tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77833116910387043032024-02-28T17:44:02.510-06:00The Big HeatTEXAS CRIME FICTION
Some folks just need killin'. Live vicariously.Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-16260655078444327572023-07-07T00:30:00.030-05:002023-07-07T00:30:00.132-05:00Celebrate World #Chocolate Day July 7th!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsU-amWGeY4w-b5sBdFqT_8h4zs25iTNGvHP9xOLInJ6cLw9mo10EYEJTpaPYy0dXc5seQFuYwpqnJCNVMrbtIfKlxqI1KqkrjDpdZDUGA6Zs-t0Amz4wYVcwuX8gjc6JWIinhXJ5jTvEh5fUfNVbYVJpjvy1vc8PveVm790tYYwZCuWEgArEfVzBr5g/s1200/Sweet%20chocolate,%20how%20do%20I%20love%20thee%20Let%20me%20count%20the%20ways....png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1200" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsU-amWGeY4w-b5sBdFqT_8h4zs25iTNGvHP9xOLInJ6cLw9mo10EYEJTpaPYy0dXc5seQFuYwpqnJCNVMrbtIfKlxqI1KqkrjDpdZDUGA6Zs-t0Amz4wYVcwuX8gjc6JWIinhXJ5jTvEh5fUfNVbYVJpjvy1vc8PveVm790tYYwZCuWEgArEfVzBr5g/s320/Sweet%20chocolate,%20how%20do%20I%20love%20thee%20Let%20me%20count%20the%20ways....png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Sweet chocolate, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...</span></b></span></p><p style="margin-left: 400px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Elizabeth Barrett Browning, paraphrased</span></b><b><span style="color: #990000;"></span></b><b><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">World Chocolate Day. A whole day - a delicious 24 hours - dedicated to chocolate. What's not to love? I know, I know. There are those who absolutely hate chocolate, and I have respect for that. And more than respecting your chocolate hating ways, I actually appreciate them, because that hatred leaves more chocolate for me... </span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">Whether your passion is nibs, powder, chips, cookies, cakes, or bon bons of any variety - to all the chocolate lovers out there, enjoy <b><span style="color: #990000;">World Chocolate Day</span></b>, and remember to indulge responsibly!</span><br />Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-38179285071556400592023-07-01T10:43:00.002-05:002023-07-01T10:43:24.627-05:00#Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale is Now On! Cass Elliot #CrimeSeries is #FREE and 50% off!<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/gaelynnwoods" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1201" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bWoAgzNqPYNXnocJZ888DluK0wJ6lp353kVe5LMFX8KtJmF10gbsKdBvA1ZQLdJRqo_HoXWat_fseE_BpSqByejkBYv7AKJB_jhHViVwB2nrTpyeiSgVbX7iuUibbE5Gb1nHvABgdBUb9g8G-kgAS2wdY0prFXHhdwrrIeT6t6QudJI0z6YouDXlURw/s320/promo_insta.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Happy July, everyone! Whether you're facing sultry summer days or shivering through a long winter, the <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/gaelynnwoods" target="_blank"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale</b></span></a> is for you! The Cass Elliot Crime Series is on sale - grab the books and head for the beach or curl up next to a roaring fire. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The first book in the series, <b>THE DEVIL OF LIGHT</b>, is <span style="color: #990000;"><b>FREE</b></span> at Smashwords from July 1 through July 31! <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/gaelynnwoods" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhc9-zV4D8mbpn_IE6UZ546ixzohktnsLEEFszZBxWOtaey8UxEUXHvFe-V-dF8VOUizjjEJbhVKLfpuZvH7prs8HCXvxsMKnBQBloZs8_KJLHVY_fXESkjd__wu4jmznk055Xb1jpQNYSkVnzblV5AJz9gesVj_y2KBB3VPu3cCKWL5hmYIYBpt56Hm8/s320/the%20devil%20of%20light-final.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The second and third books, <b>AVENGERS OF BLOOD</b> and <b>A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES</b>, are <b><span style="color: #990000;">50% off</span></b> all month! <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/gaelynnwoods" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3KK2YMA8MymvCprSwTVWN2q512XE8tvozC-iKQYcsEqr-cyRK8tzQCsXzRHVoeIZ2blBgJffDUqNIs8f_Yp3v1T2Qf52bSST083j7K9tMqGheg6UMRdROf2UMgmgQlT8egdkqI0Ri8FhRajoFIgyaA_g2YEmGIr15BgtPCjBeWfkOOuHGjP9aSVYynU/s320/Avengers%20of%20Blood-final%20file.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/gaelynnwoods" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnToDLljkL3a4_aY9TOZhIFA2M0b-_luipimpVqP8ip9P25wmTh5Iv3e4u-zJqK_ym-GnvbxlvGTqS9s9RQKa9PFzjm8ne_A7BkATqocfBgyrGxXUP6XwgkhBAXt48d9hzkRjQiS1kW4sS-0A1wnN1Kt_mmCuTqRM2x8iWatt5Kcp-cm4SuzLpJeLbuo/w206-h320/Sour%20Grapes%20from%20Canva--2017-08-17.jpg" width="206" /></a></span></div></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br />Head over to <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/gaelynnwoods" target="_blank"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Smashwords</b></span></a> to pick up your copy of the Cass Elliot Crime Series, and browse the huge selection of books on sale during the month of July. </span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Happy Summer/Winter, and happy reading! </span> <br /></p>Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-3578324413396085892020-11-10T22:17:00.001-06:002022-04-07T17:34:48.879-05:00#NewRelease from @ScottTheWriter - The Children of the Seventh Son #HistoricalFantasy<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm excited to share with you a dark excerpt from </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Children of the Seventh Son</b>,<b> </b></span>Book 2 in author Scott Bury's <i>The Dark Age </i>trilogy. Scott's new book is available on November 13, 2020 - <a href="https://amzn.to/35hgzQQ" target="_blank">pre-order on Amazon for the special price of 99 cents US</a> to ensure delivery to your favorite reading device!<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Scott is an incredibly versatile author, publishing books in multiple genres and for all ages. From books for kids to a memoir in novel form about his father-in-law's experiences in World Word II, to mysteries set in lush Hawaii and California's romantic wine country, to his historical fantasy trilogy, Scott offers something for everyone. Check out the excerpt from <b>The Children of the Seventh Son</b> below, and you'll discover
why Scott is an author worth reading.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlchnTNzK4PT6hP0ceK2YJZhxpIerHrqH300hE2LmEFxKAvHwVpeK0lk-S39jPuqsm2iSeaFidXfpu5tsLt_YRK-M1dnkU4HZXhZ78EEdPAPPulw5fA1W-J0Zno1g1hr7921Cf2kExjE/s640/ChildrenOfTheSeventhSon-frontmed.tiff" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="438" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlchnTNzK4PT6hP0ceK2YJZhxpIerHrqH300hE2LmEFxKAvHwVpeK0lk-S39jPuqsm2iSeaFidXfpu5tsLt_YRK-M1dnkU4HZXhZ78EEdPAPPulw5fA1W-J0Zno1g1hr7921Cf2kExjE/w137-h200/ChildrenOfTheSeventhSon-frontmed.tiff" width="137" /> </a></div><p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A conspiracy in victorious Rome</b></span><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>What they saw, first, was a glorious troop of legionnaires bearing long spears, their armour shining, bristles on their helmets tall and proud, their scarlet cloaks bouncing in time with their steps.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Behind them, the prisoners: dirty men in ragged, torn clothes, chained at the wrists and ankles, shoulders slumped, heads hanging, exhausted and defeated.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>“The Gepids,” Malleus said. “It is said that Priscus defeated them in four consecutive battles, killing thirty thousand, and bringing back eighteen thousand prisoners.”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Javor’s mind whirled at the numbers. Thirty thousand dead? He tried to imagine thirty thousand dead bodies on a field, then pushed away the horrifying image. He concentrated on watching the parade of misery and pride. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Malleus leaned his head on Javor’s shoulder. His voice was low, soft, his words quick. “I am walking a very narrow path, my friend. The emperor understands how vital the Order’s support will be. And I mean the Order, the secret Gnostic Order, not the Order of St. Mary of Chalkoprateia.”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Javor kept his eyes on the endless parade of ragged, chained men. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>“That means that now, secrecy is more important than ever,” Malleus continued. No one else could hear them. Javor concentrated to make certain that he did not miss a word. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>“That is because we must be seen to be working closely with the Church and the Patriarch in resisting, and defeating the enemies of Rome. But the position of the Orthodox Church of Rome has hardened against perceived heretics, outsiders and especially Gnostics.”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>“Then why work with them?” Javor asked, keeping his voice as low as Malleus’.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>“Because protecting civilization will require more than the Order and the Empire itself. Remember that Rome faces many enemies. The Sassanians. The Avars. The various barbarians that shattered the Western Empire. All civilizations, Roman and Sassanid, even the barbarians, must learn to resist the chthonic forces together, or we are lost. And I fear we will not find unity.”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Prisoners continued to stream past, many stumbling, moving again only when whipped by the Legionnaires who marched, shining and proud along the edges of the Mese. Javor thought about Malleus’ words. “What about Gracian?”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>“Especially Gracian. Gracian comes from the Church. He is a believer in the decisions of the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon. Which means he fervently rejects any deviation from the Orthodox doctrines.”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>“Then why have you made him your second-in-command?”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>“The Patriarch insisted. That is what I mean by a narrow path. I must be able to mobilize the full strength of the secret Order—such as you, Javor—in secret, without the knowledge of the Church, yet in coordination with it.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>“That means, Javor, that you and I will have to limit our direct communication. And you must never, never mention anything about the Order, Gnostic knowledge or anything about our true nature in Gracian’s presence. Do you understand?”</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Javor nodded, feeling a tingle in his spine and a weight in his gut.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>About this book</b></u></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/35hgzQQ" target="_blank">The </a><a href="https://amzn.to/35hgzQQ" rel="" target="_blank">Children of the Seventh Son</a></b> is the second novel in the Dark Age series, which began with The Bones of the Earth.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The year 600 of the Christian Era is the darkest time of the Dark Age. Young Javor the Sklavene has settled in Constantinople, the last bastion of civilization against dark forces that have shattered the Western Roman Empire. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wielding two special weapons made from the Bones of the Earth, Javor has become the favourite monster-killer of the secret Gnostic Order. As his young family grows, he is sent to distant, exotic lands to eliminate threats and learn more about why the earth is intent on destroying humanity.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Every mission seems to bring more questions than answers—until he finds the greatest danger comes not from forces from beneath the surface of the world, but from the very civilization he has been defending.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Read more about <i><a href="http://scottburyauthor.com/books/the-dark-age-series/" target="_blank">The Dark Age series</a></i>. </span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> <br /><u><b>About the author</b></u><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1RwpgrrYn-TySrVsltHqVONLI9NXmeRUHzb2yNtqurXR8Bly_8_Z6j510RxbwFpfhkDqdB7IyV6nFxDxsbC6QkGA3yCgWItY3M5izBrPnj0B5PsXue9agFUmm2Di97mVsJi_vgsBOHQ/s640/UseThis.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1RwpgrrYn-TySrVsltHqVONLI9NXmeRUHzb2yNtqurXR8Bly_8_Z6j510RxbwFpfhkDqdB7IyV6nFxDxsbC6QkGA3yCgWItY3M5izBrPnj0B5PsXue9agFUmm2Di97mVsJi_vgsBOHQ/w150-h200/UseThis.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div>Scott Bury can’t stay in one genre. After a 20-year career in journalism, he turned to writing fiction. <a href="https://amzn.to/3eL8erG" target="_blank">Sam, the Strawb Part</a>, a children’s story, came out in 2011, with all the proceeds going to an autism charity. Next was a paranormal short story for grown-ups, <a href="https://amzn.to/2Ug3GAs" target="_blank">Dark Clouds</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><a href="https://amzn.to/3pj4wdK" target="_blank">The Bones of the Earth</a>, a historical fantasy, came out in 2012. It was followed in 2013 with <a href="https://amzn.to/3eYHwfD" target="_blank">One Shade of Red</a>, an erotic romance.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />He's written several mysteries and thrillers, including <a href="https://amzn.to/3peXgzD" target="_blank">Torn Roots</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3kfMhlX" target="_blank">Palm Trees & Snowflakes</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/32xsAjc">Wildfire</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Scott’s articles have been published in newspapers and magazines in Canada, the US, UK and Australia.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />He has two mighty sons, two pesky cats and a loving wife who puts up with a lot. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Learn more about Scott on his:<br />• <a href="http://scottburyauthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> <br />• <a href="http://scottburyauthor.com/blog" target="_blank">Blog</a> <br />• <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scott-Bury-author/347727125260907" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <br />• <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottTheWriter" target="_blank">Twitter</a><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <br /></span></span></div>Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-92172671905912799262020-09-06T17:17:00.001-05:002020-11-10T17:28:55.061-06:00To Cliffhang or Not to Cliffhang. That is the Question.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaQCRJom0Jn_vNRsGN4qGXT8sNYxH2l77RAQSrWnULf2bGmjU0NdTW927CYslfaZpc1Rn9mJWgvsjtpABTYBwobh5c_eUeIAepiPUx9yOq4SWg5z4AciS4EWPRF6Y6c6d7nZMcGXwBCQ/s240/Cliff+from+photopin.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaQCRJom0Jn_vNRsGN4qGXT8sNYxH2l77RAQSrWnULf2bGmjU0NdTW927CYslfaZpc1Rn9mJWgvsjtpABTYBwobh5c_eUeIAepiPUx9yOq4SWg5z4AciS4EWPRF6Y6c6d7nZMcGXwBCQ/s0/Cliff+from+photopin.jpg" /></a></div><p><br />I'll fess up: my first book, <span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="http://amzn.to/1B1m2mO" target="_blank">THE DEVIL OF LIGHT</a></b></span>, ends with one heck of a cliffhanger. A character's life hangs in the balance, another character's professional future is uncertain, some of the minor baddies scatter, and the big baddies escape unscathed.<br />
<br />
Reviewers love it or hate it, regardless of the star-rating they give the book. I still love it, but I know what happens in book two, and I kind of know what's coming down the pike in future books and how the story weaves together.<br /><br /><br />
<br />
Reviewers who hate it say I left too much hanging. That the book can't stand on its own. The mystery isn't completely solved. That you have to read the second book to get closure. Er, yep, you do. 'Cause this is a series and that's what I intended.<br />
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Is that a bad thing? Since this is a series, I don't think so. (But I would think that way, wouldn't I?)
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I love to read books in a series, and I don't mind at all when characters and conflicts hang over from one book to the next. In fact I love it when a portion of a character's history takes several books to unravel, as in the DI Lynley novels by Elizabeth George. I don't remember how many books in the series I read before George told me that the limp afflicting one of the minor characters was caused by a careless moment by Thomas Lynley. Or that the wife of Lynley's best friend was once in love with Lynley. George hints at these aspects of backstory for several books, and her hinting makes me crave the information, keeps me reading.</p><p>But we're talking cliffhangers here. Books where the author leaves key elements of the plot unfinished. Think <span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3lQ8rNs" target="_blank">HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE</a></b></span> by J.K. Rowling or Harlan Coben's <span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3jTveq0" target="_blank">TELL NO ONE</a></b></span>. Both have terrific cliffhanger endings, and I love them both. <br /></p><p><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJVl6FV6u5ABSR24VqOJ2dpcPIPMcvLDNyb1DD1MlSgiYXCU5SiJacOUIYKF7KJ6QZ3yZBdczO46XsbXsKulvsYP3UdyeXEs_ux_Yx5uJUO1S4Ta7yXwbDRkEMWDQQXqwW7PCbn_OZzo/s240/Reader+from+Photopin.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJVl6FV6u5ABSR24VqOJ2dpcPIPMcvLDNyb1DD1MlSgiYXCU5SiJacOUIYKF7KJ6QZ3yZBdczO46XsbXsKulvsYP3UdyeXEs_ux_Yx5uJUO1S4Ta7yXwbDRkEMWDQQXqwW7PCbn_OZzo/s0/Reader+from+Photopin.jpg" /></a></p><div></div><div> </div><div>But I'm curious to hear other voices. What do you think? To cliffhang or not to cliffhang? What is your preference?<br /> </div><p>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: State Library Victoria Collections <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60849810@N05/8516568551">The Pinnacle, Grampians</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">(license)</a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">
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photo credit: byronv2 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7512717@N06/46586983425">The Reader</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">(license)</a></span></p>Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-28423748279342523652020-07-01T06:00:00.001-05:002023-03-06T19:32:02.067-06:00Cass Elliot #Crime Novels are #FREE and 50% off during the #SmashwordsSummerSale through July 31Ahh, a holiday. What could be better than diving into a new book? Settle in for some great summer reading during the Smashwords Summer Sale! You'll find loads of books on sale - many for free, including the first book in the Cass Elliot Crime Series.<br />
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Grab a few books (on sale!) for your vacation and find new authors to love!<br />
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The first book in the Cass Elliot Crime Series, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70807" target="_blank"><b>THE DEVIL OF LIGHT</b></a>, is <span style="color: #990000;"><b>FREE</b></span>! Books two and three, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/344049" target="_blank"><b>AVENGERS OF BLOOD</b></a> and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/545551" target="_blank"><b>A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES</b></a>, are 50% off!<br />
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<br />Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-25521034374396999302020-06-16T12:01:00.001-05:002022-04-07T17:35:37.846-05:00The Lost #Art of Listening #amwriting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Confession time: I'm an eavesdropper. Even worse? I'm shameless about adapting what I hear for use in a novel. The truth is, if you're in earshot, your conversation is fair game.<br />
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Listening is a rare skill these days. Life has always been full of distractions, but the advent of perpetually-available rich technology has made us even more easily distractable.<br />
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I'm as guilty as anyone else of the sin of distraction. Of cocking half an ear while trying to carry on a text conversation or answer an email. Multi-tasking doesn't work. Not for me, anyway. But I've found a wonderful cure for these modern day distractions: putting that dang technology away. It's so beautiful because anyone can do it.<br />
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If you've read my posts, you'll know that my dad had Alzheimer's and was in a nursing home. Every night, my brothers and I took turns being there around supper time to feed him. Convincing him to eat, watching to make sure he swallowed, giving him small sips of thickened liquids worked wonders for my listening skills, mostly because I couldn't feed my dad and scan BBC news or Facebook updates at the same time. (Not that I didn't try.) My dad's willingness and ability to speak deteriorated quickly, which meant we had to listen really hard when he did talk. Visiting with him and with others in that nursing home opened my heart and honed my listening abilities; that ninety-three year old man who used to be a preacher doesn't have many years left to talk, so I took time to listen while I could.<br />
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My dad was in that nursing home for almost three years, and you know what I've realized? Listening is a choice, pure and simple. I have to choose to shut up, choose to put the phone or tablet down, choose to focus on the speaker. This actually gives me hope for myself and everybody else who spends too much time hooked to technology.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEbj4ajbJ0Zqszwro19JK3bZ6u7ZTXNGcuOIqE1TH3zCQz5b_ED9SnCPCanp_OGgWYEwzAYfvsG57dYq9QmE0v0cIHMQlJPO3zHkXNP2fr0LWMZqMx7SzFS7PixcrAumTs7NWZwsFx7Y/s1600/Full+Moon+for+Listening+Post.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEbj4ajbJ0Zqszwro19JK3bZ6u7ZTXNGcuOIqE1TH3zCQz5b_ED9SnCPCanp_OGgWYEwzAYfvsG57dYq9QmE0v0cIHMQlJPO3zHkXNP2fr0LWMZqMx7SzFS7PixcrAumTs7NWZwsFx7Y/s200/Full+Moon+for+Listening+Post.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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It also, selfishly perhaps, reminded me of how much life the elderly have lived, and how many amazing stories they have to share - and the stories they live on a daily basis! From tales of the Memory Care residents who go crazy with the full moon, crawling under tables looking for something that only they can see and starting pillow fights, to stories from a former constable about the crimes he helped solve back in the day - all were pure magic and full of life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3G3Kdiq3pnZLKU4JIH7qHxoud5F7kcengNrD8k-YU3I9O2ZW9tcKMz3SLghD7f_y45sMKyXh1B-oRtzAYo-cFMA4iJ6odjd8432LTfT5qJhEopYGYYi_ifxDV6Uxk_3qK8NQkNNi7yU/s1600/Old+couple+holding+hands+walking+for+Listening+Post.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="174" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3G3Kdiq3pnZLKU4JIH7qHxoud5F7kcengNrD8k-YU3I9O2ZW9tcKMz3SLghD7f_y45sMKyXh1B-oRtzAYo-cFMA4iJ6odjd8432LTfT5qJhEopYGYYi_ifxDV6Uxk_3qK8NQkNNi7yU/s200/Old+couple+holding+hands+walking+for+Listening+Post.jpg" width="107" /></a><br />
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One resident offered a finder's fee if I'd help her locate a man who likes money and sex. I figured that would be easy money, but I must confess, I didn't try too hard. We had a great time talking about her future beau; her continent-hopping dad and thanks to him, all the places she'd experienced as a child; and all the lovely scarves and hats her grandchildren brought her (and that she proudly wore - purple was her favorite).<br />
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Their antics and memories are priceless on a heart level, but also in terms of the richness they've added to my life and my writing.<br />
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What about you? What tips do you have for finding ways to listen with intention? Where are some of your favorite places for listening? <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/83076294@N00/69971263">Vincents Ear</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: ruifo <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/111245738@N08/39856253153">Moon (20:59)</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(license)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: .through my eyes. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80355002@N00/23670452">time.</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a></span>Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-628669300728521592020-03-29T16:46:00.003-05:002023-03-06T19:32:18.459-06:00Cass Elliot #CrimeNovels are a Bargain during #Smashwords #AuthorsGiveBack Sale!For many of us, some of the best escapes are found in books - this is definitely true for me!<br />
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During this bizarre time in our world, take a break from all the Coronavirus news and stress and escape into a Cass Elliot Crime Novel - on sale now until April 20, 2020 during Smashwords' Authors Give Back Sale!<br />
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The first book in the series, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70807" target="_blank"><b>THE DEVIL OF LIGHT</b></a>, is <span style="color: #990000;"><b>FREE</b></span>! Books two and three, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/344049" target="_blank"><b>AVENGERS OF BLOOD</b></a> and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/545551" target="_blank"><b>A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES</b></a>, are 60% off!<br />
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<br />Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-6071909718559645132019-11-28T10:05:00.001-06:002019-11-28T10:05:30.887-06:00Happy Thanksgiving!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I am reminded of how much we have to be grateful for. So much is wrong with the world, yet so much remains right, and if not right, filled with hope for a better tomorrow.</div>
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Wishing you a wonderful <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Thanksgiving Day</b></span> wherever you are in the world! </div>
Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-12288487294300008582019-07-22T18:22:00.001-05:002022-11-19T18:43:13.065-06:00Writing In Your Character's Voice #amwriting<a href="http://amzn.to/2d4opAP" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2d4opAP" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYE9_OkRn3CxODLZZpfcSsxMtYhe4s7pqBDffFx9rnF5Yu7jw2WNycsVrG0xV2vP5fohzFlYKkBkocPjuPNh5j2ZkHLDPULY1Jp0p_kxaB-tJTRIIAV5_z_Kgc4zsWj86vQrCi0ZPjbo/s200/Just+One+Evil+Act.jpg" width="129" /></a>
I'm reading <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2d4opAP" target="_blank">JUST ONE EVIL ACT</a></b> by Elizabeth George, a book in the Thomas Lynley series, and am struck by the way she uses different writing voices to represent her characters. George changes the tone, pace, 'sound', and feel of each scene depending on which character's point of view is represented. She does this by using that character's dialogue style and word choice, by deliberate selection of descriptive words in each scene, and by altering the structure of sentences.<br />
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It's fascinating. And effective. As a writer, I hope to emulate what she's doing. Maybe you will, too.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A bit of background: Elizabeth George's Lynley novels are set in current-day England and feature two main characters, Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. Although he doesn't flaunt the fact, and indeed prefers to be judged based on his performance rather than his peerage, Lynley is the eighth Earl of Asherton. His speech, temperament, movements, and choices (from life choices to which socks to wear today) all reflect this.</blockquote>
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Havers has had a difficult life and everything about her - speech, temperament, movements, and choices - reflects her background.</blockquote>
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In short, Lynley is refined in everything he does and Havers is an unmade bed, physically and emotionally.</blockquote>
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Elizabeth George writes Thomas Lynley's point of view chapters in a smooth, calm, and controlled fashion, reflecting Lynley's personality. When Barbara Havers is the point of view character, George's style becomes longer-winded, less formal, and harried. Haver's life is a mess and each of her scenes reinforces that fact.<br />
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These are subtle differences, written so well that a reader hardly notices a change from one scene to the next, but <i>feels</i> the change and the character's personality intimately. As a reader, George's techniques draw me in to each character's world.<br />
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Here are two examples of how George's style subtly develops each character. This scene occurs after Barbara Havers learns that a close friend has deceived her: <br />
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If this was true, it held up to doubt everything the Pakistani professor had said and done from that point forward. And if everything he had said and done from that point forward was one variation or another on a lie, then Barbara wasn't sure what she would do about that fact or to whom she would give that information. </blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylhcrX5ydO_ViGyn7uFetPvXdHbcrQD-mj5jybCBU6b2aubJZx-Dohyei7mADAN0it1YLbJEYAqHhzeEizoyQTMjsTc9JbCITN9llL7SE2PfPn6Z8oIPzDEzuqubXfus_DutnqdaAvcQ/s1600/Seafood+Medley.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylhcrX5ydO_ViGyn7uFetPvXdHbcrQD-mj5jybCBU6b2aubJZx-Dohyei7mADAN0it1YLbJEYAqHhzeEizoyQTMjsTc9JbCITN9llL7SE2PfPn6Z8oIPzDEzuqubXfus_DutnqdaAvcQ/s200/Seafood+Medley.jpg" width="200" /></a>The only answer seemed to be food. When she arrived home, she gobbled down a double takeaway portion of haddock and chips and followed this with treacle tart and a side of Victoria sponge. She quaffed a bottle of lager as she ate and finished off her meal with a
cup of instant coffee. Accompanying this, she dipped into a packet of salt-and-vinegar crisps, after which a virtuous apple assured her that her arteries would be thoroughly cleansed if she munched upon it hard and long enough. </blockquote>
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Then, no longer could she put off the phone call to Italy without putting herself into some sort of caloric stupor. She lit a fag and punched in Azhar's number. She'd never dreaded a phone call so much in her life. She was going to have to tell him everything: from the Love Rat Dad story to the claims made by the private investigator. In neither instance did she see that she had any choice. </blockquote>
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I've got indigestion by association after reading about Barbara Havers' dinner and can physically feel her stress. The sentences run on and George uses words like 'gobbled', 'quaffed', and 'finished off' to show us Havers' distress. George could've told us that Havers was confused and angry, but instead she sends Havers on an eating binge, which is just how Havers would deal with discomfort at having to confront a friend she suspects of lying.<br />
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The next few paragraphs show Lynley at dinner with a woman he very much cares about, as she breaks off their relationship:<br />
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She smiled, it seemed, in spite of herself. "You know what I mean. You deserve someone who is willing and able to be one hundred percent <i>for</i> you, open <i>to</i> you, accepting <i>of</i> you...whatever you want to call it. I'm not that person, and I don't think I could be." </blockquote>
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Her declaration felt like the thinnest of rapiers. It slid without effort under his skin, barely felt until the bleeding began. "So what are you saying, exactly?" </blockquote>
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"I hardly know." </blockquote>
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"Why?"</blockquote>
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She looked at him. He tried to read whatever he could on her face, but time and circumstance had made her guarded, and he couldn't blame her for the walls she built. She said, "Because you're not an easy man to walk away from, Tommy. So I'm very much aware of the <i>necessity</i> of walking away and the marked reluctance I feel about doing so."</blockquote>
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He nodded. For a moment they ate as the sounds of the dining room rose and fell around them. Plates were removed. Other plates came. He finally said, "Let's leave it at that, for now."</blockquote>
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This passage causes no indigestion, but the turmoil beneath Lynley's reserved facade is clear. I have no idea what they ate, but I can feel the tension in their dinner through those six paragraphs. George could've told us that Lynley's heart was breaking, but instead she showed us.<br />
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It takes a skillful author to change styles between different point of view scenes and use each style to show so much about a character. Is this something you've noticed in your reading, or a skill you use in your writing? Is this type of showing a character's personality and development important to you?
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95614423@N00/20313685882">Seafood Medley</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10687935@N04/19812015140">dinner party</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">(license)</a></span>
Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-87567028659652243672019-05-06T11:30:00.000-05:002019-05-06T11:30:01.354-05:00The Curious Incident of the Deer in the Nighttime - Memories and WritingDo personal memories ever find their way into my writing? Oh yes. It's a hazard of the job, cataloging every noteworthy occurrence and trying to find a home for it in a novel. (If you're a friend or relative of a writer, rest assured, your personal life is constantly under scrutiny for future use.) In fairness, everyone defines 'noteworthy' in different ways. But take a gander at the following elements of an actual event, and tell me if you don't also find them noteworthy:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>a hand-me-down 1977 burnt orange Chevy Vega;</li>
<li>two sixteen year old boys who share the privilege of squeezing behind the wheel of the Vega; and</li>
<li>one deer with a very bad sense of timing.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zQprPAcIDY2pGkZlrk7mZtyaMRQ3a2NIHLy-IzFALrbxAuo9T4VHXOSwWbPh6NW4ZdSzwz-z5Ey4MKpKCkiPEC6Oyk4WTWtZVLaZoCP3m24L27Tj_WQvrSIdI6JRl7Lbw3FFhbzck1o/s1600/Deer+for+Curious+Incident+Post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="320" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zQprPAcIDY2pGkZlrk7mZtyaMRQ3a2NIHLy-IzFALrbxAuo9T4VHXOSwWbPh6NW4ZdSzwz-z5Ey4MKpKCkiPEC6Oyk4WTWtZVLaZoCP3m24L27Tj_WQvrSIdI6JRl7Lbw3FFhbzck1o/s200/Deer+for+Curious+Incident+Post.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
Maybe not so exciting when taken on their own, but when you combine them on a lonely country road after dark, things get a little more interesting.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The boys are my twin brothers, who at 6' 4" barely fit into that Vega (even with the driver's seat pushed all the way back, their knees still cradled the steering wheel). They were coming home from basketball practice one evening, minding their own business, when a deer dashed out of the brush and smacked into the side of the car. The poor thing hit the car hard enough to knock itself out and leave a dent in a fender. My brothers, good Samaritans and smart enough to know that there was no way our mom would believe that they weren't responsible for denting the car, hoisted the unconscious deer into the Vega's hatch area, and then one of my 6' 4" brothers folded himself in half, climbed into the tiny hatch area with the deer, and held its feet just in case it woke up on the drive home.<br />
<br />
Alas, Mom did not believe them despite the presence of an unconscious deer in her car and reassurance from her husband and her Sheriff's deputy brother that yes indeed, deer do occasionally get the timing wrong and run <i>into</i> a car instead of in front of it. My brothers suffered mightily for the damage that deer did to the poor little Vega.<br />
<br />
Until, that is, the same thing happened to my mom in her big ol' honkin' brown Oldsmobile.<br />
<br />
Same road. Same time of day. Same spot on the fender. Different deer, one hopes.<br />
<br />
Mom did not bring the deer home as proof of how the big Olds got dented, but she forgave my brothers. Grudgingly.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujXOWllKVm5EVeSK6eZCoduuVqXIyX5m9YxbmLoEJDeoARy_15YlaYxgnSCMm5cFSiTjqVX7tW5fnUMUyAmqXbE4IAJeXUEDVAXKoBA8sW9rPxF3GsWJ-Aa0e3LPoFzb1is0g8V-2ebM/s1600/Foot+bones+for+Curious+Incident+Post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujXOWllKVm5EVeSK6eZCoduuVqXIyX5m9YxbmLoEJDeoARy_15YlaYxgnSCMm5cFSiTjqVX7tW5fnUMUyAmqXbE4IAJeXUEDVAXKoBA8sW9rPxF3GsWJ-Aa0e3LPoFzb1is0g8V-2ebM/s1600/Foot+bones+for+Curious+Incident+Post.jpg" /></a><br />
Did I use all this in a story? Heck yes. In <a href="https://amzn.to/2Jk0kIe" target="_blank">THE DEVIL OF LIGHT</a>, after my fictitious Grove twins hit the deer, they got distracted by a glow off in the forest and go to investigate. That leads them to a fire pit where a human foot has just been burned. Toward the end of the book, their mother gets hit by a deer (on a different road), and ends up being held captive by a cult.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm not sure it's possible to keep our memories and our writing separate. And I think that's a good thing. A touch of reality adds flavor and more often than not a little hilarity. Who couldn't do with more of that?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: A. Drauglis <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/85463968@N00/3882301615">White Tail Fawn</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)</a></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: liverpoolhls <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/107733654@N04/10818455765">Bones of the foot</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)</a></span>Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-44742319218401589012018-12-01T16:21:00.001-06:002022-11-19T18:43:25.094-06:00#Reader #Conversations Are Awesome #Inspiration - #amwritingWriters find inspiration everywhere, and often, readers inspire us the most. I’ve had the pleasure of attending several book signings and writer talks, and have even hosted a book launch party at a local winery. Every event and every reader I've met has been a blast.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIxzMhSbh1Bp3rRotEdRjGv761c7Lc-5iK8nJcZrHkt2Q8TC-TG9wS7yAE0MMkrKfWMR_XiamQK51a6xfo1MrriVtxevIlbn-EAx66wxF9Ix_TdhlVjgA9E3sVF4rutNWHBImywtOUBI/s1600/Reader+in+Library+for+Reader+blog+post.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="214" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIxzMhSbh1Bp3rRotEdRjGv761c7Lc-5iK8nJcZrHkt2Q8TC-TG9wS7yAE0MMkrKfWMR_XiamQK51a6xfo1MrriVtxevIlbn-EAx66wxF9Ix_TdhlVjgA9E3sVF4rutNWHBImywtOUBI/s200/Reader+in+Library+for+Reader+blog+post.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
<br />
Most readers ask similar questions – where story ideas come from, whether my character Cass Elliot is named after the famous singer, or how long it takes to write a book. Some share story ideas – like the time a urologist was literally pulled out of bed to perform kidney surgery on a mafia boss while gowned armed guards stood watch in the operating room. How's that for inducing performance anxiety?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Occasionally someone comes to an event with a gleam in their eye and a detailed list of questions:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
How could you end <a href="https://amzn.to/2QnxpqR" target="_blank">THE DEVIL OF LIGHT</a> without bringing the old man to justice? I want him dead. Or at least in prison. <i>(All I can say is, I’m writing a series. I know, I know. THE DEVIL OF LIGHT leaves the reader hanging, and maybe I could’ve ended that book better. All I know for sure is that the old man isn’t done with Forney County, and Cass isn’t done with him.)</i><br />
<br />
Please don’t let anything bad happen to Hitch. I know he’s a horrible multiple murderer, but I kind of like him. <i>(I kind of like him, too. Which worries me a bit. I’d like for him to hang around Forney County for a while, but we’ll see where the stories go.)</i><br />
<br />
I really loved your writing style in <a href="https://amzn.to/2SbDS5m" target="_blank">A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES</a>, but I don’t like Maxine. She’s too into her handbags and shoes. Couldn’t you write like that but use Cass as your main character? <i>(I hear you, but it wouldn’t work. Maxine and her foibles are as key to the plot as is the search for the missing husband – Cass is too intense to bring that level of impulsiveness and misadventure to a story.)</i></blockquote>
<br />
But my favorite reader interaction to date occurred at church, which is a little weird given that I write crime novels with a certain level of violence. A lady with the sweetest disposition pulled me aside one Sunday and said, “I thought about you yesterday.”<br />
<br />
“Really?” I asked.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQdxxO36OmYYUE-baMKI1JAmbeUq8-WXntAZBCUpZM48vpHac-4aavRgShKsbz63EGS6Q-CNsTfe_c76vWocWP9cJHrCbd6had4rQUykMgFSrIPAyVVtLc-ibPXZXqakoDzqd-Frj60g/s1600/Black+and+White+deer+for+reader+blog+post.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQdxxO36OmYYUE-baMKI1JAmbeUq8-WXntAZBCUpZM48vpHac-4aavRgShKsbz63EGS6Q-CNsTfe_c76vWocWP9cJHrCbd6had4rQUykMgFSrIPAyVVtLc-ibPXZXqakoDzqd-Frj60g/s200/Black+and+White+deer+for+reader+blog+post.jpg" width="197" /></a><br />
<br />
“Yes. My son killed two deer and was processing them, getting ready to put them in the freezer. While I watched, I realized how hard it must be to actually dismember a human body.” Slight frown. “Or at least to do a neat job. It’s not easy to take a leg off at the hip without making a mess. It’s got to be even harder to saw through bone like Hitch did. What do you think?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
We spent the next several minutes, this gentle lady and I, discussing how one would go about cutting up a human body. Where would you do it? What about evidence? What do you do with all the parts? Dig a hole? Use a wood chipper? Where does one find a wood chipper in a rush? How much bleach would it take to clean up?<br />
<br />
The fact that we were in the church foyer with congregants streaming around us didn’t bother either of us in the least.<br />
<br />
“Well,” she said, patting my arm. “Just wanted you to know I was thinking about you.” And off she went to refill the coffee urn, leaving me to wonder if she would ever have thought about dismembering a human body before reading my books.<br />
<br />
I certainly hope so.<br />
<br />
I can’t afford that kind of therapy for my readers.<br />
<br />
Where is the most unusual place you've had a discussion with a reader or writer? <br />
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<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: Alistair-Hamilton <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/68957035@N03/43860772245">Bookshop 4</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: PHOTOPHANATIC1 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/65089906@N00/42425073834">deer</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(license)</a></span>Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-69047454667652696792018-10-01T05:00:00.001-05:002022-11-19T18:43:36.132-06:00A New Kelsey Porter #Thriller from @elysesalpeter - THE SEARCH FOR STARLIGHT #artknb #amreading<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhWc4Xwxfi52qGSkm2Hj1oyrPbrUXPVvMlDnPiVBFg_LVs-FyIz6jj9w9q5jwu3pi_3S1qIGRv8tXMn_niExM8CkTufwznGdrPCgkS3nhdCJN5EL-paZ78cc5xTOw-pYaUAXvWSWbUZo/s1600/THE+SEARCH+FOR+STARLIGHT1+ebook+final+9.2.18.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhWc4Xwxfi52qGSkm2Hj1oyrPbrUXPVvMlDnPiVBFg_LVs-FyIz6jj9w9q5jwu3pi_3S1qIGRv8tXMn_niExM8CkTufwznGdrPCgkS3nhdCJN5EL-paZ78cc5xTOw-pYaUAXvWSWbUZo/s200/THE+SEARCH+FOR+STARLIGHT1+ebook+final+9.2.18.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
I am excited to share my friend and bestselling author Elyse Salpeter's newest novel with you - <a href="https://amzn.to/2DEWMiF" target="_blank"><b>THE SEARCH FOR STARLIGHT</b></a>, available October 1, 2018!<br />
<br />
This is the fifth installment in the Kelsey Porter thriller series, culminating the journey of the young woman who has come full circle
in her quest to find her parent's murderers. THE SEARCH FOR STARLIGHT is also the final installment in the series, and Elyse promises that it answers all our questions from the series and offers a few surprises along the way.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>About THE SEARCH FOR STARLIGHT:</b></u><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
She just needed to complete a simple errand... how hard could that be?<br />
<br />
As soon as Kelsey embarks on the Emperor and Empress's request to locate a mysterious object and return it to them, her entire world is plunged into chaos.<br />
<br />
Someone is following her, someone else has broken into her home, and now she believes the people she trusted most have all been lying to her. <br />
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As Kelsey unravels the truth, she learns that her journey to this moment has never been entirely her own. Until now.</blockquote>
<a href="https://amzn.to/2R4mr6Y" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://amzn.to/2R4mr6Y" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_vZGj583TpIQykeu6ysPmw4xpAPl_78JIDDzdiSWtnVlU-gjL2ZXFa4plMdO75A9d59ojIzuumVBIxSi-6bdY8xPsuth5xW1849b-1D8ybBb51MCGbNnQtbhwKZS1xYKfZ5RmleSxG4/s200/THE+HUNT+FOR+XANADU+Thriller+Cover+Ebook+Blurb.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
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<br />
Because THE SEARCH FOR STARLIGHT answers so many questions and includes a few surprises (right from the start!), I don't want to include any spoilers by sharing an excerpt. Instead, to whet your appetite for the Kelsey Porter series, here's an excerpt from the first book, <a href="https://amzn.to/2R4mr6Y" target="_blank">THE HUNT FOR XANADU</a> (on sale for only 99cents through October 31, 2018):<br />
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Present Day</i><br />
<br />
Hidden
in the security camera’s blind spot, she sucked in her gut, closed her
eyes and listened intently. “Come on, already,” she thought, drumming
her fingertips rapidly against the brick wall. She heard the dogs
panting now. This sound had replaced the earlier frenzy of them tearing
into the drugged, raw hamburger she had thrown over the fence just
twenty minutes before. She’d crushed thirty-six Acepromozin tablets into
the ground meat, reckoning it would be enough to knock out the four
guard dogs, if not kill them outright. <br />
<br />
She glanced at
her watch and waited. This is taking so long. Five more minutes passed,
with nothing sounding except the soft, rotating click of the camera.
Abruptly, she yanked down the protective goggles resting on her head and
placed them over her eyes. The clicking now echoed loudly, indicating
the camera was once more faced in her direction. Brazenly she stood,
aimed her laser gun and pointed it directly into the lens. The high
tech, silicon-based CCD camera had an impressive wavelength sensitivity.
The laser's high-powered emitter instantly saturated the pixels of the
camera's CCD sensor and burned the chip out instantly.<br />
<br />
Ricardo Perez thought he protected himself with the best of everything. He’d
under-estimated meeting an assassin so invested in seeing him dead. </blockquote>
<br />
<br />
Still undecided about starting a series by a new author? Check this out. If you, like me, are a fan of the Agent Pendergast series, this review of THE HUNT FOR XANADU should give you comfort that you're in for a great read:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Hunt for Xanadu by Elyse Salpeter is a remarkable novel, a fascinating and fantastical journey in time and space, and one of the most gripping novels I've read in a long time. It flies along at the pace of a thriller, with plenty of murder and mayhem along the way. But behind the thrill-ride is a spiritual story, an archetypal tale of mystery and darkness, riddled with fascinating and esoteric concepts in Tibetan Buddhism. Vivid characters, a truly appealing protagonist, unexpected twists, and crisp writing complete this unforgettable book. I can't wait to read the next one in the series!</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Douglas Preston, #1 bestselling author and co-creator, with Lincoln Child, of the<b> Pendergast</b> series</i></blockquote>
<br />
Grab a copy of <a href="https://amzn.to/2R4mr6Y" target="_blank">THE HUNT FOR XANADU</a> for 99cents through October 31, 2018 and dive into your next favorite thriller series!<br />
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<br />
<u><b>Meet Elyse</b></u><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MKXirDgaLATJXpp63HWCZGG1LNWLloYeW_ZRpxsmFVAIf8ylJnJh-5DW91Al9rl14eh6bVY3EtgJcKrcJIsYJwqqaJWnaRBXHJchk3pbiZ3WbT0e0yssQIljADJkfM1Zm65ZGKNZIYc/s1600/elyse+headshot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="137" data-original-width="130" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MKXirDgaLATJXpp63HWCZGG1LNWLloYeW_ZRpxsmFVAIf8ylJnJh-5DW91Al9rl14eh6bVY3EtgJcKrcJIsYJwqqaJWnaRBXHJchk3pbiZ3WbT0e0yssQIljADJkfM1Zm65ZGKNZIYc/s200/elyse+headshot.jpg" width="189" /></a>Elyse Salpeter is an author who loves mixing "the real with the fantastic" in her books. She likes nothing better than taking different scenarios and creating worlds where things just aren't what they appear to be.<br />
<br />
Her 5 book thriller series, THE HUNT FOR XANADU, THE QUEST OF THE EMPTY TOMB, THE CALL OF MOUNT SUMERU, THE HAUNTING OF CRAGG HILL HOUSE, and THE SEARCH FOR STARLIGHT are about a brilliant and fearless young woman named Kelsey Porter, whose life is steeped in Buddhist spiritual mysteries. She is constantly discovering the world around her is not what she believed it to be. <br />
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Her Dark Fantasy Series, THE WORLD OF KAROV and THE RUBY AMULET take us to other realms filled with magic and evil as a dark presence is seeping through the dimensions.<br />
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Her YA novels, FLYING TO THE LIGHT and FLYING TO THE FIRE are about a young deaf boy who knows what happens to you when you die and now people are after him for the answers. <br />
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Lastly, her horror novel, THE MANNEQUINS, is about a film crew that enters an abandoned mansion and disappears, while her horror anthology, RICKET ROW is filled with creepy tales, guaranteed to keep you up at night. <br />
<br />
When she's not writing, she's cooking, gardening, running around with her twins and eating shock food in her Gastronaut Club.<br />
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<br />
<u><b>Connect with Elyse</b></u><br />
<br />
Check out her website: <b><a href="http://www.elysesalpeter.com/">www.elysesalpeter.com</a></b><br />
Find her on Twitter @elysesalpeter : <b><a href="https://twitter.com/elysesalpeter">https://twitter.com/elysesalpeter</a></b><br />
Find her on Facebook: <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/elysesalpeterauthor">www.facebook.com/elysesalpeterauthor</a></b><br />
<br />
And of course, you can find all of Elyse's hard copy and ebooks on <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elyse-Salpeter/e/B007YJL38S/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1538066997&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGFlx-U9czInSdMvvgq5ExUcKpUoUtODJKJQxvs1su4B1JkTV-asqmLLdaMvMca0lmnqwNOfn8GyVu6i-YihZNrJeO5XB-M6LewWPSekoTjuslBv9F-Kx2EXjsMEpRSgJgyOv9xnsTMk/s1600/Book+All+Five+Fixed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="1600" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGFlx-U9czInSdMvvgq5ExUcKpUoUtODJKJQxvs1su4B1JkTV-asqmLLdaMvMca0lmnqwNOfn8GyVu6i-YihZNrJeO5XB-M6LewWPSekoTjuslBv9F-Kx2EXjsMEpRSgJgyOv9xnsTMk/s640/Book+All+Five+Fixed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-53271603329560566292018-05-21T10:00:00.001-05:002022-11-19T18:44:02.363-06:00#Quote of the Day: Viktor Frankl on Change #ViktorFrankl A reminder from the amazing Viktor Frankl that we always have some control, even if it is only over ourselves. Indeed, perhaps that's all the control we ever really have.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqObSDiwmakU79MZN3UTyMzIpZZRWEtaz1umODQ1Zo7xFkHz84yB61VswUPKOtIe6aPe-o2iscuglVef09ZVBgTbtE6gslDX19edhbYaiYbJAJB6T1S6mAknpASZkp523op5GlRexeAY/s1600/Blog-When+we+are+no+longer+able+to+change+a+situation+-+we+are+challenged+to+change+ourselves._+Viktor+Frankl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqObSDiwmakU79MZN3UTyMzIpZZRWEtaz1umODQ1Zo7xFkHz84yB61VswUPKOtIe6aPe-o2iscuglVef09ZVBgTbtE6gslDX19edhbYaiYbJAJB6T1S6mAknpASZkp523op5GlRexeAY/s640/Blog-When+we+are+no+longer+able+to+change+a+situation+-+we+are+challenged+to+change+ourselves._+Viktor+Frankl.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2Ida6N6" target="_blank">MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING</a> is one of my favorite non-fiction books. If you need hope right now, check it out. His story is heartbreaking but truly inspiring.<br />
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2So2ida" target="_blank"><img alt="https://amzn.to/2So2ida" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B009U9S6FI&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=gaelynwoo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gaelynwoo-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B009U9S6FI" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></div>
Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-30493847363785020022018-05-09T09:32:00.002-05:002023-03-06T19:33:06.507-06:00An Unexpected Antagonist - The Character We Love to Hate #amwriting #amreading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgisz-0HNLwBK8EY-6pgzyucprKOBMYFoQ9X7tOas6bWKOPzSWDpAEARFqKE79ITHbE0iT88rxxaemhCWICpwFFoHzXC6xdZ0hEszLSo9xhda9mYe2c9-Kv9mbgjfevgIeEUdPAqs2BPg/s1600/Baddie+for+Antagonist+post.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgisz-0HNLwBK8EY-6pgzyucprKOBMYFoQ9X7tOas6bWKOPzSWDpAEARFqKE79ITHbE0iT88rxxaemhCWICpwFFoHzXC6xdZ0hEszLSo9xhda9mYe2c9-Kv9mbgjfevgIeEUdPAqs2BPg/s200/Baddie+for+Antagonist+post.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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A reader recently asked me which of the baddies in my books has been my favorite - which did I have the most fun writing about and making readers love to hate.<br />
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That made me pause, because I don't view my characters in terms of good or bad. My characters just <i>are</i>. They each develop the role they play, and each has their own personality. But with a little prodding, I realized that the character I get the most feedback about as detestable is a police officer named Hugo Petchard. He showed up completely unexpectedly as I wrote <a href="http://amzn.to/1B1m2mO" target="_blank">THE DEVIL OF LIGHT</a>, but as with all of my characters, he popped up at just the right time. I thought he would be a minor character and perhaps come and go quickly, but without fail he has turned up in all three Cass Elliot novels. Although he does play a minor role most of the time, he and his love interest ended up dramatically impacting the plot in <a href="http://amzn.to/1HBi46t" target="_blank">AVENGERS OF BLOOD</a>.<br />
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Let me tell you a little about him, and then you can tell us what you think about his detest-ability:<br />
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Officer Hugo Petchard is an absolute snot, a big fish in a small pond. (In his own mind, he pronounces his name PetCHARD, with a kind of French flair. But when readers speak about him, they call him PETcherd, with a bit of a redneck twang - he really hates that.) Despite having been given the grand name of Hugo, he’s small in stature, which bothers him mightily. Petchard has his job because his daddy has money and the Forney County Sheriff, Bill Hoffner, owes Daddy for making significant campaign contributions. Deep down, Petchard suspects that he doesn’t have what it takes to be a real police officer. That unacknowledged insecurity makes him show off in ways that inevitably lead to embarrassment for himself, his fellow officers, and occasionally the entire sheriff’s department. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iWBJb6k6cOFhK6oFtnW_M5I8vL2niXU_D7lLo_QtKi83AIVGhdp7gYotxepsiks08cBIIRA3_XLQ9rn5inQWkoXYEvwhTJ_iSD_h0bPsAA8aAng_dCN0bE9YdAQ3LyxaQrP0Ylb9S_E/s1600/Police+for+Antagonist+post.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iWBJb6k6cOFhK6oFtnW_M5I8vL2niXU_D7lLo_QtKi83AIVGhdp7gYotxepsiks08cBIIRA3_XLQ9rn5inQWkoXYEvwhTJ_iSD_h0bPsAA8aAng_dCN0bE9YdAQ3LyxaQrP0Ylb9S_E/s200/Police+for+Antagonist+post.jpg" width="200" /></a>Petchard is the kind of person we’ve all worked with who thinks he’s important / intelligent / gorgeous / witty / and dead sexy - why wouldn't everyone adore him and why isn't he already in charge around here? In reality, he's a bumbling buffoon and totally incapable of self examination. Petchard is the guy who raises your blood pressure with a single superior snort. He’s <i>that</i> co-worker: the one the boss tolerates despite his incompetence, the one the boss refuses to fire. It’s a blast to put Petchard in positions where he has the potential to succeed, but because he can’t contain his ego, he ends up falling on his face. It’s also fun to put Sheriff Hoffner in the position of having to defend Petchard’s stupidity to keep the campaign dollars flowing.<br />
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Writing scenes where Petchard appears makes me laugh and cringe at the same time. I love and hate him in equal measure. My other characters seem to simply despise him.<br />
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What do you think? Is Hugo Petchard the kind of character you could love to hate?Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-2980772091860031042018-03-16T20:30:00.001-05:002022-11-11T11:39:38.139-06:00New #Mystery from @ScottTheWriter - WILDFIRE: A Wine Country Mystery #excerpt<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0j-NUSjxNRxKDn4gNGPy7_gJZED_r6m2CMrIou9PS0Vdgm01bCVYBfS5RzmRaWAzTUWy3GOLZ6ry_np_mR4NT4DsL5pOriovpVGVChFTGkWE_gnkxp7eh-FiDMVSzzPA7rjK4LfO_VM/s1600/WILDFIRE+-+529x800.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="529" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0j-NUSjxNRxKDn4gNGPy7_gJZED_r6m2CMrIou9PS0Vdgm01bCVYBfS5RzmRaWAzTUWy3GOLZ6ry_np_mR4NT4DsL5pOriovpVGVChFTGkWE_gnkxp7eh-FiDMVSzzPA7rjK4LfO_VM/s320/WILDFIRE+-+529x800.jpg" width="211" /></a>I’m delighted to introduce a new mystery by
my friend and bestselling author, Scott Bury! Scott's talent and creativity spans genres
and generations - from books for kids to a memoir in novel form about his father-in-law's experiences in World World II. <br />
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His latest novel is <b>WILDFIRE: A Wine Country Mystery</b>.<br />
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<i>Wildfires swept across California wine country in 2017, destroying thousands of homes and businesses, and killing dozens of people. Law school grad and single mother Tara Rezeck finds herself in the middle of the catastrophe. When she returns to her job at the most award-winning vineyard in Sonoma County, she finds her employer’s body in the ashes.</i><br />
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<i>The question that challenges her brains and her legal training is: was it an accident? Or was his body burned to hide evidence of murder?</i><br />
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Check out the excerpt below to whet your appetite!</div>
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<b>WILDFIRE: Harassment </b></div>
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Mid-afternoon is typically a lull in a restaurant’s daily activities. The lunchtime crowd has left, and everything that can be prepared ahead of time for the supper crowd is complete.<br />
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Greg and Miguel stepped outside to smoke. Alex carried her book out to read in the foyer. From the kitchen window, Tara saw Antonio’s car driving out of the parking lot.<br />
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She jumped when a hand reached around her to place a tall stem glass on the counter. She turned to see Chef Donald almost nose-to-nose. She leaned back, and he lunged closer, picking up the glass before she knocked it over. He smiled and put the glass in her hand. He held another in his other hand. “Take it easy, there. It would be a shame to spill wine this good.”<br />
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“You startled me.”<br />
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“I didn’t mean to. I just thought you deserved a little glass of wine for your hard work today.”<br />
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<i>What is this about? The chef who berates and belittles the rest of the staff is praising me?</i><br />
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“The sauce is especially good—almost as though I made it, myself,” he continued. He smiled even more. “Talented, and gorgeous, to boot. This is a trend that I hope Alan continues. Drink up.” He drank half his wine.<br />
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“Uh, is it ... I mean, are staff allowed to—”<br />
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“I run this kitchen. Staff do whatever I say.”<br />
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“Oh. Oooh—kay.”<br />
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Donald put his hand on the counter, bringing his face even closer to Tara’s. “<i>Whatever</i> I say.” His hand came up to her face then, to move a stray lock of hair away from her eyes. His touch was light and so gentle.<br />
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<i>Now I know what this is about.</i> She squirmed away from the trap between Donald and the counter. “Good to know. I have to do something on my break. Thanks for the wine.” She strode out the back door and forced herself not to walk too quickly to the guest house. <br />
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WILDFIRE releases on March 22, and is available for pre-order on on <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2piSWkJ" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b> (for Kindle e-readers) and <b><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/798182" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></b> (for Kobo, Nook and other e-readers). You can read the first two chapters for free on <b><a href="https://www.wattpad.com/story/140613758-wildfire-chapter-1-an-open-door" target="_blank">Wattpad</a></b> now!<br />
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Be sure to check out all of Scott's work on <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scott-Bury/e/B007Z4BXGY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_12?qid=1521222553&sr=8-12" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b>.<br />
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<b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b></div>
<br />After a 30-year career as a journalist and editor, Scott Bury turned to writing fiction with a children’s story, SAM, THE STRAWB PART, and a story that bridged the genres of paranormal occult fiction and espionage thriller: DARK CLOUDS. Since then, he has published 12 novels and novellas without regard to staying in any one genre.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-DeDIOdzD0Fp7vnUoyD1TpSz2UB9uaitSeruZ0si0FjjL2mhHHzhRFc_EOV2g3XbPZKQ7LIZZTrRHYqxeBj0Jhfp4ePlz3Lmhyphenhyphen-bfZhAg58ABbPs8w6VT2mRFtzdKzajPVGyBRK3Q0Y/s1600/Scott+Bury+Author+Pic.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="751" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-DeDIOdzD0Fp7vnUoyD1TpSz2UB9uaitSeruZ0si0FjjL2mhHHzhRFc_EOV2g3XbPZKQ7LIZZTrRHYqxeBj0Jhfp4ePlz3Lmhyphenhyphen-bfZhAg58ABbPs8w6VT2mRFtzdKzajPVGyBRK3Q0Y/s200/Scott+Bury+Author+Pic.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />In 2012, he published his first novel, the historical magic realism bestseller THE BONES OF THE EARTH. His next book, ONE SHADE OF RED, was a satire of a bestseller with a similar title.<br /><br />
From 2014 to 2017, he published the Eastern Front Trilogy, the true story of a Canadian drafted into the Soviet Red Army in 1941, and how he survived the Second World War: ARMY OF WORN SOLES, UNDER THE NAZI HEEL and WALKING OUT OF WAR.<br />
<br />Scott was invited to write for three Kindle Worlds, where authors base novellas on the fictional worlds of bestselling series. For Toby Neal’s Lei Crime Kindle World, he wrote TORN ROOTS, PALM TREES & SNOWFLAKES, DEAD MAN LYING and ECHOES.<br />
<br />For Russell Blake’s Jet Kindle World, he contributed JET: STEALTH, featuring the explosive duo of Van and LeBrun.<br />
<br />And for Emily Kimelman’s Sydney Rye Kindle World, he brought Van and LeBrun back for THE WIFE LINE and THE THREE-WAY.<br />
<br />Now, he is beginning a new mystery series with WILDFIRE, featuring the smart and passionate Tara Rezeck. Learn more about Scott and his writing on his website, <b><a href="http://scottburyauthor.com/">ScottBuryAuthor.com</a></b>. Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-62227654437368230312017-09-01T12:18:00.002-05:002022-11-11T11:39:50.682-06:00Sometimes a Girl Just Needs a Change - New Cover for A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES #mystery #amreadingYou know how it is. One day, you're perfectly fine with the cover for a novel, then the next day? It's not that there's anything <i>wrong</i> with the original cover, but you're just ready for a change. Something a tad different. And that's what we've ended up with for A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES.<br />
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The story's main character, Maxine Leverman, isn't sure what to think. She loves the fact that her legs and a pair of her favorite shoes were featured on the original cover, but kind of digs the sophisticated vibe of the new cover, because she's that kind of gal. (On Maxine's ideal cover, we'd no doubt feature her legs, a gorgeous handbag, <u>and</u> the tipsy glass of wine...)<br />
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What do you think of the new cover (reds) versus the original (blues)?<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2dD1WM3" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2dD1WM3" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1003" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1X9M08TdV_OiKE-TOi1ZZpNWkeRl55FhjeriyR9LYMyHohEa_boJynFXLSCDN4PzGc94wK6lIKOVFffQDISHwP-gcWzJ3wrcpSYXixTkgbgAt6GhlRPMJHdgnlqwqpDnj2SMDcsO6Ao/s320/Sour+Grapes+from+Canva--2017-08-17.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZBV0Lu6oxrtkb1fLdSJ7kEjFag3pg_olm3xU6DJitYfu8u4O4NJdlPfYk313Z2jv7Hc8SrH13iur-Y1qLA3a-MjPGlgL8xseeFFKsBAzA_9i__wlAk4DY4e1FgE9qB-EH7PV33GJus0/s1600/Sour+Grapes-final.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZBV0Lu6oxrtkb1fLdSJ7kEjFag3pg_olm3xU6DJitYfu8u4O4NJdlPfYk313Z2jv7Hc8SrH13iur-Y1qLA3a-MjPGlgL8xseeFFKsBAzA_9i__wlAk4DY4e1FgE9qB-EH7PV33GJus0/s320/Sour+Grapes-final.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-19965911655528676522017-07-02T09:03:00.004-05:002022-11-19T18:44:46.676-06:00#Quote of the Day: Ralph Waldo Emerson on the Sound of Actions #Authenticity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ClUs3LV7gNu61kUhcm-p7uTbxVQLAlv-7OSyGDdhb7KcPrffGE1Kh5XN_cIUF9IS-FxVJHpv-o9q6wo5KEQxwIqtHadRAkzBLEaJx5-kUBCWn0Btb53pyy2XFNaM7xxFGsA0FDf6mi4/s1600/What+you+do+speaks+so+loudly+that+I+cannot+hear+what+you+say..jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ClUs3LV7gNu61kUhcm-p7uTbxVQLAlv-7OSyGDdhb7KcPrffGE1Kh5XN_cIUF9IS-FxVJHpv-o9q6wo5KEQxwIqtHadRAkzBLEaJx5-kUBCWn0Btb53pyy2XFNaM7xxFGsA0FDf6mi4/s640/What+you+do+speaks+so+loudly+that+I+cannot+hear+what+you+say..jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Emerson's original quote was:<br />
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<b><i>Don’t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary.</i></b></div>
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Ouch.<br />
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Over the years, the original has become simplified to the quote you see above, which still packs a punch. I have found this to be so true lately, and try to make sure my actions align with what comes out of my mouth. How about you?Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-60871964941190026872017-06-01T18:42:00.002-05:002022-11-19T18:44:56.691-06:00#Quote of the Day: #MayaAngelou on #Life and #Attitude<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QRZII7ceDL-3AyH2sMbteFro5ws_cDofWJtnQU7GsBDwDxyIwK5KdFoRWHlTsHutOOGq6pLeAYsTi-H0Cre8tcIs4L9Ay_qyKO9FxklY94bfBJDfJCvuDBkijTpOfG5zoNREAGdFl7Y/s1600/You+may+not+control+all+the+events+that+happen+to+you%252C+but+you+can+decide+not+to+be+reduced+by+them..jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QRZII7ceDL-3AyH2sMbteFro5ws_cDofWJtnQU7GsBDwDxyIwK5KdFoRWHlTsHutOOGq6pLeAYsTi-H0Cre8tcIs4L9Ay_qyKO9FxklY94bfBJDfJCvuDBkijTpOfG5zoNREAGdFl7Y/s640/You+may+not+control+all+the+events+that+happen+to+you%252C+but+you+can+decide+not+to+be+reduced+by+them..jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I really need this one right now - life isn't bad, just overwhelming. The way it gets sometimes. Hope this is helpful to you, too.<br />
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<span face=""Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: normal;">If you could do with some escape from life, remember that the Cass Elliot Crime Novels are on sale for a limited time! Available at <a href="http://amzn.to/2qnWJvy" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70807" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>, and other fine ebook retailers.</span></b></span></span></div><br />
Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-18865717079178942132017-05-25T12:19:00.002-05:002023-03-06T19:32:49.143-06:00Cass Elliot Crime Novels are only #99cents #amreading #beachread<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivItWby7XrdfNCiubY_JDNPhQkz4_prOYq2oU-oKvtcvYFoBvBxLsitDZM0icXeDZigFtpjox-wFUR6XDDGu90amp54XFmBadxTuaWxyEjRsGE-OnQ0V0vZZbiF97Jg-hEubhr8CXMl3U/s1600/Memorial+Day+Sale.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivItWby7XrdfNCiubY_JDNPhQkz4_prOYq2oU-oKvtcvYFoBvBxLsitDZM0icXeDZigFtpjox-wFUR6XDDGu90amp54XFmBadxTuaWxyEjRsGE-OnQ0V0vZZbiF97Jg-hEubhr8CXMl3U/s640/Memorial+Day+Sale.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On sale for a limited time! Available at <a href="http://amzn.to/2qnWJvy" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70807" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>, and other fine online ebook retailers.</b></span></span></div>
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<br />Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-82769377923386738622017-05-24T06:30:00.000-05:002017-05-24T06:30:25.729-05:00Tools of #Murder in THE DEVIL OF LIGHT - What the Heck is a Hay Dolly? #amreading<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: large;">All three novels are on sale for 99cents over Memorial Day - </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: large;">start your beach reading off with murder!</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: large;">(<a href="http://amzn.to/2qec82w" target="_blank">Get them on Amazon</a>)</span></span></b></div>
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<br />
One of the questions I'm asked fairly regularly about my first book is, "What's a hay dolly and how would you kill somebody with it?"<br />
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Lenny Scarborough is a nasty chap and one of the first to die in THE DEVIL OF LIGHT (the bodies tend to pile up in my novels). He meets his end in the barnyard while giving antibiotic shots to his herd of Black Angus cattle, when he's impaled with the business end of a hay dolly that lifts him off the ground. The hay dolly spears end up embedded in the side of the barn, and Lenny's left dangling with his work boots reaching for solid ground.<br />
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This is the hay dolly I used to kill Lenny:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsV_iMT_5KTx6Z0M62XzLUYOo3iqHOBtaJTSTnaJuTWGJcSDSsZG_4NHulhfcH9rXEi1MkEsv0DSXjt0H_85l695qPnsTl1QrbyOWpgIciXD2vqyglZGyy6kqUg3DMyiZ3Hh_ixqPtpE/s1600/2017+Hay+Dolly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsV_iMT_5KTx6Z0M62XzLUYOo3iqHOBtaJTSTnaJuTWGJcSDSsZG_4NHulhfcH9rXEi1MkEsv0DSXjt0H_85l695qPnsTl1QrbyOWpgIciXD2vqyglZGyy6kqUg3DMyiZ3Hh_ixqPtpE/s320/2017+Hay+Dolly.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manually operated hay dolly that killed Lenny Scarborough. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's a simple contraption. You attach the dolly to a bumper hitch on the pickup, reverse the truck to slide the spears under the hay bale, use good old elbow grease to crank the winch and raise the bale off the ground, then tow everything out to the pasture. Once you've got the hay bale where you want it, you lower it to the ground by unwinding the winch (yes, using that elbow grease again), and drive forward to pull the spears from beneath the hay bale. Easy peasy.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMyqsxu0zr6n33V8z1Lw-_GoqwFQWgl2-kZPxJXhWDz0V8muwt3ua5dAOdy7banPf-i00aaU8rF4DCMzlA4NpHkjYn7Mz-JljeRYZLWoRi7_81rcMZSvspCRdp3aA1dAVkqr-Zl_hqvM/s1600/2017+Hay+Dolly+spears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMyqsxu0zr6n33V8z1Lw-_GoqwFQWgl2-kZPxJXhWDz0V8muwt3ua5dAOdy7banPf-i00aaU8rF4DCMzlA4NpHkjYn7Mz-JljeRYZLWoRi7_81rcMZSvspCRdp3aA1dAVkqr-Zl_hqvM/s320/2017+Hay+Dolly+spears.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're a little blunt, but these spears do the job.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Do you see how simple it would be to spear an unsuspecting victim in your crime novel with one of these things? Yes, your killer is driving in reverse because the hay dolly is attached to the truck's rear bumper, but it's totally doable. The hardest part is angling the spears so they pierce the victim in the right spot.<br />
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For years, we've attached this hay dolly to the truck in winter to put hay out for the cows (with no injury to the cows or either of us other than sore elbows and shoulders from working the winch). It's a simple contraption that you don't see much any more. In fact, this past winter we upgraded to a hay spear that fits on our tractor and slides into the bale, making the process of putting hay out much easier (significantly less elbow grease required).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirO88e45w5agPkdYKSnrSixiZFq7l5lTxIFs948G923ea_2JRflg6T6uEScXpmkpnEtcahbC5h6FN7FA5YtERdix_dE-X6jvK41VqW5oVE8u4-cIvdtgcNckI4HYkH7IQpDEb5S3_1lbU/s1600/2017+new+hay+dolly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirO88e45w5agPkdYKSnrSixiZFq7l5lTxIFs948G923ea_2JRflg6T6uEScXpmkpnEtcahbC5h6FN7FA5YtERdix_dE-X6jvK41VqW5oVE8u4-cIvdtgcNckI4HYkH7IQpDEb5S3_1lbU/s320/2017+new+hay+dolly.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New hay spear - nice sharp points!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I kind of like the new spear, but I'm not sure how much use it'll be
when it comes to killing characters. Tractors aren't quite as nimble as
trucks. But who knows? The only way to find out is to try it. Watch
for upcoming murders involving the new hay dolly...<br />
<br />
Now it's your turn. What are some of the more unusual ways you've seen characters killed?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5-7t4BLdRRCKV_aj3XfKl7nxt93kEJMAxpzgMk88MgibKtlvzgF-mw3d9tlI4TtANQGYv3ErCwEcovxvI2TIiccNmOstogv1m1rVYcJENpx-3_J199wQOJ5tU1mHe4D1hpW6yqm12zM/s1600/2017+putting+hay+out+with+tractor+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5-7t4BLdRRCKV_aj3XfKl7nxt93kEJMAxpzgMk88MgibKtlvzgF-mw3d9tlI4TtANQGYv3ErCwEcovxvI2TIiccNmOstogv1m1rVYcJENpx-3_J199wQOJ5tU1mHe4D1hpW6yqm12zM/s400/2017+putting+hay+out+with+tractor+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy husband putting hay out the easy way.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-21366064185973172442017-01-23T07:00:00.001-06:002022-11-19T18:45:10.352-06:00How Many #Books Do You Read At One Time? #amreading<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrq9OT1IWGk6BF1g7_Tjjlnirg6vjFGgUk8lhyphenhyphenNQ7dkga4ikT8coeAgsETh6NjYUOyJd-7-XwO6fIPWnBs4rZT5pAviL5ONIpgzZx79itkGMJ_E_GWsTYLKoCKF3YwIjGFX9hCsz_1f8Y/s1600/My+Problem+with+Reading+Books.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrq9OT1IWGk6BF1g7_Tjjlnirg6vjFGgUk8lhyphenhyphenNQ7dkga4ikT8coeAgsETh6NjYUOyJd-7-XwO6fIPWnBs4rZT5pAviL5ONIpgzZx79itkGMJ_E_GWsTYLKoCKF3YwIjGFX9hCsz_1f8Y/s200/My+Problem+with+Reading+Books.jpg" width="155" /></a><br />
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Do you read more than one book at a time? In addition to the time I spend writing, the time I spend reading is some of the most satisfying in my day. And I have a confession: I've become a polygamist when it comes to reading. I read multiple books with abandon, and for the most part, keep the characters and plots straight in my head. <br />
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I haven't always been promiscuous when it comes to books. When I was a kid in Englewood, Ohio and had the utter joy of stocking up on books at the library on Saturday, I'd read (eat) them one at a time, back to back, almost without drawing breath. If I finished my stack of library books before Saturday rolled around again, I'd start over with the first book and continue on in linear fashion. But with the advent of e-readers and the portability of audio books, I had no problem giving up monogamous reading. At the moment, there are five books in the rotation, as follows:<br />
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
On the Kindle: <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2iSJrbw" target="_blank">THE BLACK WIDOW</a></b> by Daniel Silva (not the most action-oriented novel he's written, but interesting and timely)<br />
<br />
On my Overdrive audio book app: <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2jQs3DW" target="_blank">BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR</a></b> by Elizabeth Gilbert (an excellent listen for anyone who lives or is considering living a creative life of any sort)<br />
<br />
On my nightstand in paperback: <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2jOwE9f" target="_blank">CRIMINAL</a></b> by Karin Slaughter (I'm barely into this one, but I love Karin Slaughter and expect great things)<br />
<br />
I'm using the Bible In One Year app, and I'll probably stretch that year into two years, maybe a little more, before I can claim having read the Bible from cover to cover (try as I might, I can't get into a regular enough routine to guarantee solid progress on this one - thankfully, the app didn't force me to start over when we rolled into the new year)<br />
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Also active on the Kindle: <a href="http://amzn.to/2j2Ujip" target="_blank"><b>A YEAR TO CLEAR: A DAILY GUIDE TO CREATING SPACIOUSNESS IN YOUR HOME AND HEART</b></a> by Stephanie Bennett Vogt (this also will take more than a year to finish, but I think whatever time I give this book will be worthwhile)</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPf0ur6ZZePIKhSFI0LjzJ3QmV82ZAvLa70sjssPU6mfPiCWeYdNHhh_KuF9271PQU8uJCVIIG5Q_CV7hYUNgf8kW4gvrKNpH9Jb2K8OfIw4PJRadfzB7LTL78lYUM3jKD5FtpWlL__c/s1600/Glasses+on+book.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPf0ur6ZZePIKhSFI0LjzJ3QmV82ZAvLa70sjssPU6mfPiCWeYdNHhh_KuF9271PQU8uJCVIIG5Q_CV7hYUNgf8kW4gvrKNpH9Jb2K8OfIw4PJRadfzB7LTL78lYUM3jKD5FtpWlL__c/s200/Glasses+on+book.jpg" width="200" /></a>Although I love all forms of reading, they don't all get equal attention. Given that we live on a farm and spend a good deal of time outside, my Overdrive app gets lots of use. The second most used is probably the paperback on the nightstand because I can work in a few minutes of reading before turning out the light. Last is the Kindle, but one of the things I love most about it is that it's with me as long as my phone is with me, which is most of the time.<br />
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I'm curious to know if others are of the same promiscuous bent and honestly, I'd like to know if there are other ways I can work an additional book into my reading time.<br />
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So back to the original question: how many books do you read at one time? Is there one form of reading you prefer over others?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: Lester Public Library <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7759477@N05/31891842360">My Problem With Books</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(license)</a></span>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: Sweet Carolina Photography <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20255774@N05/3156898420">7/365</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a></span>
Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-75741212856987327882016-11-09T15:50:00.001-06:002023-03-06T19:33:33.873-06:00#Grief and Writer's Block #amwriting #Alzheimers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwUl_iSYjaz91b-qU_ZH4evhYR5ijMPzDdfHrZH2s3VrbDfdBVcU2SwJn6Qo3QphUB3RPzhLL5kb5Oi_bg9jOS1KYUWRNApw1GbgLaiQDpjez4x7YkoAohoz4zOIo_N2FaRWVF_SNh1E/s1600/Angel+over+Grave+2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwUl_iSYjaz91b-qU_ZH4evhYR5ijMPzDdfHrZH2s3VrbDfdBVcU2SwJn6Qo3QphUB3RPzhLL5kb5Oi_bg9jOS1KYUWRNApw1GbgLaiQDpjez4x7YkoAohoz4zOIo_N2FaRWVF_SNh1E/s1600/Angel+over+Grave+2.jpg" /></a></div>
I'm writing this post in the hopes that it will offer comfort to others dealing with writer's block as a result of grief. If you Google "writer's block" and "grief", you'll find loads of posts telling you to write your way through it. Many people do so, and I admire them.<br />
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Really, I envy them. Because I haven't been able to do that. I've barely been able to breathe.<br />
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It's been a tough decade. My dad has a slowly advancing case of Alzheimer's, and one of the reasons my husband and I moved to East Texas from London was to help my mom cope. And cope she did. Far longer than she should have. She made a promise to my dad that he would die at home, and she did her best to honor that promise. But eventually Alzheimer's won. It usually does. <br />
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She made the difficult decision to move him to a nursing home in May 2015. By September 2015, she had dropped dead of a heart attack that was completely unexpected. I know without doubt that she died more from grief and guilt than from any cardiac complications. In addition to overwhelming sorrow at her loss, her death left me with the challenge of closing out her estate, becoming my dad's power of attorney, and taking responsibility for watching over him. I'm lucky: my husband and two brothers are incredibly supportive, and I'm not sure how I would manage without them.<br />
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The year since my mom's death has taken a toll on my creativity, and I was naive to imagine otherwise. She had a huge personality and was an important part of our lives, and I miss her very much. I'm also dealing with the challenges of having a loved one in a nursing home. One of us is there every day to feed Daddy dinner and help get him ready for bed. But there are problems. From cuts and scrapes that refuse to heal, to continuing weight loss, to problems finding the right diapers for my dad - every new wrinkle is cause for fresh grief.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6A4fgktRhSJWyO-NW4bo8UZEFmk0LuH5UZY8BTH4VI9s1hPxty9nDIf9NpAK2MbWZTsY1qGATxQtwRB8rSBVYVWN0jNEayVrHbUEuY2hISBCV4AsZWqAZgkE_XL01wLS5vfMC5Dbi3zU/s1600/Typing+Paper.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6A4fgktRhSJWyO-NW4bo8UZEFmk0LuH5UZY8BTH4VI9s1hPxty9nDIf9NpAK2MbWZTsY1qGATxQtwRB8rSBVYVWN0jNEayVrHbUEuY2hISBCV4AsZWqAZgkE_XL01wLS5vfMC5Dbi3zU/s200/Typing+Paper.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Throughout this year, I've wanted to lose myself in the next Cass Elliot novel. The story is there, waiting and wanting to be written, and I love where it's going. I've tried to write it. But every word I've put down - 40,000+ of them - has been its own tragedy. First drafts are supposed to be rough, but not this rough.<br />
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This is doubly frustrating because I'm an Achiever. Yes, with an annoying capital "A". I set a goal and work my happy little ass off until I achieve it. But not this past year. Don't get me wrong, I have achieved things. They're just not related to writing. (I have the best organized sock drawer in East Texas and we're currently running a champion / challenger diaper contest on my dad. That gives you an idea of my creative capabilities in the midst of grief.)<br />
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We're now past the one year anniversary of my mother's death, and I
am hopeful that the haze shrouding my creativity is
lifting. Characters are banging around in my head again, offering snippets of conversation and plot for this new book, and the words are slowly coming. How long will it be before I'm hitting my word count on a daily basis? I have no idea, but at last I am moving in the right direction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigduhPKmCybmeWl5-WPSTIPR5x8kmuCJOe4i4-4IG4K-MBeTGLahU5Q9pYZsXwlijWol-D2pRMcmIVXCBXsJOjLHKDtNCn1tUe42mBKf8qbVRJ_pO42X9oNvOCMFz9QnmCialQcrmGhdg/s1600/Computer+Keyboard+slice.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigduhPKmCybmeWl5-WPSTIPR5x8kmuCJOe4i4-4IG4K-MBeTGLahU5Q9pYZsXwlijWol-D2pRMcmIVXCBXsJOjLHKDtNCn1tUe42mBKf8qbVRJ_pO42X9oNvOCMFz9QnmCialQcrmGhdg/s1600/Computer+Keyboard+slice.jpg" /></a></div>
I want to tell you that it's okay if you're blocked.
Nobody knows your life, your circumstances, and no one is entitled to
judge you. If the words don't flow in the midst of your grief, give
yourself a break and time to heal. The words will come back and perhaps be richer for what you've experienced.<br />
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Most importantly, hang in there and remember that you are not alone.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: plucciola <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/68915455@N00/29876104364">Angel of Grief - drama</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(license)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: Dean Hochman <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/17997843@N02/29974988495">typing paper</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: puacless <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/143924244@N08/29529388060">My letter</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(license)</a></span>Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-14126057268246262062016-11-02T15:00:00.000-05:002016-11-02T15:00:10.373-05:00On the Loss of #Indie #Author Kathleen Valentine #amreading <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRJR7JWc-y61O5FfZx7CgHR2pvzJutejwIrPvrCpvUaEwTwS6YDfmJ64GyBGIAzGwI0lvqoltyVDc5CxKWl5ITvH3QGFGZQrbC2Vjt5ybUWCl1pR3C2s2rdr1nmBFkrisAyysN_-Nicg/s1600/Kathleen+Valentine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRJR7JWc-y61O5FfZx7CgHR2pvzJutejwIrPvrCpvUaEwTwS6YDfmJ64GyBGIAzGwI0lvqoltyVDc5CxKWl5ITvH3QGFGZQrbC2Vjt5ybUWCl1pR3C2s2rdr1nmBFkrisAyysN_-Nicg/s200/Kathleen+Valentine.jpg" width="165" /></a>The indie publishing world comes together today to celebrate the life and grieve the loss of fellow indie author <a href="http://www.valentine-design.com/Valentine/" target="_blank">Kathleen Valentine</a>. She left this world on Saturday, October 29, 2016. Along with her family and friends, her fellow authors and her readers will miss her very much. Funny, forthright, and passionate, she was a generous contributor to the indie publishing and other creative communities.<br />
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To honor her, we're spreading the word about Kathleen and hope to keep her with us a little longer through the books she left behind.<br />
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Kathleen was a prolific writer. On Amazon you'll find her mysteries, psychological suspense, ghost stories, folklore inspired fiction, romance, and her cookbooks and knitting books. Please visit her <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-Valentine/e/B002BLW6FI/" target="_blank">Amazon author page</a> to discover the many stories Kathleen leaves for us.<br />
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<br />Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-798214696085631842016-11-01T20:20:00.003-05:002022-11-19T18:45:19.907-06:00#Quote of the Day: Paul Sweeney on Turning the Last Page of a #Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Some books truly are so good, I hate to see them end...</div>
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<br />Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783311691038704303.post-332899648164108032016-10-03T09:28:00.001-05:002016-10-03T09:28:09.080-05:00For Those Who Are Hurting - What #Love Looks Like (#Kids #Divorce #Pain)There's a young woman in my life who is going through a hell of a time with her parent's divorce. It's not the divorce itself that's giving her fits, she's moving through that. It's her mother's verbal abuse (driven, I think, by feelings of guilt over her affair and abandoning her kids) that is causing this young woman such pain.<br />
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She's dealing with her mother with grace and courage, and her attitude in the face of such negativity is inspirational. I have faith that this young woman will come through this time a stronger person, but at the moment, she's suffering.<br />
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I doubt she'll see this post, but there are others who need to be reminded of what love, any kind of love, really looks like. Parental love, spousal love, love for friends and co-workers, love for pets, even love for strangers.<br />
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I hope this will encourage someone in both the giving of love and understanding what pure love looks like, and perhaps more importantly, what it does not.<br />
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Gae-Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12410169062960865279noreply@blogger.com