Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 291
November 23, 2012
Book Tour Blast: MORRIGAN by Laura DeLuca
Morrigan
Shuffled from place to place in the foster system, Morrigan doesn't know the meaning of home. Plus, she is different. She has power over fire, the ability to move objects with her mind, and glimpse into the future. Just when she believes her life can’t get any stranger, she discovers her true identity.
Filtiarn, a knight with a dark past and a surprising secret, has been tasked with guiding the heir of Tír na NÓg through countless perils to be returned to her family. Once Morrigan has been reunited with her mother and grandmother, their triad can save the forgotten land of magic from being devoured by an ancient evil.
Follow the author
Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
Buy on Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords
Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves
writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura
is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her
local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include
Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan and Player.
Nov 23 Blast
Nov 26
http://mommyreadstoomuch.com and
http://thedealsandmore.com
Nov 27
http://coziecorner.blogspot.com
and http://www.craftymomof3.com
Nov 28
http://takingtimeformommy.com
and http://mymommysworld.com
Nov 29
http://nikita-mattes.blogspot.com
and http://yummybookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com
Nov 30
http://mommylessonplans.org/
and http://savingfor6.blogspot.com/
Morrigan Prize Pack Includes - Signed copy of the book, triquetra pendant, two boxes of incense,
fairy ornament, Morrigan's
enchantment bath salts, and three crystal points.
Open to US/Can residents Ends Dec 9.
Fill out the form below to enter
a Rafflecopter giveaway
November 22, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving!
Here's hoping everyone enjoys their day with family and friends. I'm so thankful for all the wonderful people in my life.
And, of course, can't wait to eat some turkey!
And, of course, can't wait to eat some turkey!
November 21, 2012
What kind of #VAMPIRE do you prefer?
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Vampires seem to be all the rage these days. There have been many views
of what constitutes vampire lore. Authors put their own creative spin on the
legends to suit their storylines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mNB__5dgqJk..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mNB__5dgqJk..." width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our latest release, THE SILVER CROSS, puts another spin on vampires. In our story, silver is deadly to them. Lacey Gardner, our vampire hunter, and her team hunt the beasts with customized silver bullets. Damon Harte, the hunky bartender, wears a silver cross--it's his salvation and damnation all rolled into one. No spoilers here, pick up a copy to find out what happens when Lacey meets Damon. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Buy at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Cross-Va... | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-s... </a>| <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Si... </a>| <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now let's talk about other creative spins author use. First, there’s the biggest
vampire franchise of late created by Stephanie Meyers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5MD9spkicZI..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5MD9spkicZI..." width="135" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Twilight vampires: the most
famous vampire in this group is Edward, the brooding vampire in love with the
teenager Bella. With the outstanding success of the books and movies, this
franchise has been one of the biggest money making ventures for vampires, maybe
even the most successful one aimed at the young adult market. The Twilight
vampires do not burn up in the sun, but instead “sparkle.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an entirely new “spin” on vampire
lore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-edPr04Ohe8k..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-edPr04Ohe8k..." width="135" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In the 1970’s author Anne
Rice released her book, “Interview with a Vampire” featuring vampires Lestat ,
Louis and 12-year-old Claudia. The book was adapted to film in 1994. It’s their
story as told by Louis to a San Francisco reporter. The vampires in this movie
are vicious, drink human blood and cannot go out in the sun because the sun’s
rays will burn and turn them into ash.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i3v6mLSbCic..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i3v6mLSbCic..." /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">One of the many adaptations
of Bram Stoker’s book, “Dracula” stars Frank Langella in the 1979 film of the
same name. In this highly romanticized version, Count Dracula arrives in
England in 1913 from Transylvania aboard a ship that breaks up on the rocks
during a storm. During the wreckage of the ship, a wolf is seen jumping from
its deck and then the Count himself is found on the shore. This story follows
the more traditional legends of vampires, that is, that they can also shape
shift. Even though Count Dracula is a charismatic figure, there is no mistake
that he’s vicious and has no compunction in killing and drinking his victim’s
blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, man, oh man, is Frank
Langella one sexy vampire. It could be that it was due in large part to his
voice. I’m a sucker for a great voice. I prefer this version of vampire lore
with the shape shifting in addition to not being able to walk in the sun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">These are just three
different viewpoints on vampire legends and lore. So what’s your favorite kind
of vampire? </span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com...' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Vampires seem to be all the rage these days. There have been many views
of what constitutes vampire lore. Authors put their own creative spin on the
legends to suit their storylines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mNB__5dgqJk..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mNB__5dgqJk..." width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our latest release, THE SILVER CROSS, puts another spin on vampires. In our story, silver is deadly to them. Lacey Gardner, our vampire hunter, and her team hunt the beasts with customized silver bullets. Damon Harte, the hunky bartender, wears a silver cross--it's his salvation and damnation all rolled into one. No spoilers here, pick up a copy to find out what happens when Lacey meets Damon. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Buy at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Cross-Va... | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-s... </a>| <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Si... </a>| <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now let's talk about other creative spins author use. First, there’s the biggest
vampire franchise of late created by Stephanie Meyers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5MD9spkicZI..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5MD9spkicZI..." width="135" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Twilight vampires: the most
famous vampire in this group is Edward, the brooding vampire in love with the
teenager Bella. With the outstanding success of the books and movies, this
franchise has been one of the biggest money making ventures for vampires, maybe
even the most successful one aimed at the young adult market. The Twilight
vampires do not burn up in the sun, but instead “sparkle.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an entirely new “spin” on vampire
lore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-edPr04Ohe8k..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-edPr04Ohe8k..." width="135" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In the 1970’s author Anne
Rice released her book, “Interview with a Vampire” featuring vampires Lestat ,
Louis and 12-year-old Claudia. The book was adapted to film in 1994. It’s their
story as told by Louis to a San Francisco reporter. The vampires in this movie
are vicious, drink human blood and cannot go out in the sun because the sun’s
rays will burn and turn them into ash.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i3v6mLSbCic..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i3v6mLSbCic..." /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">One of the many adaptations
of Bram Stoker’s book, “Dracula” stars Frank Langella in the 1979 film of the
same name. In this highly romanticized version, Count Dracula arrives in
England in 1913 from Transylvania aboard a ship that breaks up on the rocks
during a storm. During the wreckage of the ship, a wolf is seen jumping from
its deck and then the Count himself is found on the shore. This story follows
the more traditional legends of vampires, that is, that they can also shape
shift. Even though Count Dracula is a charismatic figure, there is no mistake
that he’s vicious and has no compunction in killing and drinking his victim’s
blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, man, oh man, is Frank
Langella one sexy vampire. It could be that it was due in large part to his
voice. I’m a sucker for a great voice. I prefer this version of vampire lore
with the shape shifting in addition to not being able to walk in the sun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">These are just three
different viewpoints on vampire legends and lore. So what’s your favorite kind
of vampire? </span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com...' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>
November 20, 2012
Jeda's Humble Beginnings: Excerpt from ASSASSIN'S CURSE
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VAErhgyvAdI..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VAErhgyvAdI..." width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
boy stood in the middle of the room staring blankly at the wall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Choose well</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">
was all he remembered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
room was about sixty paces long and probably half as wide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was two stories’ high with numerous
oil lamps set along the upper walls that provided more than adequate lighting
for the entire room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A balcony ran
along three of the four walls and provided a means to observe any event happening
below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was one door leading
in and out of the room, but it was blocked by a large, well-muscled man dressed
completely in black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His eyes were
deadpan, like those of a cold-blooded killer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
air was relatively cool, but the young boy felt a drip of sweat run down his
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He tried to hide his
nervousness beneath a façade of serenity while staring at the wall, but he
could feel the butterflies roiling in his stomach, threatening to unman him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
wall the boy stared at contained all conceivable manner of weapons, from short
throwing knives to elegantly curved swords to long-handled halberds with
wickedly curved barbs and spikes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The boy had to choose something soon or forfeit his chance to test again
for another year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would not let
this opportunity pass, because this was the day he had trained long and hard
for, the day he had anticipated for the last three years, and the day when he
would finally prove himself worthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today he would test to become an apprentice in the guild of assassins.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
rules of the test were simple: choose your weapon and fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any novice who aspired to test for
apprenticeship had twenty short minutes to fight and draw blood from their
opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever weapon a novice
chose to test with would be the school in which they would be apprenticed if
they passed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were five schools:
Sword, Knife, Axe, Staff, and Bow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The tests were short, brutal, and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blog..." name="_GoBack"></a>bloody, designed
to ensure that no one advanced who did not rightly deserve to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their opponents were fully trained brothers
of the guild who gave no quarter or latitude to the would-be contenders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many tested for the honor, but few
passed their first time, and some even lost their lives in the attempt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Jeda
had decided many months ago to choose a pair of fighting knives as his weapon
of choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was good with
knives, both in hand-to-hand combat and throwing, and liked the way they felt
perfectly balanced in his hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had been steadfast in his weapon of choice until the moment he
entered the room and saw Brother Mave waiting for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A slight grimace passed over his face,
but he quickly composed himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The last thing he wanted was for Mave to see he was scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave was dressed in the traditional,
assassin color of black, but also wore a distinguishable symbol of red, crossed
swords on the bandana holding back his hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That symbol marked him as a preeminent sword expert within
the guild, second only to the masters in the School of Swords.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knives were excellent, close-in
fighting weapons, but Jeda was not good enough with them to draw blood from a
sword expert like Mave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now he
stood immobilized, staring at the weapons wall, furiously trying to think of
what he should do next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew he
would have to choose wisely if he was to survive this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Damn, of all the brothers in this guild, how could I
be so lucky as to get Mave? </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jeda
thought sarcastically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He stepped
forward and reached for the weapon he thought he would have the most luck with.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">No sense in changing now.</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mave
saw the boy look his way and inwardly smiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew the boy was scared, and rightly so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not chance that brought him here
today, but a carefully orchestrated scheme to make sure he tested the boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt Jeda was no more than a third-year
upstart who did not deserve the opportunity to test for apprenticeship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most novices trained for five or six
years before petitioning to test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave
was going to make sure that the boy did not pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was as it should be, for it was Mave who had brought
Jeda to the guild in the first place. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He should be the one to put the boy in his place and teach
him humility.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Jeda
finally reached up and took a pair of fighting knives off the wall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mave
shook his head at the boy’s choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I knew it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boy may know how to fight, but he
knows nothing of winning.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">“Begin,”
said the dispassionate voice of the master-in-attendance judging the test.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mave
strode forward, closing the distance and eliminating the only advantage knives
would give the boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without the
distance to throw them, they were completely useless against swords.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
boy stood stock-still, visibly trembling as Mave approached.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His frozen fear was pathetic and almost
embarrassing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave would cut him
slightly with his first blade and knock him out with the handle of his second,
putting a quick end to this charade of a test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twirling his swords in a deadly dance, Mave felt no sympathy
for the boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today’s failure would
set Jeda back at least a year and give him more time to learn proper respect
and modesty, traits Mave felt he was sorely lacking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The young fool doesn’t know what he’s in for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As
Mave swung the first blade to catch the boy across the cheek, something
unexpected happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeda dove
forward, under the first blade, and whipped one of his knives at Mave’s exposed
side. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave deflected the throw
with his second sword.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he had
not been such an excellent swordsman, the throw would have a scored a hit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Maybe not quite the fool I took him for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Mave spun around swinging the sword in a deadly arc to face the boy as Jeda
jumped to his feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The swing cut
the boy high on the arm and he cried out in shock and pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cut was deep and bleeding heavily,
rendering the arm useless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boy
went down on one knee, but Mave moved cautiously forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would not be caught off-guard a
second time by the boy’s cleverness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Mave came within a sword’s reach of him, the boy jumped forward
into a diving roll and threw his second, remaining knife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave anticipated the move and easily
deflected the throw, shaking his head at the boy’s stupidity in throwing away
his last means of defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he
turned to face Jeda, he realized his mistake. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt a blade slice through his trousers, burning and
drawing a bright-crimson line along his leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeda had used the second throw to distract Mave from his
true objective: the first blade that Mave had deflected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boy had used his diving roll to
reach that first blade, left forgotten on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">How did he get that knife so quickly and throw it so
precisely?</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Mave wondered, looking
down at his bleeding leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">“Enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blood has been drawn by Novice Jeda,”
said the master’s voice from the balcony. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He is elevated to the rank of apprentice.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mave
studied Jeda with a smoldering anger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was a good fifteen feet away and was wobbling on his feet from loss
of blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t seem possible
that he could have thrown that knife in his condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave knew the boy must have somehow
cheated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This is not over; no one makes a fool of me.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Buy at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Curse... | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/assas... | <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Assass... | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view... </a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Also available in paperback: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Curse... style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com...' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VAErhgyvAdI..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VAErhgyvAdI..." width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
boy stood in the middle of the room staring blankly at the wall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Choose well</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">
was all he remembered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
room was about sixty paces long and probably half as wide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was two stories’ high with numerous
oil lamps set along the upper walls that provided more than adequate lighting
for the entire room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A balcony ran
along three of the four walls and provided a means to observe any event happening
below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was one door leading
in and out of the room, but it was blocked by a large, well-muscled man dressed
completely in black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His eyes were
deadpan, like those of a cold-blooded killer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
air was relatively cool, but the young boy felt a drip of sweat run down his
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He tried to hide his
nervousness beneath a façade of serenity while staring at the wall, but he
could feel the butterflies roiling in his stomach, threatening to unman him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
wall the boy stared at contained all conceivable manner of weapons, from short
throwing knives to elegantly curved swords to long-handled halberds with
wickedly curved barbs and spikes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The boy had to choose something soon or forfeit his chance to test again
for another year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would not let
this opportunity pass, because this was the day he had trained long and hard
for, the day he had anticipated for the last three years, and the day when he
would finally prove himself worthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today he would test to become an apprentice in the guild of assassins.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
rules of the test were simple: choose your weapon and fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any novice who aspired to test for
apprenticeship had twenty short minutes to fight and draw blood from their
opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever weapon a novice
chose to test with would be the school in which they would be apprenticed if
they passed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were five schools:
Sword, Knife, Axe, Staff, and Bow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The tests were short, brutal, and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blog..." name="_GoBack"></a>bloody, designed
to ensure that no one advanced who did not rightly deserve to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their opponents were fully trained brothers
of the guild who gave no quarter or latitude to the would-be contenders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many tested for the honor, but few
passed their first time, and some even lost their lives in the attempt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Jeda
had decided many months ago to choose a pair of fighting knives as his weapon
of choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was good with
knives, both in hand-to-hand combat and throwing, and liked the way they felt
perfectly balanced in his hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had been steadfast in his weapon of choice until the moment he
entered the room and saw Brother Mave waiting for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A slight grimace passed over his face,
but he quickly composed himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The last thing he wanted was for Mave to see he was scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave was dressed in the traditional,
assassin color of black, but also wore a distinguishable symbol of red, crossed
swords on the bandana holding back his hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That symbol marked him as a preeminent sword expert within
the guild, second only to the masters in the School of Swords.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knives were excellent, close-in
fighting weapons, but Jeda was not good enough with them to draw blood from a
sword expert like Mave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now he
stood immobilized, staring at the weapons wall, furiously trying to think of
what he should do next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew he
would have to choose wisely if he was to survive this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Damn, of all the brothers in this guild, how could I
be so lucky as to get Mave? </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jeda
thought sarcastically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He stepped
forward and reached for the weapon he thought he would have the most luck with.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">No sense in changing now.</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mave
saw the boy look his way and inwardly smiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew the boy was scared, and rightly so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not chance that brought him here
today, but a carefully orchestrated scheme to make sure he tested the boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt Jeda was no more than a third-year
upstart who did not deserve the opportunity to test for apprenticeship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most novices trained for five or six
years before petitioning to test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave
was going to make sure that the boy did not pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was as it should be, for it was Mave who had brought
Jeda to the guild in the first place. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He should be the one to put the boy in his place and teach
him humility.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Jeda
finally reached up and took a pair of fighting knives off the wall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mave
shook his head at the boy’s choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I knew it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boy may know how to fight, but he
knows nothing of winning.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">“Begin,”
said the dispassionate voice of the master-in-attendance judging the test.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mave
strode forward, closing the distance and eliminating the only advantage knives
would give the boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without the
distance to throw them, they were completely useless against swords.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The
boy stood stock-still, visibly trembling as Mave approached.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His frozen fear was pathetic and almost
embarrassing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave would cut him
slightly with his first blade and knock him out with the handle of his second,
putting a quick end to this charade of a test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twirling his swords in a deadly dance, Mave felt no sympathy
for the boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today’s failure would
set Jeda back at least a year and give him more time to learn proper respect
and modesty, traits Mave felt he was sorely lacking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The young fool doesn’t know what he’s in for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As
Mave swung the first blade to catch the boy across the cheek, something
unexpected happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeda dove
forward, under the first blade, and whipped one of his knives at Mave’s exposed
side. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave deflected the throw
with his second sword.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he had
not been such an excellent swordsman, the throw would have a scored a hit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Maybe not quite the fool I took him for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Mave spun around swinging the sword in a deadly arc to face the boy as Jeda
jumped to his feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The swing cut
the boy high on the arm and he cried out in shock and pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cut was deep and bleeding heavily,
rendering the arm useless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boy
went down on one knee, but Mave moved cautiously forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would not be caught off-guard a
second time by the boy’s cleverness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Mave came within a sword’s reach of him, the boy jumped forward
into a diving roll and threw his second, remaining knife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave anticipated the move and easily
deflected the throw, shaking his head at the boy’s stupidity in throwing away
his last means of defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he
turned to face Jeda, he realized his mistake. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt a blade slice through his trousers, burning and
drawing a bright-crimson line along his leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeda had used the second throw to distract Mave from his
true objective: the first blade that Mave had deflected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boy had used his diving roll to
reach that first blade, left forgotten on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">How did he get that knife so quickly and throw it so
precisely?</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Mave wondered, looking
down at his bleeding leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">“Enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blood has been drawn by Novice Jeda,”
said the master’s voice from the balcony. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He is elevated to the rank of apprentice.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mave
studied Jeda with a smoldering anger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was a good fifteen feet away and was wobbling on his feet from loss
of blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t seem possible
that he could have thrown that knife in his condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mave knew the boy must have somehow
cheated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This is not over; no one makes a fool of me.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Buy at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Curse... | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/assas... | <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Assass... | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view... </a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Also available in paperback: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Curse... style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com...' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>
November 19, 2012
Excerpt from The 13th by Shadow Stephens
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xeItk8Q3vkQ..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xeItk8Q3vkQ..." /></a></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Jade
paused to look at her home. The house had been remodeled several times over the
centuries. Now it had a Victorian look to it. White, wood siding covered
the exterior, and it was badly in need of paint. A porch wrapped around the
entire first floor, with several French doors prominently located for easy
access. Inside, at the back, stood a three-story staircase that circled around
a steeple like structure. There were two other staircases in the house,
but they only led to the second floor, although technically, there were four
floors to this house. The kitchen was filled with old cabinets and a cast iron
stove, with a large hood. Jade’s father had converted the stove to gas some
time ago. In the sitting room was a massive fireplace that a grown man could
stand in. Attached to the kitchen was a glassed in atrium, where herbs
and plants were grown year round. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Jade
walked up the porch steps and into the living room and flipped on the light
switch. The single switch turned on a series of faux candles positioned around
the room bathing it in a soft yellow glow. On the far wall was a bookcase and
she walked to it. She stopped at the spinning wheel that sat in front of
shelves and touched it softly with her hand, slowly turning the wheel. Her
grandmother would sit here for hours spinning wool. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Jade
pulled the clip from her hair and allowed it to cascade down her back. She
pulled a cellphone from her pocket and called her grandmother.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I’m
gonna come over and visit you tomorrow. Yes, I’ll bring lunch.”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Jade
chuckled as she hung up. Her grandma moved out of the large house when Jade’s
grandfather died, leaving it to her parents. Katherine now lived in a small
house in the center of town.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Walking
up the main staircase, Jade headed for the shower. She let her clothes fall to
the floor before grabbing some towels. The hot water filled the bathroom with
steam. She lathered her hair with shampoo of her own making and scratched her
scalp with her fingers. Without warning, a light bulb above the sink exploded
with a pop and she jumped. Wiping condensation from the glass shower doors she
peered out, but could only see fog. Shrugging it off she rinsed her hair. She
stuck her face under the water to remove any suds. As the water cascaded down
her face and neck the other lights exploded. One by one the light bulbs
shattered leaving her with only a glow from the bedroom lamp. Quickly, turning
off the water she grabbed her towel.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">She
walked carefully, trying to avoid stepping on broken glass with her bare feet.
Bending down she picked up a piece. The light bulbs were all black on the
inside. Jade straightened up and for a split second she saw movement in the
fog-covered mirror, causing her to shriek. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Hello,”
she called out.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">She
felt a breath against her ear and whirled around, but could see<span style="color: red;"> </span>nothing there. In two strides she was out of the
bathroom. She put on some pajamas and shoes and went downstairs to grab
the broom and dustpan. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Holding
her hands up the broom moved on it’s own accord and the dustpan trailed after
it until all the glass pieces were cleaned up. Jade replaced the light bulbs
and the bathroom again glowed with warmth. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Being
already on edge, the ringing of her cell made her jump. She grabbed it
and said “Hello?” in a shaky voice.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Hey
Elf, what’s going on?” Asher asked with a tinge of panic in his voice.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
just got spooked, I’m fine.”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“You
don’t sound fine.” </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I’m
sure it’s just my imagination.”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Jade,
you can’t fool me, what is going on?”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
was in the shower when all the lights in my bathroom exploded. I thought I
heard and saw something, but nothing was there. There’s no reason for a spirit
to be in my house.”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“You
need to be careful. Do you need me to come over?”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“No,
don’t be silly. Really, Asher, I’m fine. Why did you call?”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
felt you were distressed.”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“We
should never have swapped blood as kids—now you have to deal with my stress
too.” Jade smiled at the thought.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
still have the scar to prove it,” Asher said and Jade held up her palm to
examine her own. They had taken her father’s pocketknife and slit down the
center of their hands, then held their hands together, infusing each other’s
essences. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I’ll
see you tomorrow, Ash.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xeItk8Q3vkQ..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xeItk8Q3vkQ..." /></a></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Jade
paused to look at her home. The house had been remodeled several times over the
centuries. Now it had a Victorian look to it. White, wood siding covered
the exterior, and it was badly in need of paint. A porch wrapped around the
entire first floor, with several French doors prominently located for easy
access. Inside, at the back, stood a three-story staircase that circled around
a steeple like structure. There were two other staircases in the house,
but they only led to the second floor, although technically, there were four
floors to this house. The kitchen was filled with old cabinets and a cast iron
stove, with a large hood. Jade’s father had converted the stove to gas some
time ago. In the sitting room was a massive fireplace that a grown man could
stand in. Attached to the kitchen was a glassed in atrium, where herbs
and plants were grown year round. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Jade
walked up the porch steps and into the living room and flipped on the light
switch. The single switch turned on a series of faux candles positioned around
the room bathing it in a soft yellow glow. On the far wall was a bookcase and
she walked to it. She stopped at the spinning wheel that sat in front of
shelves and touched it softly with her hand, slowly turning the wheel. Her
grandmother would sit here for hours spinning wool. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Jade
pulled the clip from her hair and allowed it to cascade down her back. She
pulled a cellphone from her pocket and called her grandmother.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I’m
gonna come over and visit you tomorrow. Yes, I’ll bring lunch.”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Jade
chuckled as she hung up. Her grandma moved out of the large house when Jade’s
grandfather died, leaving it to her parents. Katherine now lived in a small
house in the center of town.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Walking
up the main staircase, Jade headed for the shower. She let her clothes fall to
the floor before grabbing some towels. The hot water filled the bathroom with
steam. She lathered her hair with shampoo of her own making and scratched her
scalp with her fingers. Without warning, a light bulb above the sink exploded
with a pop and she jumped. Wiping condensation from the glass shower doors she
peered out, but could only see fog. Shrugging it off she rinsed her hair. She
stuck her face under the water to remove any suds. As the water cascaded down
her face and neck the other lights exploded. One by one the light bulbs
shattered leaving her with only a glow from the bedroom lamp. Quickly, turning
off the water she grabbed her towel.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">She
walked carefully, trying to avoid stepping on broken glass with her bare feet.
Bending down she picked up a piece. The light bulbs were all black on the
inside. Jade straightened up and for a split second she saw movement in the
fog-covered mirror, causing her to shriek. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Hello,”
she called out.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">She
felt a breath against her ear and whirled around, but could see<span style="color: red;"> </span>nothing there. In two strides she was out of the
bathroom. She put on some pajamas and shoes and went downstairs to grab
the broom and dustpan. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Holding
her hands up the broom moved on it’s own accord and the dustpan trailed after
it until all the glass pieces were cleaned up. Jade replaced the light bulbs
and the bathroom again glowed with warmth. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Being
already on edge, the ringing of her cell made her jump. She grabbed it
and said “Hello?” in a shaky voice.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Hey
Elf, what’s going on?” Asher asked with a tinge of panic in his voice.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
just got spooked, I’m fine.”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“You
don’t sound fine.” </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I’m
sure it’s just my imagination.”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Jade,
you can’t fool me, what is going on?”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
was in the shower when all the lights in my bathroom exploded. I thought I
heard and saw something, but nothing was there. There’s no reason for a spirit
to be in my house.”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“You
need to be careful. Do you need me to come over?”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“No,
don’t be silly. Really, Asher, I’m fine. Why did you call?”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
felt you were distressed.”</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“We
should never have swapped blood as kids—now you have to deal with my stress
too.” Jade smiled at the thought.</span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
still have the scar to prove it,” Asher said and Jade held up her palm to
examine her own. They had taken her father’s pocketknife and slit down the
center of their hands, then held their hands together, infusing each other’s
essences. </span></div>
<div class="yiv1448355695msonormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I’ll
see you tomorrow, Ash.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SY6Wd3oq_5I..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SY6Wd3oq_5I..." width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.... http://www.promotionalbooktours.com/2...
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
Tour Prize 5 sets of Broken Butterflies and Legion of Bats ebooks. Open Internationally.<br />
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November 17, 2012
Book Tour Blast: GUARDIAN ANGELS by Andrew P Weston
Guardian Angels (Book 1 of the Guardian Series)
In a series of terrifying events, otherworldly beings intervene to save innocent lives. The world community reacts with relief as they realize that guardian angels may in fact exist, and they are diligently protecting us.
But there are those who would seek to stop what they feel is a threat against their livelihoods and aspirations. How far will some go to battle the Guardians? Is the fairy tale over before it even begins?
Guardian Angels is a powerful and compelling story about the catalyst that has the power to unite society in the hope for a better future. The spark of hope is fragile—can it last?
Purchase Guardian Angels
Kindle | Paperback | UK Kindle | UK Paperback | Nook | B&N Paperback | Smashwords
About Andrew P. Weston
Andrew P Weston was born in the city of Birmingham, in the UK and grew up in the towns of Bearwood and Edgbaston. He eventually attended Holly Lodge Grammar School for Boy's where he was School Captain and Head Boy.
He was an active sportsperson for the school, college and a variety of rugby, martial art, swimming and athletics teams throughout the city.
On graduation in 1977 he joined the Royal Marines fulfilling a number of specialist roles both in the UK and abroad.
In 1985 he became a police officer with the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary, and served in a variety of uniformed and plain clothed departments until his retirement in 2008.
Over those years, he wrote and illustrated a selection of private books for his children regarding the life of a tiny kitten, called, “The Adventures of Willy Whiskers”, gained further qualifications in Law and Religious Studies, was an active member of Mensa and continued to be an active sportsperson, providing lessons free of charge to local communities.
An unfortunate accident received on duty meant Andrew had to retire early from the police force, but after moving to the sunny Greek island of Kos to speed up his recuperation, he was at last able to devote time to the “Guardian Concept” he had developed over his years in the military and police.
When not writing, Andrew enjoys Greek dancing and language lessons, being told what to do by his wife, Annette, and hunting shadows in the dark. He also has a magnificent mustache collection.
Andrew is now contracted to Pagan Writers Press for three books.
“Fairy Tail”, is a short, but dark and gritty erotic paranormal/thriller with a twist.
The second book, “Guardian Angels” is the introductory book to the “Guardian Series”, a sci-fi action/adventure epic set in the near future.
The latest short story, “Blood Moon”, is a paranormal action/thriller set in the jungles of South America.
Further work on the Guardian Series and a new paranormal series, The Cambion Journals, has been completed and will hopefully be published during 2013.
Follow Author Andrew P. Weston
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn |
Amazon
Prize Photos:
The author will be giving away: Matching/unisex His and Hers Guardian T-Shirts (Black), Guardian Baseball Caps, A Guardian Tote bag, A Signed copy of the paperback version of Guardian Angels. A Signed 24" X 18" Guardian Angels Book cover Poster. A scarf and pendant set.
Open to INT ends 12/09 PM EST
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November 16, 2012
Book Tour Blast: 13th by Shadow Stevens
The 13th
Magic in Strega Bluff is like parking meters in other cities. The quaint New England town is home to a large community of witches, warlocks--and many secrets. Jade Hansen loved living there until the untimely death of her parents.
After a much-needed sabbatical, she returns to find the peaceful hamlet turned upside down. A string of murders haunts the city and everyone is potential a target, but even worse, they are all suspects. A family secret puts Jade in the middle and her loved ones in danger. Dodging an evil warlock set on revenge, she is in a race to stop the killer before it’s too late.
Buy at Amazon
Follow Shadow on Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Blog
About Shadow Stephens
Story telling seems to be a part of my DNA. Since childhood, I made up fantastical characters and brought them to life. Part of it was to escape the turmoils of childhood and some were just for fun. Sitting beside my couch is a constant stack of history, biographies, and compelling fiction, which means I have many overloaded bookshelves. Wouldn't that be great to have a room just full of shelves? I would love to see a wave of outstanding, self-published authors take over the market. I think it's important to own your work and take pride in it. Writing several novels and short stories, I know the trials of writing and rejection. Constructive criticism can only make you better. Never doubt yourself.
Tour Prize 5 sets of Broken Butterflies and Legion of Bats ebooks. Open Internationally.
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November 15, 2012
Interview with Vanessa Morgan
.jpg)
Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book?
GPS WITH BENEFITS is a funny and light-hearted story in
which a womanizer purchases a GPS device, not knowing it has a mind of ‘her’
own.
Did you
try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?
No. These days it’s not necessary to have an agent or
publisher in order to make a living from one’s writing.
Do you
belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?
I don’t belong to a critique group as such, but I have
several professional authors and screenwriters in my entourage that are always
willing to offer advice.
What
factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon?
Amazon’s the biggest seller and you earn high percentages on
sales. I sell more books on Amazon than on any other outlet. It would be silly
not to take advantage of it.
What is
your writing process?
Whenever I’m brainstorming ideas for a new story, I first
try to figure out how I can make it the most engaging, intelligent and original
as possible. I think about the story all the time, take notes, watch movies,
read books, talk to people and bring everything I see, hear and do in relation
with the new book. Once I have a
clear vision of the story and the characters, I sit down and start outlining
and filling in the blanks. Only when everything is in place, will I start the
real writing process. When the book is finished, I edit and rewrite. Then I
give it to as much people as possible to see if there are any recurring
critiques or comments. Then I rewrite and edit some more.
Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?
Both. Outlining is extremely important. I need to have a
clear vision of what I want to accomplish with the story, who the characters
are and what major plot points occur. It happens though that these elements are
vague or unknown. If that happens, I use the free-writing technique and I just
see what pops up. It always works to get me back on track. Once I have new
ideas in place, I plan and outline some more until everything falls into place.
Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
Yes. At a certain point, every writer becomes blind for his
or her mistakes. Even the most famous of writers still need at least one
editor, preferably more.
What have
you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?
That one should never stop learning when it comes to writing
and marketing. If something doesn’t bring in the desired result, try something
different. Be creative. Be bold. Be personal.
Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
DROWNED SORROW and UN HOMME BIEN are available with every
only retailer. The other books are just sold on Amazon.
What kinds
of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for
promoting your book(s)?
The sites that work best for me in terms of marketing are my
blog (http://vanessa-morgan.blogspot.com),
Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/eeriestories)
and StumbleUpon. Other sites that
I use regularly are Facebook, Twitter (@eeriestories), Google+, Reddit and
LinkedIn. I also use blog hops for
the promotion of my blog and books.
Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?
The best in my opinion is to focus on one thing at a time.
When a new book comes out, you should concentrate on marketing that book, but
you should also know when is the right time to stop.
What
advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing
arena?
Perfect your writing and your book as much as possible
before the release and hire at least two editors to help you with this. You
should also learn as much as you can about (book) marketing. And last but not
least… network.
Besides
writing, do you have any other passions?
Going to film festivals, watching horror movies, learning
languages and cuddling my cat.
What’s
next for you?
My screenplay A GOOD MAN is currently being turned into a
feature film. Apart from that, I’m writing a new supernatural thriller
combining ghosts and cats. I’m open to surprises though, because the best
things that ever happened to me are those that weren’t planned for.
November 14, 2012
The Intimacy of First Person by John Marco
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Back when I started writing
seriously, I was convinced that a “real” epic fantasy novel had to be written
in third-person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had read THE
MISTS OF AVALON, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and other classic, epic tales, and was
certain that I wanted to follow their lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to write a book with lots of characters, following
them where they went and weaving their individual stories into one big tapestry,
pulling together all the threads by the story’s end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was “bigness,” I figured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was how to create the heft and scale I wanted in my
books.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Eventually, I did finish
that first book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THE JACKAL OF NAR
came out in 1999, a third-person narrative with a “main” character and a
constellation of other, somewhat lesser characters to support the central protagonist’s
journey and to give the book the kind of moral ambiguity I figured could only
come from different viewpoints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The story was long, complex, and by the time I wrote the third book in
the series, difficult for even me to remember completely!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I was proud of what I’d
written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d kept all the pieces
of the story moving in my mind like a deep game of chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote three books in that first
series, and then went on to write another trilogy, also featuring lots of
characters and third-person narratives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I even wrote a YA novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shorter than all the other books I’d written, yes, but still in that
third-person viewpoint I’d gotten so comfortable with.</span></span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And then, something
happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know what it was
that made me want to do it, but I suddenly really wanted to write a
first-person story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to
more deeply explore the main character in my second trilogy, a troubled knight
named Lukien who had already been through a ton of trials in the earlier
books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lukien was, unquestionably,
the heart and soul of the books I’d written, and yet I felt that his story had
gotten muddled somehow, lost in a sea of sub-plots that had been meant to
bolster his story but instead weighed it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to revisit Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">know</i>
him.</span></span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A lot of new writers think
it’s easier to write a first-person book than one written in third-person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With only one main character and
viewpoint to contend with, there’s only one timeline that matters, one central
thread for the writer to follow to the end of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I actually started writing
seriously, I was one of those writers that thought of first-person as “easy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be completely honest, I even
considered it something of a copout.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">But of course I was very wrong.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xXQmRBOQ7L0..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xXQmRBOQ7L0..." width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">After writing seven books
with lots of different viewpoint characters, I stared at the computer screen a
long time before the first words of Lukien’s new story came to me, the story
that would eventually become THE FOREVER KNIGHT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had spent years writing in my own voice, and it took me
time to realize that now I had to write in Lukien’s voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was his story, after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed to hear his voice in my head.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It took some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went back to reading some first-person
narratives to get the feel for how it’s done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remembered some of my own favorite first-person stories,
like Charles Portis’ TRUE GRIT, an absolutely fantastic example of first-person
writing and that elusive thing called “voice.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading TRUE GRIT, I could feel that character of Mattie
Ross—she was alive on those pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She supplanted the author’s voice entirely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what a great first person story does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Above all, it’s a character study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an intimate conversation between the
narrator and the reader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Eventually, Lukien’s voice came to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt his bitterness and rage and all the things that had
gone wrong in his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
importantly, I knew that he was a good man, frustrated by his inability to do
good things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After spending years
writing about him in previous books, I finally got to know him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some who have read THE EYES OF GOD and
the other Lukien books don’t think of him as good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to be able to understand that, because previously I
was like an outsider looking in, spying on Lukien and the other characters but
never really getting to know them intimately.</span></span></span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">That’s no longer true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve created lots of characters over
the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Readers sometimes ask
me if I have a favorite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to
dodge that question because I really didn’t have a favorite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s not true anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hands down, Lukien is my most favorite
character of all those I’ve created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not even close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
like a close friend now. </span></span></span><br />
</div>
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</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">If hearing that makes you
roll your eyes, that’s okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know
it sounds odd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Writers are an
eccentric bunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talk to our
characters, we act out scenes, and we immerse ourselves as deeply as we can in
the worlds we create.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we
prefer them to the real world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t know how much I’d like Lukien in the real world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I’d ever be friends with
him because we’re such different types of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I have gotten to know him by writing in first-person, in
ways I’m sure I never would have otherwise.</span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Arial;">Biography</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">John Marco is the author of
seven books, including the bestselling <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tyrants
and Kings</i> trilogy and the books of the Bronze Knight, Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His next novel, THE FOREVER KNIGHT,
will be published by DAW books in April 2013 and is available now for
preordering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To find out more
about John and to read his ramblings about nerdy things, please visit his
website at <a href="http://www.thehappynerd.com/">...
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November 13, 2012
Book Tour Blast: BROKEN PROMISES by Belinda Boring
Broken Promises
What would you do if the man you loved became one of your greatest enemies? Would your love be enough to save him?
All Bri wanted to do was spend her Friday night with the man she loved and adored. Little did she know leaving her home would result in her relationship with Quinn being tested beyond its limits.
Fae have been organizing to invade Earth, and their devious plans are culminating now, colliding with Bri's very existence. Using a powerful glamour, the Fae trigger each person's violent tendencies, turning the streets into a battleground and strangers against each other. In a crushing blow, Quinn becomes affected and Bri finds herself battling to save her lover from himself as he stalks her relentlessly, taunting her at every turn.
But fighting for her love isn't her only worry. As the battle ensues, Bri discovers a startling truth about her own heritage that she must come to terms with. She has no other choice but to fight, leading her to a confrontation that will change her world forever - and threaten to leave her with broken promises.
Author Bio:
A homesick Aussie living amongst the cactus and mountains of Arizona, Belinda Boring is a self proclaimed addict of romance and all things swoon worthy. When she's not devouring her latest read, you can find her celebrating her passion for book on her blog The Bookish Snob.
With all that excitement, it wasn't long before she began writing, pouring her imagination and creativity into the stories she dreams. Whether urban fantasy, paranormal romance or romance in general, Belinda strives to share great plots with heart and characters that you can't help but connect with. Of course, she wouldn't be Belinda without adding heroes she hopes will curl your toes.
Surrounded by a supportive cast of family, friends and the man she gives her heart and soul to, Belinda is living the good life. Happy reading!
Buy on Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords
Follow Belinda Boring on her Blog / Facebook / Twitter
Belinda Boring is giving away a $50 Amazon Giftcard and signed copies of Mystic Wolves, Forget Me Not, A Midsummer Night's Fling, and Broken Promises!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow the tour
