tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55364116689629191272024-03-13T14:24:47.229-04:00Pavarti K. Tyler - My life of Books and Beauty"The good deed and the evil deed are never equal. Repel the evil deed with something that is better and lovelier." [Qur'an 41:34]Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.comBlogger206125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-55822370717782808832012-01-04T08:43:00.001-05:002012-01-04T08:43:20.940-05:00Walking Pneumonia 2 - Pav 0<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What's walking pneumonia you ask? Well, please, let me show you this illustration which looks almost as gross as I feel:<br />
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See there, in the second picture? How there's gunk and green and nastiness and inflamed and red lung tissue? Yep, that's me.<br />
<br />
After feeling like crap and developing yet another fever I went to the Dr. It seems the last round of antibiotics (prescribed Dec 5th FYI) didn't kill whatever is living in my head. Now I have pills large enough to be given to horses and steroids to try and get me better. Isn't that fantastic? Actually, I'm only kind of kidding. After 8 weeks of feeling like I had no energy, no patience, no focus and no ability to just get the fuck over it, it's kind of a relief to know that there really has been something wrong.<br />
<br />
So now, I'm down for the count again. Trying to sit at my desk and hammer out some work. I haven't written anything in over a month thanks to my energy level and although I have the next section of 2MOS I need to do all plotted out I feel like I'm underwater all the time, so it will have to wait.<br />
<br />
On a more exciting note, after 3 days of not being able to hear, the pressure in my right ear finally popped. All I can say is ewww.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-81831228074717199702012-01-01T09:58:00.001-05:002012-01-01T10:00:07.842-05:00The Year Ahead<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
2011 was about as awesome as it could have hoped to be. My personal tax business grew, my kids thrived, my writing took off and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005U81SCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005U81SCQ">Two Moons of Sera </a>hit the streets running. Plus I've started working for Novel Publicity and made some really amazing writer friends who are supportive, giving and talented. <br />
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So, what can we hope out of 2012? Oh shit, it's going to be epic!<br />
<br />
Already on Jan 1st Two Moons of Sera Part II has been released on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005U81SCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005U81SCQ">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94565">Smashwords </a>and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/two-moons-of-sera-pavarti-k-tyler/1105811994?ean=2940013856493&itm=1&usri=two+moons+of+sera">Nook</a>. If you already purchased a copy, you can go download the update for FREE. If you haven't, than go get your copy now. Parts I and II are only $1.49.<br />
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March 1st will bring the release of Part III at the price of $1.99. Right now I'm anticipating a minimum of 6 parts before we're done, so enjoy the ride!<br />
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In May I will be releasing <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12372363-shadow-on-the-wall"><i>Shadow on the Wall</i> </a>in paperback, ebook and limited edition hard cover. Watch for excerpts, news and opportunities to win an Advanced Copy. Shadow is already gaining a lot of attention online and in traditional media and is one of the top 100 anticipated books of 2012 on GoodReads. This is the first book of <i>The SandStorm Chronicles</i>. Book Two - <i>Prisoners of the Wind </i>is tentatively scheduled for 2013.<br />
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Toward the end of 2012 I am hoping to release <i>DEVOUR.</i> This story has been a long time coming and has earned me the title of "one fucked up puppy." I can't wait to hear what you think of it :)<br />
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2012 will also mark the 4th year of my private accounting firm - <a href="http://www.fightingmonkey.com/">www.fightingmonkey.com</a>. I'm looking forward to a great year, professionally and personally.<br />
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Happy writing my friends - what are your goals this year?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-47611770751319167202011-12-27T09:22:00.000-05:002011-12-27T09:22:00.194-05:00Hello 2012. Goodbye World! A Guest Post by Emlyn Chand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.novelpublicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Farsighted-Cover-Large-202x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.novelpublicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Farsighted-Cover-Large-202x300.jpg" /></a></div>
Only 99 cents this week. <br />
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And as part of the blog tour there are a ton of $ prizes to win, more about that at the bottom of this post.<br />
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<br />
About <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005WXFG54/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005WXFG54">Farsighted</a>: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005WXFG54/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005WXFG54">Farsighted</a> is the winner of the 2011 Dragonfly eBook Awards. Get it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005WXFG54/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005WXFG54">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/farsighted-emlyn-chand/1106607652?ean=2940013294646&itm=1&usri=farsighted">Barnes & Noble</a>. <br />
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About the Author: Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit her on <a href="http://www.emlynchand.com/">her website</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/emlynchand">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/emlynchand">Facebook</a>, or <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/emlynchand">GoodReads</a>. <br />
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<b>Hello 2012. Goodbye World! A Guest Post by Emlyn Chand </b><br />
The New Year is upon us. And if the Mayans were right, so is the apocalypse. Oh, man… Just when Earth was getting good. <br />
<br />
Well if I’m going to go by flame, flood, meteoric collision, or zombie uprising, I think it’s best to be prepared. No, not with a flame retardant unitard or a well-equipped cross bow, but with mental resolution—with a calm acceptance of humanity’s plight. <br />
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Consider this a combo suicide note/ Dear John letter to the world. I might as well get a few final words in (just in case those Mayans knew what they were talking about). Pfffhew, here goes… <br />
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Dear World, <br />
<br />
I wish I didn’t have to write this letter. We’ve been together some twenty-seven years, and that’s a long time. Sure, we’ve had our clashes. You’ve sent a fair share of inclement weather my way. Remember that thunder storm when the tree almost broke through the window of my apartment? I was so scared. That was totally not cool on your part. And tornados? I mean what’s that about. Control your temper! <br />
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But I know I’ve hurt you too. I’ve been frivolous with your resources and have sometimes even—gasp—littered. I bought a V6 when I could’ve bought a hybrid. In fact, I think my carbon footprint is a size 12 at least—and that’s a size you have to special order at the shoe store. Yeah, I’m not saying I’m perfect. We all do things we regret, but Earth, you know I love you, right? That’s why it’s so difficult saying what I have to say… <br />
<br />
We can’t be together anymore. I’ve heard talk of a major problem. They say you’re going to die a horrific death, and since I count on you for protection, I’m gonna die too. I’d like to say we’ll be together in the next world, but do planets go to Heaven? I can’t say for certain, so I think I should say goodbye instead. <br />
<br />
We’ve had a good run, you and I. And I never regret having loved you. How I wish I could save us both, but who am I to interfere with an ancient prophecy? <br />
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I’ll miss the way you spill light through my closed blinds in the early morning, gently telling me it’s time to start my day. And I’ll remember fondly the way the ground smells after a restorative rain shower—the way the pitter patter on my skin prickles like teensy weensy fingers giving me a massage, the way the earthworms come out of the ground and dance on the pavement. The songs of birds in the morning are my favorite; they always sound so happy. I wish I understood the lyrics to their upbeat symphony so that I could join in with them. And ice cream? I’ll give you credit for that, because the cows are yours, the vanilla bean is yours, the sugar is yours. The taste is magnificent! To never feel that icy sensation arouse my taste buds again is such a great shame. <br />
<br />
I’m tearing up now just thinking about all our good times together. I hope you’ll remember me with the same fondness. No matter what happens, I will ALWAYS love you. <br />
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Now it’s time to say goodbye. Go out with a smile, <br />
<img src="http://www.novelpublicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/signature-2-300x113.png" />
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<b>To Win the Prizes </b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Purchase your copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005WXFG54/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005WXFG54">Farsighted</a> for just 99 cents on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005WXFG54/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005WXFG54">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/farsighted-emlyn-chand/1106607652?ean=2940013294646&itm=1&usri=farsighted">Barnes & Noble</a></li>
<li>Fill-out <a href="http://www.novelpublicity.com/farsighted-whirlwind/">the form on Novel Publicity</a> to enter for the prizes</li>
<li>Visit today’s featured event; you may win an autographed copy of the book or a $50 gift card!</li>
<li>BONUS: If you leave a comment on this blog post, you have another chance at $100!</li>
<li>DOUBLE BONUS: If I receive more comments than any other blogger, *I* win $100. </li>
</ul>
<b>The Featured Events include: </b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Monday, a guest blog on Novel Publicity! Emlyn kicks off the tour on <a href="http://www.novelpublicity.com/farsighted-whirlwind/">the Novel Publicity Free Advice blog</a> by discussing her brightly burning passion for books in a guest post entitled “My journey through the pages and toward a life-long love of reading.” One commenter will win an autographed copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005WXFG54/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005WXFG54">Farsighted</a>. </li>
<li>Tuesday, Twitter sharing contest! A tweet is tiny, only 140 characters. But on Tuesday, it could win you $50. An autographed copy of Farsighted is also up for grabs. Here’s the tweet: Looking for a fun read to round out your holiday break? The paranormal YA hit Farsighted is just 99 cents! http://ow.ly/81Dt1 #whirlwind </li>
<li>Wednesday, Google+ sharing contest! Yup, there’s yet another awesome opportunity to win a $50 Amazon gift card, and this time it just takes a single click! Visit Google+ and <a href="https://plus.google.com/100227436861049512391/posts">share Emlyn Chand’s most recent post</a> (you’ll see the Stay Farsighted book cover included with it). An autographed copy of Farsighted is also up for grabs. </li>
<li>Thursday, Facebook sharing contest! Stop by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/novelpublicity">Novel Publicity’s Facebook page</a> and share their latest post (you’ll see the Farsighted book cover included with it). An autographed copy of Farsighted is also up for grabs. </li>
<li>Friday, special contest on the author’s site! Are you ready for some more fun? Take a picture of yourself with your copy of Farsighted either in paperback or on an eReading device, then post it to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/emlynchand">Emlyn Chand’s Facebook page</a> or email a copy to <a href="mailto:author@emlynchand.com">author@emlynchand.com</a>. You just way win one of three Amazon gift cards! A $100 prize will go to the photo with the most interesting setting (so put your holiday travel time to work for you). Another $50 will go the funniest photo, and one more prize of $50 will go the scariest photo—this is a paranormal YA book after all. An autographed copy of Farsighted will go to one randomly selected entrant. For more details about this contest, please visit <a href="http://www.emlynchand.com/">www.emlynchand.com</a>. </li>
</ul>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-36099948168190798272011-12-21T09:42:00.001-05:002011-12-21T09:43:35.034-05:00Piece by Piece, Step by Step - Why Two Moons of Sera is a serial novel #2MOS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005U81SCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005U81SCQ">Two Moons of Sera</a> is being released as a serial novel. Part I came out on November 1st and Part II is being released on Jan 1st, just in time for the New Year! For those who bought Part I remember, you can download <i>all</i> of the following instalments for free. If you haven't you'll pay more for Part II but you'll get the rest for free, and so on and so forth.</div>
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This is a very old approach to publishing
that I'm gambling will make the experience of reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005U81SCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005U81SCQ">2MOS</a> more engaging,
dynamic and fun.</div>
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In the 1800s, most popular fiction was released in serial
format, either individually or as part of a magazine. Even Charles Dickens released a number of his
novels this way and more recently Steven King published <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plant" title="The Plant">The Plant</a> </i>as a serial. The reasons for this vary from economic to
cultural. However, publishing in this
manner meant two things: 1 - The reader had to wait between sections and 2 -
The author had to write in a manner that would make the reader want more.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium/arabian-nights-yvonne-ayoub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium/arabian-nights-yvonne-ayoub.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arabian Nights Painting by Yvonne Ayoub</td></tr>
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Arabian Nights is based around the idea of a serial
novel. For 1001 nights <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheherazade" title="Scheherazade">Scheherazade</a>
entertained King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_One_Thousand_and_One_Nights_characters" title="List of One Thousand and One Nights characters">Shahriyar</a> by telling
him stories. When the story ended, she
was sure to be executed. By continuing
the story and ending each night with a cliff hanger she managed to keep him
enthralled and willing to extend her life for just one more night.</div>
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Quite a bit of talent that would take, to tell an engaging
story that ends in just the right place to make you want more!</div>
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Some may think this publishing style is a scheme to make
more money, making readers pay for each new section. For me, this has nothing to do with it. The final ebook will be $4.99. However, if you purchase it now it is only
$0.99. You will have to wait for each
update but the rest of the book will be yours to download completely free of
charge. </div>
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My reasoning for doing this is so that early readers of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005U81SCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005U81SCQ">Two Moons of Sera</a> are rewarded for going on this adventure with me. As each volume is added the price will
increase, mean that those who come to the story later won't get the same great
price and experience as those who buy it now.</div>
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It is my hope that by releasing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005U81SCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005U81SCQ">Two Moons of Sera</a> in this manner the reader will be able to engage and lose
themselves in the story: live in and experience it more fully. I for one am likely to devour a book. I read the entire Twilight Saga in one week. That's an astronomical number of pages. But what happens is you miss details and
forget plots, all in the interest of consuming the story.</div>
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While I hope that you love <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005U81SCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005U81SCQ">2MOS</a> so much you want to read it
all at once, I also want to invite you to review, comment, twitter or email
about it. Join me in the Super Secret <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005U81SCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005U81SCQ">2MOS</a> Insiders Fan Page (you can only get in by following the link at the end of
the ebook so grab a copy and join the fun).
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005U81SCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005U81SCQ">Two Moons of Sera</a> is a special book, it's a journey that I'm thrilled to have
you accompany me on. I hope that by
releasing it in parts, we will have the chance
to experience the characters and plots deeply and together.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-21838231014930245902011-12-20T09:01:00.000-05:002011-12-20T09:01:00.182-05:00Interview with Author Jess C Scott<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO24rmz56RjcJ0DVan6_ARwU6hAs4BXimmxbJ-ewbfBbBGy_kEMKZ21FXVnw4n7tAsLtCKlmc6yRsZ7XN2W-gkZg9rHF5TYxq0balrf4GLz7mD0yEWO8q44x_dLJSIeoRVnv3Q3Pkw-sI/s1600/jcs_300.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/AVvXsEhO24rmz56RjcJ0DVan6_ARwU6hAs4BXimmxbJ-ewbfBbBGy_kEMKZ21FXVnw4n7tAsLtCKlmc6yRsZ7XN2W-gkZg9rHF5TYxq0balrf4GLz7mD0yEWO8q44x_dLJSIeoRVnv3Q3Pkw-sI/s1600/jcs_300.jpg" /></a></div>
Please welcome the adorable, beautiful and funny Jess C Scott to my blog today. I was able to interview her recently and after talking to her I think I might have a little crush. Check her out and leave a comment, I know she'll love to hear from you :)<br />
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Pav: Hi! Introduce yourself to our friendly readers!:<br />
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JCS: Hello! I usually introduce myself as an author/artist/non-conformist. My goal as a writer is to create original stories that are both entertaining and meaningful.<br />
<br />
Pav: What genre do you write?<br />
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JCS: I write in a range of different genres [YA fiction, contemporary fiction, erotic literature, cyberpunk, poetry, new media, and Christian Fiction (upcoming)]. Regardless of the genre, most of my work is fueled by an intense drive to inspire others to favor social/spiritual values over shallow values, and to encourage others to dare to create their own realities (instead of what the mainstream media tells us "is right" based on what's currently "popular").<br />
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Pav: What inspired you to write this story?<br />
<br />
JCS: I'm currently completing Sven, an incubus-themed novella. I've always liked the interplay between sexual and spiritual energy. Both are very potent as creative forces, and respecting these two departments (sex and spirituality) allows me to explore and navigate new directions with many projects.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IgM9BdZcCSl30rMK50J0Y1YHbIwhFCxlwd_zYlALzsXGV4-u-qz_uJk8FYYnWqWbgharL8A_77RGjw2R9P761BDLg63-cSfSUJMZyTWOTSLjaW4ZiFKnYFwBDZBpyHhOO2_Izlo8SDY/s1600/sven.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IgM9BdZcCSl30rMK50J0Y1YHbIwhFCxlwd_zYlALzsXGV4-u-qz_uJk8FYYnWqWbgharL8A_77RGjw2R9P761BDLg63-cSfSUJMZyTWOTSLjaW4ZiFKnYFwBDZBpyHhOO2_Izlo8SDY/s320/sven.jpg" width="232" /></a>Pav: Can you give us a taste? Maybe a paragraph from your book?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IgM9BdZcCSl30rMK50J0Y1YHbIwhFCxlwd_zYlALzsXGV4-u-qz_uJk8FYYnWqWbgharL8A_77RGjw2R9P761BDLg63-cSfSUJMZyTWOTSLjaW4ZiFKnYFwBDZBpyHhOO2_Izlo8SDY/s1600/sven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>JCS: Sure--here's the opening paragraph (from <a href="http://jessink.com/sven.htm">Sven</a>):<br />
<br />
"Sven was right up at the edge of Chelsea Church’s bed. He knew all her secrets--he’d been watching the Teen Queen for a while, since a couple of years ago, during his earliest days as an incubus. She had been through so much--so, so, much--and her demons were catching up with her."<br />
<br />
Pav: What do you think your books say about you?<br />
<br />
JCS: I think they reflect my goal(s) and drive(s) as a writer ;)<br />
<br />
Pav: What are you reading right now?<br />
<br />
JCS: I'm reading a couple of astrology books, a non-fiction military book, and a whole bunch of other books (both print and on Kindle). I have George Orwell, John Ruskin, and Nietzsche somewhere in the list. And The Intimate Sex Lives of Famous People by David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace. It's very witty and informative--a real riot!<br />
<br />
Pav: Who are your favorite authors?<br />
<br />
JCS: Too many to list, but some of the mainstays are: Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare, Roald Dahl, Anaïs Nin, Vladimir Nabokov, Leo Tolstoy, John Ruskin, Ambrose Bierce, John Keats, D. H. Lawrence, Emily Dickinson, William Blake, Ryokan, Ikkyu, Sappho, J. G. Ballard, Vivian Vande Velde, Jane Yolen, Diana Wynne Jones... <br />
<br />
Pav: OMG I love Anais Nin and DH Lawrence too, her essays about his work were amazing. Now I'm really curious, what is your current project?<br />
<br />
JCS: I'm currently completing the Naked Heat anthology (incubus/succubus-themed), The Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy (urban fantasy/cyberpunk), and an ongoing YA "seven deadly sins" series. I have a page on my website to keep track of all the various projects.<br />
<br />
Pav: What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?<br />
<br />
JCS: Read. Write. Repeat.<br />
<br />
Pav: Where can people connect with you online?<br />
JCS: <br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/jesscscott">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/jessINKbooks">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://jessink.com/">Website</a><br />
<a href="http://jesscscott.wordpress.com/">Blog</a><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/jesscscott">Goodreads</a> <br />
<br />
Pav: What format does your book(s) come in.<br />
<br />
JCS: Print and eBook<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jess-C-Scott/e/B002FBJLZ2">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jesscscott">Smashwords</a><br />
<a href="http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=jess%2Bc%2Bscott">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
<a href="http://jessink.com/booklist.htm">Other</a> <br />
<br />
Pav: Any other links or info you'd like to share?<br />
<br />
JCS: Thanks so much for hosting me today--and to readers, thanks for taking the time to check out this interview!<br />
<br />
Pav: And now in the tradition of all good interviews I will ask some random questions: <br />
Chocolate or Vanilla?<br />
<br />
JCS: Chocolate all the way (even with the breakouts).<br />
<br />
Pav: Beach or Mountains?<br />
<br />
JCS: Mountain beach resort.<br />
<br />
Pav: Erotica or Romance?<br />
<br />
JCS: I like erotica that focuses on the erotic life (not pornography), and romance that focuses on a love story (not emotional lust).<br />
<br />
Pav: Force or Persuade?<br />
<br />
JCS: Persuade. It's more charming and challenging ;)<br />
<br />
Pav: Pluto: Planet or Satelite?<br />
<br />
JCS: Planet (I'm an enthusiastic student of astrology!).<br />
<br />
Pav: I'm totally with you, Team Pluto forever! Thanks for stopping by Jess! </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-47124979929698870272011-12-15T11:20:00.001-05:002011-12-15T11:20:41.022-05:00Autism and the fun or organizing a Ninja<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.executiveconsultinginc.com/resources/organization-alignment.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://www.executiveconsultinginc.com/resources/organization-alignment.jpg" width="400" /></a>Ninjas, by their very nature, are untamable creatures of incredible power. They cannot be contained, they cannot be tied down, they cannot be limited. Their powers of persuasion, imagination and stealth are unparalleled in the world of elementary school. To deny this or fight against it is unwise and only undertaken with the knowledge you are beginning on a journey of great peril.<br />
<br />
And yet - third graders have to turn in their damn homework.<br />
<br />
"Oh," the ninja responds when I remind her of this for the 17 thousandth time.<br />
<br />
Yesterday midquarter progress reports came home with asterisk marks for incomplete work abounding. You can imagine how frustrating this is when I check her homework every night. I even write notes to her teacher outlining what has been done and asking for copies of incomplete work so we can complete it. Tragically, working with Ninja handlers is much like herding cats. They're great with the ninjas but not easy to focus on the parents.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/1001/squirrel-ninja-school-ninja-demotivational-poster-1262799052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/1001/squirrel-ninja-school-ninja-demotivational-poster-1262799052.jpg" width="320" /></a>This morning I went into the classroom with the progress report and sat behind the Ninja's desk, digging around through piles of throwing stars and swords hoping to find something to write with. Note, this was at the work table. Ninja's desk was actually a smidge better organised.<br />
<br />
Finally, after much heavy lifting and a few minor injuries I found the missing assignments. I marked on the progress report what I was including, what I had for her to do and what I needed more clarification on. I wrote a page long letter explaining what I'd done and instructed the little ninja to keep everything in her binder, not take it out upon pain of seppuku.<br />
<br />
Will it work? Who knows, Ninjas have their own way of doing things, now if we could just get the adults organised...<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-44263979382748177452011-12-13T07:58:00.000-05:002011-12-13T07:58:35.664-05:00The Importance of Music and how it Inspired In Leah's Wake - by Terri Long<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before we get into the official post, I'd just like to say that anyone who has Mother Love Bone and Bruce Springsteen on the same soundtrack is okay in my book. Terri, we clearly don't spend enough time together!<br />
Pav<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.novelpublicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/In-Leahs-Wake-cover-195x300.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-4750" height="300" src="http://www.novelpublicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/In-Leahs-Wake-cover-195x300.jpg" title="Check out In Leah's Wake today" width="195" /></a>As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the<i> In Leah’s Wake </i>eBook edition has dropped to just 99 cents this week.<br />
<br />
What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low
price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including Amazon gift
cards of up to $500 in amount and 5 autographed copies of the book. Be
sure to enter before the end of the day on Friday, December 16th, so you
don’t miss out.<br />
<br />
<b>About</b><b> </b><i><b>In Leah’ Wake</b></i>:
The Tyler family had the perfect life – until sixteen-year-old Leah
decided she didn’t want to be perfect anymore. While her parents fight
to save their daughter from destroying her brilliant future, Leah’s
younger sister, Justine, must cope with the damage her out-of-control
sibling leaves in her wake. What happens when love just isn’t enough? <b><i> Get it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044XV7PG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=novelpubli-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0044XV7PG">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-leahs-wake-terri-giuliano-long/1100076503?ean=2940012401625&format=nook-book&itm=1&usri=in+leah%27s+wake">Barnes & Noble</a>.</i></b><br />
<h1 align="center">
<span style="font-size: large;">Soundtrack from <i>In Leah’s Wake</i></span></h1>
<div align="center">
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<span><a href="http://grooveshark.com/playlist/Leah+s+Wake+Soundtrack/64708642" title="Leah's Wake Soundtrack by Pavarti K Tyler on Grooveshark">Leah's Wake Soundtrack by Pavarti K Tyler on Grooveshark</a></span></object></object>
<br />
<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">What’s the Story, Morning Glory?</span></h1>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Importance of Music and how it Inspired In Leah’s Wake</span></h3>
</div>
Although I find it too distracting to listen to music while I write,
inspiration for my stories often arises from music. While I was writing <i>In Leah’s Wake</i>,
songs brought me into the emotional state necessary to write difficult
scenes. Songs set a mood, which helped me envision places, and songs
helped me to identify and shape the book’s themes.<br />
<br />
The novel opens with Zoe and Will listening to the Van Morrison song
“Tupelo Honey,” a sweet love song that gives their relationship context
by suggesting happier, better days. “Showdown at Big Sky,” which Will
puts on the stereo next, foreshadows the problems on the horizon, and
“Face in the Crowd” speaks to the profound loneliness Will feels as he
waits up for Leah that night, imaging all the unthinkable horrors that
might have befallen his daughter.<br />
<br />
Later in the book, the song “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina,” from <i>Evita</i>,
gave me a glimpse into Zoe’s fractured emotional state—remorse
compelled by abiding love—as she drives home, wondering what to expect
next from her rebellious teenage daughter: “I still need your love after
all that I’ve done . . . I love you and I hope you love me . . .”
“Stardog Champion” from <i>Stardog Champion</i> by Mother Love Bone,
suggests power, so appropriate to the post-fight euphoria felt by Todd
and Lupo after a showdown with Will.<br />
<br />
Often, songs transport me to a place. Listening to Miles Davis one
evening brought me, in my mind, to the coffeehouse Zoe visits with the
policeman, Jerry Johnson. Music also helps me to clarify themes. One
night, on our way home from dinner, my husband, Dave, played the Bruce
Springsteen album <i>Greetings From Asbury Park</i>. The song “Growin’
Up” struck a nerve and I insisted on listening to it over and over. I
saw Leah, a good kid, just trying to grow up and make her way in the
world.<br />
<br />
I heard “Champagne Super Nova,” from the Oasis CD <i>What’s the Story? Morning Glory</i>,
when I stepped out of the shower one morning. Our house was wired for
sound and Dave was playing the new CD he’d just bought. As with “Growin’
Up,” I insisted that he replay the song, and then replay it again. The
pivotal scene, where Justine asks Leah for a cigarette and Leah allows
her little sister to smoke, blossomed as I listened to the music.<br />
<br />
As I wrote, music came to play a defining role in the book, and I
would often search for the right music after writing a scene. The Liszt
piano solo “Hungarian Rhapsodies” mirrors Zoe’s frenzied mind as she
drives home from her motivational workshop, the day after Leah shows up
drunk at 3:00 a.m., after a wild party. The same happened with “Paranoid
Android,” from <i>Okay Computer</i> by Radiohead, “I’m On Fire,” from the Bruce Springsteen album <i>Born in the USA</i>, “Stardog Champion,” from <i>Stardog Champion</i> by Mother Love Bone, “I Loves You Porgy” from <i>Porgy and Bess</i>, and “Misguided Angel,” from <i>The Trinity Session</i> by the Cowboy Junkies.<br />
<br />
Without music, <i>In Leah’s Wake</i> would be a very different – and for me, the writer, much less compelling book.<br />
<br />
For those of you who, like me, find inspiration in music, here’s the soundtrack. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="Terri Giuliano Long" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-7904" height="150" src="http://www.novelpublicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/profile-photo-150x150.jpg" title="Terri Giuliano Long" width="150" /><b> </b></div>
<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<b>About the Author</b>: Terri Giuliano Long grew up in
the company of stories both of her own making and as written by others.
Books offer her a zest for life’s highs and comfort in its lows. She’s
all-too-happy to share this love with others as a novelist and a writing
teacher at Boston College. She was grateful and thrilled beyond words
when her award-winning debut literary novel, In Leah’s Wake, hit the
Barnes and Noble and Amazon bestseller lists in August. She owes a lot
of wonderful people – big time! – for any success she’s enjoyed!<b><i> Visit her on <a href="http://www.tglong.com/">her website</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/tglong">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/tglongwrites">Facebook</a></i>, or <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4415109.Terri_Giuliano_Long">GoodReads</a>.</b><br />
<br />
Song Listing Behind Cut<br />
<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h1 align="center">
Soundtrack from <i>In Leah’s Wake</i></h1>
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000024ZT/qid=1144013110/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">Growin’ Up</a>,” <i>Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ, </i>Bruce Springsteen, Sony Records, 1972<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002GNK/qid=1144010944/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174#moreAboutThisProduct">Tupelo Honey</a>,” <i>Tupelo Honey</i>, Van Morrison, Polydor/Pgd, 1971<br />
“Showdown At Big Sky,” <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000000OQL/qid=1144160807/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174"><i>Robbie Robertson</i></a>, Robbie Robertson, Universal Int’l, 1987<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002O5L/qid=1144011320/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">A Face In The Crowd</a>,” <i>Full Moon Fever</i>, Tom Petty , MCA, 1989<br />
“John Barleycorn,” <i>John Barleycorn Must Die</i>, Traffic, Island Records, 1970<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000058MQ/qid=1144012740/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">Not A Pretty Girl</a>,” <i>Not a Pretty Girl</i>, Ani DiFranco, Righteous Babe, 1995<br />
<i>Hungarian Rhapsodies</i>, Franz Liszt, Leslie Howard solo piano, Hyperion, 1999<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002MZ2C/qid=1144016295/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">Testify</a>,” <i>The Battle of Los Angeles</i>, Rage Against The Machine, Sony Records, 1999<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/samples/B000002NAK/ref=dp_tracks_all_1/103-7338802-9839037?%5Fencoding=UTF8#disc_1">Don’t Cry for Me Argentina</a>,” <i>Evita (Music From The Motion Picture)</i>, Madonna, Warner Bros./WEA, 1996<br />
“The Ride of the Valkyries,” <i>Wagner Without Words</i>, Conducted by George Szell, Performed by the Cleveland Orchestra, Sony Records, 1991<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/samples/B000059RJR/ref=dp_tracks_all_1/103-7338802-9839037?%5Fencoding=UTF8#disc_1">Chase The Blues Away</a>,” <i>Morning Glory: The Tim Buckley Anthology</i>, Tim Buckley, Elektra/ WEZ, 1966<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002BBY/qid=1144013589/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">Champagne Supernova</a>,” <i>(What’s the Story) Morning Glory</i>?, Oasis, Sony, 1995<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007P3582/qid=1144019068/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">The Candy Shop</a>,” <i>The Massacre</i>, Fifty Cent, Aftermath, 2005<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000009RC2/qid=1144015635/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">Vital Transformation</a>,” <i>Inner Mounting Flame</i>, The Mahavishnu Orchestra Jazz, Sony 1971<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002UDB/qid=1144013364/sr=1-10/ref=sr_1_10/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">Strawberry Fields Forever</a>,” <i>Magical Mystery Tour</i>, The Beatles, Capitol Records, 1967<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001GNU/qid=1144018392/sr=8-2/ref=__2/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5</a>,” <i>Mozart: The Five Violin Concertos by Itzhak Perlman violin, Weiner Philharmoniker and James Levine,</i> Deutsche Grammophon, 1995<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006EXDC/qid=1144024369/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">Surrey With The Fringe on Top</a>,” <i>Steamin</i>, Mile Davis, Prestige, 1956<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000003TA4/qid=1144017719/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">Come As You Are</a>,” <i>Nevermind</i>, Nirvana, Geffen Records, 1991<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002UJQ/qid=1144017868/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">Paranoid Android</a>,” <i>Okay Computer</i>, Radiohead, Capitol Records, 1997<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000025UW/qid=1144020766/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">I’m On Fire</a>,” <i>Born in The USA</i>, Bruce Springsteen, Sony, 1984<br />
“Stardog Champion,” <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001DWG/qid=1144161205/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">Stardog Champion</a>, Mother Love Bone, Mercury/Universal, 1992<br />
“I Loves You, Porgy,” <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002EPJH/qid=1144161714/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174"><i>The Melody At Night With You</i></a>, Keith Jarrett, EMC Records, 1900<br />
“Hasta Siempre, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000260IY/qid=1144162694/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174"><i>Witchi-Tai-To</i></a><b>, </b>Jan Garbarek and Bobo Stenson Quartet, EMC, 1973 Records<br />
“<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006878K/qid=1144025852/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174">As The Years Go Passing By</a>,” <i>Born Under a Bad Sign</i>, Albert King, Stax, 1967<br />
“Misguided Angel,” <i>The Trinity Session</i>, Cowboy Junkies, RCA Records, 1988<br />
“Davidian,” <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000000H6G/qid=1144164911/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7338802-9839037?s=music&v=glance&n=5174"><i>Burn My Eyes</i></a>, Machine Head, Roadrunner Records, 1994<br />
“Here I Am, Lord,” <i>Wonder, Love, and Praise</i>, Daniel Schutte, New Dawn Music, 1981<br />
<br />
<h1>
To Win the Prizes</h1>
<ol start="1">
<li>Purchase your copy of <i>In Leah’s Wake</i> for just 99 cents on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044XV7PG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=novelpubli-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0044XV7PG">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-leahs-wake-terri-giuliano-long/1100076503?ean=2940012401625&format=nook-book&itm=1&usri=in+leah%27s+wake">Barnes & Noble</a></li>
<li>Fill-out <a href="http://www.novelpublicity.com/leah/">the form on Novel Publicity</a> to enter for the prizes</li>
<li>Visit today’s featured event; you may win an autographed copy of the book or a $50 gift card!</li>
<li>BONUS: If you leave a comment on this blog post, you have another chance at $100!</li>
</ol>
<h1>
</h1>
<h1>
The Featured Events include:</h1>
<b>Monday, Radio Interview with Novel Publicity! </b>We’re kicking-off on <a href="http://www.novelpublicity.com/leah/">the Novel Publicity Free Advice blog</a>.
We interviewed Terri on our radio show Sunday night and have embedded
the full podcast and blogged about its highlights. Give it a listen and
then leave a comment on the blog post. This is a great chance to get to
know more about this inspiring and friendly author. One commenter will
win an autographed copy of <i>In Leah’s Wake</i>. Don’t forget to enter for the other contest prizes while you’re over there!<br />
<b>Tuesday, Twitter sharing contest!</b><b> </b>A
tweet is tiny, only 140 characters. But on Tuesday, it could win you
$50. Send the following tweet across the twittersphere, and you just may
win a $50 Amazon gift card. An autographed copy of <i>In Leah’s Wake</i> is also up for grabs. The winner will be announced Wednesday morning. <b><i>Here’s the tweet</i></b>: In Leah’s Wake has taken the publishing world by storm. Get the book for just 99 cents http://ow.ly/7ywpZ #whirlwind<br />
<b>Wednesday, Google+ sharing contest!</b> Yup, there’s yet
another awesome opportunity to win a $50 Amazon gift card, and this
time it just takes a single click! Visit Google+ and <a href="https://plus.google.com/100227436861049512391/posts">share Emlyn Chand’s most recent post</a> (you’ll see the <i>In Leah’s Wake</i> book cover included with it). On Thursday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. An autographed copy of <i>In Leah’s Wake</i> is also up for grabs. Three chances to win! How about that?<br />
<b>Thursday, Facebook sharing contest!</b> Stop by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/novelpublicity">Novel Publicity’s Facebook page</a> and share their latest post (you’ll see the <i>In Leah’s Wake</i>
book cover included with it). It’s ridiculously easy to win! On Friday
morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. An autographed copy of <i>In Leah’s Wake</i> is also up for grabs.<br />
<b>Friday, special contest on the author’s site</b>! Win a $500 Amazon gift card, simply by leaving a comment on <a href="http://www.tglong.com/blog/">Terri’s most recent blog post</a>. Yup, you read that correctly—$500! How easy is that? An autographed copy of <i>In Leah’s Wake</i> is also up for grabs.</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-26047705072099649682011-12-11T09:42:00.001-05:002011-12-11T09:46:23.304-05:00#SampleSunday - Two Moons of Sera Prologue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Prologue</b></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<br /></div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="" name="PartI"></a>
<span style="font-family: Abusive Pencil;"><span style="font-size: 50pt;">N</span></span>ilafay
ran, slipping on the unfamiliar terrain, desperate to reach water.
The rocks dug into the thin flesh of her webbed feet, cutting her
skin. This place was so foreign despite being only miles from her
home. Never had she seen the sun so bright or felt the moisture
evaporate directly off her skin; she was sure she would die from the
cruelty of the atmosphere.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
It was difficult to navigate her way through the wilderness, but now
she breathed in the familiar briny scent of home. She licked her
lips, seeking relief from the dryness before stepping out of the tree
line and onto the rocky beach. The sun overwhelmed her sensitive
eyes. She slid thin, clear membranes over her eyes. She had always
considered them vestigial, before coming above water to the Erdland.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
She moved forward, wincing as the heat of the sun burned her delicate
forehead. Her irises retracted and for a moment she was blinded, but
she could smell and taste the salt in the air, leading her to the
water. The rest of Nilafay’s senses were on high alert, her
eardrums straining to feel the vibrations of distant voices.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Frantic to reach the surf, she slipped and ripped open her shin. She
bit down on her lip, refusing to cry out or shed a tear. She was done
crying. Nilafay heard them calling from further back in the forest;
the hunters who had seduced her with offers of friendship and a world
unlike any she had seen before. They were closing in, the creatures
they commanded following her scent, leading their masters closer. She
shivered at the memory of their strange hair covered bodies. At first
she had been intrigued by the animals with the eyes of men, but when
she learned that they were there not to befriend her but to guard and
cage her she resented their tracking gaze.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Nilafay stood and resumed her pitch toward the coast line, pressing
through the throbbing in her leg. The sensitive myomere muscles of
her body were unaccustomed to impact injury. The hunters approached
the tree line noisily, making no attempt to hide their arrival. She
dropped to her knees. Her iridescent white flesh shone in the morning
sun, its lack of pigment reflecting the bright light beating down on
her. The rocky beach offered no asylum.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The men grew louder, closer with each passing moment, speaking their
gruff language. She understood only a few words. But what she did
understand terrified her: “net, experiment, animal, project,
cage...”</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i>Please, just let me get to the water…</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Available Now</b></div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-54316787139098955032011-12-10T11:21:00.001-05:002011-12-10T11:38:38.285-05:00The Limits of Love - An Author's Main Resource Runs Out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/ms-goodies/glitters/emo/without-love-empty-hugs.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img height="320" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd229/ms-goodies/glitters/emo/without-love-empty-hugs.gif" width="184" /></a><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I left professional theatre I realized something very important. It was a lesson I had learned through some really difficult times with my now husband through college and into our early marriage. I have a limited capacity for love. I know that sounds terrible. But it's true, my resources are capped. It's like I have 100 grams of love per day and once they're used, there are no more to pull from. <br />
<br />
Working in theatre I had to invest as much of that love as I could. Love for the art, love for the actors and techies, love for the space, the story, the message. If I have 100 grams of love a day, working in theatre required at least 80 grams, sometimes as much as 120 to get through the day. So when I got home, that was it, I was cooked, I had nothing left to give.<br />
<br />
<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="40" id="gsSong3267719097" name="gsSong3267719097" width="250"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" />
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<span>I'm All Out Of Love by <a href="http://grooveshark.com/artist/Air+Supply/2693" title="Air Supply">Air Supply</a> on Grooveshark</span></object></object>
<br />
<br />
As I'm endeavoring on a new artistic outlet I'm working hard to try and not let this happen. My natural state is to pour everything I have into whatever I'm focused on. I'm a tab obsessive and can be what Buck Boom calls "a hobby hoarder." I'm fighting this and trying to keep my priorities where I want them to be: balanced. But sometimes, I get lost and I find I can't give anymore. <br />
<br />
Today I'm feeling particularly drained. I don't know if it's still the lingering illness or the fatigue from the Blog Tour or the excitement of my new job with Novel Publicity, but I'm definitely slipping in my love reservoir. I've let friendships slip and family fall below the acceptable line of focus. I knew I was doing this and my friends and family have been amazingly supportive and understanding. But now it's time to shore up those resources and remember what's important.<br />
<br />
I love writing and I love what I'm doing, I love it so much I can get lost. I'm having so much fun and learning every day. Now to find that ethereal balance everyone talks about so I never run out of love again.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-85768531902716901012011-12-07T08:44:00.001-05:002011-12-09T12:21:16.609-05:00Book Snob - The Gaia Wars<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQV9SN5yIuL1jFT1OGNuuwkp-7O-Prs1hxZ57f3A2q5spDv9XTbx8F7IAAcpnCbQYuEEeQHe5s53_99KDhQE3Lm9G4RSXK-1I4uBgY16v4PewkXLZecnS3l1HLujKRGiyQVIOY34LuDNA/s400/Gaia+Wars+Tour+Badge.png" width="207" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />The Gaia Wars</a> by Kenneth G Bennett-<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Deadly secrets have been buried in the Cascade mountain wilderness for centuries. Hidden. Out of sight and out of mind. <br /><br />Until today...<br /><br />Warren
Wilkes, age 13, doesn't like what a greedy housing developer has done
to his peaceful mountain community, so he vandalizes the developer's
property, flees into the wild, and stumbles upon an ancient human
skeleton revealed by torrential rain. More than old bones have been
exposed, however, and the curious artifact Warren finds makes him
question his own identity, and his connection to an ancient terror. A
terror destined to rise again and annihilate all that Warren loves. He
must fight or see his whole world destroyed.</i><br />
<br />
<i><b>Disclosure:</b></i><b> </b>I received a copy of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a> from the author in exchange for an honest review. This was done in collaboration with the Blog Tour organised by Novel Publicity. While I am an employee of Novel Publicity I have never worked with Kenneth Bennett and have received no incentives or income for reading or reviewing this book.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Review:</b> </i><a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=pavarti-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B002RKSY2M">The Red Badge of Courage</a> can suck lemons. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a> should be what's taught in schools! I'm going to buy a copy of this and the sequel for my daughters' school library. I'm not kidding.<br />
<br />
Neither Fantacy or Sci-Fi <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a> does what every good book does. It makes you think. The genre is irrelevant because the writing and meaning of the story transcend whatever box you might want to put it into. In reality this is a work of literature, it just happens to be aimed for younger readers.<br />
<br />
Typically I dislike MG and YA literature (as you know) so it's quite a feat for someone to impress me so completely with a book for this audience. However Bennett managed to do it. His book is not only well written but it's a story that has to be told the way he did. If it wasn't YA it would lose some of the innocence and wonder which make the world of Warren Wilkes so compelling<br />
<br />
There's a new genre I've been hearing about called #EcoFantasy and it's a really interesting idea. While Bennett doesn't use this term I think it's completely appropriate. Here we have a thoughtful book which compels the reader to think about the world they live in. While the focus is on eco issues, it is not a call to arms or some kind of manifesto, it's simply a well written story which creates space for the reader to grow and learn.<br />
<br />
<br />
Books change how we look at the world. I grew up with The Handmaid's Tale to shape my psyche and politics. My children with grow up with The Gaia Wars, and I couldn't be happier.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-4137368067307292212011-12-06T09:15:00.000-05:002011-12-06T09:15:01.525-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today we are being visited by the lovely Mary Corbett! This is an interview she did talking about her newest release National Guard 101. This isn't the kind of thing I usually post, but it's really a unique publication. I hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1J4SyMDSc5Tkc160pPe9Hf9AJ12Adgpe3njYGre4Kw4i9Vb8_3zfaUzBZ6feyMKjxlVS8WEo9r53Rwwpp9SgfxzMStKnmmXO-JUg1QSd1KKSxaHLR8N7PEh0kN8wcvJDZOcewLjesj_g/s1600/Nat+Guard+Cov+%2528LR%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1J4SyMDSc5Tkc160pPe9Hf9AJ12Adgpe3njYGre4Kw4i9Vb8_3zfaUzBZ6feyMKjxlVS8WEo9r53Rwwpp9SgfxzMStKnmmXO-JUg1QSd1KKSxaHLR8N7PEh0kN8wcvJDZOcewLjesj_g/s320/Nat+Guard+Cov+%2528LR%2529.jpg" width="212" /></a><b>Book description: </b>National Guard 101 is the only military lifestyle book written specifically for the National Guard audience. Corbett's unique book covers a broad range of topics, from practical knowledge about the history of the National Guard and understanding rank to softer subjects like social life in the Guard and family programs. Corbett also details the benefits and assistance resources available to Guard families and guides readers through the process of setting up a Personal Assistance League (PAL) to provide support during deployment. <br />
<br />
Written in a lively and informal style, National Guard 101: A Handbook for Spouses demystifies the Guard's unique hybrid civilian-military lifestyle. It is a must-read book for every National Guard family member.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span id="internal-source-marker_0.740781529350771" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How did you choose the title of your book?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MC: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
titles of both my books were the "working titles" I used in the
original query letters and proposals. I am a big fan of calling things
what they are versus trying to be too clever. Mission accomplished.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MC: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh
Lord--so many obstacles. The book is very niche. But the "niche" is a
huge audience that is easy to target. Still, the publisher of my first
book had to pass on it because it just didn't fit in with their
strategic place in the market. My agent found a smaller publisher that
specialized in military and history titles. Unfortunately,the project
was orphaned when the editor left and never got back on track. I had to
go through the process of ending that contract. By that time, my agent
had retired and my new agent didn't know if she could sell the project
to her usual non-fiction editors. I didn't find this out until months
after submitting the manuscript. A few months later, a proponent of the
project who worked for the National Guard Bureau approached me about
publishing the book through their organization. Then she retired.
Fortunately, the feedback was so positive and the product so close to
being completed--I was motivated to press on. It had been two years
since I queried publishers</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Most
people are familiar with the four branches of the United States Armed
Services: Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force. Can you explain to our
readers how the National Guard fits into our military?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MC</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">:
Across all branches, military members belong either to the active
component or the reserve component. The United States National Guard
(USNG) and the United States Army Reserve (USAR) are reserve components
of the U.S. Army. The National Guard serves a dual mission: providing
each state with trained and equipped units to protect life and property,
and providing the nation with units that are ready to defend the United
States at home and abroad. Each state has its own National Guard, under
the control of the Governor (although the President of the United
States can request the services of the Guard). Members of the Guard
typically serve part-time, except when they are activated to full-time
duty. The National Guard is the oldest component of the United States
Armed Forces and will celebrate its 375th birthday on December 13, 2011.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What prompted you to write</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> National Guard 101: A Handbook for Spouses?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MC</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">:
I married my husband -- a long time member of the Minnesota National
Guard -- in 2000. Although I had family members who had served in the
military, I had zero experience with military protocol or culture. The
only thing I knew about the National Guard, at that time, was "one
weekend a month, two weeks in the summer." After moving to Georgia in
2001, followed by my husband’s deployment to Guantanamo in 2002, I
realized that although I had never considered myself one, I was, indeed,
a military wife. I spent a lot of time searching the internet looking
for information to help me understand my role as a Guard spouse. I found
that much of the information available was targeted toward active-duty
spouses who lived on military bases with a completely different
lifestyle. I felt there was definitely a need for a book for National
Guard spouses. So I wrote it. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">National Guard 101</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> is the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">only</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> book written specifically for the 162,000 Guard spouses.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can you explain the differences between being a guardsman and being enlisted in one of the four active military branches?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MC</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">:
Guardsmen typically serve the military on a part-time basis and
maintain civilian employment. Members of the active component typically
serve full-time, military careers. When a Guardsman is activated, they
become full-time military personnel and are indistinguishable from their
active duty counterparts. They receive the same pay and benefits as
active duty soldiers. When they are deactivated, they return to
part-time service. It’s also worth nothing that, on average, members of
the National Guard are older than their active component counterparts.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How is being a guard spouse different from being an active component spouse?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MC</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">:
From a family perspective, the lifestyle difference is night and day.
National Guard members and their families live in civilian communities
and may live far away from the armory where the soldier trains as well
as military installations that provide services to active families. In
other words, we don’t live on post. We don’t shop at the Post Exchange
regularly. We don‘t have the built-in support structure of other
military families close at hand. Often, we can be the only military
family in our community. Our soldiers have full-time civilian careers
that they must manage. It is challenging in a best-case scenario, but
when our soldiers are deployed, our lives are affected in a way that is
distinct to the citizen-soldier.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How common is deployment for National Guardsman?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MC</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">:
Most National Guard families have experience with long-term, overseas
deployments. In 2011, Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr.
stated that "Every Guard brigade has deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan,
and over 300,000 Guardsmen have deployed in this war." Since 9/11,
virtually every unit of the National Guard -- a force the size of the
entire active Army -- has served on active duty for one or more of the
deployments at home or abroad. The last time that the entire National
Guard had been mobilized was for World War II.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Do National Guard families face special challenges during deployments?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MC</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">:
Because we don’t live on post, it’s likely that our local communities
lack familiarity with military experiences, which makes it hard when our
soldiers are deployed for long periods of time. While the military
provides consistent resources to connect families to military resources
during deployments -- Family Readiness Groups and Family Assistance
Centers -- it’s really up to us to figure out how to get the support we
need to cover down while our soldier is gone. Fortunately, friends,
neighbors, and community members are ready and willing to help Guard
families.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the biggest obstacle a Guard spouse faces during deployment?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MC</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">:
Sometimes, WE are our own biggest obstacle. A lot of Guard spouses
aren’t used to asking for help and don’t like to do it. My book tells
the reader how to find the right person to "do the asking" for them. The
end goal is a Personal Assistance League (PAL) made up of friends,
family, and community members who are ready, willing, and eager to help
throughout the duration of a deployment. A PAL is a robust and official
support system with members who are doing small things occasionally. All
of this piecemeal assistance adds up to consistent, steadfast
assistance.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is your favorite part about being a National Guard spouse?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MC</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">:
I like that I can live in a regular civilian community but also be a
part of our great military. I also love attending social events such as
annual holiday parties, family day events, and formal banquets and
dining outs. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFYYKDqIIUEy85SipKM6bkfhXZRragMT0_kA97fVJd8gXaKYx6viGeNM0SiHGdZxyqUqXsAKyD-xSnbw2qA54cyGyMxlImyje3Sr49_X1UN9zPDiZqbRHfdWlJTFQkuExOp8E5XQjuWw/s1600/Mary_Corbett_lg.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFYYKDqIIUEy85SipKM6bkfhXZRragMT0_kA97fVJd8gXaKYx6viGeNM0SiHGdZxyqUqXsAKyD-xSnbw2qA54cyGyMxlImyje3Sr49_X1UN9zPDiZqbRHfdWlJTFQkuExOp8E5XQjuWw/s200/Mary_Corbett_lg.JPG" /></a> <b>Author Bio: </b>Mary Corbett is a professional writer and National Guard wife. She has appeared on The Today Show, Fox News Channel, local television affiliates, and nationally syndicated radio. Her first book, The List: 7 Ways to Tell if He's Going to Marry You in 30 Days or Less was published in 2005. Corbett lives in Alpharetta, Georgia, with her husband Major Jon Roscoe, ARNG, and their children Holly and William. Visit her website <a href="http://www.marycorbett.com/">www.marycorbett.com</a>. <br />
<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-66106426216022622572011-12-05T19:45:00.001-05:002011-12-05T20:19:53.977-05:00To Be Read List<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHypXsVl3qoDl3qMaIf5uEdjMEDN39qdNOQh91vnIfZ4M3at0fchD_d9hZSrelSnRk6yfK2OCWglJZzPJWRQEKjvlcChUJFjMD-M4dhUQgYCY9ujqkEHrVNpwgF4co764Y-QjfYqtiRQ/s1600/Book.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/AVvXsEgqHypXsVl3qoDl3qMaIf5uEdjMEDN39qdNOQh91vnIfZ4M3at0fchD_d9hZSrelSnRk6yfK2OCWglJZzPJWRQEKjvlcChUJFjMD-M4dhUQgYCY9ujqkEHrVNpwgF4co764Y-QjfYqtiRQ/s320/Book.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
I am so far behind on my reading. Between only reading ebooks on my phone and trying to write/work in my spare time I've fallen even further behind. My ebook list is ridiculously long and my bookshelf is full of books. And I want to read them all! I'm listing the next 5 books I'm reading in paper and ebooks here. If you aren't listed don't assume you aren't on my list, I just can't put them all here. You can see why I'm closed to reviews for new books. There are just so many good books out there! <br />
<br />
Paperbacks:<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1466211970/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1466211970">The Gaia Wars</a> by Kenneth Bennett (half done!)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983930805/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0983930805">FarSighted</a> by Emlyn Chand</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1466455152/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1466455152">The Mers</a> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">by Ami Blackwelder and Jennifer Bradford</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983775702/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0983775702">Doxology</a> by Brian Holers</li>
<li>Birth Right by Sue Mydiak (I can't find it on Amazon :( )</li>
<li>and more </li>
</ol>
<div>
Ebooks:</div>
<div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005BYJN76/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005BYJN76">Spell Checked</a> by C.G. Powell (</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NIFDES/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004NIFDES">Fall into Winter</a> by Eden Baylee</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003EINO62/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003EINO62">The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 </a>by PJ Haarsma</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005PF9RY0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005PF9RY0">God in the Machine</a> by Thea Atkinson</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YQVF96/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004YQVF96">Caleo </a>by james crawford</li>
<li>and more including Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade, Pandora's Grave by Stephen England, Stuck by Lissette E Manning, Fireflies by Lacey Reah, 30 Pieces of Silver by Carolyn McCray, Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped out by Pandora Poikilos, The Sonbird Under a German Moon by Tricia Goyer, Jabberwocky by Daniel Coleman, Viridis by Calista Taylor, and The Orchard by Theresa Weir! And more!</li>
</ol>
<div>
Man, do I love books.</div>
</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-63166109084873881452011-12-05T08:09:00.001-05:002011-12-05T08:30:29.147-05:00The Gaia Wars - Guest Post by Kenneth G Bennett<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5lwVA_wdSZQ1BKQaijcc57ngcstxc2mWsEAmAinsgeS4gjQgQR3tVS9IFeoGbQq5KUzSExQijXY_1UCNZ5ky15VacQ-0OQ4M4G0vXE-iY9T-XLTN3XGuiLNCx8JbKyYns3jV30gMGH8/s1600/Gaia+Wars+Tour+Badge.png" /></a></div>
I'm in the process of reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a> by Kenneth Bennett, so look for a review later this week. I'm realy enjoying it so far and hoping to pass it on to my Ninja when I'm done (if appropriate). Kenneth's premise and writing style are fantastic and let me tell you, if I was still 13 I'd be totally crushed out on the lead character - Warren Wilkes.<br />
<br /><span id="goog_240311589"></span><span id="goog_240311590"></span><br />
This post is a part of a special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity. The price of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a> eBook edition has dropped to just 99 cents this week.<br />
<br />
What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including a Kindle Fire, Amazon gift cards up to $100 in amount, 5 autographed copies of the book, and 5 autographed copies of its recently released sequel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006888D9S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006888D9S">Battle for Cascadia</a>. Be sure to enter before the end of the day on Friday, December 9th, so you don’t miss out. <br /><br /><br /><b>About </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a><b>:</b> DEADLY SECRETS have been buried in the Cascade mountain wilderness for centuries. Hidden. Out of sight and out of mind. Until today… Warren Wilkes, age 13, doesn’t like what a greedy housing developer has done to his peaceful mountain community, so he vandalizes the developer’s property, flees into the wild, and stumbles upon an ancient human skeleton revealed by torrential rain. More than old bones have been exposed, however, and the curious artifact Warren finds makes him question his own identity, and his connection to an ancient terror. A terror destined to rise again and annihilate all that Warren loves. He must fight or see his whole world destroyed.<br />
<br />
<b>Book Two <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006888D9S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006888D9S">Battle for Cascadia</a> is also available!</b> <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.novelpublicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Ken2-150x150.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.novelpublicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Ken2-150x150.jpg" /></a>About the Author: Kenneth G. Bennett is the author of the Young Adult novels <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006888D9S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006888D9S">Battle for Cascadia</a> (the second book of The Gaia Wars), as well as the forthcoming Exodus 2018, a paranormal thriller set in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. A wilderness enthusiast who loves backpacking, skiing and kayaking, Ken enjoys novels that explore the relationship between humans and the wild. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son. Visit him on <a href="http://%0akennethgbennettbooks.com/">his website</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/%0A#%21/kennethgbennett">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/%0A%0ATheGaiaWars">Facebook</a>, or <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/%0Ashow/5131305.Kenneth_G_Bennett">GoodReads</a>. <br />
<br /> Now please enjoy this guest post from the author...<br /><br /> <b>HOW A NASA SCIENTIST’S THEORY INSPIRED A PARANORMAL THRILLER </b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a> is fiction, but it was inspired—at least in part—by The Gaia Hypothesis. This hypothesis, proposed by NASA scientist James Lovelock, states that the Earth—the entire Earth—is a living thing. A vast, “super-organism.”<br />
<br />
I read an article about Lovelock’s theory a few years back and thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever heard.<br />
<br />
<i>The Earth is alive.</i> Think about it. If Lovelock’s correct, the Earth isn’t simply a chunk of interstellar rock hosting a collection of random ecosystems; it’s a cohesive entity. An organism. A being. I daydreamed about this idea, mulled it over; wondered how it might be incorporated into a novel. And in my imagination, I took the theory to the next level: <i>What if the Earth is not simply alive</i>, I asked, <i>but also sentient?</i><br />
<br />
I did some reading, and discovered that a lot of so-called primitive cultures believed this very thing. Understood it in their bones. Our ancestors were in tune with the planet in ways that we’ve forgotten. They could feel her heartbeat. Interpret her rhythms. They created Earth Goddesses to worship and celebrate.<br />
<br />
Gaia (pron. <i>guy-uh</i>) is one of the principal deities of the Greek Pantheon. Other cultures used other names: the Tibetan people called the deity <i>Chomolungma</i>—Goddess Mother of the World. The Sumerians knew her as <i>Ninhursaga.</i> To Mesoamerican peoples she was <i>Tlazolteotl. </i><br />
<br />
A fictitious Pacific Northwest culture called the Denelai is at the center of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a>. As readers learn, the ancient Denelai people believed in the Earth goddess so profoundly that she would sometimes appear to them in human form.<br />
<br />
At the start of the novel, troubled 13-year-old Warren Wilkes unearths a treasure deep in the Cascade Mountains while fleeing the law, learns about the Denelai and Gaia’s periodic visits, and finds that on one such occasion in 1550 AD, the tribe was attacked and the Earth Goddess wounded. The Indians were slaughtered and Gaia lost her memory and vanished into the wild.<br />
<br />
As Warren soon discovers, Gaia is still alive and still trapped in human form. What’s more, the beast that attacked the Indian village 500 years earlier is on it’s way back with an army bred specifically to capture Gaia, unlock her secrets, and seize control of the planet. Warren must fight or see his whole world destroyed.<br />
<br />
Readers seem to like the idea of a paranormal thriller with a thinking, feeling Earth at its heart. The feedback has been tremendous. Humbling. Yesterday (November 24, Thanksgiving Day) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a> rose to #17 on Amazon’s list of Top 100 Best Sellers in Children’s Action & Adventure. The Second Book of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006888D9S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006888D9S">Battle for Cascadia</a>, (just released) is also doing well. A huge thank you to all the wonderful readers giving these books a try!<br />
<a href="http://www.novelpublicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Ken2-150x150.jpg"></a><br /> To Win the Prizes:<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Purchase your copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a> for just 99 cents on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?%0Aie=UTF8&tag=novelpubli-%0A20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeA%0ASIN=B005FO8ZR6">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/%0Athe-gaia-wars-kenneth-g-bennett/1104697526?%0Aean=2940013633599&itm=1&usri=the%2bgaia%2bwars">Barnes & Noble</a></li>
<li>Fill-out <a href="http://www.novelpublicity.com/gaia-wars/">the form on Novel Publicity</a> to enter for the prizes</li>
<li>Visit today’s featured event; you may win an autographed copy of the book or a $50 gift card! (schedule of events below)</li>
<li>BONUS: If you leave a comment on this blog post, you have another chance at $100!</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /> The Featured Events include:</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Monday, Blogaganza on Novel Publicity! We’re kicking-off on <a href="http://www.novelpublicity.com/gaia-%0Awars/">the Novel Publicity Free Advice blog</a>. We’ll ask the writer 5 fun and random questions to get everyone talking. Leave a comment or question in response to the post, and you may win. Don’t forget to enter for the other contest prizes while you’re over there! </li>
<li>Tuesday, Twitter sharing contest! A tweet is tiny, only 140 characters. But on Tuesday, it could win you $50. Here’s the tweet: </li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Looking for a YA read that's full of adventure & intrigue? Check out </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a><i>. Reduced to just 99 cents http://ow.ly/7ywpZ #whirlwind </i></blockquote>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Wednesday, Google+ sharing contest! Visit Google+ and <a href="https://plus.google.com/%0A100227436861049512391/posts">share Emlyn Chand’s most recent post</a> (you’ll see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a> book cover included with it). </li>
<li>Thursday, Facebook sharing contest! Stop by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%0A/www.facebook.com/novelpublicity">Novel Publicity’s Facebook page</a> and share their latest post (you’ll see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FO8ZR6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005FO8ZR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=pavarti-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005FO8ZR6">The Gaia Wars</a> book cover included with it). </li>
<li>Friday, special contest on the author’s site! Win a Kindle Fire or a $100 Amazon gift card, simply by leaving a comment on <a href="http://%0akennethgbennettbooks.com/">Kenneth’s most recent blog post</a>. How easy is that </li>
</ul>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-1194477622675310302011-12-04T17:43:00.001-05:002011-12-04T18:29:13.141-05:00Sick Monkey - Sometimes it sucks to be me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="http://www.thedatingtruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/sick-monkey.jpg" /></div>
<br />
Sometimes it sucks to be me. Ever since I was little I've been relatively sickly. If I was born in an era without antibiotics I would have never made it past infancy. As a kid, I was allergic to gnats, grapes and anything with red dye in it. I've been stung by a hive of wasps (to which I was allergic) and had mono 5 times. Maybe 6. Eventually we lost count. In college I was even hospitalized for pertussis and sent home. As far as I know, no one is ever sent home from college unless they are dying.<br />
<br />
Traditionally, anytime I've had an extended period of stress as soon as it's over my immune system goes klaphooey. It's like, I can find the reserves to push through but I cannot handle the let down. It always happens, whether it be work, a theatre production, tax season or something else.<br />
<br />
So it was no surprise to any of us that the day after the blog tour for Two Moons of Sera ended I started throwing up. A day in bed should have been sufficient, but I had far too much to do. Now four days later and I'm still a hot mess. Tomorrow I'll go to the dr., see if anti-biotics would be of use this time around.<br />
<br />
So all I have to say for now is "blerg". I had wanted to still be celebrating. Sales for 2MOS were great. Saturday was actually a record breaking day and I'm having a lot of fun gearing up for the next release (Part II on Jan 1st!), But instead I'm watching Battlestar Gallactica streaming on Netflix from bed. I guess it's not actually that bad :)<br />
<br />
Pav</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-273469429428183042011-12-01T10:04:00.001-05:002011-12-01T10:09:29.720-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey, do you guys know my awesome friend Jamie Salisbury? She's written a book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FXEEXA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006FXEEXA" target="_blank">Tudor Rose</a>, which is released today that you should totally check out and it's only $0.99. I may be a bit biased since I was a pre-reader for her, I can't wait to check out the final draft :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FXEEXA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006FXEEXA" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_jDoIlUgwKnQqwA1UWtfmdEJlW_uUqk09DJzvuhO78PBDtBtmXmUrGN50ApCVAnZRtzkIMAgp3G6nEvlzvJa1xdqElQBEwW6c45oC_3kS0FGLdMFRc522ejwdITV8ZBpBs4j2xi24uE/s400/TDBANNER2.jpg" width="400" /><span id="goog_365678815"></span></a><span id="goog_365678816"></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
<div>
My heartfelt thanks goes out to Pav for giving me the opportunity to guest on her blog on the release date of my second e-Novel.</div>
<div>
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div>
I
am proud to announce the release of my latest e-Novel, “T<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FXEEXA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006FXEEXA" target="_blank">udor Rose</a>”,
the first book of the “Tudor Dynasty” series. Don’t let the name fool
you. While it is about a family named Tudor, it is not ol’ Henry and his
crew. This is a modern day Tudor family with 21st century dreams and
ambitions.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This was a really fun book to write. Amadeus and
Zara were both enjoyable characters, two of my personal favorites.
Here’s a small snippet about “Tudor Rose” for you.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Amadeus
Tudor is rock star royalty. Tudor is part of a musical dynasty, who has
risen to a level of fame usually seen once in a lifetime. He’s the
front man for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FXEEXA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006FXEEXA" target="_blank">Tudor Rose</a>, one of the top selling, most beloved rock
bands in recent memory. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Zara Middleton, long time former manager and publicist to Tudor
Rose has been brought back into the fold, this time as Amadeus Tudor’s
personal body guard. Someone is out to harm Amadeus, the question is
who. And why would someone want to harm him? He has no known enemies,
his fans as well as his business associates adore him. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
As the new tour gets underway, unsettling things begin to happen
and Zara wonders who among Amadeus’s new management team she can trust.</div>
<div>
The
tour also finds Amadeus and Zara inseparable. As Zara becomes aware of
long ignored feelings and emotions toward her former client, Amadeus
takes charge, determined not to lose the only woman he’s truly loved
again.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hope you’ll pick up a copy “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FXEEXA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006FXEEXA" target="_blank">Tudor Rose</a>”, available now for .99 at Amazon, B&N and Smashwords.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For further information you’ll find me through the links below. Thanks again Pav! I owe you one!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Blog: <a href="http://www.jamiesalisburyauthor.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>jamiesalisburyauthor.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com</a></div>
<div>
Author Face Book Page: <a href="http://facebook.com/pages/Jamie-Salisbury-Womans-Fiction-author/20297849499741542/created" target="_blank">http://facebook.com/pages/<wbr></wbr>Jamie-Salisbury-Womans-<wbr></wbr>Fiction-author/<wbr></wbr>20297849499741542/created</a></div>
<div>
Good Reads: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5315343-jamie-salisbury-author" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/user/<wbr></wbr>show/5315343-jamie-salisbury-<wbr></wbr>author</a></div>
<div>
Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JamieRSalisbury" target="_blank">http://www.twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>JamieRSalisbury</a></div>
<div>
E-Mail: <a href="mailto:Wuzupbury@gmail.com" target="_blank">Wuzupbury@gmail.com</a></div>
</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-22031979013438362712011-11-27T00:01:00.000-05:002011-12-04T10:26:50.826-05:00Winner Wonderland Giveaway! 4 Great Prize Packages! #winnerwonderland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.alittleumbrella.com/2011/09/winner-wonderland-giveaway-hop-sign-ups.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img height="175" src="http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll113/leslis/Blog%20Misc/buttonWWfinal.gif" width="175" /></a>Welcome to the Winner Wonderland Giveaway Event. This event is hosted by <a href="http://www.alittleumbrella.com/" target="_blank">Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink</a>, <a href="http://www.theresagrisanti.com/blog" target="_blank">Seeds of Life</a>, <a href="http://andthelittleonestoo.com/" target="_blank">And The Little Ones Too</a> and <a href="http://takingtimeformommy.com/" target="_blank">Taking Time For Mommy</a>. This event features giveaways with a value of $25 or more at each of the participating blogs! Check out all of the great <a href="http://www.alittleumbrella.com/p/winner-wonderland-giveaway-event.html">Winner Wonderland Sponsors</a> being featured in this event! Be sure to visit each blog from the linky below and enter for your chance to win! This event will close on December 4th at 11:59 pm EST.<br />
<br />
<br />
There are a lot of really awesome blogs giving away really great things, but mine are totally the best. You know you're here for my usual level of awesome-tude so dive in, check out the gifts and don't forget to say hi! Oh and check out the other blogs too :)<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_NWZLSiIsZiMyuSucqgAd31cH8U5WjLBFvPufyNHnKz7QnTebYMRH4xIdwK4Xq2vTNDoRC0-4CiAPh133yohA4eoliKUe_UJydns8UW5n2tkihNxwP3ugvByPtdJisJvMY6MHMMUwpY/s1600/Reader+Giveaway.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_NWZLSiIsZiMyuSucqgAd31cH8U5WjLBFvPufyNHnKz7QnTebYMRH4xIdwK4Xq2vTNDoRC0-4CiAPh133yohA4eoliKUe_UJydns8UW5n2tkihNxwP3ugvByPtdJisJvMY6MHMMUwpY/s320/Reader+Giveaway.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Reader Prize Including</b>: <br />
1 Paperback copy of Beautiful Creatures<br />
1
Hardcover copy of Beautiful Darkness<br />
1 ebook of Two Moons of Sera<br />
1
handmade Jaab bookmark</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhto8owmZLwBJyduxq3xmWzkpKSntrGdQRnvEF7SXunZSITKv0GFXhqfEC8eS-AMVURqFIloFefnhDh5z-DbarfcT2xmV7X6e_YqqtYP5-yMymmMBdNNFJBrhu2zyeKstYwdpHzvlqL6hc/s1600/Writer+Giveaway.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhto8owmZLwBJyduxq3xmWzkpKSntrGdQRnvEF7SXunZSITKv0GFXhqfEC8eS-AMVURqFIloFefnhDh5z-DbarfcT2xmV7X6e_YqqtYP5-yMymmMBdNNFJBrhu2zyeKstYwdpHzvlqL6hc/s320/Writer+Giveaway.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="color: white;">
<b>Writer's Prize Including:</b></div>
<div style="color: white;">
1 Hardcover Copy of Help for Writers</div>
<div style="color: white;">
1
Seven Year Pen, 1 Moleskin Journal</div>
<div style="color: white;">
6 Kate Spade colored pencils</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxtPM4oLezkPUpkU1JMxsu1MJtvUZox8O_yitLOedFJMzU1K6oXT78B3zvA4ukd9OEc0L4EgX7UXLvdEavBAyd64kGh80Gaomm861ggXd5qHMqwoHdgV5fmildT1KqU-lPnc-fwjm-cg/s200/Jaab+Cards.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPHBuNqW14UVpGiOGeUIf7p-VtfShqm2lFfGgstL700bLpYbhmsT7YJVOpq7v47kjIGz2kOuPBgAYD7-Dng_GVDygU_lOYm2uVypEYAVedgZuhVuJpLpoqfad3UEqHUR0LlrnGudTUa0/s1600/Jaab+Closeup.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPHBuNqW14UVpGiOGeUIf7p-VtfShqm2lFfGgstL700bLpYbhmsT7YJVOpq7v47kjIGz2kOuPBgAYD7-Dng_GVDygU_lOYm2uVypEYAVedgZuhVuJpLpoqfad3UEqHUR0LlrnGudTUa0/s200/Jaab+Closeup.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>6 Boxes of Jaab Handmade Christmas Cards</b> </div>
<div style="color: white;">
benefiting The Queen Sirikit Centre for </div>
<div style="color: white;">
Breast Cancer Foundation in Thailand</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;">
<tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgODHbYIAUsfYpX5i3aCD-P84whPmQkrBM3tv9ZDpOnV8gHiTfNaMM6V0MeXvieymSmrBbqQbiWwRIRqeKnuUi7IqY1CnWKKVcEo6qZRDlwWVwD0Md9AMv9chdbADp06_Ai9-bysRuo1o/s1600/Romance+Giveaway.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgODHbYIAUsfYpX5i3aCD-P84whPmQkrBM3tv9ZDpOnV8gHiTfNaMM6V0MeXvieymSmrBbqQbiWwRIRqeKnuUi7IqY1CnWKKVcEo6qZRDlwWVwD0Md9AMv9chdbADp06_Ai9-bysRuo1o/s320/Romance+Giveaway.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Romance Lovers Prize Including:</b><br />
1 copy of The Fragrant Taste of Rain<br />
1 glass heart necklace<br />
1 Adult Madlibs, 1 sexy clip</td></tr>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-11691674040174866552011-11-25T09:58:00.001-05:002011-11-25T10:01:12.028-05:00Black Friday Kindle Giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
I'm part of the Holdiay Kindle Giveaway. It's massive. Check out the signup behind the cut.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Enter Now!<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-73382424748575669032011-11-13T08:58:00.001-05:002011-11-13T09:14:26.921-05:00Don't Forget to Breathe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am, by nature, a fish. I have never learned how to properly swim. Despite my stepmother's constant attempts and the many lessons I took. The primary problem is I always forget to breathe. I hate coming above water. I will stay submersed for as long as possible, sometimes longer. Coming up for air is a survival action only. If I could, I'd never emerge.<br />
<br />
I've always thought this was because I am a Pisces, but then they changed all the zodiac signs, although I'm still not convinced that was real.<br />
<br />
There's something about being underwater, the way the water buffers me, it's one of the few times I ever feel alone or completely at peace. Everything I hear is like a muted song and moving in three dimensions makes so much more sense to me than walking.<br />
<br />
Perhaps this is why writing Two Moons of Sera never seemed odd to me. Serafay's water side is something I can relate to, and honestly, envy. Writing about her and the Sualwets is equal parts imagination and fantasy. Honestly, I'm more than a little envious.<br />
<br />
Elements play a large part in 2MOS (in case you haven't noticed) and every time I encounter a scene where that plays an important role I think about how perfect I feel underwater and try to remember that these things seem as natural to the character as breathing is to us.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-18739201359112829202011-11-11T17:09:00.001-05:002011-11-11T17:18:02.784-05:00Blog Tour Update, Shout Outs and Giveaway!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's hard to believe I'm 10 days into my blogtour already. Its kind of like raising children in taht I can't believe how fast it's gone and at the same time it's taking FOREVER. I've been having such a fantastic time reading reviews, responding to commenters, writing guest blogs. It's really overwhelming that all of this is for my little story. Two Moons of Sera is one of the most exciting and rewarding things I've ever done and it wouldn't have happened without you guys.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When I was overwhelmed and having a nervous breakdown, you talked me off my ledge. When I was manic and writing like a look, you read my drafts, gave me your honest advice and cheered me on. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anyone who thinks this whole writing thing is about the author is missing the point. It's all for you, the readers. I could never sell another book and the reviews that I've received so far have made the entire experience worth it. Going Indie is the best decision I've made in a long time. Instead of being trapped behind a media wall I'm right out there, talking to bloggers, readers and other authors. I'm experiencing every moment, controlling it, guiding it and loving every second.<br /></div>
<div>
So thank you guys. Don't forget to enter my <a href="http://pavarti.blogspot.com/p/two-moons-of-sera-ebook-launch-event.html" target="_blank">giveaway</a>, check out <a href="http://pavartiktyler.visibli.com/be76e2fc35945646/?web=d917ce&dst=http%3A//www.amazon.com/Two-Moons-of-Sera-ebook/dp/B005U81SCQ/ref%3Dpd_rhf_cr_p_t_1" target="_blank">2MOS on Amazon</a> and check out all the amazing bloggers who have participated so far. They have given me their time, their love, their support all for free and I am completely in their debt.<br /><br /><b><u>Blog Tour So Far!</u><a name='more'></a></b><b>Month Long Events</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Nurture Your Books- <a href="http://nurtureyourbooks.com/website/author-services/book-trailer-spotlights/">Featured Trailer</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thenextbestbookblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/indie-spotlight-pavarti-k-tyler.html">TNNBBC Indie Spotlight for November</a> - Guest Blog - From Theatre to Taxes to Text</li>
</ul>
<b>October</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Far From Reality - <a href="http://forevertonowhere.blogspot.com/2011/10/review-two-moons-of-sera.html">Review</a></li>
</ul>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Blog Tour!</b></span></b>Tue Nov 1 -<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>ME Summers - <a href="http://mesummer.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/book-review-two-moons-of-sera-by-pavarti-k-tyler/">Review</a></li>
<li>WayWord Things - <a href="http://waywardthings.weebly.com/1/post/2011/11/james-crawfords-book-review-presents-two-moons-of-sera.html">Review </a>and <a href="http://waywardthings.weebly.com/1/post/2011/11/guest-post-by-pavarti-k-tyler.html">Guest Post - Piece by Piece, Writing a Serial Novel</a></li>
<li>Rainy of the Dark - <a href="http://www.rainyofthedark.com/2011/11/author-interview-pavarti-k-tyler/">Interview</a></li>
</ul>
Wed Nov 2<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Paranoral Wire - <a href="http://paranormalwire.blogspot.com/2011/11/book-review-two-moons-of-sera-by.html">Review</a></li>
<li>Faerotic Prose - <a href="http://faeroticprose.blogspot.com/2011/11/two-moons-of-sera-review-tour-info.html?zx=433ac14b8c53e4ae">Review</a></li>
<li>Life Is Short, Write it All Down - <a href="http://stefanides.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/a-reader-reviews%E2%80%94two-moons-of-sera-by-pavarti-k-tyler/">Review</a></li>
</ul>
Thu Nov 3<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>aobibliosphere - <a href="http://aobibliosphere.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-blog-tour-two-moons-of-sera-by.html?mid=51">Review</a></li>
<li>Unnormal Normalacy - <a href="http://unnormalnormalcy.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/two-moons-of-sera-tour-stop/">Review</a></li>
<li>The WM Review Connection - <a href="http://www.thewmreviewconnection.com/">Review</a></li>
</ul>
Fri Nov 4<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Freya Duquesne - <a href="http://www.freyaduquesne.com/2011/two-moons-of-sera-blog-tour">Review</a></li>
<li>Elsie Loves Lit - <a href="http://elsielovesfiction.blogspot.com/2011/11/two-moons-on-friday.html">Review</a></li>
<li>Adopt an Indie - <a href="http://adoptanindie.bookbagsandcatnaps.com/2011/11/9-reasons-why-im-choosing-to-self-indie-publish/">9 Reasons Why I'm Choosing to Self Publish</a></li>
</ul>
Sat Nov 5<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Splash Of Our Worlds Reviews - <a href="http://splashofourworlds.blogspot.com/2011/11/book-review-two-moons-of-sera.html">Review</a></li>
<li>The Writer's Voice - <a href="http://ourbooksourvoice.blogspot.com/2011/11/guest-post-pavarti-k-tyler.html">Guest Post - The Importance of Labeling: YA vs. Adult</a></li>
<li>Read2Review - <a href="http://read2review.com/guest-posts-interviews-spotlights/spotlights/p/pavarti-k-tyler/">Author Spotlight</a></li>
</ul>
Sun Nov 6<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Live to Read - <a href="http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/2011/10/two-moons-of-sera-by-pavarti-k-tyler.html">Review</a></li>
</ul>
Mon Nov 7<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Dafeenah - <a href="http://www.indiedesignz.com/blog/2011/11/07/two-moons-of-sera/">Review</a></li>
<li>Reading Away The Days - <a href="http://readingawaythedays.blogspot.com/2011/11/two-moons-of-sera-blog-tour-interview.html">Interview</a></li>
<li>FullMoonBites - <a href="http://fullmoonbites.blogspot.com/p/author-of-week-pavarti-k-tyler.html?zx=de0411fc7b7d4586">Author of the Week</a> and Blog Post - <a href="http://fullmoonbites.blogspot.com/2011/11/clan-of-cave-bear-is-more-than-just.html">Clan of the Cave Bear is more than just Neanderthal Porn</a></li>
</ul>
Tue Nov 8<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Nova Sparks - <a href="http://novasparks.blogspot.com/2011/11/interview-with-author-pavarti-k-tyler.html">Interview</a> you can read her review on <a href="http://pavartiktyler.visibli.com/be76e2fc35945646/?web=cb0456&dst=http%3A//www.amazon.com/Two-Moons-of-Sera-ebook/dp/B005U81SCQ/ref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1320184708%26sr%3D8-1">Amazon</a></li>
<li>A Tale of Many Reviews - <a href="http://www.ataleofmanyreviews.com/index.php/2011/11/two-moons-of-sera-tour-stop/">Excerpt</a></li>
</ul>
Wed Nov 9<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>HerLadyShip's Quest - <a href="http://www.herladyshipsquest.com/2011/11/review-two-moons-of-sera-engaging-read.html">Review</a></li>
</ul>
Thu Nov 10<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Shilpa Mudiganti - <a href="http://smmirza.blogspot.com/2011/11/two-moons-of-sera-by-pavarti-ktyler.html">Review and Interview</a></li>
<li>That Bookish Girl - <a href="http://thatbookishgirl.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-tour-guest-post-with-pavarti-k.html">Guest Blog - Doing Things Wrong the Right Way</a></li>
<li>Alaskan Book Blog - <a href="http://www.alaskanbookcafe.com/2011/11/review-of-two-moons-of-sera-pavarti-k.html">Review</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-20130522705041970622011-11-06T08:26:00.000-05:002011-11-09T16:12:30.525-05:00Two Moons of Sera #SampleSunday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Two-Moons-of-Sera-ebook/dp/B005U81SCQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320184708&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiUU2wIFnZsSeauqTVHus6Ju5TahuV2Fjvm-pVIUKufpRUhoX11BmblSAF4hQzxiw7Lr8Ue6hcK-Z05Pcm6kqFMTHIrBpu88_FVhurudycXf6xOtHbroVtbOJ658rDqwR-E9K7Bl7byE/s320/Title.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt 1.75in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "N.O.- Movement"; font-size: 30pt;">by Pavarti K Tyler</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Abusive Pencil";">I</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"> closed my eyes, letting the heat
seep into my skin. My mind drifted to the forest where animals hunt and
scavengers pick at what's left behind. Life wasn't supposed to be lived like
mine, alone. There wasn't much hope things would change though. The few
Sualwets I'd met were afraid of me, and </span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12pt;">—</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">thanks to my mother's stories</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12pt;">—</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"> I was terrified of the
Erdlanders.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">As a child I hadn't minded the
solitude, enjoying my mother's attention and playing with the animals in and
out of the water. But at 15 years old, almost 16... Something inside me longed
for more. I didn't have a name for it, but I knew it was out there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">The sun floated across the
cloudless sky as I dozed. Our cove was the safest place on earth, solitary and
undiscovered by Sualwets and Erdlanders alike. Images of floating boats and
swimming clouds filled my mind until a sound jolted me from my inner thoughts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">A <i>hoooooffff</i> and then a <i>swoosh</i>.
The air moved as if something had run past me. Looking down the beach I saw a
dark spot shrink and then disappear.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">"Hey!" I called, jumping
to my feet and running toward the movement. If it was an animal it was already
gone, but so few ventured here, skittish around my mother and I. Perhaps it was
used to groups, an Erdlander pet that lost its way. I raced after it, sand
flying behind me as my webbed feet scooped it up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">I ran along the beach until I
reached the beginning of the forest. It was thin here near the sand but
thickened further back, stretching out beyond my reach, colliding with a cliff
wall leading up to the mountains. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">I skidded to a halt, sliding on
the sand and crashing down to my hands and knees. Something was climbing the
cliff!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">"Hey!" I cried, more
afraid for the creature's safety than I was for my own. No animal I'd ever seen
could climb that wall.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">I watched, transfixed, as it moved
all four limbs in combination like a spider. Slowly the animal traversed the
wall until it reached a flat surface out over the water. It was hard to see
with the noon day sun glaring down in my eyes, but it was not covered in hair
the way the wild dogs of the forest were. It had dark tan skin, like a boar,
or... an Erdlander? My mother's voice swirled in my mind: <i>They have skin as dark as the bark of a tree and hair on their heads,
thick like rope. Their eyes can be black or green. Once I even saw one with
eyes blue like the bay. But don't let that fool you; they don't possess the
wisdom of the sea, only the cruelty of the sun.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">I watched as the creature hunched
on the plateau and reached into a bag I hadn't seen slung over its shoulder.
Slowly, it pulled out a handful of the now-dry paper I'd laid out on the beach.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">"Give those back!" I
screamed without thinking. Paper was precious when you live alone and it was
mine.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">At the sound of my voice the
creature turned and scanned the beach. Hair covered its features but I could
clearly see a pair of bright blue eyes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">"Go!" It spoke Erdlander
with a voice low and gruff like those of the men on the melodisks. It scratched
against my ears and the tone of the word was wrong, but somehow, I understood.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">"No! Give those back!" I
screamed up, taking a step in the direction of the talking beast.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">"Mine!" He stood up,
towering over me. The plateau was easily 50 feet up so it was difficult to
gauge height, but whatever he was, he was tall. I shrunk back, having never
seen an Erdlander or a man. My courage evaporated.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">"Mine." He repeated
before shoving the pages back in the bag and scampering higher. I watched his
retreating form until it was just a spot in the distance.</span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Order Your Copy Now</b></h4>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-79595752717623073662011-11-01T09:10:00.000-04:002011-11-06T08:28:36.569-05:00Two Moons of Sera Ebook Release and Giveaway! #2MOS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">After months of work and hours of neglecting my children, my debut novel <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Two-Moons-of-Sera-ebook/dp/B005U81SCQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318459676&sr=8-1">Two Moons of Sera</a> </i>is being released! </span></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-75399375085053851702011-10-31T09:16:00.003-04:002011-11-01T09:18:22.821-04:00A True Halloween Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is reposted from a Guest Blog I did on <a href="http://www.alaskanbookcafe.com/">Alaskan Book Cafe</a> earlier this month. It seemed appripro to post it again today. Happy Halloween my friends! Oh and today is the last day for my <a href="http://pavarti.blogspot.com/2011/10/coffin-hop-horror-author-blog-tour.html">GIVEAWAY</a>. Don't forget to enter!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Halloween is full of fun stories, creepy, scary, otherworldly stories that catch the imagination and force us to look at the darker side of ourselves. But what is Halloween really? Through all the traditions I can find, from The Roman Catholic <i>All Hallow's Eve</i> to the Roman <i>Parentalia</i> and even to the Celtic <i>Samuin</i>, the connective tissue of these events is the idea that the wall between reality and a spiritual world is thinner on the night of October 31st.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Ghouls and Goblins run the streets in search of bags of candy, Moms and Dads watch The Nightmare Before Christmas with their progeny, and teens and singles alike dress in ever increasingly evocative clothing in the name of Halloween. Do you think of horror movies or naked wiccans dancing in the woods that night? I don't.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I think of my first true love and the possibility that a little bit of magic kept him alive.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">While I've never been much of a religious person in the traditional sense I've always believed in a world within worlds, one which connects us all and can give us power and insight into things that defy definition. The story I have to tell you isn't a scary one, but it's one about a time when the curtain of reality parted slightly, just enough for me to peek through and see something I would have never been able to stop otherwise.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">During my senior year of high school I was in the drama filled throws of looming graduation, love, self-discovery, and self-sabotage. So basically I was exactly like everyone reading this. An emotional roller-coaster on many levels, I never seemed to be able to get myself set straight or figure out what I was doing. Words had a tendency to fall from my lips before I'd even completed the thought behind them and any day I didn't cry I considered a success. Oh to be sixteen again.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">It was Halloween and I had a costume, a crowd to wander the streets with and a general feeling that things might actually be okay for me. What could go wrong? Like everyday before, my fella and I met between classes, walked to our lockers with goofy looks on our faces, pretending we knew what it meant to be in love. That day I remember quite vividly, it was after AP Government and he met me as usual, but something was wrong.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">"I'm gonna go home, I don't feel good," he told me.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">"Do you want me to drive you?" I asked, not liking the shading of his already pale skin.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">"No, I'm just gonna sleep." He'd just recovered from a sinus infection or something, I don't remember what now, but him not feeling well wasn't unreasonable. I remember a certain dullness in his eyes though.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">He left and I spent the next two classes worried. I knew, I just <i>knew</i> there was something wrong. Something deep inside me screamed out that he needed me. It wasn't hormones or some other desire to skip school; I had plenty of opportunities to exploit both of those. It was definitely something deeper.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I considered going to the principle and asking someone to check on him, but the conversation in my mind wasn't one that I could see being well received.</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">You see, I just have this feeling there's something wrong and maybe someone should go over there - you know, see if he's still breathing?</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">What were they going to do? My mother and his parents worked so I knew they wouldn't go check. I called the house between classes and no one answered. There was no one left but me. I knew where the spare key to his house was and I had my own car.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">In a fit of rare disobedience I wrote a note during French II (a class I failed twice by the way) to leave early. I signed my mother's name and as per usual I completely fucked it up. I dated it September 31st. Guest what day Halloween is. Yeah, I'm just that smart.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">None-the-less I drove over to the house of my infirmed boyfriend, dread and concern mounting the closer I got. I had visions of finding him passed out in the kitchen or worse. Something demanded I get to him and I drove faster.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I rounded into his neighborhood too fast, pulling my ridiculous little car up the steep hill of his driveway. Inside the garage against one wall was a magnetic box holding the spare key. I grabbed it and let myself in.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I called out.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">There was no answer.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I called up the stairs and then I heard his weak voice coming from the living room.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">"Where are you?" I asked.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">"In the bathroom, don't come in." Was all he said. I started to calm down, he was alive, he was just sick. I'd been foolish to rush over here and worry. There wasn't anything wrong. I'd make him some lunch and go back to school and it would all fade away. Another moment of over-reaction in my hyperbolic life had been survived.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I heard a retch from behind the door, and then another.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">"Are you okay?"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I haven't told you much about the fella I was dating at the time. You know, protecting the innocent and all. What I can tell you is he is still a dear friend and not one to admit weakness lightly. Always working to over come the next obstacle either internal or external, "I can't" or "I'm not alright" are things he rarely says. So I knew he had to be really sick.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">My mind kicked into overdrive. He wouldn't let me in the bathroom; he was still vomiting but hadn't eaten anything. The sound of his retching got worse and worse until I had no idea what to do. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">"I'm calling your Mom."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">This time he didn't reply.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">When his mother heard my voice on the other end of the phone I could feel the panic rushing through the phone lines. There was something very wrong.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">She was home soon and we piled him into the back of her van, a bucket next to him. I sat in the very back, his head in my lap, despite his protests. He was just too weak to pretend to be okay. That vision I'd had of him passed out was coming true, but now, instead of alone in his kitchen he was with me and his mother, on our way to the hospital.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Four hours later I was allowed to see him. He'd had a severe allergic reaction to the erythromycin he'd been taking. The reaction had been so swift and violent there was a possibility that he wouldn't have survived it, but thanks to whatever sense, or intuition or touch of magic that had told me something was wrong, he was alive.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Now this isn't the same as seeing a ghost or believing in fairies. This isn't a blurry picture of a moving Bigfoot or and bright light skittering across the sky at an impossible speed. What this is is just a moment in time, a small thing really from the outside. But to me, this was a moment when something outside of myself forced me to act. When the forces at work in the spiritual world around us crossed over and whispered for me to <i>do something.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Because I listened, or maybe because it was Halloween and the thinning of reality made it easier to hear, my friend is still around. He is as difficult and stubborn as always, but I wouldn't have survived losing him and the world would have been a much darker place without him in it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Seventeen years ago, on Halloween, I was grounded for lying, forging a note, and skipping school. I was almost suspended but instead was given detention because both my mother and his asked the principle for leniency. The adults around me claimed I should have done something else, told someone, anything but what I did. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">That Halloween I didn't go trick-or-treating. I was grounded. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">And I couldn't have been happier.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-79734004003300561972011-10-30T20:22:00.000-04:002011-10-30T22:15:16.371-04:00Book Snob - The best free book you'll ever read - Space Junque by LK Rigel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1300737067l/9226657.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1300737067l/9226657.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041T59IY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0041T59IY"><b><i>Space Junque</i></b></a> by LK Rigel Edited by USA Today bestselling author Theresa Weir/Anne Frasier <br />
<br />
Nominated for Best Romantic Science Fiction/Fantasy in 2010 and Best Debut Book in 2010 by The Romance Reviews.</div>
<br />
<i>The DOGs want to destroy the world. The gods want to make a new one. The trick is to survive both.</i><br />
<div>
<br />
<div>
On
the brink of a world-wide ecological cataclysm set off by the Oil Spill
of 2010 and the Great Sea Level Rise of 2070, hydroponics agronomist
Char Meadowlark has become a recluse. Her fiance was killed by a
terrorist bomb, and her twin sister Sky has gone underground to protect a
top secret energy project. Warned about an impending eco-terrorist
attack, Char tries to get off planet, but the Defenders of Gaia strike
while she's at the airport. Shuttle pilot Jake Ardri might offer her
only hope.</div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
When the DOGs' onslaught goes global and
the material world threatens to implode, the ancient gods reemerge to
take control over humanity. Now Char has to juggle two men, a world on
fire, and a goddess with an agenda for a new world order. </div>
<div>
= = = = = =</div>
<div>
novella, about 28,000 words or 112 pages<br />
= = = = = =<br />
</div>
<div>
Wow. Just WOW. That's about all I can say about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041T59IY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0041T59IY">Space Junque.</a> The end.</div>
<div>
<br />
You
know how I rail against how badly Indies are regarded by the publishing
industry? Well, I'm going to tell you a secret. I do a little of it
too. I have read <i>so</i> many Indie books that I don't put up here
which are unedited and un-thought-through. Someone's mom told them it
was good so they hit "publish" on smashwords. Uggh. </div>
<div>
<br />
This
one though? This one was everything I could have ever wanted a sci-fi
novel to be and then you add the romance and man, I was captivated. </div>
<div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041T59IY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0041T59IY">Space Junque</a>
is different from the sci-fi I usually rave about. The world building
is slow and presented to the reader in a matter of fact manner. It
works because the author has empowed the main character, Char, to
completely own her reality. The details about the word are dolled out
in sparce and enticing pieces, making you want to know more about this
world and how it got this way. As you read along you realise you
understand more than you thought you did because this future isn't so
different from our own.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Using
pieces of current day politics and some very possible scientific
possibilities Rigel manages to create a world our children might find to
be real: The icecaps have melted bringing the water levels up and
destroying entire cities, The oil spill of 2010 was much worse (or was
it and we just don't know the ramifications yet?), fertility is
dwindling and genetic enhancements are the norm.</div>
<div>
Around our main character the world is filled with </div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>"Ghosts" (mutated humans who have lost all will to live or thrive
but exist none-the-less and seem to have unnaturally long lives)</li>
<li>Hairless mutants who haven't "gone ghost"</li>
<li>Eco-terrorists called DOGs (Defenders of Gaia)</li>
<li>Religious fanatics called the TU (<span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer127553163"><span id="freeText9918528431083775964">Talibanos Unidos</span></span><span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer127553163"><span id="freeText9918528431083775964">)</span></span></li>
<li>Raptors (mutations within the animal kingdom)</li>
<li>An Emperor</li>
<li>Inhabited Space Stations</li>
<li>Oh and there's something called the "vault" which I'm not entirely clear on but I don't think I'm supposed to be. </li>
</ul>
There are two more books in the series and I definitely got the
sense that this was a lead in. I'm dying to download the 2nd in the
series but I'm making myself wait. I have too much going on right now
to loose myself in another book but I really really want to. Seriously,
I had this on my phone and I would sneak away from the kids to read a
few more pages whenever I could.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The
romance between Char and the endearing and passionate lead, Jake was
somewhat glossed over. I can't decide if this is a problem or not
though. I got their connection and their attraction, but I like a
little more lemon in my lemonade. Since not everyone is a perv like me,
this is perhaps not a real problem but I did want some more hot lovin'.
It was nice to see a relationship in a romance that was equal and
respectful and where the woman didn't just whine. I liked Char and Jake
together and hope to see more of them. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
About 2/3 of the way through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041T59IY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0041T59IY">Space Junque</a>
we are introduced to a character, Asherah, who claims to be a God.
There's a lot of mythology and innuendo, but basically it seems that
Asherah is an incantation of the iconic fertility goddess - Isis,
Inanna, etc. Another God, Samuel, is mentioned but we don't know
anything about him yet. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Rigel
does a delightful job of weaving the mythology aspect of the plot
through the entire story, so when Asherah appears it's not completely
out of the blue. In fact, much like the world building, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041T59IY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0041T59IY">Space Junque</a> manages to present these situations in such real terms that the expected <i>Wait, now there's Gods? </i>reaction doesn't occur.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041T59IY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0041T59IY">Space Junque</a>
is free. To me this is utter insanity. It's so good you should have
to pay for it. So do yourself a favor and click on any of the 962 links
in this post and download your copy now. It's short, it's fun, it's
sexy and action packed and you are going to love it.<br />
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-75952051955157163342011-10-26T15:24:00.001-04:002011-10-26T15:25:46.933-04:00Book Snob Reviews - The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1597801585/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1597801585" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278940608l/6597651.jpg" width="209" /><span id="goog_1482827264"></span></a><span id="goog_1482827265"></span></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1597801585/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1597801585">The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi</a> - <i><span id="freeText4207476399115012255">Anderson Lake is a
company man, AgriGen’s Calorie Man in Thailand. Undercover as a factory
manager, Anderson combs Bangkok’s street markets in search of foodstuffs
thought to be extinct, hoping to reap the bounty of history’s lost
calories. There, he encounters Emiko...<br />
<br />
Emiko is the Windup Girl,
a strange and beautiful creature. One of the New People, Emiko is not
human; she is an engineered being, crèche-grown and programmed to
satisfy the decadent whims of a Kyoto businessman, but now abandoned to
the streets of Bangkok. Regarded as soulless beings by some, devils by
others, New People are slaves, soldiers, and toys of the rich in a
chilling near future in which calorie companies rule the world, the oil
age has passed, and the side effects of bio-engineered plagues run
rampant across the globe. <br />
<br />
What happens when calories become
currency? What happens when bio-terrorism becomes a tool for corporate
profits, when said bio-terrorism’s genetic drift forces mankind to the
cusp of post-human evolution? Award-winning author Paolo Bacigalupi
delivers one of the most highly acclaimed science fiction novels of the
twenty-first century.</span></i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1597801585/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1597801585">The Windup Girl</a>
was not an easy book to read. I've read a number of negative reviews
of this book and while I don't agree I understand how this happened. I
couldn't read more than 3 or 4 chapters at a time without my ears
starting to leak gray matter. But please, don't let that stop you. The
Windup Girl is both terrifying and hopeful, devastating and beautiful.
The dichotomy of humanity has never been captured as well as Bacigalupi
did in here.<br />
<br />
I've talked a lot in the past about world
building and how a quality book, especially sci-fi, doesn't stop at
location. A quality book builds a world using history, anthropology,
science, sociology, genetics, religion and politics. All of these
factors exist in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1597801585/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1597801585">The Windup Girl</a> and more. Bacigalupi tackles biology, evolution, family and the essential question of what it means to be human.<br />
<br />
Strangely,
the most human character in the entire book is the one who is
considered to not have a soul. Emiko is a Windup, one of the New
People, built and bred for specific purposes. The society of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1597801585/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1597801585">The Windup Girl</a> is obsessed with Niche. Everyone has a place and in a time when resources are scarce and hope is
extinct, clinging to ones role is what keeps order and sanity in an
insane world. Emiko's Niche is as a servant. Bred to obey, designed to
give and experience pleasure, her innocence and crisis of self is the
most engaging of the plots. However, without the others her story would
lack the context which makes it so powerful and heartbreaking.<br />
<br />
<br />
While <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1597801585/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1597801585">The Windup Girl</a>
is a fictional novel speculating on the future of the world if we
continue to mess with the genes of our food it's one that feels very
familiar. It isn't hard to imagine a world where rickshaw's replace
cars because there is no fuel left, or where carbon emission allotments
are sold on the black market to the highest bidder. The threat of a
virus or strain of an illness which we cannot defeat is in the back of
our minds already. Antibiotic resistant strep and recalled Cantaloupe
already infect our modern world. Take that reality to the extreme and
you have Bacigalupi's novel.<br />
<br />
<br />
For my part I was exceptionally happy with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1597801585/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pavarti-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1597801585">The Windup Girl</a>. It was a full story, that surprised and challenged with uncomfortable
questions on the nature of humanity. Bacigalupi used every resource
the writer has available, from research to religion to pure fantasy, to
create something completely original. I highly recommend this novel to
everyone.<br />
<br />
<br />
Oh and because I'm an Indie Author and I'm so sick of hearing
about typos I'd like to point out that this Hugo Award winning, Nebula
Prize novel had a number of typos, specifically on pages 276 and 307.
My favorite was: "The scooter <i><b>slews </b></i>to a stop and she hops down."
Guess what word he meant. So the next time you find an error or two in
a self published novel consider this before you blast it all over the
internet.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536411668962919127.post-82616596676723732182011-10-25T08:14:00.001-04:002011-10-25T08:18:41.391-04:00There's No Sex in Your Violence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">When I joined the CoffinHop I wasn't sure what to write about. I thought about Halloween and all the movies and books that are popping up all over. Usually they contain some kind of violence. I love me some violence. I mean hell, I've written some of the most detailed, visceral violence out there (just as Steven at <a href="http://www.snmhorrormag.com/">SNM horror</a> or my friend Candace who blames me for her recurring nightmares). But is there a point where enough is enough?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68OQOdWoi7ZLzsvumPZBDMrGdFJXeCMXfHGi1MsQbXIQYLKAELyAUtcwjKBevgzTIcUB3daT2eO2X9Mtk0a0EsPWYl8dczqYE2Whm93We3qrYE-9MtN2cAWnGIeJpcJQDCdsiFopVPs0/s1600/DL+-+Creature.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68OQOdWoi7ZLzsvumPZBDMrGdFJXeCMXfHGi1MsQbXIQYLKAELyAUtcwjKBevgzTIcUB3daT2eO2X9Mtk0a0EsPWYl8dczqYE2Whm93We3qrYE-9MtN2cAWnGIeJpcJQDCdsiFopVPs0/s320/DL+-+Creature.jpg" width="320" /></a>I don't believe in censorship. I believe in pushing the boundaries in every way possible. You want cannibal porn? I've written it. You want your favorite characters killed off? I've done it. You want rape, dismemberment and ocular ooze? I'm your girl. Something about it just gets me off.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What I do believe in is the visceral connection between reader and story. When my friend Rachael told me: "Man, you're one fucked up cookie. When can I read more?" I knew I was onto something. The violent, graphic and raw nature of my writing did not turn her away, it pulled her in. When the content of what you are writing is superfluous to the story you are telling it becomes more about shock than connection. That is when it becomes too much.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So there's my line, too much violence happens at the exact moment when the reader is pulled out of the story. This point will be different for each reader and as a writer you have to judge for yourself how far you are willing to push. You may loose some readers. I've had many people pass on reading <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/50495">Consumed By Love</a>, because it is erotic horror. But I'm ok with that. In fact, I'm the first one to tell interested bloggers and friends: "You know its erotic horror and pretty graphic. If you don't want to read it I won't be offended." But never have I doubted the content of my story.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkoBC8YpPbl-cjmt8C4rmm0V0ggqkfS9kzOzfXT19J-fg5CcEfeG7xb6fw27NSxDQ1DwgHj7hT69Ok_WocbC4CI6P-2qt__a7ytO2STEGsusZfnEUDyE9Ebb3lnMVqFGkmS1Az9fI6U9A/s1600/buffy+&+spike+kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkoBC8YpPbl-cjmt8C4rmm0V0ggqkfS9kzOzfXT19J-fg5CcEfeG7xb6fw27NSxDQ1DwgHj7hT69Ok_WocbC4CI6P-2qt__a7ytO2STEGsusZfnEUDyE9Ebb3lnMVqFGkmS1Az9fI6U9A/s320/buffy+&+spike+kiss.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Violence, like sex, is only offensive when someone is offended. Porn is only different from art when someone defines it so. We all love to see the bad boy get the girl. When he holds her hands above her head, making her struggle against him as he moves in for that first stolen kiss the excitement and violence of the moment titillate the reader. Does she continue to struggle? Does she fight back and beat him to a bloody pulp? Does he soften and allow himself to be the good man she deserves? All of these thoughts are what makes that moment so exciting. Where you take it from there is between you and your reader.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So darling readers, where is your line? When is enough enough and the violence has to end? Is it different for different genres? What about violence in YA?<br />
<br />
And don't forget to enter my <a href="http://pavarti.blogspot.com/2011/10/coffin-hop-horror-author-blog-tour.html">Coffin Hop Giveaway!</a> </div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03659391041910783170noreply@blogger.com9