tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55553536424608326932024-03-18T22:31:16.221-05:00Tornado Alley PublicationsLivia J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-74545083517883162812018-03-20T01:00:00.000-05:002018-03-20T17:48:27.773-05:00New Release -- Li’l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau: The Case of the New Year Dragon by Angela Crider Neary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdY7YOBXBhN5j3ra5wVDVF2qjEfqYb4zz5dYyxKhuo3QIEiftzvSu1KQl8hMOnZqpDyeLnHYr85X71NH4g72O5dDTptAAv7Xeg0pC_KESq1e5Y4YDTy6hfEUXVtpLM_R0vFPilROWTlIM/s1600/The+Case+of+the+New+Year+Dragon+Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdY7YOBXBhN5j3ra5wVDVF2qjEfqYb4zz5dYyxKhuo3QIEiftzvSu1KQl8hMOnZqpDyeLnHYr85X71NH4g72O5dDTptAAv7Xeg0pC_KESq1e5Y4YDTy6hfEUXVtpLM_R0vFPilROWTlIM/s320/The+Case+of+the+New+Year+Dragon+Web.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Li’l Tom, cat detective at the
Pussyfoot Detective Bureau of Telegraph Hill, is back—this time, to solve the
case of the New Year Dragon!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Small animal deaths, art and jewel
thefts, and a sinister, perhaps even supernatural, being lurking in the fog and
shadows have been plaguing San Francisco and making the city’s four-legged
residents afraid to venture out alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Could these incidents be related?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s up to Li’l Tom to find out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">With the help of his sidekick, the
lovely Calico cat, Lola, and several other unlikely animal assistants, Li’l Tom
plunges into San Francisco’s Chinatown, Union Square, Russian Hill, and even
the famous annual New Year Parade to crack the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along the way, improbable beasts and unhinged
villains thwart his every move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can he
succeed in solving the case before it’s too late—before the Year of the Dragon
is upon him? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><i>EXCERPT</i></b><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 112%; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">January 20</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 112%;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would soon be the Year of the
Dragon. His year. He had waited ten years for this—since he was only a fourth
of the size he was now and a mere whippersnapper. He was now fully grown and
could no longer resist the overwhelming draw of his master’s summons. He knew
it was risky to leave the comfort of his temperature-controlled habitat,
especially in this cold and clammy climate, but the allure of the call was too
great. Remaining in his cozy den was no option. He was instinctually aware that
he was destined for greater exploits and now was the time to make his move.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">♦◊♦<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 112%;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The ancient cat sat stone-like in the spacious basement of
his Chinatown lair, his satin robes draped about him. He was in a deep trance,
his only movement the rising and falling of his chest with his heavy breaths,
and the fluttering in and out of his long whiskers that draped down each side
of his mouth along the length of his body and to the floor. This was the time
his apprentice would finally join him, and they would unite to accomplish great
things. He had created the perfect, sultry environment for his follower and the
basement was scorching, to say the least. As he concentrated on summoning his
servant, his breathing became more and more shallow, sweat springing from his
brow and dripping down his whiskers as well as the long tendril of fur that descended
from the patch on his chin. His body began to sway to and fro with the mental
strain, until he finally passed out and oozed onto the dank pavement of the
basement floor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">♦◊♦<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 112%;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As the large creature ripped apart the last vestiges of the
reinforced fence with his serrated teeth—he had gradually been working on
weakening it behind a row of hedges for months and hiding the damage with brush—
the little one watched with curiosity from the tree. He had recently grown old
enough to leave the tree, but he was used to it and preferred to sleep up
there. He had been observing from his vantage point the large one</span>’s
slow-but-steady wreckage of the fence, but did not know what to make of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 112%;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 112%;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the large one slithered out into the night through the
jagged hole he had created, the little one wondered why he would leave the
safety of the secure habitat. There, all they had to do all day long was lounge
about on the warm rocks, or for a treat, move into one of the extra-heated
spaces for a nice sauna. They were also provided all of their meals, always
consisting of some sort of poor, helpless animal, lower on the food chain,
which the little one could not get used to. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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Livia J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-27279915146102563942016-09-16T01:00:00.000-05:002016-09-16T18:04:20.646-05:00Now On Sale At Amazon - Li'l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos by Angela Crider Neary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Livia J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-7273212900887053492015-11-01T14:00:00.000-06:002015-11-01T14:12:03.177-06:00Retail Book Sales and Signings<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22pt;">Retail Book
Sales </span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22pt;"><a href="http://www.cajamison.com/" target="_blank">C.A. Jamison</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></b>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIrZOb2paoyBqNix3uuvuxA2wRU3Zzru5HLxumjohmWdC_AjBjyYX9x_Gvblqws6WoCdZUPYIXNei4PKuhq_GkZr_lrg1skJexL9ZbqRPVw4R43-n_WzI_IuBB0376icDTa-dtja8mDo4/s1600/Floor+Cindy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIrZOb2paoyBqNix3uuvuxA2wRU3Zzru5HLxumjohmWdC_AjBjyYX9x_Gvblqws6WoCdZUPYIXNei4PKuhq_GkZr_lrg1skJexL9ZbqRPVw4R43-n_WzI_IuBB0376icDTa-dtja8mDo4/s320/Floor+Cindy.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">’ve
sold everything from ice-cream out of a truck to thousands of dollars’ worth of
electronics and home appliances. With over twenty years of success. My family
owned business supports thirteen families and contributes each year to
nonprofit organizations who help feed my local community. But how can my sales advice
help you when the internet is the main playing field for books?</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">First
—I don’t have a claim <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">to</span> internet success.
Many people have far more knowledge than I do on that subject. But the internet
is not the only place you should familiarize yourself on how to sell your books,
and make a name in the writing industry. Book signings and retail may be old
school, but there is still an art to making that type of sale. I made over
300.00 at the first two signings and I only have one novel and one short story.
No matter what your product, there is a science to <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">vender</span> distribution.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Start with the <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">presentation</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span><br />
<ol style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: decimal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">
<li style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dress appropriate!
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dress up—never down. You are representing
your hard work and your publisher. If you hold out a book with your cleavage
hanging out, or a dull shirt with a football team that your customer doesn’t
like, you stand little chance at making a good impression with a potential shopper.
</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Table covers with
a banner or sign logo. Print your writing name in bold letters. You’re not just
selling a book, <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">you're</span> selling your name
as an author.</span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Picture frame holders
that sit on a table can display your books nicely. </span></div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Eye catchers if
possible. Example, there is a storming Orb in my novel, and if electricity is
available at my stand, I plug in my electric globe. Western writers could come
up with any number of props or perhaps a giveaway. </span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
</li>
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have bookmarkers
or cards with the Amazon or B&N logo printed along with your book title</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--Let’s face
it. Not every customer will make it to the cash register, but these will help
them to remember your books, if you have done your job and made a friend. </span></div>
</li>
</span></ol>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://midwestwg.org/?q=node/5" target="_blank"><img alt="http://midwestwg.org/?q=node/5" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RFHtrGH8oXvwMGv6pzI2MeVBUbmxuB7QScJ818yjLquZTHZqKK4fJ-aAXzd0Y7wwofL4BlaKKU6ysPNR766iz9uK6WzhhvZAuclK_4ILWvmzrkqf4o9hqwCiQfJXUbdT_DxBKh6wJLIy/s400/sales+booth.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In
making a sale there are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">three</b> words
to remember – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Greet</b> –<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Qualify</b>—and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Close</b>. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Greet</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">-- Everyone knows you need a pitch for your book. But before you can
deliver, you have to make eye contact. Bring the customer to your product.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span><div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Greet
don’ts</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> -- Never be the car
salesman. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How
can I help you today?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Need
a book, come here, see what I’ve got!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No
one says you have to stand behind your table. Sometimes it better to stand in
front of your merchandise, but don’t flag a person and start with a pitch—even
if they are looking over your books.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If
you start by acting the desperate salesman, people are bound to move away. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Greeting
Do’s</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> – Find<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"> common</span> ground if possible. Be the <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">person, your customer,</span> wants to talk to.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Start
conversations <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">with</span> anything from the
weather to their stunning hair style. Always smile. Good cheer spreads like <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">sunshine</span>. Maybe you see a person who is
strolling past and only glances your way. They came to the <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">bookstore</span> to buy a Christmas book for Uncle
Eddie’s son or depending on where you’re selling, they’re on <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">their</span> way to the booth that sales fudge. Let’s
be real—you can’t reach out and grab the person’s arm, but always be cheerful
and try to make eye contact. Say something about them that actually stands out.
Maybe they’re holding a cute baby. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or
wearing a shirt with a <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">cheeseburger</span> on
the front. Ask them about it.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One
example, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Those boots are awesome! Where
did you buy them?</i>” </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">People
like to talk about themselves. Be creative. You’re a writer. You should be one
of the most inventive people in town. I know some of you are shy. Just know
aggressiveness gets easier as you begin to have fun and enjoy the process. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My little secret</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. I actually picture the money it takes to buy my book
floating above that <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">person's</span> head. Maybe
it sounds bold and silly, but I tend to smile at dollar bills flying above the
customer’s scalp. My job is to capture the cash, and most of all, have this
person remember me as an author. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In
my example, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the customer has told me
about her boots and <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">complains</span> about how
they rub her feet.</i> Everyone can relate. Bring your books <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">into</span> the conversation. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Today I’m wearing comfortable shoes
because I knew I would be standing a while. I have a pair shoes that hurt my
feet too. Had to buy some band aids.”</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Laugh with your customer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask their
name. Introduce yourself as an author. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I’m author C.A. Jamison. What’s your name?”</i>
Start a friendship and remember to use their name as you speak. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Boom.
Ready for the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Qualify</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now
the customer is standing next to your merchandise. Get a good picture of who it
is you’re selling to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">before</b> you
pitch your book. You can ask any number of questions. This one gets right to
the point. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Do you like to read?”</i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">Hopefully,</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> you will get
a yes. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“What’s your favorite book?”</i> Maybe
you will get the dreaded- No. Never stop smiling and don’t give up. Make it
conversational—never pushy. No one likes a pushy salesman. Qualifying is to ask
questions. What about them has something to do with the book your selling?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
might say, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I understand. My sister-in
-law likes to read, but my brother never has the time to. With Christmas coming
up, I have ordered my sister six books already. Do you have a big family?”</i> Never
lie or get so excited that you interrupt your potential buyer. <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">RUDNESS</span> makes for short conversation. Listen
and learn. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Customer
Sally.—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Yes. Two brothers and three
sisters. My sister, Becky likes to read.” </i>Now you have gone from a flat –No-
I don’t like to read, to a possible, Holiday or Birthday sale. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Writers
are creative. Again ask questions. Find common ground, make a friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Example<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--“There
are girls in my story who become sisters and are complete opposites. I bet
Becky would enjoy my novel, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Polarity</b>.
A signed copy by a local author makes <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">for </span>a
great Christmas gift.”</i> Now is a good time to put the novel in the
customer’s hand and give your pitch. Make it exciting!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But not long. If you spend too much time explaining
every aspect <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">in</span> your book, a customer may
become anxious, not to mention another potential customer may walk by unnoticed.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Always
remember to speak above the crowd. If the person you are talking with is
listening then the man standing behind her, looking at a bin filled with books,
may also be listening. People have a natural curiosity to what your excited tone
is all about.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/151500225X/ref=cm_sw_su_dp" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/dp/151500225X/ref=cm_sw_su_dp" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoxGQK80pYU_r20_5O6b54mPw4DR_5DvgHm_cj_fqJsIsP3v3mf_8NhCeo2F7zsdQUSpNuWKcUrDrOKzgDsX3pZSEhxgA-0po-SGoNsO8kGz3q5WZYYzlffNakSLovQ974deJ4aPG1rJL/s200/5star-flat-hr.png" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDYrk7qa4riJPKQ2L7EDeOTHf2b1MN-93TjdE1m0BgAYVwMDltTOGf9PduVODNol7sM9W6ZI5V9b7N6z5gXbBSK5Yif_aYjlQPBmCPHYOAXRauW67c_5juQfdky6g8_ROAGdw6yIHAfwI/s1600/Polarity+CAJamison+6+Web+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDYrk7qa4riJPKQ2L7EDeOTHf2b1MN-93TjdE1m0BgAYVwMDltTOGf9PduVODNol7sM9W6ZI5V9b7N6z5gXbBSK5Yif_aYjlQPBmCPHYOAXRauW67c_5juQfdky6g8_ROAGdw6yIHAfwI/s320/Polarity+CAJamison+6+Web+%25282%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At
my last signing, a man stood close enough to hear the little <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">summary</span> I gave to a young lady —<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Polarity, Children of the Orb</b>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I explained how methane gas lit the air and
caused an explosion in a mine shaft. </i>The eavesdropping customer had worked
in a coal mine most of his life and approached the table. Sold two books with
one pitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Which
reminds me. If you’re not excited about your work, why should your customer be?
We all know that writing a novel or story is one of the most challenging things
you’ve ever done. Have faith in your work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve seen authors who actually shake their heads while I ask what they
have written. They have lost faith in their accomplishment. Never, ever, do
that. Always hold your head up and remember, in every book you write, there is
something that can be enjoyed by someone else.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Close. </b>This is the most important<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>part of the sale. Once I was next to a
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">writer,</span> who had three times as many books
as me sitting neatly in front of her, yet I sold three times as many books. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She
did fairly well with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Greet, </b>not bad
with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Qualify, </b>but failed miserably
with the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Close.</b> Your book should be
in the customer’s hand, if not, put it there. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My example-“This is the book I am speaking of,
Sally” Let them feel the texture, smell the pages, in the qualifying you should
have found something about the story you have written that the customer or Sally’s
sister could relate to or enjoy.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> “</b>Would
you like me to sign that for you?” If you don’t ask for the sale, then why are
you there? Another reminder of confidence. Your work needs to be read by the
public. That’s why you wrote it. Don’t remove the book from their hand and
place it back on the table—unsure of their decision. Remember the fifteen
dollars floating above the customers head. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ASK
FOR THE SALE!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a simple as,
“Would you like to purchase a copy?” </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0Y0R6_nuQsTED8R_MONTnBjccNHngd3Ol0xpIwCbFyZxbQa-0m3hnXtFNj08837HhblgEz67oo3SD-9Bi3-gpY9jxhA1nVcbnxoVguuZpnh3DA21shzhV60YYHrMqGP0NDIv3wVPYuKu/s1600/FSP+Nine+Deadly+Lives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0Y0R6_nuQsTED8R_MONTnBjccNHngd3Ol0xpIwCbFyZxbQa-0m3hnXtFNj08837HhblgEz67oo3SD-9Bi3-gpY9jxhA1nVcbnxoVguuZpnh3DA21shzhV60YYHrMqGP0NDIv3wVPYuKu/s320/FSP+Nine+Deadly+Lives.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe they weren’t prepared to buy a book.
There are plenty reasons a customer may not buy your product at that time. Believe
me after twenty years of <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">retail</span>, I’ve heard
them all. Never let a failed attempt bring you down. You have one last chance
to make that sale. The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bookmark. </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">free</b>
advertisement in the <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">customer’s</span> hand. –My
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Amazon</span> sales after my last signing--
higher than it had been in months. The customer will be reminded of your pitch
long after they have left your table or booth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remember
these three steps and carry your books and <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">book markers</span>
with you as much as possible. You never know when you will meet that potential
customer. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Greet</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">—say hello in an uncommon manner.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Qualify</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">—Ask questions. Don’t waste time selling pork to a
vegetarian, but find what relates your story to the customer. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Close</b>---Ask
for the sale. What have you, the salesmen, got to lose? </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
more you <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">practice,</span> the better you’ll
become. For book <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">signings</span> available to
you--Check your local guild and Barns and Noble. <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Also,</span> check <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">fundraisers</span> in
your community. Share the space and <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">expense</span>
with author friends and-- Sell Some Books! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>50 Shades of Gray Sales Tax - Do I collet?</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, It depends. Keep in mind I am not an accountant or with a tax agency--this advise is strictly at your own risk. </span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Any government tax collector will say, of course you collect and pay. But do you charge tax when you have a yard sale? When you set up a vegetable stand in your front yard? No. Have you already paid taxes when purchasing your books or do you use a wholesale number? This is where the grey comes in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I asked a H&R block business preparer what she thought. Should I charge tax on book sales and pay the state? Her reply was, If your going to purchase a book or two that's been taxed and resell them to your sister and cousin for near the same price, probably not. But if I market them on a regular basis, then I need to charge sales tax and pay tax. She advised me to apply for a tax number as a Sole Proprietor. As you don't need to be a corporation to pay a little Sales Tax to the state. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I asked an accountant in a large firm the same question: Should I pay sales tax on the few books I sell at signings? He didn't say no--but sort of laughed. My state collects 7% and he said, If you sell a 1000.00 dollars worth of books--- that's S70.00 in tax---and you have already paid a partial tax? I explained how Amazon and most of my book sales were taxed by the companies that sold them. They pay the sales tax. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He advised that if I were to treat my book sales as a retail job --I should collect sales tax, but there was not a floating number out there in the tax world that says, start collecting when you reach this many sales. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He did remind me that on my INCOME TAX I should keep records of all purchases, expenses and sales of my book. These can be a benefit to your deductions. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sell a couple books at signings --I think your okay. Sell a lot of books--you should apply for a tax number. Keep in mind , for most, this simple payment can be made --once at the end of the year. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><br /></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 22pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></b><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 22pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-81135352160258905182015-07-21T01:00:00.000-05:002015-07-21T09:41:15.890-05:00#NewRelease--Twerp In Time: Missing! Lost City Of Gold by James and Livia Reasoner--#Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQ4HgoanQi__Rubv9EXEtNwxRxw-GSbp7pKXpZz630R-c34FJL87jy_UPIQ1sMwsEJ76QDgGpWMHMZ9LA4v21hRylMDm9wKMVXMl8Oi2CBB2_2yeDlevnA7sv1EN4SBztKpIUi4ztOeXA/s1600/Twerp+in+Time+Rev2+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQ4HgoanQi__Rubv9EXEtNwxRxw-GSbp7pKXpZz630R-c34FJL87jy_UPIQ1sMwsEJ76QDgGpWMHMZ9LA4v21hRylMDm9wKMVXMl8Oi2CBB2_2yeDlevnA7sv1EN4SBztKpIUi4ztOeXA/s320/Twerp+in+Time+Rev2+web.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
The idea for Twerp in Time: Missing! Lost City Of Gold came about because our youngest daughter, who was in elementary school at the time, found studying history to be boring. We felt it was a shame there wasn’t a series like The Magic School Bus that would engage young readers with interesting stories and teach a little history at the same time.<br />
<br />
James and I started writing this book but then had to set it aside for work and family. It was only recently we were able to pick it back up and finish the first manuscript. The end product really was a family affair. We researched and wrote the book and our daughter Joanna Reasoner—the one who didn't really like studying history and who is now an elementary school teacher herself—drew the cover design for this fun little middle reader book.<br />
<br />
<b>Blurb</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dennis Fletcher has a problem...or two. He's extra-smart, and
even though he's skipped a grade, he's still bigger than a lot of the older kids!
Making friends is hard--and something he wants more than anything.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When he invites two of his classmates over to work on a group
project, they suddenly find themselves in the middle of Coronado's Conquistadors--and
Dennis's execution is slated only a few days away! How did they travel back in time
to the 1500's? And how are they going to get back to their own time before Dennis
meets his end?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pouch of special powder around his neck contains the answers--if
only he can figure out how to use it to save them all and get them home to Texas--500
years in the future!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
James Reasoner is a New York Times bestselling author and
his wife Livia is an multi-award winning author.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Excerpt</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dennis's heart pounded in his chest. Or rather, the Turk's heart, because although the mind might belong to Dennis, the body was definitely that of someone else. In this case, the young Indian known as the Turk.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He turned around to watch where he was going, but his feet moved automatically, trotting along so that he could keep up with the horses. His brain was occupied with trying to figure out what had happened. If it was possible for his mind to have been transported somehow back in time and into the body of the Turk, wasn't it just as possible that the same thing had happened to Rohana? After all, they had been standing right beside each other in the studio.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Wyatt had been there, too, Dennis recalled. And two of the Spanish soldiers had collapsed, with something seeming to be wrong with them. Nuñez and Alcazar, they were called. It was impossible, of course, but Dennis found himself wondering if Nuñez and Alcazar were really Rohana and Wyatt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That wasn't any more impossible, he told himself, than thinking that he was now the Turk. And he knew that to be true, insane though it might be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well. This was pretty bad.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dennis kept trudging toward the small hills in the distance. He had to talk to Nuñez and Alcazar, had to find out if what he suspected was true. It had to be, because he'd heard one of them say his name, and these Conquistadors had lived almost five hundred years before he was born. Time travel was the only answer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dennis was surprised that he didn't get too tired as he continued walking and running. He had hated PE class and gotten winded easily every time he tried to do too much exercise. But he was in a different body now, he reminded himself. The Turk was strong and could probably walk all day without feeling it too much. Dennis paused and lifted a foot to look at the bottom of it. He wore no shoes or sandals, but the sole of his foot was one big callus, strong and thick as leather. The muscles in his arms and legs were like bundles of heavy rope. He had never felt anything like this before. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air that was uncomfortably hot but also clean and dry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Weird. Definitely weird.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Be sure and leave us a comment to be entered in the giveaway of a ecopy of Twerp In Time: Missing! City Of Gold.</b></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Buy Links </b> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twerp-in-time-james-reasoner/1122300162?ean=2940152030952">Barnes and Noble</a> <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/559215">Smashwords</a> <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/twerp-in-time-missing-city-of-gold">Kobo</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Livia J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.com175tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-32956473084529719902015-07-14T01:00:00.000-05:002015-07-14T01:00:06.636-05:00#NewRelease--POLARITY: CHILDREN OF THE ORB by C. A. Jamison<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjmeObmH6Tqkggqe7oLmPKuY2tgvA5vLrs-cL01EXxAnjBauyk-ObjDcBgbFfo1GTURZZ512ITAYqq5RCyNPtnV_CkIerVxKwVR4wq8342s2I-etQLXu9Zxuow0ZS4A1DsCMykvU55zj_/s1600/Polarity+CAJamison+6+Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjmeObmH6Tqkggqe7oLmPKuY2tgvA5vLrs-cL01EXxAnjBauyk-ObjDcBgbFfo1GTURZZ512ITAYqq5RCyNPtnV_CkIerVxKwVR4wq8342s2I-etQLXu9Zxuow0ZS4A1DsCMykvU55zj_/s320/Polarity+CAJamison+6+Web.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
There was only one person who could tell the entire story of Polarity and that was Rush James. A twenty five year old male. At first I wasn’t worried. My grandmother gave birth to nine boys. Uncles were coming out my ears. Practically all of my cousins are male. I was raised, the only girl, in a home with four males. I worked a retail sales floor with men. Later we purchased a car audio shop, also run by—you guessed it—the male species. With a son and husband at home, how could I not understand how a man thinks? Ha! That turned out to be my biggest challenge.<br />
<br />
The pillow shams were covered in velvet. Most men don’t care or notice what color a pillow sham is. The couch had a couple pillows thrown on it. Well . . . that doesn’t sound very intelligent. See my point. Allowing a young-adult male to tell my story seemed awkward at times. Her smooth, graceful behind sat next to the sofa pillows. Yes. That’s the one, but staying in that frame of mind isn’t simple for a woman. And I, by no means, am saying that all men think sexually. But Rush does, and I began to have fun, keeping with his thoughts.<br />
<br />
Rush says sweet things to Trulie. He’s not always the bad-boy. But reading the novel through his eyes—was a way to be different. With alien electric pulsing through his veins, you can tell, I’m all about, new and different. So put your wild-man hat on and enjoy some electric excitement, in Rush’s point of view.<br />
<br />
<b>Blurb</b><br />
Rush James and his brother, Chris, are “plasmetric” people—a unique life form born of human parents. Their blood cells are alive with alien electronic energy—and living a normal life in the human world creates havoc for those of their kind.<br />
<br />
But Rush and Chris aren’t alone—there are others. As their parents slowly die, the Children of the Orb must find one another to survive. Rush must share his life with the only woman in the world that can keep his blood cells charged.<br />
<br />
Trulie Morgan is the positive to Rush’s negative. When they touch, polarity moves energy, their passion grows, and the battle of opposites begins. Trulie’s kind heart is naïve to the dangers that surround them, and Rush must learn to use her optimism and strength if he wants to claim victory, and love.<br />
<br />
But the danger is very real for all of them--both from humans and from others of their kind. As they search for the answers they're desperate to find, someone is killing humans and animals. When an attempt is made on Trulie's life, Rush is determined to get to the bottom of it--even if it means it could be one of their own--one of the CHILDREN OF THE ORB.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<b>Excerpt</b><br />
Everyone watched as I stood up. I rubbed my palms together and popped a knuckle. I glared at Trulie’s outstretched fingers.<br />
<br />
With gradual movement, I moved my hand toward hers. Inches above her palm, friction caused air to churn. A blue light appeared, and a force pulled at my hand like a powerful magnet.<br />
I clamped down. The small flames in our grand fireplace ignited—a hot sizzling shock to the system. The lights above flashed. Hot waves of electrical current soared through my fingers. She was right. Energy moved, and there was only one way to describe it—undeniably irresistible.<br />
<br />
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. Yes. Blood soared up my arm and into my chest.<br />
In her silence, Trulie’s body spoke to me through the sensation of touch. Pleasure.<br />
<br />
I smoothed my hand across her soft palm and curled my fingers around her hand. Unbelievable. Electric traveled through my body like a rushing river. Energy filled my hollow veins with such strong blood flow—I thought my heart would falter.<br />
<br />
A light bulb popped above us. Chris got out of his seat and stepped back.<br />
I could not let go. The force moved deep within. A hot penetration of strength clung to a desperate desire for more. My circulation stirred with life renewed. The skin on my arms took on a healthy radiance. I wanted to drown in disbelief.<br />
<br />
Lightning flashed in the big brown eyes that looked up at me. Her hair’s gray strands gleamed with a new dark color. Her skin turned golden-brown, and her cheeks blushed. I took a breath of satisfaction, for I could tell, I gave as much as I received.<br />
<br />
Panic seized Trulie’s face. “I can’t pull away,” she cried. “Your eyes—they were light blue, and now they’re—I can’t believe it! I’m—I feel…balanced.”<br />
<br />
Chris appeared between us and yanked our hands apart. “No way! This can’t be right. Trulie is mine.” But as he held her arm, no connection was made. No flickering lights. No energy movement, just the warm skin of a creature like himself. She looked at him with apologetic eyes.<br />
<br />
He dropped her arm and faced me. “Why do you always find a way to screw things up?”<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Be sure and leave a comment for C.A. Jamison to enter a drawing for a free copy of POLARITY: CHILDREN OF THE ORB.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b>Buy Links <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/polarity-c-a-jamison/1122279021?ean=2940152022148">Barnes and Noble Nook</a> <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/557848">Smashwords</a></b><br />
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Livia J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-90736563568717563132015-03-10T01:00:00.000-05:002015-03-10T01:00:01.089-05:00#NewRelease--MY DOG CAN DO MAGIC!--Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKeOQH3rVpGVvdfw9y51vhlYFTF05CuQ4iFJYE3gy3hSmPL1zaQFDcximguWY0HEUxufksE2QfQ0YO2f7aunYeQ4Asx6otpqPfo_whTNTEmHdD4iPsPf6m6RlBDw871qAUHjQUyNp-oLi/s1600/My+Dog+Can+Do+Magic+Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKeOQH3rVpGVvdfw9y51vhlYFTF05CuQ4iFJYE3gy3hSmPL1zaQFDcximguWY0HEUxufksE2QfQ0YO2f7aunYeQ4Asx6otpqPfo_whTNTEmHdD4iPsPf6m6RlBDw871qAUHjQUyNp-oLi/s1600/My+Dog+Can+Do+Magic+Web.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
Today we are giving away a free copy of MY DOG CAN DO MAGIC! so be sure to leave a comment to be entered in the drawing.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have you ever known a dog that had his or her own
certain brand of magic? Each story in this collection tells of a
canine friend with a special gift.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Can a small, ferocious Chihuahua save the day for Tiger
Morgan’s family? A HERO IN THE HOUSE is about a young boy’s new puppy who
rescues the family from burglars!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aspen is heartbroken when her father is killed in
Afghanistan—but a dog appears that only she is able to see. CHEYENNE:
SWEETHEART OF CHARLIE COMPANY is a story you won’t be able to put down.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Can dogs talk? They can in THE MAJESTIC REALM! Come on a
fantastic journey to a land where animals—including Rylee's family dog, Harley—are
able to speak to humans! But now, how are they going to get back home?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In BLACK DOG, WHITE DOG, a new addition to the family saves
Feddie’s mom by discovering an illness she didn’t even know she had. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Working together to survive in the big city isn’t easy. RUFF
AND THE BOY PUP is a story about the magic of friendship between a stray dog
and his beloved new friend—a human boy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you love stories about dogs and the “magic” they
sometimes are able to do, this is the book for you!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
BUY LINKS <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-dog-can-do-magic-cheryl-pierson/1121288449?ean=2940046599602">Barnes and Noble Nook</a> <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/522618">Smashwords</a></div>
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Livia J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-67972150725022737402015-02-24T01:00:00.000-06:002015-02-24T10:35:09.970-06:00#New Release -- Li’l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos by Angela Crider Neary -- #Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-LV_sOpk7u41b9z9n-dzom4v6FQdNUHpNdD2LHM9yvQM16zRRphTVrkspxMc5hYgHT6RNwU0gucIWCy1Bwkoc763VbxxxyjZTM5Qg53Ud5UfrOjgrWpKXQGkRzfA2iZQqzm59ObUm_Pd/s1600/Li+l+Tom+Rev+Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-LV_sOpk7u41b9z9n-dzom4v6FQdNUHpNdD2LHM9yvQM16zRRphTVrkspxMc5hYgHT6RNwU0gucIWCy1Bwkoc763VbxxxyjZTM5Qg53Ud5UfrOjgrWpKXQGkRzfA2iZQqzm59ObUm_Pd/s1600/Li+l+Tom+Rev+Web.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Be sure and leave a comment for a chance to win a free ecopy of Angela Crider Neary's Li’l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>BLURB</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Someone is stealing the parrots of Telegraph Hill! San
Francisco is plagued with a rash of exotic birdnappings, and it's up to Li'l
Tom and Lola of the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau to track down the culprits and
put an end to this sinister scheme. With the help of a motley crew of cats, one
rat, and a dog, they'll venture into the dangerous back alleys of Chinatown to
rescue the brilliantly plumaged captives!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">LI'L TOM AND THE PUSSYFOOT DETECTIVE BUREAU: THE CASE OF THE
PARROTS DESAPARECIDOS is a whimsical, all-ages mystery featuring a pair of
charming feline detectives. Packed with action, humor, colorful characters, and
vivid settings, it's a delightful reading experience for young and old!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>EXCERPT</b>:</span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> My name is Li<span lang="FR">’</span>l Tom. Yep,
Li<span lang="FR">’</span>l Tom. I know it's not real
macho, but I'm a kitten, and you know what kinda names we get - stuff like
Mittens, Fluffy, Snowball, Mr. Meowums - you get the picture. Why can't we be
named something regular, like James, Christopher, or Nelson? At least I have
the Tom part. That's pretty normal. I just can't shake the opening “Li<span lang="FR">’</span>l.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Despite
the embarrassing name, I've done pretty well for myself. I head up the
elite Pussyfoot Detective Bureau of Telegraph Hill here in San Francisco. I
also live on Telegraph Hill. Telegraph<span lang="FR">’</span>s a great place for cats to live a low profile life without much
interference from the humans. There are plenty of places for us to take up
residence without much notice, like under the myriad of wooden decks and
staircases, or the overgrown gardens, flowing with blossoms almost year round. I,
myself, am a drifter. I was shunned from my litter as the runt, so have been on
my own ever since. But that<span lang="FR">’</span>s okay
with me. Whenever I need refuge or a bite to eat, I use any one of the many
doggie/kitty doors carved out and leading into the high-priced cottages on the
hill. There<span lang="FR">’</span>s usually
a sociable human in these places who is willing to give you a friendly rub and
a bite of tuna fish, or even a bowl of Tender Vittles if they happen to have
them in stock. Oh, don<span lang="FR">’</span>t get me
wrong, I have a home base with a human couple who think they “own”
me, but I generally go my own way until I need a regular meal or a
change of fur - and maybe a nap in the cozy kitty condo they have set up for me.
I usually stay gone long enough for them to have given up on me and then I
suddenly reappear, to their delight. Gotta keep ‘em on their
toes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Now, although the
humans are not much of a problem around here, dogs are a different story. </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BUY LINKS:</span></b></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lil-tom-and-the-pussyfoot-detective-bureau-angela-crider-neary/1121262714?ean=2940151483346">B&N NOOK</a> <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/522159">SMASHWORDS</a></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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Livia J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-1877906063854006272014-10-21T01:00:00.000-05:002014-10-21T01:00:04.433-05:00Tornado Alley Publications New Release--Saigon Moon by B.J. Betts--Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Include your email in your comment for a chance to win a free copy of SAIGON MOON by B.J. Betts.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>BLURB</b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rick Jameson leaves his small Iowa town for the
jungles of Viet Nam expecting to come home and marry his high school sweetheart,
Vickie Richards. But when he receives a “Dear John” letter with her engagement
ring enclosed, Rick decides to be the biggest badass Marine the Viet Cong have
ever dealt with. After all…what does he have to live for now?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On one suicide mission too many, Rick is shot and
left for dead, only to be discovered by a young Vietnamese girl, Hang Le. She
saves Rick’s life, and their passion flares in the steamy jungles of southeast
Asia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Years later, when Rick returns to Viet Nam with his
military buddies, a chance encounter with Hang Le’s brother leads Rick to her
door. He’s a millionaire now; but as a
successful clothing designer, Hang Le has her own life she might not want to
give up for the American who left her behind. Now that the war is over, will
Rick and Hang Le be able to rekindle the love they had to turn their backs on
so long ago?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>EXCERPT</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
A plume of light brown dust rose up off the dusty California roadway as
the military bus slowed to a stop.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
Rick Jameson shifted in his seat to look out the window of the bus he was
riding in. All he could see was what appeared to be about twenty to thirty
people, lined up in front of the gates to Camp Pendleton. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
They grabbed hold of each other’s hands, making a human chain, blocking
the entryway into the camp. Most carried signs, some with slogans written on
them that read, “Baby Killers”, or “Murderers”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
The group consisted of a mix of people. Preppy college kids stood next to
longhaired hippie types with jeans, beards, and peace signs painted on their
clothes. Parents and relatives who had
lost their loved ones in the war, stood right alongside the others. They were
demanding the government end this senseless war.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
With batons in hand, the MPs came through the gates of the base to break
it up. One college kid, blond, blue eyed, dressed in his white oxford shirt,
and black chinos, laid down. He started whipping out his draft card, trying to
set fire to it. This being a federal
offense, the MPs got involved. They pulled the kid roughly to his feet, and
started to handcuff him. Rick watched from his seat on the bus, as things just went
from bad to worst. The rest of the crowd started yelling, and cussing the MPs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
One after another they lay down, arms still linked. They refused to get
up. More MPs along with the local police
were called onto the scene.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
Rick’s bus finally chugged through the gates. He looked back to see the
MPs using their batons on the protesters, and dragging them off to the cruisers
that lined the side of the road. His eyes were wide open now. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
Camp Pendleton stretched out before him. It went on for miles, over 200 square
miles to be exact. It consisted of seventeen miles of undeveloped oceanfront
property—coastal mountains, and inland away from the ocean, were undeveloped
wetlands. At one time, it had been a cattle ranch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
Being fresh out of high school, having graduated only two days ago, he
sat back in his seat and wondered what he had gotten himself into. Ever since he’d been a kid, he’d talked of
nothing but being a Marine. Now, here he was, ready to start a new life. Most
of the guys on the bus were draftees –but not Rick; he’d enlisted.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
He had grown up in a small town, the eldest child and only boy, with six
sisters. He could not wait to get away. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
The tough part was leaving his fiancée, Vickie Richards, behind. Had it
only been two days since he’d seen her? It felt like a month. It was going to
be okay, though. They’d talked about it their last night together. As soon as
he was finished with basic training, he’d send for her, and then they’d get
married. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
The bus pulled to a stop. They all stared as a man with a crew-cut styled
haircut boarded the bus. He stood at six-feet-two, and weighed in at about
two-hundred-and-fifty pounds—all muscle. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
“Okay, recruits, off the bus and line up.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
They shuffled off the bus, their gear in hand. They all looked half-scared.
Most were about the same age as Rick; eighteen, soon to be nineteen. They were
from all over the United States. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
Rich had flown into San Diego with some of them from Eppley Airfield out
of Omaha, Nebraska. Most of them were middle-class, small town boys or farmers.
Their eyes were as big as his were as they lined up, waiting for the next order
from the giant of a man that stood before them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
“At ease, I am Corporal Kline. You may call me Sir. As I call out your
name, answer ‘Sir, yes, sir’, got that?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
It was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
“I can’t hear you!” he bellowed out loudly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
“Sir, yes, sir,” the new recruits yelled back at him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
“Adams.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
“Sir, yes, sir.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
“Bailey.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
“Sir, yes, sir.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
All the way through the alphabet he went, with a few screw-ups along the
way. The guys who didn’t respond correctly were given fifty push-ups right off
the bat. Rick was sure to answer promptly and correctly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .25in;">
After living with his old man for eighteen years, he learned early on to
follow orders—and what could happen if you didn’t do as you were told. His dad was a real tough guy. There was nothing he liked better than to
knock you around. It was <i>his</i> way, or not at all. His life was
like one of those old country songs: guy cheats on his wife, gets drunk, comes
home, and beats the crap out of the wife and kids.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">“No matter how tough this is here, it has to be better
than home,” he thought to himself, as he stood at attention in line.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><b>BUY LINKS </b> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/saigon-moon-b-j-betts/1015834289?ean=2940150409651">B&N NOOK</a> <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/486079">SMASHWORDS</a></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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</div>
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Livia J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-58766350063533469462014-09-30T01:00:00.000-05:002014-09-30T01:00:04.266-05:00Tornado Alley Publications New Release -- Belle's Crossing by B.J. Betts -- Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEM59mwJpXkZfHiiIhZNFkkfRX9LgKxp0GFPbbK60lEF_0PpJZWTndbwTxPxGIb9hkqPWMC_wFrqDscfoxvPVkj4q5QehEVnL6TiOXg4F9m9zL4841CssPnvc50oOII-ShPG8AFQuH0UT/s1600/Belle's%2BCrossing%2BBJ%2BBetts%2BWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEM59mwJpXkZfHiiIhZNFkkfRX9LgKxp0GFPbbK60lEF_0PpJZWTndbwTxPxGIb9hkqPWMC_wFrqDscfoxvPVkj4q5QehEVnL6TiOXg4F9m9zL4841CssPnvc50oOII-ShPG8AFQuH0UT/s1600/Belle's%2BCrossing%2BBJ%2BBetts%2BWeb.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
Today B.J. will be giving away an e-copy of her story BELLE'S CROSSING to one person who leaves a comment on this blog. Be sure and include contact information in your comment for a chance to win!<br />
<br />
<b>BLURB</b><br />
In 1909 on All Hallows' Eve, three beautiful young sisters perished in a tragic accident…or was it? For years, citizens of Council Bluffs, Iowa would report strange sightings around Big Lake Park. Were the sightings due to over active imaginations…or something else? Over one hundred years later, Laynee Rodgers's car accident in the same location takes its toll on her memory, but she knows she isn't crazy. With the help of a psychic, she may remember exactly what happened to her, and unlock a century-old mystery in the process—if she only has the courage!<br />
<br />
<b>EXCERPT</b><br />
<br />
The three girls called out their good-byes as the old horse plodded down the dirt packed road.<br />
A harvest moon hung in the sky, and a spangle of stars surrounded it. The air felt crisp and clean as Old Blue hauled the wagon along the road.<br />
“I had the best time in my life,” said Rosie hugging her arms around her middle. She was beside herself with excitement, and wondered how she would get through the hours until Monday.<br />
“It was a wonderful night, wasn’t it?” added Katy, dreamily. Ty had whispered words of sweet love in her ear as they stood in the darkness of the yard.<br />
“Mmmhmm,” answered Susie. Her lips still tingled from the good night kiss Kyle had given her.<br />
As the wagon rounded the bend and passed by Spring Lake, the moonlight struck on the water turning it silvery black. The bit tugged on Old Blue’s mouth as he pulled the wagon up a small incline that led up to the railroad track ahead.<br />
Off in the distance, the shrill whistle of a train echoed in the night. Susie pulled her pocket watch from her dress pocket and looked down at it. By the light of the moon, she read the time, 9:50. Ahh, they were going to be late. The last thing they needed was to be held up by a long coal train. Pa would skin their hides, for sure. Without a second thought, she gave the reins a hard slap across Old Blue’s rump. The startled horse whinnied in surprise and took off at a gallop. Lickety split, up the incline he ran and onto the tracks.<br />
A loud cracking sound split the quiet of the night as the wheel of the wagon broke loose. The wagon twisted and turned violently, throwing the three girls beneath it—trapping them under it. Old Blue pulled as hard as he could, trying to free himself of the wagon, but to no avail. It was wedged tight into the grooves of the train tracks. The shrill whistle of train chugging toward them filled the night.<br />
Blood dripped down Susie’s cheek as she tried to crawl out from under the wagon. The fabric of her dress held her tight. She reached up to her forehead, only to bring her hand down, now filled with blood. A deep gash marred her pretty face. Slowly, she turned her head in search of her sisters.<br />
Rosie lay next to her, motionless; and Katy laid nearby. Susie reached out and shook her sister’s thin shoulders. “Rosie, Rosie,” she cried.<br />
By the light of the moon that crept in through the darkness, she watched as Rosie’s eyes fluttered open.<br />
“Are you okay, Rosie?” she croaked out.<br />
“My leg, it hurts,” whimpered Rosie.<br />
Susie craned her neck to look and see Rosie’s leg. It was wedged into the track and a large piece of wood had gone through her thigh. Blood had soaked the skirt of her dress.<br />
“Rosie, can you wake up Katy?”<br />
Rosie turned to her big sister. Katy’s head was at an odd angle. “Katy,” Rosie nudged her shoulder. Katy’s head lolled back, and she stared unseeingly into her youngest sister’s eyes.<br />
“Susie, Katy’s eyes are open!” Panic started to fill her voice. “But she’s not answering me!” Rosie started to cry. “Momma! I want Momma!”<br />
“Hush now,” soothed Susie. “We’ll be okay. Pa will come and help us.”<br />
The shrill whistle of a train broke into the silence. The train was coming, bearing down on them. Fear raced through every inch of the girls’ beings as the train chugged ever closer.<br />
“We’re going to die!” screamed Rosie.<br />
“Hush now, Rosie,” whispered Susie.<br />
Footsteps…she heard footsteps. “Who’s out there? Oh please help us!” she begged.<br />
She looked out through a small crack and out into the moonlight. She blinked in surprise as she saw a pair of near-black eyes looking back at her.<br />
“Help us! Oh, help us, please!” she screamed.<br />
She watched in horror as the man ran away, disappearing into the darkness.<br />
<div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>BUY LINKS </b> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/belles-crossing-b-j-betts/1120414226?ean=2940150573598">Barnes and Noble Nook </a> <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/480507">Smashwords</a></div>
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Livia J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-23375194770573956292014-09-18T00:00:00.000-05:002014-09-18T00:00:00.941-05:005 Days + 7 Authors = Writing Retreat
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What do
you get when you have seven authors on a mountain top with minimal internet
connection? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A lot of
good writing days.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Pages
and pages of well-written pages. Which means more stories for you!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Last
week I participated in a five day writing retreat. There were lectures by the
facilitator, discussions about books, talking about our own books, and writing,
writing, writing. The authors attending were at various stages of their
careers: from working on their first novel to having published over thirty
books with varying publishers. I fell somewhere in the middle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We
discussed the best way to polish our works-in-progress, learned rhetorical
devices to make our prose stronger, and scoured examples of phenomenal writing.
All of us came out writing stronger, pushing ourselves harder, and being
confidant we were writing to the best of our ability.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I worked
on ATLANTIS GLACIAL TIDES, which is Adria’s full story. Her novella was
featured in Tornado Alley Publications’ THIS SUMMER STORM anthology. Now, she
has a full story of her own where the growth she began in the novella is
completed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Now that
I’m home, I miss the camaraderie of my fellow writers, the dedicated hours to
perfecting my craft, and the internet silence. But I’m still pushing myself to
write better and stronger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">News:
SUPERNATURAL SIX, a young adult anthology featuring six different authors is
being re-published at iBooks for a limited time only. ATLANTIS RIPTIDE, the
first book in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series is included in the
anthology. Find out how the Atlantis series began and discover some other great
authors.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCG55cBCIOecu3i2Z9C724RjIUlVuw3sUj-dq43TwRujioQ5AjZISUkyBdpBUExV6kyCQBvLbPC3dHUfkHVJuPR31Fg-tgJrRcc5vt_j14K59fEf_Ca_Jhvfv9uPXOljs9QDuHOlhtMAlX/s1600/SupernaturalSix_BoxSet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCG55cBCIOecu3i2Z9C724RjIUlVuw3sUj-dq43TwRujioQ5AjZISUkyBdpBUExV6kyCQBvLbPC3dHUfkHVJuPR31Fg-tgJrRcc5vt_j14K59fEf_Ca_Jhvfv9uPXOljs9QDuHOlhtMAlX/s1600/SupernaturalSix_BoxSet.jpg" height="288" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">For more
information about other books in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, visit
my website at </span><a href="http://www.allieburton.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;">www.allieburton.com</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-89036947030173572642014-08-21T00:00:00.000-05:002014-08-21T00:00:03.414-05:00Summer Reading While You Can!
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">School
is just around the corner and there’s only a few weeks left to kick back and
enjoy a good summer read! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
final days of August is when I think about all the things I wanted to do during
the summer and all that’s still left to accomplish. It’s also a time when I
take out my TBR (To Be Read)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>list and
start to dig in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Enjoying
the sun, I will sit in the garden or out by the pond for a few hours of
pleasure reading. Or I will take a book to the pool or beach. When the summer
thunder storms roll in, I’ll sit under the covered patio with a good book. And
in the evening, I’ll prop pillows on my bed and read late into the night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’ll
read in line and waiting for the kids to get out of camps and even while I’m
cooking dinner. Paperback, e-reader, or phone, one of these is always by my
side.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Before
the assigned reading for school starts, where is your favorite place to read?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Comment
below to win an ebook copy of the LOST DAUGHTERS OF ATLANTIS book bundle, the
precursor to Adria’s story in THIS SUMMER STORM.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And from
last month’s blog, the winner of an e-copy of SOUL SLAM is Sarah J. McNeal!
Send me your email address and I’ll send you a copy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">For more
information about other books in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, visit
my website at </span><a href="http://www.allieburton.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;">www.allieburton.com</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.allieburton.com/">www.allieburton.com</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-82649331947036094682014-07-18T01:00:00.000-05:002014-07-18T01:00:06.084-05:00HALLOWEEN OPEN CALL FOR SHORT STORY SUBMISSIONS by Cheryl Pierson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmMlHQXEe9Cs8eL6PNcXqKoNQ8MbkcRRc0bjWHrOq4kkGKU_RaSJBgfm6qYWH_k3thiadMFhGFtUMNywseOdW_qyoRSGDNmkAuIkbSwVJe0Qc737f8Mc4KEVYfeQvm5b2obU8DwHiCThq/s1600/PRAIRIE+ROSE+PUB+PINK+logo.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmMlHQXEe9Cs8eL6PNcXqKoNQ8MbkcRRc0bjWHrOq4kkGKU_RaSJBgfm6qYWH_k3thiadMFhGFtUMNywseOdW_qyoRSGDNmkAuIkbSwVJe0Qc737f8Mc4KEVYfeQvm5b2obU8DwHiCThq/s400/PRAIRIE+ROSE+PUB+PINK+logo.png" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>CALL OUT FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR HALLOWEEN STORIES!<br />
<br />
</b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGMWeW38rVAs5ne4qxpsvrw9dDItBfOkeG-cmy663R-76Bgf7yTvSxShiJ7iVxB-zCWHjlAC8SgnYw3Tajn3FgKkSQu5-to_3LpUQcaVwtGGjqVvFfFGrz6bm_PkoLohsrjv5TpNeoqPU/s1600/PRP+COWBOYS,+CREATURES+AND+CALICO+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGMWeW38rVAs5ne4qxpsvrw9dDItBfOkeG-cmy663R-76Bgf7yTvSxShiJ7iVxB-zCWHjlAC8SgnYw3Tajn3FgKkSQu5-to_3LpUQcaVwtGGjqVvFfFGrz6bm_PkoLohsrjv5TpNeoqPU/s400/PRP+COWBOYS,+CREATURES+AND+CALICO+cover.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Hey everyone! Prairie Rose Publications is now accepting submissions for their Halloween anthology, COWBOYS, CREATURES AND CALICO! This is a western historical romance anthology, and we would love to see what you can dream up about Halloween in the old west. Stories should be 10K-15K in word length, and the heat rating can be anything from sweet (candy corn) to spicy (red hot tamales!) No erotica is accepted. The deadline for your submissions is September 1, 2014! Do you have a Halloween tale for us? Please let us know! Submissions are received at fabkat_edit@yahoo.com or prairierosepublications@yahoo.com. We look forward to taking a look at your submissions!<br />
<br />
<b>SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2014<br />
<br />
WORD COUNT GUIDELINE: 10K-15K<br />
<br />
SUBMIT TO: prairierosepublications@yahoo.com or fabkat_edit@yahoo.com</b><br />
<br />
</b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3ddK8xqhSEFCF0qWWQ-q97YvID1RCm5iXgx_rsvYIu1r7HxIkqWeynE4VHZzW28MXZE4BSz8HL3CctzmW418ExA2CT-csCticUIidK8XczZvW4BNKJHz_9UeEQym6xi_tYTO8Nz9oxl7/s1600/RR+Article+TAP+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3ddK8xqhSEFCF0qWWQ-q97YvID1RCm5iXgx_rsvYIu1r7HxIkqWeynE4VHZzW28MXZE4BSz8HL3CctzmW418ExA2CT-csCticUIidK8XczZvW4BNKJHz_9UeEQym6xi_tYTO8Nz9oxl7/s400/RR+Article+TAP+Logo.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dvmXNCadXIOB5DCo9uqK1839xQaC4fbtNaajhA-nvkvuJocCoL_9fjkmhMc9FFmat_H0RO60IAAunAhp7BrqW3HkFI1TB0wsFQhJyq5kUF83ANRub9smAsv7nbnAMjsfToIN9HMbHA8Q/s1600/TAP+My+Dog+Can+Do+Magic.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dvmXNCadXIOB5DCo9uqK1839xQaC4fbtNaajhA-nvkvuJocCoL_9fjkmhMc9FFmat_H0RO60IAAunAhp7BrqW3HkFI1TB0wsFQhJyq5kUF83ANRub9smAsv7nbnAMjsfToIN9HMbHA8Q/s400/TAP+My+Dog+Can+Do+Magic.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
MY DOG CAN DO MAGIC!—Middle Grade Readers—(ages 9-12)<br />
<br />
Do you have a good idea for a fantasy or sci-fi story about a dog? That’s what we’re looking for in this anthology for MIDDLE GRADE READERS (9-12). If you have a story that tugs at the heartstrings or shows the excitement and bond in a relationship between a boy or girl and their dog, we’d love to see it! The possibilities are endless: a stray dog becomes a young girl’s best friend – but he’s got “something special” about him; a young boy is given a dog…though what he really wanted was a horse—or so he thought! These are just a couple of ideas, but your imagination is boundless with what “could be”. Dogs are magical anyhow, but in this collection, these dogs have a true bit of magic they’re able to use now and then! What magic will your dog have? Can he speak like a human? Does he sense trouble before it happens? We’d love to have a look! Spots are limited! Please send a cover letter and blurb along with your submission.<br />
<br />
<b>SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2014<br />
<br />
WORD COUNT GUIDELINES: 8K-10K<br />
<br />
SUBMIT TO: prairierosepublications@yahoo.com or fabkat_edit@yahoo.com<br />
</b> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiDCIn6MT_MdqW-rkbmpBXAd7Ua9brrjs0w0Y-at68dfk_PALlFbSJgSdm0k8QYBJlupHDUHdnwpYJpAuP0o12e_cxHaQvfhbwshF1lc98dv1MNP4Sm_HOQsEqRDgRfyURUHJ_QrB4fLo/s1600/TAP+It+Could+Happen+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiDCIn6MT_MdqW-rkbmpBXAd7Ua9brrjs0w0Y-at68dfk_PALlFbSJgSdm0k8QYBJlupHDUHdnwpYJpAuP0o12e_cxHaQvfhbwshF1lc98dv1MNP4Sm_HOQsEqRDgRfyURUHJ_QrB4fLo/s400/TAP+It+Could+Happen+3.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
IT COULD HAPPEN--New Adult Category--(Ages 18-24)--PARANORMAL/HALLOWEEN THEME <br />
<br />
Love happens in the most unlikely places, to the most unlikely people. This anthology will be a collection of stories about characters that fall in love under odd circumstances--one of them is not what he/she appears to be. With a paranormal or Halloween theme in mind, we want your best tale about what might happen when your human character falls in love with one that's not--a werewolf, shapeshifter, vampire, angel...or demon--or anything else you might think of! The young college girl who falls for a cruise ship entertainer who happens to be a vampire; or a chauffeur, who falls for the daughter of his millionaire boss--a beautiful woman who is immortal. It could be as simple as an odd coincidence, a stray glance or being caught in a summer downpour that sets the story in motion. <br />
<br />
Common theme in all stories will be a photograph. Example: maybe your heroine is a celebrity of some kind and a photograph of her is on the front page of the paper; or maybe your hero sees a photograph on the heroine’s wall that was taken with her older brother—whom he mistakenly believes to be his “competition”. The photograph can play a major role or be mentioned in passing—it’s up to you however you want to use the photograph YOU imagine! It can play any part in this unlikely love story.<br />
<br />
We are excited about this collection for a recently-recognized readership—new adults—ages 18-24. We’re anxious to see how your characters fall in love—and what they do about it! Please send a cover letter and blurb along with your submission. Keep in mind that these stories should be set in contemporary times.<br />
<br />
<b>SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2014<br />
<br />
WORD COUNT GUIDELINE: 10K-15K<br />
<br />
SUBMIT TO: prairierosepublications@yahoo.com or fabkat_edit@yahoo.com</b> <b>or fabkat_edit@yahoo.com </b>Cheryl Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18116526340220274282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-32706407185827562014-07-17T00:00:00.000-05:002014-07-17T08:49:40.660-05:00Anthologies - A Story Sampler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZKM85K9X3xVrwtbgWffAQunvSVLm_PVe7RCFR_tIwPmQMtzMaU-XljT8KApF3PSLkhmXw2c-3GXzaKSkG86AglBwVAxfkHsOxem_97Nc1nnqwf-3Wl2rfzTbEMc56LtAaKbxdabRk-S3/s1600/_THIS+SUMMER+STORM+T.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZKM85K9X3xVrwtbgWffAQunvSVLm_PVe7RCFR_tIwPmQMtzMaU-XljT8KApF3PSLkhmXw2c-3GXzaKSkG86AglBwVAxfkHsOxem_97Nc1nnqwf-3Wl2rfzTbEMc56LtAaKbxdabRk-S3/s1600/_THIS+SUMMER+STORM+T.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Don’t
you love those chocolate samplers you buy at candy stores? The ones filled with
bite-sized chocolates with a different filling? A surprise in every bite? A
chance to try a new type of chocolate? Maybe even find a new favorite?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Well,
that’s what an anthology is for books. An opportunity for readers to sample new
stories. And maybe find a new author that you love!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Tornado
Alley Publications’ THIS SUMMER STORM Anthology is exactly like a sampler. The
book is filled with different authors from different backgrounds writing very
different types of stories. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Westerns?
Mystical worlds? Outdoor adventures? How about mystery and romance? You will
get a taste of each in THIS SUMMER STORM. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I love anthologies
not only because I get to read new authors, but because the novellas are short
reads. A complete story in a small package. A story I can start and finish in
one sitting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A story
where I learn about new worlds and new lifestyles. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What are
some of your favorite genres to read in the novella format? Or what combination
of genres would you like to see more of in anthologies? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Comment
below to win an ebook copy of SOUL SLAM, a young adult mixture of romance,
adventure and mystery.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0uWVceBDeGOnaH_RbueP_RM5dxuUQ_9su1AfBD0X_RBeDEpxtL58FKrPmdlAo8LXlKJVDSsvRVweYf3_PZ1RpYJhru8yxQsuB1Uj85jTZrQpZxIC8MVUXhLqBvC1vN1YHlrmhxChgra_/s1600/Soul+Slam+Final+for+Barnes+and+Noble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0uWVceBDeGOnaH_RbueP_RM5dxuUQ_9su1AfBD0X_RBeDEpxtL58FKrPmdlAo8LXlKJVDSsvRVweYf3_PZ1RpYJhru8yxQsuB1Uj85jTZrQpZxIC8MVUXhLqBvC1vN1YHlrmhxChgra_/s1600/Soul+Slam+Final+for+Barnes+and+Noble.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.allieburton.com/">www.allieburton.com</a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And from
last month’s blog, the winner of ATLANTIS DARK TIDES is Lorraine Heath!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">For more
information about other Allie Burton books, visit my website at </span><a href="http://www.allieburton.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;">www.allieburton.com</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.<o:p></o:p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-37612032248153286892014-07-03T01:00:00.000-05:002014-07-03T10:26:07.206-05:00TAP New Release-- Echoes in the Night by B.J. Betts -- Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8TzT9JG9NOXpoMdHKJ_iWJ8_8ajLYcWRUYK8ajebDS8nEUOfUbUmZ9Z3BMa1iGP154u5amZfw51z3jirQFCOq3taj3jFpOVziGjD24CO_jRtqjisnOJQ4mNu0ylPziyEx0AYG50Myhw/s1600/Echoes+in+the+Night++Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8TzT9JG9NOXpoMdHKJ_iWJ8_8ajLYcWRUYK8ajebDS8nEUOfUbUmZ9Z3BMa1iGP154u5amZfw51z3jirQFCOq3taj3jFpOVziGjD24CO_jRtqjisnOJQ4mNu0ylPziyEx0AYG50Myhw/s1600/Echoes+in+the+Night++Web.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">B.J. Betts will be giving away one free ecopy to one person who comments.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When Marcus and Matthew Manning are drafted after graduation, they are sent to the jungles of Viet Nam. But they’ve both left some unfinished business back home in Iowa.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Matt’s fiancée takes up with his best friend, and Marcus’s girlfriend sends word that she’s expecting a baby, conceived on prom night. For the first time in their lives, the twins don’t share everything—even in the heated war zone of Viet Nam.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When Marcus is killed in the heavy fighting at Hamburger Hill, Matt must unravel the mystery of what came between his brother and the young woman who bore his child—and he suspects an old flame of Marcus’s is to blame for the heartache he uncovers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On the verge of finally laying his personal demons to rest over his guilt about Marcus’s death, Matt finds his own love—sweet and unexpected. But what would his brother think if he knew Matt had fallen for the mother of Marcus’s child?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <br />
<h4><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bio</span></h4><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">B.J. Betts. was born and raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She married her high school sweetheart Don Betts. They did therapeutic foster care for years and adopted the last four placements which increased their number of children to 7. Over the years with marriages and children being born they had more than a full house.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">B.J. has been an avid reader her whole life. Where other women would go shopping for a new dress or a pair of shoes, she headed to the book sections.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Her first book, Saigon Moon, will be re-released this coming August through Tornado Alley Publications. Her grandson had enlisted in the Army with a promise from his recruiter he would never be sent to Iraq. He did two tours and B.J. and her husband are so proud of him for serving. But memories of being a teenager during the Vietnam War whirled through B.J.’s mind. She sat down and wrote Saigon Moon. Echoes in the Night was inspired by a photo of a man carrying a fellow soldier on his back away from a battlefield.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Romance Authors of the Heartland.</span><br />
<h4><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Excerpt</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> The June air was balmy as Matthew Manning stepped out of the Eppley Airport terminal. He hefted his duffle bag up on his shoulder as he whistled and yelled, “Taxi!”</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> A yellow cab rushed to the curb. The cabbie stepped from the cab and took the bag, stowing it into the trunk.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> “Where to, Mack?” he asked as he slid into the front seat of the cab. He peered into the rear view mirror at the soldier sitting in the back seat.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> “330 Manning Lane.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Even to his own ears, the address sounded foreign to him. It had been so long since he’d said it out loud.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The taxi wove in and out of the five o’clock rush hour traffic. Matthew sat silently in the back seat, looking out of the passenger side window. Nothing much had changed, he thought as the cabbie drove over the bridge into Council Bluffs, Iowa.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> The taxi continued down Broadway, passing all the fa-miliar sights. He looked a little closer as they passed Ewald’s Drive-In, hoping to catch a glimpse of a face he might recognize as the carhops walked out in their short shorts to deliver an order to the waiting cars. But he didn’t know any of the girls.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Memories of being a kid and watching westerns with his twin brother, Marcus, flashed through his mind as they passed the Strand Theater. John Wayne movies had been their favorites while growing up. You knew the good guys were always going to win in the end. He shook his head sadly. If only that were true in real life…</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></div><h4><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Links</span></h4><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1119892182?ean=2940149672936" target="_blank">B&N Nook</a> <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/454217" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=httpliviajwac-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1500370061&asins=1500370061&linkId=NWIFDE2SKEHFIUHM&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=httpliviajwac-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00LGTS6F0&asins=B00LGTS6F0&linkId=FLJHBDMAG2PKVY77&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe> </div></div><div><br />
</div>Livia J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-58551390388409493792014-06-19T00:00:00.000-05:002014-06-19T00:00:01.632-05:00Summer Storms & Other Natural Disasters
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Since
the THIS SUMMER STORM anthology is all about storms, I began thinking about all
the different storms and natural disasters I’ve lived through. Now, my mind is
imagining ways to use all of these experiences in a book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I grew
up with tornadoes in Illinois and am still terrified of them today. The second
a tornado warning was posted, I cleaned out the closet under the basement
stairs to fit my nine family members. While other kids were playing in puddles,
I was shaking under the stairs. My brothers and sisters would make fun of me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Moving
to California as a teen, I had to deal with earthquakes. No warnings or alarms.
Just a sudden jolt in the ground and the immediate dash for cover. I lived in
the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1989 World Series earthquake where the
Bay Bridge collapsed. I was working at the mall when the shaking started. I
dove toward an interior wall for cover. Light fixtures fell, the floor cracked,
and a jewelry store window shattered. The historic town I lived in was
destroyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Traveling
in Japan, I experienced a typhoon. The rain was coming down sideways and the
wind was hurricane force.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Speaking
of hurricanes, I was in Mexico when Hurricane Emily struck. For days management
would give reports of the hurricane’s approach. The storm was like a stalker. I
was evacuated to a convention center. Just me and a thousand of my closest
friends with no electricity and no air conditioning through an entire night. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each person got enough space to sit, but not
lay down. After the hurricane passed, we returned to the resort to find it had
been destroyed. Roofs ripped off buildings. Pools filled with black water and
debris. The beach completely washed away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This
past winter I was having dinner at the top of a Colorado mountain, taking two
different gondolas to get there. A surprise snow storm came in with gale force
winds while I ate. Heading down, the winds were so strong they had to stop the
gondola several times. For several minutes. Sitting in the carriage hanging by
a thin wire in the sky, I rocked back and forth like a carnival ride over a
dark abyss. A freezing dark abyss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
I arrived at the halfway point, they directed me to a closed restaurant for shelter
to wait for the wind and snow to die down. Eventually, I was taken off the
mountain by snow cat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">One storm
or natural disaster I haven’t experienced is an avalanche. I live in Colorado
now so my eyes are always searching the mountain tops…watching and waiting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What are
some of your storm and natural disaster stories?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">For more
information about other books in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, visit
my website at </span><a href="http://www.allieburton.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;">www.allieburton.com</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-58506903678844101402014-06-09T10:23:00.000-05:002014-06-09T10:23:35.394-05:00A Current So Swift by Kristy McCaffrey<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Post
by Kristy McCaffrey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m
pleased to have a story in the just-released Young Adult anthology, THIS SUMMER
STORM. In “A Current So Swift,” a wilderness course
on the Green River in Utah has sixteen-year-old Amy Whittaker stuck on a raft
with football players and cheerleaders from her high school. No longer able to
maintain a low profile among the more popular crowd, she wonders how she’ll
survive the week. Even more distressing—Sawyer Tate, her crush since seventh
grade, is also in the group. When a torrential rainstorm flips the boats and
strands everyone, Amy is forced to take charge. And when Sawyer makes it clear
he has feelings for her, remaining invisible is carried away on <i>a current so swift</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/This-Summer-Storm-Kristy-McCaffrey-ebook/dp/B00KRF8NUM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401985449&sr=8-1&keywords=this+summer+storm">Kindle</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-summer-storm-tornado-alley-publications/1119693540?ean=2940045991728"><span style="font-size: large;">Nook</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/445032"><span style="font-size: large;">Smashwords</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.createspace.com/4838282">TradePaperback</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
based this story on my own experience rafting the Green River when I was sixteen
years old. My parents insisted that I take an Outward Bound course, since I was
such a homebody. My trip wasn’t nearly as eventful as the crisis that befalls
Amy and her classmates; and, while there were a few other teenagers in the
group, it was mostly adults. But I hope I was able to convey how being in the
wilderness can strip down many of the social norms we’re accustomed to in our
everyday life. In Amy’s case, being forced to abandon her persona of detachment
is made all the harder because she is with kids that leave her feeling socially
intimidated. I threw in the love story because in my other life as a writer, I
pen romance novels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbFI9mzE1Di6rvjG5GiKPCP6iKDbAmXFkHGhllKEbTl-NLxPazThl4it0P_I5neyozdx-nZa7WH94_Psr8_VreNrNo-ifWkHjX2T57HMlnNsX2KvB32l0_9r_5ASFoJEEVBxqBHzlqqs/s1600/R1-02284-016A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbFI9mzE1Di6rvjG5GiKPCP6iKDbAmXFkHGhllKEbTl-NLxPazThl4it0P_I5neyozdx-nZa7WH94_Psr8_VreNrNo-ifWkHjX2T57HMlnNsX2KvB32l0_9r_5ASFoJEEVBxqBHzlqqs/s1600/R1-02284-016A.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately, I couldn't locate a photo of my trip on the Green<br />
River. This is a photo of Lava Falls Rapid in the Grand<br />
Canyon, considered one of the most fearsome<br />
stretches of whitewater on the Colorado River.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
hope readers find my story enjoyable. I don’t normally write Young Adult, but I
do have another YA short story available on Kindle. “Echo of the Plains” is a
sweet historical western romance. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eli Ryan searches for the renegade stallion, Echo,
in the Texas desert, but Cassie Callahan's stubborn protection of the horse
just might steer him off course. Learn more at <a href="http://www.kristymccaffrey.com/YA-Short-Stories.html">http://www.kristymccaffrey.com/YA-Short-Stories.html</a>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Echo-of-the-Plains-ebook/dp/B007Q4ASZU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1333330471&sr=1-1"><span style="font-size: large;">Kindle</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kristy McCaffrey is the author of several adult historical western
romances, as well YA short stories. She loves to travel and frequently writes
about her adventures on her blog, <i>Pathways</i>,
at </span><a href="http://www.kristymccaffrey.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">www.kristymccaffrey.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-28345055901649804902014-06-06T08:38:00.000-05:002014-06-06T08:38:03.650-05:00Secondary Characters That Inspire<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Secondary Characters That Inspire</span></b>
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I’m so excited to be part of Tornado Alley Publications THIS SUMMER STORM anthology! My story, ATLANTIS TWISTED TIDES, features Adria a secondary character from an earlier novel who inspired me so much I had to write not only the novella featured in this anthology, but another complete book.
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What makes a secondary character worthy of their own book and/or novella? The character needs to be compelling, needs to have room to grow, have a unique background, and an interesting story to tell or an adventure to complete.
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Readers must like and be intrigued by the secondary character you’ve chosen to star in their own story. A princess from the underwater Kingdom of Merta, Adria is the sister of Reef the hero in ATLANTIS DARK TIDES. This book was supposed to be the final book in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, but I couldn’t forget Adria. She is outspoken with her family and the adults in the royal household, but get her around people her own age and she’s tongue-tied and shy. And she had her own story to tell.
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Her half Atlantean-half mermaid princess background makes her unique. Her mother’s fear of her not being approved of has kept her secluded from other Atlantean kids. Like all teens, she worries about being accepted on a variety of levels. On top of that, Adria craves excitement and until ATLANTIS TWISTED TIDES she’d never had any of her own. I wanted to give Adria her first adventure.
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And does she ever get it. An adventure that based on the choices she makes could bring down her entire kingdom.
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Adria’s growth in ATLANTIS TWISTED TIDES takes her from inexperienced, shy girl to a teen who heads out on a quest and learns to trust her instincts. But she still has more growth to accomplish and a love to fulfill which is why she will have her own full-length book to be released later this year. Keep watching my website for information.
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So, have you ever read a book that had a minor or secondary character that you wanted to read more about? Tell me about it in the comments below for a chance to win an e-copy of ATLANTIS DARK TIDES.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIRuN5lyIZWmBut0l7DCVmaAzYn6Zt7-YwDtrA76MrLejUjzqvVZB619_p14h6HNgR3TA9LGh20zmLiBHras8cMcQmkgq8lJrt4yXkUMKF0nm7hIwvdBYF6TUeU7EiTi8XZ37VlxrnLWa/s1600/Atlantis+Dark+Tides+final+for+Barnes+and+Noble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIRuN5lyIZWmBut0l7DCVmaAzYn6Zt7-YwDtrA76MrLejUjzqvVZB619_p14h6HNgR3TA9LGh20zmLiBHras8cMcQmkgq8lJrt4yXkUMKF0nm7hIwvdBYF6TUeU7EiTi8XZ37VlxrnLWa/s1600/Atlantis+Dark+Tides+final+for+Barnes+and+Noble.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
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For more information about other books in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, visit my website at <a href="http://www.allieburton.com/">www.allieburton.com</a>.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-12598581343391207302014-06-05T01:00:00.000-05:002014-06-05T16:48:25.227-05:00THIS SUMMER STORM--NEW RELEASE AND GIVEAWAY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIk5KPqapuaXSI9HiTGYoCSiRBzCBsrDBsR6KynmRBB-znY-53Y8l8ahWwHDGnOT9E8tHa4ktEakeHFG-oeMxcPx_kmqreMRJjhmkMmcZNksR9GwLjFbHumHZltlKDNBs3VfCqYsTS0Au/s1600/THIS+SUMMER+STORM+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIk5KPqapuaXSI9HiTGYoCSiRBzCBsrDBsR6KynmRBB-znY-53Y8l8ahWwHDGnOT9E8tHa4ktEakeHFG-oeMxcPx_kmqreMRJjhmkMmcZNksR9GwLjFbHumHZltlKDNBs3VfCqYsTS0Au/s1600/THIS+SUMMER+STORM+WEB.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b>THIS SUMMER STORM </b>is a collection of some of the best young adult stories out there today! In this exciting group of tales, it seems "one of everything" happens. Tornadoes, comets, hurricanes and raging river waters are all set to wreak havoc. But just when things can't get any worse, along comes a life-changing experience in each story that is just as unsettling as the threatening weather.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Can Jo and Frog solve the mystery of the cattle rustlers, or will Halley's Comet evaporate the earth first? Will Cassie be able to undo her father's terrible mistake by getting rid of his new wife? If Adria hadn't saved Kai, would she have ever had her first kiss? When a tornado threatens, rookie police officer Steve Cooper tries to save his new neighbor Christy--but gang warfare erupts in the apartment stairwell below them. Amy's a heroine when she saves her rafting group--but Sawyer's sudden interest keeps her from wearing her familiar cloak of invisibility. Panic attacks have ruled Angela's life--until she faces something far worse than she ever could have imagined. Cassie's family life is on the verge of disaster, but when a tornado strikes, everything changes--again!<o:p></o:p></div>
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A CURRENT SO SWIFT—KRISTY MCCAFFREY</div>
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A wilderness course on the Green River in Utah has sixteen-year-old Amy Whittaker stuck on a raft with football players and cheerleaders from her high school. No longer able to maintain a low profile among the more popular crowd, she wonders how she’ll survive the week. Even more distressing—Sawyer Tate, her crush since seventh grade, is also in the group. When a torrential rainstorm flips the boats and strands everyone, Amy is forced to take charge. And when Sawyer makes it clear he has feelings for her, remaining invisible is carried away on a current so swift. </div>
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WAITING FOR A COMET—RICHARD PROSCH</div>
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During the long, hot spring of 1910 it seemed all 12-year-old Jo Harper could do was wait. Wait for her father, wait for her friends, wait for the comet that might appear in the sky and wipe out the whole town of Willowby, Wyoming once and for all. But when wild west legend Abby Drake arrives in town lugging an orphaned baby calf, an old-fashioned revolver, and a mystery shrouded with superstition, it’s up to Jo to take action. Why is Abby in town? Who is she after? And what secrets can Jo coax out of her own arch enemy, Emily Bly? </div>
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Action, humor, and real life history combine for an exciting mystery about one girl’s summertime quest for family, friendship, and justice on the windburnt Wyoming range at the dawn of a new century.</div>
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TO MAKE THE MAGIC LAST—CHERYL PIERSON</div>
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Tornado sirens wail, but Steve Cooper and Christy Reed are trapped on the top floor of their apartment building. As they try to get to safe ground, Steve is wounded by gunfire from the two rival gangs who are fighting it out in the apartment stairwell. It can’t get any worse…or can it? With no phone service because of the storm and the building collapsing around them, they must rely on each other. It’s going to take a lot of relationship magic and faith to survive what awaits them…will they live long enough TO MAKE THE MAGIC LAST?</div>
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WEEKEND WHIRLWIND—ANGEL DREW</div>
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Cassie is excited about going to her first party at Lyndsey Stapleton’s house. Lyndsey is a senior, and everyone that’s anyone will be there. But, it is a senior party and Cassie’s dad is very protective; what if he doesn’t let her go? </div>
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With her family on the verge of a breakup and Cassie’s mother’s bad choices, Cassie isn’t sure she can handle the turmoil of the coming weekend. Determined to go to the party despite her mother’s mid-life meltdown, Cassie knows she has some hard decisions ahead of her. How can she ever be her own person if she has to worry about her parents? This party means everything…but will her family be strong enough to survive one very life-changing weekend? </div>
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TAKEN BY STORM—DIANA STUART</div>
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Angela Spencer has been dealing with storms as long as she can remember. These storms take over her body, leaving her paralyzed in a wave of fear. Dealing with panic attacks has been detrimental to her high school social life, but this summer Angela is starting over. Her summer job leads to new friends, her first crush, and new opportunities to overcome challenges. As she faces down storms, Angela learns who she really is and just what she is capable of.</div>
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ATLANTIS TWISTING TIDES—ALLIE BURTON</div>
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When fifteen-year-old Atlantean Princess Adria sneaks away to see a hurricane on the surface of the ocean, she finds an air-breather in trouble. Kai’s sailboat is sinking, and Adria risks exposure of her Atlantean powers in order to save him. </div>
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Kai believes he’s rescuing Adria. He’s Atlantean too, with his own skills and secrets. </div>
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The two teens stumble onto an uninhabited island, still thinking the other needs rescuing. When other Atlanteans show up—Atlanteans plotting against Adria’s kingdom—Adria must decide whether to trust Kai based on the guy she’s come to know…or the company he keeps. </div>
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THE LAST OF HER KIND—CHERYL PIERSON </div>
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An antique Victrola record player is the cherished possession of Cassie's grandmother but her new stepmother, Trish, detests it and wants it gone. Despite the heated arguments over getting rid of it, Cassie’s father also seems oddly attached to the antique phonograph, and stands up to his new wife and her demands to see it gone. Cassie’s grandmother is sick, probably dying, and Cassie will be the only one left in the house who sees through Trish as Cassie's brothers no longer live with them. Trish is a threat, and Cassie must protect their family—what’s left of it.</div>
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Then Cassie discovers a secret; something so wonderful, yet frightening, that she can hardly believe it. Can she make it work to her advantage? Will her new knowledge save her family…or destroy it?</div>
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Links<br />
Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/This-Summer-Storm-Kristy-McCaffrey/dp/1499771894/ref=as_sl_pc_ss_til?tag=httpliviajwac-20&linkCode=w01&linkId=S2H2BDQFSBN2ZU5Y&creativeASIN=1499771894">Trade Paperback</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/This-Summer-Storm-Kristy-McCaffrey-ebook/dp/B00KRF8NUM/ref=as_sl_pc_ss_til?tag=httpliviajwac-20&linkCode=w01&linkId=DPDEQ55ATUTIGRPU&creativeASIN=B00KRF8NUM">Kindle</a> <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/445032">Smashwords</a></div>
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<b>We're giving away a digital copy of THIS SUMMER STORM to one lucky commenter today! Be sure to leave your contact information in your comment for the drawing, and good luck!</b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Livia J Washburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958199886826207363noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-24037558349518009362014-06-04T01:00:00.000-05:002014-06-04T07:27:52.036-05:00Waiting For a Comet by Richard Prosch<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEN_MvH7o5385LpsQpejfIRgq8dDeuu3Eo627zwaYn2buYOwpcdBkSm_KYKk55_wrylS0PVJMlqDDrdr7dufXsBl7lYAaMJ9oj8gx855yi97O-BIIBnL0O1ts-4rsA_XBHxtXxngJa3e9_/s1600/rich_and_moose02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEN_MvH7o5385LpsQpejfIRgq8dDeuu3Eo627zwaYn2buYOwpcdBkSm_KYKk55_wrylS0PVJMlqDDrdr7dufXsBl7lYAaMJ9oj8gx855yi97O-BIIBnL0O1ts-4rsA_XBHxtXxngJa3e9_/s1600/rich_and_moose02.jpg" height="320" width="281" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Looking back, it’s hard to believe the stuff we
imagined, the stuff we did, and the stuff we got away with while growing up in
a rural area. On<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a farm, ranch, or small
town with easy access to the country, the sheer variety of opportunities are unimagined
in the cities. Opportunities for education. Opportunities for fun.
Opportunities for trouble!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In my story, “Waiting For a Comet,” part of TAP’s
new anthology, THIS SUMMER STORM, twelve-year-old Jo Harper takes full
advantage of her country setting to help justice prevail. It’s the kind of mystery
I imagined growing up on a northeast Nebraska farm in the ‘70s. And, in looking
back over the story, some of Jo’s adventures aren’t so far removed from my own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here’s something that directly influenced a scene in
“Waiting for a Comet.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I was eight or nine years old, I was obsessed
with dinosaurs. Fact is, I knew I’d grow up to be a famous archeologist,
somebody who discovered heretofore unknown species of lightning bugs in amber
and thunder lizards in rock. To do that, I knew I’d have to read up on the
subject, so I checked out every library book about dinosaurs I could find. But
more important, I knew I needed to get crackin’ in the field. There’s just no
substitute for hands on experience.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My grandpa’s cow pasture became an untapped sea of
Jurassic-age treasure. Under the dry bluestem I knew I’d find a million
fossils. In the banks of the wandering crick, I was sure to locate a footprint
or twelve. At the very least I hoped for a collection of Indian arrowheads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I heard that a hunting guide along the
Niobrara river, twenty miles north, had discovered the remains of a wooly
mammoth (a creature the local Ponca tribe called Pasnuta), my dreams reveled in
newfound credibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And then one day: the mother-lode.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My friend Greg and I discovered a near complete
skeleton. Small and bleached white, a perfect specimen preserved there on the
flaking mud floor of the crick. Consisting of a skull, a rib cage and a couple
long “dog bones,” it was just small enough for two kids to manage, and we drug
it off to my fort. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We argued about it. Was it a baby Tyrannosaurus?
Maybe a little Stegosaur? Greg even suggested it might be a Pterodactyl. We
simply hadn’t yet found the wings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
spent the afternoon setting up our display.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We invited my parents and grandparents to the newly christened “Museum
Wing” of the fort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even charged
admission (a quarter).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t know what the grown-ups expected. My mom, I
think, figured we had set up a display of our plastic model toys. My grandpa
probably thought we found some old tree limbs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nobody figured on us finding the remains of a baby
calf that had gone missing in the early spring. But that’s what we had. And
after a round of “Pee-ewws” and then, “Where did you find it?” we were driven
up to the house and into the bath tub for a serious scrubbing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The best part in looking back is remembering how on
one level I knew the rack of old bones wasn’t a real dinosaur, and yet…on another
level, convincing myself that maybe it was. What if? Why not? Then what?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Those three questions led to plenty of nonsense on
the farm. But they also led to plenty of wonder. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They still do!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555353642460832693.post-25576262899497482972014-06-01T00:32:00.001-05:002014-06-01T00:48:26.156-05:00Welcome to Tornado Alley Publications<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3-l2bb0dhMsTTrxEoBl8oQEGag9VFfqOsfhHQv98QOe3PAUIKYDcyaz6RioBxreRAYytXETa2iQf8o-uI-4wfhpcDNslNNn_AzdiLSpRa140Unlwy92QeTaBf8-CG1pNciATizqf4cM/s1600/Cheryl7126.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3-l2bb0dhMsTTrxEoBl8oQEGag9VFfqOsfhHQv98QOe3PAUIKYDcyaz6RioBxreRAYytXETa2iQf8o-uI-4wfhpcDNslNNn_AzdiLSpRa140Unlwy92QeTaBf8-CG1pNciATizqf4cM/s400/Cheryl7126.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Welcome to the Tornado Alley Publications blog! <br />
<br />
We've got a lot of great stories coming up in the near future from some very talented authors! First rattle out of the box is our first Tornado Alley Publications anthology for Young Adult readers, THIS SUMMER STORM.<br />
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Authors include: Kristy McCaffrey, Richard Prosch, Angel Drew, Diana Stuart, Allie Burton, and Cheryl Pierson.<br />
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Here's a little bit about the stories in <b>THIS SUMMER STORM:<br />
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</b><b>A CURRENT SO SWIFT—KRISTY MCCAFFREY</b><br />
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A wilderness course on the Green River in Utah has sixteen-year-old Amy Whittaker stuck on a raft with football players and cheerleaders from her high school. No longer able to maintain a low profile among the more popular crowd, she wonders how she’ll survive the week. Even more distressing—Sawyer Tate, her crush since seventh grade, is also in the group. When a torrential rainstorm flips the boats and strands everyone, Amy is forced to take charge. And when Sawyer makes it clear he has feelings for her, remaining invisible is carried away on a current so swift. <br />
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<b>TO MAKE THE MAGIC LAST—CHERYL PIERSON</b><br />
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Rookie police officer Steve Cooper heads out for work one morning just as the city's tornado sirens blast a warning. In the stairwell, he runs into a different situation—a gang war in his apartment building. Shots ring out and Steve catches a bullet. <br />
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Christy Reed, his enchanting new neighbor, pulls him into her apartment and attempts to stop the bleeding. Recently arrived from Mississippi, Christy has no idea what the sirens and gunfire mean, but she is terrified.<br />
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As the storm bears down, they take refuge in the bathtub. Through the pain, Steve finds himself drawn to Christy. There's some sort of magic about her. Christy feels the same about Steve. He's the man she's always dreamed of meeting.<br />
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When the building collapses around them and they meet the gunmen once more, will Steve and Christy have what it takes to help each other survive? Can they make the magic last?<br />
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<b>THE LAST OF HER KIND—CHERYL PIERSON <br />
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</b>An antique Victrola record player is the cherished possession of Cassie's grandmother but her new stepmother, Trish, detests it and wants it gone. Despite the heated arguments over getting rid of it, Cassie’s father also seems oddly attached to the antique phonograph, and stands up to his new wife and her demands to see it gone. Cassie’s grandmother is sick, probably dying, and Cassie will be the only one left in the house who sees through Trish as Cassie's brothers no longer live with them. Trish is a threat, and Cassie must protect their family—what’s left of it.<br />
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Then Cassie discovers a secret; something so wonderful, yet frightening, that she can hardly believe it. Can she make it work to her advantage? Will her new knowledge save her family…or destroy it?<br />
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<b>WAITING FOR A COMET—RICHARD PROSCH</b><br />
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During the long, hot spring of 1910 it seemed all 12-year-old Jo Harper could do was wait. Wait for her father, wait for her friends, wait for the comet that might appear in the sky and wipe out the whole town of Willowby, Wyoming once and for all. But when wild west legend Abby Drake arrives in town lugging an orphaned baby calf, an old-fashioned revolver, and a mystery shrouded with superstition, it’s up to Jo to take action. Why is Abby in town? Who is she after? And what secrets can Jo coax out of her own arch enemy, Emily Bly? <br />
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Action, humor, and real life history combine for an exciting mystery about one girl’s summertime quest for family, friendship, and justice on the windburnt Wyoming range at the dawn of a new century.<br />
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<b>WEEKEND WHIRLWIND —ANGEL DREW<br />
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</b>Cassie is excited about going to her first party at Lyndsey Stapleton’s house. Lyndsey is a senior, and everyone that’s anyone will be there. But, it is a senior party and Cassie’s dad is very protective; what if he doesn’t let her go?<br />
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With her family on the verge of a breakup and Cassie’s mother’s bad choices, Cassie isn’t sure she can handle the turmoil of the coming weekend. Determined to go to the party despite her mother’s mid-life meltdown, Cassie knows she has some hard decisions ahead of her. How can she ever be her own person if she has to worry about her parents? This party means everything…but will her family be strong enough to survive one very life-changing weekend? <br />
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<b>TAKEN BY STORM—DIANA STUART</b><br />
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Angela Spencer has been dealing with storms as long as she can remember. These storms take over her body, leaving her paralyzed in a wave of fear. Dealing with panic attacks has been detrimental to her high school social life, but this summer Angela is starting over. Her summer job leads to new friends, her first crush, and new opportunities to overcome challenges. As she faces down storms, Angela learns who she really is and just what she is capable of.<br />
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<b>ATLANTIS TWISTING TIDES—ALLIE BURTON<br />
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</b>When fifteen-year-old Atlantean Princess Adria sneaks away to see a hurricane on the surface of the ocean, she finds an air-breather in trouble. Kai’s sailboat is sinking, and Adria risks exposure of her Atlantean powers in order to save him.<br />
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Kai believes he’s rescuing Adria. He’s Atlantean too, with his own skills and secrets. <br />
The two teens stumble onto an uninhabited island, still thinking the other needs rescuing. When other Atlanteans show up—Atlanteans plotting against Adria’s kingdom—Adria must decide whether to trust Kai based on the guy she’s come to know…or the company he keeps.<br />
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<b>This wonderful anthology will be available on THURSDAY, JUNE 5! <i></i></b>Cheryl Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18116526340220274282noreply@blogger.com5