Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 188

#Excerpt: THE SUGARSPEAR CHRONICLES by Nicole Arlyn

Excerpt:
She stood up, carrying with her this vision of a place she was seeing in her mind. It was a beautiful room, wide and spacious with a breeze of roses entering through a clear window. A hand carved wooden desk sat under the window and on top of the desk was a pile of fresh parchment and a big clear jar of dark purple ink. A pen with a blue feather sat on top the paper.            That was all. All she needed now. In this moment, a desire so strong rose up in her and lifted her spirit. She desired this place, this ink, and that’s all. Her body was done. It had exhausted itself, a physical exhaustion beyond anything she had felt, like she had run hundreds of days without stopping. She rested her head against the tree. The bugs spread apart and stopped crawling as they felt in her breath, the kind of truth that is undeniable. The truth of her exhaustion. She told them all, “If only I could have, a quiet place all my own where I can write by the sunshine, the smell of the sea in the wind that comes to me.”            The bones were breaking under her feet, the bones in her hands, crushing as she pushed again. Nothing left. No human strength in her.            But the tree. The tree had strength to feel her. It knew her hands, her breath, it had taken her stories, her secrets, her prayers. It always heard her. It shaded her from her shady world. It danced its branches around her and swung with her when she swung from the swing that was no more. It knew her roots. It couldn’t hold onto itself like she couldn’t. It wanted to speak back to her and this would be its way...


BLURB:
The Sugarspear Chronicles: The Complete Collection is the story of young Sadie Sugarspear, a girl who endures intolerable abuse by reading about a fantasy world filled with incredible sights and outlandish people—a place she’s only ever encountered through her real father’s storybook.
One day, when the cruelty becomes too much to bear, Sadie runs away and hides inside her beloved willow tree. To her surprise, the tree opens, sending Sadie down into the abyss, into a land she’s only ever read about—where she must being a long, terrifying, and heartbreaking journey home.
Readers can now enjoy the entirety of author Nicole Arlyn’s dark fantasy saga in one complete book. This complete collection also includes a note from the author detailing the inspiration and events that led to The Sugarspear Chronicles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~AUTHOR Bio and Links: Nicole is a writer and an actress born in Brooklyn, New York. She has worked in films such as Clay Pigeons, opposite Joaquin Phoenix; The Wedding Planner; and Brooklyn Bound, among many others. She has performed, written and directed theater productions in New York, Los Angeles, and Europe. She has also read her poems in many poetry lounges in Europe and America, and is a song lyricist for musicians.After living in Rome, Italy, for the past several years, Nicole has returned to New York City where she lives with her husband and son. She is at work on more novels.
My authors page on Full Fathom Fives website:(Buy links here)http://fullfathomfive.com/writers/nicole-arlyn/

my authors page on facebook:https://www.facebook.com/NicoleArlynAuthor/?fref=ts
Twitter:https://twitter.com/NicoleArlyn
The Sugarpsear Chronicles webpage:http://www.thesugarspearchronicles.com/

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7315359.Nicole_Arlyn

Nicolearlynwrites on wordpress (building this up into a website)https://nicolearlynwrites.wordpress.com/
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better the chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-blast-sugarspear-chronicles-by.html



a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Review: CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY by Justin Hill

  5 of 5 stars
“The Sword of Destiny” transports the reader back to the landscape of ancient China when it was revered to be a warrior who followed The Iron Way. The story picks up seventeen years after the death of one of the greatest warriors, Mubai, as he defended the legendary sword, The Green Destiny. Shulien, who loved Mubai, must now come out of her self-imposed exile when The Green Destiny is once again vulnerable to falling into the hands of the evil warlord, Hades Dai. Two young warriors, Snow Vase and Wei-fang, also find their destiny intertwined with Shulien and the famed sword.
Mr. Hill’s words come alive on the pages as the story unfolds – the landscape, the inner thoughts of the characters and of course, the agility of the battles. The warriors fight with such elegance and grace and you feel like you’re watching a beautiful and intricate dance play across the stage, but make no mistake, the danger is all too real. Sulien’s character is the most complex—her feelings when she held Mubai as he took his final breaths, her need for reflection and solitude as she mourns a life that can never be, and finally her responsibility to the sword’s safe-keeping. No warrior is safe and evil is conquering the land. Can four warriors keep the sword safe or will it fall into the hands of one of the most evil warriors ever born? This is the journey Mr. Hill takes the reader on and he does it with such skill that before you know it, you’ve finished the story and are begging for more. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Amazon buy link:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1602862877/ref=twoen-20

Author of CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON: Sword of Destiny
“‘Justin Hill knows China inside out.” – Washington Post

Justin Hill has lived and worked and written about China for most of his adult life. His first novel, The Drink and Dream Teahouse about small-town China, was a Washington Post Book of the Year and won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. The novel had the rare honor of being banned in China.
His second novel, Passing Under Heaven, which re-imagined the life of Tang Dynasty poetess, Yu Xuanji, won the Somerset Maugham Award and was short-listed for the Encore Award. In a starred Kirkus review, his writing was described as being “painted with the exquisiteness of Persian miniatures.”  Shieldwall, the first in a series covering the Battle of Hastings, in 1066, was a Sunday Times Book of the Year.
In 2014 he was selected to write the book sequel to the Oscar-winning film, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and adapted the sequel’s screenplay into novel form. CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON: Sword of Destiny will be published by Weinstein Books on January 26, 2016 (Netflix and The Weinstein Co will release the film on February 26, 2016). 
Hill was born in Freeport, Bahamas and grew up in Yorkshire. He spent his twenties working as a volunteer in rural China and Eritrea, East Africa, and has since lived in New York, Ireland and Hong Kong, where he ran the undergraduate creative writing programme at City University of Hong Kong.  The Independent on Sunday listed him as one of the best young British novelists.
Visit his website at www.justinhillauthor.com and follow him on Twitter @JHillAuthor.

Interview with Alex Disanti, A SEPARATE HEAVEN

  Thank you so much for hosting A Separate Heaven today. It is my pleasure to be here.
Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series? A Separate Heaven is a series of seven books that spans twenty-five years in the lives of two families.  Book one introduces the Hamiltons and the Gianellis, brought together by an unlikely union.  Dominic Gianelli, a man of wealth and power, is nearing fifty when a chance meeting with twenty-year old Paige Hamilton forever changes his life. An evening that begins as a dinner date takes an unexpected turn and becomes a night he will never forget, a night that is the first step into their future together.
But Gianelli is a man with secrets and there are dark corners in his world. While he is pleased with this new development, this unanticipated treasure of a girl, he has grave concerns about marrying her. For when she becomes part of his life, he knows hers will no longer be her own. Despite any qualms, he finds he cannot, indeed will not give her up.
Catherine Paige Hamilton is the only daughter of an affluent, Long Island family. Until she meets Dominic Gianelli, she has lived her life in accordance with the wishes and rules of others but she has never known a man like him. He becomes her stepping stone from girl to woman. She enters his life, his world, and she never looks back.
If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?   I found my artist on my own. A principal location in A Separate Heaven is Italy.
I knew that I wanted (for the first cover) a picture of a sunrise or sunset over water with a break in the center where the title would be placed.  The photos were found online and I had only a name to go by. It took several weeks but I made contact with the artist.  His name is David Humphries and he resides in Yorkshire, England.  A couple of amazing coincidences: The pictures were taken off the coast of Italy when he and his wife were guests on a friend’s yacht.  That coupled with the name on the yacht, which was Heavenly Daze, has led me to feel a certain sense of “meant to be” with regard to the series. 

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?I never outline. Most of the time I carry several chapters in my mind then sit down to write.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
Yes, I do have an editor.
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
At Barnes & Noble and some art galleries and gift shops. Book one is available in hardcover.  The first three books are available on Kindle with four soon to follow and I plan to have book 5 released in July or August.  Working on having all the books in print by then too.
What kinds of marketing [twitter, Facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?
I have learned how important it is to engage in as many forms of social media as possible.  It has become a must for marketing and advertising.  Facebook, Twitter, a new website/blog and virtual book tours are currently taking most of my days!

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?At the moment, most definitely.  Right now I am devoting the majority of my time to marketing.

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?KINDLE, KINDLE, KINDLE.  Use every form of social media to promote yourself and your work. Belief in yourself is paramount. You are your own best critic, in the sense that if you aren’t pleased with your story, then work on it until it feels right to you. But stick to what works for you.
Be innovative.  I had members of a local theater group portray major characters in my series and we “performed” at a beautiful restaurant on the Texas Coast, complete with two men dressed in suits and dark glasses who came in and “swept” the restaurant prior to the entrance of the Gianellis. Also had our own paparazzi surreptitiously trying to get pictures of the couple and being chased away by security.  We were a hit!

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?
Ballet and I love to read about other authors’ lives. For example, Karen Blixen (Out of Africa memoir), Marguerite Duras (The Lover), Lillian Hellman (Julia)
What’s next for you?Doing everything I can to realize my dream of A Separate Heaven becoming a television series.



BLURB:
Buy Links:
http://www.amazon.com/Separate-Heaven-Alex-Disanti-ebook/dp/B0036RTYW4/http://www.amazon.com/Separate-Heaven-Book-2-ebook/dp/B008MOYTPShttp://www.amazon.com/Separate-Heaven-Book-3-ebook/dp/B009CICPZY/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Alex Disanti lives in the Texas Hill Country.  While writing has been a lifelong love for her, A Separate Heaven is her first novel.  Early works were mainly poetry and short stories.  As A Separate Heaven progressed from thought to paper, friends and family began reading the manuscript.  Then, in an effort to test the marketability of the material, she enlisted the aid of what she calls her “test readers.”  These readers vary in age, occupation and background.  It simply grew from there.  Alex’s rich detail brought the characters to life, and the ensuing chapters could not come quickly enough for her readers.
Facebook:     https://www.facebook.com/alex.disanti.5Facebook:     https://www.facebook.com/ASeparateHeaven  Twitter:        https://twitter.com/AlexDisanti   Website/Blog   http://alexdisanti.com



a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Excerpt: APOCALYPSIS KAHAYETLE by Elle Casey

Kahayatle
Elle Casey
(Apocalypsis #1)
Publication date: June 22nd 2012
Genres: Horror, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Young Adult

After a wedding filled with werewolves, fay, and vampires, Vicky is lookia
NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, ELLE CASEY, brings readers Book 1 of 4 in the YA Dystopian APOCALYPSIS Series, suitable for older teens and adults.

KAHAYATLE. My name’s Bryn Mathis. I’m seventeen years old, and I live in a neighborhood outside of Orlando, Florida. I live alone because my dad died almost a year ago, along with all the other adults in the world. I’m almost out of food and the gangs of kids that roam around my town are getting more vicious by the day. It’s time for me to leave and find another place to live … a place where I can find food and shelter … a place where they won’t be able to find me. Alone, it might have been possible, but now I’ve got company. I’m worried that I don’t have what it takes to get from here to my final destination, and I have no idea what might be waiting for me when I get there.

Content Warning: Mild violence and some foul language. Meant for older Young Adult readers (age 15+). This book is in the Dark Science Fiction / Horror / Post-Apocalyptic genres, featuring teen characters only.
APOCALYPSIS SERIES READING ORDER

Kahayatle (Apocalypsis Book 1) **Special introductory ebook price**
Warpaint (Apocalypsis Book 2)
Exodus (Apocalypsis Book 3)
Haven (Apocalypsis Book 4)

This series is dedicated to the amazing, wonderful Native Americans who populate our nation, continuing their traditions and reminding the rest of us that sometimes, progress isn’t always the best thing for our people. I invite you to learn more about the Miccosukee tribe, their history, culture, and lifestyle by visiting this website: http://www.miccosukee.com/indian-vill...

Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks / GooglePlay / KoboCurrently available for FREE!—
EXCERPT:PrologueI STUFFED THE SLEEPING BAG down into my backpack with angry, punching motions, sick and tired of having to be here and having to do the same thing over and over again. I hated camping, I hated being organized, and more than anything, I hated what this exercise stood for.
“Don’t do it like that. I told you – you have to conserve the room as best you can. You have to travel as efficiently as possible. Take it out and start over.”
“I don’t see what difference it makes.”
“Trust me, it’s going to be a really big deal to you in the not so distant future.” His voice sounded hollow.
“Says who?” I was being ornery. I knew the answer to the question already.
“Says me, Bryn. And the news. Look around, would you?” He sounded like he was pleading now. “Stop defaulting back to the rebellious young teen act, and get serious. We don’t have enough time to play those games anymore.”
“They’re not games, Dad. I am a teenager. I don’t care what the news jerks and the government say.” I threw my backpack down on the ground. “And it’s not rebellious to not want to play friggin’ survivor in the backyard every day.”
My dad looked at me with a sad expression and sighed, reaching over to pull me into a tight hug. He dropped his nose to my head and inhaled deeply.
My face was pressed up against his shirt, and I could smell his sweat mixed with the sweet scent of his aftershave. My dad always said he was the last of a dying breed, using that stuff. He couldn’t have been more right.
“Maybe it’s not going to happen here … to us.” I said it just to hear the words, but I knew it was only wishful thinking.
I could tell he was getting choked up again when he started talking, his voice now hoarse.
“I wish, more than anything else in this world, that you didn’t have to be standing here with me in this backyard playing survivor.” His whole body started to shake with silent sobs. “Oh, God, Bryn. If I could do anything to change this, anything at all, I would. I swear to God I would. But it’s happening. No one can stop it.”
I put my arms around his waist, letting go of my earlier stubborn anger, now choking back my own tears. “I know, Dad. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
“Yes, you did,” he said, sniffing hard and clearing his throat, shifting to hold me at arm’s length. He was staring at me while he smiled through his tears, giving me that look. The one that always made me confess.
“Okay, so maybe I did mean it. But I’ll shut up about it for a little while.”
“Not for too long, though. You wouldn’t be my daughter if you weren’t complaining about something.”
I tried to slap him playfully but he moved too fast for me. My dad is light on his feet, an expert level-one practitioner of krav maga – a certified badass. He’d only recently taken up camping.
“Pick it up,” he ordered, now back in control of his emotions. “Do it again. Only this time, get the air out of that bag first, condense it down …”
I cut him off. “I know, I know … ‘down into the smallest footprint possible.’ Geez, Dad, I’m not an idiot.”
I shook the sleeping bag out and started rolling it up quickly, using the moves I’d been practicing for four months straight to squeeze it down into a lump the size of a small loaf of bread. I folded the whole thing in half, pushed it to the bottom of the backpack, and then let it unfold itself one time, before putting the other items in on top of it: unbreakable water bottle, half-liter of bleach, square of plastic, cup, hunting knife, and various other tools my father was quite certain I would need … once all the adults in the world had died off, leaving us kids alone to fend for ourselves.

Author Bio:
Elle Casey is a prolific, NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling American writer who lives in Southern France with her husband, three kids, and several furry friends. She writes in several genres and publishes an average of one full-length novel per month.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hosted by:

Interview with Annette Oppenlander, ESCAPE FROM THE PAST, THE DUKE'S WRATH

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?In “Escape from the Past: The Duke’s Wrath” Max Anderson, a nerdy gamer tries out an experimental computer game and time-travels to medieval Germany where he gets drawn into a feud between three lords while trying to find a way home. This is book one in a trilogy, based on the history of Castle Hanstein in Thuringia, Germany and its charismatic knight, Werner von Hanstein.
In book two “Escape from the Past: The Kid,” out in February 2016, Max tries to return to medieval Germany because of ‘unfinished business,’ but accidentally lands in the Wild West of 1881 New Mexico where he meets Billy the Kid and gets involved with an ancient Warm Springs Apache.
Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?Yes, I signed with a literary agent in 2013 and let him go after a year. I found him through a cold query but unfortunately things didn’t work out. Since he had already shopped my manuscript, I chose to find a publisher on my own. I was lucky to find Lodestone Books and they are publishing all three books in the trilogy. For my next project I will again return to querying agents.

How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel?I finished my first novel and a dozen revisions in 2010—the book is still unpublished. I received my first contract offer for “Escape from the Past” in 2014. I did, however, sign with a literary agent in 2013 and after a year of sparse communication and several other issues decided to cancel the contract.

If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?My first novel, “A Different Truth” was published in partnership with Grey Wolfe Publishing. I was able to chose my own designer who created this amazing cover from scratch. I was lucky to get him to help me. The “Escape from the Past” trilogy is published through Lodestone Books in the U.K. and I was able to suggest cover art, but the designer ultimately choses what he wants to work with.
The cover of “Escape from the Past: The Duke’s Wrath” was created from an original drawing of Castle Hanstein in 1450.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?I’ve been part of a critique group for seven years. We meet every two weeks and I’ve only missed when I was out of town. I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve learned from my writer friends. In the beginning I learned things like formatting, grammar and punctuation. Over time, my focus changed. Nowadays, I mostly get feedback on inconsistencies with plot or dialogue. My groups – I belong to two – have definitely helped me a lot. However, not all groups are created equal and there can be problems including personality conflicts, not following proper critique guidelines, fellow writers being much better or much worse. Sometimes a writer considers him/herself an expert and influences your development, even your voice negatively. So, it’s important to find a group with likeminded individuals who are at varying levels of craft, understand the genre you write and are genuinely interested in supporting each other.
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?I like quiet so I don’t listen to music. I sit in my office with the door closed because I find noise of any kind distracting. I typically write in the morning, especially when I’m working on a first draft. This first creation is always the hardest, taking the most brainpower. Sometimes I only write a page, sometimes it’s ten.
I struggle most with first chapters because so much is set up in it. I’ve learned to just ‘slop’ it down initially without the editor sitting on my shoulder whispering criticism.

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?I’m a pantser and have only a lose idea where the story goes. I find if I let my mind run, I come up with new characters, subplots and generally am freer to create than if I outline.

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?With the exception of a few bestselling authors and no matter how a work is published, most authors in todays’ environment must market their books and themselves. I struggle finding a good balance between writing and marketing. There are infinite possibilities to market, but until one has done this for a few years, it’s difficult to tell what works best. At the same time I have stories nudging me and I’ve committed to creating a first draft this spring.
I’m trying to juggle both jobs by writing every morning because I’m freshest and doing marketing in the afternoon. Ask me again in a year and I’ll tell you how well this is working.

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?I’m a travel nut and thanks to my husband’s retirement we have time to explore new places. We love Europe and spend a month there every year. A few days are always reserved bicycling along a river in Germany. They have amazing infrastructure and hundreds of thousands of miles of dedicated bike trails.
I also discovered my passion for yoga. Since I sit so much my back acts up and yoga gives me that outlet to get my body back into shape.
I don’t know if you can call my old dog, Mocha, a passion, but I’m devoted to her. We walk every day, rain or shine and we’re roommates sharing my office.

What’s next for you?I envision being a lifelong author. I love the process of writing, editing and researching. I love looking for new ideas and creating exciting stories. Book two in the trilogy, “Escape from the Past: The Kid” will be released in February 2016 and I just completed the third and last book. My next project will be about two teens surviving WWII in Germany. It’s sort of a love story despite the odds. I’m also still working on a story about a farm boy and his slave friend who are torn apart by the American Civil War.
Thank you so much for hosting me!
   BLURB:
When fifteen-year old nerd and gamer Max Anderson thinks he’s sneaking a preview of an unpublished video game, he doesn’t realize that 1) He’s been secretly chosen as a beta, an experimental test player. 2) He’s playing the ultimate history game, transporting him into the actual past: anywhere and anytime. And 3) Survival is optional: To return home he must decipher the game’s rules and complete its missions—if he lives long enough. To fail means to stay in the past—forever.

Now Max is trapped in medieval Germany, unprepared and clueless. It is 1471 and he quickly learns that being an outcast may cost him his head. Especially after rescuing a beautiful peasant girl from a deadly infection and thus provoking sinister wannabe duke Ott. Overnight he is dragged into a hornet’s nest of feuding lords who will stop at nothing to bring down the conjuring stranger in their midst.
Buy Links:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Escape-Past-Dukes-Annette-Oppenlander/dp/1846949734/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434917583&sr=8-1&keywords=escape+from+the+past Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/escape-from-the-past-annette-oppenlander/1121795814?ean=9781846949739 IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781846949739Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better the chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Annette Oppenlander writes historical fiction for young adults. When she isn’t in front of her computer, she loves indulging her dog, Mocha, and traveling around the U.S. and Europe to discover amazing histories.“Nearly every place holds some kind of secret, something that makes history come alive. When we scrutinize people and places closely, history is no longer a number, it turns into a story.”
Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.annetteoppenlander.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annetteoppenlanderauthor/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25322486-escape-from-the-past?from_search=true&search_version=service Twitter: @aoppenlanderTrailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN8EjprQZLU
Follow the tour; the more you comment, the more chances to win. http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/12/vbt-escape-from-past-by-annette.html 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Guest Post: A NOTION TO AVOID BEING DATED by Terry W Ervin II

Have you ever been reading a book, and a reference to a political figure, something in pop culture, or a tech gadget current a decade or more ago, disrupts your reading, knocks you out of the story’s flow? This was a concern when I sat down to write my science fiction novel.
Although Relic Tech wasn’t my first published novel, it was the first novel I wrote. I began planning and outlining it way back in 1999. The actual writing began early in 2001.
When I started writing my science fiction novel, I knew it’d be a long process. I’d never written a book before, and realized I’d have to teach myself along the way. Also, research had shown that finding a publisher (once I finished the novel) was a long process, whether I sought representation of an agent, or not. Fortunately, even back then, the major fantasy and SF publishers accepted unsolicited manuscripts (slush). Self-publishing, other than through subsidy presses, was nearly nonexistent. The ebook revolution hadn’t really taken hold…or even showed signs of that happening.
With that in mind, I had a lot of ideas (technology) that I thought were new and fresh, and would happen in the future. Many of them were on target, but I expected such advances to take a while longer. Not a problem. But, in the end, I didn’t want my science fiction novel to be dated. Thus, the notion of Relic Tech entered the picture.
See, my main character, a Relic, would depend on late 20th century technology, despite the novel’s events happening around a century in the future. He uses a pump-action shotgun when magnetic pulse rifles and laser carbines are available. He uses padlocks with keys when various sensory electronic locks are available.
The idea of varying access and use of technology serving as a socio-divider was also a theme I wanted to explore, and the subsequent ostracization endured by the main character, a Relic, fell right into line with the story I wanted to tell.
A mix of old and new technology in conjunction with space travel? I’m not the only author to incorporate such a dichotomy into their work(s), both before I ever sat down to write, and even as I continue with my writing career today.
In my Crax War Chronicles, characters use computer clips and clamshell computers (think iPads and fist-sized laptops). Remotes with command icons? Think modern cell phones. I had genetically manipulated fish that glowed…which can be found today. A smaller version of the Bluetooth, Google glasses and more. Some characters use contact lenses that capture and transmit video image which is not that far off—certainly not decades. Still, there are some advancements and technology not devised or invented that grace the pages of Relic Tech, and the recently released sequel Relic Hunted, which offers some satisfaction. But a benefit is that 4th Class Security Specialist Krakista Keesay is sort of retro, with his old-school skills and equipment, adding another element to his character and depth.
I’ll share someone else’s assessment of the novel and protagonist:  “The tech level premise is fascinating, but what really makes the novel special is the spirit of Krakista Keesay. Kra is a hero to root for—often underestimated, adept with brass knuckles, bayonet, shotgun, and all sorts of old style weaponry. He proves that, while technology matters, so do courage, intelligence, and daring.”
—Tony Daniel, Hugo-finalist, author of Metaplanetary and Guardian of Night
If you’re curious as to some of the gadgets and tech found in my Crax War Chronicles, you just might have to give my novels a read. ;)  As for the reason it took so long for Relic Tech to be published? Unfortunately, that’s content for a whole different article.



Author Bio: Terry W. Ervin II is an English and science teacher who enjoys writing fantasy and science fiction. His First Civilization’s Legacy Series(fantasy) includes Flank Hawk, Blood Sword, and Soul Forge.
The Crax War Chronicles, his science fiction series, includes Relic Tech and Relic Hunted (his most recent release from Gryphonwood Press).
In addition to writing novels, Terry’s short stories have appeared in over a dozen anthologies, magazines and ezines. Genre Shotgunis a collection containing all of his previously published short stories.

To contact Terry or learn more about his writing endeavors, visit his website at www.ervin-author.com and his blog, Up Around the Corner at uparoundthecorner.blogspot.com

#Excerpt: SHOPPING FOR A BILLIONAIRE'S FIANCEE by Julia Kent

  Something feels off. I sit up, moonlight streaming through the expanse of glass behind my headboard, the ticking silence of the middle of the night grey and ethereal. My mouth is dry and my skin tingles with danger.My own home isn’t safe.Clicking sounds in the distance pierce my closed bedroom door. I quietly open my closet and pull out the aluminum baseball bat I store in there for moments like this.Whatever this is.Later, I realize I should have called 911. But when you’re in the haze of being woken by a home invasion, you don’t think clearly.Besides, evolution has primed me for this very moment. Testosterone oozes out of my pores. This is a moment men imagine from the time they’re small little beasts with superhero capes and nerf guns.Defending our turf.Quiet as a ninja, I walk on the balls of my feet, opening my bedroom door and proceeding down the hall. Andrew is silent, too, his feet hanging off the end of my couch, the blanket pooled on the floor beneath him. His mouth is open and he’s drooling a little, my nice leather sleek and shiny in the moonlight.He’s useless against the seven-foot, muscled cat burglar who is obviously here to steal my soul and my valuable electronics.My eyes dart to the door, where an inch of light from the hallway peeks in, illuminating the library table where I dump my mail.A knee appears, with a shiny high heel at the foot.Interesting cat burglar.Then more knee. A thigh. Hips that make hot blood pound through me, the rest of Shannon entering the room on tip toes. She rotates and closes the door with such precision I start to wonder if she breaks into people’s houses for a living.I flatten myself against the wall where she can’t see me, and slowly set the baseball bat on a small wool area carpet. We’re both creeping around my apartment in silence, but for very different reasons now.She cuts behind the couch and stands in front of the breakfast bar, slipping off her trench coat.Oh, sweet merciful universe.She is naked except for the high heels.Merry Christmas in August.Those come-fuck-me pumps are candy apple red and scream out my name. No, really. I can hear them, tiny little voices that only my now-rising-to-the-occasion little head can hear. It’s like those shoes communicate on a radio frequency that my testicles can tune into.And...I’m at attention.What is she doing here?“Shannon?” I whisper, stepping out into the moonlight, hoping I don’t scare her.She startles and freezes, hand on one breast over her heart. Her hair is loose and flowing, and she’s curled it. She painted her face, eyes big and bright, lips red and stunning.She shifts her weight to one hip, eager and a little shy, but also bold.“Let’s make up,” she says, squaring her shoulders. “And happy birthday!”Happy Birthday?Oh, man. That’s right. I’d completely forgotten.Andrew’s head pops up from the other side of the couch and he gapes at Shannon. “Dec? You hired a stripper? I knew you and Shannon were on the outs, but damn, man, you can’t just—”“AAAAIIIIEEEEEEEE!” Shannon screams. If this whole marrying a billionaire and working in corporate America thing doesn’t work for her, she has a future in horror films.

Book & Author Details:Shopping for a Billionaire’s Fiancee by Julia Kent
(Shopping for a Billionaire #6)
Publication date: February 26th 2015
Genres: Comedy, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:All of our best dates end up in the emergency room….I planned the perfect proposal. Plenty of lobster, caviar, champagne and–her favorite–tiramisu. The perfect setting. The perfect woman. The perfect everything.
Dad gave me my late mother’s engagement ring, platinum and diamonds galore. Shannon wouldn’t care if I slid a giant hard-candy ring on her finger instead of a three-carat diamond designed to impress. But my future mother-in-law, Marie, will pass out when she sets eyes on that rock, which will give us two minutes of blessed silence. That woman talks more than Kim Kardashian flashes her naked backside on the internet.
I was going to make it perfect, from the color of the tablecloth to the freshness of the roses. And it was perfect. Until Shannon swallowed the ring.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24350644-shopping-for-a-billionaire-s-fiancee?ac=1
Purchase:(On sale for $.99 for a limited time only!)Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R...B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shopping-for-a-billionaires-fiancee-julia-kent/1121000784?ean=9781937544218
AUTHOR BIO:New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge, and new adult books that push contemporary boundaries. From billionaires to BBWs to rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every book she writes, but unlike Trevor from Random Acts of Crazy, she has never kissed a chicken.

Author links:http://www.jkentauthor.com/https://www.facebook.com/jkentauthorhttps://twitter.com/jkentauthorhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3238619.Julia_Kent

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Excerpt: WHEN A TAKER DREAMS by J.A. Jackson

Excerpt:
Cierra flushed. “I just realized that day that I was so out of his league.”
“Ridiculous!” Colbert smiled ruefully. “You are far more than you think you are my dear, and you are a risk taker that is more capable than you know. I’ve seen you stand up to my daughter, Isabella. That takes guts and gumption and you’ve got it.”
Cierra glanced back at him. “Thank you for that.”
He studied her. Look Cierra, there’s something you should know. My son has some kind of issue of opening his heart to one woman. I think he’s terrified that he may find the love of a woman may be enough to fill that empty soul of his.”
She heard him but didn’t hear him. For some reason she just couldn’t seem to think clearly. She felt empty herself. “I’m just tried. It’s been a long night.”
Colbert studied her for a long moment. “Yes I can see that. Thank you for the dance, I am very grateful. It gave me a chance to get to know you better.”

BLURB:
Cierra Cantrell has had little experience with men after a painful experience in her life left her too insecure to discover and free the passionate woman within.After following the advice of her mother, Cierra agrees to accept family friend Isabella Duvall’s offer for help in obtaining a marriage of convenience.When Isabella’s gorgeous brother—shows up, Cierra can’t stop dreaming about him.Lust is a powerful emotion!
Buy link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01288VA7IThe eBook can be purchased for $0.99 during the tour
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
J.A. Jackson is the pseudonym for an author, who loves to write deliciously sultry adult romantic, suspenseful, entertaining novels with a unique twist. She lives in an enchanted little house she calls home in the Northern California foothills.
She spent over ten years working in the non-profit sector where she wrote grants, press releases and contributed many stories to their newsletter. She was their Newsletter editor for over ten years. She loves growing roses, a good pot of hot tea, chocolate, magical stories, suspense stories, ghost stories, and reading Jane Austen again and again in her past time.
https://www.amazon.com/author/jajacksonhttp://jerreeceannjackson.blogspot.comwww.facebook.com/pages/Jerreece-Ann-Jackson/204377496289139?ref=hlhttps://twitter.com/jerreece
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better the chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/11/blurb-blitz-when-taker-dreams-by-j.html


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Celebrating MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR, "I have a Dream"

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style>  <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Arial; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-16NSOZUvBeE..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-16NSOZUvBeE..." /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #272d31; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. King, both a Baptist minister and civil-rights activist, had a seismic impact on race relations in the United States, beginning in the mid-1950s. Among many efforts, King headed the SCLC. Through his activism, he played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the South and other areas of the nation, <span style="mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">as well as the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, among several other honors. King was assassinated in April 1968, and continues to be remembered as one of the most lauded African-American leaders in history, often referenced by his 1963 speech, "I Have a Dream."</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #272d31; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"> <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Arial; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">QUOTES:</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"></span></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="border: medium none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 185pt;" width="185"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><i><span style="color: #272d31; font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">"I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land."</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">– Martin Luther King Jr.</span></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Full text of "I Have A Dream" Speech, August 28, 1963:</span></span><br /><br /><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Arial; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I have a dream today.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I have a dream today.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

#FREE Jan. 16-19, AN UNEXPECTED LOVE by Debra Elizabeth

Sweet contemporary romance novella about love found in the most unlikely places.


Blurb:Dianna Regent thought she was living a charmed life with her boyfriend of seven years. That is, until he walked out of her life without a backward glance. Nursing her wounds, she goes on vacation to St. Thomas, hoping to heal her broken heart.
Ian Waters has never been in love. When a favor for a friend takes him to St. Thomas, the last thing he thinks about is finding the woman of his dreams. Can these two fragile souls come together to find their own happily ever after?
Amazon download link:http://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Love-Debra-Elizabeth-ebook/dp/B00YFVL4IW/ref=twoen-20