Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 285

Review: DUCHESS WAR by Courtney Milan

3.5 stars of 5 stars


Ms. Wilhelmina "Minnie" Pursling is hiding a scandalous secret. One that she will do everything she can from ever coming out, but a chance meeting with Duke Robert Blaisdell threatens to expose her. The more she retreats as a wall flower, the more intrigued he becomes. He pursues her relentlessly and surprises her with a marriage proposal, but Robert has his own secret. He's the author of handbills that incite the poor working in the factories to strike. When an innocent man is accused of writing the handbills, Robert must decide how far he'll go to save him from a life in prison. Will he be willing to do the honorable thing? Will he be willing to expose another's secret in the process?



This historical romance was quite enjoyable, especially the dialogue between Minnie and Robert and Minnie and the Duchess. It was smart and witty, but there were a few things that didn't quite add up for me. The build up of Minnie's secret was intriguing, but when it was finally revealed, it was anticlimactic for me. I found it hard to believe that a 12-year girl would be held responsible for an adult's action especially someone who was a known liar and cheat. I am willing to suspend belief for most things, but Robert's secret was even harder to swallow. Why wouldn't he use his power and considerable means to help make the factory workers' lives more bearable instead of inciting them to strike especially since it was a crime to do so. Finally, I wanted to learn what became of Minnie's friend, Lydia. The one sentence in the epilogue didn't seem to do the character justice especially since she was so important to Minnie.



Despite these criticisms, THE DUCHESS WAR, kept my interest until the very end. Fans of historical romance will enjoy this book.



I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Interview with Olivia Hardin

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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;">Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?</span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Shifty
Business</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> is the third book in my Bend-Bite-Shift Trilogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We briefly met Gerry and Nicky during
book one of the series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shifty</i> we get to find out what was
happening to the pair while we were following the other characters at the start
of the trilogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It turns out Gerry
and Nicky are married, but that is just the beginning of the secrets that get
revealed during the book.</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
have a favorite character?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My absolute favorite is Langston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The giant is the dependable, wise and solid cornerstone of
their team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He even helps me when
I’m writing because just putting him in a scene gives me clarity and helps me
get my writing on track.</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;">What is
your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I try to get a bit of writing in each evening as the story
is coming along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>When it gets
close to the end, I usually buckle in and give myself longer periods to
focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I do like to listen to
music while writing, but almost entirely instrumentals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I don’t like the lyrics from songs to
interrupt the words in my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I
do use music to help me plan out scenes, usually when I’m on my thirty minute
drive to and from work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I “see” what’s
going to happen and replay it over and over to its own soundtrack before I
write it later.</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;">Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’ve tried to outline but it just doesn’t seem to work for
me… I feel stifled by it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Instead
I tend to follow the characters on their journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I sometimes don’t have any idea how a book might end and in
fact, part of the reason I chose to turn my first book into a trilogy was that
I wanted to know what happened to some of the characters I was introducing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The only way to learn their stories was
to follow along as I told them.</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;">Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes and in fact with my last book I hired two separate
editors to complete three different editing processes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I’ve learned so much since my first
book, but there are so many levels of review necessary to create a good
finished product.</span></div>
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<br /></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;">Did you
hire a graphic artist for your book cover? Were you actively involved in the
creation?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For the Bend-Bite-Shift Trilogy and my MAUCs Series I’ve
been doing my own book covers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I
enjoy doing them and it’s fun for me to experiment with stock photos to get
just the right look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>However, I’m
very excited that I was able to hire Stephanie Nelson with Once Upon a Time
Book Covers to make the three covers for my next series, For Love of Fae
Trilogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>She did a beautiful job!</span></div>
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<br /></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;">Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m on Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Createspace
(paperbacks) and All Romance Ebooks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span></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>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Sometimes it’s very difficult, but the marketing side can be
fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I love doing interviews like
this and also interacting with fans on facebook and twitter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I think it’s important to balance both.</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
advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing
arena?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s important to have people to support your work when you’re
trying to successfully self-publish, so I’ve found my most important tool to be
my circle of supporters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>These are
folks who are in the business and a few who are not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>They prop me up when I’m down and give me a swift kick in
the pants when I need to buck up and most importantly they cheer me on along
the way. </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’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;">Ooo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I love
this part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I have so many irons in
the fire and I’m so excited about all of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Right now I’m finishing up a contemporary romance called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All for Hope</i> through Hayson
Publishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Right after that I’m going
to get back to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tangled Up in Trouble</i>,
the second in my MAUCs Series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And
then later this year I’ll start the For Love of Fae Trilogy which will continue
the story began in the Bend-Bite-Shift Trilogy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Lots of exciting stuff going on!</span></div>
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GRAMMAR GIRL: Proper usage of "Because" "Due to" "As"

Wordy Ways
to Say “Because”

First, let’s disparage all
the wordy ways to express the meaning “because.” There are quite a few: “due to
the fact that,” “owing to the fact that,” “on account of,” and “on the grounds
that,” for example. If you use “because” instead of those beasts, you
can save up to four words.

You should also avoid “the
reason is because.” For example, a redundant but romantic windbag might say, “The
reason I love you is because of your kindness.” Why not be concise and romantic instead? Just say, “I
love you because you’re kind.” Some might prefer “the reason is that,” but that
is also wordy.

“Due to”
or “Because”?

Now let’s discuss “due to”
and “because.” As happens so often these days, there’s a traditional way and a
rebel way. The traditional view is that you should use “due to” only as an
adjective, usually following the verb “to be”. For example, if you say,
“The cancellation was due to rain,” the words “due to” modify “cancellation.”
That sentence is a bit formal, but it fits the traditionalist rule.

If you want to be more
casual, you’ll say, “It was cancelled because of rain.” According to purists,
you’re not allowed to say, “It was cancelled due to rain” because “due to”
doesn’t have anything to modify. Purists argue that “due to” is an
adjective; it shouldn’t be a compound preposition.

Very few of us are
thinking about adjectives and compound prepositions when we speak, so it may be
difficult to know when you’re using “due to” as an adjective. Strunk &
White suggest using “due to” when you can replace it
with “attributable to,” whereas in her book Woe is I Patricia
O'Connor proposes substituting “caused by” or “resulting from.” She
explains that if a sentence begins with “due to,” as in “Due to inclement
weather, school was canceled,” the sentence is “probably wrong.”

So if you find yourself
agreeing with traditionalists—or if your writing will be judged by one—use “due
to” if you can substitute “attributable to,” “caused by,” or “resulting from.”
And don’t use it at the beginning of a sentence.

Now let’s be rebellious. Fowler's
Modern English Usage points out that the objection to “due to” as a
compound preposition is “an entirely 20c phenomenon, but it begins to look as
if this use of ‘due to’ will form part of the natural language of the 21c”.
The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style agrees,
stating that “The tide has turned toward accepting ‘due to’ as a full-fledged
preposition.”

If you’re a
purist, go ahead and avoid “due to” as a compound preposition, but understand
that the majority may soon be against you.




After reviewing the
evidence, we say if you’re a purist, go ahead and avoid “due to” as a compound
preposition, but understand that the majority may soon be against you. Whichever
way you feel about “due to,” remember that our easy-to-use friend “because” is
often standing at attention thinking, "You could use me. Pick me!"

Other
Times to Use “Due to”

You don’t have to ban “due
to” completely. This phrase can mean “payable to” or “supposed to”. For
example, you could say, “I ask that you pay what is due to me.” Here, you are
asking for money that someone owes you. You could also say, “The plane is due
to arrive at noon,” meaning the plane should arrive at 12.

“Since” or
“Because”?

Strict grammarians may not
like it, but “since” and “because” can be synonyms. My dictionary
confirms it. “Since I love you, let’s get married” means the same thing as
“Because I love you, let’s get married.” (Yes, you can use “because” at the
beginning of a sentence.)

Fussy grammarians might be
a teensy bit right in some cases, though. The word “since” often refers to how
much time has passed, as in “Since yesterday, all I’ve thought about is you.”
Sometimes, a sentence with “since” can be interpreted in two ways, and that is
when you should avoid using “since” to mean “because.” Take this ambiguous
sentence:

“Since they spoke, she’s
had second thoughts.” (“Since” could mean “from the time that” or “because.”)




A similar problem arises
with the word “as,” which can also mean “because,” so keep those little grammarians
perched on your shoulder to make sure you don’t write an ambiguous sentence.
Granted, it is hard to know when you’re being unintentionally ambiguous. Spend
some time away from your writing and then look at it again with fresh eyes, or
you could always rope in a friend.

Summary

To sum up, English offers many
ways to express “because.” Some are wordy and should be avoided due to the fact
that they are wordy. (Did you get that? We just made a joke!) Others, like
“since” and “as,” need to be used carefully, since you never know if you’ll
confuse your readers.




http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/because-due-to-since-as.aspx 

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR: "I Have a Dream"

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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<span style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">–
Martin Luther King Jr.</span></div>
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<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 />
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>

Sneak Peek: THE MARRIAGE CAPER by award-winning author SANDRA EDWARDS

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</style> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">I’m so pleased to welcome
best-selling romance author, Sandra Edwards, back to the blog. She’s happy to
give my readers a sneak peek of her forth-coming novel, THE MARRIAGE CAPER,
sequel to THE MARRIAGE BARGAIN. Be sure to look for this book in Spring 2013.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VwMXGKj0kOA..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VwMXGKj0kOA..." width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">THE MARRIAGE CAPER, Chapter 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> </span>

</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Andre de
Laurent hated these small, intimate dinner parties at the house. He was always
expected to attend, even on nights like this when it was just the family and
one of his sister Lecie’s friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">The pre-dinner
cocktails had barely started. He didn’t have to look at his watch to know
dinner would be served in approximately thirty-five minutes. Enough time—as
Tasha had once said—for everyone to get a good buzz going.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Tasha. He
wished she was here. He missed her, never having the good fortune of seeing her
often enough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“Andre...”
His brother’s voice broke into his thoughts. Funny, he hadn’t noticed when
Julian had moved to his side in front of the majestic fireplace made of natural
stone. In the winter, the heat permeated a calming effect along with the
warmth. Too bad it was the dead of summer. Andre could use a little calming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">He looked
up into Julian’s mirror-like eyes. Both were a Pacific-blue, but Andre’s were a
shade lighter than Julian’s. The same with their hair. Julian’s was darker and
curlier. Big brother was taller too. Even though Andre had heard more than one
woman say that he, Andre, was the better looking brother, that hadn’t stop
women from throwing him over for Julian. Being the heir to the de Laurent
fortune had its own appeal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">And then
there was Lecie, Andre and Julian’s younger half sister. She was her mother’s
daughter. Blonde hair and blue eyes, just like Claudette.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Andre had
to admit that after Claudette married his father, she’d stepped in and been a
wonderful mother to both him and Julian. All things considered, they were a
close family, though Papa was prone to meddling in their lives. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Now that
Papa could no longer interfere in Julian’s love life—thanks to Julian’s solid
marriage with Camille—that could mean only one thing. Andre was next. But Andre
wasn’t interested in marrying. Not in the least.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Andre
leaned toward Julian, and whispered, “How long do you suppose it will be before
we can make an escape?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“Papa’s
got his eye on you, little brother,” Julian said, almost laughing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“Whatever
for?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“I suppose
you’ll be his new pet project.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Andre
groaned. “Tell me you’re joking.” He cast a quick, stealth-like glance around
the grand salon where Papa liked to impress his guests. The main parlor was
directly in the middle of Pacifique de Lumière, Andre’s family home—that Julian
would one day inherit—and it had been impressing people for more than four
hundred years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“Papa has
been up to something.” Julian paused to knock back his cocktail. “Mysterious
trips up to Avignon. More than once in the last month.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Avignon? That’s
where Andre and Julian’s late mother was from. Why was Papa going up there? Andre
shook his head. It mattered little. Nothing Papa threw at him could persuade
Andre to become the subject of his experimentations. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Deidra,
Lecie’s friend, sidled up to Andre’s side. She’d had a crush on Andre for
years, he knew that, but he’d never wanted the hurt the mousy little girl’s
feelings, and he wasn’t about to start now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“Deidra,
we haven’t seen much of you lately.” He gave her a friendly smile because he
doubted she attained many of those. “I hope all is well with your parents.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“They’re
fine.” She glanced away as her cheeks turned red. “I’ve been spending some time
in the States with my grandmother.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Andre
grinned. “I’ve been spending some time in the States myself. California.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“I’ve
heard. Florida here.” Deidra’s tone remained cheerful, but her face showed her
remorse over his reason for the trips to the US.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“Who
knows...maybe you’ll find your own reason for visiting Florida.” Andre gave her
a wink. “Other than your grandmother.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">From the
corner of his eye, Andre didn’t miss Parker, </span><span lang="FR" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pacifique de Lumière’s</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> butler,
whispering in Papa’s ear. Seconds later, both men scrambled out of the parlor. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">* * *</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Maurice de
Laurent hurried down the hallway and slipped inside his study, closing the door
behind him. Traversing the dimly-lit room proved no problem for him. His feet
knew where every obstacle lay and instinctively avoided them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">He settled
himself behind his desk and pulled the receiver off the telephone’s base,
laying it against his ear. “Maurice de Laurent.” After the simple greeting, he
listened intently, showing little emotion. Once the message had been relayed,
he said, “thank you for calling,” and hung up the phone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: no-line-numbers; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">It was
over. His late wife’s uncle, Edouard Renault had died. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">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;">Sandra
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in a variety of genres such as paranormal (mostly time travel and
reincarnation), contemporary and suspense. She lives in the U.S. (west coast)
with her husband, two kids, four dogs and one very temperamental feline.
Sandra's books often push the envelope and step outside the boundaries of
conventional romance. For more info on Sandra's books, visit her website at
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Book Tour Blast: SINCE TOMORROW by Morgan Nyberg

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Since Tomorrow
by Morgan Nyberg




Follow @MorganNyberg












Blog Tour Hosted by
The Masquerade Crew





Synopsis: An old man rides a workhorse through the night, across mudslides, past stores abandoned for decades, past the rotted corpses of automobiles invisible under mounds of blackberry. Rain courses from his rabbit skin poncho. He carries a sword and a spear. He knows where to find the murderer. He will face him alone.




"Since Tomorrow" is a novel of a world in the remaking. The old man, Frost, remembers the "good times". Those who live on his "farm" among collapsed warehouses and the foundations of vanished houses struggle to maintain human values. But when others in this makeshift world are driven only by greed and the need for power, all values must ultimately be replaced by the simple instinct for survival.




In this full length novel Morgan Nyberg takes the reader to the West Coast of Canada, where the city of Vancouver has been transformed by climate change, pandemic, economic collapse and earthquake into "Town", a squalid, lawless place inhabited the desperate, the diseased and the dying. Taking advantage of this state of affairs is the formidable Langley, who grows poppies to produce "skag", a crude form of opium. Langley has amassed enough power to control a small private army. Now he is determined to acquire Frost's farm for himself. Recklessly opposing Langley is Frost's fearless but impulsive granddaughter, Noor.




Like Russell Hoban's "Riddley Walker" or Cormac McCarthy's "The Road", "Since Tomorrow" demonstrates that there is room in the post-apocalyptic genre for exceptional writing. Morgan Nyberg tells nothing - he shows everything. In clear, sensuous prose free of commentary or explanation - prose as addictive as Langley's skag - he leads the reader toward that climactic night with Frost on his horse, and farther, to the threshold of a new, perhaps happier, era.









Review Quote from Amazon



At the center of the story is Frost, a grandfather who is a leader and a fighter and a thinker. Frost and his group of refugees and survivors conduct a war of wills against the enemy, Langley, who wants to take away his farm for its good strategic location and solidly built stone farmhouse. It is a simple story, a struggle between good and evil.




The descriptions of clothing are given in such haunting detail, they might just stay with you forever: "She had on rubber boots and very baggy trousers of undyed canvas tied with nylon cord. She wore a flannel logger's shirt on which the red and black plaid was just visible. Her white hair hung long and loose. She was badly stooped, and she used a length of rusted reinforcing bar to help her as she hobbled toward the boys."




People trade broken scavenged objects for food, clothing, drugs or weapons. Addicts are strung out on a drug called skag. In this place and time guns are almost entirely absent, and typical weapons are a length of reinforcing bar or a two-by-four. Frost's group develops bows and arrows while Langley's soldiers are equipped with crossbows. Frost also has dogs, useful as sentries and in battle.




All the characters in Since Tomorrow are lovingly fleshed out, from old Daniel Charlie, maker of wagon wheels and arrows and bows, to Grace, who excels at amputating limbs when all else fails, to Will, the precocious grandson who has memorized "The Art of War" and counsels his grandpa on strategy. Will's older sister is Noor, and she makes heads turn. Willow is the name of a woman who falls victim to the irresistible drug, skag.




Other women are called Salmon or Amber or Cloud. The men's names are no less arresting: Pender, Nordel, Tyrell, Fundy, Wing, BC, Shaughnessy, Granville, Robson, Bailey. The author has created a world in which people's story is suggested by their name, the way it was a thousand years ago. They don't have much left, but they have a name, and there is dignity in these names.




If you like stories which portray an arduous and dangerous existence but end with a message of hope, however bleak, you will love Since Tomorrow. This book is highly recommended.









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Excerpt from Romantic Suspense: FEAR OF FLYING by Sharona Troy

Today I'd like to welcome Sharona Troy to Two Ends of the Pen. I have read both books by Sharona and they are excellent. Here's an excerpt from the romantic suspense, FEAR OF FLYING. Happy reading! 











Buy Links:

Amazon USA,
Amazon UK, Amazon Canada

Barnes
and Noble

Kobo

iTunes




Excerpt from romantic suspense “Fear of Flying”   

 

Connor settled the helicopter so
gently there wasn’t even a bump. Two men ran to greet them and presumably help
offload the two heavy duffels and three cases of Canadian beer that comprised
the bulk of his passenger’s luggage.

“I appreciate the extra time,”
said the man, loosening his safety harness. The black, soft-sided case, like a
photographer’s bag, which he’d hugged into his body since Vancouver, was now
tucked firmly under an arm.

Connor hadn’t planned to fly this
man past Prince George. However, on arrival, a message was waiting for his
passenger. The bush plane Montoya’s hunting camp buddies had chartered for
ferrying services was down for repairs. Montoya showed the most emotion then,
mentioning he was quite anxious to get to the camp. And rather than going
through a delay while a willing pilot and plane was found to fly him into the
wilderness, Montoya made Connor a hefty offer to continue flying him in the
rest of the way. A hefty cash offer, including all expenses for the return
trip.

Connor nodded. “Just need to get
your signature right here.” He leaned over and handed Montoya a clipboard and
pen. “Shows I got you where you wanted safe and sound and we’re all paid up.”

Montoya scrawled his name at the
appropriate spot, and Connor took the clipboard and handed a yellow copy back
to his passenger. “Thank you. I appreciate the business. Well, get one for the
record books and have a nice time, Mr. Montoya.”

Montoya dismounted the chopper, and
turned to get his bags and cases, handing them off to the other men. Connor
mentally shook his head at the expensive outfits. Rich guys out to play in the
wilderness.

Montoya hesitated before closing
his door. “Hurry home to the wife and children, Mr. Branson.”

Connor laughed, wishing those
words were true. “Thanks for the sentiment. I’m still on my own hunt in that
department.” He patted the instrument panel of his aircraft. “This is the only
steady lady in my life right now.”

Montoya smiled. “Then have a safe
flight, Mr. Branson.” He pushed the passenger side door closed. Without looking
back, he strode toward the cluster of tents.

Connor gave Montoya’s receding
back a thumbs-up and a grin, one that felt somewhat strained. He leaned over
enough to check the door was securely closed and latched. He could have done
with a stretch, a piss, and a cup of coffee, but he couldn’t wait to leave. A
cold lump settled somewhere between his belt-buckle and backbone and a chill
raced up his spine.

“I’m outta here. Let’s go, Honey,”
he said to his helicopter.

He swung his craft toward the
river. A pinging sound caught his attention. He frowned, looking around the
cockpit, checking his instruments, tilting his head back and over to try and
catch a glimpse of the transmission assembly for the main rotor overhead.

CRACK!

“What the blazes—!”

He banked hard and away after one
glance at the window to his left and the exit hole spiderwebbing the front
canopy with cracks. His head had been in that path a second ago! They were shooting
at him? “Why? Damn!” As his foot pressed the left pedal he twisted his head
around, catching a glimpse of the men on the ground still falling away behind
him. “If those rifles are legal for hunting, then I’m the tooth fairy!
What’d I do? What’d I say? Jeez!”

He swung the craft again and fixed
his attention forward.

“‘Have a safe flight, Mr. Branson!’
he tells me,” he muttered, cursing again as more shots rattled against the
metal skin below his feet. The passenger side window collapsed and he ducked.

“Hey! You jerks! This machine is
new! I’m leaving, okay? Damn!”

He didn’t bother admiring the
rugged alpine beauty of the landscape below. Eyes, hands, and feet busy, he
concentrated on getting out of range. His craft buzzed dangerously close to
treetops and granite outcrops. The controls felt sluggish. His curses thickened
the already racketing din from the rotors.

Hunters with a big satellite dish
and automatic weapons and a camp that looked like an Army supply depot. Why?

“I doubt they mistook me for a
duck or a goose. Besides, isn’t it the wrong time of year for goose and duck
hunting, anyway?”

Only then did it hit him. Montoya’s
accent.

It hadn’t been Spanish...

Review: BLOOD FAERIE by India Drummond

5 of 5 stars


From the opening pages when we meet Elidh, I was hooked on this story. The writing drew me, but as much as was revealed, more questions were left unanswered and I kept turning the pages to discover the secrets to unraveling the mystery. Why was Elidh exiled? 'A kill on sight' edit from the fae kingdom? My interest was piqued immediately and this story got better and better when she attempts to track the fae killer in a gruesome murder. When she loses the scent of the killer, she reluctantly lets herself be seen by the lead cop on the case, Quinton Munro, but there's something different about Munro. Against her better judgment, Elidh is inexplicitly drawn to Munro.



Two races collide--human and fae--as Elidh and Munro work together to find the killer. The story is one of discovery, sacrifice, acceptance and even a bit of romance. The characters are nicely developed and I definitely felt faerie warrior Saor's disdain for humans as well as Elidh compassion and understanding of them. Her sense of duty to do what's right shines through even for the humans who don't know she exists. When it becomes clear that the only way to defeat the blood faerie is for Elidh to travel to the kingdom of Azure faeries and learn how to control her forbidden magic. Will she return in time to stop the blood faerie from completing a ritual that would make him all-powerful? And what of her budding relationship with Munro? Can they accept their differences and find love? If you enjoy urban fantasy with a mix of intrigue, mystery and romance, be sure to pick this one up.  I will definitely be purchasing more books in the series. Highly Recommended.

Book Tour Blast: BEER MONEY by Dani Amore

 

Beer Money
In the explosive opening to an exciting new mystery series, private investigator Burr Ashland learns that his best friend, a history professor, has been murdered.

Burr is plunged into an investigation that puts him in the middle of a violent struggle not just between the present and the past, but between good and evil.

With nonstop action and breakneck twists, BEER MONEY is the next bestseller from Dani Amore, who Mystery Tribune calls “A sensation among Kindle owners who love fast paced thrillers.”



About Author Dani Amore

Dani Amore is a bestselling crime novelist living in Los Angeles, California.

She is the winner of the winner of the 2011 Independent Book Award for Crime Fiction.

Her books include THE CIRCUIT RIDER (A KINDLE SERIAL), The Mary Cooper Mystery Series, THE KILLING LEAGUE, The John Rockne Mystery Series, and TO FIND A MOUNTAIN.

 

 
Follow Dani Amore
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Pinterest



 Purchase Beer Money on Amazon.



 The author is giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card. Fill out the form to enter!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway




Follow the Tour!

Interview with Michael Battey

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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Can you give us a brief overview
of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
</b></span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in 0.1pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes: the press release is a good
teaser; “As in Suzanne’s Collin’s “Hunger Games” trilogy, author D. Michael
Battey pens a new book with young, resilient, resourceful individuals
overcoming terrible odds. In “Tenacity Gene” (<a href="http://www.iuniverse.com/">&l... style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">published by iUniverse</span></a>), Battey asks the
question, “What would a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world be like after a
worldwide pandemic that wiped out all but tenacious, addictive, alcoholic,
compulsive survivors?... In the midst of despair, hunger and the danger of
ruthless killers engaged in a second civil war, there is the will to rebuild,
to repopulate, and to reclaim humanity.</span></span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Battey has created a colorful
cavalcade of spirited characters. The protagonist is Commander Hoggue, although
one of his cadets, Roy Baker, is a close second for the choice of character that
readers will love to hate.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, it is the first book of a
series.  The 2nd book, tentatively named “Tenacity: Traiteurs” follows the
Baker and D’Angelo families in Appalachia and Doc Raleigh in Florida as they
battle new enemies.  Traiteur is the Cajun word for a healer that can take
out disease from the gravely ill using only their hands and divine
intervention.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes; I’m fond of Pilot Roy Baker’s
de facto bodyguard, Nick D’Angelo, a selfless medical corpsman and his tracking
dog Tink, a miniature pinscher.  Bear in mind that a plague has killed off
over 75 percent of the population, and Nick is lucky to have survived. 
Nick would lay down his life to protect Roy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>What factors influenced your
decision to self-publish to iUniverse?</b></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had looked at Friesen Press,
Create Space and others.  The folks at iUniverse were the people I clicked
with, and they worked with me on the costs of everything.  I’m grateful to
the proofreading guy, who used the Chicago style guide and found every little
punctuation error.  The book that went to press was about as perfect as it
gets.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What is your writing process? Do
you listen to music or do you like silence?</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I sit down to write with my dog at
my side, on the couch or the bed, no sounds, phone off, and I go into the “zone.” 
I write at night, in an altered state where the story comes from “beyond the
veil” or from some creative intelligence other than my own.  Not to say
that my psyche, talents, and research on the internet are not important, but I
believe the story comes from another entity and a place “on the other side.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Do you outline your story or just
go where your muse takes you? </b><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, both.  I get the story
in big chunks.  I often write for 5 or 6 hours, late into the wee hours. 
After it is down on the hard-drive, I outline it, correct the timeline, correct
gross typos like the wrong name for a character in a scene, insert more action
verbs, change narrative from “fly on the wall” to actual dialogue, etc.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Did you hire an editor to review
your manuscript before publishing?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Heck, yes—multiple editors! 
Who wouldn’t, with all the talent out there?  An editor at iUniverse will
read your novel and advise you about a line edit or a more serious content
edit.  My novel was in need of a line edit only.  After I fixed those
small mistakes and tweaked the time line, an editor did a final proofread. Over
two hundred punctuation and spelling errors were found, accepted by me, and
fixed, making me look like a genius. lol</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Did you hire a graphic artist for
your book cover? Were you actively involved in the creation of the cover?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I left the creative graphic work
to the experts at my publisher.  I suggested some stock images from
ThinkStock, and they turned it into a real attention-grabbing cover.  I am
very pleased with my cover art.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> What have you’ve learned during
your self-publishing journey?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I learned that the story is the
foundation, but it is well worth it to partner with a world class publisher
with global resources and a large talent pool of editors, proofreaders, graphic
artists, PR people, marketing people giving good advice, and editorial
assistants to see to every detail.  What a bargain for what I paid!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Besides Amazon, are there any
other sites where your books are for sale?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, the publisher has a large
stable of over 100 online and brick ‘n mortar retailers, and my book is listed
on all their websites in hardcover, softcover and ebook in many formats, just
one of the many benefits at iUniverse.
</span></span><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 9pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/D-Mich... style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/D-Mich...
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tenac... style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tenac...
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 9pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tenacity-Gene-D... style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">http://www.amazon.com/Tenacity-Gene-D...
</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 9pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>What kinds of marketing [twitter,
facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)? </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The publisher created Facebook
pages, a GoodReads author profile, and a website with blog for me.  I did
nothing; they did it all, and very professionally.</span></span><br />
<br />
<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>
</span></span><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>