into Demons and Destiny was that it is the second in a series and I hadn’t read the first one. I don’t normally read series out of order like this, but the author assured me that they could be read out of order. I did not find that to be the case. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While it is true that the main plotline in this book is separate from the plot of the first book in the series, the plot of the first book is constantly referenced. Many of the characters in the first book have been reincarnated as characters who show up in Demons and Destiny. The book gives a “what are they up to now” look at these characters, so maybe if I had read the first book first I would have thought it was very interesting. As it was, it felt like I was given a lot of non-essential details about minor characters’ lives and things that happened in their past lives that weren’t necessarily relevant to the plot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And even when some of these details were relevant to the plot, because I hadn’t read the first book, I didn’t have an emotional connection to these past events. It just felt like I was being told a lot instead of getting to see events unfold. This was made even more difficult given that there is such a large cast of characters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I did really enjoy the characters’ relationships with each other. I could tell that the author had spent a lot of time developing their backstories and fleshing out their different dynamics. The big cast was confusing at times, but it was made less so by the fact that each character was very distinct, memorable, and complex.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This book has a great concept, interesting characters, and cool world-building. If that interests you, definitely give this series a whirl, even if it wasn’t for me – but be sure to start with book one!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><i style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</i></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span></span></div>
Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-8559089469566489662018-06-23T00:00:00.000-07:002018-06-23T00:00:00.379-07:00Excerpt: The Gilded King<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 17.25pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNnxCNPIorWocSHNYCNyGiTUZ3fx-juN0s7Uw17vZkyrI45y1rhxLrrRg-Ug2WZ09XQSYG2dfyH31OLNO08aaZs_FyWlUWaQ6TG_yF7jRAaSmV_pQAApqJ0HvinQPiPHKZ_iMflWCy07B/s1600/unnamed-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNnxCNPIorWocSHNYCNyGiTUZ3fx-juN0s7Uw17vZkyrI45y1rhxLrrRg-Ug2WZ09XQSYG2dfyH31OLNO08aaZs_FyWlUWaQ6TG_yF7jRAaSmV_pQAApqJ0HvinQPiPHKZ_iMflWCy07B/s400/unnamed-1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B07D3BZGR6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></span><br />
<a href="https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07D3BZGR6&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07D3BZGR6&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt;">The Sovereign Series:</span></strong></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gilded-King-Sovereign-Book-ebook/dp/B07D3BZGR6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1529716433&sr=8-1&keywords=the+gilded+kings&dpID=51YBNBPvEZL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=2cdce7a34c8181427fd6852547f61af9" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Sovereign series is set in future Europe, in a world in which the human population has been decimated by a blood-borne virus so that only one, small city remains. That city, the Blue, is controlled by a vampiric race called the Silver.<br /><br />Beyond its boundaries, the world is contaminated by a vaccine that was developed in order to combat the virus. The humans believe that instant death awaits them in the forests beyond the city walls, the forests of the Red, but in fact the effect of the vaccine is quite different: it not only protects humans from the virus, but it also causes the Silver to be turned human.<br /><br />The protagonists of the series are Julia, a human teenager, and Cameron, a Silver who is millennia old. The series follows the characters as they address the corruption of the Blue and stand against an ancient enemy who wants to take control of it for himself. Their endeavours bring them face to face with the zombies that the vaccine should have eradicated, and force Julia to reassess everything she thought she knew about the world.<br /><br />The series is targeted at young adults. The books contain horror, profanity, M/F and M/M romance, and some limited sexual content.</span></span></div>
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<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Excerpt:<u></u><u></u></span></strong></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At the very furthest point of the temple, at the end of the double row of pillars that processed towards it, there was a pedestal mounted on a stepped dais. A figure was laid out on top of it. For a moment, Julia froze, thinking it was a real person lying there, slumbering in the temple, but something didn’t fit.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The figure wasn’t breathing. It wasn’t moving at all.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘Come on,’ Lucas said, leading her down the aisle towards it.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘Is it a statue?’ she asked.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘A tomb, really.’<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As they walked, he snuffed out the lamps that lined the walls, until finally the only illumination came from the rounded alcove into which the dais rose. It was a bright island in the centre of the darkness, and in the middle of it the statue shone: a man, wearing fine clothing in an unfamiliar style, with a blanket of stone covering his body. His exposed skin was tinged with a sheen of gold that glowed like the walls of the temple.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘He looks so real,’ she said, reaching out to touch the golden curls that crowned his head. They were slick under her fingers, so intricate they might have been moulded from a real person.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘They say he was.’<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘You mean this is his coffin?’ The pedestal certainly looked like a tomb. It was wide and deep enough to accommodate a body.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘No,’ Lucas said, ‘I mean that this is him, that this statue was once alive.’<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Julia’s hand had been tracing the lines of the face, but now she snatched it away. ‘You’re not serious.’<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘I am.’<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">‘This is why you brought me here,’ she said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">‘Of course. You want to hear the fairytale, don’t you?’</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
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<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Author Bio:</span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqS86vuDhw0tvQcBqG1zVZhq0SLZ2VI6dNhKgAzhphWxhGRBI_dLAkF8dspqIK3cqPjMGkuOiHCk6JBvbBbgMSAabiIT1LJfAe9R247YsEMrmYZ_vuX4U2OM3i9X2uB2rMu2e0ezsdrXh/s1600/unnamed.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqS86vuDhw0tvQcBqG1zVZhq0SLZ2VI6dNhKgAzhphWxhGRBI_dLAkF8dspqIK3cqPjMGkuOiHCk6JBvbBbgMSAabiIT1LJfAe9R247YsEMrmYZ_vuX4U2OM3i9X2uB2rMu2e0ezsdrXh/s200/unnamed.png" width="198" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Josie lives in Oxford, England, with her husband and two cats. When she’s not writing, she works as a lawyer, specialising in intellectual property and commercial law. She also runs a video book review club, The Gin Book Club, through her website.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Solis Invicti series (a prequel series to the Sovereign series) is available now.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2tmQOuY" target="_blank">Pre-order The Gilded Kings on Amazon</a></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><i style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</span></i></strong> </span></o:p></div>
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Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-86187466497142864472018-06-20T00:00:00.000-07:002018-06-20T00:00:08.686-07:00Review: Check, Please!: #Hockey<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250177952/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=f4c12e0120be55dbbadc6ff2974835af" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1250177952&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1250177952" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><b>Title: </b>Check, Please!: #Hockey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Author: </b>Ngozi Ukazu</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Page Count: </b>288</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>My Rating<span style="background-color: white;">: </span></b><span style="background-color: white;">5 TURTLES: AMAZING read. I loved this book, and it's going on my favorites shelf forever! You must get a copy of this book!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2LXGqRe" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Preorder it!</span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Description:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Helloooo, Internet Land. Bitty here!</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Y’all... I </span><i>might </i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">not be ready for this. I may be a former junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and </span><i>very </i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">talented amateur pâtissier, but being a freshman on the Samwell University hockey team is a whole new challenge. It’s nothing like co-ed club hockey back in Georgia! First of all? There’s </span><i>checking.</i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> And then, there is Jack—our very attractive but moody captain.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">A collection of the first half of the megapopular webcomic series of the same name, </span><i>Check, Please!: #Hockey</i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> is the first book of a hilarious and stirring two-volume coming-of-age story about hockey, bros, and trying to find yourself during the best four years of your life.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Review:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh my God, you guys, this graphic novel made me FEEL things! I never make audible noises when I’m reading things, I don’t even usually laugh at loud if I’m watching comedy shows, but Check, Please!: #Hockey made me laugh and squee at the sheer adorableness of this story! I read this whole thing in one sitting, which never happens, so you know it’s serious!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you had told me several years ago that some of my favorite stories would heavily feature non-equestrian sports I would have looked at you funny, but this new trend of sports teammates/colleagues falling for each other has arrived and I am 100% here for it. (I’ve included a list of my other favorite books and TV shows that follow this trend at the end of the review and I hope that you’ll check them out).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teammate to lover stories though</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There is so much I love about this story! The art is super fun and thoughtfully drawn. The characters are also so distinct and memorable – I especially love the adorable and earnest Bitty and the party-bro with a heart of gold Shitty (whose real name we may or may not learn throughout the course of this book). And, of course, the main selling point of this book for me, I loved the romance between Bitty and Jack. What can I say? I’m weak for sweet queer romances, especially of the teammate to lover variety, and since there are not nearly enough of them (yet) each one I find is like finding a rare gem.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Also, huge bonus points to this book for having a badass character with my name, even if 99% people refer to her by her nickname, Lardo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One thing that catches me a little bit off guard about graphic novels is that they tend to feel rushed to me. Check, Please has a great arc, but I wanted, like, five more hockey games, and ten more Bitty and Jack scenes. I think this is partly due to the fact that this is a compilation of web-comics. If I had read each page as it was initially released and had to wait a while for the next installment I don’t think it would feel rushed at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I think this would be especially true since the author runs “Bitty’s” Twitter account, so people’s experience with the story continues between installments (such a smart idea). The advanced copy has a sampling of some of these tweets, but promises that the published version will have many, many more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFCI4wmQ6Yr7POxfiZ72ptJa-hg_bVdNfxsh-q2gsGwQGWEc0lBqVl7Ya-G9FmRtlTD2DCKK7tpwOHIxgn_xDg9a0Wlf-FjDh37YkoM2JOi05b7p-INOCB1I9e9G-jpCIhFNgkjbbf34k/s1600/bcf.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFCI4wmQ6Yr7POxfiZ72ptJa-hg_bVdNfxsh-q2gsGwQGWEc0lBqVl7Ya-G9FmRtlTD2DCKK7tpwOHIxgn_xDg9a0Wlf-FjDh37YkoM2JOi05b7p-INOCB1I9e9G-jpCIhFNgkjbbf34k/s320/bcf.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture of me trying to figure out how hockey works</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The only other small thing that I would have liked to see was an in-depth explanation of how hockey works. Most of the other stories I know of that follow sports team dedicates a section where they just explain how the game works. It feels a bit info-dumpy, but also necessary for someone like me who has very little knowledge about anything sport-related. There were some explanations of how hockey works here and there, but by the end I was still pretty confused. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And if you’re thinking “Gee, Larissa, if only there were a magical device that you could type ‘how does hockey work’ into and get as detailed an answer as you’d like,” point taken. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank goodness my roommate for the NYU publishing program I’m taking lent me her advanced copy that she picked up at Book Expo, but I will definitely be picking up my own copy when it comes out in September! And if you’re as excited about getting your own copy as I am, you can always <a href="https://amzn.to/2lgBFXR" target="_blank">pre-order it<b>.</b></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiY0RC1w0INWdX5_7nkTE38VmygmJibH2QEPB5Dqp-1YmzjdFcRRP8a57xsMsJlykLyjb8CuEgjnalNPWQYWUfaAdueVLBAK3X21CBhHAiYgrgYjTP_Pi8TKpeAad01ltQjJwqPv9WfSp9/s1600/tenor.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiY0RC1w0INWdX5_7nkTE38VmygmJibH2QEPB5Dqp-1YmzjdFcRRP8a57xsMsJlykLyjb8CuEgjnalNPWQYWUfaAdueVLBAK3X21CBhHAiYgrgYjTP_Pi8TKpeAad01ltQjJwqPv9WfSp9/s400/tenor.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now that I have been introduced to this wonderful comic, I definitely won’t be patient enough to wait for volume two to come out to find out what happens next. Lucky for me (and all of you) this comic is not only available online, but it’s still ongoing! So there’s plenty more in store for Jack, Bitty, Shitty and all the others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>More Queer sports romances! </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>These are the stories that I couldn’t help but think of while reading Check, Please! Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/yuri-on-ice" target="_blank">Yuri on Ice</a> (TV show)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2JYXCFB" target="_blank">All for the Game series</a> (book series)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fence-Vol-1-C-S-Pacat/dp/1684151929/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529377356&sr=1-1&keywords=fence+comic&dpID=41hTm7xkB%252BL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank">Fence</a> (comic series)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="color: #333333;"><i style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Disclosure: this post contains links to an affiliate program (Amazon), for which I receive a few cents if you make purchases.</span></i></strong> </span></o:p></div>
Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-6081705517986481922018-06-19T00:00:00.000-07:002018-06-19T00:00:10.849-07:00Guest Post: Benjamin Appleby-Dean - Author of The Stickman's Legacy<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Benjamin Appleby-Dean, author of The Stickman's Legacy,</b> stopped by the Howling Turtle to talk a bit about folklore and fable and how it has influenced his work on this book. Had you heard of any of this fairytale trivia before?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B07DDDPN41" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b>Guest Post</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I’ve always been fascinated by stories </b>– not just the actual reading and hearing of them, the beginning-to middle-to end rush, but by the pieces of them and how they fit together. Why we have heroes and villains, antagonists, and protagonists, morals and happy endings or tragedies that can’t be averted.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stickmans-Legacy-Benjamin-Appleby-Dean-ebook/dp/B07DDDPN41/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1529370958&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=The+stickman+ben+appleby-dean&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=0befe204d3fd474c7b3157ea161af26b" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07DDDPN41&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I tried to write stories of my own almost as soon as I learned to read, starting with simple tales of heroes and monsters – but even then <b>I wondered why the monsters had to lose.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As I grew older and read more widely, I discovered Joseph Campbell and his beat-by-beat formula for heroic journeys. <b>I noticed the similarities in folklore and fable across different continents</b> – the version of Cinderella that goes back to ancient Egypt, the sunken-city myth that persists from Greece to India to China, the enduring archetype of little people living underground that recurs in country after country. <b>I read about the changing of even our best-known modern fairy tales – how the Grimms rewrote their own collections</b> to remove Rapunzel’s pregnancy and switch abusive mothers for stepmothers; how Beauty and the Beast once had elaborate backstories involving rival fairies; how Tom Thumb originally joined King Arthur’s court and battled giants.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Most of all I came to understand how much of what <b>we are is built upon the backs of these persistent narratives</b> – stories informing our language, our relationships, our aspirations, our ideas of good and evil. Stories woven through our basic ideas of self.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What would happen if someone tried to use them as a weapon?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I wanted to write a story about stories</b> – but not in a postmodern, ironic, poking-fun kind of way. I wanted to drill down into how they worked and how they could be made to work. I wanted to see what happened to the survivors. How far an ending could be made to stretch.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Most of all, I wanted to tell the story of a girl who refused to give up.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The first ideas for THE STICKMAN’S LEGACY came to me nearly fifteen years ago. <b>I spent seven years taking the ideas and building on them, trying to fit them together until they made sense</b>. I read up on folk history from every country I could find, spotting new patterns and obscure fragments. I took six months writing a detailed, blow-by-blow plan to make sure my strange, experimental plot actually fitted together and then another two years finishing my first draft of the book.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But as many older, wiser writers will tell you, the first book you write is never any good. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I wrote other books afterwards – simpler, less ambitious ones. I even got some of my other works into print. Then I came back to my unwieldly first manuscript, finally became aware of my mistakes, and spent another year re-writing it from scratch.<b> I eventually cut out 60,000 words</b> (the length of a short novel in itself!) and was left with leaner, better-paced book – still saying everything I wanted to say, but in 70% of the page count. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It took me five years to find a publisher for THE STICKMAN’S LEGACY, and it’s still the most complex and ambitious thing I’ve ever tried to write.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I can only hope that some of you find it worth the wait.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">About the Book</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mary never knew her father until he died and brought his enemies to her doorstep. Searching his house for answers, she unearths an ancient nightmare and is drawn into a world of corporate magicians, subterranean kingdoms and living architecture, all of whom have history with the Stickman - and their own sinister agendas for his daughter.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As a secret war breaks out across London with her at the centre, Mary finds fragments of her own past resurfacing, and has to understand the true nature of her legacy before it's too late...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2JOCxBx" target="_blank">Find it on Amazon</a></span><br />
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Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4448453094913505379.post-41500080223502257972018-06-18T10:30:00.000-07:002018-06-18T10:30:21.895-07:00Excerpt: The Colonel and the Bee<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thehowtur-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1622530241" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Good afternoon book lovers! Patrick Canning, author of <a href="https://amzn.to/2MAKMPx" target="_blank">The Colonel and the Bee</a>, was kind enough to submit an excerpt from his novel for the Howling Turtle. He describes it as a cross between Around the World in 80 Days and The Wizard of Oz! </div>
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Do you have a favorite book that features hot air balloons? Let me know in the comments!</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colonel-Bee-Patrick-Canning/dp/1622530241/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&linkCode=li3&tag=thehowtur-20&linkId=1470cedf1287fd0e0c25e6363745dacb" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1622530241&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehowtur-20" /></a><b>Excerpt Context</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">The story takes place in the early 1800's. Beatrix (Bee), has recently escaped a circus where she worked as an acrobat for an abusive ringleader. She has bargained her way aboard a four-story hot air balloon called the Oxford Starladder, or Ox for short. The Ox is owned by a mysterious adventurer known as Colonel Bacchus. In this scene, Colonel Bacchus is teaching Bee to fly the Ox as they travel from Switzerland to Belgium, where the Colonel believes the next clue lies in his search for an elusive criminal. </span></div>
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<b>Excerpt</b></div>
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“Flying the Ox is much more akin to playing an instrument than operating a machine. Approach the challenge less formally, do so with confidence, and the craft’s perfect obedience will be your reward.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I lost sight of the burner strap and by accident pulled a vent on the main balloon. We began to rotate and descend with great rapidity. The Colonel allowed me to find the correct cord on my own, and I did so just in time as the Ox nearly scraped a rolling pasture hill, startling a herd of brown Belgian cows enough to sour their milk.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Taking care to avoid the ripping line, I continued to bring the Ox up, searching for the northwest wind. To my chagrin, I sent us southeast, and it took a deft intervention from the Colonel to set us right. Applying the correct pressure on the correct combination of cords in the correct sequence did indeed give him the appearance of an accomplished maestro.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Skill comes with practice, and northwest can be elusive. North<i>east </i>can be downright tempestuous,” he said as if recalling a talented snooker rival.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I readied another question, but the Colonel anticipated me. He held up a gentle hand to stay the incoming query, motioned with both hands downward, indicating I should relax, then gestured to the edge of the Ox.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So worried I’d been about that morning’s lesson, I’d hardly taken a moment to observe our environment. I joined the Colonel at the railing, and became lightheaded with wonder. The full effect of flight had been disguised by darkness the previous night, and now, in the maturing light of dawn, I beheld a world transformed by perspective: rivers and mountains were maps come to life, trees were seas of leaves that shimmered emerald in the breeze, even birds flew at a height far below the Ox, moving like schools of fish in currents of wind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Toast my bloomin’ eyebrows,” I mumbled, forgoing any attempt at eloquence. “I didn’t know... I couldn’t have imagined...”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Wonderful, isn’t it? From this height, we’re permitted to see plainly the orchestrations of daily life, rank with crisscrossing motives and the clutter of needless haste. Up here in the rarefied air we are weightless in cool æther, unspoiled by the odour and noise of man’s desires far below.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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We stood side by side, watching the scene in silence, until something in the distance stole the Colonel’s gaze.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“There. Antwerp on the horizon. Drink your leaf juice if you must.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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By now, all of the Manx were flying in a loose halo about the Ox, gently displacing the Belgian mist we floated in as they dove and twisted as birds in play.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“They have such charm and spirit,” I said.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“They detect my excitement. This visit could prove fruitful in our search for the criminal. He’s been most elusive thus far.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Do you know the murdered party?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Colonel’s face fell a note, but he recovered quickly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I’m interested in the criminal.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“To bring him to justice?” I gulped my tea. “For this or a past transgression?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“There is plenty to choose from. It is enough for you to know I seek an audience with the man.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“He has committed other crimes?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Certainly.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Is he dangerous?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“<i>Most </i>certainly.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I finished my tea as the green vegetation and black soil of tilled fields shifted to the red brick and grey stone of buildings. Antwerp’s harbour introduced itself to the nose long before the eyes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Colonel inhaled deeply.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Have you been?” he asked.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I shook my head.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“A bastion of crime and seafood, how I adore this city. I apologise as it’s unlikely we’ll have time for a proper tour. Perhaps a return under less harried circumstances. Unfurl those ropes there, won’t you?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The spiderweb of roadways below passed ever faster as we descended. I let drop a collection of heavy ropes over the side of the Ox as the Colonel set her down in a rather regal park. Despite the posh surroundings, there was an air of danger. Apparently, the Colonel felt it too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“No chance we’re deflating here,” he said. “Down the steps with you. Help secure us.”<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://patrickcanningbooks.com&source=gmail&ust=1529428129280000&usg=AFQjCNGjpKOfCGxwpZbpQFmG946rVR38Gg" href="http://patrickcanningbooks.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;" target="_blank">Author Website</a><br />
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IG: @catpanning</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40234124-the-colonel-and-the-bee?from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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Larissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12038601719253073714noreply@blogger.com0