tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69818845590694311462024-03-17T07:17:50.420-07:00Word Magic: All About BooksMy interest in ancient history, mystery, legends, and my love of travel led to The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, the first in my exciting children’s adventure series—Chronicles of the Stone. Book 2: The Search for the Stone of Excalibur continues the adventure. Book 3: The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper is now available. I hope you enjoy my book reviews and news! Visit www.chroniclesofthestone.com for more about my MG book series!Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.comBlogger568125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-61442165108711078262024-03-17T07:12:00.000-07:002024-03-17T07:17:01.406-07:00Book Review: The Book of 5 Mews by MG Rorai<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvSWkwbhMdNtsGG2tc97MNdf2k7mkts_1_N5gzgwKplGR3kdwZGS9fSvDsR4CC4ahWBW9J8cCITBNoQApkeKJ0V98cQQVzTiuEe1famB1_LPNj5DSU20mSJLVoj7EZUH4gdWOLZKv2tZts39LDn4bq1eLhLrRPXHVzCzAcbMmriPOBY6n49ZH39Bqhsk/s425/cat%20book%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="278" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvSWkwbhMdNtsGG2tc97MNdf2k7mkts_1_N5gzgwKplGR3kdwZGS9fSvDsR4CC4ahWBW9J8cCITBNoQApkeKJ0V98cQQVzTiuEe1famB1_LPNj5DSU20mSJLVoj7EZUH4gdWOLZKv2tZts39LDn4bq1eLhLrRPXHVzCzAcbMmriPOBY6n49ZH39Bqhsk/s320/cat%20book%202.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">When Harper loses her beloved
husband, she moves homes to get away and start anew, without the old memories,
and hopefully to create new ones. Her decision to do some volunteering at Wispy
Paws animal rescue takes a strange turn when she ends up fostering and ultimately
keeping a calico cat that she names Marble, who has a penchant for cheese and
philosophy. Harper is a dog person so when Marble comes into her life, things
will change. Marble has decreed this is so. The book has alternating points of
view between Harper, the hapless human who knows nothing of the Way of Catness,
and Marble, who expands upon the philosophy contained therein as a guide to
life with a human and managing them; also considering their mental frailty,
their weaknesses, and their ability to be easily swayed by feline cuteness.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CVF9PH5Z?tag=books2read02-20" target="_blank">The Book of Five Mews</a></i> (Paw,
Slink, Roar, Tail, and Clarity) falls somewhere between <i>The Book of Five Rings</i>
(a 17<sup>th</sup> century AD Samurai warrior’s guide) and the 5<sup>th</sup>
century BC Chinese treatise <i>The Art of War</i> attributed to military strategist Sun
Tzu (if Sun Tzu had ever owned a cat). To say this book is screamingly funny is an
understatement. I am a dog and cat owner. I live in Cyprus (the island of stray
cats) where the general public is encouraged to feed, spay, neuter, and
basically care for the population of ‘outside cats.’ I have my own cat, Bertie, as well as two dogs. An adorable and very pretty ‘outside cat’ called Jasmine
managed to insinuate herself into my life and kept wanting to come inside. I
thought no, she had better have a flea collar. That sealed the deal. Once she
had the flea collar on, it was “Open, Sesame.” Jasmine became an indoor cat.
And that is why I know Jasmine has read<i> The Book of Five Mews</i> and understands
the Way of Catness.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Author MG Rorai understands cats
as well as the weak human living under the cat’s paw. The narrative style is
hilarious. I shrieked with laugher many times, nodded many times, smiled many
times, and said, “Yes, exactly.” Many times. The POV switches from Harper
describing daily activities in winning Marble’s affection (much of the time
with cheese), investigating the art of toys, the delicacy of catnip
(unfortunate results there) and a basic getting to know the foster cat
scenario. On the other hand, Marble delivers a calculated, quasi-philosophical treatise
fittingly couched in elevated language such as a cat of great wisdom would use.
The juxtaposition is hilarious. If you are thinking of getting a cat, or even
if you have a cat and just want to understand your cat’s little idiosyncrasies
and quirky ways better, read this book. If you want a good laugh, read this
book. If you need cheering up, read this book. Cats have been ruling humans
since the time of the great pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Hell, they even managed
to get themselves into the pantheon of gods, so I think felines know what they
are talking about. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAebcYbIDxjkoc9DSyB2zo7VV-0lg0ibPF8a5RH830J93qjiOKDy_p45GyLz5Y59eA_MbOKJ7e4XBO6IVxgxtWm4BYJqm4aDRf8aK7UCNLhg8bqrMdCDYEsHg7Pd97jS6E-i7_ybimh82NDZ4aVSwxPLWSV_l7R1kXjj3MUaQXkPtkK1rbvwyeP-RyFA/s640/M.G.%20Rorai.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="640" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAebcYbIDxjkoc9DSyB2zo7VV-0lg0ibPF8a5RH830J93qjiOKDy_p45GyLz5Y59eA_MbOKJ7e4XBO6IVxgxtWm4BYJqm4aDRf8aK7UCNLhg8bqrMdCDYEsHg7Pd97jS6E-i7_ybimh82NDZ4aVSwxPLWSV_l7R1kXjj3MUaQXkPtkK1rbvwyeP-RyFA/s320/M.G.%20Rorai.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">M.G.
Rorai enjoys hanging with her cats and annoying her husband. Find out more by visiting the author on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wrathofkittieswriting" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and her <a href="https://wrathofkitties.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.</span></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-32614391669047553162024-03-13T09:36:00.000-07:002024-03-13T09:36:29.641-07:00The Inspiration Behind Urbex Predator by Jens Boele<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhStSeobVv_IDXwNIV8NuWo4cYExwzroNoQKxUX52SyFjDItD3ul1t02OhQLlWW2Hizqm71jJaM-uYV5JfzeySi-oMgEk00GU-6p2p2fOuMGR3t0UaYjQQ8_3zNUSrBnkDaiSa6J-6-xOCdjLxzWWb792HSoVdu4O2RIuUP6MHqIfFZlYwhv21cQ1Swo/s569/Urbex%20Predator%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhStSeobVv_IDXwNIV8NuWo4cYExwzroNoQKxUX52SyFjDItD3ul1t02OhQLlWW2Hizqm71jJaM-uYV5JfzeySi-oMgEk00GU-6p2p2fOuMGR3t0UaYjQQ8_3zNUSrBnkDaiSa6J-6-xOCdjLxzWWb792HSoVdu4O2RIuUP6MHqIfFZlYwhv21cQ1Swo/s320/Urbex%20Predator%20cover.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A
relic from the Cold War, the old barracks beckon photographers, influencers,
and adventurers, shrouded in secrets and peril. Nela and Tess dare the eerie
ruins for their photography thesis, while Zander, Yelka, Vivien, and Damon
embark on a simultaneous shoot. Amid the abandoned shadows, Yelka's group runs
into Steven and his ruthless gang, initially outsmarting them. Yet, Nela and
Tess fall victim to a nightfall ambush, escaping but torn apart. As adrenaline
courses through the gang, they stalk Yelka and her friends, unleashing a
relentless manhunt. Vivien becomes their captive, setting off a chain reaction.
Tess encounters Damon and Yelka, while Nela, guided by Ben, the barracks'
security manager, races to find Tess. Yelka strives to rescue Vivien, trapped
in an abandoned outdoor pool.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On
his lone pursuit, Zander witnesses the gang's brutality, delving into a darker
realm within himself, spurred by the horrifying thrill of Steven's actions. The
scene propels Yelka, Damon, and Tess into a frenzy, unleashing chaos to
liberate Vivien. Nela and Ben, attempting to overpower the gang, witness Yelka
and Vivien's escape as the gang closes in. With the arrival of Steven's older
brother, Henry, the stakes are set; the old military hospital transforms into a
battleground. No one is to leave alive, and a matter of life and death ensues.
In the ruthless clash, Nela and Yelka emerge as the lone defenders, while
Zander pursues a mission for his own catharsis. In Henry's basement, dubbed his
Hades, the teams converge for a pulse-pounding final duel, where survival is
the ultimate prize. You can pick up your copy at </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Urbex-Predator-nothing-pictures-Survival-ebook/dp/B0CRBCY9C8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1G2OKOTNCXH3R&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.g8X9vzkqK93D3sY_QBrBEhY4OnTFg2rFhJec0ei8SPs.0GMl1aW8pAF6Yes_lpDBDIV91LhkbVX5mnUDgtgxMH8&dib_tag=se&keywords=urbex+predator+by+jens+boele&qid=1709129259&sprefix=urbex%2Caps%2C443&sr=8-1"><span style="color: #1155cc; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Amazon</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Inspiration Behind Urbex
Predator</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Imagine exploring an abandoned barracks, only to
run into a gang of ruthless thugs, with no police in sight to intervene if
things go south. Sounds like the plot of my book, right? Well, replace the
barracks with an abandoned hospital, and that's where I found myself.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As an urban explorer and amateur photographer,
decay and ruins have always fascinated me. It all began several years ago
during a visit to California when I stumbled upon an abandoned water park in
the Mojave Desert. The place had an eerie yet captivating atmosphere,
reminiscent of "Zombieland." Picture the desert heat, scorching sun,
and remnants of civilization laid bare before you, enveloped in absolute
silence. It was a moment straight out of a post-apocalyptic movie, sparking my
love for urban exploring—a passion I indulge in when I'm not writing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Inspiration strikes from the things that move me,
the experiences I can feel. Sometimes, it's just a single spark that ignites an
idea. In "Urbex Predator," Nela and Tess stumble upon an abandoned
barracks overrun by a gang of hoodlums, mirroring an encounter I had with a
friend. The what-if scenario that followed became the seed for the story. In
the fall of 2021, after a day exploring and photographing on the Canary
Islands, I sat down with a beer and outlined the plot, drawing from the amalgamation
of abandoned military sites I'd encountered across Europe since the end of the
Cold War era.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Every horror story requires an initial sin, an
enclosed setting, and a monster. I've always been intrigued by the darker
facets of human nature—what drives people to commit acts of evil and crime. In
"Urbex Predator," we confront a group of neglected youths who form a
toxic alliance, embodying the desolation of the abandoned buildings they
inhabit. As night descends, the hunt begins.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">After months of crafting, the story finally took
shape and the book was born. I hope you enjoy the journey it takes you on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2 align="center" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; page-break-after: auto; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></h2>
<h2 align="center" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; page-break-after: auto; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxoo4cd7-eOxY6YRes3HpI29zOjdky9zh-kL7-ncf80wdfuoeXsNm93m5xOrEpoDju8M-TyfrUsv77KdUL7SWOE070HnhmDumbneBahhp0_SIYRJT2IGpD2Oc3TbMIM3-2ucSnvlRXtUoKdUrswW2hULKRzgYmxkwPP-ga3DnrR2Z-OGUoEmiduvdAZs/s614/Jens%20Boele%20author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="614" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxoo4cd7-eOxY6YRes3HpI29zOjdky9zh-kL7-ncf80wdfuoeXsNm93m5xOrEpoDju8M-TyfrUsv77KdUL7SWOE070HnhmDumbneBahhp0_SIYRJT2IGpD2Oc3TbMIM3-2ucSnvlRXtUoKdUrswW2hULKRzgYmxkwPP-ga3DnrR2Z-OGUoEmiduvdAZs/s320/Jens%20Boele%20author.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> </o:p></span></b></h2>
<h2 align="center" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; page-break-after: auto; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></h2>
<h2 align="center" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; page-break-after: auto; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></h2>
<h2 align="center" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; page-break-after: auto; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">About the Author<o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<h2 align="center" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; page-break-after: auto; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jens
Boele, a veteran media designer in the entertainment industry, brings over two
decades of cinematic expertise to his writing. Born in Germany in 1975, Jens
embarked on his writing odyssey in his youth, culminating in the publication of
his debut book, "Sunshine," in 2015. This was followed by
"Hurensohn," and his latest spine-tingling creation, "Urbex
Predator."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jens
is a genre-bending author, specializing in horror and crime thrillers. His
narratives often blur genre lines, weaving intricate tales that plunge readers
into the darkest corners of the human psyche. Jens's storytelling brilliance
lies in his fascination with the criminal mind; his villains are always
profoundly human, offering readers a chilling examination of the psychological
aspects of the criminally insane.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.15pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jens
sets himself apart by seamlessly integrating classic horror with the gritty
authenticity of the present day. This innovative fusion imbues his narratives
with a dynamic quality, seamlessly blending archaic thrills with contemporary
intrigue, resulting in an immersive reading experience that resonates with both
vintage enthusiasts and present-day readers alike.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .05pt; text-indent: -.15pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jens
Boele's latest endeavor takes his work across borders, as "Urbex
Predator" becomes his first book to be translated into English. A
globetrotter with deep connections to the United States, Jens's passion for
exploration and his international perspective, nurtured by family and friends
in the US, shine through in his writing, offering readers a captivating blend
of horror and cultural diversity. Visit Jens’ website at </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://jensboele.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://jensboele.com/</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-77538080586729274462024-03-06T08:31:00.000-08:002024-03-06T08:31:20.276-08:00Managing “The Call” with a Literary Agent by author Anoop Judge<p><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZd9h8qNUO6DGayBwCspiumMWterRwdLX0UkanheFFT0obQLtTHs-AChxG_n9ukIMUuurotTCn3ZtXoxESyt-9L4FyiDJNwVvZV7m9omjd-0sS6K6c3jMg0r7x6xNR9kkOP5UVrV9srWwhoqqJb9w1kuA0O__rYphTqbQPG865cGN-mtuOl9aNzUkJI4/s342/mercy%20and%20grace%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="221" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZd9h8qNUO6DGayBwCspiumMWterRwdLX0UkanheFFT0obQLtTHs-AChxG_n9ukIMUuurotTCn3ZtXoxESyt-9L4FyiDJNwVvZV7m9omjd-0sS6K6c3jMg0r7x6xNR9kkOP5UVrV9srWwhoqqJb9w1kuA0O__rYphTqbQPG865cGN-mtuOl9aNzUkJI4/s320/mercy%20and%20grace%20cover.jpg" width="207" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At twenty-one years
old, Gia Kumari finally leaves the Delhi orphanage where she was raised. With
few prospects for the future, she receives an unexpected invitation from a
stranger named Sonia Shah, in San Francisco: an internship at Sonia’s weddings
and event company. Jia and America. It’s love at first sight as she navigates
an unfamiliar but irresistible new world of firsts. It’s Gia’s first real job:
her first meeting with her only known family, her uncle Mohammed Khan, and her
first romance, with Sonia’s quirky yet charming stepson, Adi. But it might be
too good to be true. Gia’s newfound happiness is unfolding in the shadow of a
terrible family secret, the impact of which is still being felt in a place Gia
now calls home. To save what matters most, Gia must come to terms with a tragic
past she’s only beginning to understand—and a lifetime of lies she must learn
to forgive. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Purchase a copy of <i>Mercy and Grace </i>on </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mercy-Grace-Novel-Anoop-Judge-ebook/dp/B0BQNBFVBR/">Amazon</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mercy-and-grace-anoop-judge/1142896516">Barnes and Noble</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">,
and </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/mercy-and-grace-anoop-judge/19619722">Bookshop.org</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">. You can also add
this to your </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75552280-mercy-and-grace">GoodReads reading list</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 2.4pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 2.4pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">Managing “The Call” with a Literary Agent<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">You’ve spent a year (or six) writing a 90, 000-word novel.
You’ve poured sweat, love, and too much midnight oil into it—coming up with an
original plot, fleshing out characters that are relatable and memorable,
minding the pacing . . . Phew! Then you dive into the querying process and the
pain begins to kick in. You research agents like a forensic scientist. You
submit queries like it’s a full-time job or depending on your approach, perhaps
you submit to only a select few. And then, if your experience is anything like
mine, wading through rejection letters becomes a second full-time job. The
advice out there is you shouldn’t take it personally and you should develop a
thick skin. Hah! Easier said than done—every rejection feels like some angry prophet’s
judgment on your soul.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">It’s hard to keep going, but you do. In my case, there were
copious amounts of chocolate, wine, and tears—not always in that order. You
wait and wait, and one day your email pings with a request for a full
manuscript. And then you wait again. I’m a chronically impatient person, and
although motherhood was supposed to imbue me with patience, it never did.
Playing an endless cycle of the waiting game makes you question your writing
abilities, makes you almost throw in the towel, and in my case, chew your nails
down to nubs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">By now, you’re as jittery as a junkie. After one hundred
and fifty rejections (but who’s counting?) you decide to let the manuscript eat
its head off in a drawer and start something new. That’s when your inbox pings
with the magical words, “Can we talk?” But how do you prepare for this crucial
conversation? Here are some tips to help you manage the call with a literary
agent effectively.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">Before the Call<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">Research the Agent: Familiarize yourself with the agent’s
background, the books they’ve represented, and their agency. Understanding
their interests and successes can help you gauge how well they might align with
your work and goals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">Prepare Your Questions</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">This is your opportunity to learn more about the agent’s
vision for your book and their working style. Consider asking questions like:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What aspects of my manuscript excite you
the most?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What is your strategy for pitching my
book to publishers?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Can you tell me about your communication
style and frequency?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What are your expectations regarding
revisions?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>•<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How do you support your authors through
the publishing process?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">Revisit Your Manuscript and Query<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">Be prepared to discuss your manuscript and any potential
revisions. Refresh your memory on key plot points, themes, and character arcs.
Also, review your query letter, as the agent may reference specific elements
that caught their attention.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">During the Call<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;">Be Professional and Personable: Treat the call like a job
interview, but also let your personality shine through. This is as much about
the agent getting to know you as it is about discussing your book.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #444444;">Ask Your Questions: Don’t hesitate to ask the
questions you’ve prepared. This call is a two-way street, and it’s important to
ensure that the agent is the right fit for you and your work.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #444444;">Discuss Next Steps: Before the call ends, make
sure you understand the next steps. Will the agent send you a representation
agreement to review? Are there revisions they’d like you to work on before
moving forward?</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #444444;">After the Call<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Reflect on the conversation: Take some time to
consider how the call went. Do you feel confident in the agent’s ability to
represent your work? Were they enthusiastic about your manuscript? Did you feel
a good rapport?</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #444444;">Follow Up: Send a thank-you email to the
agent, expressing your appreciation for their time and interest. If you’ve
agreed to make revisions, keep them updated on your progress.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Seek Advice if Needed: If you’re unsure about
anything discussed during the call, don’t hesitate to seek advice from writer
friends, mentors, or other industry professionals.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #444444;">Take Your Time: If you receive an offer of
representation, remember that this is a significant decision. Take the time you
need to evaluate the offer and ensure it’s the right fit for you and your
career. The call with a literary agent is a critical moment in your journey as
a writer. By preparing thoroughly, asking insightful questions, and reflecting
on the conversation, you can navigate this step with confidence and clarity.
Remember, this is not just about landing an agent—it’s about finding the right
partner to help bring your literary dreams to fruition.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #444444;">About the Author<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6S9aZMXt-dLFPffbIOr9H6mc1lGcsg_og8LabPZBRAbYuw5AUcAn_c4w-8Kyu-ilxj7gQN2_wvv0o1174T-g3vZicIIw4MHWFCiUPchVeIrmUFaz8Wr2I8mSF1A3GjdoW1SP8apfPGd9uUcyNSth72ZUzL7bNsgwGflwvfEpKVMas_A6NG1G2T-88xNc/s1771/Anoop%20Judge%20profile%202jpg%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1771" data-original-width="1179" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6S9aZMXt-dLFPffbIOr9H6mc1lGcsg_og8LabPZBRAbYuw5AUcAn_c4w-8Kyu-ilxj7gQN2_wvv0o1174T-g3vZicIIw4MHWFCiUPchVeIrmUFaz8Wr2I8mSF1A3GjdoW1SP8apfPGd9uUcyNSth72ZUzL7bNsgwGflwvfEpKVMas_A6NG1G2T-88xNc/s320/Anoop%20Judge%20profile%202jpg%20(1).jpg" width="213" /></a></span></b></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #444444;">Born and raised in
New Delhi, Anoop is the author of four novels, THE RUMMY CLUB which won the
2015 Beverly Hills Book Award, THE AWAKENING OF MEENA RAWAT, an excerpt of
which was nominated for the 2019 Pushcart Prize, NO ORDINARY THURSDAY, and
MERCY and GRACE. Her essays and short stories have appeared in Green Hills
Literary Lantern, Rigorous Journal, Lumiere Review, DoubleBack Review, and the
Ornament anthology, among others. Anoop calls herself a “recovering litigator”
—she worked in state and federal courts for many years before she replaced
legal briefs with fictional tales. She holds an MFA from St. Mary’s College of
California and was the recipient of the 2021 Advisory Board Award and the 2023
Alumni Scholarship. She lives in Pleasanton, California, with her husband, and
is the mother of two admirable young adults.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #444444;">You can find her
online at:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Website: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://anoopjudge.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://anoopjudge.com/</span></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Instagram: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/judgeanoop/?hl=en"><span style="color: #1155cc; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.instagram.com/judgeanoop/?hl=en</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LinkedIn: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoop-ahuja-judge-94396743/"><span style="color: #1155cc; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoop-ahuja-judge-94396743/</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-19273407710382103382024-02-28T08:36:00.000-08:002024-02-28T08:37:29.379-08:00The Background Story of The Golden Manuscripts by Evy Journey<p> </p><p></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/10/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_01762297876.html"></a>
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<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-dca85a89-7fff-f0bc-6f53-cb4541c38e9c" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-2eebb2af-7fff-f130-af45-48270ee052a2" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpwWTdEwKLei8x_xt61Qymd5dBBT0l8ayyNkqluVPw9BhClF2HkNKMQfT9LkawxR5qmkE4QyIte2Zp-8MqoQwANyr9ri-CZHNakNQ6L28hfXXj8Jr-dj61bnTKC2uGNytOGq8s7aeeHFetNxFQPqyrsrmms7oMpjU7s0Foylxbhz4uAMUiozSHTV0yA/s686/The%20Golden%20Manuscripts%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="686" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpwWTdEwKLei8x_xt61Qymd5dBBT0l8ayyNkqluVPw9BhClF2HkNKMQfT9LkawxR5qmkE4QyIte2Zp-8MqoQwANyr9ri-CZHNakNQ6L28hfXXj8Jr-dj61bnTKC2uGNytOGq8s7aeeHFetNxFQPqyrsrmms7oMpjU7s0Foylxbhz4uAMUiozSHTV0yA/w613-h218/The%20Golden%20Manuscripts%20banner.jpg" width="613" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2dbdcf41-7fff-5c00-a2a1-d74edea59aed" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Golden Manuscripts is inspired by the real-life theft of medieval manuscript illuminations during World War II.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2dbdcf41-7fff-5c00-a2a1-d74edea59aed" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBfNOOlbzhp-7YdwbvrSMucVOP70EKqbBikU8DeDUiOg6TCA_tDnV64kb1l-RzpfTM_2TPOv00gcnGS3zlXZp7q_tcnavyB8Qu33fCmeo0RivHtPO4TnRWKWqHfMHFup5HdAGQz7309G3ecOJ3_n1AhHqAG-fa9rHGZPpzvmvh17xsd8JI3kakUdqlw/s678/The%20Golden%20Manuscripts.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="505" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBfNOOlbzhp-7YdwbvrSMucVOP70EKqbBikU8DeDUiOg6TCA_tDnV64kb1l-RzpfTM_2TPOv00gcnGS3zlXZp7q_tcnavyB8Qu33fCmeo0RivHtPO4TnRWKWqHfMHFup5HdAGQz7309G3ecOJ3_n1AhHqAG-fa9rHGZPpzvmvh17xsd8JI3kakUdqlw/w476-h640/The%20Golden%20Manuscripts.png" width="476" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9683e7e0-7fff-2ae4-03b6-5fb733c72fe7" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-580d7d28-7fff-0026-bbb9-38580b77c0d5" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: The Golden Manuscripts: A Novel</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Evy Journey</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pages: 360</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Historical Fiction/Women's Fiction/Mystery</span></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123841765-the-golden-manuscripts?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=yfXgMXh7gK&rank=1">
<span class="pibfi_pinterest">
<img alt="goodreads add to" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-99113" height="41" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj-YUc0sJAo3oXLnEeJ4z-SP_ZEcuwAl9CvrYIcYjtRH_HafY48YVZN7MVpmd6fFH2fWljGV27onufY1hdgv8lZmvRHPzQZnHdtfkiX5rlbklcXgwvNIf46FF72PsjVrE-rzQqww44DzrRTcggRNdmSxrUYfjCgunDAfPUcIVao9kCAo7QBsSWKT2kyGQ=s0-d" width="130" /></span></a></p><p>
</p><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; background: url('http://images.webestools.com/rounded_corn.php?rayon=26&fond=ffffff&interieur=d7d7dd&rotation=1') no-repeat bottom left;">
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; background: url('http://images.webestools.com/rounded_corn.php?rayon=26&fond=ffffff&interieur=d7d7dd&rotation=2') no-repeat bottom right; padding-bottom: 26px; padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 26px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-size: 18px;">A
young woman of Asian/American parentage has lived in seven different
countries and is anxious to find a place she could call home. An unusual
sale of rare medieval manuscripts sends her and Nathan—an art
journalist who moonlights as a doctor—on a quest into the dark world of
stolen art. For Clarissa, these ancient manuscripts elicit cherished
memories of children’s picture books her mother read to her, nourishing a
passion for art. When their earnest search for clues whisper of old
thieves and lead to the unexpected, they raise more questions about an
esoteric sometimes unscrupulous art world that defy easy answers. Will
this quest reward Clarissa with the sense of home she longs for? This
cross-genre literary tale of self-discovery, art mystery, travel, and
love is based on the actual theft by an American soldier of illuminated
manuscripts during World War II.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash; font-size: 18px;"><b>Buy Links:</b></span></div>
<div></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash; font-size: 18px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Manuscripts-Novel-Between-Worlds-ebook/dp/B0BWP9B9HC"><b>Amazon</b></a><b> | </b><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-golden-manuscripts-evy-journey/1143740720?ean=2940167341166"><b>B&N</b></a><b> | </b></span><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6450906267"><b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;">Apple Books</span></span></b></a></div>
</div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Nh1vD2QAr2PCema7Kr4BBmhD0DUbx7GYBDvMwOHeA_oL2oYGBuZEZRlSycd7Jlg9HJYfvEQZp7ryF7VavJCEeTOmnBrsQMa1XpirK4kUrCOTIysQqzXoj8ONV0vUspBMHX8-xEwjv5FEh7I0DBjQ8zYviUAN7OMHH-qsGFCd9COQ4ujRlKfl0vzrIw/s732/The%20Golden%20Manuscripts%208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="732" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Nh1vD2QAr2PCema7Kr4BBmhD0DUbx7GYBDvMwOHeA_oL2oYGBuZEZRlSycd7Jlg9HJYfvEQZp7ryF7VavJCEeTOmnBrsQMa1XpirK4kUrCOTIysQqzXoj8ONV0vUspBMHX8-xEwjv5FEh7I0DBjQ8zYviUAN7OMHH-qsGFCd9COQ4ujRlKfl0vzrIw/w586-h431/The%20Golden%20Manuscripts%208.jpg" width="586" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-bb2c3c93-7fff-81ba-616c-dcad5ef352a7" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -0.1pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.1pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span><b>Book Excerpt:</b></span></span></span></p><h2 class="wp-block-heading">
</h2>
<p>
</p><p></p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJjLOFvraPLdJaKxBoB5HMQ6g_DfntcxkYy_VnZI5R-icnsFNbV5WnBdsXppECGPGhrlYdNFZq3KharuYaUWOy4dwMNSj5NfbhoWDXzdl-JEkVV3YxkbFN8JSe5lAnjMmqNCeuFMD8IXz-VzKikAjIbY4NThEN0ItgNHrmtShBzgIWK2sbHEoOmlEWQ/s1158/The%20Golden%20Manuscripts%20animated.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJjLOFvraPLdJaKxBoB5HMQ6g_DfntcxkYy_VnZI5R-icnsFNbV5WnBdsXppECGPGhrlYdNFZq3KharuYaUWOy4dwMNSj5NfbhoWDXzdl-JEkVV3YxkbFN8JSe5lAnjMmqNCeuFMD8IXz-VzKikAjIbY4NThEN0ItgNHrmtShBzgIWK2sbHEoOmlEWQ/w222-h640/The%20Golden%20Manuscripts%20animated.gif" width="222" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">November 2000</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Rare Manuscripts</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I sometimes wish I was your girl next door. The pretty one who listens to you and sympathizes. Doesn’t ask questions you can’t or don’t want to answer. Comes when you need to talk. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">She’s sweet, gracious, respectful, and sincere. An open book. Everybody’s ideal American girl. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">At other times, I wish I was the beautiful girl with creamy skin, come-hither eyes, and curvy lines every guy drools over. The one you can’t have, unless you’re a hunk of an athlete, or the most popular hunk around. Or you have a hunk of money.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">But I’m afraid the image I project is that of a brain with meager social skills. The one you believe can outsmart you in so many ways that you keep out of her way—you know the type. Or at least you think you do. Just as you think you know the other two.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I want to believe I’m smart, though I know I can be dumb. I’m not an expert on anything. So, please wait to pass judgement until you get to know us better—all three of us. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Who am I then? </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I’m not quite sure yet. I’m the one who’s still searching for where she belongs. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I’m not a typical American girl. Dad is Asian and Mom is white. I was born into two different cultures, neither of which dug their roots into me. But you’ll see my heritage imprinted all over me—on beige skin with an olive undertone; big grey eyes, double-lidded but not deep-set; a small nose with a pronounced narrow bridge; thick, dark straight hair like Dad’s that glints with bronze under the sun, courtesy of Mom’s genes. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I have a family: Mom, Dad, Brother. Sadly, we’re no longer one unit. Mom and Dad are about ten thousand miles apart. And my brother and I are somewhere in between.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I have no one I call friend. Except myself, of course. That part of me who perceives my actions for what they are. My inner voice. My constant companion and occasional nemesis. Moving often and developing friendships lasting three years at most, I’ve learned to turn inward. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And then there’s Arthur, my beautiful brother. Though we were raised apart, we’ve become close. Like me, he was born in the US. But he grew up in my father’s home city where his friends call him Tisoy, a diminutive for Mestizo that sometimes hints at admiration, sometimes at mockery. Locals use the label for anyone with an obvious mix of Asian and Caucasian features. We share a few features, but he’s inherited a little more from Mom. Arthur has brown wavy hair and green eyes that invite remarks from new acquaintances. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Little Arthur, not so little anymore. Taller than me now, in fact, by two inches. We’ve always gotten along quite well. Except the few times we were together when we were children and he’d keep trailing me, like a puppy, mimicking what I did until I got annoyed. I’d scowl at him, run away so fast he couldn’t catch up. Then I’d close my bedroom door on him. Sometimes I wondered if he annoyed me on purpose so that later he could hug me and say, “I love you” to soften me up. It always worked.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I love Arthur not only because we have some genes in common. He has genuinely lovable qualities—and I’m sure people can’t always say that of their siblings. He’s caring and loyal, and I trust him to be there through thick and thin. I also believe he’s better put together than I am, he whom my parents were too busy to raise. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I am certain of only one thing about myself: I occupy time and space like everyone. My tiny space no one else can claim on this planet, in this new century. But I still do not have a place where I would choose to spend and end my days. I’m a citizen of a country, though. The country where I was born. And yet I can’t call that country home. I don’t know it much. But worse than that, I do not have much of a history there. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Before today, I trudged around the globe for two decades. Cursed and blessed by having been born to a father who was a career diplomat sent on assignments to different countries, I’ve lived in different cities since I was born, usually for three to four years at a time. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Those years of inhabiting different cities in Europe and Asia whizzed by. You could say I hardly noticed them because it was the way of life I was born into. But each of those cities must have left some lasting mark on me that goes into the sum of who I am. And yet, I’m still struggling to form a clear idea of the person that is Me. This Me can’t be whole until I single out a place to call home. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Everyone has a home they’ve set roots in. We may not be aware of it, but a significant part of who we think we are—who others think we are—depends on where we’ve lived. The place we call home. A place I don’t have. Not yet. But I will.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I was three when I left this city. Having recently come back as an adult, I can’t tell whether, or for how long, I’m going to stay. You may wonder why, having lived in different places, I would choose to seek a home in this city—this country as alien to me as any other town or city I’ve passed through. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">By the end of my last school year at the Sorbonne, I was convinced that if I were to find a home, my birthplace might be my best choice. I was born here. In a country where I can claim citizenship. Where the primary language is English. My choice avoids language problems and pesky legal residency issues. Practical and logical reasons, I think.</span></span></h2>
</div></div><br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo;"><span><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The Background
Story of The Golden Manuscripts</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Are you ever
curious how picture books and, by extension, even graphic novels, first began?
Has it ever occurred to you that picture books might have illustrious
beginnings? </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">Like most
mothers, I read to my son when he was a boy, and I understand how wonderful
children’s picture books can be. Pictures in books are not only entertaining, but they also teach. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">Today, we take
picture books for granted. We love images. We whip out our cell phones and take
pictures to preserve memories of instants in time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I love
illustrations in fiction and wish we did more of them. One of my favorites is
an old almost tattered copy of a collection of Jane Austen’s novels featuring
illustrations of scenes from her stories by a nineteenth century artist.
Before Masterpiece Theater and my exposure to films of 19th century England,
these images shaped my limited conception of everything that was old English.
Now, I have an ebook copy of an old, illustrated Jane Austen collection. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When an art
history class introduced me to manuscript illuminations, I was amazed at the
thought that illustrated books likely have medieval beginnings dating back to
Charlemagne’s reign in the 9th century. While he revived classical art, his
most lasting achievement is the flourishing of picture bookmaking. Most people
in the Middle Ages couldn’t read, so he championed the creation of picture
books to teach them about God.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Historians called
those early picture books illuminated manuscripts or manuscript illuminations.
They were handwritten and illustrated on parchment (dried and stretched animal
skins), often by the same creator who painted the pictures. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">An illumination
is a picture or illustration in a book that conveys the meaning of a piece of
text. It’s “illuminated” through the use of gilding—gold or silver decorations
on letters and figures. In medieval times, these manuscripts represented
a high art form. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This intro
compelled me to do extensive research into illuminated manuscripts. One of the
articles I unearthed told of an actual theft by an American soldier during WWII
of a couple of these rare manuscripts. It was eureka moment. I was left with no
choice but to write a story around this theft of illustrated books. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">To make the story
more intriguing, and in keeping with the overall theme of the second set of
standalone novels in my Between Two Worlds series, I chose a young biracial
heroine who’s rootless and anxious to find a home for herself. The product is a
literary novel based on actual events, into which I’ve woven mystery,
historical, and romance elements.</span></p><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></div><span style="font-size: 15.4px; font-weight: bold;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>About the Author</span></span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "Cherry Swash"; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOjw5_61kKrU08aSF4R8Llt_vztaVituKTpN9BV33fCDL8yer0Eh_DJwQzTAAIzmz4CVEHELfuyfDSinkjofbZ_OWfhIj30gz4DdnbGjfZalURq-SZEdzXyMKrufSn5PytxFPWsS7M2P8k-c3dORRSSo6vm3tZFkslPeq-OPLB23VkdEOZnOWIx256g/s532/Evy%20Journey.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="532" height="437" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOjw5_61kKrU08aSF4R8Llt_vztaVituKTpN9BV33fCDL8yer0Eh_DJwQzTAAIzmz4CVEHELfuyfDSinkjofbZ_OWfhIj30gz4DdnbGjfZalURq-SZEdzXyMKrufSn5PytxFPWsS7M2P8k-c3dORRSSo6vm3tZFkslPeq-OPLB23VkdEOZnOWIx256g/w486-h437/Evy%20Journey.png" width="486" /></a></div></span></span></b></span></span></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody">
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Evy Journey writes. Stories and blog posts. Novels that tend to cross genres. She’s also a wannabe artist, and a flâneuse. Evy studied psychology (M.A., University of Hawaii; Ph.D. University of Illinois). So her fiction spins tales about nuanced characters dealing with contemporary life issues and problems. She believes in love and its many faces. Her one ungranted wish: To live in Paris where art is everywhere and people have honed aimless roaming to an art form. She has visited and stayed a few months at a time.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><b>Author Links </b> </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;">
</div><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><a href="https://evyjourney.net">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ejourneywriter/">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/eveonalimb2/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14845365.Evy_Journey">Goodreads</a></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAI6lfb3MC4HD7nfWPjK_XOQvkgItQ2seT52f798R42RBgvs2ttW2EmbWoPH2lSMLf8KPWdcTQUSHyrAnO2jjtgLqsiUnQ3cm6sTL_QdhVbx9xPDq32O9FwYUx07X2uWapPqPUYQ8tHsQ9bWftBTKFHsXWkO4Np4RvC2jNjAo_0GwVxXVOyXM9x94ABQ/s612/giveaway.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="612" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAI6lfb3MC4HD7nfWPjK_XOQvkgItQ2seT52f798R42RBgvs2ttW2EmbWoPH2lSMLf8KPWdcTQUSHyrAnO2jjtgLqsiUnQ3cm6sTL_QdhVbx9xPDq32O9FwYUx07X2uWapPqPUYQ8tHsQ9bWftBTKFHsXWkO4Np4RvC2jNjAo_0GwVxXVOyXM9x94ABQ/s320/giveaway.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Evy Journey will giving away nine $25 Amazon Gift Cards & nine boxed sets of the last 3 books in the series, Between Two Worlds! This is the way it works. Evy is touring for 6 months. At the end of each 2 month period she will be giving away 3 $25 Amazon Gift Cards and 3 boxed sets of the last 3 books in the series, Between Two Worlds. You will have a chance to win 3 times during her tour!</span></h2>
<p><strong>Terms & Conditions:</strong></p>
<ul><li>By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.</li><li>Nine winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a boxed set of the last 3 books in the series, Between Two Worlds.</li><li>This giveaway starts February 5 and ends July 30.</li><li>Winners will be contacted via email on March 28, May 31 and July 30.</li><li>Winner has 48 hours to reply.</li></ul>
<p>Good luck everyone!</p> <a class="rcptr" data-raflid="1a49cf61259" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1a49cf61259/" id="rcwidget_uh2muwav" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
<br /></div><br /><p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMGL6Hz99n2Xi3cfggJza9IUDyJpkhyws2-ZBzNtuoj11qflTlmJut8iCozxbO6YM8T7xM7pRJmYm87VhST8Gg86CMBfcMIMR45w1xsS3Zn_R7oKqEEr3DW8wEzIl7MWig9DVVrag6UL1iFGf2m1RRG6WnE3-BvbGuIpDI4NcrKgQ3KqqJTbthhEP-Q/s640/The%20Golden%20Manuscripts%20blog%20tour.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMGL6Hz99n2Xi3cfggJza9IUDyJpkhyws2-ZBzNtuoj11qflTlmJut8iCozxbO6YM8T7xM7pRJmYm87VhST8Gg86CMBfcMIMR45w1xsS3Zn_R7oKqEEr3DW8wEzIl7MWig9DVVrag6UL1iFGf2m1RRG6WnE3-BvbGuIpDI4NcrKgQ3KqqJTbthhEP-Q/w561-h421/The%20Golden%20Manuscripts%20blog%20tour.jpg" width="561" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br style="font-size: 15.4px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div><br /></div>
Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-58469442218437301082024-02-14T23:03:00.000-08:002024-02-14T23:03:04.823-08:0010 Things You Might Not Know About The Dreaming Team & author Chris Wallace<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14solOUn3q_J3hSiOu0mvbXvgAim8KUchdxXvC1sa9DNjJga83fM7eJgi5Y891302KexIAWN-3TWgBpXbreU2UTqtO6wwQvbgmcxi1C_sPfN3j4Psy9zW_otzBXT0L6olPxH9puZotaVT413mjM8zyUjS8afC5XB0dKhnkd9siRZT0ZdAZhyq7EICIQ/s699/The%20Dreaming%20Team%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="699" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14solOUn3q_J3hSiOu0mvbXvgAim8KUchdxXvC1sa9DNjJga83fM7eJgi5Y891302KexIAWN-3TWgBpXbreU2UTqtO6wwQvbgmcxi1C_sPfN3j4Psy9zW_otzBXT0L6olPxH9puZotaVT413mjM8zyUjS8afC5XB0dKhnkd9siRZT0ZdAZhyq7EICIQ/w517-h188/The%20Dreaming%20Team%20banner.jpg" width="517" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/10/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_01762297876.html"></a>
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<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Dreaming Team is a true story for anyone who believes that seemingly insurmountable odds can be overcome if you have the talent and the opportunity.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2dbdcf41-7fff-5c00-a2a1-d74edea59aed" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrkHnAvjBv4oxOoqfyhYkXt2OxV4nN-oHJ6V1Q5e3-TYDHGZPcoEl4wvWH2rr4ZGC1S03gQT73N4YW9ikuf1GY74gUNCHbzwVVi7LWY9cFR1jW2FqyyP2xgH0mIQO9-PmMCRiQs8iOnqPVRyDkt0mI9RFayAGtFAHzbTsycZWWJII_n2_dd9OLk8jtg/s682/The%20Dreaming%20Team.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="502" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrkHnAvjBv4oxOoqfyhYkXt2OxV4nN-oHJ6V1Q5e3-TYDHGZPcoEl4wvWH2rr4ZGC1S03gQT73N4YW9ikuf1GY74gUNCHbzwVVi7LWY9cFR1jW2FqyyP2xgH0mIQO9-PmMCRiQs8iOnqPVRyDkt0mI9RFayAGtFAHzbTsycZWWJII_n2_dd9OLk8jtg/w472-h640/The%20Dreaming%20Team.png" width="472" /></a></div></div></div><div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
</h2><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">In the 1850s, Australia was a thriving colony of the British Empire, with its own sense of importance and sophistication. But the people who had occupied this vast land for upwards of 40,000 years didn’t fit well with colonial expectations of the future. In every way imaginable, white Australia tried to keep its “darkies” in line. It is against this backdrop in the 1860s that the amazing story of an all Aboriginal cricket team, the first Aussie team to do so, played at Lords, the home of cricket in England. Conventional wisdom predicted that Indigenous Australians would die off by the next generation. <b><i>The Dreaming Team</i></b> brings those Indigenous players to life and follows them on an adventure that would appear to be unbelievable if it weren’t true. They not only changed the minds and perceptions about Aboriginal Australians, they arguably changed the course of Australian history. Praise for The Dreaming Team: <i>“A beautiful story, beautifully written, about a piece of Australian history that, if you don’t know about, you probably should. Heartwarming, heartbreaking and brimming with relevance for today’s Australia. A poignant example of how far we’ve come and how far we haven’t.”</i> <i>“The Dreaming Team tells the true story of the all Aboriginal cricket team from Victoria who did a tour of Great Britain back in the 1860s and all the drama, setbacks, and cultural divide between the Aboriginals and white Australians involved. Considering the state of affairs for Aboriginal people in those days, the team’s accomplishments are no small feat!”</i> <i>“What an interesting story. It is truly an Australian story about indigenous Australians. The story grabbed me from the first chapter, and drew me further in to where I could not put it down. I don’t want to give anything away, so I will say that the twists and turns makes you want to know what happens next at the end of each chapter. To say it is a sports story is not fair, it is a people story, told from the heart, about the hearts of people who love the land, and their story. I recommend it highly, and look forward to more from the author, Chris Wallace!”</i></span></span> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">You can purchase your copy at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Team-Chris-Wallace/dp/0645968706/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1700139793&sr=1-1">Amazon</a>. </span></span></p>
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</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKBI2IyA1UjFxjL8JwbkS-l8Gifwzz9Ej9lSoQzPq_ImwiIjhzGN9lib3bMovOjJsT2YoMIpE4MU5VHJNt47uTi_eMXiZujlm_XvQwxHCM0NlkUu6ri5EFefhZdFt_0voDLEAS87c4lbalsAEPZ-0kIHV92TWRWJTe4TyRuYVH2r-aqXVjuwk529buA/s864/The%20Dreaming%20Team%207.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="702" height="795" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKBI2IyA1UjFxjL8JwbkS-l8Gifwzz9Ej9lSoQzPq_ImwiIjhzGN9lib3bMovOjJsT2YoMIpE4MU5VHJNt47uTi_eMXiZujlm_XvQwxHCM0NlkUu6ri5EFefhZdFt_0voDLEAS87c4lbalsAEPZ-0kIHV92TWRWJTe4TyRuYVH2r-aqXVjuwk529buA/w646-h795/The%20Dreaming%20Team%207.jpg" width="646" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-bb2c3c93-7fff-81ba-616c-dcad5ef352a7" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -0.1pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.1pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span><b>Book Excerpt:</b></span></span></span></p><h2 class="wp-block-heading">
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGfj-_P6XDn3eQFITWnkqsLST4YwkgON7pC6P8XDzY6Mm1d6WoFmO3UUf2gHwR9S9mIMzeEes0jsP-bn7Cuy-r_FxvQ9OR_09SCVVzH34zUDq9Qh0RJolkhTrUZbxIVXnVDVszFCd-znfRE7_3xwymsTdk1p4ebD5s5HdnJLXOdrUI50HPyIg_ruxAA/s1158/The%20Dreaming%20Team%20anim.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="393" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGfj-_P6XDn3eQFITWnkqsLST4YwkgON7pC6P8XDzY6Mm1d6WoFmO3UUf2gHwR9S9mIMzeEes0jsP-bn7Cuy-r_FxvQ9OR_09SCVVzH34zUDq9Qh0RJolkhTrUZbxIVXnVDVszFCd-znfRE7_3xwymsTdk1p4ebD5s5HdnJLXOdrUI50HPyIg_ruxAA/w218-h640/The%20Dreaming%20Team%20anim.gif" width="218" /></a></div></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Mr.
Buckingham has asked Black Johnny to come into the shearing shed. They
stand together, both uncomfortable for different reasons. Unaarrimin
wonders if he’s done something wrong. He has always tried to be a good
worker. Never complained about anything. Was happy just to be there on
the station What could he have done? In the very back of his mind, he
wonders if it has anything to do with Alice but dismisses the thought
as soon as it comes. Mr. Buckingham is uncomfortable because he doesn’t
like confrontation. And especially this one. He is perfectly happy
with Black Johnny, finds him easy going, cooperative and good at his
job. It’s only because of his wife that he is in this position. After a
few more awkward minutes, Buckingham clears his throat and begins.
“You know . . . Um . . . You see . . . If it was up to me . . . Well . .
. Er . . . The Missus has a bit of ah . . . Oh, damn it, I’m going to
have to let you go. That’s the size of it. You’ll have to leave the
property. I’ve arranged some provisions for you, tea and sugar, salt, a
blanket, a billy, matches, a good knife. But you’ll have to go.”
Unaarrimin can only look at this man dumbfounded; this man who has been
his guardian since he was orphaned as a little boy. “What have I done?”
Unaarrimin asks. “Well, that’s just it, you see. It isn’t that you’ve
done anything. It’s more like . . . um . . . look, Johnny, let’s just
leave it that the Missus would rather you weren’t here anymore. Like I
said, if it was up to me, we wouldn’t be having this talk. But you’ve
got to go. Here, take this letter with you. It’ll help you get a job
somewhere else. But she wants you off the property tomorrow. Early.”</span></i></i></span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Alice and Unaarrimin had been inseparable when they were children. She claimed him. She taught him to read. As she learned them, she taught him manners. They hiked all over Mullagh Station together. He taught her how to live in the bush, showing her what plants were edible; how to make bread, how to build a proper fire. They got into all manner of mischief together, stealing honey from Mrs. Buckingham’s cupboard and tobacco from Mr. Buckingham’s pouch. One time Unaarrimin twisted his ankle jumping from the roof of the shed because Alice dared him. When they saw that he was alright, they rolled on the ground together in fits of laughter. He remembers how infectious Alice’s laugh is. It’s like a melody, like music to him. He would always do anything to make her laugh. And she always did. One day he was teaching her how to throw a boomerang. “<i>Hold it like this,’ he says. “Throw from the shoulder”. Alice cranks her arm for a mighty toss and cracks Unaarrimin in the nose. She starts laughing her magical laugh. Even when it starts bleeding, she’s still laughing. And by now, he is laughing too. Alice takes a handkerchief from her pocket and begins dabbing the blood. Then she gives it to him so he can apply enough pressure to stop the bleeding. All the while they are laughing uncontrollably.</i></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But there is no laughter now. Now, he is filled with sadness as he empties the remains of the billy onto the fire and rolls up his swag. Where is he to go? What is he to do? He ambles away from the billabong, no longer conscious of freedom, but thinking of what he has lost, wondering if he’ll ever see her again. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">10
Things You Might Not Know About The Dreaming Team & Chris Wallace</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></p><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This true story took place in the 1860s, at a
time when the British Empire was at its absolute, most glorious, The
Victorian Age. It was said that the sun never set on the British
Empire. This was not hyperbole. It stretched from Canada in
North America to India, Burma and Ceylon in Asia to Rhodesia and South
Africa to Sudan, Uganda and Kenya to Nigeria and Togo in Africa to the
Seychelles, Mauritius and Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean to Australia and
New Zealand in the Pacific to Bermuda, Jamaica and other areas in the
Caribbean to British Guiana and the Falkland Islands in South
America. And this is still not all of it. The game of cricket
was, therefore, ubiquitous and played all around the globe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Until around the 1830s, Australia had been a
penal colony, where people could be sent for something as trivial as
shoplifting. At around that time, settlers began arriving and
claimed the land for farming, etc., displacing the Indigenous people, whose
culture and customs were thousands of years old, and brutalizing them into
submission.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Scientists like Charles Darwin and others,
who gained their reputations during this period, were convinced that
Aboriginal Australians would naturally die off by the next generation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Many of the Black men who comprised The First
Eleven (as the cricket team was known) were boys when their way of life
and families were being destroyed by the settlers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After achieving what would have been
unimaginable in a place ten thousand miles away from their country, not
long after they returned to Australia, they were virtually
forgotten. <b><i>The Dreaming Team</i></b> tells their story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chris Wallace grew up in Delaware, Ohio,
where his father had a restaurant. He worked at a men’s clothing
store through high school and college and expected to spend the rest of
his life there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">He started going to movies alone when he was
seven or eight and averaged two double features and a big Sunday
extravaganza per week for years. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">He was drafted into the US Army after college
and sent to Germany, which began a life-long urge to travel. He has
been traveling ever since and has been to more than 30 countries from
Austria to Zimbabwe, some multiple times, and speaks a bit of French,
German, Greek, Swahili and a lot of English.</span></span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">He is currently single and has no children.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">He believes that timing is always perfect;
that simply saying “yes” can result in amazing adventures, and that every
person is the star of their own movie.</span></span></li></ol></div></span></h2></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>About the Author</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnx-ckSfelEEqXeQ93iiJcItZhySxtRQiiFXcSnto4k57zdoDucENBUefpNJXCFX3L6bG8hxEl267jw1tDmRyC8SgtJloD3Cq37kOqYYr1WL2V6CF1aOkirQG2zNxK3aqIUhgqyie_4mwJDlkQMzGP0xtahyphenhyphenEKmzQlJk4gULEXh78tHvWbtv_-HsFMYg/s576/Chris%20Wallace.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="538" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnx-ckSfelEEqXeQ93iiJcItZhySxtRQiiFXcSnto4k57zdoDucENBUefpNJXCFX3L6bG8hxEl267jw1tDmRyC8SgtJloD3Cq37kOqYYr1WL2V6CF1aOkirQG2zNxK3aqIUhgqyie_4mwJDlkQMzGP0xtahyphenhyphenEKmzQlJk4gULEXh78tHvWbtv_-HsFMYg/w598-h640/Chris%20Wallace.png" width="598" /></a></div></span></span></b></span></span></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody">
<p>
</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Chris Wallace is a creative resource. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">As an actor, he was a regular on the hit daytime drama, <b>All My Children</b>, created the role of The Half-Percenter in Joe Papp’s production<b>, Mondongo</b>, appeared in countless television programs, including <b>The Incredible Hulk</b>, <b>The Mary Tyler Moore Hour</b> and had a starring role in the holiday horror classic film, <b>New Year’s Evil</b>. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">As a producer, he put on <b>New York: A Great Place to Live</b> at Lincoln Center which kicked off New York City’s Diamond Jubilee; for Channel Five in New York, he produced the highly acclaimed <b>Harlem Cultural Festival</b>; at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, he produced <b>Uptown Sunday Afternoon</b>, which was hosted by Harry Belafonte and featured Richard Pryor, Bill Withers, and a galaxy of other performers; for the National Organization for Women, he produced <b>A Valentine’s Day Tribute to Woman</b> at New York’s Town Hall; was associate producer of the first <b>Ali-Frazier Heavyweight Championship Fight</b> at Madison Square Garden, and produced the gigantic block party, hosted by Gwen Verdon, which named West 46<sup>th</sup> Street as <b>Restaurant Row</b>. .</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">He earned the Silver Award at the New York International Film and Television Festival for <b>In the Balance</b>, a film that advocated sustainability and common sense in wildlife management. It was also singled out by the Department of the Interior as one of the best films of its kind. Chris wrote, narrated and wrote the musical score for that film.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">He performed on several children’s television programs in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Jacksonville, singing his original children’s songs. In Hollywood, he performed them for all denominations of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America. He created a musical, <b>A Special Thing to Be</b>, at the Los Angeles Children’s Museum that featured his kids’ songs and the museum’s children’s chorus.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">He wrote the songs for two children’s theatre productions in Hollywood, <b>Hooray, Here Comes the Circus</b> and <b>Sleeping Beauty</b>; wrote and performed the songs on <b>Strong Kids, Safe Kids</b>, a video produced by Henry Winkler for Paramount that dealt with the protection of children from sexual molestation and exploitation. He created his first musical revue, <b>Greatest Hits</b>, in Hollywood, which played several venues, including Carlos ‘n’ Charlie’s on Sunset Strip and The Backlot in West Hollywood.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Upon relocating to Australia, he produced <b>A Helping Hand</b> at the Victorian Arts Centre, a benefit for Quadriplegic Hand Foundation; wrote book, music and lyrics for <b>Nothing to Wear</b>, a musical based on “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” also produced at the Victorian Arts Centre. He created a one-man show, <b>A Thing of Shreds & Patches</b>, for the Melbourne Fringe Festival; created another one-man show, <b>The Mark Twain You Don’t Know</b>, which toured Australia, then Pacific Palisades, California, and played in New York City on the 100<sup>th</sup> anniversary of Mark Twain’s death. He created several cabaret shows for The Butterfly Club in Melbourne, most notable of which was <b>Les Femmes</b> which featured an all female cast. He wrote, produced and performed in <b>Huckleberry: A Musical Adventure</b> which premiered in Melbourne.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Which brings us to <b>The Dreaming Team</b>. This is his second book. The first, <b>Hollywood Mosaic</b> is written under the pen name, Pete Joseph. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">You can visit his website at <a href="http://www.olentangymusic.com"><b>www.olentangymusic.com</b></a>.</span></span> </p></div></div>
Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-72875017671017136682024-01-27T08:26:00.000-08:002024-01-27T08:26:49.082-08:00My University of the World, a memoir by Neill McKee<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGm8MVLnZwjHXqDvr5viulateMvRD5vGBTpVAeWyCa8kpS8vGFqCdsCkvOy9XJqiuPRUBE4XiH5pLKSYKV7g0YXbw-Wyw08ExmDcrBBMSmnWZ3rqfNumpog9ogM-6_PG-TeAGYA46MYedxbfc3TvrlmP9YHVhYZR4DRJaEkgL7Lmi9goV7iFg3neINI6w/s2700/My%20University%20of%20the%20World%20Book%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGm8MVLnZwjHXqDvr5viulateMvRD5vGBTpVAeWyCa8kpS8vGFqCdsCkvOy9XJqiuPRUBE4XiH5pLKSYKV7g0YXbw-Wyw08ExmDcrBBMSmnWZ3rqfNumpog9ogM-6_PG-TeAGYA46MYedxbfc3TvrlmP9YHVhYZR4DRJaEkgL7Lmi9goV7iFg3neINI6w/s320/My%20University%20of%20the%20World%20Book%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><a name="_Hlk156641923"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><a name="_Hlk156641923"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Neill
McKee takes us on an entertaining journey through the developing world from
1970 to 2012. The story starts when he becomes a “one-man film crew,”
documenting the lives of Canadian CUSO volunteers working in Asia and Africa as
teachers, medical doctors, nurses, engineers, agriculturalists, foresters, and
a biologist. He learns the craft of filmmaking and meets and marries Elizabeth
“on the hoof.” The story is enlivened throughout by their challenges and
adventures together, and Elizabeth’s growing artistic talent and creations. Throughout
the short chapters and in a brief epilogue, McKee reflects on the long-term
impact of the projects he documented and of his media creations. His memoir is
filled with compelling dialog, humorous and poignant incidents, thoughts on
world development, vivid descriptions of people and places he visited, and many
images, all of which bring readers into his “University of the World.”<o:p></o:p></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Purchase
a copy of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My University of the World</i>
on </span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-University-World-Adventures-International/dp/1732945780"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Amazon</span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> or </span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"></span><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/my-university-of-the-world-adventures-of-an-international-film-media-maker-neill-mckee/20645013?ean=9781732945784"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bookshop.org</span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. You can also add this to your </span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199387918-my-university-of-the-world"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">GoodReads reading list</span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My University of the World<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This memoir takes the reader on
a many-faceted ride through my long career. In the opening chapter in 1970, in
India, the reader joins me as a young cinematographer, learning my new craft
“on the hoof.” I traveled alone on a shoestring budget on rickety old trains
and buses while documenting the lives of Canadian volunteers. That job lasted
two years and, to boot, I married Elizabeth, an American woman I met in Japan,
in a humorous ceremony in Lusaka, Zambia, <u>after</u> our honeymoon at
Victoria Falls. The adventures continued when we settled down in Ottawa,
Canada, to have children. There, I was hired by the International Development
Research Centre to roam the developing world and make about 30 films on their
many projects in education, rural development, agriculture, post-harvest
technology, fisheries and aquaculture, health care, water and sanitation—the
list goes on. Some of my creations won awards. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">After 15 years of traveling,
editing, and producing, I was granted a sabbatical to do a Master of Science in
Communication at Florida State University (FSU). These new credentials led me
and my family to Bangladesh, in 1990, where I became the leader of a
communication team for UNICEF—the United Nations Children’s Fund. (Lucky for
me, Elizabeth is an artist with a portable career, and her growing talent is
featured in my memoir.) In Bangladesh, I applied all I had learned in my
earlier years and at FSU. The highlight of the job came when I forged a
regional team of researchers, artists, and program officers to create an
entertaining TV/video and comic book series on </span></span><a href="https://www.neillmckeevideos.com/meena"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Meena, an empowered animated
girl cartoon figure</span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">, who cleverly negotiates with
her peers, family, and community for gender equality in education, health care,
and many other child rights. By then, I knew that stories, rather than simple
messages, would be discussed in families and communities—a better chance to
change behavior and social norms. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">The success in Bangladesh led me
to become the regional communication officer for UNICEF in Eastern and Southern
Africa, where I led the agency’s early attempts to contain the growing HIV/AIDS
epidemic and launched </span></span><a href="https://www.neillmckeevideos.com/sara"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Sara, the adolescent girl</span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">—entertaining
animated film and comic book stories of young girls fighting for their rights.
In 2001, I joined Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore, USA, to do
similar work, frequently traveling to Asia, and after three years I was asked
to lead a JHU project in Moscow, Russia, at the time Putin was tightening reins
on society. Except for a brief epilogue, my memoir ends with my final post in
Washington, D.C. (2009-2012) as director of a large global communication
project with millions of dollars to program and 140 staff members to manage—a
great challenge, employing all I had learned throughout my career.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Although I started as a “one-man
film crew,” as described in my book, I was influenced and mentored by many of
the multi-national people I met and worked with through the years. These
experiences led me to become a leader of creative teams; an author and
co-author of books, articles, and manuals on development communication; a
facilitator and trainer of hundreds of people; and a mentor of others. I
learned how to negotiate around roadblocks and apply principles such as gender
and racial equity, and skills such as emotional intelligence. My career
entailed so many changes and chances to grow and learn that I decided to title
this memoir “My University of the World.”</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk156641923;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGxugtwVMG12d0pgK9wj8TNdnPpBPorbkwlFdJL45W7L3oO3kke7Ug7exj68gHVuzDJTFTWGp_Tizt1cLrShQGhPq8HKKZ1AtFQ0j88v3cuMJbGSDGJFLtFAmOncwrxCeLctC56wGr0reD2AE5nW-IqmyUrs_RqCXu2mFajNPhQBySeqFhRA4OHL7IbM/s3337/Neill%20McKee%20Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2829" data-original-width="3337" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGxugtwVMG12d0pgK9wj8TNdnPpBPorbkwlFdJL45W7L3oO3kke7Ug7exj68gHVuzDJTFTWGp_Tizt1cLrShQGhPq8HKKZ1AtFQ0j88v3cuMJbGSDGJFLtFAmOncwrxCeLctC56wGr0reD2AE5nW-IqmyUrs_RqCXu2mFajNPhQBySeqFhRA4OHL7IbM/s320/Neill%20McKee%20Photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">About the Author</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Neill McKee is a
creative nonfiction writer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My University of the World: Memoir of an
International Film & Media Maker </i>is a stand-alone sequel to his first
travel memoir, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Finding Myself in Borneo:
Sojourns in Sabah</i>, which has won three awards. McKee holds a bachelor’s
degree from the University of Calgary and a master’s degree in communication
from Florida State University. He worked internationally for 45 years, becoming
an expert in the field of communication for behavior and social change. He
directed and produced a number of award-winning documentary films/videos,
popular multimedia initiatives, and has written numerous articles and three
books in the field of development communication. During his international
career, McKee was employed by Canadian University Service Overseas (now CUSO
International); the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada;
UNICEF in Asia and Africa; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; the
Academy for Educational Development and FHI 360, Washington, D.C. He worked and
lived in Malaysia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, and Russia for a total of 18
years and traveled to over 80 countries on short-term assignments. In 2015, he
settled in New Mexico, where he uses his varied experiences, memories, and
imagination in creative writing. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Find Neill online:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author’s website: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.neillmckeeauthor.com/my-university-of-the-world"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.neillmckeeauthor.com/my-university-of-the-world</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author's digital
library: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.neillmckeevideos.com/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.neillmckeevideos.com/</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
(These are most of the film and media projects covered in the memoir – produced
by the author from 1970 to 2012.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LinkedIn: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/neill-mckee-b9971b65/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.linkedin.com/in/neill-mckee-b9971b65/</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Facebook: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/McKeeNeill/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.facebook.com/McKeeNeill/</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-51958129043601584752024-01-18T06:57:00.000-08:002024-01-18T06:57:15.652-08:00The Inspiration Behind Pinball Wizard by Michael D. Meloan<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqe6N3CnnBWEkH_oi3OTWBa_GB1S0aZuu7sDab9QVGrUXY_4vXoIoKEFEC8-yvyULecq3BzWsj3BeQj_2AqRK0bJbGVTQ8iwvc2TahZO8ipB3CWc7I3iTDYk4wVm4dIU_0PLGZ9qoYbD2mXd0nsXBaGYEmR73aTYwLjlDka3Vd3IIPNMPgvTyZV9-v4Q/s667/Pinball%20Wizard%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="667" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqe6N3CnnBWEkH_oi3OTWBa_GB1S0aZuu7sDab9QVGrUXY_4vXoIoKEFEC8-yvyULecq3BzWsj3BeQj_2AqRK0bJbGVTQ8iwvc2TahZO8ipB3CWc7I3iTDYk4wVm4dIU_0PLGZ9qoYbD2mXd0nsXBaGYEmR73aTYwLjlDka3Vd3IIPNMPgvTyZV9-v4Q/w566-h223/Pinball%20Wizard%20banner.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/10/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_01762297876.html"></a>
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<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-dca85a89-7fff-f0bc-6f53-cb4541c38e9c" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-2eebb2af-7fff-f130-af45-48270ee052a2" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Will you be the pinball wizard or the pinball?</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOTbttO0hCaeiDgUottzZxMf2GxeAwF5CX5Nz4kbEgsACz-rJhriIY8iXjUJSlm5wSfiRVRZWhYHjRNQ6mM_GM4DjaQwSIK9U7rJZ0EJzSFNt1ViyKXOiPIP8luGryJ3FF1-IPpCahAy9q9H-mbvh6oOSfzah6JAQyOD1mN8v9f0KGts4mXjncKJ6qw/s678/Pinball%20Wizard.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="494" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOTbttO0hCaeiDgUottzZxMf2GxeAwF5CX5Nz4kbEgsACz-rJhriIY8iXjUJSlm5wSfiRVRZWhYHjRNQ6mM_GM4DjaQwSIK9U7rJZ0EJzSFNt1ViyKXOiPIP8luGryJ3FF1-IPpCahAy9q9H-mbvh6oOSfzah6JAQyOD1mN8v9f0KGts4mXjncKJ6qw/w466-h640/Pinball%20Wizard.png" width="466" /></a></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-9683e7e0-7fff-2ae4-03b6-5fb733c72fe7" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-580d7d28-7fff-0026-bbb9-38580b77c0d5" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Pinball Wizard</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Michael D. Meloan</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pages: 136</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Novella / Romantic Action / Adventure</span></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181865419-pinball-wizard?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=WsNnipjZ1k&rank=1">
<span class="pibfi_pinterest">
<img alt="goodreads add to" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-99113" height="41" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj-YUc0sJAo3oXLnEeJ4z-SP_ZEcuwAl9CvrYIcYjtRH_HafY48YVZN7MVpmd6fFH2fWljGV27onufY1hdgv8lZmvRHPzQZnHdtfkiX5rlbklcXgwvNIf46FF72PsjVrE-rzQqww44DzrRTcggRNdmSxrUYfjCgunDAfPUcIVao9kCAo7QBsSWKT2kyGQ=s0-d" width="130" /></span></a></p><p>
</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Michael D. Meloan’s new novella PINBALL WIZARD is a story of love, sex, jets, and Bukowski. Ralph is buffeted between a controlling father, international intrigue in the US defense industry, and a friendship with the writer Charles Bukowski. A wild girlfriend also ratchets-up the action.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">“Are you the Pinball Wizard or the pinball?” asks Ralph’s manager inside a nuclear hardened bunker in England. That is the question driving Michael D. Meloan’s new novella–a story of love, sex, jets, and Bukowski.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Lights flash and bells ring as Ralph is buffeted between a controlling father, international intrigue in the US defense industry, and a friendship with the writer Charles Bukowski. A wild girlfriend also ratchets-up the action.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">But in the end, it is Ralph’s turn at the controls.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">“My mailbox contained a surprise a week or so ago: PINBALL WIZARD, a novella by Michael Meloan. It is one of the most satisfying reading experiences I’ve had in recent years, in part because it handles a famous writer (Charles Bukowski) as one of its main characters with nonchalant deftness. Meloan’s slightly picaresque story is hard to classify, which is one of the things that makes it such a pleasure to read. He has a gift for writing unapologetically masculine prose; it’s flavorful without being exotic, and it doesn’t hurt that he has a fine ear for dialogue.”–Bill Mohr, writer, critic, and English Literature Professor at California State University, Long Beach</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">More information on the book PINBALL WIZARD can be found at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pinball-Wizard-Michael-D-Meloan/dp/1733386483/">https://www.amazon.com/Pinball-Wizard-Michael-D-Meloan/dp/1733386483/</a>. </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYjJ0bg57sC7n9Cpx5sNV6G8vRyp-07y8UzMB2q6_M2mEv12Lb7aRb_bQv7m7PFXfBthQP3qrcZSJsS5cP3PLPWt40pTMi-gC2W4FPM-KiYEuo8-yaQx7sbu8ZLmTjFZh0l6OuKPShW4gCqqTr-XkLpvb1c_07I9LIb-LzvlXgW-nKzC6oeMM_eTQyQ/s927/Pinball%20Wizard%208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="657" height="885" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYjJ0bg57sC7n9Cpx5sNV6G8vRyp-07y8UzMB2q6_M2mEv12Lb7aRb_bQv7m7PFXfBthQP3qrcZSJsS5cP3PLPWt40pTMi-gC2W4FPM-KiYEuo8-yaQx7sbu8ZLmTjFZh0l6OuKPShW4gCqqTr-XkLpvb1c_07I9LIb-LzvlXgW-nKzC6oeMM_eTQyQ/w627-h885/Pinball%20Wizard%208.jpg" width="627" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-bb2c3c93-7fff-81ba-616c-dcad5ef352a7" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -0.1pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.1pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span><b>Book Excerpt:</b></span></span></span></p><h2 class="wp-block-heading">
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</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbOb54p_J25Dd5f2TFid94hV8Y38g02ebAcS5HJ9-uEkJqS2xqTQv2ADjDtDQdf3z2F3SQH6ar6_3pO4AKiU-KHAwvFHvh3AWVm32JqHng4WCSgv3BYbzFcCggJ3qZcOEkWrwSyHp-cLSMjw_51wdUdP1yv79moo2Cj5DRAR2HcwLx3zhyphenhyphenQkGox7CEw/s1158/Pinball%20Wizard%20animated.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="387" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbOb54p_J25Dd5f2TFid94hV8Y38g02ebAcS5HJ9-uEkJqS2xqTQv2ADjDtDQdf3z2F3SQH6ar6_3pO4AKiU-KHAwvFHvh3AWVm32JqHng4WCSgv3BYbzFcCggJ3qZcOEkWrwSyHp-cLSMjw_51wdUdP1yv79moo2Cj5DRAR2HcwLx3zhyphenhyphenQkGox7CEw/w214-h640/Pinball%20Wizard%20animated.gif" width="214" /></a></div>“You think every woman is a whore. You hate women. Admit it!” said Linda. “You can’t look a woman in the eye and relate to her as a human being. All you see is fishnet stockings, tits, and a hole.”<p></p>
<p>“You’re starting to piss me off,” Bukowski replied. “If it wasn’t for me, I don’t know what the fuck you’d be doing. That shitty little restaurant would be out of business in a week. What would you do if you had to go out and get a real job? I guess you could make Slurpees at 7-Eleven. Or sell oranges on a freeway on-ramp.”</p>
<p>“You’re the kind of vile piece-of-shit that makes people jump off buildings or blow their brains out. You have a genius for sucking every ounce of hope and joy out of anyone around you.”</p>
<p>“At least I have a genius for something. How many even have that?”</p>
<p>“You’re right. I’m sure Hitler was a genius, too.”</p>
<p>“Why don’t you move out? Go ahead and go! Do you think you’re the only woman I can get?”</p>
<p>“No, I’m well aware that the lure of fame—even second-rate fame like yours—is a powerful aphrodisiac for trailer trash women.”</p>
<p>“That’s it!” Bukowski planted his foot underneath the wooden coffee table and kicked it over, launching glasses of wine into the air. “Get out of my house! You DON’T live here anymore! I mean it. We’re through!” Bukowski and Linda stared at each other. Linda’s jaw flexed rhythmically. Then he moved in close. “I mean it! LEAVE!” he screamed, spewing spittle in her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks.</p>
<p>She stood up and looked at me. “Get me out of here,” she said.</p>
<p>“OK,” I replied.</p>
</div></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyISSD3pUS_fI3I9JIH0rOEEL5gpjtRme1vj1udAUHDda9iEnTQwhyphenhyphenB5SYajVKHpkYl2Ai0VPL_-NnMh2-dH2b33N2Y7ehLxMhj0zLj-8bFMFjHQAeDelezTonoo7nO8-j-fRkQJbCZo9OccdbcQErjzYCp1gQz-f_bpTz5fvJ51g3OmEUqsuHXNSew/s625/Pinball%20Wizard%209.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="625" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyISSD3pUS_fI3I9JIH0rOEEL5gpjtRme1vj1udAUHDda9iEnTQwhyphenhyphenB5SYajVKHpkYl2Ai0VPL_-NnMh2-dH2b33N2Y7ehLxMhj0zLj-8bFMFjHQAeDelezTonoo7nO8-j-fRkQJbCZo9OccdbcQErjzYCp1gQz-f_bpTz5fvJ51g3OmEUqsuHXNSew/w560-h538/Pinball%20Wizard%209.png" width="560" /></a></div><span><div style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash"; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The
Inspiration Behind Pinball Wizard</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-weight: 700;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif;">Three
story arcs had been rattling around in my head for years—my parents' dramatic
and acrimonious divorce, my work in Europe as a software engineer supporting
Top Gun fighter pilots, and my early friendship with the writer Charles
Bukowski. </span><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif;">Recently, over a period of
a few years, I started writing vignettes based on each of these themes. And I
posted many of them as shorts on Facebook, where I have 5,000 friends. During
the same timeframe, I began unifying all of the elements into a cohesive whole.</span></span></p>
<p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash"; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif;">A German publisher, Roland
Adelmann, became aware of some of the Bukowski-oriented material on Facebook.
Bukowski is hugely popular in Germany. I sent Adelmann the manuscript for
PINBALL WIZARD, and he was very enthusiastic. We arranged for a translator,
Sigune Schnabel, to produce a German translation. Johannes Franke, a German
voice actor, also recorded the audiobook version. </span><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif;">Then, in 2022, PINBALL
WIZARD was released in Germany on Adelmann’s RUP press. </span><a href="http://www.pinballwizardbook.de" style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif;">www.pinballwizardbook.de</a></span></p>
<p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash"; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash"; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif;">Roland Adelmann then
suggested that I seek a domestic publisher for the US release. Brooks Roddan,
at IFSF Publishing, read the manuscript and declared it "a winner.” He
very quickly prepared it for publication, and it was released in the US on August
15, 2023.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash"; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif;"><a href="http://www.pinballwizardbook.com">www.pinballwizardbook.com</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash"; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After publication, I
engaged the services of Charles Barrett at Hollywood Book Publicity. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://hollywoodbookpublicity.com/about/" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif;">https://hollywoodbookpublicity.com/about/</a> </span></p>
<p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash"; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif;">He created a compelling
press release and has been very effective at securing a wide range of radio and
podcast interviews, including <i>The Weekend with Ed Kalegi</i>, <i>The Douglas
Coleman Show</i>, <i>Cover to Cover with Mary Elizabeth Jackson</i>, and <i>Book
and a Chat with Barry Eva.</i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash"; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash"; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif;">I’m looking forward to
continuing this PINBALL WIZARD journey.<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-weight: 700;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span><br /></span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span><br /></span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>About the Author</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwu470tgjkbsaVjs0ozLxfITm1oHX4QhI34O6G_Gd5lqmjJOM57HpQ2QB_w166FoXN_fl0dzcuTHERUKe73H9SB4oa5Mtkayq2F-W1x5eysYT2Rx6dCMh0E9nHpvEBIRPMLgEcWmqrwXqE3BAz8dvQIlyDkyHdLbUJFqV87CydA9xjtbnhgmySyNgxg/s684/Michael%20Meloan.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="501" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwu470tgjkbsaVjs0ozLxfITm1oHX4QhI34O6G_Gd5lqmjJOM57HpQ2QB_w166FoXN_fl0dzcuTHERUKe73H9SB4oa5Mtkayq2F-W1x5eysYT2Rx6dCMh0E9nHpvEBIRPMLgEcWmqrwXqE3BAz8dvQIlyDkyHdLbUJFqV87CydA9xjtbnhgmySyNgxg/w468-h640/Michael%20Meloan.png" width="468" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
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</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Michael Meloan traveled extensively to England, Germany, and South Korea supporting the Department of Defense as a software engineer. He met the real Top Guns at Ramstein, Germany. He also wrote short stories for Larry Flynt, Buzz, Wired Magazine, and many literary journals. With his brother, Steven, he penned a published novel called The Shroud. Also with his brother, he wrote journalism for The Huffington Post.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">In the ‘80s and ‘90s, Meloan was friends with Charles Bukowski and his wife Linda. Bukowski enthusiastically encouraged his writing and invited him and his wife Cathy to many Hollywood events.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Meloan was also good friends with NPR monologue artist Joe Frank. Their regular brunches at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills were among the most fascinating encounters of his life. They discussed sexual failure, the nature of existence, godly realms, and the existential abyss. Meloan had the privilege of co-writing a number of radio shows with Frank that appeared on the NPR syndicate. The documentaries</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Bukowski: Born into This and Joe Frank: Somewhere Out There both contain interviews with Meloan.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Visit the book’s website at <a href="http://www.pinballwizardbook.com">www.pinballwizardbook.com</a>.</span></span></p>
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Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-67125288341371056882024-01-17T08:13:00.000-08:002024-01-17T08:13:53.366-08:00Book Spotlight: Going There by Donna Fletcher Crow<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnGE9liM1FhzOE3x8cjCtivbXAMqCQYbeqt2yRnY63FH9tg2eiagjtR63ER_QHhUSmh_Zpvo65RjCkNNrhG4m1ldYwaBQAC6RuTx-FIQotXYEgbdRg3TpblgScpVxxXOi4ubdyZ8nOHuWDO-Vu3YHrgik6FrRkUfezgXHGekxnSLaDu9oomMqFgg66Q/s699/Going%20There%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="699" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnGE9liM1FhzOE3x8cjCtivbXAMqCQYbeqt2yRnY63FH9tg2eiagjtR63ER_QHhUSmh_Zpvo65RjCkNNrhG4m1ldYwaBQAC6RuTx-FIQotXYEgbdRg3TpblgScpVxxXOi4ubdyZ8nOHuWDO-Vu3YHrgik6FrRkUfezgXHGekxnSLaDu9oomMqFgg66Q/w558-h203/Going%20There%20banner.jpg" width="558" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/10/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_01762297876.html"></a>
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<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-dca85a89-7fff-f0bc-6f53-cb4541c38e9c" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><em>Going There</em> is a short story collection within an account of the challenges and joys of a trip to the Riviera and Switzerland undertaken in the midst of the Covid pandemic.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9683e7e0-7fff-2ae4-03b6-5fb733c72fe7" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp19tMMP48IhDcVq4506ZHmohHkDybzz0i38o-MIw0xPdqGlCcNQ4XbKr5nA_j-ww1v9hLg5pyq_nwPfiwIyGPgNrz9DE4_uOcUyFK8i0dbDVs0Ssfk3-TlUhEN5kREIi72sk8gLEWPwqCdMxe-ZNgn86cYPzcf53U39tmIB-LSKtipp-rtRPkwM6Vg/s745/Going%20There.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="538" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp19tMMP48IhDcVq4506ZHmohHkDybzz0i38o-MIw0xPdqGlCcNQ4XbKr5nA_j-ww1v9hLg5pyq_nwPfiwIyGPgNrz9DE4_uOcUyFK8i0dbDVs0Ssfk3-TlUhEN5kREIi72sk8gLEWPwqCdMxe-ZNgn86cYPzcf53U39tmIB-LSKtipp-rtRPkwM6Vg/w462-h640/Going%20There.png" width="462" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large; white-space: normal;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9683e7e0-7fff-2ae4-03b6-5fb733c72fe7" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-580d7d28-7fff-0026-bbb9-38580b77c0d5" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Going There: Tales from the Riviera and Beyond</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Donna Fletcher Crow</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publication Date: December 3, 2023</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pages: 152</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Travel Memoir / Short Story Collection</span></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203201607-going-there?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=3LA3TjJnwT&rank=2">
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<img alt="goodreads add to" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-99113" height="41" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj-YUc0sJAo3oXLnEeJ4z-SP_ZEcuwAl9CvrYIcYjtRH_HafY48YVZN7MVpmd6fFH2fWljGV27onufY1hdgv8lZmvRHPzQZnHdtfkiX5rlbklcXgwvNIf46FF72PsjVrE-rzQqww44DzrRTcggRNdmSxrUYfjCgunDAfPUcIVao9kCAo7QBsSWKT2kyGQ=s0-d" width="130" /></span></a></p><p>
</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">In the summer of 2021 my daughter-in-law and I slipped through a brief window of sanity in a world driven mad by the Covid pandemic. Our purpose was to see my granddaughter Jane to a summer program in Monaco, then back to her ballet school in Switzerland. In spite of restrictions, protests, and nail-biting worries, the result was a marvelous experience.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">I invited characters from my mystery series to join me in my imagination and have their own adventures in each setting. Their encounters are: Nice: “The Crime of Passion”; St Tropez: “The Mother Decrees”; Villefrance-sur-de-mer: “The Ghost Boy”; Monaco: “Fracas in Monaco”; The Loire Valley: “The Old Winemaker”; Saint Gallen: “Whispers of Legend”.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">The final coda is “Home Another Way” As 2 years later I return from quite a different trip aboard the Queen Mary 2 and my characters join in the celebrations as worlds coincide.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">More information on the book GOING THERE: TALES FROM THE RIVIERA AND BEYOND can be found at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Going-There-Tales-Riviera-Beyond-ebook/dp/B0CPHBRVJH?ref_=ast_author_mpb">https://www.amazon.com/Going-There-Tales-Riviera-Beyond-ebook/dp/B0CPHBRVJH?ref_=ast_author_mpb</a>.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4jtGCHK_t3ei_ncTc3qci-yIQuQ9u87P71jirzR-tU9AxuyI-Gjdo0g2zeJJhvzYEy0wYkkpNZoBPBqhXBxJO3i9eAUG2jqfzKYtothmwCjo4UYMvujIBsk7CjGGiI_k_oZaMX9rZCFZiaOX5dsTnBTqZlGYYeMtKaxs9zOFijIbVW_oWnyDF7Opuw/s793/Going%20There%2010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="793" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4jtGCHK_t3ei_ncTc3qci-yIQuQ9u87P71jirzR-tU9AxuyI-Gjdo0g2zeJJhvzYEy0wYkkpNZoBPBqhXBxJO3i9eAUG2jqfzKYtothmwCjo4UYMvujIBsk7CjGGiI_k_oZaMX9rZCFZiaOX5dsTnBTqZlGYYeMtKaxs9zOFijIbVW_oWnyDF7Opuw/w608-h403/Going%20There%2010.jpg" width="608" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-bb2c3c93-7fff-81ba-616c-dcad5ef352a7" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -0.1pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.1pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span><b>Book Excerpt:</b></span></span></span></p><h2 class="wp-block-heading">
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-BxNZm0iCLVgMV4XE6IdYN_dmqF5gHWEWn8IlCJ_US1vsb8z2W3SSdvQtnp_ordDNZL6ApbsJgRq4IuCZ9nn5nW3Xsq3hYBUrAQ6f6lWeA02p_9qTDLNhSbYJV2-GkupLTnY33rhwzSRLlmTLICxQR3AcQW6r7QkIWCPTlMwhSoXJJqxmpjZsKTU3g/s1158/Going%20There%20animated.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="388" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-BxNZm0iCLVgMV4XE6IdYN_dmqF5gHWEWn8IlCJ_US1vsb8z2W3SSdvQtnp_ordDNZL6ApbsJgRq4IuCZ9nn5nW3Xsq3hYBUrAQ6f6lWeA02p_9qTDLNhSbYJV2-GkupLTnY33rhwzSRLlmTLICxQR3AcQW6r7QkIWCPTlMwhSoXJJqxmpjZsKTU3g/w214-h640/Going%20There%20animated.gif" width="214" /></a></div><br />Le Garçon Fantôme</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">(The Ghost Boy)</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">The taxi stopped on the gravel driveway before the pink and white confection of Villa Ephrussi and Elizabeth clapped on her wide-brimmed straw hat as she scrambled out into the bright sunshine while Richard paid their driver. The scene was stunning every direction she looked with gardens extending from the chateau before them on to glimpses of the shining blue Mediterranean beyond their mountain perch.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">“Oh, Richard, this is…” her voice trailed off. Richard had already crunched past her toward the entrance to the villa. She sighed and followed.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">The rooms, filled with antique furniture and art treasures, followed one another in a square around the central patio of Verona marble where Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild had welcomed her guests. Each room was a mini museum of elegance. Their fellow tourists followed the same path, exclaiming over each new display of the eighteenth century opulence in rooms designed for luxurious entertainments: The grand salon with tables for the games Béatrice loved to play; the small salon, designed for after-dinner conversation. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Regardless of the grandeur around her, though, part of Elizabeth’s mind held back. Should they have come on this trip? It had seemed such a good idea when they planned it a few months ago: Time away together from Richard’s responsibilities at the boys’ school in Oxford, a chance for her to do some research for her articles on literary figures… Somehow, it didn’t seem to be working out.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Richard strode up the staircase to the first floor and Elizabeth followed. Here were the rooms for the baroness’ guests. Elizabeth paused at the blue bedroom, admiring the delicate scrollwork of the panels adorning the walls. She smiled at the tiny porcelain bird set amid the flowers of the Meissen chandelier. Elizabeth’s guide sheet told her that Béatrice had placed it there with her own hands.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">She pointed it out to Richard. “Isn’t it charming that she took such personal interest herself ?” </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">“Mmm,” he said and moved on to the tapestry room. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Elizabeth followed, but her mind was not on the priceless Gobelins depicting romantic scenes by Boucher. Richard’s curtness still stung. How long had he been like that? What had happened to the closeness, the sense of teamwork they had always shared? What had happened to him? Where had the twinkle in his eye gone? His playfulness, even?</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">The beauty began to blur in Elizabeth’s mind by the time they descended to The Apartments of Béatrice, surely fit for Marie Antionette herself. Bedroom, dressing room, bathroom… escritoire, tables, settees…</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">It was in the boudoir that Elizabeth focused on two small pieces of furniture set apart from all the rest. A pair of elegant child-sized chairs. She gazed at them in silence for some time. Were they just interesting objet d’art the baroness picked up on a whim somewhere in her world travels? Their central placement in her own, personal space, seemed to say otherwise. Had she purchased them after her marriage, for the home she and Maurice maintained in Monte Carlo—the square-shaped one for a son she hoped to have; the one with rounded back and curving arms for a longed-for daughter?</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Elizabeth scanned the brochure she held, making quick calculations. Béatrice had married at 19, was married to Maurice for 21 years, divorced at the age of 40—when perhaps all hope of child-bearing was over? Three years later she threw herself into the grand building project Elizabeth saw all around her. And lived here alone, in spite of the lavish parties she threw. Elizabeth shivered.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Her shiver, though, was not for her imagined sterility of the inner life of Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild amid her opulent surroundings. Elizabeth was thinking of their own miscarried infants and the tiny boy who arrived so early and had lived barely three hours—just long enough to receive the sacrament of baptism and be christened Richard, Jr. So long ago—some thirty years now.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">She continued to stand in the middle of the room, only dimly aware of the fine objects surrounding her and of the brilliant view of sky, sea and greenery beyond the pillars supporting the wide window in front of her. Until she felt a tap on her arm.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">“Ready to go to the gardens?” Richard asked.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">She nodded, pleased that he had asked.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Out through the baroness’ bedroom onto the terrasse and on to the series of side gardens. Richard went on ahead, but Elizabeth stood at the information board. It wasn’t the plan of the gardens that drew her, however, but rather the photograph of Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Having just seen the lavish elegance of the woman’s life, Elizabeth was struck by the look of child-like innocence on her face. The tiny hint of a smile—surely a rival for the Mona Lisa? The round smoothness of her cheek, the clear brow with hair held back by a plain band. But the thing that struck Elizbeth most powerfully was the look of trust in the far-gazing eyes.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"> The baroness couldn’t have been older than her mid-thirties when it was taken. By then, however, she would have been married to her Parisian banker husband for perhaps 15 years. Elizabeth’s mind went back to the empty infant chairs in the lonely chamber. By then Béatrice would have known that any hope she had of a family was unlikely to be realized. Or was the picture much younger—before any dreams she might have had were shattered?</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Or was Elizabeth reading her own losses into what could have been collected merely as a charming curiosity? She gave herself a shake. Perhaps the globe-trotting couple was far too busy to encumber themselves with children—or even thoughts of them. Or perhaps the Parisian socialite desired nothing more than the rare works of art she traveled the world to collect and commission like her fabulous Fabergé egg.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Still, Elizabeth couldn’t shake a small feeling of sadness and disappointment behind all the elegance and stories of lavish parties. A poet had written of one when Anna Pavlova danced in the moonlit gardens to Chopin nocturnes. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Yet it was the coldness of the moonlight Elizabeth felt as their feet crunched on the gravel path past banks of flaming coral flowers to the Jardin Espagnol. Elizabeth thought they were alone as they walked the length of the placid reflecting pool until she was startled by a pebble breaking the mirror surface of the still water. She turned to see who had thrown it but caught only a flicker of movement and the hint of a shadow disappearing into the verdant greenery beyond the border.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">“Did you—” she began, but Richard was already leading toward the Jardin à la Française. They were just about to emerge into the formal elegance of the French garden with its repetitive borders of pink roses outlining each formal bed around the myriad fountains when Elizabeth stopped to gaze up at an enormous urn surrounded by banks of delicate flowers. A trill of laughter made her turn, but there was no one there. Had she merely heard the splashing of the fountains playing in rhythmic patterns the length of the garden?</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">She hurried forward as Richard had already covered almost the length of the long garden and was about to ascend the stairway to the small, domed temple of love that overlooked the French garden. Elizabeth frowned. Couldn’t he wait for her? Surely, they should view the temple of love together? Again, she thought of how distant, impatient, even, he had seemed of late. So unlike him. She had hoped these days on the Riviera would help them find their old closeness. She sighed.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">By the time Elizabeth had reached the top of the stairway to the small temple encircling the statue of the goddess Venus, there was no sign of Richard. Elizabeth consulted her map. Which of the gardens had he gone toward? The Rosarie? The curving double stairway of the Jardin Florentin? The Jardin Exotique filled with the succulents so popular in this terrain? Elizabeth looked at the picture of the prickly cacti and shivered at the thought of Richard choosing anything so forbidding.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Whether from an actual decision or mere instinct Elizabeth’s feet followed the path to the Lapidaire Stone Garden filled with antique pillars, arches, and statues of magical beasts and comic human figures. At first, she was amazed that the baroness would have chosen such whimsical figures for her garden, and then she thought of the tiny smile playing at the corners of the enigmatic mouth in the picture she had studied earlier. The lady must have had a charming sense of humor that seemed to have come out to play in this garden tucked in one of the far corners of her vast property.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">And then Elizabeth heard the silver laughter she thought she had only imagined before. This time far too distant from the fountains to be confused with their sound. A child’s laughter, certainly. “Hello, are you hiding from me?” She looked around. “Shall I find you?”</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Surely that stirring of the bushes wasn’t from any breeze. Elizabeth set out. “Ready or not, here I come.” She took purposely crunching steps across the path, then dived between two azalea bushes still sporting a few vibrant, late blossoms. A tiny giggle and a stirring of the bushes along the higher path led her up a few stone steps between two carved exotic creatures and on toward a colonnade. Elizabeth more skipped than ran, engulfed in a sense of the freedom of childhood.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Now all was silent. Had her mischievous phantom child been scared off by her chase? Or did the quiet mean she was closer? She looked around. What should she do next? “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. Don’t you want to play anymore?”</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">It was more a stirring of the breeze than any sound that made her turn. And there was Richard. Standing with his arms folded, leaning against a pillar supporting one of the comic figures. How long had he been observing her? Was his presence what had stopped the child playing? She drew breath to call out to Richard, but he put his finger to his lips and took a step forward.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Elizabeth could only hope she had interpreted his action correctly. She turned back in the direction of the last indication of her apparition. “Don’t be frightened. This is Richard. He only looks stern. He likes children, too.” </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">The plants between the stone gothic arches rustled and a child-sized shadow darted toward the lavabo fountain with its spouting water. </span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">But Richard was nearer. He reached the water first, dipped both hands in and held them up, trails of silver drops falling between his fingers. He scooped another handful in a cupped hand and extended it. Was he offering a drink? Or asperges? Or merely playing?</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Now Elizabeth didn’t hear laughter, but music. Was the elusive child singing or had he pulled a set of panpipes from a pocket? The sound continued, mingled with the breeze and trickling water, and Richard continued his offering. But Elizabeth didn’t move. She barely breathed. The moment was magical, holy.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Had they encountered a real child—playing a clever game? Was it all her over-active imagination conjuring up a might-have-been from her recent melancholic thoughts? Or even a forgotten scene from her own childhood?</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">She didn’t believe in ghosts—did she? Had the baroness, like herself, suffered loss—with the shade of that bereavement still hanging over these pleasure gardens?</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Or had Elizabeth been granted a glimpse of something far greater? A future still awaiting in the next world—a world without sorrow?</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">The cessation of the music made her look up. She had been so lost in her thoughts she didn’t realize Richard had left the fountain and come to her. She blinked. He looked—he looked somehow younger, with a new light in his eyes that seemed to glow from within.</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">He opened his arms and she walked into them with a radiant smile as they closed around her.</span></span></h2>
</div></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWBljx6tTHjehmL7cQqbtRNH6NRpNBM6-Vd6xg6Kp7Gq7jSfOVWrRAYmMsOk3XnNJdLZRQrl2kipYWKBwfMOoCUMPChYPmQGv_HARdCS2T5_YMd05Hs5C2yrmAug6mNONthjQ6uGEVNNgabDhi4a76G4XSu3lF5i1x9LZ0ynR3kFwOVLc3l6l_CiluA/s783/Going%20There%208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="630" height="678" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWBljx6tTHjehmL7cQqbtRNH6NRpNBM6-Vd6xg6Kp7Gq7jSfOVWrRAYmMsOk3XnNJdLZRQrl2kipYWKBwfMOoCUMPChYPmQGv_HARdCS2T5_YMd05Hs5C2yrmAug6mNONthjQ6uGEVNNgabDhi4a76G4XSu3lF5i1x9LZ0ynR3kFwOVLc3l6l_CiluA/w546-h678/Going%20There%208.jpg" width="546" /></a></div><span><br /></span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>About the Author</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMwJCOGkwoory9RL7tdGDcFVLj8MsGZE0se2raEIq8ljgeM6wHTD0lVr3L21fBrhRdDl_9cOBvzCbyvegBNEDJB9WQifwHyKOABS65e312vM-cx8YvK5Lgrc2CaAlLTAVlLLEZ-W6ZyxibNeFjdiLjc96zNtstxU8KxL53AEd8d2s3rTFFFynIrk3vw/s760/Donna%20Fletcher%20Crow.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="558" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMwJCOGkwoory9RL7tdGDcFVLj8MsGZE0se2raEIq8ljgeM6wHTD0lVr3L21fBrhRdDl_9cOBvzCbyvegBNEDJB9WQifwHyKOABS65e312vM-cx8YvK5Lgrc2CaAlLTAVlLLEZ-W6ZyxibNeFjdiLjc96zNtstxU8KxL53AEd8d2s3rTFFFynIrk3vw/w470-h640/Donna%20Fletcher%20Crow.png" width="470" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<p>
</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Donna Fletcher Crow, Novelist of British History, is an award-winning author who has published some 50 books in a career spanning more than 40 years. Her best-known work is <em>Glastonbury,</em> The Novel of Christian England, a grail search epic depicting 1500 years of British history. The Celtic Cross is a 10-book series covering the history of Scotland and England from the 6th to the 20th century. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Crow writes 3 mystery series: The Monastery Murders, contemporary clerical mysteries with clues hidden deep in the past; Lord Danvers Investigates, Victorian true-crime stories within a fictional setting; and The Elizabeth and Richard literary suspense series, featuring various literary figures. Where There is Love is a 6-book biographical novel series of leaders of the early Evangelical Anglican movement. The Daughters of Courage is a semi-autobiographical trilogy family saga of Idaho pioneers.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Reviewers routinely praise the quality of her writing and the depth of her research. Crow says she tries never to write about a place she hasn’t visited and one of her goals in writing is to give her readers a you-are-there experience.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Donna and her husband of 60 years live in Boise, Idaho. They have 4 children and 15 grandchildren, and she is an avid gardener.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><strong>Author Links </strong> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><a href="https://www.donnafletchercrow.com/">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/DonnaFletcherCr">Twitter</a> |<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063745772509"> Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/56147.Donna_Fletcher_Crow">Goodreads</a></span></span></p>
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Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-42814475580188937672024-01-14T08:19:00.000-08:002024-01-14T08:19:11.944-08:00TV Series review: Fool Me Once<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiOFZX-wxAYFSS8K_dEaCNc3IDN0utsrP8mnlGifF4mguZNSe9d-o0PlnpxcJJ1B0Tc3VP3EfXvKGN6Nd9Mlzra193ZSXOIAZ0HWGHzG-mrd7lJR6IZnFh3KLJNXtkRb3E7e1YYVCvv26U6cS2muKBvbumHr4mszE7J-ncVow1kanrcckkoPNGJdlcDA/s148/fool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="148" data-original-width="148" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiOFZX-wxAYFSS8K_dEaCNc3IDN0utsrP8mnlGifF4mguZNSe9d-o0PlnpxcJJ1B0Tc3VP3EfXvKGN6Nd9Mlzra193ZSXOIAZ0HWGHzG-mrd7lJR6IZnFh3KLJNXtkRb3E7e1YYVCvv26U6cS2muKBvbumHr4mszE7J-ncVow1kanrcckkoPNGJdlcDA/w235-h235/fool.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><i>Fool Me Once</i> is a TV series based
on a novel of the same name by Harlan Coben. When Maya Burkett’s husband Joe is
killed brutally in an apparent mugging gone wrong, which Maya witnessed, she is
shocked to see him appear on a secret nannycam a day or so later. Is he dead?
Why can’t the family get the death certificate? Maya’s military past also rears
its ugly head and comes back to haunt her when a whistle-blower makes her life
a misery. Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce leads the investigation into Joe’s
death while hiding what could be his own devastating health issues. His partner
is pregnant, and they are about to tie the knot. Meanwhile the Burkett family’s
considerable wealth has sinister origins that the matriarch and her remaining
children are keen to cover up, as well as the secrets from their past. Was Joe
the ‘good guy’ everyone says he was?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The cast includes Joanna Lumley,
Richard Armitage, and Adeel Akhtar, and these actors were the drawcards for me.
Joanna Lumley never disappoints and her portrayal of Judith Burkett, the <i>grande
dame</i> (living in a truly <i>grande maison</i> where I could be very happy)
is superb. She gaslights her recently widowed daughter-in-law and one gets the feeling
she is trying to get custody of granddaughter Lilly by having Maya declared an
unfit mother. She does <i>grande dame</i> very well, outraged <i>grande dame</i>
even better, and <i>grande dame</i> caught in the act of a crime superbly. It’s
worth watching just to see her performance. I first saw Adeel Akhtar in <i>Sherwood</i>
and he was outstanding. He is fabulous here as the aging detective hiding his
anxiety over the wedding and impending fatherhood coupled with his blackouts,
visions, history of alcoholism, temporary paralysis, and headaches. He is partnered
with Dino Fetscher, his polar opposite – a health nut and fitness freak, and annoyingly
optimistic. The two of them together make a hilarious team.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I wish I could rave about Richard
Armitage’s performance, his presence being one of the reasons I watched this
series. Perhaps I still have fond memories of his performance as John Thornton
in 2004 <i>North and South</i>. I also loved his portrayal of Thorin Oakenshield
in <i>The Hobbit</i>. In this series, I have no idea why he even showed up on
set. There was utterly no chemistry or dynamism in his relationship with Maya (woodenly
performed by Michelle Keegan). The two in scenes together appeared to be
uncomfortable with each other. Keegan’s performance was a waste of time. Sure,
she is very skinny and looks good for the camera, but she mostly pouted, postured,
and stared as her acting repertoire. I found her quite boring, expressionless, and
unemotional. Not helicopter pilot in the thick of battle material.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Is it worth watching? Hmm, it
depends if you want to go the extra mile and are prepared to sit through eight
episodes to finally unravel the Burkett family’s dark secrets stretching back
into the past, their pharmaceutical negligence in medication testing, what
actually happened to Maya in Afghanistan on a helicopter mission, and the truth
behind Joe’s killing. The scriptwriters dole out snippets piecemeal so things
might be confusing at first, but it does all come together in an incredible
reveal that draws every loose thread back into the tapestry. The plot is dark,
twisted, sinister, very clever, filled with cover-ups and deception, and ends
with a bang, literally. The penultimate scene is shocking and unexpected and
when you see it, you decide that there was no other way. Joanna Lumley’s
performance here is priceless! So is her expression caught on camera… <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-600466428378596522024-01-12T08:27:00.000-08:002024-01-12T08:27:50.466-08:00Book Spotlight: Homecoming Chaos by D.W. Brooks
<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrJqBUVdo0oEn1s0rrjC28qjDedpiuWyYVwzgtIZuazpUsGX5_NLX5gmU6bX-T0OeQVRbXhDLxxOc-l3jFb9vNaLe_TymtHkJLYv8mDC56BupZexrwNpcTexjCqQqo0Hj_ePtbwqG1CRjgXsB_p-UVPZhRmeEKywV26jk0YRtd5n1MtbcfBdH-Y77Rg/s670/Homecoming%20Chaos%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="670" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrJqBUVdo0oEn1s0rrjC28qjDedpiuWyYVwzgtIZuazpUsGX5_NLX5gmU6bX-T0OeQVRbXhDLxxOc-l3jFb9vNaLe_TymtHkJLYv8mDC56BupZexrwNpcTexjCqQqo0Hj_ePtbwqG1CRjgXsB_p-UVPZhRmeEKywV26jk0YRtd5n1MtbcfBdH-Y77Rg/w527-h199/Homecoming%20Chaos%20banner.jpg" width="527" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/10/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_01762297876.html"></a>
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<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-dca85a89-7fff-f0bc-6f53-cb4541c38e9c" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-dc17db22-7fff-c31c-57e4-ef96b2e4641a" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A dead body in the parking lot of her family’s business, a killer on the loose, and a handsome detective asking a lot of questions…</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9683e7e0-7fff-2ae4-03b6-5fb733c72fe7" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_46H4ly0-qiAccTaEftV3_LZG8hy8TT0NpAr5p4Aw8ck8cgyE7wuylsDMGvMC1b1A4gFpMVRb7mHK7wQT1dGE1nmy7KkTvxeR2RmWX9gIhjiGf1CDjxVTA_ufK8czecM31MBk7v219KYVbHeIjW82u6gg_Fc7mvWHVo87BZc8clD97vp38nw5dWm2KQ/s748/Homecoming%20Chaos.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="528" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_46H4ly0-qiAccTaEftV3_LZG8hy8TT0NpAr5p4Aw8ck8cgyE7wuylsDMGvMC1b1A4gFpMVRb7mHK7wQT1dGE1nmy7KkTvxeR2RmWX9gIhjiGf1CDjxVTA_ufK8czecM31MBk7v219KYVbHeIjW82u6gg_Fc7mvWHVo87BZc8clD97vp38nw5dWm2KQ/w452-h640/Homecoming%20Chaos.png" width="452" /></a></div><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-580d7d28-7fff-0026-bbb9-38580b77c0d5" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Homecoming Chaos</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: D.W. Brooks</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publication Date: November 21, 2023</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pages: 448</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Romantic Suspense</span></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199499710-homecoming-chaos">
<span class="pibfi_pinterest">
<img alt="goodreads add to" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-99113" height="41" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj-YUc0sJAo3oXLnEeJ4z-SP_ZEcuwAl9CvrYIcYjtRH_HafY48YVZN7MVpmd6fFH2fWljGV27onufY1hdgv8lZmvRHPzQZnHdtfkiX5rlbklcXgwvNIf46FF72PsjVrE-rzQqww44DzrRTcggRNdmSxrUYfjCgunDAfPUcIVao9kCAo7QBsSWKT2kyGQ=s0-d" width="130" /></span></a></p><p>
</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Jamie Scott’s life fell apart four years ago when she broke off her engagement, turned down a dream job, and went overseas to run away from her life. Now she’s back, but the reunion is not without problems. She arrives home just in time to attend the soiree her mother planned, but she’s not prepared for what she finds—a dead employee in the parking lot.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Detective Nick Marshall is assigned to the murder case at the forensics lab owned by Jamie’s family. He meets the headstrong Jamie, but he has a job to do. And his attraction to her… well, he’s a professional.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Jamie knows the stakes are high. She has to face the past and save her parents’ business while dealing with her family drama and an uncertain future. She also has to deal with Nick, who wants her out of the way of his investigation. But fate keeps throwing them in one another’s paths… and into chaos that they both want to avoid, but neither can seem to escape.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong style="font-family: Gabriela;">Buy Links:</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Homecoming-Chaos-D-W-Brooks-ebook/dp/B0CKS9P7PF"><strong>Amazon</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144277742"><strong>B&N</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/homecoming-chaos"><strong>Kobo</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/homecoming-chaos/id6469733473"><strong>iBooks</strong></a></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij94pNfJs_lRmouoPDCfv5_kjfT12ZaUZuvtW7KswAW9fdN_JiSNYyegj0oAfa3TEf1flKRMFPrIhF4yQVd0eWUhts9n86beN5_5GC7M8A7b79vx1fZ5zQ4mJ8wEsQbJtlj85tR02zuKmlFlG0TVoXInUJf7xCp2i81igkenvp0yFCH7ri9oNj8X4Xfw/s726/Homecoming%20Chaos%2014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="726" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij94pNfJs_lRmouoPDCfv5_kjfT12ZaUZuvtW7KswAW9fdN_JiSNYyegj0oAfa3TEf1flKRMFPrIhF4yQVd0eWUhts9n86beN5_5GC7M8A7b79vx1fZ5zQ4mJ8wEsQbJtlj85tR02zuKmlFlG0TVoXInUJf7xCp2i81igkenvp0yFCH7ri9oNj8X4Xfw/w604-h442/Homecoming%20Chaos%2014.jpg" width="604" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-bb2c3c93-7fff-81ba-616c-dcad5ef352a7" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -0.1pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.1pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span><b>Book Excerpt:</b></span></span></span></p><h2 class="wp-block-heading">
</h2><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-32f0804f-7fff-5be3-8f55-f49a9166122a" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #070000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9B-50SCs9UPMaihyd-Co-PpOs02jbJgnAkmXIjW0e4g6i9xjINVDzcO-KivPrcrQ7W7z_JTqRdQuGoQk7dNuAnEaXUoMxP9KEn6uZBcDG_k8Tv9tU-i_OuGraFN7Ye3AcvJZshKBMyOFWaefXXenAfoVI1KYi4AQXPLyElryNVJTnumHN6yOKKi8vA/s1158/Homecoming%20Chaos%20gif.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="375" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9B-50SCs9UPMaihyd-Co-PpOs02jbJgnAkmXIjW0e4g6i9xjINVDzcO-KivPrcrQ7W7z_JTqRdQuGoQk7dNuAnEaXUoMxP9KEn6uZBcDG_k8Tv9tU-i_OuGraFN7Ye3AcvJZshKBMyOFWaefXXenAfoVI1KYi4AQXPLyElryNVJTnumHN6yOKKi8vA/w208-h640/Homecoming%20Chaos%20gif.gif" width="208" /></a></div>
<p></p><p>The sound of the flight attendant on the loudspeaker startled Jamison Jones Scott out of her light sleep. Despite having traveled frequently in her lifetime, she still couldn’t sleep comfortably on a plane. The seat location— first-class or economy—didn’t make a difference. The plane was nearing its destination, so the passengers needed to finish filling out their declaration cards. Jamie was returning to Atlanta to stay at her parents’ home with only the clothes on her back, a computer bag, the few items of clothing in her duffel, and a stethoscope. She had nothing to declare. </p>
<p>Her seatmate appeared to be sleeping through the announcements. Jamie was jealous. The four-year-old in front of her turned around and started babbling excitedly in French. She must have noticed that Jamie was finally awake. With her head still fuzzy from her nap, Jamie couldn’t completely follow the child’s rapid words, but the gist was that she wanted something from Jamie. Something about a playdate? Jamie smiled at the girl and hoped the girl’s mother would intervene. No such luck; she was asleep as well. The child eyeballed Jamie expectantly. Jamie realized she and the seatmate had started this situation by playing with the dark-haired child while they were over the ocean. Now, when she didn’t agree to the latest request, the little girl scrunched up her face to cry. </p>
<p>“Nous atterrissons bientôt. Elle ne peut pas aller avec vous,” Jamie’s seatmate answered, eyes still closed. “Mais vous pourriez être en mesure de visiter. Je suis sûr qu’elle tu aimerait garder les enfants.” He grinned.</p>
<p>Jamie gasped while the young girl clapped. This guy had just volunteered her as a babysitter! </p>
<p>“Je suis désolé, mais il se trompe. Je ne serai pas disponible,” Jamie stated. “Je parie qu’il a une surprise, pour toi.” The child looked at Jamie’s seatmate for her present and clapped again. This reply made him open his eyes. </p>
<p>“Qu’est-ce que c’est? Qu’est-ce que c’est?” the child asked. Startled, her pregnant mother woke up and turned around in her seat sheepishly. </p>
<p><em>I’m sorry</em>, she mouthed. She made her eager daughter turn around in her seat and asked her to leave the other passengers alone. The girl was disappointed, but her mother handed her a shortbread, which made her forget the people behind her. </p>
<p>Her seatmate smiled, opened his eyes, and said, “I could have given her the stuffed bear I bought. I have a daughter the same age.” He stretched gingerly. “I can’t wait to get home. I’ve been traveling for too long. What about you? Looking forward to getting home?”</p>
<p>Jamie thought about her return to Atlanta. She hadn’t been home in a while, so she wasn’t sure how she felt. </p>
<p><em>Revel in the chaos. </em></p>
<p><em>Revel in the chaos. </em></p>
<p><em>Revel in the chaos. </em></p>
<p>Jamie tried to live by this motto for most of her life because her life seemed to invite chaos. She learned to expect—and sometimes encourage—complications. As the plane taxied to a halt, she repeated her motto to herself. This phrase, tattooed on her right hip, particularly applied now. </p>
<p>The international terminal of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport had changed since she was last there. Her brother, Jonathan, would pick her up at the baggage claim—alone, she hoped, and not sporting a clingy girlfriend. Time to re-acclimate and re-establish family bonds. Dealing with an unknown woman in her face when she wanted to spend time quietly with her brother wasn’t at the top of her to-do list.</p>
<p>As she waited in line to get through passport control, she thought about how she got to this point—back in Atlanta after several years abroad. She had spent two of those years working with the non-profit organization Doctors Overseas. Jamie worked in several locations, including the Central African Republic. She had her reasons for joining the charitable organization; not all were altruistic, and she kept those to herself during her entrance interview. The horrors she witnessed overseas helped her put her personal chaos into perspective. She realized her issues were nothing compared to what people endured in other parts of the world. This realization allowed her to embrace her job and enjoy what she was doing, despite the frequent threats of bodily harm. To help maintain her sanity while overseas, she traveled a lot and spent six months in Italy working with a designer friend. </p>
<p>The agent summoning her snapped her out of her reverie. Handing over her passport, she said, “Nothing to declare. Coming back home for my mother’s birthday and Christmas.” </p>
<p>At the check-in counter, the inspector carefully examined her and her passport photo. Jamison understood the scrutiny. At the time of that picture, she had been at the height of her glamor phase with a history of modeling and a resulting, above-average concern about how she looked. In medical school, she often showed up at rounds with perfectly coiffed hair and more than a swipe of mascara and lip gloss. </p>
<p>But in Africa, those concerns fell away. Right now, Jamie was makeup-free, and a baseball cap covered her hair. She was still beautiful, but now it was a girl-next-door beauty. Jamie had high cheekbones, almond-shaped dark brown eyes, a straight nose, a square jawline, and her golden-brown skin was still smooth. She wasn’t stomping down runways anymore, as in her past life, because she had shifted her priorities. </p>
<p>Her mother would hate it. </p>
<p>“Welcome to Atlanta,” the inspector said as she stamped her passport. “Have a pleasant stay.”</p>
<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUwkYcsmoTeLzWLzv8HkcaLfBc8ImacdSKu_P6fQNEQZYPir9Rx7lta0wM1jdHXGwMBnG72Iey3cZI8bYkB1JNj3alxXtQFyUgrx9UjjaW9cdp6Ff8CY2sk8M9CikPs1c9wcFdsV6bwezq9IBf6H2rmMLFQZu7-7xgp-2wIv-IGhJD7-0u_Lp7pHUEQ/s793/Homecoming%20Chaos%2011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="793" height="593" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUwkYcsmoTeLzWLzv8HkcaLfBc8ImacdSKu_P6fQNEQZYPir9Rx7lta0wM1jdHXGwMBnG72Iey3cZI8bYkB1JNj3alxXtQFyUgrx9UjjaW9cdp6Ff8CY2sk8M9CikPs1c9wcFdsV6bwezq9IBf6H2rmMLFQZu7-7xgp-2wIv-IGhJD7-0u_Lp7pHUEQ/w596-h593/Homecoming%20Chaos%2011.jpg" width="596" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>About the Author</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9_DraCJtaSybYQOmM4HG-4yDOgxbTPSDAgF1TqTwr6tTFA3SX75g28aSuV8QH9zVXSzPCw60GEU98UeRYYFZtFTPNvnu0Zv6OObXIuZlepHYINT-Qitv_DEyY3g1lp6lUha9XIbYPjWEJi37ib9vVLprwcyVgT8CYxnLRXGC1FHddlMVo6brdUO1Fw/s560/D.W.%20Brooks.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="460" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9_DraCJtaSybYQOmM4HG-4yDOgxbTPSDAgF1TqTwr6tTFA3SX75g28aSuV8QH9zVXSzPCw60GEU98UeRYYFZtFTPNvnu0Zv6OObXIuZlepHYINT-Qitv_DEyY3g1lp6lUha9XIbYPjWEJi37ib9vVLprwcyVgT8CYxnLRXGC1FHddlMVo6brdUO1Fw/w526-h640/D.W.%20Brooks.png" width="526" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<p>
</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">The author lives in Texas with her husband and children. She enjoys trying to stay in shape, sporadically cooking, reading (still), writing, and working on her blog. She is eternally grateful to the woman who donated a kidney to her over 5 years ago and continues to advocate for organ donation as much as she can.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><strong>Author Links </strong> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><a href="https://authordwbrooks.com">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lifethereboot">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/authordwbrooks">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://instagram.com/authordwbrooks">Instagram</a></span></span></p>
</div></div></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF87-qDgaq_2Kyx9Qip2vCEIq4cXvP_vtrwAO3mJ9VkPKK1H0AJRTiFGLkkytcUXQP6SQ6uUAjSvVVZeGL9ZWqncOa_slAGn-cqcxY3Zx3ng7zYMI5rf9paDyK2fCBNKhHLr6EZwXWvW8T0QwT1pkNygrjrKePMQJ3EMaVgmJdcfC1_0iTuo9OKd8ysQ/s800/Homecoming%20Chaos%2015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="800" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF87-qDgaq_2Kyx9Qip2vCEIq4cXvP_vtrwAO3mJ9VkPKK1H0AJRTiFGLkkytcUXQP6SQ6uUAjSvVVZeGL9ZWqncOa_slAGn-cqcxY3Zx3ng7zYMI5rf9paDyK2fCBNKhHLr6EZwXWvW8T0QwT1pkNygrjrKePMQJ3EMaVgmJdcfC1_0iTuo9OKd8ysQ/w622-h377/Homecoming%20Chaos%2015.jpg" width="622" /></a></div><br /><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br style="font-size: 15.4px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>
Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-27611891917488877062023-12-27T08:09:00.000-08:002023-12-27T08:09:52.215-08:00Book Trailer Spotlight: Stonebridge by Linda Griffin<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIkL9RrvLpqCWB_P3qkrOPwFay_hWjgVz677Nv3kEcPfMNadZUfBe0S0IQEeSE1zVRFL6IDYrm5WzHCsxOo1Sq1uuyLA0M7Ov6_PlnnFGAZfU84SZ4hAiI8vSka4OkXqPvoEoFx-kmfG9NaXtw2sxD5IM9GbG8V4NzIeZsngTo5dLXHk9v1jHP_CSWQ/s695/Stone%20Bridge%20book%20trailer%20blitz%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="695" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIkL9RrvLpqCWB_P3qkrOPwFay_hWjgVz677Nv3kEcPfMNadZUfBe0S0IQEeSE1zVRFL6IDYrm5WzHCsxOo1Sq1uuyLA0M7Ov6_PlnnFGAZfU84SZ4hAiI8vSka4OkXqPvoEoFx-kmfG9NaXtw2sxD5IM9GbG8V4NzIeZsngTo5dLXHk9v1jHP_CSWQ/w543-h227/Stone%20Bridge%20book%20trailer%20blitz%20banner.jpg" width="543" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/10/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_01762297876.html"></a>
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<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e84ad1da-7fff-7d65-0cee-1076dadacd3c" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Rynna Dalton is welcomed to Stonebridge by the ghostly presence of her mother's murdered cousin Rosalind, but both Rosalind and Cousin Ted warn her against marrying Rosalind's son. </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9683e7e0-7fff-2ae4-03b6-5fb733c72fe7" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWZt_M1Ur9U1r-XVik77mNlIbU8KZKaBEDyHvW2jXdcni_dKLj_8w8Sm0YLgQANRhyOniixmtGbVmuNtzJ6IyZHN_irCkwzfkysd2FHFckBoIVXg32iPyV7wi8WE4WkSt4CPSyDPLSgwvOZnLod9LGAT04Me6gEI-IuZKsQdsE-Mz5fYN7sflgDUx3g/s767/Stone%20Bridge.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="565" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWZt_M1Ur9U1r-XVik77mNlIbU8KZKaBEDyHvW2jXdcni_dKLj_8w8Sm0YLgQANRhyOniixmtGbVmuNtzJ6IyZHN_irCkwzfkysd2FHFckBoIVXg32iPyV7wi8WE4WkSt4CPSyDPLSgwvOZnLod9LGAT04Me6gEI-IuZKsQdsE-Mz5fYN7sflgDUx3g/w472-h640/Stone%20Bridge.png" width="472" /></a></div><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-580d7d28-7fff-0026-bbb9-38580b77c0d5" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
</h2><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Title: Stonebridge<br />Author: Linda Griffin<br />Publisher: The Wild Rose Press<br />Publication Date: November 1, 2023<br />Pages: 256<br />Genre: Ghost Story/Romance</span><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><img alt="goodreads add to" class="wp-image-99113" src="http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/goodreads-add-to.png" /></span></span></figure></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">After the death of her mother, Rynna Dalton comes to live with her imperious great-grandmother and her bookish, disabled cousin Ted at Stonebridge Manor. Almost immediately she is aware of a mysterious presence, which she believes is the spirit of her mother’s murdered cousin, Rosalind. Rynna is charmed by Rosalind’s lawyer son Jason Wyatt, who courts her, and she agrees to marry him. Meanwhile Ted and Rynna become good friends. But Stonebridge holds secrets that will profoundly affect her future. Why is Ted so opposed to the match? Why does Rosalind seem to warn Rynna against it? And how far will Jason go to possess Stonebridge—and the woman he professes to love?</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: Gabriela;">Buy Links:</b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stonebridge-Linda-Griffin-ebook/dp/B0CGG1TN31"><b>Amazon</b></a><b> | </b><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1000585740"><b>Barnes & Noble</b></a><b> | </b><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/stonebridge/id6463164419"><b>iBooks</b></a></span></span></p>
<h2 dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-580d7d28-7fff-0026-bbb9-38580b77c0d5" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTySfoDUArIRzAsu1MTQwyKOFDQ7bvbh5duzsLCI-g0SR9-F4nhmtZJBLDUDMZoZ8jiHNyWiB0tNppe9U_e_2rYwnO0aXyswj_hN5AT9ADriY5UfTOt6Jv_p1jDAap-s-3oAKw3DL9TFh5om6Y5rMoau4aFO6U0NiMiv9aQBIbLmdZIZqibqmEEtghSg/s800/Stonebridge%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="800" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTySfoDUArIRzAsu1MTQwyKOFDQ7bvbh5duzsLCI-g0SR9-F4nhmtZJBLDUDMZoZ8jiHNyWiB0tNppe9U_e_2rYwnO0aXyswj_hN5AT9ADriY5UfTOt6Jv_p1jDAap-s-3oAKw3DL9TFh5om6Y5rMoau4aFO6U0NiMiv9aQBIbLmdZIZqibqmEEtghSg/w637-h488/Stonebridge%203.jpg" width="637" /></a></div><br /></span></span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-bb2c3c93-7fff-81ba-616c-dcad5ef352a7" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -0.1pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.1pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span><b>Book Excerpt:</b></span></span></span></p><h2 class="wp-block-heading">
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</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yiw0sfTfnlJlJoOsv0HSJjpWTikrOZQDzWiOoMHNONZboNGINL9qxvy5QUgDb04T3J-i02AHD_4CGQiCJeqvSYIYTsVzgliyG5DLZqquR38bS84weh9uqxnnnRCAcPUlICbpoAaAvBZ-2R7RVwt2TE_4IjnLgrHNSf1co2xWhuvd2RSQbOJc7JI-eQ/s1158/Stone%20Bridge%207.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yiw0sfTfnlJlJoOsv0HSJjpWTikrOZQDzWiOoMHNONZboNGINL9qxvy5QUgDb04T3J-i02AHD_4CGQiCJeqvSYIYTsVzgliyG5DLZqquR38bS84weh9uqxnnnRCAcPUlICbpoAaAvBZ-2R7RVwt2TE_4IjnLgrHNSf1co2xWhuvd2RSQbOJc7JI-eQ/w222-h640/Stone%20Bridge%207.gif" width="222" /></a></div>She negotiated the stairs one at a time, her bare feet silent on the plush carpet. Halfway down, she leaned over the banister, concentrating intently. No sound from the direction of the music room, no stir from the servants’ hall.<p></p>
<p> She crept in the door of the music room, where she could barely make out the shape of the piano in the darkness. A quick, furtive glance behind her and then she switched on the flashlight and swept the beam around the still room. Nothing lurked in the shadows. She tiptoed to the piano and ran the light across the keys. No visible strings or wires. </p>
<p>She heard a faint murmur and snapped off the flashlight. She ducked back from the door and hid in a shadowed corner where she was sure she couldn’t be seen with the overhead light off. She waited and heard nothing more. The sound had been almost inaudible, perhaps just the old house creaking or settling.</p>
<p>She held her arm close to her face so she could read the faintly luminous dial of her wristwatch. It was 2:15. Easy enough to wait where she was for a few more minutes. If the pattern held, the practical joker would fall right into her trap. She leaned against the wall and kept her breathing steady and quiet. Just a few minutes more, a little patience. The house was quiet, peaceful, waiting.</p>
<p>Someone was in the room.</p>
<p>Rynna snapped on the flashlight.</p>
<p>No one was there. She had not heard anything to suggest anyone had come into the room, and nothing had touched her, and yet for a split-second she had been absolutely certain someone was a few feet away. She’d had such a strong kinesthetic sense of a presence that the flashlight was on before she had time for conscious thought.</p>
<p>She switched it off again, feeling foolish, but damn it, she <i>had</i> detected something. The sensation was so vivid she had a lingering memory of the other person’s scent. Or did she detect something tangible now? A faint trace of perfume? Something unfamiliar and s suggestive of roses. Now I’m imagining things, she told herself sternly. She hoped the light hadn’t given her away and she still had time to wait undiscovered for the trickster to appear.</p>
<p>She leaned back against the wall and waited, listening to the silence. The house was almost too quiet, as if nobody lived there. Nothing creaked or shifted or fluttered in the darkness. But for the knowledge that she didn’t have long to wait, the silence would have gotten on her nerves. As it was, the hair on the back of her neck prickled. She shivered a little. Like most old houses, Stonebridge was drafty. </p>
<p>The silence was oppressive and in some way alive. An inexplicable chill ran down her spine. She saw nothing, heard nothing. She didn’t even have a definite sense of someone else in the room. She was simply unnerved for no reason. For a few seconds more she stayed in the shadows of the music room and then, with an almost physical sensation, her composure shattered.</p>
<p>Rynna fled. She ran for the stairs and clambered up them, slipping and stumbling in the dark, half-choked by terror and gasping for breath. At the top of the stairs, she ran full tilt into someone hurrying down the hall, and before she had time to register who it was, she screamed.</p>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpojAHvQx0PYdK56awO_JHwY45sZZL-rtfpseFD36k8P5h7XICiFPsqpbBR3zmmHfYtn20-UB5ryQT8wiPgS-nEvw23jTdaVqOL0jBkn4KtPVaPnBvOOK2wbaL1v3W4QwffhCouSPMtlhkswjRwFBEEZYRFoaq7ZvATZtx5oW0odkxBBlCLdgQUDJzw/s758/Stone%20Bridge%208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="758" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpojAHvQx0PYdK56awO_JHwY45sZZL-rtfpseFD36k8P5h7XICiFPsqpbBR3zmmHfYtn20-UB5ryQT8wiPgS-nEvw23jTdaVqOL0jBkn4KtPVaPnBvOOK2wbaL1v3W4QwffhCouSPMtlhkswjRwFBEEZYRFoaq7ZvATZtx5oW0odkxBBlCLdgQUDJzw/w646-h458/Stone%20Bridge%208.jpg" width="646" /></a></div><span></span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span> </span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>Book Trailer:<br /></span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span> </span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bHrQioFgsEo?si=KayXYoGkUdHENJdC" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span> </span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>Watch at YouTube at </span></span></b></span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/bHrQioFgsEo" id="docs-internal-guid-72fb3f5d-7fff-d563-2f29-6c3bdd84277d" style="font-family: Gabriela; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://youtu.be/bHrQioFgsEo</span></a>.</span></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span> </span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span> </span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>About the Author</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCBF91w1lVsYn09jKqPRZh33o-z167jt02V6yCemHw-5BahZCOtt-iGXPxVQ989qzHT9rjq2Sd252zm02pAT0d9mwxB5S0G0x2R7SkYbNXFmFDKcrGX7gShw-uNw-MsfzXRty5GgKiZ5OTX75tUt8u4jeXiebnH4nLYXhM6htrijOOxHgAtrPul2d5A/s535/Linda%20Griffin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="535" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCBF91w1lVsYn09jKqPRZh33o-z167jt02V6yCemHw-5BahZCOtt-iGXPxVQ989qzHT9rjq2Sd252zm02pAT0d9mwxB5S0G0x2R7SkYbNXFmFDKcrGX7gShw-uNw-MsfzXRty5GgKiZ5OTX75tUt8u4jeXiebnH4nLYXhM6htrijOOxHgAtrPul2d5A/w640-h640/Linda%20Griffin.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<p>
</p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Linda Griffin knew she wanted to be a “book maker” as soon as she learned to read and wrote her first story, “Judy and the Fairies,” at the age of six. She retired as fiction librarian for the San Diego Public Library to spend more time on her writing. She has had stories of every length from short shorts to novellas published in numerous literary journals, and <i>Stonebridge</i> is her eighth book from the Wild Rose Press. She enjoys the three R’s — reading, writing, and research–as well as Scrabble, movies, and travel. </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><b>Author Links </b> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><a href="https://www.lindagriffinauthor.com/">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/LindaGriffinA">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lindagriffin.author/">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lindagriffinauthor/">Instagram</a></span></span></p>
</div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjrEZX9KUPgbLJRxw_OeJugJlF4wV-ulbf8S84uLbHhl9xGlpdfJT0brygvvvk_2CeeRlRM5BKpmDAw8jHR1sqUy0rD6YRptp_h2PMEOViI3DE7aBBdlxdaeLJzY48hka4tZjSejBctvI0PT8Fst3TyJFb11PgLHAbwlTxGZLeBja05rwYrFnh46vFw/s800/Stonebridge%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="800" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjrEZX9KUPgbLJRxw_OeJugJlF4wV-ulbf8S84uLbHhl9xGlpdfJT0brygvvvk_2CeeRlRM5BKpmDAw8jHR1sqUy0rD6YRptp_h2PMEOViI3DE7aBBdlxdaeLJzY48hka4tZjSejBctvI0PT8Fst3TyJFb11PgLHAbwlTxGZLeBja05rwYrFnh46vFw/w588-h395/Stonebridge%202.jpg" width="588" /></a></div><br /><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br style="font-size: 15.4px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>
Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-75419782118738832392023-12-26T07:29:00.000-08:002023-12-26T07:29:57.766-08:00Movie review: The Man Who Invented Christmas<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiib0ifmvBrk7FjYBsw6iSunihyWMCmxUQm48fNrQVxVThQa9POZB2lNYQkvOXUaRD1eYAklqPO2vTPZgQbccN9lfOJF0yIU4scoQW6ujCPq2e9wgwhJWQDMu7bqYzkR4gqvH4tZztOgiV-tR8ZjVVAGBgFZBjf04VzOtCVsflWzgUQcyQ9Q_B_is1D-pg/s328/The_Man_Who_Invented_Christmas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="220" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiib0ifmvBrk7FjYBsw6iSunihyWMCmxUQm48fNrQVxVThQa9POZB2lNYQkvOXUaRD1eYAklqPO2vTPZgQbccN9lfOJF0yIU4scoQW6ujCPq2e9wgwhJWQDMu7bqYzkR4gqvH4tZztOgiV-tR8ZjVVAGBgFZBjf04VzOtCVsflWzgUQcyQ9Q_B_is1D-pg/w262-h390/The_Man_Who_Invented_Christmas.png" width="262" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
On Christmas Day, in keeping with the theme, I decided that the movie <i>du
jour</i> should be <i>The Man who Invented Christmas</i>. This
star-studded cast boasts some acting greats such as Christopher Plummer, Ian
McNeice, Simon Callow, Donald Sumpter, Jonathan Pryce, Bill Paterson, and
Miriam Margolyes. The story this time is not <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, the
most beloved Christmas tale, but the story behind the story; how Charles
Dickens came to write this 1843 novella. It makes for very interesting viewing,
especially if one is a writer. The plot of the movie revolves around how
Dickens, facing financial failure, conceives of and writes the story in just
six weeks. He comes up with names, characters, ideas, and plot twists based on
the people and events around him. But soon one wonders if the author is writing
the book, or the characters are writing the book…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Dan
Stevens plays Dickens rather frenetically as the somewhat self-absorbed,
eccentric author who can’t stand failure and/or criticism, and very nearly
loses his friends and family while he wallows in the mire of writer’s block and
the pressure of creating a new work. The characters appear in his imagination
but very quickly assume more corporeal proportions and offer their opinions of
him, his attitudes, his character, his behaviour, and his words. Chistopher
Plummer is utterly superb as Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean old scoundrel who knows
the value of a penny but not of love. Can he change? Will he survive the three
phantom visitations? I can’t think of any other actor being able to play
Scrooge with the nuances that Plummer gives the character. He is brilliant. The
excellent supporting cast is too large to mention everyone, but Donald Sumpter
is wonderful as the ghost of Jacob Marley. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The sets
are fantastic as well, giving the right atmosphere and ambiance, with famous
names of the era dropped in here and there. The audience is transported right
into Victorian Engand. The scenes are well fleshed out, giving background to
the period, and highlighting some of the sadder social issues. Dickens, as a
writer and social critic, highlights the issues and desperate plight of the
poor at the time. The movie epilogue says that Charles Dickens changed the way
people viewed Christmas and revived the spirit of goodwill and giving. A bit of
research shows that yes, the novel was so wildly popular that it reinvigorated
the Christmas season and people’s interest in an ancient custom. Is it worth
watching? Absolutely, it's a must-see. Stevens is chaotic in his
interpretation of Dickens but the solid cast and superb performances, plus the
poignant nature of the story, make this an excellent movie to both enjoy and
ponder a little more thereon. This is a perennial Christmas movie the family can
watch year after year without tiring of it.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><br /></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-90117673172060677192023-12-05T05:29:00.000-08:002023-12-05T05:29:38.388-08:00Book review: A Friend for Christmas by Mike Martin<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Z3SV7zKKDswHJFRtHbI7b5YO-LYBcnYlIqk25c2Bp79ndpTMJFXZDgs4EgNrGZgkKK2D-I3Sp0W6ADDWIqf_hZ-7gVcrZtM9xnQ7eFXURce0jYJUwybUdDCOmz5J85cFRyvQMgs1JWNP4rucko8xzBKLXVR3e29URkzPRFTjhJsHXWP9TBgh7mEIWA/s710/A%20Friend%20for%20Christmas%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="710" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Z3SV7zKKDswHJFRtHbI7b5YO-LYBcnYlIqk25c2Bp79ndpTMJFXZDgs4EgNrGZgkKK2D-I3Sp0W6ADDWIqf_hZ-7gVcrZtM9xnQ7eFXURce0jYJUwybUdDCOmz5J85cFRyvQMgs1JWNP4rucko8xzBKLXVR3e29URkzPRFTjhJsHXWP9TBgh7mEIWA/w576-h211/A%20Friend%20for%20Christmas%20banner.jpg" width="576" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6523520796440888695" itemprop="articleBody"><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/08/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_0148301591.html"></a>
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<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6bd682ce-7fff-780d-aed7-5de230025a4c" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Christmas book about overcoming your fears and finding friends at Christmas.</span><span id="docs-internal-guid-dc81fae6-7fff-cf64-13e8-ce00c6f3d926" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dc81fae6-7fff-cf64-13e8-ce00c6f3d926" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JRhi5skQ1BvwNCRC-Pm8k4n8yD0I-K7I8VOtw3vVBp2CT2Zm2RC5c7k6IVLIMjgixVB656AmttIpEC2X9S-peDEkwtHDuQQdcgeRGjUPbOpnyMm_vw_fe8H-_lJ3i3PYeAyIqjYyhw1YG3qVxfZ7EyzZ-09wS94RJnoMdYKvvxFeTCZbu9D1u7f18g/s588/A%20Friend%20for%20Christmas.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="502" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JRhi5skQ1BvwNCRC-Pm8k4n8yD0I-K7I8VOtw3vVBp2CT2Zm2RC5c7k6IVLIMjgixVB656AmttIpEC2X9S-peDEkwtHDuQQdcgeRGjUPbOpnyMm_vw_fe8H-_lJ3i3PYeAyIqjYyhw1YG3qVxfZ7EyzZ-09wS94RJnoMdYKvvxFeTCZbu9D1u7f18g/w546-h640/A%20Friend%20for%20Christmas.png" width="546" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-580d7d28-7fff-0026-bbb9-38580b77c0d5" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: A Friend for Christmas</span></span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Mike Martin</span></span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publication Date: October 20, 2023</span></span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pages: 36</span></span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Children's</span></span></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200399322-a-friend-for-christmas?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=qQfQWaS77e&rank=5">
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</a></p>
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</p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Good things come to those who face their fears. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Robbie Rabbit lived in a warren in a big city with his wife Rowena Rabbit and their nine kits. He called it their rabbit apartment. Robbie and his family were hunkering down for winter when an unexpected visitor makes an appearance. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">A Friend for Christmas is the heartwarming tale of a very brave rabbit who faces his fears and makes a new friend at the magical time of the year. He learns that friends can come in all shapes and sizes and Robbie and his family discover the joy of Christmas.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">This beautifully illustrated book is suitable for children of all ages. Especially those who still believe in the magic of Christmas.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">“This lovely fable tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a family of rabbits and a gray cat named Whisper. In these war-torn times, it’s an important reminder of our innate ability to choose live over fear.” – Amazon</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="font-family: Gabriela;">Buy Links:</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Amazon: <a href="https://bit.ly/3FMsbN4">https://bit.ly/3FMsbN4</a> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Barnes & Noble: <a href="https://bit.ly/49ntyQ7">https://bit.ly/49ntyQ7</a> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuVIkT678vxW5t3VBLL_Vk_96snJzwCyKYuVlh7zw0v-HKAQN-BMmV5UAAvSq-apb32GpJEVemC-iswnxYGVkNb8pAp93VihShIIZMlRAG3oyZ1US2PVoxNYtSR7QXsaoWJC7TIhMKsZqxLuGBJF2dyAbRMM4KnCfEFEesuh93HxwA9m0s73aH8IfNg/s765/A%20Friend%20for%20Christmas%2013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="765" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuVIkT678vxW5t3VBLL_Vk_96snJzwCyKYuVlh7zw0v-HKAQN-BMmV5UAAvSq-apb32GpJEVemC-iswnxYGVkNb8pAp93VihShIIZMlRAG3oyZ1US2PVoxNYtSR7QXsaoWJC7TIhMKsZqxLuGBJF2dyAbRMM4KnCfEFEesuh93HxwA9m0s73aH8IfNg/w642-h433/A%20Friend%20for%20Christmas%2013.jpg" width="642" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">My Review: A Friend for Christmas by Mike Martin
is an adorable children’s Christmas story that young readers will simply love. Robbie
and Rowena Rabbit have nine youngsters (called kits). All their names start with
the letter R: Rhonda, Riley, Rebecca, Rowan, Ruby, Ryan, Rose, Romeo, and
Ricky. With so many mouths to feed, dad Robbie must forage daily for food. It’s
not easy. It’s winter, it’s snowing, and he must navigate the road and passing
cars safely. But Robbie is brave and determined and he and Rowena are devoted parents.
However, there’s one thing that Robbie fears the most: cats. Whenever he sees a
cat, he runs as fast as he can all the way home, which is the advice he gives
to the youngsters. One day he meets a cat, a slinky grey cat called Whisper,
that seems determined to befriend him. Robbie and Rowena are astounded. What
strange behavior from a cat! Can rabbits be friends with a cat? <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A Friend for Christmas is a lovely
story just in time for Christmas. Mike Martin introduces the concept of friends
in all shapes, sizes and … wait for it … species! The spirit of Christmas and festivities
filters through with the tall creatures (humans) putting up twinkling lights
and beautiful decorations. From Whisper, Robbie and his family learn what
Christmas is all about and that sometimes the greatest gift one can give someone
is their friendship. This is the message of the festive season and one that parents
will be pleased to see in this charming story. Other positive aspects of this
book are the lessons Robbie and Rowena teach their children about road safety, the
wonderful sense of a family playing and having fun together, new friendships,
and learning about animals. Youngsters will also have fun with so many ‘r’
words in the rabbit family names! The illustrations are simple and clear and help
to tell the story.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>About the Author</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfVBlhwDBkxbndX3wgj_yaf2R49NxVe4yVoZ4IeO7WFj0gH_Bvb79IFEZfk_AsGP8tMWXqOHD4_9PimfxzYevLaF4uG-1VgEywozAmIr1j2EsnWvH67WyuxZ-Sb87EzIbs1x63YdzRzb80Zz_jOcdwQPAuYMMDUaUGLIAFnUR3FRDc5SWQg_IAeErYg/s544/Mike%20Martin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="544" height="539" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfVBlhwDBkxbndX3wgj_yaf2R49NxVe4yVoZ4IeO7WFj0gH_Bvb79IFEZfk_AsGP8tMWXqOHD4_9PimfxzYevLaF4uG-1VgEywozAmIr1j2EsnWvH67WyuxZ-Sb87EzIbs1x63YdzRzb80Zz_jOcdwQPAuYMMDUaUGLIAFnUR3FRDc5SWQg_IAeErYg/w640-h539/Mike%20Martin.png" width="640" /></a></div></span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<p>
</p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the award-winning and best-selling author of the award-winning Sgt. Windflower Mystery series set in beautiful Grand Bank. There are now 13 books in this light mystery series with the publication of <em>All That Glitters</em>.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><strong>Author Links </strong> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><a href="https://sgtwindflowermysteries.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mike54martin">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore">Facebook</a> </span></span></p>
</div></div></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3uI_z-6meCgGZ8FupXr0WfiF6Jn_9R5iCWg7uWX7DBX4x1wmnEkdxIky8ReC6OF7jaro5cSQ3AzCqhQVAvkG6xt4PJz7ZNEK1IO-j7mqlwVvQbhMyyGQTe5Lr7TnOyUHnocWinixu8uDaW7FGdEBTu1Iy7RplR4T9otuw-C_BzD14tLLROMcc2NQ_A/s800/A%20Friend%20for%20Christmas%209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="800" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3uI_z-6meCgGZ8FupXr0WfiF6Jn_9R5iCWg7uWX7DBX4x1wmnEkdxIky8ReC6OF7jaro5cSQ3AzCqhQVAvkG6xt4PJz7ZNEK1IO-j7mqlwVvQbhMyyGQTe5Lr7TnOyUHnocWinixu8uDaW7FGdEBTu1Iy7RplR4T9otuw-C_BzD14tLLROMcc2NQ_A/w656-h506/A%20Friend%20for%20Christmas%209.jpg" width="656" /></a></div><br /><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br style="font-size: 15.4px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div><br /></div>
Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-68766711166548409632023-11-28T01:52:00.000-08:002023-11-28T01:52:54.021-08:00Book Spotlight: The Hope Series by E.C. Jackson<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWt7WMoYyklgvTRMcYFIFJ7A0bD36r9IDOUVJIZGSsKeRxZyzqjFRitvhd1CSRv-jV-rkhxXyvpjGSugQY_UNfcg0S7lwpTTFCzT5HOr0OZnNj9HoIlZ9eP_STSk60CgUA7TBOp57dOsNVlrM4AxqU0yW-QNYENNGTjxY8P-6zjujg2QrelhbGjebXb4/s699/Hope%20Series%20banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="699" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWt7WMoYyklgvTRMcYFIFJ7A0bD36r9IDOUVJIZGSsKeRxZyzqjFRitvhd1CSRv-jV-rkhxXyvpjGSugQY_UNfcg0S7lwpTTFCzT5HOr0OZnNj9HoIlZ9eP_STSk60CgUA7TBOp57dOsNVlrM4AxqU0yW-QNYENNGTjxY8P-6zjujg2QrelhbGjebXb4/w562-h181/Hope%20Series%20banner.jpg" width="562" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><b>The Certain Hope</b></i>: Twenty-one-year-old
Neka is a bit of an introvert; she also happens to be stunningly beautiful.
When she discovers her friend James is about to be dumped, she sees the perfect
opportunity to escape from her quiet life. Can she summon the courage to leave
it all behind? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">James
Copley comes from a ruthless family. It’s rubbed off. Years ago, he disengaged
from his brother’s smear campaign, but now his father has offered him an
ultimatum, “Get married or lose your seat at the table.” Plotting to stamp his
design on the family business, he proposes to a woman, even though he doesn’t
love her. But his carefully laid plans start to unravel when she leaves him on
the day she’s due to meet his family. Could years of planning his comeback
vanish with her departure?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gateway-Hope-C-Jackson/dp/0996181229/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=MqFgB&content-id=amzn1.sym.579192ca-1482-4409-abe7-9e14f17ac827&pf_rd_p=579192ca-1482-4409-abe7-9e14f17ac827&pf_rd_r=145-2563626-5637032&pd_rd_wg=obtRs&pd_rd_r=419e931d-ff82-45b7-bfa3-05c7eab26287&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Amazon</span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><b>The Confident Hope</b></i>: Is
there hope for this love between friends? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Pamela
Hayes is a smart, successful business owner with a supportive family and a
thriving bakery. She should be the happiest girl in the world. But she can’t
shake the melancholy that accompanies every conversation she has with her best
friend, Mark. Pamela doesn’t know how much longer she can hide her true
feelings. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Why
can’t Mark see how perfect they would be together? She would make a much better
girlfriend than the one he currently has. Pamela prays he’ll come to his senses
soon and realize he’s with the wrong girl. But when her dream comes true, it
isn’t the fantasy she had envisioned. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">There
is trouble in paradise from the start, and all the red flags she’s been
ignoring are starting to threaten her confidence…and her relationship with
Mark. She’ll have to rely on family and her faith in God to help her secure the
hope she so desperately needs. </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Confident-Hope-Book-ebook/dp/B08HNBBV8Q?ref_=ast_author_dp" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Amazon</span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i><b>Overflow With Hope</b></i>: Two men. One wrong choice. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Tempia
Wade’s life had jumped the rails. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">One
fateful night, she believed a stranger’s lie rather than the assurance of a
trusted friend. For her lapse in judgment, she paid an agonizing price. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Her
now-bankrupt life featured shattered dreams, ruined friendships, and the loss
of a promising relationship. Now, two years later, the twenty-three-year-old
prayed for a second chance with the man she had fallen for at first sight. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Would
Cory Sanders finally overlook her egregious mistake in accepting a next-day
date and liaison with another man? Or would she have to truly accept life
without him?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Overflow-Hope-C-Jackson-ebook/dp/B0CN3Z38FF/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Amazon </span></b></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSyGhVjDpUIsJLWqhRf9qOpAYPf2B_I63knN0Q86U15j_2j1sOd-CjGQMytnwBtWzqWRj6AtB0-VyWgF4uhqt1qneHO8BCN6H7WM2k_mcDwY2fJaOx3cLtwJnXRcqwo1M8foFdDjhymLhMqDRlgznL8xoBb9DlLMMG1pMMLkBJ30C_TuQ03k12Nn2kjU/s560/E.C.%20Jackson.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="560" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSyGhVjDpUIsJLWqhRf9qOpAYPf2B_I63knN0Q86U15j_2j1sOd-CjGQMytnwBtWzqWRj6AtB0-VyWgF4uhqt1qneHO8BCN6H7WM2k_mcDwY2fJaOx3cLtwJnXRcqwo1M8foFdDjhymLhMqDRlgznL8xoBb9DlLMMG1pMMLkBJ30C_TuQ03k12Nn2kjU/s320/E.C.%20Jackson.png" width="320" /></a></div><h2 align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; page-break-after: auto; text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">About
the Author<o:p></o:p></span></b></h2><h2 align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; page-break-after: auto; text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></h2><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">E. C. Jackson began her writing career with the full-length
play <i>Pajama Party</i>. Thirty-one years
later, she adapted the play into <i>Pajama
Party: The Story</i>, a companion book to the second book in the five-book
standalone Hope series. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Jackson’s
favorite pastime is reading fiction. She enjoys taking the journey along with
the characters in the books. That also led to her unorthodox approach to story
writing. Her vision for each book she writes is to immerse readers into the
storyline so they become connected with each character.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">“The
Write Way: A Real Slice of Life” is the slogan on her Facebook author page. She
feels that if every person reading her books feels connected to the characters,
her job is done. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><b style="text-align: center;"><u><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author Links </span></u></b><u style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></u><span lang="EN" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.hopebooks.faith/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Website</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"> | </span><span lang="EN" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ecjacksonauthor/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Facebook</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">
| </span><span lang="EN" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ec_jackson?lang=en"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Twitter</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"> | </span><span lang="EN" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard?ref=nav_profile_authordash"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Goodreads</span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
</p><h2 style="background: white; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; page-break-after: auto;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"> </span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-17486479505928669422023-11-24T22:54:00.000-08:002023-11-24T22:54:50.925-08:00The Inspiration Behind Catnip, Plushie Balls, and Q-Tips by M.G. Rorai<p> </p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/10/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_01762297876.html"></a>
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<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUdcn0jNjxKSwsmPT-gLE27T6HQPyjTjjV6N_YYgI-4i7PpK3ENdwDZG3N2bB9eSx_RugtoRHgYL2batulXjEGjax5nzI3pNYmanKFWGhmCznAfeHbVl8vXsU8sBCooZ6tWC4FpcWs9dZfctB8bHMTi5PpGLvIYBi5p4k3D6_u9gZjyDjXb5bmZbSDg/s743/Catnip%20Plushie%20Balls%20and%20Q-Tips%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="743" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUdcn0jNjxKSwsmPT-gLE27T6HQPyjTjjV6N_YYgI-4i7PpK3ENdwDZG3N2bB9eSx_RugtoRHgYL2batulXjEGjax5nzI3pNYmanKFWGhmCznAfeHbVl8vXsU8sBCooZ6tWC4FpcWs9dZfctB8bHMTi5PpGLvIYBi5p4k3D6_u9gZjyDjXb5bmZbSDg/w640-h224/Catnip%20Plushie%20Balls%20and%20Q-Tips%20banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/08/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_0148301591.html"></a>
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<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-dc81fae6-7fff-cf64-13e8-ce00c6f3d926" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="text-align: left;">If you loved Catnip, Toilet Paper, and Lasers, this new collection of cat poems will tickle your whiskers and your funny bone.</span> </span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1sifPjuVwUps1BQYImMYwpZ1-4965fOzFc5J8rlX2L-5FMLDQF_Bt7a0Zg37hllTnWFVZTAzDXgWVcuI4H6J4lwC_wkuS8beR_eFsJQV7ee5wT-zg6ZinJi_XsohQu_hkHn7bpG7yiRJznBRojKmueyltK2q8RvBwI0XcZxvyTriQtP4iZAJMY6-Uw/s748/Catnip%20Plushie%20Balls%20and%20Q-Tips.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="528" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1sifPjuVwUps1BQYImMYwpZ1-4965fOzFc5J8rlX2L-5FMLDQF_Bt7a0Zg37hllTnWFVZTAzDXgWVcuI4H6J4lwC_wkuS8beR_eFsJQV7ee5wT-zg6ZinJi_XsohQu_hkHn7bpG7yiRJznBRojKmueyltK2q8RvBwI0XcZxvyTriQtP4iZAJMY6-Uw/w452-h640/Catnip%20Plushie%20Balls%20and%20Q-Tips.png" width="452" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-580d7d28-7fff-0026-bbb9-38580b77c0d5" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Catnip, Plushie Balls, and Q-Tips: Cat Poetry: The Art of Being Feline</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: M.G. Rorai</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publication Date: September 30, 2023</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pages: 178</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Poetry/Cats</span></span></h2>
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<p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-ce6eaf03-7fff-3a80-6ff9-231a101bf8df" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ever wonder why there are “mews” in “amewzing”? </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This collection of cat poems will tickle your whiskers and your funny bone. They’re the purr-fect way to brighten your day and celebrate the furry friends in your life. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prepare to laugh out loud as you read about cat adventures with magnets, candles, strawberry milkshakes, and plush balls—but don’t let me ruin the surprise, you’ll have to read to find out! </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: georgia; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Get ready to laugh your tail off!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: large;">Buy Links:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG4SWS5P" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Amazon</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> | </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1144095515" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Barnes & Noble</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> | </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/catnip-plushie-balls-and-q-tips" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kobo</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> | </span><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/catnip-plushie-balls-and-q-tips/id6467057280" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Apple</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> | </span><a href="https://www.scribd.com/book/672356868" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Scribd</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> | </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1454247?ref=" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Smashwords</span></a></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnsLwpkvp5a9-39AUQssz43VZpTuPIw7wamrDzrFZcDDetx3GHGTXc1SHWVZmkQBq2qG8U6CZguupF3unj4H2sQWk87QK2s3KUre094tZLZXKMJBUtLKc0OLrqGT6c_D9eU-9K7hKRkLBjFUCidRgkkuTWh8hT1BmbwgV0JwMuXCMdrY43PcU7C9JLQ/s793/Catnip%209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="793" height="573" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnsLwpkvp5a9-39AUQssz43VZpTuPIw7wamrDzrFZcDDetx3GHGTXc1SHWVZmkQBq2qG8U6CZguupF3unj4H2sQWk87QK2s3KUre094tZLZXKMJBUtLKc0OLrqGT6c_D9eU-9K7hKRkLBjFUCidRgkkuTWh8hT1BmbwgV0JwMuXCMdrY43PcU7C9JLQ/w575-h573/Catnip%209.jpg" width="575" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-bb2c3c93-7fff-81ba-616c-dcad5ef352a7" style="line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: -0.1pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.1pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span><b>Book Excerpt</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-c65f35a6-7fff-93da-f394-ee54e3e1043d" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RmaexkPlbwfE9YtW3mQbjM2B-EyYQhqDcVH2ECvhLDSGozIpUkswXz_E40i3xikZqVcBToi0qeo4wxQu-C2xYjyR8kDJ-bSZ9wlve2qq6P8SVtywQAFZ4zkBIOHnsZp1By-_58I1VBfhjD6z7_myoqJ4qyblhTsRnHeIcysqwxT0ITvFEfmAf8rVkA/s1158/Catnip%2011.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="375" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RmaexkPlbwfE9YtW3mQbjM2B-EyYQhqDcVH2ECvhLDSGozIpUkswXz_E40i3xikZqVcBToi0qeo4wxQu-C2xYjyR8kDJ-bSZ9wlve2qq6P8SVtywQAFZ4zkBIOHnsZp1By-_58I1VBfhjD6z7_myoqJ4qyblhTsRnHeIcysqwxT0ITvFEfmAf8rVkA/w208-h640/Catnip%2011.gif" width="208" /></a></div></span></em></h2><h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The magnets are so cute</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">that I must knock them off</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">but get yelled at for this,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">so the new approach is soft.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I sit by the fridge</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">staring at those squares</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and when Human isn’t looking</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I lick with tongue hairs.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">All was going good</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">until one was quite sticky</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">leaving a bad taste,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and I’m not so picky.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I bite at the air</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to get rid of the taste</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">then knock down that magnet;</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">good riddance, post-haste.**</span></p></span></em></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></h2>
</div><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p style="color: #222222; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">The
Inspiration Behind Catnip, </span></b></p><p style="color: #222222; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Plushie Balls, and Q-Tips</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Kitty Elsa
perches on a chair to slurp water droplets during shower time. If my husband or
I don’t let her into the bathroom she cries at the door. When we do let her in,
she drinks from our fingers until she gets bored, then abandons the shower to
go slouch in a basket. Ah, the life of a Queen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">As you can tell,
I think cats are adorable creatures, and as such I’m part of many cat groups on
social media to get my daily fix of funny cat things. One day I was reading a
thread of real-life funny </span><span style="font-size: 24px;">stories,</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> and I thought how fun it would be to turn them
into silly poems. At the time I had been re-exploring my poetry, something I
used to write unpublished about ten years ago, and posted in the group if
anyone would be interested in reading such a book. </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">The response was
overwhelmingly positive. </span></p>
<p style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">I received
permission to use those stories, and that’s how the first book in the series<i>
Cat Poetry: The Art of Being Feline</i> came about. It’s called <i>Catnip, Toilet
Paper, and Lasers</i>. Of course, my kitties Elsa and her brother Socks
contributed and became the theme of the book.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">But I wasn’t
done. I started on the <i>Catnip, Plushie Balls, and Q-Tips</i> sequel with
inspired cat stories and continued on with the antics theme of my own cats,
along with writing other books. But then burnout hit, plus job issues needed to
be addressed (as I wasn’t writing full-time) and everything took a backseat. I
didn’t get back to the feline sequel until two years later. By then the world
had righted itself, I had recovered from burnout through lots of rest and
pursuing other activities, and I felt it was time to complete Q-Tips, which I
think is better than the first poem collection.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">When I first
started this </span><span style="font-size: 24px;">series,</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> I was exclusively on Amazon. But with </span></span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Catnip, Plushie
Balls, and Q-Tips</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> I’ve decided to expand my reach and publish at other
places, such as Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, libraries,
and others. I want to share my laughs with many who appreciate the love of
cats. And now part I, Toilet Paper and Lasers, is wide as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">But it’s more
than cats too. These books are also about sitting down and having a good moment
when good times might be hard to come by. What better way to find distraction
than amewzing cat poems? A cat’s companionship can help tremendously on a bad
day, and I wanted to capture some of that for anyone needing a silly
moment. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>About the Author</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span> </span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh764aHJ6gPHun_fyouodqYShFHUAxOqhX08_K6iD-zT5AMLUkjZgxNNoKWUUzypVaKr7gnC0TM_cpMZLkNXLhjjla7CqVowIaVJGWURp2xrMdMTU-FtBqj7yhH3TfQAvwmntDYOpzZXGn-3Q4Z8mo3N1V9E5cEL0UDQ7oHrd8u7n91EMtfrXrz3nGEoQ/s790/M.G.%20Rorai.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="790" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh764aHJ6gPHun_fyouodqYShFHUAxOqhX08_K6iD-zT5AMLUkjZgxNNoKWUUzypVaKr7gnC0TM_cpMZLkNXLhjjla7CqVowIaVJGWURp2xrMdMTU-FtBqj7yhH3TfQAvwmntDYOpzZXGn-3Q4Z8mo3N1V9E5cEL0UDQ7oHrd8u7n91EMtfrXrz3nGEoQ/w640-h470/M.G.%20Rorai.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: medium;"></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<p><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: medium;">M.G. Rorai enjoys hanging with her cats and annoying her husband. Her latest book is Catnip, Plushie Balls, and Q-Tips.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: large;"><strong>Author Links </strong> </span></p><p><!--wp:paragraph-->
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<!--/wp:paragraph--></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: large;"><a href="https://wrathofkitties.com/">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wrathofkittieswriting">Facebook</a></span></p><p style="font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left;"></p><p style="font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"></p><span class="pibfi_pinterest" style="font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;">
</span>
</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovOENeWAdpeqW4PuIqyU1z30DJ5IPWgfbUk5szra9Tq_0BeFFoy9gwB0U_OKZ3x8VrzvvohoqTs2-rkZ7Izu3wX4XRI0XEcc2pVQosvdr8DURyL7LYfUtFiiTzuQmqqUI0SJHBkmI2eXVvKVHPWvcHVbtMhNKBjL25M1AzEDXKK3ymzx-jItvh23Ytg/s640/Catnip%2013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovOENeWAdpeqW4PuIqyU1z30DJ5IPWgfbUk5szra9Tq_0BeFFoy9gwB0U_OKZ3x8VrzvvohoqTs2-rkZ7Izu3wX4XRI0XEcc2pVQosvdr8DURyL7LYfUtFiiTzuQmqqUI0SJHBkmI2eXVvKVHPWvcHVbtMhNKBjL25M1AzEDXKK3ymzx-jItvh23Ytg/w581-h436/Catnip%2013.jpg" width="581" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br style="font-size: 15.4px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>
Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-77625896960443645652023-11-20T04:42:00.000-08:002023-11-20T04:51:07.003-08:00How I Reset My Life by Quitting Drinking by Lisa May Bennett, author of My Unfurling<p> <span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXQJKEL7qCeMM8nVKA7QNC3bCOGAWpuUr985hriWzejfsVT9x3XOVEsq7cHLKu_J13Kcoz0Wv0Ur04Z7aukpFZts0CX_U0n3H8oIUmXR-YtLVgUWPDqxcnUJEzZt_Bt72Q8ncHdpkQMdXp0hK00QKLaii90qfbmQOVEhdz_XslAVnUPkkTiuHnz98mro/s2560/My%20Unfurling%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXQJKEL7qCeMM8nVKA7QNC3bCOGAWpuUr985hriWzejfsVT9x3XOVEsq7cHLKu_J13Kcoz0Wv0Ur04Z7aukpFZts0CX_U0n3H8oIUmXR-YtLVgUWPDqxcnUJEzZt_Bt72Q8ncHdpkQMdXp0hK00QKLaii90qfbmQOVEhdz_XslAVnUPkkTiuHnz98mro/s320/My%20Unfurling%20Cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Wicked
hangovers. Scary blackouts. Ugly fights with friends. The results of binge
drinking weigh heavily on Lisa May Bennett. She tries repeatedly to savor “just
a few” glasses of wine—only to find herself passed out on the couch again.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lisa
has a bucket list full of exciting adventures with zero check marks next to
them. Her anxiety and self-doubt are crying out for real solutions, not more
booze. And her dream of becoming a published writer is fading away. She worries
that her love of a good buzz will keep her stuck in this rut. Can she take
charge of her life, or is she headed for a disastrous rock bottom?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">This
touching and funny memoir explores the childhood experiences that paved the way
for Lisa’s drinking habit. She examines her complicated relationship with her
mother, her experiences as a late bloomer, and her ongoing search for
validation. In an engaging and relatable voice, the author shares how she began
to “unfurl” without alcohol holding her back. But will she stay sober and
discover how to truly thrive? Anyone wondering if they'll ever burst out and
follow their dreams will find </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">My Unfurling</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> compelling and hopeful.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Purchase a copy of <i>My
Unfurling</i> on </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Unfurling-Emerging-Self-Doubt-Drinking/dp/B09WZJXBCZ/">Amazon</a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">,
</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-unfurling-lisa-may-bennett/1141235696">Barnes
and Noble</a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">, or </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/my-unfurling-emerging-from-the-grip-of-anxiety-self-doubt-and-drinking-lisa-may-bennett/18374447?ean=9798985875003">Bookshop.org.</a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">
You can also add this to your </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60637033-my-unfurling">GoodReads
reading list</a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How I Reset My Life by
Quitting Drinking</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">For many years, decades
actually, I was an enthusiastic drinker. I couldn’t imagine a Friday night, a
fancy dinner, or getting together with friends without an alcoholic beverage. It
helped me relax after a stressful week, and it made the good times seem even
better. You could say that drinking was my main hobby, along with watching TV
and cooking (both of which could be done with a bottomless glass of wine).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Sure, I often drank way
too much, which resulted in some bad nights. I was no stranger to blacking out,
getting into nasty arguments, or making a fool of myself. But I always thought
quitting drinking was for people whose lives were <i>totally</i> falling apart.
We hear about those big “rock bottoms” people hit—losing your job, getting in a
car accident, discovering your health is at risk, being arrested, or losing
custody of your kids. These are the experiences that are supposed to send you straight
into recovery.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I didn’t hit one of those
rock bottoms. So, every time I pondered whether my relationship with alcohol
was toxic, I concluded that it wasn’t <i>that bad</i>. Except for that one time.
Oh, and that other time. But otherwise, I was good, right? When I hit middle
age, I started wondering if there was more to life. Was my routine way too
routine? I had a bucket list of fun things that I wanted to try—none of which
were getting checked off. Most importantly, I had dreamed of becoming a
published author since I was a kid, and that had gone nowhere.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I did a lot of thinking
about what was standing in the way of these things I desired. Watching less TV
would definitely open up more time, and cutting back my social media scrolling was
a no-brainer. But after going alcohol-free during a 30-day food elimination
program, quitting drinking started to emerge as the potential key to resetting
my life. Several more years passed before I finally made the decision to part
ways with alcohol. I don’t know if I had been waiting for a serious rock
bottom. A different kind of sign—an online essay kind of like this one is what
finally pushed me off the fence.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Once I stopped, a
reinvigorated life began to unfold. I checked off many of those bucket-list
items, and I’m still adding to the list. I finally returned to my writing, and I
authored and self-published a memoir. (And I’m working on book two.) Maybe I
never would have hit a true rock bottom. Maybe I didn’t have a “real” problem,
as some people close to me have suggested. But I think it was a problem that I
was more attached to drinking than I was to fulfilling my dreams.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So, if you’re looking for
a sign, take it from me—you don’t have to wait for a big, scary one. Maybe <i>this</i>
is your notice that life can get much more interesting than you ever imagined
once you give alcohol the boot. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkLb0Tg438fH7QKgXieEGTdbow7u1KksHD73rnnsvzhAhihagIMk-bRRgc_e4fcsccj1t6DFho_LY4KPnZnPLjqJXf4r6bb2d_Nq12xa03ZYwppU_216wxE0Oj1avToY2BZwSJ0ZbM6rKvSafkwKA731kgHcA-EIyqwACaj7Ak2iM3CyENeEvDVMKLQQ/s3088/Lisa%20May%20Bennett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkLb0Tg438fH7QKgXieEGTdbow7u1KksHD73rnnsvzhAhihagIMk-bRRgc_e4fcsccj1t6DFho_LY4KPnZnPLjqJXf4r6bb2d_Nq12xa03ZYwppU_216wxE0Oj1avToY2BZwSJ0ZbM6rKvSafkwKA731kgHcA-EIyqwACaj7Ak2iM3CyENeEvDVMKLQQ/s320/Lisa%20May%20Bennett.jpg" width="240" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">About the Author</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lisa May Bennett is
the author of the memoir <i>My Unfurling: Emerging from the Grip of Anxiety,
Self-Doubt, and Drinking</i>. She had a flourishing career in marketing and
communications for more than two decades before finally embracing sobriety and
chasing her dream of becoming an author. Her upcoming book will demystify the
self-publishing process, and she hopes to encourage more people to tell and
publish their own stories.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">You can follow the
author at:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.lisamaybennett.com/">https://www.lisamaybennett.com/</a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lisamaybennett">https://www.facebook.com/lisamaybennett</a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lisamaybennett">https://www.instagram.com/lisamaybennett</a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-13931873560634584462023-11-13T05:45:00.000-08:002023-11-13T05:45:36.387-08:00What’s a Nice Catholic Like You Writing a Paranormal Like This? by Catherine C. Hall<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4BfwKj-SVYd5fgBvy0QltjNDxkne1tHx8VXEN7bX75So83sx3MJqalp5etveBcJ5QsrN5oBSO-fyXcIz92KOCkJ3nHXHctL_gyWQjkxvtyJ8un8pniEK6AS6MMC4HL5nABOfXAiIoAdynIS8IPbxzNgBdo92qvpwNRFKvbzsmca5O13U7lsXMk6l0GU/s1024/Secrets%20Laid%20to%20Rest%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4BfwKj-SVYd5fgBvy0QltjNDxkne1tHx8VXEN7bX75So83sx3MJqalp5etveBcJ5QsrN5oBSO-fyXcIz92KOCkJ3nHXHctL_gyWQjkxvtyJ8un8pniEK6AS6MMC4HL5nABOfXAiIoAdynIS8IPbxzNgBdo92qvpwNRFKvbzsmca5O13U7lsXMk6l0GU/s320/Secrets%20Laid%20to%20Rest%20Cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s the <i>Golden
Girls</i> meet the <i>Ghostbusters</i> when four women find themselves in an
unlikely career: Southeastern Paranormal Investigations. Ree Lane, a stylish
widow, is more cynic than true believer, while her childhood chum Elle Harper
has a knack for getting sensitive info with the help of her homemade pies. The
preacher’s wife, Betsy Jones, can’t be seen with SPI unless she’s in her
disguise as Nora, a psychic-in-training with a gift for Tarot. And the
recently-returned-home Gillian Buchanan is a whiz at technology, especially of
the supernatural sort. Their first case lands on the doorstep when neighbor
Doris Tucker is sure her prized vintage dolls are haunted. But there’s hardly
time for ghost-hunting when the bank director’s wife mistakes SPI for a private
eye venture. Now they’re also hot on the trail of a misbehaving husband. It’s a
wild ride as the sixty-something sleuths start digging into the past. But have
the Ladies of SPI gone too far? And how far will Sutter go to keep its secrets
dead and buried? Purchase a copy of <i>Secrets Laid to Rest</i> on </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Laid-Rest-Catherine-Hall-ebook/dp/B0CJG58XQR/?tag=wowwomenonwri-20">Amazon</a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">.
You can also add this to your </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199204857-secrets-laid-to-rest">GoodReads
reading list</a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">What’s a Nice Catholic Like You Writing a
Paranormal Like This?<u1:p class="ContentPasted1"> <o:p></o:p></u1:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I suspect that most people reading <i>Secrets
Laid to Rest</i> put me in Ree’s shoes. And yes, like Ree, I’m a bit of a merry
widow. But Betsy, the preacher’s wife who dresses in a disguise as Nora, a
Tarot card reader and wanna-be psychic, definitely holds a piece of my heart.
She’s the character that allows me room to wander among the supernatural as
well as my faith.<u1:p class="ContentPasted1"> <o:p></o:p></u1:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Growing up in Savannah, Georgia put me
square in the middle of priests and the paranormal. I attended Catholic schools,
and all of my friends were Catholic, too. It would seem a somewhat insulated
upbringing but because Savannah is such an old city, I was exposed to all that
history, much of which included spirits and hauntings.<u1:p class="ContentPasted1"> There
I was, learning my catechism, while my mother pointed out houses in downtown
Savannah that had purported haunting activity. “The people who live here,”
she’d say, “hear glasses clinking, voices, and laughter. And when they get up
in the morning, chairs are moved around!” Wow! I was totally hooked on those
real ghost stories.<u1:p class="ContentPasted1"> <o:p></o:p></u1:p></u1:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I still love a good ghost story, the kind where
spirits roam old haunts; I never met a ghost tour I didn’t like. But I also
love to hear the stories about loved ones who visit, the times when the
supernatural intersects the everyday. <u1:p class="ContentPasted1">And you
would be surprised how often regular folks have real ghost stories to tell.
Long before I wrote <i>Secrets Laid to Rest,</i> I wrote a young adult novel
about a girl who’s psychic. It wasn’t uncommon, in talking about the book, that
someone, somewhere would tell me about their own paranormal happenings. Once,
sitting in my hairstylist’s chair, she said, “I grew up seeing ghosts all the
time.” She was a psychic herself; the gift ran in her family, but she no longer
“welcomed” spirits. Every time I got my hair cut, I’d get a spirited story!<i><u1:p class="ContentPasted1"> </u1:p></i><o:p></o:p></u1:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Of course, there are all kinds of supernatural
experiences throughout the Bible and faith itself is believing that which we
cannot see but know to be real. So even though the nuns would not have any
nonsense, like students entertaining the class with ghost stories, we certainly
loved hearing about angelic intervention and miracles!<u1:p class="ContentPasted1"> So
I explore, in my stories, my lifelong interest in the paranormal. And I also
pray regularly for loved ones who I hope are enjoying themselves in heaven. And
if ever I wonder if my searching or beliefs are crossing a theological line,
I’ll ask my cousin, the priest. He’s always happy to talk it out (or set me
straight).<u1:p class="ContentPasted1"> Except Ouija boards. No good
Catholic girl goes near that!<u1:p class="ContentPasted1"> <o:p></o:p></u1:p></u1:p></u1:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgemGmKtOdYTMYQ4IDv3Z-puXU7HOh67Z4GTY9hvSRI6pSYOx8fzDbhmTT_31bN09zwuF2lkHjG1CX29cZmIR3Phb32zdU8KqUHYsTVprYIlI-OBzwsxvj_P_DpQUOnX33DQJWtUyi7HdFkIfczG88aVITMg-yxMItzozOlpNWqI8xNecO5neqeCtzlo/s242/Catherine%20C.%20Hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="172" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgemGmKtOdYTMYQ4IDv3Z-puXU7HOh67Z4GTY9hvSRI6pSYOx8fzDbhmTT_31bN09zwuF2lkHjG1CX29cZmIR3Phb32zdU8KqUHYsTVprYIlI-OBzwsxvj_P_DpQUOnX33DQJWtUyi7HdFkIfczG88aVITMg-yxMItzozOlpNWqI8xNecO5neqeCtzlo/s1600/Catherine%20C.%20Hall.jpg" width="172" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">About the Author</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">There’s
a great song, <i>I’ve Been Everywhere</i>, made popular by Johnny Cash (and a couple commercials).
If you put the song in Georgia, it would be about Catherine C. Hall, starting
when she moved to the Peach State at eight-years-old. She grew up in <b>Savannah</b>,
Georgia, where you can’t throw a stick without hitting a ghost. Even when she
was a little girl, Savannah was known for its haunted history, and she was
hooked! Broadcast Journalism hooked her as well, so she studied at <b>Valdosta </b>State
University way down in South Georgia where it is the heat and the humidity. She
worked in a few radio stations, but it was WNEX Radio in <b>Macon </b>that
turned out to be life-changing. She met a cute deejay from Sandersville, <b>Georgia</b>,
and married him a year later.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">They
moved above the Gnat Line (Oh, it’s real) to the <b>Atlanta </b>area,
where they grew their family to two boys and a girl, and she took a turn in the
teaching world. And then whoosh! She met the half-century mark wondering what
to do. Maybe it was the merlot talking but after years of reading mysteries,
Catherine thought it was high time she wrote one. And she did; it was awful.
(And way too short. Who knew readers expected 70, 000 words?) So she learned
her craft, starting with flash fiction, then moving on to short fiction, where
she won a few awards. She wrote essays that ended up in books like Chicken Soup
for the Soul. She penned assorted humor columns and continued to freelance. And
then one day, she wrote another story that wasn’t exactly novel length but it
wasn’t a short story, either. It was a children’s book.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">She
joined SCBWI, the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and had
a wonderful career in children’s writing, including publishing six books. But
in the midst of her last two book contracts, life changed unexpectedly when
Catherine’s favorite deejay up and died. When at last she wanted to write
again, she heard four women of a certain age, each seeking purpose and joy in
where they found themselves, which for them was a small town in Georgia called
Sutter. For Catherine, it was at home, still in the Atlanta suburbs, revisiting
the ghost stories of her youth, and finally getting that mystery written. All
70,000 words of it!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">You
can find Catherine online at:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Facebook: </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551890907288"><span lang="EN-US">https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551890907288</span></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">LinkedIn: </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathychall/"><span lang="EN-US">https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathychall/</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Pinterest: </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/cathyhall55/"><span lang="EN-US">https://www.pinterest.com/cathyhall55/</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Website (Psst! Sign
up for Cathy’s Spirited Newsletter and get in on secret giveaways!): </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://catherine-c-hall.com/">https://catherine-c-hall.com/</a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-5090710054171862662023-11-11T22:51:00.000-08:002023-11-11T22:51:45.483-08:00Book Spotlight: Once Upon a Christmas Castle by Virginia Barlow<p> </p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/10/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_01762297876.html"></a>
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<div><p id="docs-internal-guid-0230647c-7fff-d18e-b825-753f59e91a39" style="line-height: 1.44; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Lady Rosalind Chatham's arranged marriage cannot withstand the wonder of a Christmas wish glistening with true love and happy ever after.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFRJa1pnIgp3LgN7o_BpXECcyXYx_5RF8QToHzy_7s79eyQwqmbHfnakBv3Ug9vSGvXSVlUWZVh85xuq4hW7dkjKKoWYkcV5DQoAqhbibRfb7t5qcAYpBZdtLSUb2_X4xIZn60fxnAuA33GMQVrnAZcdAVDDOFCbUL2fZWjYyvz0edL8O5fkTqe0LpA/s737/Once%20Upon%20a%20Christmas%20Castle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="545" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFRJa1pnIgp3LgN7o_BpXECcyXYx_5RF8QToHzy_7s79eyQwqmbHfnakBv3Ug9vSGvXSVlUWZVh85xuq4hW7dkjKKoWYkcV5DQoAqhbibRfb7t5qcAYpBZdtLSUb2_X4xIZn60fxnAuA33GMQVrnAZcdAVDDOFCbUL2fZWjYyvz0edL8O5fkTqe0LpA/w474-h640/Once%20Upon%20a%20Christmas%20Castle.png" width="474" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-580d7d28-7fff-0026-bbb9-38580b77c0d5" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Once Upon a Christmas Castle</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Virginia Barlow</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publication Date: November 6, 2023</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pages: 276</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Holiday Romance</span></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198193906-once-upon-a-christmas-castle">
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</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Lady Rosalind Chatham journeys with her family to Weston Castle to wed an ancient earl on Christmas day. Yearning for true love, she falls for the duke, her stepfather’s cousin, while preparing her nuptials. Lady Rosalind entrances the Duke of Weston. Concerned for her future with the tempestuous earl, he can’t afford to get involved. The fines and scandal will be too great for a man of his wealth and power. When the truth comes to light, and he almost loses her forever, he finds he cannot afford to give less than his whole heart.<br /></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">What Critics Are Saying:</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">“Loved this holiday romance between Lady Rosalind (Ruby) and the charismatic Duke of Weston. Facing a forced marriage to a loathsome noble, Rosalind uncovers lies and betrayal which almost cost her the life of the man she loves.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">With plot twists, devious characters, attempted abduction, and touches of humor– thanks to a little boy and his unpredictable pet frog– this Christmas novel is a delightful holiday read!”</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;">Buy Links:</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Once-Christmas-Castle-Virginia-Barlow/dp/1509250379/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1696718711&sr=8-1">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/once-upon-a-christmas-castle-virginia-barlow/1144009112?ean=9781509250370">Barnes & Noble</a></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: medium;">Virginia Barlow has always loved reading romance novels. She used to sneak into her mom’s room as a young girl and read them while her mother was gone. As she grew older, her reading tastes expanded to sci-fi, dystopian, paranormal, and fantasy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: medium;"> She considered becoming an author in her late twenties but as a busy mother with toddlers, she didn’t have the time or the energy. Later, in her fifties, she decided to give it a try and has enjoyed every moment of it since. She recently signed her fourteenth contract and is over the moon with excitement. Writing is truly her happy place.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: medium;">Her husband of forty-one years is her greatest support, as are all her children. Most of them are grown and carve out lives for themselves. But they are the beat of her heart and with every grandchild, the rhythm gets stronger. She enjoys every moment of her life and plans to live it to the fullest.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: large;"><b>Author Links </b> </span></p><p><!--wp:paragraph-->
<!--/wp:paragraph--></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.virginia-barlow.com">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Virgini35142126">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/3046288755596817">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/virginiasromancenook/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@virginiasromancenook">TikTok</a></span></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: left;"></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"></p><span class="pibfi_pinterest" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;">
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<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: x-large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9a311a43-7fff-b422-c4f6-8b84edd92fee" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Nurse Florence teaches Jean, Condi, and Sonia about the science of emotions and uses images from the internet on her phone to teach.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kHUpSA_X0iRoVeJmaZw6c1Vg-g1rHmzX1sEfKK5JwihvGibtmpyjeyjq_cFwEcvQ362nIDsywV46EM9-h1LusZoYbznf2ox5u8Jy-TYDU2j1o0o2mQOWd9pgop6guZRefbGF1BYT0LaVAau0l5HwnqomxynE3GKBYc08YeLqLKtIrxIzRaSWR9RnDA/s736/Nurse%20Florence.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="544" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kHUpSA_X0iRoVeJmaZw6c1Vg-g1rHmzX1sEfKK5JwihvGibtmpyjeyjq_cFwEcvQ362nIDsywV46EM9-h1LusZoYbznf2ox5u8Jy-TYDU2j1o0o2mQOWd9pgop6guZRefbGF1BYT0LaVAau0l5HwnqomxynE3GKBYc08YeLqLKtIrxIzRaSWR9RnDA/w474-h640/Nurse%20Florence.png" width="474" /></a></div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cherry Swash"; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-580d7d28-7fff-0026-bbb9-38580b77c0d5" style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Gabriela; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Title: Nurse Florence, What Are Emotions?</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Gabriela; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Author: Michael Dow</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Publication Date: September 6, 2023</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Gabriela; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Pages: 86</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Gabriela; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Genre: Children's Book</span></span></h2>
<p style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: medium;">Sometimes it seems only a nurse can bring technical information down to an understanding that an ordinary person can grasp. The Nurse Florence® book series provides high quality medical information that even a child can grasp. By introducing young kids to correct terminology and science concepts at an early age, we can help increase our children’s health literacy level as well as help to prepare them for courses and jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. We need more scientists so I hope that many children will enjoy this book series and consider a job involving science.</span></p><p style="color: #222222; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: medium;">Buy Link:</span></strong></p><p style="color: #222222;"><!--wp:paragraph-->
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<!--/wp:paragraph--></p><p style="color: #222222; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-dow-and-anastasia-bradley/nurse-florence-what-are-emotions/paperback/product-q6yyd2z.html"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: medium;">LuLu</span></a></p><p style="color: #222222;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzM31fyiSHfSjbOCwOD7a0TFtJtvuiik6lSsiQmelQQBGX5T2JTbktXclpfN_1pC-TGJYyfaCynP119YQp3uYn-kcCtyujz5vcmaaGcif-uju229_q0YSVLR89FZZcWXm9aKnNs1SOnmSOUEpoMhO_kN9rt7ZcUYpS-LXjZcrhrMdafpU8_dGaAB4nA/s640/Nurse%20Florence%209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="640" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzM31fyiSHfSjbOCwOD7a0TFtJtvuiik6lSsiQmelQQBGX5T2JTbktXclpfN_1pC-TGJYyfaCynP119YQp3uYn-kcCtyujz5vcmaaGcif-uju229_q0YSVLR89FZZcWXm9aKnNs1SOnmSOUEpoMhO_kN9rt7ZcUYpS-LXjZcrhrMdafpU8_dGaAB4nA/w566-h366/Nurse%20Florence%209.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222;"><br /></div></div></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">The
Inspiration Behind the Nurse Florence Series</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">As to how I got published, I realized I would have very little chance to
get traditionally published because I was not famous, do not have a large
social media following, nor am I well connected. Someone once said, “The
only way to steer a ship is to move forward.” I don’t know where my
project is going to end up, but I realized to get some place, I had to start
moving forward so I self-published through Lulu. Lulu is very easy to use
and relatively cheap. The ease and price have enabled me to publish a book
every 10 days this year. We have over 60 titles in the series now. Nurse Florence is the first of its kind health book series for kids. We
believe we will have a societal impact on the health literacy of the
world. The books are being translated into multiple languages. Also, coloring books are being created for some of the titles so that kids can
learn another healthy coping skill of drawing to help them find peace. The series has won best educational series for kids with the Independent Press
Award and the coloring books have won best series with the NYC Big Book
Award. Many of the titles have won their own book award. We have
many 5-star reviews from professional reviewers as well as individuals. There are over 40 illustrators working on the project. We are helping new
illustrators become published illustrators through the series so that they can catch
a break and become experienced. Writing books is a lot of fun and my kids
are part of the editorial review process by suggesting changes as needed. My
wife helps translate the books into Latin American Spanish. One of my
cousins translates them into French. We hope to be a powerhouse in the
children’s publishing world one day. Dream big dreams and do something every day to achieve them. Never give up. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b> </b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b>About the Author</b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b> </b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeqyU61itYhmDeD-ip-JtTfRC66MQD5PcwFfpsEN4ZVHwHmetB1IVPMsaSnQa2EcODJR7uITdGn6_OVomaDSSBb7wKbQE7oDZkw5y6FY5kRE6yxOQwU-rltKYNriaAuxn_WUeTBCSmG76AuSSIcw9U8QG0sp9hYlk0f9169ICrLXQx6wtzdL290vTog/s584/Michael%20Dow%20author.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="443" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeqyU61itYhmDeD-ip-JtTfRC66MQD5PcwFfpsEN4ZVHwHmetB1IVPMsaSnQa2EcODJR7uITdGn6_OVomaDSSBb7wKbQE7oDZkw5y6FY5kRE6yxOQwU-rltKYNriaAuxn_WUeTBCSmG76AuSSIcw9U8QG0sp9hYlk0f9169ICrLXQx6wtzdL290vTog/w304-h400/Michael%20Dow%20author.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: medium;"></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<p><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: medium;">Michael is the Founder and Manager of Dow Creative Enterprises, LLC. His books have garnered the Silver Nautilus Book award in 2020 (Nurse Florence, Help I’m Bleeding) and an Award-Winning Finalist in the Religion category for the 2021 International Book Awards (A Prayer to Our Father in the Heavens: Possibly the Greatest Jewish Prayer of All Time). Michael believes we will need the best of science and religion to successfully navigate ourselves, our civilization, through the future obstacles we will face. More information can be found at <a href="http://www.dowcreativeenterprises.com">www.DowCreativeEnterprises.com</a> and <a href="http://www.nurseflorence.org">www.NurseFlorence.org</a>. Nurse Florence® is a federally registered trademark by Dow Creative Enterprises. The Nurse Florence® series seeks to promote science and health among children and to help increase the health literacy levels of our society. With teamwork, inclusion, faith, and perseverance, we can bravely face our problems and help each other reach our better selves as well as our best collective good.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: large;"><strong>Author Links </strong> </span></p><p><!--wp:paragraph-->
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<!--/wp:paragraph--></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gabriela; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.nurseflorence.org">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NurseFlorenceFacebook/">Facebook</a> </span></p><p style="font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;"></p><p style="font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"></p><span class="pibfi_pinterest" style="font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px;">
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Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-31326703858677862302023-11-04T08:35:00.000-07:002023-11-04T08:35:10.290-07:0010 Things You Might Not Know About the Godzilla: The Monster Fight Record by Patrick Kelley<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDYOtLSvUgDx4Ls90BafnbleeZBGYl_rtxj5YcoTaCTSNS4E1E6cE6CnitYXATM4wICV9ouLZvSQPGG-za4TJmZo-SKg6kC3djAH-5TNCK2Zm9ZFYO6JBQVawI838_wh_w_ugTcN2MQJRPLabwatRsokGDuKzakX0sldU_8F1wddRcUoRhr38IbX3nA/s732/Godzilla%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="732" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDYOtLSvUgDx4Ls90BafnbleeZBGYl_rtxj5YcoTaCTSNS4E1E6cE6CnitYXATM4wICV9ouLZvSQPGG-za4TJmZo-SKg6kC3djAH-5TNCK2Zm9ZFYO6JBQVawI838_wh_w_ugTcN2MQJRPLabwatRsokGDuKzakX0sldU_8F1wddRcUoRhr38IbX3nA/w584-h212/Godzilla%20banner.jpg" width="584" /></a></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/08/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_0148301591.html"></a>
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<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-dca85a89-7fff-f0bc-6f53-cb4541c38e9c" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-dc81fae6-7fff-cf64-13e8-ce00c6f3d926" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Godzilla: The Monster Fight Record is a two volume series that examines the fight history throughout Godzilla’s film career. </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNrTPgcFsswOnAU-ssIx9eneuclH4MjhqZhaU5PGhFwZ3Gjl0FdRRfgqnF39ZGTm7MVKGBkIgjZBR1Wx87M4-TiTgejB6nh_IPhymN0wXCMDQ97JyLvKpq2IZhaGXM4idbmlpwg8FupCeHFhNn1qiROPfVvRQCmcj3JOmnnYP_blFoxHs2GKRBhYZAtg/s614/Godzilla.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="614" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNrTPgcFsswOnAU-ssIx9eneuclH4MjhqZhaU5PGhFwZ3Gjl0FdRRfgqnF39ZGTm7MVKGBkIgjZBR1Wx87M4-TiTgejB6nh_IPhymN0wXCMDQ97JyLvKpq2IZhaGXM4idbmlpwg8FupCeHFhNn1qiROPfVvRQCmcj3JOmnnYP_blFoxHs2GKRBhYZAtg/w640-h498/Godzilla.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-580d7d28-7fff-0026-bbb9-38580b77c0d5" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: Godzilla: The Monster Fight Record Series</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Patrick Kelley</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publication Date: </span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pages: Volume 1 - 309, Volume 2 - 430</span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Nonfiction/Reference</span></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/189041214-godzilla?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=9853js5FRS&rank=1">
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<p><span style="color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-size: 18px;"><i>Godzilla: The Monster Fight Record</i> is
a two-volume series that provides a history of all the monster battles
throughout the Godzilla film series. After seven decades and almost
forty films, Godzilla has earned the title of King of the Monsters. The
Godzilla films have showcased the King’s legendary battles with
larger-than-life opponents like the three-headed King Ghidorah, the
winged guardian Mothra, his robotic doppelganger Mechagodzilla, and the
original giant monster star King Kong. <i>The Monster Fight Record </i>analyzes
these titanic battles to determine an informed and accurate win-loss
record for Godzilla and all of his monster co-stars. Fans of kaiju and
classic science fiction films will enjoy a trip down memory lane while
also getting a sports-style analysis of the monster battles, complete
with statistics and win percentages for each beast.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-size: 18px;"><b>Buy Links:</b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-size: 18px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Godzilla-Monster-Fight-Record-1954-1975/dp/B0CGL7R2CR/ref=sr_1_18?crid=218B9PGMZCZU5&keywords=patrick+kelley&qid=1697286871&sprefix=patrick+kelley%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-18"><b>Amazon Book 1</b></a><b> | </b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Godzilla-Monster-Fight-Record-1984-2021/dp/B0CGKV5RG5/ref=pd_bxgy_sccl_1/145-2563626-5637032?pd_rd_w=UoxhP&content-id=amzn1.sym.43d28dfc-aa4f-4ef6-b591-5ab7095e137f&pf_rd_p=43d28dfc-aa4f-4ef6-b591-5ab7095e137f&pf_rd_r=C54J7VY9Q76YYJC5ANWM&pd_rd_wg=vT31k&pd_rd_r=589ca486-8224-4cb1-8a75-f5197727d727&pd_rd_i=B0CGKV5RG5&psc=1"><b>Amazon Book 2</b></a><b> | </b><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Godzilla%3A+The+Monster+Fight+Record%22?Ntk=P_Series_Title&Ns=P_Series_Number&Ntx=mode+matchall"><b>Barnes & Noble</b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3Cd1pxaAF4-ik1UaWsMTzcPx9jNhd3VFOjw2km0TvBfCIvYfAXe15dpO-rDSWZdqSSceIkHRd-GztEFx-13hA03aYF2yRkSa_dD1dN-QccSffoRIhlcwZd07ajpj4gTDTAEjHl0Z_EXXuAy0Jbba2izUlPEDBfNowjhNKa7VcZ5thtASASfUBLvoAQ/s686/Godzilla%208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="686" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3Cd1pxaAF4-ik1UaWsMTzcPx9jNhd3VFOjw2km0TvBfCIvYfAXe15dpO-rDSWZdqSSceIkHRd-GztEFx-13hA03aYF2yRkSa_dD1dN-QccSffoRIhlcwZd07ajpj4gTDTAEjHl0Z_EXXuAy0Jbba2izUlPEDBfNowjhNKa7VcZ5thtASASfUBLvoAQ/w589-h412/Godzilla%208.jpg" width="589" /></a></div><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">10 Things You Might Not Know About the Godzilla: The Monster Fight
Record<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">Work on the books began in 2020. Patrick, who had never felt compelled
to write a book before, found himself bored and filled with pent-up energy
during the COVID lockdowns. Living alone and unable to go anywhere, Patrick
passed the time by watching and rewatching the classic Godzilla movies. This
experience triggered memories of seeing a Godzilla win/loss record on the
internet back in 1996, which led him to think about a full process for
determining a record for the King of the Monsters. Simply put, if COVID didn’t
happen, then these books might not exist. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">The original intention for the book was to have a comprehensive scope
to include all forms of Godzilla media, including TV shows, comic books,
novels, manga, and anything else that could add to Godzilla’s overall fight
record. After looking at the full outline, Patrick determined that this scope
was so huge that it would make the finished project too long. Because of that,
only the relevant films were included in scope. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">The 1<sup>st</sup> draft of the manuscript was over a 1000 pages long!
After receiving critical feedback regarding the book’s length, Patrick decided
to trim some unnecessary chapters and sections of the book and then ultimately
split it into two volumes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">Patrick’s goal was to have the two volumes published before the
release of the newest Godzilla film. There are two Godzilla films on the
horizon: <i>Godzilla: Minus One</i>, set for
release in November 2023, and <i>Godzilla x
Kong: The New Empire</i>, due to be released in April 2024. Patrick published
the books in August, just months before the release of <i>Godzilla: Minus One</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">The scope for the book excludes the King Kong films that do not
connect to the Godzilla series. Patrick has considered writing a similar book
about Kong’s fight record but is hesitant to subject himself to rewatching the
lesser Kong films, most notably the animated musical, <i>The Mighty Kong</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">6.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">In addition to the thirty-six feature length Godzilla films, the scope
of analysis includes fifteen non-Godzilla films that include his various
co-stars. This list includes <i>Rodan</i>, <i>Frankenstein vs. Baragon, The War of the
Gargantuas</i>, The Mothra Trilogy, and <i>Kong:
Skull Island</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">7.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">Godzilla vs. Kong </span></i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">was the newest Godzilla movie included in
the scope of these books. It was also the first movie Patrick saw in theaters
after the COVID Lockdowns and was the first movie-night date with Jessica, his
then-girlfriend, now wife. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">8.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">Based on the analysis performed on Godzilla’s fight history for this
book, only one monster has a winning record over Godzilla. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">9.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">There are three forewords included in both volumes. One is by Barry
Goldberg, webmaster of classic Godzilla fan site, “Barry’s Temple of Godzilla,”
JP Lemay, author of several Godzilla books, including <i>The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies</i> 3 volume series, and
James Rolfe, head of Cinemassacre.com and star of the famous web series, <i>The Angry Video Game Nerd</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">10.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">Be sure to read the footnotes in both volumes. A lot of references,
jokes, and sidebars are found there. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span> </span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>About the Author</span></span></b></span></span><b style="font-family: "Cherry Swash"; font-size: xx-large;"><span><span> </span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVcExro9_hyphenhyphenNxMg4IApECU_ecNyshTVlunO8P0fVRLCQ_ywWyNIfsRDdrsg2LmSFfpRK1e6XG7TOR9zxuCZSLQXMD6wGZPtuerDtOnHnFUFBXP0yxnYChvGiGlbTbl5IEee5P3KFrU12ebhHwCl6xhEGiV2KkkXhoXKPm-DOLxV4_lwBd1RDaz1FR1A/s544/Patrick%20Kelley.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="544" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVcExro9_hyphenhyphenNxMg4IApECU_ecNyshTVlunO8P0fVRLCQ_ywWyNIfsRDdrsg2LmSFfpRK1e6XG7TOR9zxuCZSLQXMD6wGZPtuerDtOnHnFUFBXP0yxnYChvGiGlbTbl5IEee5P3KFrU12ebhHwCl6xhEGiV2KkkXhoXKPm-DOLxV4_lwBd1RDaz1FR1A/w400-h400/Patrick%20Kelley.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<p><span style="color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-size: 18px;">Patrick
Kelley was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, and is a
lifelong monster movie fan. He spent his childhood becoming familiar
with the classics like Dracula, The Wolf Man, Frankenstein, King Kong,
the works of Ray Harryhausen, and of course his favorite, Godzilla. His
many other hobbies include sports (particularly Football), movies, and
television, but when he’s not indulging in those activities, he enjoys
spending time with his lovely wife and newborn daughter.</span></p>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-size: 18px;">Visit Patrick on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/patrickgbook" style="color: black;">http://twitter.com/patrickgbook</a>.</span></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeCtT6ru_HzurroZh8psUC8z4IJmbwGFXsGhJO2OcbgXYxuNOOedMA5w8l-VDUyhWjYArQomruEUUxZ3NgvWfyoKi0ukly48GO08DCda7cWPgn__Kpn_FpnOGLDi6rbNPC5phDHbRPu1ufUq6pNvKbd6ik3drYWwXpI668__gVUFCEpddCNQjn7W6yw/s695/Godzilla%2010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="695" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeCtT6ru_HzurroZh8psUC8z4IJmbwGFXsGhJO2OcbgXYxuNOOedMA5w8l-VDUyhWjYArQomruEUUxZ3NgvWfyoKi0ukly48GO08DCda7cWPgn__Kpn_FpnOGLDi6rbNPC5phDHbRPu1ufUq6pNvKbd6ik3drYWwXpI668__gVUFCEpddCNQjn7W6yw/w574-h248/Godzilla%2010.jpg" width="574" /></a></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br style="font-size: 15.4px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div><br /><br />
Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-51546893822217737742023-10-22T06:05:00.000-07:002023-10-22T06:05:31.320-07:00Movie Review: The Meg 2<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgSLPudP1dXQuzfpr7jo-q3HlMFkebyO7OuB_AT1S_wkc7_WIuxc187jwOrd-H3N7HNk-d0hNHqdYTtv92aVWSIYwXPysKatExyYDgkEsMbS91uvUxBqRoF0KscOwd5VIVuqYUlDOO6ne5W3ePMIwkeZrkv4WXvuXOgPQkVfi1Aq5RbIxa8v_7crNazA/s326/Meg_2-_The_Trench_film_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgSLPudP1dXQuzfpr7jo-q3HlMFkebyO7OuB_AT1S_wkc7_WIuxc187jwOrd-H3N7HNk-d0hNHqdYTtv92aVWSIYwXPysKatExyYDgkEsMbS91uvUxBqRoF0KscOwd5VIVuqYUlDOO6ne5W3ePMIwkeZrkv4WXvuXOgPQkVfi1Aq5RbIxa8v_7crNazA/s320/Meg_2-_The_Trench_film_cover.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The megalodon is back. With friends.
Lots of friends as well as some who have no business being able to walk on
land! Quick recap: Jonas Taylor (our Jason) and crew descend again into the
Trench (the Mariana Trench) to investigate further and do more research. They
come across an illegal mining operation and must not only survive an underwater
explosion that breaks the thermal layer (thermocline), thus enabling horrible prehistoric
creatures (with more teeth than is respectable!) to escape but must battle to
survive the attacks by these modern-day pirates intent on plundering the depths
of the ocean floor. As if that’s not enough, treachery in the environmental
company puts everyone trapped in the Trench in grave danger.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If dinosaurs ever rise again, I want
Jason Statham on my side. He does all his own stunts so that’s a very good
reason to have him in one’s camp. Two more megs make it through the thermocline
and proceed to wreak havoc in the Pacific, namely around the ill-fated Fun
Island, now heavily populated by holidaymakers determined to snap selfies and
have the party to end all parties. The action erupts in a whirlwind of teeth,
blood, guts, guns, hails of bullets, explosions and more as Jonas and his team
(bringing back the always watchable Cliff Curtis, Page Kennedy, and Jiuming
Zang) must eradicate the megs and their many-fanged friends. Did I mention that
a giant squid also made it through the thermocline? There’s a nail-biting scene
with it and a helicopter…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Don’t expect stellar acting or a
literary-style script. In fact, the dialogue is downright dreadful and clunky
in places, and people would never speak like this in real life. However, Cliff
Curtis and Jiuming Zang manage to create a very successful comedy duo caper amid
avoiding being eaten on land and in the sea and evading the above-mentioned
hails of bullets. It’s essentially a continuation of <i>The Meg</i> (my <a href="https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/search?q=The+meg" target="_blank">review</a> here) with more teeth,
more bullets, and more danger, if that’s possible. It is also very entertaining,
and the action sequences are absolutely incredible. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">For those of you, like me, who
spent much of <i>The Meg</i> (part one, #SavePippin) praying that Pippin, the adorable
heroic pooch, would not become a meg snack, you will be delighted to know that
Pippin makes an appearance in <i>The Meg 2</i> and has a tussle with the arm of the
giant squid. Pippin survives! Adorable Yorkie Kelly plays Pippin admirably and
with great panache in both movies even though the role involves getting soaked
and we all know what that does to a Yorkie’s hairdo… Pippin’s movie action was supervised
by Humane Hollywood (The American Humane Society) and the sea scenes were shot
in a large heated outdoor tank in a studio. Phew!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Make popcorn, get your favourite drink,
sit back, and totally suspend your disbelief. You must but it’s worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">PS: A tame megalodon named Haiqa
(can the words ‘tame’ and ‘megalodon’ even go into the same sentence?) makes a
cameo appearance in <i>The Meg 2</i> and it looks as if she has ‘un petit paquet’ to
offer moviegoers so there might just be a <i>Meg 3</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK52WBDbEO1oNN6qGumlG-4QJGlYKYLpTUCLdofsx9FbQSYN7NoqgNt4a4stv2ESIF7xo44hpE-lOzo2arnyOJayvETNCvF3v-hLUrEJng0ziXbvjmJXgQiesDuTmnJYd8LNcQ3sQZpepxWe2mA_Rkgw39tFFZpkAqMmmzITU-cXlJwsslb-SJZ4ZGhrw/s1400/MEG-FP-0087-1400x750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1400" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK52WBDbEO1oNN6qGumlG-4QJGlYKYLpTUCLdofsx9FbQSYN7NoqgNt4a4stv2ESIF7xo44hpE-lOzo2arnyOJayvETNCvF3v-hLUrEJng0ziXbvjmJXgQiesDuTmnJYd8LNcQ3sQZpepxWe2mA_Rkgw39tFFZpkAqMmmzITU-cXlJwsslb-SJZ4ZGhrw/w433-h231/MEG-FP-0087-1400x750.jpg" width="433" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span><p></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-28941213415120906072023-10-18T02:19:00.001-07:002023-10-18T02:19:46.468-07:00Are You a Plotter or a Pantser? by Joni Parker<p> </p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/08/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_0148301591.html"></a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGec7H1xkoViZUcP0DAfNVY5m0JLTgYCbs3DlMGumFOI_LN3o2gAKLskBAE2eei5b9tAr3BNHWOnPFl4G4YNhcKpjeq5T1UNJ21QqDtHmd8kZaVHRqsC2UbulmvoZp07gGBxDvZPRUj49QIR2NMWWcoarqeP7qD-ECqixqGKXg2dpOx0pkLCrHqw8jZA/s699/The%20Epsilon%20Account%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="699" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGec7H1xkoViZUcP0DAfNVY5m0JLTgYCbs3DlMGumFOI_LN3o2gAKLskBAE2eei5b9tAr3BNHWOnPFl4G4YNhcKpjeq5T1UNJ21QqDtHmd8kZaVHRqsC2UbulmvoZp07gGBxDvZPRUj49QIR2NMWWcoarqeP7qD-ECqixqGKXg2dpOx0pkLCrHqw8jZA/w556-h189/The%20Epsilon%20Account%20banner.jpg" width="556" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span><p></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
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<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-dca85a89-7fff-f0bc-6f53-cb4541c38e9c" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-3e6c2d65-7fff-b6f0-1b5f-100238eecddd" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In a thrilling mystery of intrigue, the Elfin Keeper of the Keys, Alex, uncovers a sinister plot to steal the gold set aside for the Golden Harvest by a rival group of Elves, who will stop at nothing to get it.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_kN50lxIHO70E-Yzx6ZigiFIKGSeWHJ6oAHDdQsnN9o9c4DdflKOi-S2Szs5N2THZ1anv1plY7w9kvvh5Vt_sLbSfibxnukrDirF8b5cdzn34fmftu7qwHMfimErKHvK27x4uwumOKygUx2tYMC1i9SFWuGP8w_lWP2u6IDjsXVdv0TBP3eVIBZ1EA/s726/The%20Epsilon%20Account.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_kN50lxIHO70E-Yzx6ZigiFIKGSeWHJ6oAHDdQsnN9o9c4DdflKOi-S2Szs5N2THZ1anv1plY7w9kvvh5Vt_sLbSfibxnukrDirF8b5cdzn34fmftu7qwHMfimErKHvK27x4uwumOKygUx2tYMC1i9SFWuGP8w_lWP2u6IDjsXVdv0TBP3eVIBZ1EA/w452-h640/The%20Epsilon%20Account.png" width="452" /></a></div><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p></p><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">Title: The Epsilon Account: The Golden Harvest Series Book 1</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"> Author: Joni Parker</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"> Publisher: Independent</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"> Pages: 388</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"> Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction Hybrid </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199642404-the-epsilon-account">
<span class="pibfi_pinterest">
<img alt="goodreads add to" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-99113" height="41" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjSkuSzdw40ShqAxXfmmao-OWOyXqvTJ1DKWWoUC9-FlxmS5vlCeSM__cSfFPZa35Rngu2Vot0Cw9Wi06H00ioM8muAxfxIZqUlyMD07Oqyy-q3z1o5Zs-KU53StDpXeFhscvj8KdYTqniLWjSLl3ubACVFWy40GCKLmw5wJYejFc8LySbjkpp-O3pepEs=s0-d" width="130" />
</span>
</a></p>
<p><span style="color: black; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-size: 18px;">Thousands
of years ago, Eledon was created for the Elves by their Mentors when
they were forced to leave Earth. At least, that’s how the legend goes.
In return, the Elves must pay them a tribute in gold, known as the
Golden Harvest, every four thousand years. The Elfin Council of Elders
appoints Lady Alexin (Alex) Dumwalt, the Keeper of the Keys, to manage
the next payment, due 244 years from now. That is, until the Mentors
show up unexpectedly and demand immediate payment of the Epsilon
Account. Since the Harvest has never been called that, Alex suspects
foul play and uncovers a sinister plot by the Star Elves, a rival clan
from the Constellations, who want to steal the gold. To make matters
worse, they’re willing to do anything to succeed to include murder. <b>Can Alex stop them and save the Elfin gold before it’s too late?</b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 22px;"><b>Buy Link:</b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://amazon.com/dp/B0CJ88ZZXS"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon</span></b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKTpz0qQrVn1RYdYVBi9gS15XyKG8IDxlG901kz21lPrrwUBW0CwK0gx1VtuvycxHDHSY9hgd0j27QEbIVG_CBCJpkfMUdjtW0KXGEhXoEpuwolsaD7PX3RffrrN5LSNXD9ehR_jUwuE1EXn_kFUG84y9L_rcKY4BVX9QoL87A0VSZ9SrBvTESc2coA/s809/The%20Epsilon%20Account%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="809" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKTpz0qQrVn1RYdYVBi9gS15XyKG8IDxlG901kz21lPrrwUBW0CwK0gx1VtuvycxHDHSY9hgd0j27QEbIVG_CBCJpkfMUdjtW0KXGEhXoEpuwolsaD7PX3RffrrN5LSNXD9ehR_jUwuE1EXn_kFUG84y9L_rcKY4BVX9QoL87A0VSZ9SrBvTESc2coA/w612-h612/The%20Epsilon%20Account%202.jpg" width="612" /></a></div><p></p></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><p></p><p></p><p></p></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Are You a Plotter or a Pantser?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Writers have been
divided into two main categories. Those who are plotters and others who are
pantsers. The plotters outline their story, do character studies, set up the
world where the story takes place (world building), and gather as many details
as they can before they write. On the other hand, pantsers develop an idea for
a story and start writing, making it up as they go along. In other words, they
write by the seat of their pants—thus the name, pantsers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">I’m a pantser.
When I come up with an idea, I give it some time to develop in my head and then
sit down at the computer and let it flow out. My main character, Alex, is my
‘muse,’ and she helps guide the story along. I can even put in chapter breaks,
plot twists, and logical conclusions. When I look back on it, I’m amazed at the
process, but it works for me. It does require me to edit more than plotters,
but I really don’t mind it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Most of the
articles about writing implore writers to be more methodical and advocate plotting methods. I’ve read countless articles on outlining, and I’ve even
tried it, but it makes me cringe just to think about it. In fact, my editor for
<em>The
Epsilon Account</em> had me outline my book after I wrote it, and she
edited it. I did it, but I wasn’t sure why. I had already completed the book,
and I didn’t make any changes after I did the outline. She must have been a
plotter. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Most plotters
don’t understand the pantser’s methodology, and most of us pantsers can’t
explain it to them. Plotters think we must be like them deep down inside
because no one could write under such chaotic circumstances. But we do. So,
leave us alone.</span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span> </span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>About the Author</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsj8ERpfnPcoVAyMgKtkuclMINzadL52gr7dtKx-WuUSiJiFbKvz13k2vckr2HMdURg_W_toi7S24YpuF68zD9n14QonQsXsySq5mDDb3p1EjpBWKJobHaL8ILL8lb_50m1ML79x8KCS9wxgFyuJ5HtndL071eKwsjHeHOBfDy892B2uO1mqdC9J5w9Q/s560/Joni%20Parker.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsj8ERpfnPcoVAyMgKtkuclMINzadL52gr7dtKx-WuUSiJiFbKvz13k2vckr2HMdURg_W_toi7S24YpuF68zD9n14QonQsXsySq5mDDb3p1EjpBWKJobHaL8ILL8lb_50m1ML79x8KCS9wxgFyuJ5HtndL071eKwsjHeHOBfDy892B2uO1mqdC9J5w9Q/w512-h640/Joni%20Parker.png" width="512" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b></b></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<p>Joni Parker was born in Chicago, Illinois, but moved to Japan when she was 8 so her father could become a professional golfer. Once he achieved his dream, Joni and her family returned to the U.S. and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. After high school, Joni served her country for 22 years in the Navy and another 7 years in federal civil service. She retired in Tucson, Arizona, devoting her time to writing, reading, and watching the sunrise.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Author Links </strong> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.joni-parker.com">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJoniParker">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ParkerJoni">Tw</a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><span class="pibfi_pinterest">
</span>
<p></p><p></p></div></div></div><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDofoLyUtcVITat0Jx0BhQa_fsEYQbqqzmFHFt1S-SKqHuWHzDjtNysqVtd0hKuKN57cjqATCMooqguazCy0Ig6d1ineMAZCeNqQwF1E2xfSfmBHur5fkoF4ZK1NH4iapzxehXzCUyFfNPiUFBjv70EYIlrO1T9TXZmCaqXk1qaw23AYPtEQDe9LSQyw/s640/The%20Epsilon%20Account%209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDofoLyUtcVITat0Jx0BhQa_fsEYQbqqzmFHFt1S-SKqHuWHzDjtNysqVtd0hKuKN57cjqATCMooqguazCy0Ig6d1ineMAZCeNqQwF1E2xfSfmBHur5fkoF4ZK1NH4iapzxehXzCUyFfNPiUFBjv70EYIlrO1T9TXZmCaqXk1qaw23AYPtEQDe9LSQyw/w603-h452/The%20Epsilon%20Account%209.jpg" width="603" /></a></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Sponsored By:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br style="font-size: 15.4px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="956" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwu2bVWf81UIIBOJ65l7ISD5JwxOhAh5XFw72ZB7-xaWw9ly2Kqt7BFuRrBwAkXjR-NADMnV2bkLrBXn_gkJxEkijpB_4O8tL1BW0buj6VPPVOaxycVN0Vli1bEMss4DTb0nYilACENi8/w400-h174/Pump+Up+Your+Book+Virtual+Book+Tours+Banner.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="400" /></a></div></div></div></div><br /><br />
Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-6401368968341760882023-10-05T22:25:00.000-07:002023-10-05T22:25:29.748-07:00The Secret to Successful Travel and Travel Writing by Alle C. Hall<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIT785R6jrhGxYvUqL7F3LxB_6cz5H09Dz6biLIFRkzFEaNE4nic5AcV2wJML8ywakvgDFQ4LVjeyzaVsX6ezoPWOgiwkxP5lbYwmVZmwViyi1dyc04V_htJplC42c-fIR8wTuvXXFixH_nMTMgSOCePo7wMaGfq7x1eXyAETiaKP4jc_yimLZ3EI1Vg/s2500/As%20Far%20As%20You%20Can%20Go%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1678" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIT785R6jrhGxYvUqL7F3LxB_6cz5H09Dz6biLIFRkzFEaNE4nic5AcV2wJML8ywakvgDFQ4LVjeyzaVsX6ezoPWOgiwkxP5lbYwmVZmwViyi1dyc04V_htJplC42c-fIR8wTuvXXFixH_nMTMgSOCePo7wMaGfq7x1eXyAETiaKP4jc_yimLZ3EI1Vg/s320/As%20Far%20As%20You%20Can%20Go%20Cover.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Nominated for The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Book Award, Alle
C. Hall’s debut literary novel, <i>As Far As You Can Go Before You Have to
Come Back</i> is a-girl-and-her-backpack story with a #MeToo
influence: Carlie is not merely traveling. A child sexual abuse survivor,
as a teen she steals ten thousand dollars from her parents and runs away to
Asia. There, the Lonely Planet path of hookups, heat, alcohol, and drugs takes
on a terrifying reality. Landing in Tokyo in the late 1980s, Carlie falls in
with an international crew of tai chi-practicing backpackers. With their help,
Carlie has the chance at a journey she didn’t plan for: one to find the self-respect
ripped from her as a child and the healthy sexuality she desires.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> Purchase a
copy of the book on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Far-Before-Have-Come-Back/dp/1685131476/?tag=wowwomenonwri-20"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/as-far-as-you-can-go-before-you-have-to-come-back-alle-c-hall/19734256?ean=9781685131470"><span style="color: blue;">, Bookshop.org</span></a>, or <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/as-far-as-you-can-go-before-you-have-to-come-back-alle-c-hall/1143031125"><span style="color: blue;">Barnes and Noble</span></a>. Make
sure you also add it to your <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/123164577"><span style="color: blue;">GoodReads reading list</span></a>.</span></span><p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Secret to Successful Travel and Travel
Writing<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When I first conceived of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">As Far as You Can Go Before You Have
to Come Back</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, I thought the subtitle should be, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">A Travel Adventure of
Internal Terrain</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">. In the novel, the main character, Carlie, practices Tai
chi .Tai chi is a Chinese Daoist training. There is no separation between the
body and the mind. What one experiences, the other experiences. Therefore, to me,
a physical journey can only be a spiritual one.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When I travel, I see the big sights and all, but my true pleasure comes
from connecting with people. That happens when I recognize a shared
humanity. To write meaningfully about travel, the surest way comes by letting
the reader into what your best self has observed about thoughts of the people
you meet, about their reality. It can be hard to forge any true comradery, let
alone any semblance of friendship, as a white-skinned person in a country where
the population is largely brown- or black-skinned and the people that are
easiest to meet are those working in a service industry. It’s not that their
care is fake; it’s that service industry employees have no option. That’s the
job.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">However, if I travel in a way that recognizes the humanity of
every person I interact with, I am far more likely to fall into a meaningful
conversation or even the beginnings of friendship. When I interact as no more
or less than the humans we all are, I feel the same sense of balance, purpose,
and grace that happens when I do Tai chi. Having a spiritual core fed
by kind people can grow to replace the nasty imprint left on a survivor by her
trauma history. As much as I travel to connect with others, the spirituality of
the road returns me to an emotional state of self-esteem and compassion.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I find that the most significant obstacle to connection is
language. I get that many people are fearful when they don’t speak the language
of the country they are traveling in; or don’t understand the culture. Here is
one of the few advantages of having survived a traumatic childhood: when I
began traveling, I walked around so disassociated that it didn’t strike me as wholly
different when I do not understand the language, or I put my foot in it,
culturally. Guess what? Making mistakes leads to great travel writing!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">About the Author</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Nominated for The National Book Award and The Pacific Northwest
Booksellers Book Award, Alle C. Hall’s debut literary novel,</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> As Far As
You Can Go Before You Have to Come Back</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> was winning prizes before its
publication, including the National League of American Pen Women’s Mary Kennedy
Eastham Prize. Her short stories and essays appear in journals including Dale
Peck’s </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Evergreen Review</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Tupelo Quarterly</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">New
World Writing</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Litro</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">,</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> Creative Nonfiction</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">,
and </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Another Chicago</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">. She has written for </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The Seattle Times</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Seattle
Weekly</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, and was a contributing writer at </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The Stranger</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">. She is
the former senior nonfiction editor at </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">jmww journal</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> and the
former associate editor of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Vestal Review</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">. Hall lived in Asia,
traveled there extensively, speaks what she calls “clunky” Japanese, and has a
tai chi practice of 35 years running.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Find her online at:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Website: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="https://allehall.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: blue;">https://allehall.wordpress.com</span></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Facebook: </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/allechallwriter"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.facebook.com/allechallwriter</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Instagram: </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/allec.hall/"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.instagram.com/allec.hall/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Twitter: </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://twitter.com/allechall1"><span style="color: blue;">https://twitter.com/allechall1</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Substack: </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://allechall.substack.com/"><span style="color: blue;">https://allechall.substack.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">LinkedIn: </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alle-c-hall-36a588159/"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.linkedin.com/in/alle-c-hall-36a588159/</span></a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-77281178388250311512023-09-24T23:35:00.002-07:002023-09-24T23:36:20.537-07:00Get Your Book Seen and Sold by author Claudine Wolk<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5PsbGJ9_E5j3uyAn6lzPcsMpWmvYlRzHyI9PxX7T6xcpFs-_5YKuqS5APriDqJMtCA8o5C0Jkdtr_HRXL9s5Y2Gme_4kwhHeuSJPrqjxjGZZfU3TkQhaYRM71hgwqA51DPrHJ51Blpsl257FKUdGXhQxsF5Xpebd7atfMsSsxFzdG9-uJwhMSpGvSP8/s2775/GetYourBookSeenandSold%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1834" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5PsbGJ9_E5j3uyAn6lzPcsMpWmvYlRzHyI9PxX7T6xcpFs-_5YKuqS5APriDqJMtCA8o5C0Jkdtr_HRXL9s5Y2Gme_4kwhHeuSJPrqjxjGZZfU3TkQhaYRM71hgwqA51DPrHJ51Blpsl257FKUdGXhQxsF5Xpebd7atfMsSsxFzdG9-uJwhMSpGvSP8/s320/GetYourBookSeenandSold%20Cover.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />It is easier than ever to publish a book, but many authors find
out too late about the actual work-the book marketing-that needs to be done to
achieve sizable book sales. Instead of embracing the opportunities to promote
their books, authors are intimidated and shut down. Those days are over. This
is the book authors MUST HAVE to give their books the best chance to be seen and
sold. <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">In this essential, easy-to-read, and easy-to-understand guide, the
author will work through the graphs, examples, and exercises in the book and
learn:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The fundamentals of book
marketing: Message, Audience, and Hook <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How the book marketing fundamentals
effortlessly feed into every aspect of book marketing<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The breadth of book marketing
options and how book marketing works, with examples<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How book distribution IS a crucial
part of book marketing <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To develop an elevator pitch and a
formal pitch to media contacts<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To develop with a doable book
marketing plan<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To develop media kit items for
their book publicity efforts: Press Release, Author Bio, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The types of book reviews and how
to get them<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To create a list of media contacts
and how to use them<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To organize their new
entrepreneurial business as book marketer/author<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ideas to “shake their tree” to
develop unique book marketing opportunities <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To examine the best social media
channels to promote their books<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where to put their book promotion
dollars<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most importantly, authors will
learn something priceless...the correct starting point!</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br />
Authors, You CAN do right by your book! Go on and reach the book buyers that
you had in mind when wrote your treasured manuscript and <i>Get Your Book Seen
and Sold</i> today. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Purchase your copy
on </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Book-Seen-Sold/dp/1935874446/?tag=wowwomenonwri-20">Amazon</a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/get-your-book-seen-and-sold-the-essential-book-marketing-and-publishing-guide-claudine-wolk/20215948?ean=9781935874447">Bookshop.org</a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, or </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/get-your-book-seen-and-sold-claudine-wolk/1143714131">Barnes
and Noble</a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Make sure you add
it to your <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/182109612-get-your-book-seen-and-sold">GoodReads </a>list
too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Media Contacts and How To Use Them<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><strong><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">What is a media contact?</span></strong><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">A “media contact” is any entity or person from tv, radio,
podcasting, newspaper, magazine, or online outlet whom an author decides to
pitch. For example, the editor of <b>Writers Digest</b> is a media
contact.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">What will you do with a media contact?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">1. Create a pitch and then,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">2. Send the pitch with selected media kit items,
i.e., a press release<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">What do you want from the pitch?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">You are pitching a media contact for a review, interview or
mention<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">o Review: a book review, of course!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">o Interview: an interview of you about your book or
the subject of your book<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">o Mention: the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>media contact</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>simply writes about you and your book
or your message without a formal interview. It’s simply a mention!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How to Pitch to Media Contacts<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">The first step is to take the time to<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span><em>identify</em><span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span><strong>media contacts</strong>. Internet
searches are the best way to come up with media contact names. There are also books that collect media
contact names by industry. One book, <i>Writer’s
Market</i>, is one such resource. Another great website to find publications by
industry or genre is webwire.com.
Finally, you can simply pick up a magazine and look at the masthead for
the names of the editors. The next step after you have done your research for
media contact names and emails is to come up with a pitch to send to them.
Finally, you need to send your pitch via email or snail mail, follow up, and
hopefully provide what the media contact desires for a review, mention or
interview.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><strong><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">One Media Contact at a Time</span></strong><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><strong><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">One:</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Keep your<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>goal</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><b> </b></span>in mind. When you pitch
to a media contact you are hoping for a book review, an interview about your
topic, or a mention of your book. Those three things are always your
goal. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><strong><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Two:</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Mass emailing equals mass
rejection. I know it is tempting to write a generic pitch and to send it
through Mail Chimp, et al or to a string of every email in your contact list
but this is idea is bad form for a couple of reasons. First, putting
media contacts in a constant contact database is a no-no. You technically
have to have the permission of the contact to add it to Constant Contact, et
al. Second, media contacts can spot a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>blanket
pitch</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>from a mile
away and they will ignore it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><strong><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Three:</span></strong><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> You will be pitching your book for years to come.
Take a minute and a deep breath. I acknowledge that the pitch process is
overwhelming. When I was promoting my first book and pitching to media
contacts, I can remember panicking at the sight of the grocery store magazine
racks. Every magazine was a potential
media contact…how was I going to pitch to them all? The answer is: one
media contact at a time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><strong><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Tips to Pitch to Your Media Contact</span></strong><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 47.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -29.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Be </span></span><em><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-style: normal;">sincere!</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> Take the time to read the media contact’s website to get to
know them a bit before you put them on your list and pitch to them.
Sincerity ALWAYS wins the day. Every successful hit I have ever had has
included a sincere and well-considered pitch. The key when pitching to a
media contact is quality over quantity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 47.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -29.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Write a pitch that makes it easy for the media contact to say
yes to a review, interview or mention. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 47.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -29.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><i><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Gently</span></i></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">follow-up with the media
contact.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">When you take the time to create a list of media contacts as
well as creative, thoughtful pitches you give your book the best chance to be
seen and sold. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg949c__J6FsIIoztmbbcxgHbNUlImZJR8EvBk7v03vDGrYZFOfk18eZ-Y_pr62hQZDuCFi2CUM_U1UeOvrQcVV6R87syrcnWlhjOY9qIf40k89GiT1O-7dtvOamLb9d5RwFY3uMW4KOyfWPPfOCeoqTKvshLBP3MvySH74PQU4dhLwdy0GsMsHIJNZHTE/s5504/WolkHeadshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="3669" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg949c__J6FsIIoztmbbcxgHbNUlImZJR8EvBk7v03vDGrYZFOfk18eZ-Y_pr62hQZDuCFi2CUM_U1UeOvrQcVV6R87syrcnWlhjOY9qIf40k89GiT1O-7dtvOamLb9d5RwFY3uMW4KOyfWPPfOCeoqTKvshLBP3MvySH74PQU4dhLwdy0GsMsHIJNZHTE/s320/WolkHeadshot.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">About the Author<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Claudine
Wolk and Julie Murkette are experienced in sharing their knowledge of the
publishing industry to give books the BEST chance to be sold. Julie is the
long-time owner of <b>Satya House Publications</b>, which
published and marketed the award-winning <b><i>I See the Sun</i></b> series
of books, among others. Claudine Wolk is a published author, journalist,
podcast host and book marketing consultant. You can find her writing in her
weekly newsletter on Substack: <i>Get Your Book Seen and Sold</i>. Her
book,<i> It Gets Easier and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers</i>,
(Harper Collins) is translated into three languages and was released as an
audiobook (Nov. 2022).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Find
Claudine online at:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Substack:
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><a href="https://claudinewolk.substack.com/">https://ClaudineWolk.Substack.com</a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Website:
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><a href="https://claudinewolk.com/">ClaudineWolk.com</a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Instagram:
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><a href="https://instagram.com/ClaudineWolk">@ClaudineWolk</a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Facebook:
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><a href="https://facebook.com/ClaudineWolk">Facebook.com/ClaudineWolk</a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Twitter:
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/help4newmoms">@help4newmoms</a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6981884559069431146.post-82009765903444543452023-09-21T06:08:00.002-07:002023-09-25T06:01:08.122-07:00Interview with John Andrew Fredrick, author of The King of Good Intentions III<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Vbhc5oGL4MCGeRZZnMcyg4O1eIUpIP6EGh3huzhoVtxQ5OgAUxYiD2iHQLJIfvCY6VyrcqrbrrKkfT6a3kC-isY_lmPzDiuWh1mtkN5DWhvO99Ce5O3il966Aq5P2lq7lVQGa59szysp-9G07dDqPRZWhbGV-dYfe0GPM9fa8lU0n04iKCoGOSg8Lg/s809/The%20King%20of%20Good%20Intentions%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="809" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Vbhc5oGL4MCGeRZZnMcyg4O1eIUpIP6EGh3huzhoVtxQ5OgAUxYiD2iHQLJIfvCY6VyrcqrbrrKkfT6a3kC-isY_lmPzDiuWh1mtkN5DWhvO99Ce5O3il966Aq5P2lq7lVQGa59szysp-9G07dDqPRZWhbGV-dYfe0GPM9fa8lU0n04iKCoGOSg8Lg/w571-h237/The%20King%20of%20Good%20Intentions%20banner.jpg" width="571" /></a></p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://puybvirtualbookclub2.blogspot.com/2023/08/pump-up-your-book-virtual-book-tour_0148301591.html"></a>
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
<div class="post-header-line-1"></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody">
<div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-920999f4-7fff-6f42-e616-c914e8eced3a" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The King of Good Intentions III is ly</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">rical, heartbreaking, discursive/digressive, startlingly as poetic as it is laugh aloud funny…</span><span id="docs-internal-guid-ec5d85da-7fff-767b-8464-b58ee8bacbae" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Gabriela; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JvziRZ82NGEhi2b0i2G6R38m7o096rD636LyePdcnt1eH37HhR723i4YRKnrEcrjkmIAWVdnko2VpRUHf7XyC_Oxvk1xOC4nqYn9c0sXRs-INP7HhpMMg8hJt2Zew3NQnzs0IzZJ5JngOkSKNgAKZBrSyscPCncLiGMqHkLti06Tr5IYS0hgwPho2w/s665/The%20King%20of%20Good%20Intentions.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JvziRZ82NGEhi2b0i2G6R38m7o096rD636LyePdcnt1eH37HhR723i4YRKnrEcrjkmIAWVdnko2VpRUHf7XyC_Oxvk1xOC4nqYn9c0sXRs-INP7HhpMMg8hJt2Zew3NQnzs0IzZJ5JngOkSKNgAKZBrSyscPCncLiGMqHkLti06Tr5IYS0hgwPho2w/w462-h640/The%20King%20of%20Good%20Intentions.png" width="462" /></a></div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb81b19d-7fff-6c60-4942-8a06c392af73" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Cherry Swash; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></i></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4228c015-7fff-45a9-8d05-3a252dc97f26" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p id="docs-internal-guid-163e1e2f-7fff-e74d-c102-93300b4c5efb" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-73aceb05-7fff-a7b8-7299-7b7e161268cb" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Oswald;"><span><span></span></span></span></b></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">Title: The King of Good Intentions III</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"> Author: John Andrew Fredrick</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"> Publisher: Embers Art Press</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"> Publication Date: September 12, 2023</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"> Pages: 457</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"> Genre: Fiction/General Fiction/Humorous/Black Humor<br />
</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177676792-the-king-of-good-intentions-part-three?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=guINYWcuf8&rank=3">
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">As
The Weird Sisters return from their first What-Could-Go-Wrong (spoiler
alert – everything) National Tour, bandmates/lovers John and Jenny face
their iffy futures together (or apart) as the brilliant and mysterious
Katie upends the romantic/artistic balance that’s been
precarious-at-best. The unmitigated vanity, the mythopoeic beauty, the
megalomania and heartbreak, the exquisite talent and ludicrous hubris –
it’s all here in Fredrick’s wonderful, tart-sweet, final installment.
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Buy Link</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C7YH5FT9/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0C7YH5FT9&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="2400" height="57" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQZnNWAO-Yvz8QszFH1fF1UuVSfMCVbdc8iKITbddZtPu5B4xAHxrV7__4s2FBtPeh3tif8zzLrfKEZgaD3L8T3Cu0KU7ovIv4IXAqDUO44AjwRa8CT1USTls2Kni--Dg6R03dQ_gDuDGl5R9CphCA8BdDrLIR5ah9o1BaOvU4Za-AWVxamYYSBWTag/w190-h57/amazon%202.png" width="190" /></a></b></div><b><br /> </b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcyl4XP1E6t9qBLg6aCku9N-3vDDlCxBNK40f8x1Qkt06LHSwQ5o0mqN60CkAXr9KJZjM98FRyHc8NF8Ef5CvjtaJLxoiLgWypV8l0hiAJQFdef135JjywUXWnJr4KrmiW7MrJq72gzwb5zHdR9u939m-bmCTAL9ijc9gmVXzVNTpNFewt62e9lLV4A/s811/The%20King%20of%20Good%20Intentions%207.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="811" height="415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcyl4XP1E6t9qBLg6aCku9N-3vDDlCxBNK40f8x1Qkt06LHSwQ5o0mqN60CkAXr9KJZjM98FRyHc8NF8Ef5CvjtaJLxoiLgWypV8l0hiAJQFdef135JjywUXWnJr4KrmiW7MrJq72gzwb5zHdR9u939m-bmCTAL9ijc9gmVXzVNTpNFewt62e9lLV4A/w564-h415/The%20King%20of%20Good%20Intentions%207.jpg" width="564" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"><b></b></span><p></p>
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: "Merienda",serif; font-size: 18pt;">Now that your book has been published, <b>How did you come up with
the idea to write your book, The King of Good Intentions III? </b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;">Well, as the King
is a set of novels, a series, it was incumbent upon me to see the story
through, as it were, and make it come full circle--to the beginning of the
first <em>The
King of Good Intentions</em>. For the most part, I write in order
to make myself laugh aloud. It's like what Robert Smith of The Cure said
about writing songs: that he <em>makes </em>something in order to <em>have</em>
something to listen to! That's my very purport when it comes to
songwriting as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family: "Merienda",serif; font-size: 18pt;">To describe
your series, people call it "rollicking," "uproarious," and
"zany." Is that a correct set of words to describe your book?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;">It is a comedy,
after all. Notwithstanding the fact that there are some quite sad and
tender moments sprinkled throughout the text. The writers I most
admire--Nabokov, Amis, Stella Gibbons--all have a wonderful knack for embracing
the absurd.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family: "Merienda",serif; font-size: 18pt;">How hard was
it to write a book like this?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;">Not very
difficult in that writing fiction's kind of like trying to master a
sport: the more you do it, the easier and more fun it gets. I have
written seven novels now, five published; and I started my first one when I was
fourteen or so. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family: "Merienda",serif; font-size: 18pt;">What’s one
fact about your book that would surprise people?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;">That it's filled
with jeux d'esprit. That it plays games with the reader's sense of what's
real and what's a put-on. The mere fact that my narrator's are often
called "John" is a sort of feint or ruse, for sure. Just
because we share the same first name and are described as tall, blonde,
hilarious, and devastatingly charming and handsome, don't think that he's me!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family: "Merienda",serif; font-size: 18pt;">Is there a
message that are you trying to get across with your book?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;">Hard to
encapsulate in a single phrase or message, really, but I will try: it's
that the world of indie rock is as heartbreaking as it is enthralling at
times. And that Los Angeles is, paradoxically, the most ridiculous and
most wondrous place in the USA.</span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1494820207040531290" itemprop="articleBody"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arvo; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span>About the Author</span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"><b><span><span> </span></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yd1TM_25g-x5ZAM7rpa77xuJVXWmd5YLe-UwEhk4O5vA4ubCNDwntCzNZqRmhzxgkD9kPXxLhX8R2kpcRQ0KpWzeuKlt4JwNJ09YpX8MvZsFyhI9ryVE20Gqh9ti8QKS49_9LRZmF2NOPc-FQgyWIMtr6YGAs8dY2fUHI4vHO1qp5yj5-JFfVEc7pw/s800/John%20Andrew%20Fredrick.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yd1TM_25g-x5ZAM7rpa77xuJVXWmd5YLe-UwEhk4O5vA4ubCNDwntCzNZqRmhzxgkD9kPXxLhX8R2kpcRQ0KpWzeuKlt4JwNJ09YpX8MvZsFyhI9ryVE20Gqh9ti8QKS49_9LRZmF2NOPc-FQgyWIMtr6YGAs8dY2fUHI4vHO1qp5yj5-JFfVEc7pw/w480-h640/John%20Andrew%20Fredrick.png" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Cherry Swash;"></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">John Andrew Fredrick is
the author of five novels and one book on the early films of Wes
Anderson. He is the principal songwriter/singer of an indie rock band
called The Black Watch that has released twenty-two albums to
considerable acclaim. As Popmatters.com has observed, he is an
accomplished painter. His poems have appeared in The Los Angeles Press,
Santa Barbara Magazine, and Artillery, among others. He lives in Los
Angeles and London. Visit him on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/john.a.fredrick">https://www.facebook.com/john.a.fredrick</a> and Goodreads at <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177676792-the-king-of-good-intentions-part-three">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177676792-the-king-of-good-intentions-part-three</a>.</span></p></div></div></div></div></div>
Fiona Ingramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.com0