Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 280

Spring Craft Show is Here!

This weekend I'll be at the Castleberry Spring Craft Show in Salem, N.H. It's the first spring show that I'll be doing. I'm excited to see how my new designs sell. Here's a few of the new ones:









If you're coming to the blog for the first time, there's plenty to read. Check out the sidebar to see lots of guest posts, author panels, ancient symbols and most important, kitty posts!



If you're in the Salem, NH area, stop by and enjoy the show. There's plenty of beautiful crafts to buy. Have a great weekend!

Book Tour Blast: BOUND TO YOU by Lola James

 

Bound to You (Book 3 of the Spellbound Series)
Toni’s life is just one complication after another. First, her past comes back to her, then she has to deal with a psycho, and now it’s the biggest of them all. A choice that could destroy one life and be the bright future to the other.
How is a girl supposed to choose between two men that she loves?

On one hand, she has the Greek god Hades, the love from her past and the other, Ben the hot Vampire nurse that she met just over a week ago. Both have captured her heart in their own individual ways but whose love is the greatest?

Who does she ultimately love the most?

In the end, a decision is made in Bound to you... 



**This Book Includes Sexual Content** 



Bound to Remember, a Paranormal Romance (Book 1 of the Spellbound Series) FREE
Unbound, a Paranormal Romance (Book 2 of the Spellbound Series) $2.99
Bound to You (Book 3 of the Spellbound Series)

 



Amazon / Barnes & Noble

 

About Lola
Lola James has been reading romance novels since her teens, and fell in love with the paranormal after discovering Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. Her love of the dark worlds of vampires and witches, as well as her fascination with Greek mythology led her to create the Spellbound Series, an ongoing Paranormal Romance combining all of the above into tales of suspense with a little bit of humor in an Urban Fantasy setting.

A long time lover of reading and writing with a passion for a great story, James became discouraged by the complicated and arbitrary publishing process, James had initially set down her laptop and her hopes of being a writer. However, with the purchase of her first e-reader, James became re-energized by the new possibilities for an undiscovered author to reach the masses. Dusting off her keyboard she finally finished Bound to Remember, the first book of the Spellbound Series and self-published it. Energized and ambitious, James is now hard at work on both the Spellbound Series as well as the Fate Series, a paranormal romance about dreams and what happens if they come true. 



Follow on Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Website 



Lola James is giving away a Fun Swag Pack. Open to US residents 18+. 



Fill out the form below to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Tawdra Kandle

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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">ENDLESS
is the fourth and final book in The King Series. It picks up Tasmyn’s story at
the beginning of her freshman year in college, as she and Michael continue to
recover from the train wreck that was Tas’s senior year in high school. She’s
working to get her life back on track, regain Michael’s trust as well as that
of her parents, and learning to control her new powers. Of course, life is
never that easy, and so there are a few bumps in the road.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you
have a favorite character?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I always love Tasmyn and Michael, and of course Rafe and
Nell hold a very special place in my heart. But in this book, I really enjoyed
writing Cathryn. She is much more complex than what we realize in ENDLESS. .
.enough so that she is going to pop up here and there in other books.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Have you
ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the
direction of the novel at all?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Absolutely. Michael and Tasmyn’s friend Anne actually had her
own subplot in FEARLESS, which was something I loved. And Nell was supposed to
end her run at the conclusion of the first book, yet here she is about to have
her own book!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Did you try
the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I did, with the first book in The King Series. I queried a
number of agents, and I was very fortunate to develop some internet
relationships that helped me to polish both the MS and my query letter.
Ultimately, though, after spending a great deal of time listening to agents and
editors, particularly in NYC, I decided to try the indie route. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What is
your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I write whenever, wherever, however. When I got serious
about my writing again, I learned that my life was not going to open up and
give me more time to make it happen; I had to create the time. I take my
computer with me everywhere. My first two books were written at baseball
practices, in orthodontist offices, at the hair salon. . .that was the
wherever. Often I write very late into the night, if I have a light schedule
the next day. That’s the whenever. And I am not married to a particular set up
or environment. I write in bed or on the sofa with the TV on, with little ones
running around, while in the middle of cooking. . .that’s the however! I don’t
need silence, which is a good thing since it is a rare thing at my house. I
love writing with music, and much of my inspiration comes from hearing certain
songs at specific times, even when I’m not actively writing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">At the beginning of each book, I sketch out where I see the
story going, including character names, pertinent information and important
turning points. I add to that and tweak it as I write. However, I am never a
slave to what I’ve planned. When I quiet my mind and hear what is going on with
my characters, I just follow them, even if it doesn’t stick with my original
plan.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What kinds
of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for
promoting your book(s)?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As the co-owner of a public relations company that targets
authors and books, I have unique perspective on marketing. Because so much of
my work is on Facebook, that tends to be my biggest marketing focus. I have
connected my Twitter account to my author Facebook so that it isn’t totally
left out. I’ve also joined with other authors to do a weekly Twitter chat
called #book30, where we discuss just about anything and everything related to
genres, books and writing. That helps us connect with our readers. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Always. I think that all authors struggle with that balance.
Sometimes I love marketing; I enjoy chatting with bloggers and readers. But
there are also times I would prefer to be holed up, just writing without any
thought of promotion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What
advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing
arena?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s said so many times, but it seems to be a necessary
reminder: do the work you can and hire out what you can’t. Cut ruthlessly;
polish longer than you think you must. Use an editor, at least; if you can, use
a proofreader as well. Find the best cover artist and formatter possible. And
then promote, but do it wisely. Don’t spam your friends. Use social media to
connect, not to sell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Don’t use
being indie published as an excuse for mediocre work. As indie artists, we
actually have to hold ourselves to a higher standard. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s
next for you? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s going to be a busy year! I’m releasing a contemporary
romance called THE POSSE this spring, followed by the first book in my adult
series. I’ll have a short story in the anthology ETERNAL SUMMER, coming out in
June, and then the Serendipity Duet, which are Rafe and Nell’s books. A
post-apocalyptic book is in the works, but it may be headed for a 2014 release. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Author
bio:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Tawdra Kandle is the author of
THE KING SERIES, a young adult urban fantasy quartet. Born in South Jersey,
Tawdra published her first short story at the age of 13 in Child's Life
magazine. During the early years of her marriage and motherhood, she wrote articles
and columns on parenting and homeschooling, as well as some homeschooling
curriculum. THE KING SERIES is her first published full-length fiction. Tawdra
currently lives in central Florida with her husband, and children, both skin
and fur types. And yes, she has purple hair.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
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<br /></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>

5 Tips for Successful Blogging for Writers

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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The
Internet has made it possible for writers to be their own one-made shop. You
can write your book, publish it, sell it, and market it all on your own. You
reap all the profits, and you can former closer relationships with your
readers.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Blogging
is one of the best marketing tools available to writers. You can use it to
promote your work and to connect directly with your fans. You can reveal
insights into your process, share news about upcoming publications or sales,
and participate in a direct conversation with your readers.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">However,
blogging may not be like the writing you're used to doing. You need to take a
special approach in order to make your blogging successful (and, therefore, a
useful tool in marketing yourself). Here are a few tips:</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Be Yourself</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In
their quest to put on a professional, public face in their blogs, many writers
lose their own voice and fail to connect with readers. It is important to be
yourself when you write -- just like you would in your professional writing.
Being yourself will help you to stand out and will help readers to feel a
connection with you, which will encourage them to read your blog and your
published writing.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Offer Value</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Blogging
is a great tool to promote yourself and your work, but if all you ever do is
promote yourself, you'll alienate your audience. You must offer your readers
something of value in order to keep them coming back to your site (where they
can learn more about you and your work). You can offer value by sharing useful
information (perhaps some writing tips or some information about the publishing
industry) or by writing entertaining content. Strive to create a healthy mix of
promotional content and content that creates value for your readers.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Adapt to the Format</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Every
type of writing has a very specific format. So does blogging. Some guidelines
include:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Short sentences.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Short paragraphs of only 2-3 sentences each.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bulleted points.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bold headers and other elements to break up the page and improve
readability.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If
you're a novelist, it may be hard to break up your long paragraphs, and if
you're a poet, it may be difficult to pare back the descriptions. Be aware of
your format, and adapt as necessary.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Use SEO</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">One
of the best ways to get your blog noticed is to optimize it for search engine
results. That way, when someone searches for something in your niche, they are
more likely to find your blog. SEO incorporates a large number of elements, but
the key strategies involve identifying the right keywords for your blog and
then using them in your content, headers, and other page elements Other basic
strategies include link building, increasing page loading times and optimizing
your design.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Get Social</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Social
media is a great compliment to your blog. You should be sharing all your blog
posts on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, and should be striving
to expand the conversation with followers there. Social networking can help you
to reach a larger audience and can increase the page rank for your blog
(getting you more exposure and more traffic).</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Blogging
is a great way for writers to promote themselves and to build relationships
with their readers. If you are new to blogging, or if you aren't seeing the
results you would like from blogging, consider these tips for success to start
reaching your goals.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Are
you blogging to promote your work? Share your best tips for success in the
comments!</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bio:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Chloe
Trogden is a researcher focusing on </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.collegegrant.net/">... style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">school grants</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> who writes on specific opportunities
such as </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.collegegrant.net/nursing-g... style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">grants for nursing students</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">. Her leisure activities
include camping, swimming and playing her guitar.</span></div>
<style>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The
Internet has made it possible for writers to be their own one-made shop. You
can write your book, publish it, sell it, and market it all on your own. You
reap all the profits, and you can former closer relationships with your
readers.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Blogging
is one of the best marketing tools available to writers. You can use it to
promote your work and to connect directly with your fans. You can reveal
insights into your process, share news about upcoming publications or sales,
and participate in a direct conversation with your readers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">However,
blogging may not be like the writing you're used to doing. You need to take a
special approach in order to make your blogging successful (and, therefore, a
useful tool in marketing yourself). Here are a few tips:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Be Yourself</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In
their quest to put on a professional, public face in their blogs, many writers
lose their own voice and fail to connect with readers. It is important to be
yourself when you write -- just like you would in your professional writing.
Being yourself will help you to stand out and will help readers to feel a
connection with you, which will encourage them to read your blog and your
published writing.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Offer Value</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Blogging
is a great tool to promote yourself and your work, but if all you ever do is
promote yourself, you'll alienate your audience. You must offer your readers
something of value in order to keep them coming back to your site (where they
can learn more about you and your work). You can offer value by sharing useful
information (perhaps some writing tips or some information about the publishing
industry) or by writing entertaining content. Strive to create a healthy mix of
promotional content and content that creates value for your readers.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Adapt to the Format</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Every
type of writing has a very specific format. So does blogging. Some guidelines
include:</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Short sentences.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Short paragraphs of only 2-3 sentences each.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bulleted points.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bold headers and other elements to break up the page and improve
readability.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If
you're a novelist, it may be hard to break up your long paragraphs, and if
you're a poet, it may be difficult to pare back the descriptions. Be aware of
your format, and adapt as necessary.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Use SEO</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">One
of the best ways to get your blog noticed is to optimize it for search engine
results. That way, when someone searches for something in your niche, they are
more likely to find your blog. SEO incorporates a large number of elements, but
the key strategies involve identifying the right keywords for your blog and
then using them in your content, headers, and other page elements Other basic
strategies include link building, increasing page loading times and optimizing
your design.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Get Social</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Social
media is a great compliment to your blog. You should be sharing all your blog
posts on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, and should be striving
to expand the conversation with followers there. Social networking can help you
to reach a larger audience and can increase the page rank for your blog
(getting you more exposure and more traffic).</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Blogging
is a great way for writers to promote themselves and to build relationships
with their readers. If you are new to blogging, or if you aren't seeing the
results you would like from blogging, consider these tips for success to start
reaching your goals.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Are
you blogging to promote your work? Share your best tips for success in the
comments!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bio:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Chloe
Trogden is a researcher focusing on </span><a href="http://www.collegegrant.net/">... style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">school grants</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> who writes on specific opportunities
such as </span><a href="http://www.collegegrant.net/nursing-g... style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">grants for nursing students</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">. Her leisure activities include camping, swimming
and playing her guitar.</span></div>
</style><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>

Review: PARALLAX VIEW by Allan Leverone

  5 of 5 stars


It's the 1980s and the height of the Cold War, but something is about to change and not necessarily for the better. It's up to CIA agent Tracie Tanner to prevent World War III. She's been tasked with delivering a secret and highly sensitive letter from Russian leader Gorbachev to US President Ronald Reagan. The KBG knows something is amiss with Gorbachev and will stop at nothing to retrieve that letter. 



I'm a fan of this author and have read a number of his other stories. He's a master at crafting a compelling and exciting story taking the reader on a journey of highs and lows, and numerous twists and turns. The PARALLAX VIEW is an explosive thriller that does not disappoint. Tracie is one kick-ass agent and it's great to see a strong female lead carry the story. Add in high level betrayals, intrigue, and a life and death race against time and this book will keep you reading long after your bedtime. Fans of political thrillers will not be disappointed. Highly Recommended.

 

Interview with Cheryl Kaye Tardif

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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w1JsQzxM1Jw..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w1JsQzxM1Jw..." width="207" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">SUBMERGED is a thriller with a hint of supernatural, and I
think it's going to leave readers holding their breath. This is a story of
battling weakness and guilt, and finding redemption.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Marcus Taylor is a former paramedic and recovering addict.
Working as a 911 operator, he's drowning in guilt and remorse over the tragic
deaths of his wife and son. Rebecca Kingston is a mother of two and an abused
wife who has finally had enough. She decides to take a much needed weekend
holiday, but it doesn't turn out to be as relaxing as she'd hoped. Trapped in
her vehicle as it submerges, the only thing keeping her sane is a voice—Marcus's—on
the other end of her dying cell phone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">SUBMERGED is a standalone thriller. However, it has an
interesting tie-in to my international bestseller, CHILDREN OF THE FOG. And
vice versa.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you
have a favorite character?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Marcus is my favorite. He's so human, so flawed, so angry in
his guilt. He has made mistakes and suffered for them. But he's also a very
likeable guy. He's trying to deal with his losses, searching for a better life,
for a future. And when put to the test, he's a hero who boldly does the right
thing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Have you
ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the
direction of the novel at all?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Actually, John Zur, the detective in this story was supposed
to be a relatively minor character. After all, Marcus is the hero in SUBMERGED.
But as I wrote, John became a more integral part of the plot. He started to
show up more often, and he always had some advice for Marcus. Interestingly, my
agent suggested I consider a third book featuring John (and Jay, the detective
from CHILDREN OF THE FOG), with tie-ins to the other two—even though these are
complete standalone thrillers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
may happen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Did you
try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Oh yes! And I have the rejection letters to show for it. In
fact, I could probably wallpaper my office with them—twice. I was traditionally
published by a small company in 2006. They released the second edition of WHALE
SONG. But they closed doors a few years later and I republished the novel for
its third edition.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I've also queried agents galore. I did sign with Jack Scovil
from Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency a few years ago, but nothing much
happened and I discovered later he was ill and passed away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In March 2012, after huge success with CHILDREN OF THE FOG
on Amazon (it made it to #4 in the Top 100 Paid OVERALL, out of almost 2
million ebooks and sold nearly 50,000 copies in a few months), I was contacted
by two agents. I signed with an agent from Trident Media Group in NY. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Are you
currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you
have manuscripts that you will self-publish?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I am under contract for future books, but I also have the
freedom to self-publish. My agent and I are working as a team, with not only my
career in mind but also my readers. It was my agent who suggested I publish
SUBMERGED on my own because she knew I had readers waiting and she didn't want
them to wait. Neither did I. Our game plan is to take SUBMERGED to a major
publisher once it has sold a substantial amount of copies, since I'll be able
to get better contract terms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you
used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the
creative process for your cover?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I am very involved. I've made a point of finding talented
designers I can work with. I always have a concept in my mind that is very
detailed. I'm very artistic, but I don't work with cover designing programs, so
I describe my vision and my designers make it happen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What is
your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I listen to mood music when I write. When I wrote WHALE
SONG, I listened to a lot of killer whale/dolphin music. With THE RIVER I had a
very tribal instrumental CD. WITH SUBMERGED and CHILDREN OF THE FOG I listened
to anything intense and driving. Usually only instrumental.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I make general notes of my story, anything that comes to
mind while it's fermenting in my mind. Once I start writing, it just takes off.
I always know the beginning, major scenes in the middle, and how it ends. I
allow my characters to tell their story <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">through</i>
me. They tell me where to go. ;-) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Definitely yes! I don't agree with publishing a book that
hasn’t been through at least 2 other sets of eyes. Mine go through numerous
edits by me, then by at least 2 editors, then by a final proofreader. Yes,
sometimes we all miss something, just like the big pubs do. But you'll find my
books to be fairly solid when it comes to editing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What
advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing
arena?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I would give them the same wonderful advice a friend once
gave me. If you have a story idea and you want to write, write. Don't worry if it
gets published or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how </i>you'll publish
it. Write it for yourself. Write it because you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i> to.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Once you've written your book, learn everything there is to
know about the publishing industry. This is a business. If you plan to earn an
income from your writing, you must be marketing savvy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And never, ever let anyone tell you that you can't do it.
You can!</span></div>
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Page-turning #thriller: SACRIFICE by Carolyn Arnold

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<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Book
Blurb:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">When the
son of business tycoon Marcus Randall washes up on the shore of the Bradshaw
River, Detective Madison Knight must sacrifice everything--including her
career--to find justice for the "perfect murder".<br />
<br />
With Randall already on the radar of the Secret Service for fraud and
counterfeiting, the investigation sheds new light and they require the full
cooperation of the Stiles PD. But with power and money to back him, Marcus has
a reach that extends right inside the police department.<br />
<br />
If Madison's going to find out the truth, she'll have to sort through the lies
and balance diplomacy with politics.<br />
<br />
3rd in the Madison Knight series.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Reviewer
comments:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Carolyn Arnold is a force
to be reckoned with. It won't be long till you hear her name mentioned along
with the likes of Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton, Amanda Kyle Williams, and
Tess Gerritsen. From the first page the reader is completely engrossed in Arnold's
engaging characters, clever plot, and realistic dialogue. She captures her
audience from the get-go and doesn't let go until the very last page has been
turned. Once again, her sharp, insightful protagonist, Madison Knight, comes to
life -- to kick some ass and take some names. Sacrifice is an intense,
thrilling page turner sure to satisfy any fan of the genre.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">—Rosa St.Claire, Book
Critic, The Examiner</span></i></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sacrifice</i> is fast-paced with
unexpected twists and turns and sudden bursts of humor that make for a relaxed,
enjoyable reading adventure...Arnold’s style is...a cross between Mary Higgins
Clark and Janet Evanovich....”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">—Betty Dravis, Award-winning Author and Journalist</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Buy links:</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008RLL42C&q...
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">See amazon buy icons below excerpt for all of Ms. Arnold's books.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Author
bio:</span></b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aoXVdUwD6zs..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aoXVdUwD6zs..." /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Carolyn Arnold had a love for writing
back in her teen years, but her passion was reignited in 2006 when a fellow
employee said, "tell me a story". Since then, Carolyn has written 9
novels, 2 short stories, 1 novella, and has plans for many more.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Her Madison Knight series has become
an international Kindle best-seller, with all three hitting the top 100 in
Police Procedurals in the US. Set in the fictional city of Stiles, the series
is designed as a standalone, which means you can read these books out of order
and still pick up on the series' characters and the storyline. The series
follows Major Crimes Detective Madison Knight who is fueled by determination to
find justice for the victims. She is a strong, independent female amidst a
career dominated by men. If you love a female protagonist lead, she invites you
to meet Madison for yourself. Three novels in the series are currently
available: Ties that Bind, Justified, and Sacrifice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Carolyn has also written <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eleven</i>, an FBI thriller, which follows a
team of four while they try to stop a serial killer from reaching his eleventh
victim. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eleven</i> was noted as a
recommended read on The Examiner's "Top 12 Fiction Books of 2011".
She is also pleased to announce that the characters of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eleven</i> will be back! Silent Graves is slated for release 2013.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Carolyn was born in 1976 in a rural
town of Ontario, Canada. She currently lives with her husband, and two beagles
in a city near the well-known Canadian center Toronto. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">For the latest news on
upcoming releases, please visit: <a href="http://carolynarnold.net/">ht... />
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Amazon author page: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carolyn-Arnold/... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Blog: <a href="http://sassy3421.blogspot.ca/"&g... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold&qu... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCaroly... </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Excerpt:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Chapter 1 of Sacrifice (A Madison Knight Novel)</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span>










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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The pungent odor hit Madison instantly upon opening the morgue
doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>She pinched the tip of her
nose, but it did little to save her from the smell of decomp becoming embedded
in her lungs and sinus cavities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Whoa, he’s a ripe one.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Terry, her partner, stepped through the doorway behind her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He grabbed for a cloth mask from the
dispenser mounted on the wall, and handed her one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Cole Richards, the ME, stood by the body as a tall, dark guardian. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He kept his eyes on the body as he
spoke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>“It’s the exposure to the
air accelerating the putrefaction process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This is why the autopsy must be done tonight.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Madison noted Richards spoke with his eyes on the dead, an unusual thing
for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maybe something about this death touched him on a personal level?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>She looked from Richards to the body.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The male victim, estimated in his early twenties, lay on the metal slab,
a white sheet draped over his extended abdomen to his shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>His skin was almost black, and appeared
separated from the bone as if one could peel it off like the rind of an
orange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>His face, as the rest of
him, was distorted and bloated beyond recognition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>His eyes were open and vacant, clouded by death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>His arms lay above the sheet to his
sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Some of his fingers were
missing nails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The skin of one
fingertip had been removed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Madison deduced Richards had taken it for identification purposes and
forwarded it to the lab.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There was no wallet found on the body, nor any identifying marks to flag
him in the missing persons database. The only things on him were a napkin with
a woman’s name and number, a wad of cash, and a prepaid, untraceable cell
phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He wore a gold chain with a
pendant that had the letters CC engraved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The body had washed up on the shore of the Bradshaw River, which ran
through the city of Stiles and fed from a lake an hour away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The property belonged to a middle-aged
couple, without children, by the last name of Walker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The wife had found the body when she went to get wood for
their woodstove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>She said he hadn’t
been there the day before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>They
had interviewed the couple at length and obtained their backgrounds, which came
up with nothing noteworthy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“How long do you estimate he was in the water?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Madison asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“As simply a deduction from what is before me, at least two to three
weeks.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Richards pulled his eyes
from the body to look at Madison.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Was there pain buried
there?</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It was as if he read her silent
inquiry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He returned his attention
to the body.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Richards continued, “I’m basing this on when he surfaced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In cooler water, bacteria causing
decomp multiplies more sluggishly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>If this was a warmer season, and it was three weeks later, we’d have a
skeleton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Stomach contents will
pinpoint the time period of his last meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I’ll also be consulting with a friend of mine, Wayne
McDermott.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He’s a forensic
climatologist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He can provide us
with recent temperatures so we can get a closer estimate for TOD.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“So what are your thoughts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Dead when he went in, or did he drown?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“This is still to be determined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>He is young and appears to have been in excellent shape.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Madison’s eyes diverted to the body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The currents of the Bradshaw River had swept anyway any
trace of a fit male adult. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
bloated features made him appear more like a character from a sci-fi movie than
a once living human being.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“It is unlikely he had a heart attack on entry into the water—assuming
he was alive at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Quick
results would show frothy liquid in the lungs, but because he was submerged for
a considerable time, any trace of this would be gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Tissue samples from his lungs, however, will be taken and
sent to the lab for further analysis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>We’ll also extract bone marrow in search of diatoms.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He must have noticed the expression on
their faces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>“These are
microscopic organisms which are specific to a region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>If it made it to his bone marrow, he was alive when he went
in the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We could also find
evidence of this in his kidneys, should this be the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This will prove whether he drowned in
the Bradshaw or was dumped in the river.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>His eyes went to the body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>“We’re
not going to get these answers just by looking at him.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Richards’ words impressed the urgency
he felt to commence with the full autopsy and open the body. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Anything else you can tell us?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Terry asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“His neck is broken but, it might simply be the trauma the body
experienced as it went down the Bradshaw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>I will require a full tox panel be run on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We’ll find out if he had any drugs or alcohol in his system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>As you know, that will take at least a
week.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Madison latched eyes with the ME.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>“Well, let’s assume he did drown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>How would we know it was homicide?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A faint smile touched Richards’ lips, exposing a slit of white
teeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>“It is dubbed the perfect murder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>But until we can establish his
identity, concrete his background, and get the</span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> tox results back, I will not be finalizing COD on
paper.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“He could have jumped in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Suicide?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Terry rubbed at
the back of his neck. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Possibly, but unlikely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>The reason for this is the natural tendency to surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Suicides involving drowning normally
involve the use of a heavy object to counteract that instinct.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Maybe he didn’t think things through and acted on impulse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Most suicides are executed in the
moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He could have got caught
in the current and pulled under the ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>His restraint could have broken free from the body.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I prefer not to speculate.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Richards’ eye contact scolded Terry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>“But at this point, I would treat this case as suspicious
leaning toward homicide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Look at
this.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Richards lifted the left
hand of the victim.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Madison noticed the circular impression on the backside of the
hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>“Cigarette burn, or possibly
something larger.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>She studied it
more closely, and a few seconds later looked at Richards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>“It’s almost large enough to be a car
lighter or a cigar.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Richards’ eyes narrowed, pinching the dark skin around his eyes.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">“So our vic was definitely
in some sort of struggle before ending up in the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>But intention is going to be hard to
prove.” </span>
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You Don't Have to Be a Celebrity to Write A Memoir!

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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By Molly Tinsley</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You don’t have to be a celebrity or on your last legs to
write a memoir.  In fact  life gets so bizarre sometimes that you
begin to think only non-fiction can express it.  Fiction has credibility standards after all. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Several years ago, my two siblings and I went through the
ordeal of navigating the somewhat premature end-of-life for our parents.  The experience was mind-blowing, and to
contain the chaos and make some sense of it, I decided to write a memoir.  As a widely published fiction-writer, I
thought, how challenging could it be to tell this real-life story?  The answer is very.  Here are some discoveries I made in the
process:</span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Memoir is not inclusive autobiography.  Successful memoir pulls a single thread
from your life and sticks with it, letting go of any characters and incidents
that don’t pertain to that one particular thread.  But families are complicated webs; one thread leads to
another.  In the case of my memoir,
<i>Entering the Blue Stone</i>, a fourth sibling’s mental illness lurked at the
edge of the action like a sinkhole. 
This brother was present in our mother’s demented mind, yet his
trajectory never actually intersected with our parents’ last years. It took
conscious effort to keep leaving him out of the story.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chronology is not structure. Maybe initially with memoir,
the explicit promise that someone lived this experience compensates for a
weaker structure.  The protagonist
survived to write a book—there’s an implied arc right there!  But why not craft a work that is doubly
strong, a story with the power of truth—it really happened—and the compelling
drive of a well-structured plot?  </span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What are some plot points to identify amid the chaos of
“what really happened”?  Begin with
a disturbance to a pattern.  In a
murder mystery, this is the dead body in the library.  What was the equivalent event in your experience?  Given this disruption, what did you
need to do, and what were the obstacles? 
Resistance can come in external form like circumstances or antagonistic
humans.  There are also inner obstacles,
limitations in you.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Which brings me to my next discovery.  The author of memoir is the implicit
protagonist.  Although your
inclination may be to hide behind the easier role of witness, it’s important to
identify your active role in events, your needs and wants, your strengths and
most important, your flaws, in order to bring out your own arc.  In other words, in strong memoir, the
author/protagonist realizes something important about the world and changes in
significant ways.  In fact, that’s
what the memoir is really about. 
As Patricia Hampl points out, the best memoirs give us glimpses not just
of another world, but of a mind struggling with that world.  </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A final note: 
Unfortunately, no one can remember exact dialogue after the fact.  But fortunately, readers of memoir
don’t expect the author to.  With
your thorough knowledge of the people in your past, you can trust yourself to
recreate the sort of language they might have used and craft scenes of emotional
truth, if not verbatim records. 
And readers <i>love</i> scenes. </span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Author bio:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">In an episode of sanity, Molly Best Tinsley left the English
faculty at the US <span class="yshortcuts">Naval Academy</span> and moved west to
Oregon to write full-time.  She has published a novel, <i>My Life with Darwin</i>, a story collection <i>Throwing Knives, </i>which won the Sandstone
Prize and the Oregon Book Award, and the co-authored <i>Satan’s Chamber,</i> which one critic dubbed “the first feminist spy
thriller.”  Her most recent book is the memoir <i>Entering the Blue Stone.</i> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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Interview with Addie Greene

Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

My latest book, How
the Winds Laughed, is a memoir about sailing around the world in a 28-foot
wooden boat. My husband, Pete Eastman, and I made the trip in 1971-73, before
personal computers, the Internet, cell phones, and GPS. Once we were out of
sight of land, we were on our own. How
the Winds Laughed is a single-title book.




How long
before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for
your first novel?

It was about four months from the time I took a Willamette
Writers workshop from Molly Tinsley to when she agreed, as a Fuze Publishing
co-publisher, to take on my memoir. I also have three novels in process of
completion.




What
factors influenced your decision to go with a particular agent or publisher?

It was Molly’s interest in my work, and my 10-year
association with her as a mentor and fellow writer, that convinced me to go
with Fuze.




Did you
hire a graphic artist for your book cover? Were you actively involved in the
creation?

At Fuze’s behest I used graphic designer Ray Rhamey to do
the front and back covers of my book, inside layout, and the ebook format. Ray
was meticulous in coming up with the cover design—six ideas at the beginning—and
he, Molly, and I honed these ideas for five months before coming up with the
final cover design.




Do you
belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?

I have been a member of Talent Writers for six years. This
critique group of about 10 has helped immensely with my writing.




What is
your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I was a journalist for many years, so writing comes easily
to me. I learned early on to tune out background noise (clacking typewriters,
people talking), so I don’t listen to music while I write.




Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

In the beginning I take notes, jotting down where I want the
plot to go and sketching my characters, but mostly I write the story in my head
before it goes on paper. I don’t outline the way Hallie Ephron does.




Where
your books are for sale?

Fuze Publishing, my publisher, sells paper and ebook
versions of all its books.




Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?

I’m doing a lot of blogging to promote my book, thanks to
Meg Tinsley, Fuze’s director of marketing. I did a book launch in September and
two readings on the Oregon coast in October. Later this month I’ll speak to a
local book group and be interviewed for a public television program, Back Page.
In May I’ll be doing a reading at my college reunion.




It’s schizophrenic juggling three writing projects at once
(the memoir and two novels), but I found I can compartmentalize them, devoting
a block of time to one project, taking a break, and switching projects.

Review: IF YOU GIVE A RAKE A RUBY by Shana Galen

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<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RXpPRKKzfV0..." /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> 4 of 5 stars</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This is the first book I’ve read by Shana Galen and what a
fabulous introduction it was to her books. In this story we’re introduced to
Fallon, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">the Marchioness of Mystery, and
a favorite of the ton. She parades through society as a courtesan, but
appearances can be deceiving. Only a scant few know her secrets, that is, until
Warrick Fitzhugh whispers in her ear something she’s feared—her real name.
Against her will, Fallon is drawn into the world of espionage, murder and
intrigue. Throw in a sizzling romance between these two and you have a
page-turner. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The characters of Fallon and
Warrick are delicious and their intense romance is hot, but definitely for
adult readers although I did feel like their proclamations of “I love you”
seemed a tad rushed. The story was fast-paced and I loved the conflict between
them as they try to solve the mystery of who is killing off a number of
government spies. Fallon is no “damsel in distress” and I really enjoyed
reading about a strong female who could take care of herself in a fight. Add in
a wonderful cast of supporting characters and you have a most enjoyable and
entertaining story. My only complaint was the ending—I would have liked to see
a little more resolution. Overall, I enjoyed the story so much that I bought
the first book in the Jewels of the Ton series and am looking forward to the
third and final installment when all of my questions will be answered.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">I received a
complimentary ARC from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased
review.</span></span></span><br />
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