tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83586737530258977972024-03-13T13:23:21.769-07:00~ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-42274588561543222032014-09-29T11:17:00.002-07:002014-09-29T11:17:50.304-07:00Reviewing Your Universe<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Title:
My Soul Immortal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By:
Jen Printy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Publisher Ecopy Provided<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rating:
3 Stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Star-crossed lovers with an immortal
twist!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jack’s immortal and hides this fact from
the world. When his secret’s exposed, he relocates to another city and
continues his off-the-grid lifestyle. His new start hits a brick wall when he
meets Leah, a woman that so resembles his lost love Lydia, and he fears for his
sanity. A stranger named Artagan arrives in town, knows Jack’s secret, and
warns Jack Leah’s in danger. Jack must discover what Artagan isn’t telling him
and hope it’s enough to save the woman he loves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The first few paragraphs sucked me into
the story. I wanted to know who Jack really was, why he was immortal and how
Leah’s existence related to Lydia, if at all. Ms. Printy’s voice and imagination
kept me turning pages, eagerly anticipating the answers I sought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My interest waned about a third of the
way into the book. For me, Jack’s immortal angst weighed on the plot and slowed
the pacing. Several scenes were presented with circumstances that were
conveniently resolved and gave away what could have been great foreshadowing
for a couple of big reveals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jack and Leah’s relationship proceeded at
more of a normal pace versus the inst-love/lust/like some romances present. I
enjoyed the stronger connection that grew over time, although I will say Jack’s
feelings for Leah were better shown and developed than Leah’s for Jack. That,
however, could definitely relate to Jack being immortal and the narrator of the
story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Artagan came back onto the page farther
into the story, and the pace picked up. He definitely added mystery, intrigue
and balance to the plot. I look forward to the next book in this series. Each
of the characters left me with a positive curiosity, and that’s a great hook to
recommend for a series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-84422738088573306192014-09-09T08:54:00.004-07:002014-09-09T08:54:57.446-07:00Reviewing Your Universe<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Empty Altars</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">by Judith Post</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rating: 4 Stars</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The stars have shined since the dawn of
time, their existence spawning stories of gods and goddesses. Who better to
protect humanity than beings with knowledge and power far beyond our own?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When the universal balance is threatened,
Diana (goddess of the hunt and goddess of all magic) is sent by her runes to
help the Norse gods protect the world from a burgeoning evil strong enough to
destroy everything the gods created.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mythology is not a strong interest of
mine, but Empty Altars’ synopsis poked my curiosity. The beginning started a
bit slow and was somewhat confusing (I’m sure due to my lack of mythological
knowledge), but once the action started and the pace picked up, Ms. Post’s
voice had my full attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Strong characterization, layered
personalities and a solid plot kept me turning pages. For those who enjoy
fantasy worlds ruled by gods, goddesses and magic, Empty Altars will not disappoint.
I am thrilled at finding a new author to follow and look forward to reading
more of Ms. Post’s work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">*author ecopy provided for honest review</span></div>
ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-82513267033794016642014-08-11T12:24:00.000-07:002014-08-11T12:24:26.504-07:00Reviewing Your Universe<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They Who Fell</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">by Kevin Kneupper</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">fantasy/urban fantasy</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">5 Stars</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The world isn’t always as it seems…sometimes
it’s scarier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jana understands just how precarious the
world inside the Perch is. As a slave, doing the wrong thing, speaking out of
turn or just looking her angel keepers in the eye could all result in a harsh
punishment or ultimately death. Living in fear is second nature, but being frightened
all the time serves as motivation. She wants to survive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">William Holt lives outside the Perch,
fighting daily with others in his cell to destroy the angels and reclaim what’s
left of the world for the dwindling human population. Nothing will stop him: not
the Vichies, humans that have pledged themselves to the angels but prey on
weaker humans, not the unexpected creatures now roaming the Earth, and
especially not the debauched angels themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Holy awesome surprise! Mr. Kneupper hooked
me with the first chapter and kept me turning pages until I finished the book
in one sitting. Excellent writing, great characterization and a phenomenal plot
landed They Who Fell at a solid 5 star rating. I wanted to read the next
installment immediately. Since I couldn’t (hasn’t been released yet) I spent
the next couple of days thinking about the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By turning the traditionally ingrained
idea of benevolent angles on its head and creating a plausible set of circumstances,
I seriously questioned what would happen if a second heavenly fall occurred.
Would the angels I’ve viewed as guardians become my worst nightmare? Would God
turn his back on all of His creations and let the outcome be determined by the
players themselves?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">No matter a person’s religious belief,
Mr. Kneupper’s world is well-developed and scarier than hell. I would never
want to experience that kind of existence firsthand, but I’ll gladly immerse
myself in the next story of this trilogy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">*author ecopy provided for honest review <o:p></o:p></span></div>
ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-54645705194625746232014-07-26T18:33:00.000-07:002014-07-26T18:33:13.028-07:00Reviewing Your Universe<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Normal is the Watchword
(The Watchword series)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Jasmine Tru<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Free ecopy provided by
author for honest review<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rating: 3.0 Stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The world is filled with
unknown wonders. Some of us are lucky to see some of them. Others are fated to
be part of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Juniper’s a senior in
high school, and her life is as ordinary as it gets. She spends her school hours
battling senioritis with her best friend, Carrie. Then she meets Darius, a guy
she’s never really noticed before, and things get interesting. They have a
connection she can’t explain…at least she <i>thinks
</i>they do. She’s just not ready to trust her instincts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With her senior
photography project due in two weeks, one she hasn’t even started, Juni focuses
on her schoolwork and stops procrastinating. Inspiration strikes, and she thinks
of the perfect subject for her project. She has no way of knowing her choice will
change her life forever, and nothing can prepare her for what follows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I loved the premise of
Normal is the Watchword. The story line moved forward without giving away an
important part of the plot. The characters were driven by an instinctual need
to discern right from wrong, find justice and make amends. These are all laudable
character traits and give plenty of room for conflict.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For me personally, the
opening page rocked, but the story started slow. A huge bit of back story front-loaded
the novel, the first active dialogue came on page 10, and heavy narration marked
the book’s tone. Decisions made by both Juni and Darius were inconsistent with
emotions, dangerous and implausible. Yes, they are teenagers, but both are
intelligent characters and more should have been expected from them, not less.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">While I would have enjoyed more character depth,
enough was given for me to like the characters. I am interested in seeing how
things progress in Loyalty (Watchword #2) between the good and bad guys, and
especially between Juni and Darius.</span>ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-27281343373266637622014-03-18T11:16:00.001-07:002014-03-18T11:16:28.768-07:00Reviewing Your Universe<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ignited by Desni Dantone<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Published by Laine D Publishing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ecopy obtained from Amazon free promotion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rating: 4 Stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A rockin’ new urban
fantasy series!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Being a teenager is,
well, brutal—and 17-year old Kristina Young has more reasons than most to understand
how truly harsh life can be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Her family was murdered
when she was a toddler, throwing her into the foster system. When she was
eleven, her foster father became a threat instead of a caregiver. At 17, she
was in an accident and survived, while her two best friends didn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While each of these
incidents reveal tragedies in her life, they’re also responsible for her
deepest secret. A blue-eyed guardian angel that <i>always </i>protected her and kept her safe. Right up to the night he
reappears in her life and saves her again. Except this time, she’s not a little
girl and she wants answers. Like who he is and why he continues to save her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When the answers come,
so does the ever-increasing danger to her life. Her savior, Nathan, is from a
race of hybrid demigods called Kala. They battle an evil race of demigods
called Skotadi. Since he has no idea why the Skotadi are after Kris, they go on
the run, hiding from those that want to kill her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kris finds herself in
the middle of a war she never knew existed, never asked to be a part of. When
they learn why she’s so important, everything changes. Time becomes her worst
enemy. She needs information to change her destiny, and Nathan’s willing to do
anything to get it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This is a great
beginning to a new young adult urban fantasy series. There are romantic
elements. There are some paranormal elements. While there is no true romance
and a conclusive happily ever after, I love the groundwork that’s been laid.
Love doesn’t happen instantaneously, and I, for one, am thrilled to see a
heroine that <i>thinks</i> about her
emotions and considers actions and consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While there is a
love-triangle conflict, it doesn’t detract from the story. There’s a purpose
behind the characters and their respective positions, and I can’t wait to see
how it changes and develops in the next book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With all of the
positive, why not a solid 5 rating?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I didn’t have a good
enough handle on what the overall factions were really after. What they were
and where they came from was explained, but not enough detail was given to help
me understand their real purpose and drive. How they functioned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I also felt the best
friend Callie’s inclusion in the dark moment and rest of the story felt
gratuitous. She is human, with nothing to offer the maturing demigods with
powers. Callie has no real reaction to the demigods’ existence, the danger, or
Kris’s impending change. Other than Kris needing a female friend, she didn’t
add anything to the story. I hope in the next book she does.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My last issue was the
title. It’s a great title, but it gave an expectation that wasn’t realized.
With demigods involved and otherworldly powers, the title suggested a
fire-related element that never appeared. Maybe it’s my own issue and I read
too much into it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Overall, I enjoyed Ignited.
Ms. Dantone has captured my attention, and I eagerly await the release of
Sacrificed!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-34203602838401842332014-01-09T16:36:00.001-08:002014-01-09T16:36:30.136-08:00Reviewing Your Universe
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Magic Academy by Jillian Keep</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Published by Pathforgers Publishing</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Rating: 3 Stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Are you willing to do whatever it takes
to get what you want?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Firia is. She’s a human serving in a
society run by magic-wielding elves. She can do some magic on her own, and her
goal is to win a competition at the yearly magic contest from which academies
recruit their students. But she knows she’ll never win without help. So she
summons a demon and binds him to her in order to boost her magic.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p>T</o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">he results are everything she hoped for.
She wins at the competition, gets into the top magic academy and begins her
training as a sorceress. Then things get interesting and complicated. Firia is
attracted to her demon Varuj, as well as Mae’lin, a very sweet elf attending
the same school.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">She must study hard and practice hard in
order to pass her exams and stay in school. Varuj and Mae’lin both help Firia
succeed in different ways, but she is confused and torn between her feelings for
both men. Firia doesn’t want to hurt anyone but knows she must make a choice
between the life she wants and the life she could have, and between the men
that can give her either.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Magic Academy is a high fantasy concept
at its best. However, I would NOT classify this as YA ever, nor would I call it
New Adult. This book has a new adult plotline defined by erotic elements. Let
me be the first to say the sex scenes were smokin’ hot. Unlike other reviewers,
I didn’t get the heebie jeebies by the tone, verbiage or pairing. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Varuj is a demon with a demon nature. His
description and actions followed the world’s rules and fit his character
development. Firia’s burgeoning social and sexual enlightenment also fit her
character development. All of this worked for me.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">My biggest issue with the book is the
large amount of “telling” versus showing. Another stumbling block for me was
the ending. I got to the end and went, “Huh?” I kept trying to turn a page on
my Kindle, thinking it was digitally stuck. Instead, the story had concluded
with a rushed climax (no pun intended) and a cliff-hanger ending. If this is a
standalone book and not the first book in the series, wow. There needed to be
more resolution with the storyline for readers to get a conclusion without a HEA.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Would I recommend Magic Academy? To
certain types of readers, absolutely. Will I read the next book in the series?
You bet. I like Ms. Keep’s voice. I think her writing will improve, and I
really want to read more of Firia and Varuj’s story.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">*Netgalley arc provided for honest review<o:p></o:p></span></div>
ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-72619233769310686872013-09-23T10:47:00.000-07:002013-09-23T10:51:12.256-07:00Milestones and CelebrationsHobbies, personal interests and even exercise time go by the wayside when one goes about the business of living life.This last year's been crazy hectic...in both good ways and bad. Renovating our new home has been a huge project. Getting our old home ready go to on the market, at the same time as the new home renovation, has been insane. Hubs being incapacitated from not one but two foot surgeries, while trying to accomplish everything, has been a nightmare.<br />
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Somehow, we've managed to survive.<br />
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Thankfully, hubs is doing great. He's on the mend and back at work. The old house goes on the market October 1st. Renovations on the new house aren't completely finished but everything looks great and every day offers us another reason to <i>love</i> our home.<br />
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On a personal front, our third daughter graduated high school in June and our second daughter finished her first year of college the same month. Today, ironically, both of those girls started on a new path. Daughter number two was accepted into the medical assistant program. She is working toward a nursing degree. Daughter number three started her first day of college. She is following her big sister's footsteps toward the nursing program as well. Daughter number one works two jobs, always moving toward her personal goals. And daughter number four, though still in high school, already has her eyes on a music scholarship for singing, piano, violin...maybe all three.<br />
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So this last year is marked with milestones and celebrations in our family's journey through life.<br />
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And even if I'm the only one that reads this blog, this is my private clifftop for shouting, cheering and pom pom waving in celebration. I am so proud of my girls. Every day I look at what the four of them have accomplished or are working toward accomplishing, and I realize how blessed I am to have such strong, driven, nurturing daughters. The world is a big, harsh, beautiful place. I can't wait to see each one of them find their niche...and make a difference.<br />
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World, meet my daughters.<br />
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Girls, the world is yours.ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-27987422282934517972013-03-07T22:36:00.000-08:002013-03-07T22:36:16.787-08:002013 Lunar Love Giveaway Hop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">2nd Annual</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Lunar Love Giveaway Hop</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">March 8th to 13th</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #333333;">Hosted by <a href="http://www.iamareader.com/2013/01/2013-lunar-love-giveaway-hop-sign-ups.html">I Am A Reader, Not A Writer</a> & <a href="http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/">Bookworm Lisa</a></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Thank you soooo much for the invite, ladies. Last year was a blast, and I'm excited to be on the list again for 2013!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">So, if you've landed on my blog, it's because you love to read. No, I'm not psychic (it's a blog hop so I had a heads up) but several characters in my Tueri Fated Souls series are. In fact, the entire Tueri race are psychics. Tueri is Latin for protect, and that's just what the Tueri do...they protect mankind from supernaturals, preternaturals or just plain bad guys that threaten harm.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Now, not everyone reads the paranormal genre - although again, you're here, so you most likely do. I love the genre. I cut my teeth on fantasy and sci-fi, graduated to supernatural horrors and finally immersed myself in paranormal romance and urban fantasy.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Why do I read these genres? Pure escapism. I love my life, but -like everyone else's- it gets hectic. I work in court everyday, surrounded by real life. Turning a page and falling into a completely different world always soothes my overloaded senses.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">How about you? Why do you read the genre you do?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Thanks for stopping by. To show my appreciation (and because I love contests) </span></b><b style="font-size: large;">I'm giving away your choice for one of three prizes:</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1. $10.00 Amazon gift card or </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>2. A print copy of Moonlight Blue or </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3. A print copy of Crimson Sunrise.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Just fill out the rafflecopter below, and then click here for the full list to continue hopping! <a href="http://www.iamareader.com/2013/01/2013-lunar-love-giveaway-hop-sign-ups.html">I Am A Reader, Not A Writer</a></b></span></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3ce8ef2/" id="rc-3ce8ef2" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-88045712002474597952013-02-19T08:40:00.000-08:002013-02-19T08:43:19.244-08:00What's Love Got To Do With It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to the What's Love Got To Do With It? Blog Hop. Many thanks go out to Lynn Rush for inviting me to join the fun!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">February, the month of love...or the possibility of finding the ever elusive <i>one</i>. For some lucky people, finding your soul mate happens when you're young, without much heartache involved. The rest of us spend a good chunk of our lives nursing a bruised heart while looking for our other half. (Hope you're all one of the lucky few!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For Saari, a true immortal, love's been more intangible. Cursed in 1499 has given her more time than most, so you'd think she has the whole love angle worked out by now. Not so much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But then the universe decided to shake things up a bit and send her a soul mate...or two. Sure, that sounds cliched. But what's a girl to do when she finally has a chance at answers she's been looking for her whole life?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ask the right questions, and wonder what's love got to do with it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can read about Saari's journey in the Tueri Fated Souls series in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moonlight-Bleu-ebook/dp/B003XT5R12/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361291047&sr=8-2&keywords=Moonlight+Bleu">Moonlight Bleu</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Sunrise-Tueri-Fated-ebook/dp/B007WSDDRU/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1361291083&sr=1-3&keywords=crimson+sunrise">Crimson Sunrise</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to enter the rafflecopter below for the giveaway!</span></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/16f82b15/" id="rc-16f82b15" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-61995194057106936412013-02-10T07:20:00.000-08:002013-02-10T07:22:29.728-08:00Year of the Snake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; text-align: left;">Hello, and welcome to The Year of the Snake Blog Hop. Many thanks to Wendy Russo for inviting me to play.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Today we say goodbye to the year of the dragon and hello to the year of the snake. So this hop is dedicated to excerpts of deception, delusion, opportunism, and perhaps simply snakes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Here's my excerpt. Enjoy!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 23px;"><b><span style="color: blue;">(Josie is the antagonist in Crimson Sunrise, and she has a plan that will launch herself in a new seat of power. She's not above using anyone to get what she wants, including her convenient for-now husband.)</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Caleb crossed his arms over his chest. “You knew Dhelis’s mate</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>would drown. Why did you bother telling her you loved Dhelis?”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>A thrill of power shot through Josie. She’d been right about his</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>being jealous. Men were so easy. A pull here. A tug there. <i>I’m a</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>freaking puppeteer.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>“Because,” she answered with exaggerated patience, “some Tueri</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>couples are telepathically linked. I don’t know if their match has</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>achieved that connection, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I didn’t</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>want her warning Dhelis—or Brogan for that matter. I wanted to</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>keep her off balance. Break her concentration through anger.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">There was no way Dhelis, Brogan, and Saari had already</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">achieved that kind of shared power, but Caleb didn’t know that.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>“Dhelis’s blood type is a perfect match for me. If Saari hadn’t</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>come along when she did, I’d be bound to Dhelis and already</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>pregnant,” she answered, pouring sweet innocence into her words.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>He all but growled with frustration. “I’m a perfect match for</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>your blood type, too. What do we need him for?”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>“For starters,” she reminded him, “You’re only a half-breed—and</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>the Tueri half isn’t from a Stone Rider. For the abilities to be passed</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>on, I have to get pregnant by a Stone Rider.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>He glared at her.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>She tightened her invisible hold. “This is only business, baby.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>You know that. I’ve already explained this. Chimeras carry multiple</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>strands of DNA within their own, so we always reproduce Tueri</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>abilities. His mother was a chimera, like me, and his father was a</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Stone Rider, like mine. That means a successful breeding between</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>our genetics will produce the highest Stone Riding abilities</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>possible. Dhelis is the best choice.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>“So?” he drawled.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>“That’s the price for our immortality.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">Caleb’s expression changed as understanding dawned. “He</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">agreed to turn us? What were your terms?”</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">“Of course he did.” She ignored the second question and looked</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">up at him from under her lashes. “Do you think I’d be able to go</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">through this without you?”</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">“How do you know he won’t double cross us?”</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">Josie smiled. “Because he needs me. I’m his breeding queen. My</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">gift is passing on Tueri abilities through my progeny—and I heal</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">within hours of childbirth. So I can get pregnant again immediately</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">after giving birth. Once we combine the gene pool, vampires will</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">have an immunity, or affinity depending on the perspective, to</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">Tueri crystal. And the vampires will be able to give birth. They can</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">reproduce the same immunity.”</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">“Then he only needs you for the first child, not the rest,” he</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">argued.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">“Not true. Genetics are a crapshoot. We’ve established the best</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">odds by using Dhelis’s genetics mixed with my own: that’s Chimera</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">and Stone Riding abilities on both sides back eons of generations.<span id="goog_130915313"></span><span id="goog_130915314"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">But that’s not a guarantee. So, he’ll need us both.”</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">His mouth turned up in a feral smile.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">She’d finally convinced him to play the game. Her nerve endings</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;">hummed.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><i>Poor sod. He doesn’t realize I meant</i> Dhelis<i> when I said we’d</i></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><i>both be needed.</i></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="color: blue;">I'm giving away a free copy of Crimson Sunrise to one lucky winner. (U.S. winner gets choice of print or ecopy. International winner ecopy only.)</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="color: red;">Just follow my blog, leave a comment below with an email address, (sorry, couldn't get the rafflecopter to work) and click the links below. </span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="color: red;">Thanks for stopping by!</span></span></b></span></div>
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ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-73703910570711011082013-01-09T11:17:00.001-08:002013-01-09T11:17:31.242-08:00FREE Kindle download!<span style="font-size: large;">My critique partner and awesome BFF is offering her mystery novella Honor Code FREE on Amazon today and tomorrow. The great cover, interesting blurb, links and my review are listed below.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What are you waiting for? Grab your copy now!!!!!!!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3UGBSLek1DA/UO27oL-WvaI/AAAAAAAAATc/0oDmqlg-Ymc/s1600/HonorCode_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3UGBSLek1DA/UO27oL-WvaI/AAAAAAAAATc/0oDmqlg-Ymc/s400/HonorCode_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Honor-Code-Mystery-Novella-ebook/dp/B009STQQIE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357756418&sr=8-2&keywords=Honor+Code">http://www.amazon.com/Honor-Code-Mystery-Novella-ebook/dp/B009STQQIE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357756418&sr=8-2&keywords=Honor+Code</a><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Reviewing Your Universe:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b>Honor Code by Cathy Perkins</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b>5 stars</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">As a rule, I generally stick to my favorite genres...but I'll read any novel (or novella) that catches my attention. Honor Code's book description did just that.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In a small, southern town an elderly widower disappears under questionable circumstances. Detective Larry Robbins knows in his gut George Beason needs help...and he intends to find him before it's too late.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The opening scene is powerful in its imagery and emotion. I connected immediately with both the victim and the hero. George Beason had to be found, and Robbins had to find him.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Though this police procedural is fast paced, the book never lost my interest. I also enjoyed the secondary characters. They added layers to the story that made me forget I was reading a novella. That doesn't happen often.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Honor Code is a great read that I would recommend to anyone that loves mysteries...and the fact it features characters from Ms Perkins' debut novel </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0069VU9H8/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk" style="background-color: white; color: #004b91; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Professor</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> makes it even better!</span></span>ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-87298130247952736852012-10-04T08:27:00.001-07:002012-10-04T08:27:22.723-07:00Discovering My Universe #ReneeRearden #NewHomeHubs and I purchased our dream home, and we're elated.<br />
<br />
We also had a plan in place for things to accomplish before we move in. First on the list: New carpeting throughout. Final papers were signed October 2nd. Two hours later hubs and I were in the house and started ripping up carpet in the formal dining room.<br />
<br />
Imagine our surprise when we discovered pristine oak tongue and groove hardwood floors...that extended through the formal living room and down one hallway. That's the kind of thing you hear about happening to other people but never happens to you, right?<br />
<br />
The next day we pulled up the carpet in each hallway on two sides of the atrium, hoping to find more hardwood. Unfortunately, we found an awful, orange-colored linoleum...which didn't make sense because it looked terrible next to the beautiful hardwood.<br />
<br />
But, you can't have everything, right?<br />
<br />
And then we discovered a chipped corner of the linoleum and found a light colored stone underneath. I held my breath as hubs stripped a large piece of linoleum away to reveal travertine tiles. All I could think was <i>WOW</i>!<br />
<br />
Hubs shook his head and smiled at me. "How did we get so blessed?"<br />
<br />
<br />ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-37086461527639143902012-10-01T10:47:00.001-07:002012-10-01T10:52:46.851-07:00Righting My UniverseOkay, I admit I've been off my game lately.<br />
<br />
My blog is languishing and writing anything new is on hold. Having limited time to do things I <i>want</i> to do has been driving me crazy...but I'm a firm believer in the bigger picture. You know, everything happens for a reason. There's a cosmic plan in place and I have a part in it.<br />
<br />
So I sat down and meditated yesterday. Cleared my head of all the <i>stuff</i> and just was. I opened my eyes an hour later and nearly floated to my office. Everything made sense.<br />
<br />
My transcript load has been insane for the last 18 months. I've struggled, trying to keep up with appellate court deadlines and still write. Work feeds my family. Writing feeds my soul. Since work hasn't gotten any less busy, these last few months I've questioned whether I should keep trying to write.<br />
<br />
Then we discovered our dream home was for sale--below market value.<br />
<br />
It was fluke. I tapped a real estate map on my iPad and randomly landed on the listing. I called the real estate agent. Never got a call back. Two weeks later we stopped by the house to look at it from the outside. The owner was there mowing the lawn. He showed us the house. Told us three other people were interested and working on closing a deal.<br />
<br />
Two months later, we still hadn't heard any word on the other deals. So, we decided to purchase a different house. Three hours after talking to the builder, the first home owner called us and offered to sell us our dream home. We signed papers and started the process. Crazy things had to happen for us to have a shot at buying this home (including the extra funds my unusual transcript load provided), but things kept falling our way.<br />
<br />
We're supposed to close on the house this afternoon or some time Tuesday.<br />
<br />
My point with all this?<br />
<br />
I believe there truly is a larger plan than the small pieces I see or try to understand. No matter how difficult or stressful, each circumstance I've encountered has happened for a reason. This last 18-months has led my family to the next milestone in our lives...the last home we ever plan to buy.<br />
<br />
This home is where our growing family will gather, celebrate holidays together, where our grandchildren will run and play. It's the home my husband and I will live in together when the last of our four daughters move out on their own. The home where we'll sit on the porch, years from now, reliving all the memories we're going to make.<br />
<br />ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-91330696450296788632012-09-18T08:10:00.003-07:002012-09-18T08:10:29.143-07:00Reviewing Your World<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cleanse Fire: <span style="background: white; color: #181818;">The Kinir Elite Chronicles, #1<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Anastasia
Pergakis</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ecopy provided by author<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rating:
3 Stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Captain Derac Vidor takes pride in
leading his team of Elite Kinir warrior elves. Serving his country by
protecting the weak and rescuing those in need fill his life—until an act of
betrayal threatens not only himself but every member of his team. He will stop
at nothing to discover who is trying to kill them and why.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Let me start by saying I enjoyed Cleanse
Fire. As a debut author, Ms Pergakis is off to a great start. The main male
protagonist, Derac Vidor, is an interesting character with internal conflict
that is driven by his sense of integrity and honor. The right balance was struck
between moral fiber and not overly stiff and prudish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Several other members on the team are
worth noting as well. Kie is a strong female with issues of her own. They are
revealed through the course of the book and not all at once, and I liked
learning about her in active scenes as the plot unfolded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tyn, as Derac’s best friend, is a very
likeable character. He had his friend’s back no matter the situation and always
looked for the positive from each team member. Rakan, Jardel and Aeli are all
secondary characters with distinct personalities that added to the story as
well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With all the positive story aspects noted
up front, it’s time to talk about what didn’t work for me. The book needed a
final edit before going to print. Word misuse and grammatical issues pulled me
out of the story. That’s a common issue for new authors, but I think the
easiest to correct in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One issue I had with the story was the somewhat
two-dimensional writing. By this I mean senses. In many of the scenes, I had no
real idea what the characters looked like or how things smelled or felt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My biggest problem with Cleanse Fire is
there was no real description of the world. I had no idea why there were elves,
faeries and dwarves and why they were allies or enemies. Humans existed in this
world, but the mention was so tenuous, for the most part I forgot they were
part they existed in Kinir. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some world description would have been
helpful as well. I know Kinir is a fantasy world, but modern phrases
occasionally crept into the writing. When comparing that with the dragon’s
verbiage and some of the other vernacular, the world did not seem modern in the
contemporary sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Did all of these issues
detract from the book? They did a bit for me. Will they keep me from reading
the next book in the Kinir Elite Chronicles? Not a chance. I have a feeling Ms
Pergakis’ stories will get better with each telling, and I intend to enjoy the
resulting novels!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-74410184498371463302012-08-20T09:40:00.001-07:002012-08-20T09:40:37.944-07:00Reviewing Your Universe<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Edge of Passion by Tina
Folsom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">(Cloak Warriors #1)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">ARC provided by
NetGalley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Rating: 3 Stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Tina Folsom came highly
recommended as an author. So when I received Edge of Passion from NetGalley, I
turned on my Kindle and dove into the story.
Who wouldn’t—the blurb screams interesting: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Cloak Warriors have been
protecting humans from demons for centuries. So when demons discover a way of
seducing humans to their side, they jump on the opportunity. Aiden and his
fellow Cloak Warriors learn of this new threat to humanity. In order to save
mankind, they must protect the one scientist that could unknowingly hand the
demons the weapon they’ve been searching for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Aiden is a strong alpha
male, emotionally hampered by a traumatic incident early in his life. His
strong, sometimes testosterone laden character is offset by his loyalty and
determination to do the right thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Leila is a scientist
that’s discovered a way to cure Alzheimer’s. Talk about smarts! Once she
realizes Demons are real and they’re after her research, she understands how
dangerous her discovery would be in their evil hands. Leila is faced with a
horrific moral decision. (Don’t worry, she has the moral character to make the <i>right</i> decision.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Despite the interesting
plot and mostly likeable characters, for me, this book could have been better.
The characters’ emotions whipsawed often and without much explanation. Also, I
understood Aiden’s baggage, but it didn’t make me like him any better when he
was being a disrespectful jerk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Overall, the premise for
Edge of Passion was great. I just didn’t connect with the characters as much as
I’d have liked. Will I read more of Ms Folsom’s work? Absolutely.
Her next book might knock my socks off!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-53527313634076463522012-08-16T13:16:00.003-07:002012-08-16T13:16:52.323-07:00Sharing Your Universe<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">Welcome to Sharing Your Universe. Today, Marissa Carmel has graciously agreed to share a little about herself and her latest release with us.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-27Kcv7srHPk/UC1UGMPaTZI/AAAAAAAAAR8/otNxX43M--4/s1600/MARISSA+CARMEL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-27Kcv7srHPk/UC1UGMPaTZI/AAAAAAAAAR8/otNxX43M--4/s320/MARISSA+CARMEL.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Marissa Carmel has been writing since a young age and
although it has always been for personal enjoyment, she finally decided to
breakout and share her imagination with the world. She hopes that her universe
is as fun and intriguing to her readers as it is to her. Marissa Carmel is
originally from NJ but moved to Maryland several years ago, she enjoys reading,
writing, and catching up on her DVR library. She is currently working on the
sequel to iFeel, Gravitational Pull, which she hopes to release sometime in
2012.<br />
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<b>Contact Info-<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="mailto:MarissaCarmel@aol.com">MarissaCarmel@aol.com</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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Twitter- @MarissaCarmel<o:p></o:p></div>
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Facebook- Marissa Carmel <o:p></o:p></div>
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Goodreads.com <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.marissacarmel.moonfruit.com/">www.Marissacarmel.moonfruit.com</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;">Her latest release: (and TOTAL cover love here!)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vk6mlvi-zB0/UC1Uo2_elAI/AAAAAAAAASE/l1hMexkPio4/s1600/iFeel+Site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vk6mlvi-zB0/UC1Uo2_elAI/AAAAAAAAASE/l1hMexkPio4/s640/iFeel+Site.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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<b>Book Blurb- <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Lust. Anger. Hate. Desire. Love. Happiness. Joy. iFeel. <br />
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Liv Christianni is isolated, alone, tortured and withdrawn, saddled with the
torrential downpour of the world’s emotions. Accepting of her providence Liv
has lost all hope, until one day fate steps in and spins the course of her life
like a spiraling top. Hunted by a Spirit Stalker, Liv is forced to gain control
of herself and her surroundings, threatened by the touch of her immortal love;
she must find a way to survive both physically and emotionally as her reality
is shaken up like dice on a Craps table. Can she find the courage to accept her
true self? Can she love unconditionally cognizant of the condemning
consequences? Can she rise from the ashes to become the person she was always
meant to be? <br />
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Funny, witty, real, and poignant, iFeel rips into your soul, and sets your
emotions on fire.<br />
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If you are a fan of Charmed or Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries or The Secret
Circle this series is for you! </div>
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<b>Excerpt- <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I direct my anger towards the mocking bottles of
crazy pills settled in the cabinet. I attack them; clearing all the glass
shelves in one angered fit. Tiny orange bottles fly all around my white tiled
bathroom, exploding an array of colored pills against the walls and floor. It
feels like I am bombing my past; liberating my future and releasing myself from
whatever binds me. I want to be free, and if that means destroying my whole
apartment in the process to get there, I am willing to do that.</span><br />
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I can feel the rage course through my veins; my head throbs and my throat burns
as I thrash at my tiny bathroom. All I can hear are the voices of people who
mean the most to me, those who encourage me, those who support me. To my
surprise, the loudest voice is the one who is farthest away. Justice’s words
echo against the tiled surface, telling me to let go, to accept my fate, to be
magical and not mental. It makes me miss him all the more, but what he said
finally makes sense.</span></div>
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My breaths pulse quickly in my lungs, as if the air is thinning. I have worked
myself up into a crazed frenzy to expel my true self. My enraged fit has
resulted in a bathroom bloodbath, me versus myself.<br />
And I won.</span></div>
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ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-40058112813812865802012-08-14T11:51:00.002-07:002012-08-14T11:51:33.360-07:00Changing Your Universe<br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I'd like to welcome Marissa Carmel to Changing Your Universe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">We're all the sum total of our life experiences, but there are
moments when someone or something affects us, possibly even influences the
direction our lives will take. Here is one of those stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">You plan, God
laughs. This is the story of my life.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjJt7nEpiAU/UCqeII5bMxI/AAAAAAAAARk/Fns3WrIHBd4/s1600/MARISSA+CARMEL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjJt7nEpiAU/UCqeII5bMxI/AAAAAAAAARk/Fns3WrIHBd4/s1600/MARISSA+CARMEL.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There are ideals and
expectations I assume everyone has; whom you will marry, what your career
will be like, where you will raise your kids. And yes, I had all those
ideologies in my head, except mine were more like, have a career, don't get
married and absolutely no kids. Boy was I
wrong. Today I am married with two kids, and living in a state I
only passed through on occasion. And my career? Well let’s just say, I
have more than one, and I never saw that coming. Who needs more than
one career? <i>Apparently me.</i> To make a long story short, I
started my first career as a logistician, yawn, I won’t bore you with the
details. The second career came shortly after.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I've always loved to
write. Always. My imagination constantly runs away with itself, and I am
without doubt following it. My best subject was creative
writing. So when I would write, it was primarily for me (or a good
grade). As time went on though, I found myself imagining more and
more and wanting to create, but my life was so busy, and what would it get me
anyway? Until one day my mother- in- law dropped a bomb that would change my
life. She was talking to one of my husband’s cousins who was
complaining about getting her college degree (she was already married with 4
kids. <i>Yikes.</i> I’d be complaining too.) And my MIL, the
wise woman that she is simply said, honey, time is going to go by anyway,
so you might as well do it. Well, it felt like the sky fell on me. The
advice wasn’t even directed at me, but it resonated. I started writing that
night. And never stopped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">My husband once asked
where my creativity comes from, and in return I asked him if he ever heard
voices in his head. His reply, I needed to see a shrink. I told him
a keyboard and a curser is the best therapy. I have always loved the superna<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a>tural, thanks in part to my mom; Charmed was one of our
favorite shows to watch together and still is. So when I started writing,
it only felt natural that it took on a paranormal feel. But I didn't want
to write about vampires or werewolves or really anything that had been
done. I'm like that; I always tend to steer towards the opposite of
popular and then proceed to make fun of it. So I started researching, and
brainstorming, and concocting my mix of love, humor and emotion. Liv
was already an entity in my head, festering. I'd often imagine a dark
haired girl with amethyst eyes, suffering and alone.
When I finally established who she really was, and what kind of
supernatural elements she would possess, (an Empath-someone who can feel
the emotions of others- with active abilities) I asked myself,
what would it be like for someone like that to carry the world's emotions?
Torrential I thought. What would it be like for her to fall in love? <i>Even
worse than torrential.</i> The story evolved rather quickly after
that, but I didn't rush it. It took me a little over a year to
write, over two years to edit. I learned a lot about my writing style
during that time, developed my voice and really tried to give it
a life-like feel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So here I am almost
four years later, a husband, 2 kids, and a home in what feels like
a foreign country; a daytime career and a nighttime career, all
jumbling together, fighting for a piece of my time. Go hard or go home, my
husband and I always joke, if we have a story, it needs a theme and that is
it. I wouldn't change it though, not for anything. Life is nothing, if
not a venture - (I have no idea who said that).<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b>Contact Info-<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="mailto:MarissaCarmel@aol.com">MarissaCarmel@aol.com</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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Twitter- @MarissaCarmel<o:p></o:p></div>
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Facebook- Marissa Carmel <o:p></o:p></div>
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Goodreads.com <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.marissacarmel.moonfruit.com/">www.Marissacarmel.moonfruit.com</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-3193593732096287582012-08-10T10:22:00.001-07:002012-08-10T10:22:34.451-07:00Gifting Your Universe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to Friday's Gifting Your Universe!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UqQRbMrQwag/UCVCtadj_vI/AAAAAAAAARI/052sav3u-T8/s1600/aaron_graveyard_pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UqQRbMrQwag/UCVCtadj_vI/AAAAAAAAARI/052sav3u-T8/s200/aaron_graveyard_pic.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Aaron Ritchey's been with us all week, sharing his personal story and giving us a peek at The Never Prayer's cover and great excerpt.<br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">AND he's graciously offered to host an ebook giveaway for The Never Prayer.</span>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tTdILziDFP8/UCVBQNDtmHI/AAAAAAAAARA/3K5NaAQbsWw/s1600/The_Never_Prayer_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tTdILziDFP8/UCVBQNDtmHI/AAAAAAAAARA/3K5NaAQbsWw/s640/The_Never_Prayer_Cover.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, leave a comment below with your email addy. </span></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">You can also visit Aaron at:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.aaronmritchey.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.aaronmritchey.com</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheNeverPrayer" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.facebook.com/TheNeverPrayer</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/aaronmritchey" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.twitter.com/aaronmritchey</a>
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<span style="font-family: 'American Typewriter';">As always, thanks for stopping by. Please join the blog through
Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs. I enjoy making new friends and
sharing my love of everything bookish!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-4274925668223779322012-08-09T10:03:00.002-07:002012-08-09T10:03:25.231-07:00Sharing Your Universe<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">Welcome to Sharing Your Universe. Today, Aaron Ritchey is sharing a</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px;">little about himself and his latest release with us.</span>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HDlLQDG73ZY/UCPpkD6cr1I/AAAAAAAAAQg/RtZQojOfNY8/s1600/aaron_graveyard_pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HDlLQDG73ZY/UCPpkD6cr1I/AAAAAAAAAQg/RtZQojOfNY8/s640/aaron_graveyard_pic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;">I was born in Colorado, on the edges of the Great Plains of
America, and spent my early years as a trash can for stories. Everything
went in: Greek myths, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, the romance books
I snuck in while babysitting, my mother’s psychology text books, horror novels,
and a whole lot of Catholic catechism. The good kind. And yes,
there is such a thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;">When anyone asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer
was the same: a writer. On the first day of kindergarten, when I figured
out they weren’t going to teach me to read that first hour, I packed up my
stuff and walked home. Cut school on the first day of kindergarten.
That’s how I roll.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;">Still a complete sucker for fiction, I graduated with degrees in
English Literature and World History from Santa Clara University and taught
middle school and high school until I burned off all the negative karma from
all of my past lives. While not enlightened, I will be going straight to
heaven because of my time in the trenches, molding young minds and avoiding
bullets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;">I hooked up with a world traveler, got married, traveled the
world (since I studied it and what’s history but a bunch of interesting
stories?), and returned to the Great Plains to raise two sleepless little girls
who never ate a thing. I think they might be Cylons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;">Since I didn’t sleep, I ran triathlons. It takes endurance
to raise children and write novels, so I had lots and lots of practice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;">In stolen moments along the way I wrote books, big books, huge
sweeping, windy books, too big and bizarre for anyone to read. Mostly
post modern fantasy novels: think David Lynch meets <u>The Lord of the Rings</u>
with a Sci-Fi-Hindu-Christian-atheist twist. A million monkeys on meth
couldn’t churn it out as fast as I could. Lord in heaven, I loved those
books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;">My writing life changed forever when a genuine literary agent
rejected me, reducing me to ashes. After numerous, fist-shaking rants at
heaven, hours spent weeping in critique groups, and membership in Rocky
Mountain Fiction Writers, I rose from the ashes, very phoenixy, and started
writing books people could read and even like. In my better moments, I
think I write genre fiction with a literary twist. In my darker moments,
well, I’ll keep those demons to myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;">Currently, when I’m not scribbling and smoking cigars, I work at
the best health care company on the planet helping OR nurses with their
computers. And I’m a recovering TV addict. My last relapse was with
<u>Battlestar Galactica </u>(the new, bleak one) and <u>Firefly</u> (you can’t
stop the signal). I attend support groups. It helps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px;">Links:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.aaronmritchey.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">http://www.aaronmritchey.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheNeverPrayer">http://www.facebook.com/TheNeverPrayer</a><br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/aaronmritchey">http://www.twitter.com/aaronmritchey</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">His latest young adult release:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cHxw8J_yj28/UCPqtFNjBjI/AAAAAAAAAQo/mU7GdYSt6eA/s1600/The_Never_Prayer_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cHxw8J_yj28/UCPqtFNjBjI/AAAAAAAAAQo/mU7GdYSt6eA/s640/The_Never_Prayer_Cover.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Fury of Heaven<br />
The Desires of Hell</span></b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A Broken Girl</span></b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Shattered by the death of her parents, Lena knows she is not handling her
sorrow well – keeping to herself, running drugs, risking her little brother.
But she’ll do whatever it takes to keep her disintegrating family together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two Lost Souls</span></b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Lurking on the edges of the afterlife, Chael and Johnny Beels have spent
centuries manipulating events, one pushing for good, the other sowing chaos.
Now these two desperate souls have taken human form to play a dangerous game of
hope and despair with Lena trapped in the middle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Ultimate Sacrifice</span></b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Lena must maneuver the shadowy realm between angel and demon, love and lust,
good and evil, until she finds the courage to see the truth and make the
ultimate sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When do we struggle to
change the world?<br />
When do we let go and embrace life’s broken beauty?</span></b><span style="color: #592d00; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24pt;">Excerpt<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Copyright © 2012 Aaron
M. Ritchey<br />
All rights reserved — a Crescent Moon Press publication<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"I'm not going to
do it again," Lena Marquez whispered to the red purse across the hall from
her nestle of blankets. "Never again."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">All of her other purses,
scarves, and belts were just shadows hanging from hooks on both sides of the
bathroom door, but in the glow of the cracked Thomas the Train nightlight, the
red purse glittered. Each sequin like a teardrop of blood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The heater chugged on
sending lukewarm air into the basement apartment, as cold as an icebox. In
October, at ten thousand feet, Avalon, Colorado had no pity for the weak or
poor. It killed both.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Through anorexic walls,
Lena could hear her aunt's barking cough in the next room. But it wasn't the
coughing that had Lena awake at 4:46 on a Monday morning. It was her
three-year-old brother, Joziah, who would wake up any minute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">He was like an alarm
clock, same time, every morning. So regular Lena was awake before he asked the
questions she couldn't answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Already the work of the
day felt like bricks on her chest. Her junior year homework continued to pile
up among the dirty laundry around their mattress on the floor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">But first, Jozey, always
Jozey, no matter what.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"Mama!" he
called out, still caught in the clutches of sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Lena smoothed his hair
with dark purple fingernails, perfectly polished. "It's okay, Jozey.
Lena's here. Lena'll always be here."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Only half awake, he
struggled in his footed blue pajamas and asked the same question he asked every
morning. "Where's my mama?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"She's in heaven,
Jozey." Her voice cracked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"Where's
Daddy?" He blinked as if he had forgotten everything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Lena let go of her
tears. She could only cry them with Jozey in the darkness of the morning,
because once she had her mask of make-up on, she sealed up all emotion with
base, blush, and mascara. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Everyone was watching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Jozey sobbed against
her, soaking her father's t-shirt she wore as pajamas. "I want them, Weni,
I want them." Weni, because he couldn't say Leni, what her parents had
called her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"I want them
too," she said through her tears and she cried with her brother until he
fell back asleep. She stayed with him, cradling his warm body, brushing the
tears off his face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The ritual of her
morning continued. First, her orphaned brother, followed by a shower, then her
equally orphaned aunt. Aunt Mercedes shuffled out of her room wearing the
bathrobe she always wore at home, holding a cigarette that was always lit. She
stopped in the narrow hallway to watch Lena apply her make-up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Her aunt's voice came
out in a slow scratch. "We need a hundred dollars. More if it don't snow
and I don't get my real job at Copper Mountain."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">An ever so slight tremor
shook Lena's fingers as she fought the urge to throw her eyebrow pencil at her
aunt. She forced herself to concentrate on her face in the mirror, but Aunt
Mercedes was behind her, taking up most of the doorway, all sad eyes and dog
face and bad square haircut. Next to her aunt, the red purse dangled on a hook
tempting Lena to use it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Buy Links:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">ebook:<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Never-Prayer-ebook/dp/B007P6ISSS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1332253530&sr=1-1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.amazon.com/The-Never-Prayer-ebook/dp/B007P6ISSS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1332253530&sr=1-1</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">print: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Never-Prayer-Aaron-Michael-Ritchey/dp/1937254410/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1332253530&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Never-Prayer-Aaron-Michael-Ritchey/dp/1937254410/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1332253530&sr=1-1</a></div>ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-55836356586335365452012-08-07T08:23:00.000-07:002012-08-07T08:23:38.078-07:00Changing Your Universe<br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I'd like to welcome Aaron Ritchey, fellow Crescent Moon Press author to Changing Your Universe!<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>We're all the sum total of our life experiences, but there are
moments when someone or something affects us, possibly even influences the
direction our lives will take. Sometimes, just being grateful for the life path we're on is enough. Here is one of those stories.</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The Happy Writer – Seven Things I’m Grateful For </div>
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Thank you to Renee Rearden for letting me crash her blog and
spread the disease that is my blogging.
Incurable. Mostly when I blog I
talk about the angst and the gnashing of the teeth of the writer’s life, but I
wanted to change things up for this post.
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I’ve spent the last twenty years complaining and shaking my
fist at the heavens for being cursed with the desire to write books. Yet, if the writing game didn’t have any
rewards, well, I think I would’ve stopped playing a long time ago. I think I would, but I don’t know. I have a masochistic streak. Hit me baby one more time.</div>
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So I want to do a list of the seven things I am grateful for
right now in my writing journey:</div>
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1)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>I
am so grateful for my publisher, Crescent Moon Press, for my cover art, the
design of my book, the finished final product of my debut novel, <i>The Never Prayer</i>. I’ve seen other small presses release books
that look like they’ve been photocopied.
Poorly. Not my book. My book glows righteously.</div>
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2)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>So
I’ve written twelve or thirteen books, I lose track, but I’m glad I debuted
with <i>The Never Prayer</i>, an angel\demon
story which is so unique and yet still marketable. Lord knows the first books I wrote, surreal
Postmodern fantasy adventures (think David Lynch meets Lord of the Rings) were
unique, but not so marketable. I’m proud
that <i>The Never Prayer</i> is my first
book. Every round of edits, I laughed, I
cried, in all the right places.</div>
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3)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>At
every turn in the writing game, I’ve been blessed with wonderful people who’ve
supported me, from poor unpublished writer schmoes to elite literary agents to
bestselling writers. I have been
involved in wonderful critique groups that have shaped me and challenged me to
be my best.</div>
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4)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>I
feel very lucky to have social skills.
Now, I had to learn them the hard way which involved lots of awkward
moments when I said the wrong thing, in a loud voice, at the wrong time, naked. But I learned. A lot of writers don’t have social skills,
but I’ll tell you this, if I can learn how to be social (and clothed) you can
too.</div>
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5)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>I
am thankful for the writing skills that seem to have come naturally to me. I needed help with my actual writing, I can
get so purply and wordy at times, and I needed to learn story structure, but
creating characters seems to have come naturally to me and people remember my
characters. As my friend says, they are
sticky and sticky characters are the best characters. Get your minds out of the gutter.</div>
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6)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>I
am grateful that after years of suffering, I enjoy the writing process
now. I can get lost in my stories with
my characters and the minutes fly by. It
wasn’t always like that, but I learned to love writing. It is a special thing to create stories out
of nothing, to watch your characters grow and change, to weep with them, to
laugh with them—in some ways, writing novels is a divine experience. I’m glad I learned to like it.</div>
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7)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>My
whole life now really revolves around my writing. Some of that was conscious choice, but in
other ways, it all just kind of happened to me.
I have a wife and family who supports me in my authorial madness and my
job gives me the flexibility to pursue this dream. </div>
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So that’s what I’m grateful for
today. And practicing gratitude is so
much more rewarding than complaining and gnashing teeth. Less dental visits as well.</div>
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For more about me and <i>The
Never Prayer</i>, you can visit us both at <a href="http://www.aaronmritchey.com/">www.aaronmritchey.com</a>. And of course, I’m on Facebook, as is the
book at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheNeverPrayer">http://www.facebook.com/TheNeverPrayer</a>. And I tweet - @aaronmritchey. If you are at all curious about the novel,
our friends at Amazon.com would love for you to visit them!</div>
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Thanks again, Renee!</div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>As always, thanks for stopping by. Please join the blog through
Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs. I enjoy making new friends and
sharing my love of everything bookish!</b></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-60849064487075466062012-08-01T10:26:00.000-07:002012-08-01T10:26:07.094-07:00Reviewing Your Universe<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Werewolf’s Wife by
Michele Hauf<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Published by Harlequin
Nocturne<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Free ARC Provided by
NetGalley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Rating: 3 Stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I love Michele Hauf’s
voice. If her name’s on a book, I’ll read it. And I’ve never been
disappointed—until now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Werewolf’s Wife has
a great premise. Who wouldn’t want read about a yummy shifter wolf saving a
damsel in distress, commiserating over drinks, getting hitched in Vegas and having
a crazy-wild night of passion? Okay, so that’s only the start for the rest of
the book, but it grabs your attention, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ridge Addison becomes
pack leader. In order to set a good example and help his pack grow, he needs to
marry and have children—which means he needs to get a divorce from his
who-knows-where-she-is-or-what-she’s- doing witch of a wife. No, seriously. Abigail
Rowan’s a real witch with powers and everything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Here’s where the plot
derailed for me. Ridge wants to have a family desperately. Of course Abigail
has a son, and of course Ryan might be Ridge’s child (or the deadly abusive
boyfriend Ridge rescued her from). A little predictable, but I rolled with
that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">When Ridge finally
tracks Abigail down to ask for a divorce, all kind of wrong hits the page.
Abigail has received a call that her son has been kidnapped. She’s scared,
angry, hurt. Then Ridge knocks on her door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">She basically tells him
this isn’t a good time so shove off. Ridge says he has divorce papers, but what
if he wants to keep her. He’s working an angle just to get inside the house.
Lousy angle. These two people had a one-night stand and haven’t seen each other
in 13 years. Why would they want anything to do with the other?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I digress. Abigail lets
him in. She’s stressed. Then she notices how good he looks. Really? Her son’s
kidnapping just occurred. Why wouldn’t she just sign the divorce papers, get
him out of her hair, search for her son and fry the bastards that took him?
That’s what a badass witch would do, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Nope. Abigail’s
obsessive, controlling and plain mean. I didn’t like her character at all—which
is sad because I <i>really</i> liked Ridge’s
character. I had to forgive him for being such a knob toward Abigail, but the
rest of his qualities made him a nice, caring, working-on-being-an-alpha male.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Will I read more of
Michele Hauf’s books? You bet. Hopefully the characters will be more engaging
as a whole and the plot will not be so predictable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-46544002318145969262012-07-31T09:33:00.002-07:002012-08-01T10:26:33.480-07:00Reviewing Your Universe<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Talisman of El by Alecia
Stone<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Published by Centrinian
Publishing Ltd<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">ARC provided by
NetGalley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Rating: 3 Stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I cut my reading teeth
on fantasy novels. Nothing cured my school angst better than escaping to
different worlds filled with interesting characters and never before seen
creatures. So when I read the synopsis for Talisman of El, I couldn’t wait to
find some reading time and jump right in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The idea of an orphaned young
boy having trouble fitting into his new life—family, school, friends—is not
new, but Ms. Stone found a way to create a story with her own twist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Charlie is a young boy
suffering from nightmares. He gets through the day by rationalizing his dreams.
But when Charlie meets a man from his dreams in real life, he discovers nothing
is as it seems. A different world exists, and he has a vital connection to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">As Charlie journeys
through this new land called Arcadia, searching for a way to save his new
friend Derekin, he encounters allies and foes at every turn. Mythical
creatures, people with the ability to shape shift, even demons and angels populate
Arcadia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Talisman of El is the
first step in Charlie’s coming of age story. He must decide who his true
friends are and how much he is willing to sacrifice for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ms Stone has created a vivid
fantasy world in Talisman of El. The creatures, the land they inhabit, and even
the “other” beings are clear and detailed. I pictured every nuance described. Unfortunately,
the fantasy elements were the best part of the story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I wish I could say I
loved this book, but I can’t. The characters are written younger than
described. I felt I was reading a middle school book, not a young adult novel.
The characters were not as dimensional as other aspects created by the author.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The plot was also a
little difficult to follow. I had to reread several passages to ensure I had
not missed a transition. I’m sure the world and its inhabitants are clear in
the author’s mind. Regrettably, the story on the page does not reflect the same
precision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Will I read the rest of
the series? No. But I do recommend the book to younger kids and tweens who
enjoy fantasy. My issues with the book may not matter to them at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-81955073010923114102012-07-26T11:22:00.002-07:002012-07-26T11:23:14.004-07:00Sharing Your Universe<span style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Welcome to Sharing Your Universe. Kinley Baker is sharing a</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;">little about herself and her latest release with us.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_CP-YSNpUiQ/UBGJmiB2hLI/AAAAAAAAAQI/8yBu3x3YEP0/s1600/kinleybaker.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_CP-YSNpUiQ/UBGJmiB2hLI/AAAAAAAAAQI/8yBu3x3YEP0/s400/kinleybaker.png" width="324" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kinley Baker is the author of the fantasy romance
series, Shadowed Love. She read her first romance at the age of thirteen and
immediately fell in love with the hero and the genre. She lives with her
husband, Benjamin, and her dog, Joker, in the Pacific Northwest. Ruined and
Denied are available now. Look for Freed in July 2012. As a firm supporter of
all supernatural lifestyles, she writes fantasy romance, paranormal romance,
and futuristic romance.<span class="apple-style-span"> You can find Kinley at</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> :</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.kinleybaker.com/" target="_blank">www.kinleybaker.com</a></span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://authorkinleybaker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://authorkinleybaker.blogspot.com</a></span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.twitter.com/kinleybaker" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">www.twitter.com/kinleybaker</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/kinleybaker" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/kinleybaker</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/kinleybaker" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/kinleybaker</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kinley-Baker/196649877015210" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kinley-Baker/196649877015210</a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Kinley's latest release:</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-3YKfIMT2A/UBGKYBFVoZI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/dYjWufeqxeU/s1600/Denied.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-3YKfIMT2A/UBGKYBFVoZI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/dYjWufeqxeU/s640/Denied.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">SHADOWED LOVE,
BOOK TWO<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">When invaders brutally massacred the women and
children of the Varner, Caleb witnessed loss and destruction on a scale few can
comprehend. As the leader of a race on the brink of extinction, his only hope
for survival is gaining acceptance into the Shadow Shifter
Kingdom. Struggling with new customs, he meets Tabitha, a woman who
challenges his limits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Refused the right to join the king’s guard because
of her gender, Tabitha must be stronger than the men to prove she deserves to
be the first accepted female Warrior in the kingdom. She believes Caleb will
help improve her abilities, until she learns her goals conflict with the
foundation of his culture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">When the realm is attacked, Tabitha and Caleb
must come together not only to fight, but to find the
strength to win against an evil with the potential to destroy everything they
revere most--including each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Add DENIED as To-Read on GoodReads! </span><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13646204-denied"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13646204-denied</span></a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Denied-Shadowed-Love-Novel-ebook/dp/B008GONFN6/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1340933430&sr=8-1">Amazon Kindle</a></span></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Denied-Kinley-Baker/dp/1937254615/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340933430&sr=8-1&keywords=denied+by+kinley+baker"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Denied at Amazon</span></a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/denied-kinley-baker/1111610337?ean=9781937254612"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Denied at Barnes
& Noble</span></a></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-3091659567598361432012-07-24T08:12:00.003-07:002012-07-24T08:12:45.095-07:00Changing Your Universe<br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I'd like to welcome Kinley Baker, fellow Crescent Moon Press author, to Changing Your Universe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">We're all the sum total of our life experiences, but there are
moments when someone or something affects us, possibly even influences the
direction our lives will take. Here is one of those stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Everyone Needs a Friend by Kinley Baker<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I love friends who turn into more than friends in romance
stories, probably because it reminds me of my own experience with my husband.
He’s really one of the people who changed the direction of my life, and it all
started with an unlikely friendship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During my younger years, I was very conflicted. I started
figure skating at age three, and started competing around age five. By the time
I was a teenager, I was practicing hours a day, and doing all sorts of off-ice training,
as well. Between classes, skating, and my shyness, I wasn’t very close to
anyone. When I met my husband at seventeen, he wasn’t my biggest fan. I was
very lost and really struggling to figure out who I was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I got mono and ended up staying home from school for several
weeks. We ended up talking online a lot and started a friendship. I wasn’t
quite as annoying as he thought I was. He wasn’t quite as much of a jerk as I
had thought. And most importantly, at the time, we both could have really used
a friend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We didn’t start dating until college, but those initial years
taught me a lot about myself, and he was there for me during the most
challenging time in my life. He proved he would stick, no matter what happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Eventually, I had to admit to myself that I was never going
to the Olympics as a figure skater. Luckily, I found something I loved even
more in college: writing. I don’t think my husband understood how important
writing romance novels was to me, until I started reading like crazy and writing
stories. But he’s supported me for the last four years, as I got serious about
seeking publication. I’ve been trying to navigate the publishing jungle ever
since.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My husband taught me a lot about friendship and caring for
other people. His family taught me about love and acceptance. I’m definitely
lucky he came into my life, and didn’t give up. Looking back at how lost I was
makes me realize how lucky I am now to have a direction. Everything I went
through and we went through together, took me here to writing romance stories
set in fantasy realms, and it all feels just right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I think in my stories, the couples go through a lot. In
Denied, Tabitha and Caleb face numerous challenges, and they go through a lot
together. I think part of that stems from my own experiences, and finally
believing that someone will stay for the first time, and learning to trust that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I hope you’ll relate to Tabitha’s journey as she fights for
the right to be the first female guard in her kingdom, and Caleb, who wants to
protect her after losing the women and children of his home realm, and his
homeland. They’re both struggling to find their place, and I definitely relate
to their journey.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8358673753025897797" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8358673753025897797.post-89554686009119991402012-07-05T06:17:00.001-07:002012-07-05T06:17:38.232-07:00Sharing Your UniverseWelcome to Sharing Your Universe. Louann Carroll is sharing a little about herself and her latest release with us.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I was probably 7 or 8 the first time I read a horror story. It was The
Haunting of Hill House, straight out of Reader's Digest condensed stories. I
was frightened, curious, and fascinated. The thoughts and ideas expressed
within the Haunting thrilled me. One day, I thought. I'd write something that
would thrill a reader, well, hopefully that is. <br />
<br />
As I grew older different ideas about my first horror story surrounded me. My
friends and I played with ouija boards, automatic writing, we put tape
recorders in graveyards. Elements of the paranormal surrounded my family and
close friends. Each of us had our own unique experiences. I often wondered if
in some way I was trying to find my father whom I lost when I was five. <br />
<br />
Still, things happened to me--continue to happen to me. In some way we are all
interconnected. You run into old friends, people you haven't seen in years but
you think about them and the next thing you know you run into them in the
grocery store. You have the odd dream that sparks into reality a week or so
later. You think of someone and the phone rings. A friend's son sees the
future. Your dog runs around the house, barking at someone or something that
floats near the ceiling, something she can see and you cannot. You get a phone
call from a relative with a warning about someone in the family. <br />
<br />
I held my nose, took a deep breath, and jumped into theoretical physics. What a
miraculous place we live in where thoughts can influence reality. Strange
things happen outside of our visible world. There are more dimensions than we
can comprehend, a world filled with wonder and delight. And ofttimes cruelty. <br />
<br />
I wondered, is evil real? Or is it genetic, crossed wires, written in our DNA.<br />
<br />
From all these thoughts A Shadow of Time was born. It is a world of possibilities,
multidimensions, evil, and the overpowering force of love. Welcome to my world,
where things that go bump in the night are all too real.<br />
<br />
Louann Carroll has written numerous radio talk shows, articles about adoption,
Gemini Rising, a sci-fi romance, and The Journey Series, helping our children
navigate through life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Louann can be found at: </span><a href="http://louanncarrollbooks.weebly.com/">http://louanncarrollbooks.weebly.com/</a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;">And her latest release is A Shadow of Time.</span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HZGH346oWNs/T_WRib0h9KI/AAAAAAAAAP8/0SzSMvOU_0w/s1600/A+Shadow+of+Time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HZGH346oWNs/T_WRib0h9KI/AAAAAAAAAP8/0SzSMvOU_0w/s400/A+Shadow+of+Time.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>
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<div class="blurb" style="background-color: navajowhite; color: #592d00; font-family: arial, hevetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">
Kellyn O'Brien strives to create the perfect family. Then, disaster strikes. Her husband is dead. Three weeks later, she discovers her son is heir to Shadow Ley, a nineteenth century estate nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills.</div>
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Reeling from Michael's death, Kellyn moves to Shadow Ley. Soon, the ordinary becomes the extraordinary: broken drinking glasses repair themselves, stair rails that were once old are now new, and suddenly the estate of Shadow Ley is not what it seems.</div>
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She turns to the local historian and learns of Sha' na ho bet, the angry fire god, bound forever to Earth. Native Americans tell her about Coyote, the Trickster who creates chaos out of order. Then the dreams begin with windows into past lives, hints of multidimensionality, and the promise of life beyond death.</div>
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Legends abound and so Shadow Ley, the home Kellyn had hoped would bring peace to herself and her children, becomes mired first in doubt, then in terror, and finally in love eternal.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Buy Links:</span></div>
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Kindle: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Shadow-of-Time-ebook/dp/B008GONG6M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341494016&sr=8-2&keywords=A+Shadow+of+Time+by+Louann+Carroll" style="background-color: white;">http://www.amazon.com/A-Shadow-of-Time-ebook/dp/B008GONG6M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341494016&sr=8-2&keywords=A+Shadow+of+Time+by+Louann+Carroll</a></div>
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Paperback: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Of-Time-Louann-Carroll/dp/1937254690/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341494016&sr=8-1&keywords=A+Shadow+of+Time+by+Louann+Carroll" style="background-color: white;">http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Of-Time-Louann-Carroll/dp/1937254690/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341494016&sr=8-1&keywords=A+Shadow+of+Time+by+Louann+Carroll</a></div>
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</div>ReneeReardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11329091869351018375noreply@blogger.com0