tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62277869090996919332024-03-18T19:43:13.058-07:00Adventures In WritingRamblings of an aspiring authorLindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.comBlogger282125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-44094225748879110972013-01-04T10:44:00.000-08:002013-01-04T10:45:12.917-08:00Operation Awesome's New Year's Revision Conference Goes LiveHappy New Year!<br />
<br />
I'm busy getting my posts in order to bring you lots more fun and writing and cookie related goodness for 2013. So, while I'm doing that, why not head on over to Operation Awesome for the fantastic (FREE) New Year's Revision Conference. Here's a look at what's going on over there this weekend:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>January 4th, 2013:</b></span><br />
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<ul style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">9:00 A.M. <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/taking-your-time-to-get-it-right.html"> Natalie Lakosil: Taking The Time To Get It Right</a></li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">10:00 A.M. <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/finding-your-revision-zen-amanda-bonilla.html">Amanda Bonilla: Revision Strategies</a></li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">11:00 A.M. <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-query-letter-revising-with-feedback.html">Kate Hart: The Query Letter: Revising With Feedback</a></li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">12:00 P.M. <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/revising-beginnings-lisa-amowitz.html">Lisa Amowitz: Polishing The Beginning</a></li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">1:00 P.M. Bethany Wiggins: Creating Unique Characters</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">2:00 P.M. Agent Q&A: Part I</li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; vertical-align: baseline;">Victoria Marini</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;">Kathleen Rushall</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; vertical-align: baseline;">Natalie Lakosil</span><span style="font-size: 1em;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 1em;">Josh Getzler</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 1em;">Laura Bradford</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 1em;">Erin Harris</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"></span></div>
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">4:00 P.M. Shelley Moore Thomas: Picture Book Revisions</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">5:00 P.M. Jennifer Nielsen: The Magic In Middle Grade: Remembering Your Audience During Revisions</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">6:00 P.M. Taylor Martindale: Revising For An Agent</li>
</ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>January 5th, 2013:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">9:00 A.M. Christine Fonseca: Devil in the Details: Editing for Content</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">10:00 A.M. Phoebe North: Goal, Motivation, And Conflict</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">11:00 A.M. Cole Gibsen: Writing And Revising A Different Culture</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">12:00 P.M. Elana Johnson: Character Consistency: How To Keep Your Characters True To Themselves</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">1:00 P.M. Agent Q&A: Part II</li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; vertical-align: baseline;">Victoria Marini</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;">Kathleen Rushall</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; vertical-align: baseline;">Natalie Lakosil</span><span style="font-size: 1em;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 1em;">Josh Getzler</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 1em;">Laura Bradford</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 1em;">Erin Harris</span></span></div>
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">2:00 P.M. Georgia McBride: Secondary Characters Who Sizzle</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">3:00 P.M. E. J. Patten: Believable Monsters: Cthulhu Ate My Mother, Or the Rise and Fall of Human-Flavored Nougat.</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">4:00 P.M. Erin Molta: Revisions From An Editor’s POV.</li>
</ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>January 6th, 2013:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">9:00 A.M. The Dreaded Editor Letter: Confessions From Entangled Publishing Authors Rachel Harris, Lisa Burnstein, Cindi Madsen, and Amy Spaulding</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">10:00 A.M. Lauren Morill: Revising Your Teen Voice</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">11:00 A.M. Gretchen McNeil </li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">12:00 P.M. Door Prize! <i>Self-Editing for Fiction Writers </i>by Renni Browne & Dave King</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">1:00 P.M. Agent Q&A: Part III</li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; vertical-align: baseline;">Victoria Marini</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;">Kathleen Rushall</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; vertical-align: baseline;">Natalie Lakosil</span><span style="font-size: 1em;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 1em;">Josh Getzler</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 1em;">Laura Bradford</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 1em;">Erin Harris</span></span></div>
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<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">2:00 P.M. Gennifer Albin: How I Revise</li>
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<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">4:00 P.M. Anne Riley: Druid Magic and the Orb of No-Where, No-When</li>
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Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-78898684414666673912012-12-23T14:33:00.001-08:002012-12-23T14:33:29.972-08:00Operation Awesome New Year's Revision Conference <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've been away for a while due to unforeseen circumstances, but the New Year will bring a fresh blog start for me. And, to help end 2012 on a high note, I wanted to start by spreading some fabulous 2013 news of an event happening over on Operation Awesome. It's time to spread the word about the <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/">Operation Awesome</a> online writers conference, and what better way than with a giveaway!</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Enter using the rafflecopter form below.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;">New Year's Revisions Conference 2013</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This conference is totally free, totally online. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />You may have written your book as part of NaNoWriMo in November. You could have been working on yours longer. Or maybe you've got a book baby sat in a drawer that you think may just need a little more TLC. And what comes along with that? Revisions. But you don't need to go it alone. Operation Awesome have gathered a group of book lovers: the ones who write the books, the ones who represent the authors, and the ones who edit the books. They all want you to succeed in making your book as shiny as it can possibly be <i>before</i> you query/publish.<br /><br />That's the focus of NYRC 2013.<br /><br />This is the place to be if you love books, write books, want to write, or just want to hang out and read awesome tips and advice to keep in your writing tip vault. Operation Awesome. There'll also be a critique partner matching service for those looking for a second pair of eyes.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">We'll be live-tweeting the events <a href="https://twitter.com/OpAwesome6" style="text-decoration: initial;">@OpAwesome6</a> and using the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NYRC&src=hash" style="text-decoration: initial;">#NYRC</a> hash tag. Hope you'll join us!</span><br /><br /><b>A quick recap. The NYRC will have: </b></span><br />
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<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Professional publishing advice from our <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/2012/12/new-years-revisions-conference-our-q.html" style="text-decoration: initial;">panel of experts</a></span></li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Guest posts by literary agents, editors, and published authors - all with an eye toward helping you through the revision process</span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Giving away today via rafflecopter (giveaway runs from Dec. 21-24):</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Hidden-Anne-Riley/dp/0985180498/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356071525&sr=1-1&keywords=shadows+of+the+hidden" style="text-decoration: initial;">SHADOWS OF THE HIDDEN</a> by Anne Riley (e-copy)<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadwood-Kell-Andrews/dp/0983824045/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356071495&sr=1-4&keywords=deadwood" style="text-decoration: initial;">DEADWOOD</a> by Kell Andrews (signed ARC)<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amarok-Angela-Townsend/dp/1937053229/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356071434&sr=1-1&keywords=amarok" style="text-decoration: initial;">AMAROK</a> by Angela Townsend (e-copy)<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Wicked-Forbidden-Love-ebook/dp/B00AHDJXYO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356067238&sr=1-1&keywords=a+little+bit+wicked+by+robyn+dehart" style="text-decoration: initial;">A LITTLE BIT WICKED</a> by Robyn DeHart (e-copy)<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gabriel-Stone-Divinity-Valta-Shannon/dp/0985029471/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356053977&sr=8-2&keywords=Gabriel+stone" style="text-decoration: initial;">GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA</a> by Shannon Duffy (e-copy)<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shimmer-Angels-Angel-Sight-Series/dp/0985029439/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1" style="text-decoration: initial;">SHIMMER OF ANGELS</a> by Lisa Basso (e-copy)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">$10 amazon.com gift card</span></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ec3b1d0/" id="rc-ec3b1d0" rel="nofollow"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">a Rafflecopter giveaway</span></a> <script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-48824169216902786462012-08-08T02:50:00.003-07:002012-08-08T02:50:44.771-07:00The Kindness Project: Words Create Emotion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Too often kindness is relegated to a random act performed only when we’re feeling good. But an even greater kindness (to ourselves and others) occurs when we reach out even when we aren't feeling entirely whole. It’s not easy, and no one is perfect. But we’ve decided it’s not impossible to brighten the world one smile, one kind word, one blog post at a time. To that end, a few of us writers have established The Kindness Project, starting with a series of inspirational posts.</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I wasn't sure what to write this month. Then I found this poem: </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Kindness<br /><br />Before you know what kindness really is<br />you must lose things,<br />feel the future dissolve in a moment<br />like salt in a weakened broth.<br />What you held in your hand,<br />what you counted and carefully saved,<br />all this must go so you know<br />how desolate the landscape can be<br />between the regions of kindness.<br />How you ride and ride<br />thinking the bus will never stop,<br />the passengers eating maize and chicken<br />will stare out the window forever.<br /><br />Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,<br />you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho<br />lies dead by the side of the road.<br />You must see how this could be you,<br />how he too was someone<br />who journeyed through the night with plans<br />and the simple breath that kept him alive.<br /><br />Before you know kindness as the deepest thing<br />inside,<br />you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.<br />You must wake up with sorrow.<br />You must speak to it till your voice<br />catches the thread of all sorrows<br />and you see the size of the cloth.<br /><br />Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,<br />only kindness that ties your shoes<br />and sends you out into the day to mail letters and<br />purchase bread,<br />only kindness that raises its head<br />from the crowd of the world to say<br />It is I you have been looking for,<br />and then goes with you everywhere<br />like a shadow or a friend.<br /><br /><br />Colombia”<br />― <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9586.Naomi_Shihab_Nye"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666600;">Naomi Shihab Nye</span>, <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666600;">Words Under the Words: Selected Poems</span></i></a></span></span></div>
<script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/autolink.php?owner=cvaldezmiller&postid=07Aug2012" type="text/javascript"></script>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-89709874237694251042012-07-11T03:18:00.000-07:002012-07-11T03:18:12.866-07:00The Kindness Project<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I'm excited to have been asked to join The Kindness Project! Yay! What is The Kindness Project? Read on...</span></span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;">Too often kindness is relegated to a random act performed only when we’re feeling good. But an even greater kindness (to ourselves and others) occurs when we reach out even whe</span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;">n we aren't feeling entirely whole. It’s not easy, and no one is perfect. But we’ve decided it’s not impossible to brighten the world one smile, one kind word, one blog post at a time. To that end, a few of us writers have established The Kindness Project, starting with a series of inspirational posts. We post the second Wednesday of every month. Want to join us? Grab our button and spread a little kindness. </span></span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When the awesome <a href="http://sharppendullsword.blogspot.co.uk/">Lola Sharp</a> asked me to join The Kindness Project, naturally I said yes. Then I started to panic. Why? Because I don't even feel qualified to talk about being kind. Or to spread any sort of inspirational message about being kind. So I spent a while thinking about what to write. Then I procrastinated by Googling random stuff. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And I found this quote: </span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><img height="375" id="il_fi" src="http://images.cryhavok.org/d/2743-1/Hafiz+Quote.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="500" /></span></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Image via <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hafiz+quotes&hl=en&client=safari&pwst=1&rls=en&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=irP8T6_lOYnu8APvuNGlBw&ved=0CEwQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=606">Google</a> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It got me thinking that an act of kindness, however large or small, should be offered without expecting repayment. We do something nice because we <i>want</i> to do it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It doesn't even have to be a huge gesture. A smile. Holding open a door. And h</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ow often does a nice comment on a bad day make all the difference? Kindness is like a hug you can't feel. The gesture may not change lives, but the fact that you took the time makes all the difference. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It may even inspire someone to pay it forward. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Want more? Check out the July posts for The Kindness Project: </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.alinabklein.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Alina Klein</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://katharineowens.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Katharine Owens</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.andreahannah.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Andrea Hannah</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lenlambert.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Len Lambert</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://barbaraannwatson.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Barbara Watson</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lizakane.me/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Liza Kane</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.carolinavaldezmiller.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Carolina Valdez Miller</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://sharppendullsword.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Lola Sharp</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://christaramblesandwrites.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Christa Desir </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://isabellamorgan.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Lindsay Scott</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://clairehennessy.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Claire Hennessy</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Matthew MacNish</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Elana Johnson </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://micheleshaw.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Michele Shaw</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.lizwritesbooks.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Elizabeth Davis</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://thestrangestsituation.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Sarah Fine</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://writerelizabethpoole.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Elizabeth Poole</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://sarablarson.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Sara Larson</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://ersworkinprogress.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Erica Chapman</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://saramcclung.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Sara McClung</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://jessicacorra.wordpress.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Jessica Corra</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://sophiathewriter.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Sophia Chang</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://leightmoore.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Leigh Moore</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><a href="http://thewordsonpaper.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Tracey Neithercott</a></span></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-64353409843295393532012-05-14T13:22:00.001-07:002012-05-14T13:22:58.165-07:00Cleaning House<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="funny pictures of cats with captions" class="mine_3721285" src="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/funny-pictures-cleaning-is-very-hard.jpg" title="funny-pictures-cleaning-is-very-hard" /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Since my little old blog has, sadly, been gathering a bit of dust recently, I've decided that it's time for a bit of a clean up (and a sparkly new design). I've lots of archived posts over in the sidebar if you'd like to stay a while. So, while I'm brushing off the cookie crumbs, feel free to pull up a comfy cushion, pour some coffee and help yourself to a cookie. </div>
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I'll be back.</div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-68320163494100963752012-01-27T02:58:00.001-08:002012-01-27T02:58:55.905-08:00Updated Covers for Possession & SurrenderWhen the fabulous <a href="http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/">Elana Johnson</a> announced via Twitter that she had a secret to reveal, I dropped my cookies and jumped at the chance to help her reveal it.<br />
<br />
You remember these covers, right?:<br />
<img alt="Possession" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41qMKXZXaSL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="300" /><img alt="Surrender (Possession, #2)" height="320" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1319745850l/11700071.jpg" width="214" /><br />
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Gorgeous, right? Well here's what landed in my inbox from Elana...<br />
<br />
First, I present the newly-designed cover for the POSSESSION paperback:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDgJvfRrdNn6hALl3ffUSiMfgZ4l1qRgaaKLZolPf1ZQnGuFXRQqdYz6NuQHjDsmyScZrfsprN21BbZoaj4LBavh36zJw3uoErabOn3XZxwS9YldHxsqHTl-fqAUf1T0PLL3MKKRNnBNk/s320/Possession.JPG" width="213" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I love (and own) the original cover in hardback, but I think the graduated background colour really compliments the the butterfly in the ice. And did you notice the new tagline?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And here is the hardback cover for SURRENDER:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdG9cbkS_z6TSo9bAzdiVbv6cZNouGDGH2Nlf4stHaWvKXvrU2D8yDPGkZzeqGQugOnbuNbOqDG_jZmMv-ZhAMQVDXmMdBfx8rD99mYTMz1M6t8fMGdHijrLZ_ROswXehPfGHBBdWUZXag/s1600/Surrender.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #4cd189; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: underline;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdG9cbkS_z6TSo9bAzdiVbv6cZNouGDGH2Nlf4stHaWvKXvrU2D8yDPGkZzeqGQugOnbuNbOqDG_jZmMv-ZhAMQVDXmMdBfx8rD99mYTMz1M6t8fMGdHijrLZ_ROswXehPfGHBBdWUZXag/s320/Surrender.JPG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(76, 209, 137); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(76, 209, 137); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(76, 209, 137); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(76, 209, 137); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 1px 1px 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="211" /></a></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Again, I think the colour of the background makes the bird in the jar pop.<br />
<br />
I'm normally a bit on the fence about cover redesigns. I like my books (especially the ones in a series) to compliment each other when they live on my bookshelves (I know, I'm weird *grins*). But I do love these new covers. Plus the cover backgrounds just happen to be two of my favourite covers. :)<br />
<br />
What about you? What do you think about the POSSESSION and SURRENDER covers?</div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-24182558501881598502012-01-16T06:08:00.000-08:002012-01-16T06:08:32.695-08:00The Joy of Books<div style="text-align: left;">This has been doing the blogosphere rounds over the last week, but I wanted to share it with you all.</div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SKVcQnyEIT8" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
I wonder if my books do this when I'm asleep? Hmmm. :)Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-52382831355292973672012-01-09T01:00:00.000-08:002012-01-09T01:00:04.070-08:00The Big Bang Theory QueryJanuary is a time where lots of people make a resolution to query that novel. Want to know the emotions that go along with it? The Big Bang Theory can help...<br />
<br />
That moment you finally finish your MS:<br />
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<img alt="" class="image_thumbnail enlarged" height="81" id="thumbnail_photo_11324303773" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsrf1cIk8n1qaiwb8o1_400.gif" style="background-color: transparent; height: 217px; width: 400px;" width="150" /><br />
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And you send off the query:<br />
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<img alt="image" class="" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsv705wSiL1qatsmq.gif" style="cursor: pointer;" /><br />
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When a new message shows up in your inbox:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><img alt="image" class="" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsv6yo4qIv1qatsmq.gif" style="cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; max-width: 100%; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;" /></span><br />
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Or the post drops through the door:<br />
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<img alt="" height="178" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsiu1wJe1R1qdolkao1_250.gif" style="width: 245px;" width="320" /><br />
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<br />
The face you make when someone asks you "If you've heard anything yet?"<br />
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<img alt="image" class="" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsq9vmByoH1r0c3n1.gif" style="cursor: pointer;" /><br />
<br />
And you have a "I hate waiting" moment:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsuxxt0wNe1qabkrxo1_250.gif" style="width: 245px;" /> <img alt="" src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsuxxt0wNe1qabkrxo2_250.gif" style="width: 245px;" /><br />
<br />
<img alt="" src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsuxxt0wNe1qabkrxo3_250.gif" style="width: 245px;" /><br />
<br />
Then you get a new idea:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="image_thumbnail enlarged" height="85" id="thumbnail_photo_11281814691" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsv5odFSuM1qk7x7go1_400.gif" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; height: 226px; width: 400px;" width="150" /><br />
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And the waiting isn't so bad, right?:<br />
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<img alt="" class="image_thumbnail enlarged" height="67" id="thumbnail_photo_11277958396" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsv0w5LijX1r47kimo1_500.gif" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; height: 223px; width: 500px;" width="150" /><br />
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Memorised the emotions? Ready for them? Open that query, proofread and hit send. :)Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-15121306270300522342012-01-04T01:00:00.000-08:002012-01-04T01:00:06.813-08:00Danger: TBR Pile.The New Year means new books. And there are a lot of excellent new book pretties coming out this year.<br />
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Here are just a few that have made their way onto my TBR pile.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Fault in Our Stars" height="320" id="coverImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Bl9ADBdlL.jpg" width="218" /> </div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars">Goodreads Blurb</a>: Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><img alt="Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1)" height="320" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1317794278l/11235712.jpg" width="212" /> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11235712-cinder">Goodreads Blurb</a>: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"> </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><img alt="Bittersweet" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1319941064l/12478533.jpg" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12478533-bittersweet">Goodreads Blurb</a>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances… a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"> </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life…and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last….</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Those are a few of my picks. What books are you looking forward to reading in 2012? </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">P.S. I'm also over on <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/">Operation Awesome</a> today if you get chance to head on over. </span></span></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-23558944614343769232012-01-02T01:00:00.000-08:002012-01-02T07:55:24.886-08:00No Kiss Blogfest!Happy 2012. To kick off the year, <a href="http://www.frankiediane.blogspot.com/2011/12/3rd-annual-no-kiss-blogfest.html">Frankie Diane Mallis</a> is hosting the 3rd annual No Kiss Blogfest.<br />
<br />
What is the No Kiss Blogfest?: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">This is when you get to write a scene or post one from your favorite books, movies, or tv shows that show the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><strong>almost kiss</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">-- the rising, crushing, excruciating, longing, tension that comes when two characters get oh-so-close to kissing that you can just feel it, want it, NEED it....and then...they don't!</span><br />
<br />
I had so much fun taking part last year that I'm doing it again!<br />
<br />
*Takes a deep breath* And here is my excerpt:<br />
<br />
<script>
</script> <br />
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</style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Asher, what are you doing?"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"It's raining." He leans back, resting his head against the headboard. “I was kind of hoping you’d let me stay. I'm not going out in the rain."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: magenta;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The gentle tap of water hits the balcony windows. I didn't even notice it had started. I glance between Asher, the door, and back. "My Guardians, they'll call the patrol… you can't—"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Relax, I'll be gone by daybreak," he murmurs. Soft fingers brush my back, sending a tingle along my spine. "Lay down. Get some rest."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yeah, like I'll be able to rest with a guy on the bed with me. If Molly or Toby comes in, I'm screwed. Still, my body jerks. It moves back as if each vertebra is lowering itself one by one onto the mattress, my head the last to go. My gaze flicks to the side, but I can't see anything in this light. I turn and look, straight into his open eyes. "I thought you were going to sleep."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"I am." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Then why are you looking at me?" My voice cracks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He tilts his head toward me. His full lips part. "Why are you looking at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">me</i>?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i>Yeah, answer a question with a question. Perfect answer. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> H</span>e flips onto his side, propping his elbow on the pillow. "What are you thinking?"<span style="color: magenta;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"I just... it's nothing." I shake my head. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Aura." Two fingers find their way beneath my chin and guide my head back to the figure now leaning above me. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"I saw a picture in a book in Toby's study once," I say. "He doesn't know I've seen it. It's one of the books he hides in his desk, but I used to sneak down in the middle of the night, pull the book out and stare at it." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He settles back, and rests his head on his hand. "What was it about?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"There's a couple, on a balcony. Well, the girl is. The guy's climbing up. His hand reaching to her." The picture so clear it's almost as though I can see it in front of me. "She's smiling, and they both have this look in their eyes while they lean forward."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Romeo and Juliet." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I blink. "How do you know that?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Cassian," he says. "I told you, he got some books from the old days. He infiltrated the Archives."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Oh." The mention of my supposed father creates a strange pang in my stomach. I close my eyes, and hope the darkness will stop the sensation. "I guess so. The nameplate had been blacked out. When I was younger, I used to wonder about love. I know we’re not supposed to think about it," I sigh. "But I'd wonder how it looked, when the world fades away and there's no one but you and this other person. I found that picture and there it was -- love."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"You know they die in the end, right?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My eyes fly open. "What?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Romeo and Juliet," he says. "They're the children from two warring families who fall in love, marry, then die."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Why?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Because their love's secret. Juliet's parents try to get her to marry some other guy, she refuses and pretends to die," he explains. "Romeo is supposed to come take her away so they can flee the city." He blinks, almost waiting for some response, but I won't rise to his bait. He'd think I’m interested. Which I'm not. <i>Am I? </i>"Romeo is supposed to get a letter telling him the plan, but he misses it. He thinks she's dead and goes to die beside her. Juliet wakes up just as he's drunk some poison. Kisses him, and he dies. Not wanting to live without him, she stabs herself."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i>Well, that's depressing. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Maybe the Decretum are right," I say. "What's the point in love if all it brings is death?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He looks at me as if I’m supposed to know the answer. "Because their deaths end the war between their families, and they're laid to rest together. To love forever. Thus with a kiss, I die."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Because riddles explain so much to me. "What?" <span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"That's what Romeo says before he dies." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My forehead scrunches together. "I still don't see what all the fuss is about. If love is so wonderful, why—"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He runs his thumb across my jaw, traces a line along the bone, and cups my cheek in his palm. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Asher…"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Shush." He touches my mouth. Electric. His free hand slides to my opposite cheek, bringing my face closer. Warm breath rushes across my face as he leans toward me. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The thrum in my chest quickens with each centimeter closing the ocean of distance between us. The tip of his nose nuzzles against my own. I can't keep my eyes open. They close like an automatic door while a spark of fire flickers within my nothingness. I can't see, but I know there's no space between us. His firm torso rests near mine, our breaths mingling as he brushes his lips against my own. The faint touch of flesh on flesh. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Aura, are you awake?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i>The door. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">My eyes fly open. "Asher, you've got to go."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></div><!--EndFragment--><br />
<!--EndFragment--></span></div><div style="mso-element: comment-list;"><br />
And there it is. Apologies for length.<br />
<br />
Now I'm off to check out the other awesome entries.<br />
<div style="mso-element: comment;"><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1" language="JavaScript"></div></div></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-43522714183175445662011-12-23T01:00:00.000-08:002011-12-23T01:00:03.239-08:00Happy Holidays!Apologies for my unexpected blog break. I promise that I'll be back blogging (and commenting on all your wonderful blogs) in the New Year. Until then...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">HAPPY HOLIDAYS! </span></div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/blxabUY29Q0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> Clip via <a href="http://saundramitchell.com/blog/">Saundra Mitchell</a></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-39620371962109942982011-11-11T01:00:00.000-08:002011-11-11T01:00:01.316-08:00String Bridge Amazon Chart Rush<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPjX0xeEdWzBClglaktZWHVnHGi-wgjKlU4fVN2aJ2omZACeOMU8Xjc6NZupTWlARrUbl04p1Cehlx5lJblfhFRsXonGxwNTpVsby_l7zgYybwTI1s4mjHbmzoTpMGMZG44CzBwaeSpw/s1600/Melody+Hill_front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPjX0xeEdWzBClglaktZWHVnHGi-wgjKlU4fVN2aJ2omZACeOMU8Xjc6NZupTWlARrUbl04p1Cehlx5lJblfhFRsXonGxwNTpVsby_l7zgYybwTI1s4mjHbmzoTpMGMZG44CzBwaeSpw/s200/Melody+Hill_front.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span lang="EN-GB">Today is <b>THE </b>day to help <a href="http://www.thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/">Jessica Bell's</a> debut, <st1:place w:st="on"><a href="http://www.stringbridge.com/"><st1:placename w:st="on"><b>STRING</b></st1:placename><b> <st1:placetype w:st="on">BRIDGE</st1:placetype></b></a>,</st1:place> hit the bestseller list on Amazon, and <b>receive the all-original soundtrack</b>, </span><b><i><a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=465313522">Melody Hill: On the Other Side</a>, </i></b><span lang="EN-GB">written and performed by the author herself, <b>for free</b>!</span><br />
<br />
All you have to do is <span lang="EN-GB"><b>purchase the </b></span><b><span lang="EN-US">book</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b><span lang="EN-GB"><b>today </b>(paperback, or eBook), November 11th, and </span>then email the receipt to:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><i><b>jessica.carmen.bell(at)gmail(dot)com</b></i></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><b>She</b></span><b> will </b><b>then email you a link to download the album at no extra cost!</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">To purchase the <b>paperback</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/String-Bridge-Jessica-Bell/dp/0984631747/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_p?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320037590&sr=1-1">Amazon USA</a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">To purchase the <b>eBook</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/String-Bridge-ebook/dp/B005Y48DF6/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320037590&sr=1-1">Amazon USA</a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/String-Bridge-ebook/dp/B005Y48DF6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319370801&sr=8-1">Amazon UK</a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span lang="EN-GB">To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit <b><a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=465313522">iTunes</a>.</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB">If you are<br />
not familiar with <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><i>String</i></st1:placename><i> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bridge</st1:placetype></i></st1:place>,<br />
check out the book trailer:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Rv-hRMA0kqQ" width="425"></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">Rave Reviews for <i>String Bridg</i>e:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCu8eak15jAgAq5yfdaEmqGlzsAl40pl3cAUz0zwsh29-Ke2HzTs2LAr6sAx7lvyJ4r6-x_H4-f1lhy9apNo5kYEzFU9djyRbjwigfEjvacSF3TdIqqnWlp7DP0L0Ks-qjHF2aGZ6BWRU/s1600/String+Bridge+final+cover_front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCu8eak15jAgAq5yfdaEmqGlzsAl40pl3cAUz0zwsh29-Ke2HzTs2LAr6sAx7lvyJ4r6-x_H4-f1lhy9apNo5kYEzFU9djyRbjwigfEjvacSF3TdIqqnWlp7DP0L0Ks-qjHF2aGZ6BWRU/s320/String+Bridge+final+cover_front.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US">“</span><span lang="EN-GB">Jessica Bell’s <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">STRING</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">BRIDGE</st1:placetype></st1:place> strummed the fret of my<br />
veins, thrummed my blood into a mad rush, played me taut until the final page, yet with echoes still reverberating. A rhythmic debut with metrical tones of heavied dark, fleeting prisms of light, and finally, a burst of joy—just as with any good song, my hopeful heartbeat kept tempo with <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bell</st1:place></st1:city>’s narrative.</span><span lang="EN-US">” <b>~ Kathryn Magendie, author of <i>Sweetie</i> and Publishing Editor of <i>Rose & Thorn Journal</i></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">“Poet and musician Jessica Bell's debut novel <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><i>String</i></st1:placename><i> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bridge</st1:placetype></i></st1:place></span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">is a rich exploration of desire, guilt, and the difficult balancing act of the modern woman. The writing is lyrical throughout, seamlessly integrating setting, character and plot in a musical structure that<br />
allows the reader to identify with Melody's growing insecurity as her world begins to unravel …</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><i><span lang="EN-GB">String Bridge</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> is a powerful debut from a promising writer, full of music, metaphor, and just a hint of magic.” <b>~ Magdalena Ball, author of <i>Repulsion Thrust</i> and <i>Sleep Before Evening</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">“</span><span lang="EN-GB">Jessica Bell is a brilliant writer of great skill and depth. </span>She doesn't pull back from the difficult scenes, from conflict, pain, intensity. She puts it all out there, no holds<br />
barred, no holding back. She knows how to craft a scene, how to develop character, how to create suspense. This is an absolutely brilliant debut novel. I look forward to reading her <span lang="EN-GB">next novel, and next and next.” </span><span lang="EN-US"><b>~ </b></span><span lang="EN-GB"><b>Karen Jones </b></span><b>Gowen, author of <i>Farm Girl</i>, <i>Uncut Diamonds</i> and <i>House of Diamonds</i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">Connect with Jessica</span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB">:</span></b><br />
<br />
String Bridge: <a href="http://www.stringbridge.com/">http://www.stringbridge.com/</a><br />
<br />
Goodreads: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/jessica_bell">http://www.goodreads.com/jessica_bell</a><br />
<br />
Website: <a href="http://www.jessicacbell.com/">http://www.jessicacbell.com/</a><br />
<br />
Blog: <a href="http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/">http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<br />
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell">http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell</a><br />
<br />
Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell">http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell</a><br />
<br />
Publisher: <a href="http://www.luckypress.com/">http://www.luckypress.com</a><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Please TWEET and/or FACEBOOK this post using #StringBridge!</span></b></div></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-79924287728471678752011-10-19T01:00:00.000-07:002011-10-19T05:35:57.412-07:00THE WHITE ASSASSIN WICKED AWESOME BLOG TOUR!<div style="text-align: left;">Last year I posted about how much I loved <a href="http://isabellamorgan.blogspot.com/2010/09/book-thoughts-nightshade-city.html">Nightshade City</a>. This year, well, I'm super excited to be part of <a href="http://hilarywagner.blogspot.com/">Hilary Wagner's</a> blog tour for The White Assassin. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUY63WZuTvMxov48e7vHtYnDkb9nchuVZ-di_64hpL443jLpWw82G72mnlh2ZCj9L7kh1g44rKgp5u_BdYGsZ3ygobqkTPuaHiqGVGNBzet4rk7Vzm4txY4eiKlFpBZObRfpgSUyxrN75/s320/8515925.jpg" width="211" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here are the details: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Book II in the Nightshade Chronicles begins three years after Juniper and his rebel band of rats liberate the Catacombs and defeat their oppressors. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A sense of peace has settled over Nightshade City, but it is a false one. Billycan, the white assassin, has been found. Deep in the southern swamps, he now rules a primitive horde of savage swamp rats eager to overrun Nightshade City and claim it for their king. With the help of an ancient colony of bats and an uneasy alliance with the swamp snakes, Juniper and his Council set out to thwart Billycan’s plans. When an old secret is revealed—one so shocking it shakes both Billycan and Juniper to the core—the fate of Nightshade City and the life of Juniper’s only son depend on Juniper’s decision: should he help his mortal enemy? The past resurfaces with devastating impact in this exciting sequel to Nightshade City, a dark tale of intrigue, deception, and betrayal. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nightshade City, Book I of the Nightshade Chronicles is a CBC Best Book of 2011 and a Crystal Kite finalist.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
The White Assassin is out NOW!<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
Official Website:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> <a href="http://www.nightshadecity.com/" target="_blank">www.nightshadecity.com</a> </span><br />
Blog: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.hilarywagner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.hilarywagner.blogspot.com</a> </span></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-68068745204415410842011-10-14T01:00:00.000-07:002011-10-14T12:43:11.520-07:00Pay It Forward Blogfest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga0YgSTJvs7zXrYeja774QnfNs8aCwybpTbGLbq6SKh9OmRBUpGWlCzFYHICVcpoF002v8GrmFtcJ2w1Vvb1p5-fosj9Ms0YHCgILEOLpgC_JAG-2KUZucf500EVXJcDb8VLpJea1wUQb/s1600/PayItForward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #cc4411; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: underline;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga0YgSTJvs7zXrYeja774QnfNs8aCwybpTbGLbq6SKh9OmRBUpGWlCzFYHICVcpoF002v8GrmFtcJ2w1Vvb1p5-fosj9Ms0YHCgILEOLpgC_JAG-2KUZucf500EVXJcDb8VLpJea1wUQb/s200/PayItForward.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; position: relative;" width="235" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">My internet connection has not been my friend the last few days (so my blog commenting may be sporadic), but I wanted to make sure I reminded everyone that Today is the day of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/2011/09/paying-it-forward.html">Alex</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">and <a href="http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/2011/09/pay-it-forward-blogfest.html">Matt's</a> Pay It Forward Blogfest. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">How does it work?: The idea is to introduce everyone to everyone else. An easy post that allows you to meet and follow as many other bloggers as you can. All you do is list, describe, and link to three blogs that you enjoy reading, but that you suspect may fly under the radar of a lot of other bloggers. Or they can be famous blogs... as long as they're awesome.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Then you can visit and follow all the blogs in people's posts the day of the blogfest. Or you can visit everyone who enters in on the fun, and signs up on the linky list. You don't have to leave a comment. You can just follow, and come back another time. Easy, right?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Here are my three: </span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://katrinalantznovelist.blogspot.com/">Katrina Lantz</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://jessicaannhill.blogspot.com/">Jessica Hill</a> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://amparo-ortiz.blogspot.com/">Amparo Ortiz</a>: </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Pop on over and say hi. I promise they are all awesome bloggers. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Happy Friday!</span></span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-83571645016550891782011-10-12T01:00:00.000-07:002011-10-12T01:00:00.231-07:00Where I Poke Things With Sticks<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><img alt="" src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_loyujya0iW1qzj9f3o1_500.gif" style="width: 500px;" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><img alt="" src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_loyujya0iW1qzj9f3o2_500.gif" style="width: 500px;" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Or you can head over to <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/">Operation Awesome</a> and read my post there. *bats lashes*</span></span></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-91641751809928851342011-10-10T01:00:00.000-07:002011-10-10T05:32:08.637-07:00Kick A** 2011 Debut Author Spotlight<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Was there a book that debuted this year that you read and LOVED? The awesome <a href="http://www.write-brained.com/">Christina Lee</a> started this Kick A** 2011 Debut Author Spotlight to celebrate just that. I've loved a lot of fabulous books this year, but my focus today is on Department 19 </span></span>by Will Hill. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IYh3-DO4L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Department 19 (Department 19, #1)" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IYh3-DO4L.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">What's it about?:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Jamie Carpenter's life will never be the same. His father is dead, his mother is missing, and he was just rescued by an enormous man named Frankenstein. Jamie is brought to Department 19, where he is pulled into a secret organization responsible for policing the supernatural, founded more than a century ago by Abraham Van Helsing and the other survivors of Dracula. Aided by Frankenstein's monster, a beautiful vampire girl with her own agenda, and the members of the agency, Jamie must attempt to save his mother from a terrifyingly powerful vampire.</span></div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><em>Department 19</em> takes us through history, across Europe, and beyond—from the cobbled streets of Victorian London to prohibition-era New York, from the icy wastes of Arctic Russia to the treacherous mountains of Transylvania. Part modern thriller, part classic horror, it's packed with mystery, mayhem, and a level of suspense that makes a Darren Shan novel look like a romantic comedy.</div></div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">This isn't a sparkly <i>Twilight</i> vampire book. I enjoy a sparkly vampire tale as much as the next girl, but this book returns to the traditional vampire. These vampires have fangs. They can be killed by a stake and sunlight. They aren't vegetarian. And some of them are out for world domination. Jamie is thrown into the middle of this world trying to save his mother, learn more about the mysterious Department 19 and try to stay alive. Typical day really. This is 540 pages of wonderful reading. Now I just need to wait for book 2... </div></div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Want to know more? Check out the Department 19 website <a href="http://www.department19exists.com/">here</a>. Will Hill also blogs: <a href="http://www.willhillauthor.com/">Blog</a></div></div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div><br />
What was your favourite debut read this year? </div></div><div style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-89279312274607306952011-10-03T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-03T06:00:10.911-07:0010 Random Facts<div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I got tagged. It didn't hurt, but lovely <a href="http://amparo-ortiz.blogspot.com/">Amparo</a> tagged me with a random fact post in August. I've had a think about which parts of my oddness to post. Now it's time to let my freak flag fly!</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here are 10 random facts about me: </span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1) When I eat M&M's (or any individual candy), I can only eat an even number. I know it's weird (and kind of OCD). I don't know why I do it. I just do. I also can't stand closing a book if I haven't reached the end of the chapter. </span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2) I sprained my ankle while I was making soup. Yep, I'm <i>that</i> clumsy!</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3) I have a bit of an obsession with finding the perfect writing pen. So far, I like this type from Staedtler:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://gulflinkkuwait.com/images/pens_pencils/staedtler_pen.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></span></div></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4) Like Amparo, I've got all the <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> seasons on DVD. I also have all five seasons of <i>Supernatural</i> ( and I'm watching 6 on TV now!). </span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5) I play acoustic guitar. </span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6) I can't tell jokes. Seriously, I'm rubbish. </span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7) I split my knee open when I was fourteen. The scar looks like a smile. </span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">8) I can't watch the movie Labyrinth. I saw it once when I was seven and got so freaked out that I haven't watched it since. I really did think The Goblin King would come steal my brother. *shudders* </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="image" class="" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrc86n6cP51qc3acs.gif" /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">9) But I do love watching this movie:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="" src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrbgdj16As1qbosqpo2_250.jpg" style="margin-top: -5px; width: 160px;" /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">10) As well as writing, I also love drawing. </span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now I'm going to tag:</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/">Janet Johnson</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://katrinalantznovelist.blogspot.com/">Katrina Lantz</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/">Matthew MacNish</a></span></div></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-7452123898614489602011-09-30T11:36:00.000-07:002011-09-30T11:54:43.110-07:00Fun Friday & Mystery Agent News<div style="text-align: left;">It's finally friday. Time for a few funnies:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="funny pictures - When you absolutely, positively have nothing else to do" class="event-item-lol-image" height="512px" src="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/funny-pictures-when-you-absolutely-positively-have-nothing-else-to-do.jpg" title="funny pictures - When you absolutely, positively have nothing else to do" width="374px" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="funny pictures - Aye, Captain Engaging warp drive!" class="event-item-lol-image" height="322px" src="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/funny-pictures-aye-captain-engaging-warp-drive.jpg" title="funny pictures - Aye, Captain Engaging warp drive!" width="500px" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="funny pictures - Okay." class="event-item-lol-image" height="298px" src="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/funny-pictures-okay.jpg" title="funny pictures - Okay." width="500px" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Also, <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/">Operation Awesome</a> have another fabulous Mystery Agent contest on the 1st of October. This one isn't a one-line pitch contest. Your pitch can be 2-4 sentences long. There will be 50 places available, and the winner gets a 50-page partial request.<br />
<br />
Here are the details:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Single Title Romance<br />
- all subgenres in the 100,000 word range<br />
- no inspirational<br />
<br />
Young Adult and Middle Grade<br />
- all subgenres<br />
<br />
Fantasy and Science Fiction<br />
- all subgenres<br />
- for Adult or Young Adult readers<br />
<br />
Commercial Fiction<br />
- including women's fiction, chick lit, historical fiction and high concept mainstream commercial fiction.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happy Friday.</span></span></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-75632375470951753302011-09-28T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-28T06:00:05.917-07:00Impossible. Impassible. Possible.<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">I'm over on <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/">Operation Awesome</a> today with some more Buffy post fun. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">Feel free to hop on over. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">Until Friday, I leave you with this:</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><img alt="" class="image_thumbnail enlarged" height="115" id="thumbnail_photo_9161554489" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lli808Uobk1qih9emo1_500.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; background-color: transparent; box-shadow: none; float: none; height: 384px; image-rendering: optimizequality; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; max-width: 100%; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 500px;" width="150" /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">Sometimes we stare at the blank page and think writing anything is impossible. But nothing is impossible. A blank page is a canvas for the possible. You just need to find the right key. </span></div></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-37674655704032924642011-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-26T06:00:06.760-07:00Blog fail!Apology time. I failed at blogging last week.<br />
<br />
Some things happened. Everything is okay now, but I was called away from blogging, writing and reading. I'll be making my way around the blogosphere, but I might be playing catch up over the next few days. But, for now, I leave you with this:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="tatteredcover:
bookreadingbookworm
" class="the-photo" src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqx1trc0dV1qbvyrlo1_500.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">How was your week? </div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-90908863378298036822011-09-14T01:00:00.000-07:002011-09-14T02:35:18.199-07:00Watching Willow Watts: If I could Be Anyone, I'd Be...<div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgRXgltqFGNl0-OF4kQJnwcU0DI6DN9MqcOM9Zb3XQcRFH5KOT5gJjoJC6ffQ4ZUrfYhpwih7UsXCzydLNmBOzJBdS9PFDMU-xRENTr04NfB_JSbydQdakIA2XllVYhldGB46O0Ds5b_G/s1600/Watching+Willow+Watts+-+small.jpg" /><br />
<br />
</div>Talli Roland's new book, <i style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Watching Willow Watts</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">, is now available on Kindle and other ebook platforms. To celebrate, Talli has organised this </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b><a href="http://talliroland.blogspot.com/2011/09/yay-its-watching-willow-watts-launch.html">'If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be...' party!</a> </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">How does it work?:<b> </b>All you do is c</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">ome dressed as that one person you've always admired, longed to impersonate, or just plain envied. All you need to do is post a photo </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">of your chosen one (dead or alive) along with an explanation why you've picked that person. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Easy, right? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Who would I be? I'd be Katharine Hepburn.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img alt="" height="282" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/08/Katharine_Hepburn_promo_pic.jpg/220px-Katharine_Hepburn_promo_pic.jpg" width="220" /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Why? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Hepburn was a woman who never gave up on her dream. Or sacrificed her principles to please others. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Despite her early success, her brash personality and unconventional behaviour initially turned audiences away. But she masterminded her own comeback, buying the film rights to T<i>he Philadelphia Story</i> and sold them on the condition she was to be the star. She w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">ent on to become one of the most acclaimed actresses in the world by determination, hard work and talent. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Hepburn reminds me never to give up on my dreams. We can all control our own destiny if we work hard enough.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">"The thing about life is that you must survive. Life is going to be difficult, and dreadful things will happen. What you do is move along, get on with it, and be tough. Not in the sense of being mean to others, but being tough with yourself and making a deadly effort not to be defeated."</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/84099.Katharine_Hepburn">Katharine Hepburn</a></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Who would you be? </span>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-66134381462711073162011-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-13T06:16:02.578-07:00YA fiction + TEEN MOVIES = AWESOMEI don't usually post on Tuesday, but I wanted to spread the word about the debut post of an awesome new blog. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG63whDenCzy_GDupE-s3TCjupzFilQAkyYvPwgnogJ5U-c7ylogIZ2ejXzXMxbHsoqj5GGyfWh-Akus6pDOaqCGAeEEpAoLU5LqxCZFgFx-elQ9sEuGItrlj-RVCLCdBdGb2ZCDCkQKg/s1600/Reel+YA+PNG3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Reel YA" border="0" height="156" id="Header1_headerimg" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG63whDenCzy_GDupE-s3TCjupzFilQAkyYvPwgnogJ5U-c7ylogIZ2ejXzXMxbHsoqj5GGyfWh-Akus6pDOaqCGAeEEpAoLU5LqxCZFgFx-elQ9sEuGItrlj-RVCLCdBdGb2ZCDCkQKg/s400/Reel+YA+PNG3.png" style="display: block; text-align: justify;" width="400" /></a><br />
<div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><b>What is Reel YA?</b><br />
<br />
Reel YA is the place where YA fiction and teen movies unite.<br />
<br />
<b>What can you find there? </b><br />
<br />
Amparo will be sharing guest posts, interviews, books/movie reviews, and all the news related to YA.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Want more info? Head on over to <a href="http://reelyalit.blogspot.com/">Reel YA</a> </div></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-4097971502284261372011-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-12T06:00:06.259-07:00Read For Relief<div style="text-align: left;">I'm back! *waves* My blog break was a little longer than I'd planned, but I'm refreshed and ready to catch up with all your blogs! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Speaking of blogs, I happen to know today is the launch of Read for Relief.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-nh7F3CGQxUaR3OoxQUt0TjfoF9Xo3sTztwyHf2s6WBmQknj-fDTyV6bHPnEGebOyAfpNg0ND2lCAMNZ6_Z4h-GhF8M7Yoh_b34NqaN1q_hWrhG5MQ0n2WAbmW9ErG3PW3jpEnVKiCOw/s1600/readforrelief_badge" width="200" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Read for Relief has been set up by a awesome east coast writers Erin Bowman, Caroline Richmond, Traci Neithercott, and Sarah Enni. Their aim is to help communities devastated by Hurricane Irene. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">How? With an auction for some fantabulous items like:</div><ul style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Query critiques from agents</b> (Jim McCarthy, Joanna Volpe, and Sara Crowe, to name a few)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Partial critiques from editors </b>(like HarperTeen editor Erica Sussman)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Group critiques </b>(the gals of YA Highway are offering a great one!)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Signed ARCs</b> (like LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins and BORN WICKED by Jessica Spotswood)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Signed first edition hardcovers</b> (like ASHFALL by Mike Mullin and VARIANT by Robison Wells)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And much, much more!</span></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: left;">And Operation Awesome are donating to the cause. How? All seven of us are donating a thirty-page critique as an auction item. Want to know more? Want to bid? Donate? Head over to <a href="http://readforrelief.blogspot.com/">Read for Relief</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So how was your summer? </div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-59562207942020516792011-08-15T11:49:00.000-07:002011-08-15T11:49:50.310-07:00WriteOnCon Ninja AgentsI've crawled out of my writing cave to remind everyone that WriteOnCon starts tomorrow!<br />
<br />
I've issued a warning to the family that, unless it's an emergency (or Alexander Skarsgard happens to be in our backyard) I'm not to be interrupted if I'm on my laptop. Although this doesn't apply to my CP's of awesome/blogging friends. I'm pretty sure we'll all be in the same place for the next three days!<br />
<br />
This year there are Ninja Agents stalking the forums. Here are the details:<br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">This program will take place in the forums–so you must be registered and using the forums to participate. If you haven’t already done that, go <a href="http://writeoncon.com/forum/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Here’s what you’ll do:</strong></span><br />
1. Post your absolute best, polished query letter or writing sample in the appropriate critique threads in the forums. (Please look carefully and ask questions if you’re unsure about where to post, and make sure you follow all our forum guidelines)<br />
2. Don your thick dragon skin, cross your fingers, and keep checking your forum posts, because our Ninja Agents will be sneaking around, leaving feedback on whatever strikes their fancy–which could very well be YOUR QUERY.<br />
3. Pray you’ve perfected your work enough to generate a request. Some agents may be requesting from the posts they read.<br />
4. Remember your manners. Please don’t engage in hurtful behavior toward an industry professional because of feedback they might leave on your query. Remember, publishing is SO SUBJECTIVE.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">That’s it. That’s all there is to it. All you have to do is use our forums the same way you should be using them anyway (because they’re AWESOME) and you could have a super-cool Ninja-Agent critique your work. And even if they don’t comment on your work (they promise they will try to comment/critique on as many as they can) you can learn SO much from the comments they leave for others.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">So how do you know when to look for them?</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">Watch the <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/@Writeoncon" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@WriteOnCon twitter feed</a> for when we tweet: “A Ninja Agent just entered the forums!” That’s how you’ll know exactly when they’re there. But really, the best part about the forum is that you can go read the feedback whenever your schedule allows.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What the Ninjas will do:</strong></span><br />
1. Each Ninja Agent will be in the forum for at least one hour (some have multiple slots). You won’t know who, and you won’t know when…that’s the beauty of a ninja. They strike when you’re least expecting it.<br />
2. Ninja Agents have been encouraged to leave feedback—as detailed or as vague as they want—on as many queries as they can. They can also request from the queries they read.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">The Ninja-Agent Program is open for business starting on Monday, August 15, one day before the conference begins. That’s when we’ll open the main conference forums and let you start posting your work. This will give you time to get your writing in tip-top shape and in the forums before Tuesday, when our first Ninja will arrive.</div><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://writeoncon.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/WascotNinja.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2126" height="250" src="http://writeoncon.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/WascotNinja-300x250.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="WascotNinja" width="300" /></a></span><br />
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Hope to see you there!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227786909099691933.post-85575606903849323672011-07-06T10:36:00.000-07:002011-07-06T10:36:41.327-07:00<div style="text-align: left;">You may have been there already, but I'm blogging over on <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/">Operation Awesome</a> today. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" class="" height="142" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lka7q1LJAu1qbggqv.gif" width="255" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Also, head over to Katrina's <a href="http://networkedblogs.com/k37aP">blog</a>. She's interviewing awesome author (and one of our critique partners, Angela Townsend) about her novel, FROZEN FURY. </div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.com3