tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36422835824696190782024-03-12T23:56:52.274-04:00Two Chicks and a BlogBooks, boys, bands, block busters - we've got your entertainment needs coveredAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-87653364403013079902013-07-17T10:28:00.001-04:002013-07-17T10:29:12.936-04:00Movie Review: 6 Souls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh530pbif-I2rd2nmZshh3h-DH31R_fjHcwmY5Y6tzJNYzxWg9YtXSYIkktzWI53DBIGMVDeg0DZsqDLmj25LGLGrm82IQixTLGiN6dqDIuBPt_F1DI5ZUUGS74QPzHvxr_G8GjS0yfcRA/s1600/6+souls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh530pbif-I2rd2nmZshh3h-DH31R_fjHcwmY5Y6tzJNYzxWg9YtXSYIkktzWI53DBIGMVDeg0DZsqDLmj25LGLGrm82IQixTLGiN6dqDIuBPt_F1DI5ZUUGS74QPzHvxr_G8GjS0yfcRA/s640/6+souls.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Cast:</b></span></div>
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Julianne Moore: Cara Harding</div>
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Jonathan Rhys Meyers: David/Adam/Wesley<br />
Jeffrey DeMunn: Dr. Harding<br />
Frances Conroy: Mrs. Bernburg</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px;"><b>Runtime:</b></span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> 112 min</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating:</b></span> R</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;">Plot:</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;"> </span> A female forensic psychiatrist discovers that all of one of her patient's multiple personalities are murder victims. She will have to find out what's happening before her time is finished.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiIs4MSWb2TvP9j3bv6e9YW3NEgsjvW2H6qZSjkge-ylx4EpkQgxePpPboLAZxof1-X7jx60f5LDQWxaQv-uRHoAQULTeKWDhlhwglEwICtbNApQUlO4vPe3mCQie-Uy27p-JGRsTdw0/s1600/6+souls2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiIs4MSWb2TvP9j3bv6e9YW3NEgsjvW2H6qZSjkge-ylx4EpkQgxePpPboLAZxof1-X7jx60f5LDQWxaQv-uRHoAQULTeKWDhlhwglEwICtbNApQUlO4vPe3mCQie-Uy27p-JGRsTdw0/s320/6+souls2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px;"><b>In My Opinion:</b></span> This is one of those I was excited about when I saw the trailer, then somehow missed the DVD release and forgot all about it until perusing through Netflix. In the beginning, Julianne Moore's character is portrayed as an awkward and nerdy psychiatrist who doesn't believe in multiple personalities. She testifies that a man who is about to be executed most certainly did not have the disorder, then watches the announcement of his execution on TV while doing multiple shots of tequila Her father, another psychiatrist played by Jeffrey DeMunn, sends one of his cases her way to see if she will change her stance on multiple personalities. At first we think we're seeing an extremely disturbed man, until Julianne's character does the whole "investigate creepy things and places all on her own" thing.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>It's Rating Time</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Story: </b><i>4.5 out of 5 stars: This movie scared the crap out of me, and was pretty unique. The plot twist came out of nowhere, pleasantly surprising the pants off of me. While there were some minor plot holes, the only complaint I really have is the ending—but only because I totally predicted it, and it was a bit disturbing.</i><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18px;">The Acting: </b><i>5 out of 5 stars: Insanely awesome cast, especially Jonathan Rhys Meyers playing multiple roles. And Julianne didn't do her ugly cry in this one!</i><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Scare Factor: </b><i>5 out of 5 stars: I don't remember the last time I could feel the hair on my arms raise while watching a movie!</i><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><b>Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">Bottom line: </b><i>Recommended for anyone who likes horror/scary movies</i><br />
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~Jen</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-84398068755114527462013-06-24T12:27:00.001-04:002013-06-24T12:34:04.458-04:00Movie Review: World War Z<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaihRnIFjXI2dvN3Skf8D9Mqkk7V8larpEB9DqQIlbkvP0xXpvAjWDrt5I1zjhW5xfkttXObV2vZAHDu8rEeY1y1pG9l3tLXWNj0e1xU9USC4n0na8DLohM1Ly2dFj3iwm45UvOrLIM0/s1600/world+war+z+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaihRnIFjXI2dvN3Skf8D9Mqkk7V8larpEB9DqQIlbkvP0xXpvAjWDrt5I1zjhW5xfkttXObV2vZAHDu8rEeY1y1pG9l3tLXWNj0e1xU9USC4n0na8DLohM1Ly2dFj3iwm45UvOrLIM0/s640/world+war+z+poster.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Cast:</b></span></div>
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Brad Pitt: Gerry Lane</div>
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Mireille Enos: Karin Lane<br />
Daniella Kertesz: Segen<br />
Fana Mokoena: Thierry Umutoni</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Runtime:</b></span> 116 min</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating:</b></span> PG-13</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;">Plot:</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;"> </span> United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcE-moBozaAqhOoHhCPU-dqHA2ixdCav8O6ySwp-9ATOgSrD0GUm1RxutxwWOPhbATHrtMCD11p_7m5_hwQ37yJ41qyddpoJuIPjCQPWQ0e9UVe9hdKB5yHflgjONOnBvk7-bdhfwA98/s1600/world+war+z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcE-moBozaAqhOoHhCPU-dqHA2ixdCav8O6ySwp-9ATOgSrD0GUm1RxutxwWOPhbATHrtMCD11p_7m5_hwQ37yJ41qyddpoJuIPjCQPWQ0e9UVe9hdKB5yHflgjONOnBvk7-bdhfwA98/s1600/world+war+z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcE-moBozaAqhOoHhCPU-dqHA2ixdCav8O6ySwp-9ATOgSrD0GUm1RxutxwWOPhbATHrtMCD11p_7m5_hwQ37yJ41qyddpoJuIPjCQPWQ0e9UVe9hdKB5yHflgjONOnBvk7-bdhfwA98/s320/world+war+z.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px;"><b>In My Opinion:</b></span> Anyone who knows me is quite aware that I've been incredibly psyched up for the release of this movie. I've tried many times to read the book, but simply can't get into it. The movie, however, was freaking fantastic. As you see in the trailers, the story starts out with Brad and his family waiting in traffic when the zombie invasion first hits their part of the country. They're forced to run through the streets among total chaos of fleeing citizens and crazy fast zombies (<a href="http://paranormalya.blogspot.com/2013/06/zombie-discrimination.html" target="_blank">check out my blog for more on this</a>). When the family hits a Walgreens-type pharmacy, we get a glimpse of how people may act in desperate times. We discover that Brad's character recently retired from the UN as one of their best investigators, and is in high demand. After his family is flown via helicopter to a battle ship on the ocean filled with other highbrow personnel, Brad is asked to help find the origin of the virus. From that point on, the film is packed with intense scenes that kept me on edge.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>It's Rating Time</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Story: </b><i>4.5 out of 5 stars: Although I extremely enjoyed just about every aspect of this story, there were a few very unrealistic parts that had me shaking my head, such as the plane crash, and I totally predicted the ending early on. But the climax to the ending was well done, and the plot was actually believable.</i><i><br /></i><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18px;">The Acting: </b><i>5 out of 5 stars: Everyone did a stellar job in playing out their roles. While I have a hard time looking at Mireille Enos as anything other than a cowardly polygamist's wife from 'Big Love', she made a rather pleasant leading lady—brave, but not too tough. Brad Pitt makes an exceptional leading man who can pull at your heart strings when he's playing daddy, and make you believe that he's a tough guy when he's punching zombies. Plus it's BRAD PITT. He is pretty easy on the eyes, and has a voice that most probably makes angels cry.</i><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Scare Factor: </b><i>4 out of 5 stars: While it's not horror-scary, the anxiety level is pretty intense. Because of that, this movie could've easily have been rated R, and don't plan on letting my 11-year-old watch this for a while for that very reason.</i><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><b>Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">Bottom line: </b><i>Must see for zombie fans, Brad Pitt groupies, and thrill seekers!</i><br />
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~Jen</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-10664330601503703042013-06-19T04:34:00.000-04:002013-06-19T05:28:49.370-04:00Movie Review: The Purge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcPi0I-4PqKAbC6NgRM_MQ3gT3-uvRjJfSJzP8e0dEsPzFkID32J0FoWuXl6io8NuLDnLfOWOyV91xukPoy2JP0sxkQnljP5b1g6oH50UVzA6USahqBVslmWrZXziiQWeIoezyxVqeYY/s1600/the+purge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcPi0I-4PqKAbC6NgRM_MQ3gT3-uvRjJfSJzP8e0dEsPzFkID32J0FoWuXl6io8NuLDnLfOWOyV91xukPoy2JP0sxkQnljP5b1g6oH50UVzA6USahqBVslmWrZXziiQWeIoezyxVqeYY/s640/the+purge.jpeg" width="424" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Cast:</b></span></div>
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Ethan Hawke: James Sandin</div>
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Lena Headey: Mary Sandin<br />
Max Burkholder: Charlie Sandin</div>
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Rhys Wakefield: Polite Stranger</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Runtime:</b></span> 85 min</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating:</b></span> R</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;">Plot:</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;"> </span>A family is held hostage for harboring the target of a murderous syndicate during the Purge, a 12-hour period in which any and all crime is legalized.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSA5q5F_fNuad2DUtekzxXphk7elCxADlpruRS7KMITzv-rq7Rj0EKsLKgrKopX3YhopZ5_4LAli2F8mquncSQRa0yTFTk7Ns92-caOWD8iRXmkHK4erIExBNI849cWD-gED8_O8Wwcac/s1600/thepurge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSA5q5F_fNuad2DUtekzxXphk7elCxADlpruRS7KMITzv-rq7Rj0EKsLKgrKopX3YhopZ5_4LAli2F8mquncSQRa0yTFTk7Ns92-caOWD8iRXmkHK4erIExBNI849cWD-gED8_O8Wwcac/s1600/thepurge.jpeg" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px;"><b>In My Opinion:</b></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span>This was yet another one on my must see list ever since I first saw the trailer. The concept of this movie is that in the future, the United States allows for a 12-hour period of crime to be legal, including murder (with a class 4 weapon or below), so that people may cleanse themselves of hatred and violence. As a result, the country sees a decline in poverty and crime. The story begins with James Sandin (Hawke) returning home from work just hours before The Purge is to commence. He's a salesman for an elaborate security system, and just scored the number one position in sales. He sits down in his mansion for dinner with his stay-at-home wife, disturbed son, and rebellious daughter, and we get the feeling no one is overly fond of dear old Dad. Mom has to deal with snarky neighbors who are jealous of the family's recent addition, the son is maybe suffering from some kind of mental disorder and likes to spy on people with a creepy baby doll robot, and the daughter is hiding a much older boyfriend in her bedroom who Mom and Dad don't approve of. But dear old Dad's security system is top notch, and the metal doors keep them secure for The Purge. Until, as seen in the trailers, the son decides to save a man yelling for help in the streets. Turns out the man (wearing dog tags) is running from a pack of creepy whack jobs, and these whack jobs tell the Sandins either they hand the man over to them, or they're going to break in and kill them all (enter the creepy MF in the picture above). But the family can't find the man as something else goes completely wrong inside their supposedly secure home. And that's when all hell breaks loose.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>It Rating Time</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Story: </b><i>4.5 out of 5 stars: I'm not going to lie, this one scared the shit out of me. I held my hands over my mouth for a majority of the movie for an endless string of "holy crap" moments. The ending was unique and unexpected. Although there weren't any paranormal elements, the story was actually pretty disturbing as there are so many moral boundaries tested and broken.</i><i><br /></i><br />
<b style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18px;">The Acting: </b><i>4.5 out of 5 stars: This was one of those movies where I forgot everyone was acting, and got extremely wrapped up in the story. I almost cried for the mom at one point. Rhys Wakefield was brilliant, and played one of the creepiest parts I've seen since Heath Ledger's role as The Joker.</i><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Scare Factor: </b><i>5 out of 5 stars: It's not necessarily horror-scary, but it will keep you on the edge of your seat, and make you jump, plus the concept is just freaky.</i><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><b>Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">Bottom line: </b><i>If you like original thrillers with disturbing plots, you'll definitely like this one!</i><br />
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~Jen<br />
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(Check out Jen's post on why this movie is so disturbing <a href="http://paranormalya.blogspot.com/2013/06/why-purge-is-disturbing-on-so-many.html" target="_blank">on her website</a>)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-38476730983470840682013-05-30T09:45:00.001-04:002013-05-30T09:45:47.121-04:00Movie Review: Dark Skies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEvv859ip4xld6KG_1LN6hG8_hJVfW0w8iK3DAa1X3gWQQF6Lo9HFvhVywXx8xJzjhC7nv-vhlQO8GELv46Obgv2FGqiC745hD-ll7v-t5P_Q_mVoPCcbptwNM58o3MeNzKNRL4d9H0A/s1600/Dark_Skies_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEvv859ip4xld6KG_1LN6hG8_hJVfW0w8iK3DAa1X3gWQQF6Lo9HFvhVywXx8xJzjhC7nv-vhlQO8GELv46Obgv2FGqiC745hD-ll7v-t5P_Q_mVoPCcbptwNM58o3MeNzKNRL4d9H0A/s640/Dark_Skies_Poster.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Cast:</b></span></div>
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Keri Russell: Lacy Barrett</div>
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Josh Hamilton: Daniel Barrett</div>
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Dakota Goyo: Jesse Barrett</div>
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Kadan Rockett: Sam Barrett</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Runtime:</b></span> 1 h 37 min</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating:</b></span> PG-13</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;">Plot:</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;"> </span>As the Barrett family's peaceful suburban life is rocked by an escalating series of disturbing events, they come to learn that a terrifying and deadly force is after them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIZPsnPOXZ0mTkgeufxllQ2PRbD5_KapX9VP79YEtXNcjW77mFRbsEYwQnRCBs2tgiGcMTbR5RPvo0McrWCHaOUTu4qlY-xY6dOnRXPu8JWgnbh7bUScqI8fxNUPvRHMwj0ur4dzBKis/s1600/dark+skies.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIZPsnPOXZ0mTkgeufxllQ2PRbD5_KapX9VP79YEtXNcjW77mFRbsEYwQnRCBs2tgiGcMTbR5RPvo0McrWCHaOUTu4qlY-xY6dOnRXPu8JWgnbh7bUScqI8fxNUPvRHMwj0ur4dzBKis/s1600/dark+skies.jpeg" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b><br />In My Opinion:</b></span> This was another movie on my must see list ever since I first saw the trailer. <span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The story starts out with the family of four having strange things happen inside their home while they're sleeping and later their behaviors all begin to change. It takes the parents some time to realize and accept what is happening to them. </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Although I started watching this already knowing it was about aliens from the trailers, I was on edge wondering when and how the bug-eyed visitors were going to make their first appearance. I felt frustrated for the parents and kept trying to think of ways they could get help or even stop things from happening. The way the aliens invade all of their lives was terrifying in itself. </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">As a big fan of </span><i style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The</i><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><i style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">X-Files</i><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> series, I was really pleased with almost everything about this movie. The only thing I can honestly say I didn't like was the ending. The new formula in Hollywood seems to be trending toward the shock factor, and in this one I definitely didn't like it (and I already suspected the twist way before it was revealed). I realize not everything happens with a happy ending, but with this one it would've been nice to see an exception to the rule.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>It Rating Time</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Story: </b> 4<i> out of 5 stars: It was awesome but the ending left me frustrated.</i><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18px;">The Acting: </b><i>5 out of 5 stars: Keri Russell delivers as the star of the show and the rest of the ensamble did well—especially the oldest boy.</i><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Scare Factor: </b><i>5 out of 5 stars: Although it's (thankfully) not your typical horror film and is better described as a thriller, it scared the tar out of me in many places.</i><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><b>Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">Bottom line: </b><i>If you like thrillers and alien movies, you'll definitely like this one!</i><br />
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~Jen</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-43599440981893222472013-05-21T13:55:00.002-04:002013-05-21T13:55:42.653-04:00Movie Review: Mama<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Cast:</b></span></div>
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Jessica Chastain: Annabel</div>
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Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: Lucas/Jeffrey</div>
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Megan Charpentier: Victoria</div>
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Isabelle Nelisse: Lilly</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Runtime:</b></span> 100 mins</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating:</b></span> PG-13</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;">Plot:</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;"> </span>Annabel and Lucas are faced with the challenge of raising his young nieces that were left alone in the forest for 5 years.... but how alone were they?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZLwle6XgdHZC-MK2D5cDZaeWCMDm3kuA6CvYRRrYBfNJsdpnjm1l7xcqcqsbi8aUxmcEpKrWhy4TfBQxnfEY7YCzTjsqKoYdXpTERk89kvEC9Onad2bg_C6D4DVNi1gbc3n2jte7UYM/s1600/Mama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZLwle6XgdHZC-MK2D5cDZaeWCMDm3kuA6CvYRRrYBfNJsdpnjm1l7xcqcqsbi8aUxmcEpKrWhy4TfBQxnfEY7YCzTjsqKoYdXpTERk89kvEC9Onad2bg_C6D4DVNi1gbc3n2jte7UYM/s320/Mama.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>In My Opinion:</b></span> I've wanted to see this movie ever since it was in theaters, but until recently when my daughter told me she wanted to start watching scary movies, I didn't have a friend who would go see them with me. We basically know everything about the story from the trailers. The only real mystery is how Mama came to be, which is revealed later on. After two girls are found living alone in the woods (and the way they end up there is so twisted it almost literally made me sick), they bring a creature back with them. There was a lot of potential in this one for being scary and it had a great storyline overall, but I feel like it missed its mark. 'Mama' was way too cartoonish for my taste. I almost laughed at her each time she made an appearance. And the insane ending really killed it for me. What was most notable in this movie was the performances. At first I didn't even recognize Jessica Chastain (from <i>Zero Dark Thirty </i>and <i>The Help</i>), which in my eyes makes her a brilliant actress. But it was little Lilly (played by Isabelle Nelisse) who really stole the show. Her character was so creepy in so many ways, I kept wondering how they could get a little girl to play such a twisted part.</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: medium;"><b>It Rating Time</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Story: </b> <i>3 out of 5 stars: It was okay, but could have been so much more.</i><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18px;">The Acting: </b><i>5 out of 5 stars: The ensemble was brilliant and I'd like to see Isabelle again. </i><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Scare Factor: </b><i>3 out of 5 stars: Each time I was scared it was ruined by crappy effects.</i><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><b>Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">Bottom line: </b><i>It was decent. If you're bored and looking for a new flick, it will keep you entertained.</i><br />
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~Jen</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-30395582752154544122013-04-09T07:26:00.000-04:002013-04-09T07:26:12.207-04:00Teaser Tuesday: Unexpected by Faith SullivanIt's time for another tease to wake up your reading senses. This week I bring you another tease from author Faith Sullivan. This tease comes from her second book <i>Unexpected</i>. After reading her first book <i>Heartbeat</i> I instantly became a fan of Faith. She knows exactly how to tug at your heart strings. Just check out this week's tease:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpgMR268Zo1Hs9cb-ahc1ozGfjS8j7m9mJAIYOrYzP3Qlt3-nyKhsIlcfMJFV4nc8cjpoLdbz7pCGaMgYLEVTZFFTdovl-zrOWZBwgYQuYTqZM7NUlz_RpLL5Hdds8nV216ZQDflcTtg/s1600/photo-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpgMR268Zo1Hs9cb-ahc1ozGfjS8j7m9mJAIYOrYzP3Qlt3-nyKhsIlcfMJFV4nc8cjpoLdbz7pCGaMgYLEVTZFFTdovl-zrOWZBwgYQuYTqZM7NUlz_RpLL5Hdds8nV216ZQDflcTtg/s320/photo-4.JPG" width="205" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Synopsis: </span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">September 11, 2001.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A day that forever changes the destiny of college overachiever, Michelle Rhodes.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Shattered, confused and alone, no one understands the trauma consuming her until she meets Connor Donnelly.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A native New Yorker, he believes he can aid in getting her life back on track. But what if he's even more broken inside?</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Offering her a chance at a fresh start, Connor convinces Michelle to move in with him. Hiring her to waitress at his bar, their mutual attraction only complicates matters.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As more details surrounding Connor's past emerge, Michelle uncovers the full magnitude of the loss he's trying to hide. Refusing to let her feelings for him hinder his recovery, she makes a decision that winds up hurting them both.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">By sacrificing her heart, Michelle thinks she is helping Connor come to terms with his grief. Little does she know, Connor is gambling everything for the sake of having a future with her.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">What happens is truly unexpected.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;"><b>~Tease~</b></span></span></div>
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Chapter Five</div>
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My parents are worried about me. They know I’m damaged, but they don’t know how to fix me. It’s moments like this when being an only child sucks. Their belief in me is what drives them, and I let them down big time. They’ve never seen me fail before, and they don’t know how to handle it. I’ve shaken them to their core, and I didn’t mean to do that. It’s almost cruel. All of the sacrifices they’ve made on my behalf—were they worth it? I’d have to say no.</div>
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Tonight, they really want me to go to the New Year’s Eve party my friend, Heather, is throwing at her parents’ house. She’s home on break, and they think it’ll be good for me to get out and socialize with people my own age. I’ve kept myself pretty isolated since I ran home with my tail between my legs. I wasn’t up to rehashing things over and over again. But maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get out—at least for a little while.</div>
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I admit that tending to my appearance is no longer on the top of my priority list. I’ve really let myself go. I never regained the weight I lost, so I appear gaunt instead of thin. I haven’t gotten a hair cut since the summer, and I haven’t even worn makeup in months. I guess I can twist my long brown hair and pin it up, and maybe I’ll wear a simple black sweater with a pair of jeans that I can belt. With some industrial strength under-eye concealer, I might look presentable. But I can’t summon any feeling of excitement. I feel nothing.</div>
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The party is already in full swing when I arrive. There’s no way I’ll be able to slip in unnoticed. I’ll be on everyone’s radar as soon as I walk through the door—something I’m not exactly looking forward to. I’m ‘the 9/11 girl,’ the only person from our small town who was there that day. And of course, people can’t wait to hear all about it even if all I have to say is that I was scared shitless in my apartment for three days. But still, their insatiable curiosity doesn’t make me want to talk about it. They weren’t there; they don’t know.</div>
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I can hear ‘I’m Real’ by Ja Rule and J-Lo all the way down the street. It doesn’t get more ghetto than a party in the suburbs. Judging by the familiar cars parked outside, a lot of people I graduated high school with are here. On the landing, I pause with my finger on the doorbell. Do I really want to face these people? Am I ready for this?</div>
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“Having second thoughts?” a voice asks out of the darkness.</div>
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The front porch swing is moving slightly. At the end of it, I discern the silhouette of a guy. He bends forward to light a cigarette, and I catch a glimpse of his face. He’s not somebody I know. Relief washes over me. Maybe I can stall for time out here.</div>
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Taking a step back, I put my hands in my coat pockets and move away from the light emanating from the window. I’m more comfortable hiding in the shadows.</div>
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He doesn’t press me for a response, but I can sense him watching me. Hopefully, he’ll keep his distance.</div>
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The swing creaks as I sit on the opposite side. My movement interrupts his steady rhythm, but he doesn’t reproach me for the intrusion. Flicks of ash hit the wooden floor as he inhales again.</div>
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“Is that weed?” I blurt out before I can stop myself, breaking the silence.</div>
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His only response is a chuckle.</div>
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The swing remains in motion. The shared responsibility of keeping it going creates a sense of familiarity, even though we’re complete strangers.</div>
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He shifts his position to face me, studying my profile. Rising to the challenge, I turn my head.</div>
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Our eyes lock. </div>
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I want to look away, but I can’t. </div>
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He doesn’t appear stoned. His gaze is focused, steady. </div>
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Taking one last hit, he tosses what’s left of the cigarette, putting it out with his boot. Placing his hands on his knees, he glances at me over his shoulder. “Michelle, I think it’s time you came back to New York with me.”</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;"><b>{End of Tease}</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">Find Unexpected at</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-ebook/dp/B00C112I7O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1365505595&sr=1-1&keywords=Unexpected" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17256643-unexpected" target="_blank">Goodreads.com</a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">About the Author</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRgObLSwjEyOggUNGZ_62y0TpjKe6uEILoC4GPOu3ui6kaYqSebS3v9oxZqzDoim0U45WSu3BIUI7iBjxFucb0V8GBHnWxGVRkbAogsTSWcBYStgBAdT7ehQq0UxkA-6wLp25Zg0dSs8/s1600/faithsullivanb-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRgObLSwjEyOggUNGZ_62y0TpjKe6uEILoC4GPOu3ui6kaYqSebS3v9oxZqzDoim0U45WSu3BIUI7iBjxFucb0V8GBHnWxGVRkbAogsTSWcBYStgBAdT7ehQq0UxkA-6wLp25Zg0dSs8/s200/faithsullivanb-1.jpg" width="165" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;">I really hate talking about myself. My goal is to have the shortest author bio imaginable. I would much rather have a conversation with my readers.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Are you able to escape within my pages?</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Let me know! </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Email me at faithsullivanwrites@hotmail.com </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Follow me on Twitter at <b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/_FaithSullivan_" target="_blank">@_FaithSullivan_</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;"><b>Visit Faith Sullivan at her blog:</b> <b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://faithsullivanwrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://faithsullivanwrites.blogspot.com</a></b><br />
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~Maria</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-2292225018048768692013-04-05T11:43:00.001-04:002013-04-05T11:43:48.803-04:00TV Series Review: HannibalHey, guys! Sorry I've been MIA for a while working on a ton of projects. Thanks to Maria for keeping up with the blogs!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7r8kLauZ8Q7-LKHb38mPosGot_j2qauZVfFOhkibcqfsR88x2J_YSiVIF1BqEZGQx1Eder-j6GViTj7boBCu7-Xpil_2D5cmElfFj0EwaYY0eLYc8QAsW70lrydSVmlsLzOWj82oZiU/s1600/Hannibal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7r8kLauZ8Q7-LKHb38mPosGot_j2qauZVfFOhkibcqfsR88x2J_YSiVIF1BqEZGQx1Eder-j6GViTj7boBCu7-Xpil_2D5cmElfFj0EwaYY0eLYc8QAsW70lrydSVmlsLzOWj82oZiU/s320/Hannibal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Did you catch the premiere of <i>Hannibal</i> last night? I've been dying to see this show and I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed. First of all, the cast was pretty remarkable. I couldn't remember where I've seen Hugh Dancy before, but after looking him up on IMDb I guess it's <i>Confessions of a Shopaholic. </i>That just goes to show what an amazing actor he is, because his character in <i>Hannibal </i>is a total 180 from that part. And Laurence Fishburne is amazing in everything, so I was pleased to see him among the cast as Dancy's boss. Then there's the Danish dude (Mads Mikkelsen) who makes a fittingly creepy Hannibal—that guy gave me the appropriate amount of the willies.</div>
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Dancy plays a "young" (thank you to IMDb for calling him that as he's my age) FBI criminal profiler with a list of mental health problems (Aspergers being among them). Because of them, he can put himself in the killer's shoes, but he also has problems socializing. There's a scene toward the end where he is in the middle of the crime and he kind of wigs out that I thought was brilliant. For a minute I forgot I was watching a show.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-VOyybqjN0-TkV1wm5G3fmVmvtdJfdVPVf0oG6sVsmHeBkhmGYIS6JvTNu18G9FduTJ5AX5UXDGntTE8qTEeT6opkJaZ6bKKol9t13EVB7Zd7ajme1orSb1mrvMGJ3mENj_3hGbufNA/s1600/Hannibal2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-VOyybqjN0-TkV1wm5G3fmVmvtdJfdVPVf0oG6sVsmHeBkhmGYIS6JvTNu18G9FduTJ5AX5UXDGntTE8qTEeT6opkJaZ6bKKol9t13EVB7Zd7ajme1orSb1mrvMGJ3mENj_3hGbufNA/s1600/Hannibal2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Anyway, Fishburne wants a mental health study done on Dancy to make sure he can handle the job, and who does he find for the job? <i>Freaking Hannibal Lecter himself</i>! So now we have this unstable guy investigating a serial killer with none other than the king of serial killers at his side! It was twisted and brilliant, especially when Hannibal gives Dancy breakfast and as a viewer you're screaming at him not to eat anything that whack job offers. Plus I'm not sure I'll be able to eat any red meat for a month or so after this episode.</div>
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There are some other scenes that really delivered the story well, but I don't want to mention them here as some of you may have the show waiting for you on your DVR. If that's the case and you're debating whether or not the show is worth watching, I'm here to tell you that it is.</div>
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I'm totally looking forward to this new show and anxious to see what else the writers have in store. Did I mention they're going to have Gillian Anderson appear on a future episode? I may have fangirled and freaked out when I saw that. This is definitely one of those spin-offs I'm glad came to life.</div>
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~Jen</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-51096721170398358382013-03-26T07:29:00.000-04:002013-03-26T13:15:21.949-04:00Teaser Tuesday: Even Villains Fall in Love by Liana BrooksAfter taking a week off I'm back to bring you a hot new tease. And when I say hot I mean it. This week's tease comes from Liana, an author who would also love to be part of a roller derby team just bad as I would. Wait to read her tease and you'll understand why this book sounds so HOT!!! Are you ready for a good tease that can also be evil?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Synopsis:</span></b> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A super villain at the top of his game must choose between the world he wants and the woman he loves. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If you believe the rumors you know that Doctor Charm, the wickedly sexy super villain, retired in shame seven years ago after his last fight with the super hero Zephyr Girl. The fact that the charming Evan Smith—father of four and husband of the too-beautiful-to-be-real Tabitha—bears a resemblance to the defeated Doctor is pure coincidence. And, please, ignore the minions. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Everything is perfect in the Smith household, until Tabitha announces her return to work as a super hero. Evan was hoping to keep her distracted until after he rigged the 2012 presidential election, but—genius that he is—Evan has a backup plan. In his basement lab, Evan has a machine whose sole purpose is keeping Tabitha hungry for him. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But children and labs don’t mix. The machine is broken, and Tabitha storms out, claiming she no longer knows him. World domination takes a back seat to meeting his daughters’ demands to get Mommy back right now. This time his genius isn’t going to be enough—he’s going to need both his evil alter-ego, and the blooming super abilities of his children to save his wife. But even his most charming self might not be enough to save their marriage.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b>~Tease~</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<i>I knew from the first
time I saw my wife that I wanted her naked. Of course, seven minutes later I
wanted revenge. It wasn’t that she had handed me my first defeat or ruined my
chances for world domination that year, it was the way she kissed me good-bye.
She sent my head spinning, then walked away as if I were the least important
person in the world. Once my arm healed, I stole some new equipment, cloned
some new minions, and I felt a little different. I wanted revenge, with a side
order of naked.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
Across the dinner table, Tabitha devoured him with dark,
ocean-blue eyes. She put a bite of lettuce in her mouth, full lips pursing
around it. Eating salad never looked so good. Her tongue darted out to lick
away a stray drop of dressing. She winked at him, promising with every move to
do the same to him. “It’s almost bedtime,” she said, her voice husky and
luscious. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“I don’t wanna go to bed!” one of the quads screamed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“What about cake? Don’t we get birthday cake?” another asked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
Evan winked back at his wife from the far side of the table,
separated by a few feet and four, precocious just-turned-five-year olds, all as
stunning as their mother with big, round eyes and honey-colored hair that fell
in loose curls meant to trap hairbrushes and sticky substances.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
He had to peek at the eyes to see who was talking. Maria had
green eyes, Angela’s eyes were blue like Tabitha’s, Delila’s eyes were brown
like his, and Blessing—their stillborn who miraculously survived—had purple
eyes. The waif in question had blue eyes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“Angela,” Evan said, “after dinner it’s pajama time, and then
story time.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“Mommy doesn’t have a bedtime!” Angela wailed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
Tabitha winked at him again. “Tell you what, tonight Mommy
will go to bed the same time you do. Right after we eat cake.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
She leaned over to give Angela a hug.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
All Evan could see was the deep V plunge of her tight blue
shirt. Oh, yeah. Crime didn’t always pay, but altering someone’s moral compass
sure put the O’s back in the bedroom. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
The cake was split into fourths, equal parts purple, white,
green, and blue so each girl could have her favorite color in the cake. Baking
four cakes was unreasonable, there weren’t any grandparents left to celebrate
with, and neighbors had an annoying habit of asking uncomfortable questions.
Saying little things like, “You look just like Doctor Charm! Do you remember
him? Whatever happened to that guy? Do you know how hard it is to put together
a good Villains Vs. Heroes fantasy league without<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
him?” made for awkward evenings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
So they had a quiet family party. Cake, then presents, after
which he hurried the girls off to bed so he could read Dilly Duck’s ABCs in
record time before rushing to the bedroom, hoping to<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
catch Tabitha still in the shower. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
She was already out and wearing a blue satin robe that caressed
her skin in exactly the way he wanted to. Rose-scented candles cast sensuous
shadows on the walls.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
Tabitha turned, lips curved in an inviting smile. Long fingers
twined with the sash of her robe. She tossed her honey-blonde hair in the way
she always did when she was about to argue, posing with feet apart and one hand
casually resting on her waist. “Sweetie, we need to talk.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
Evan wiped grease-stained hands on his jeans as he forced a
smile. “Sure, babes, anything you want.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“Really?” She slunk forward, all sinewy limbs and doe eyes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“Promise?” Tabitha nuzzled his nose. One hand flirted up the
back of his neck to play with his hair. The other traveled downward, right to
his zipper.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
Oh, yes, the little Morality Machine in the basement was
working just fine. Another thirty, maybe forty years of this and he’d consider
retiring. Or turning the machine down so his wife wasn’t quite a sex kitten
every day of the week. Maybe only days with Y in them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“Sweetie?” She nibbled his ear. “I want to go back to work.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“What?” Evan actually pushed himself away from her, something
he wasn’t sure was possible in any other circumstance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
Tabitha tucked her chin and pouted.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“Tabby-cat, I love you, but work? I’ve got my...stuff...in the
lab. I’m busy. And we can’t afford daycare for the girls. We’re barely making
ends meet as it is. Do you really want to go back to being Zephyr Girl? Crime
fighting is a game for the young, baby. You’re not nineteen anymore.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“I’m twenty-nine. A very—” Her hips pressed against his tight
jeans just so”—very healthy twenty-nine.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
He shivered at her touch. “You’re cheating.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“I want to do this, Evan.” She ground against the thick denim.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
“You can do me all you want, baby.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b>{End of Tease}</b></span></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Find Even Villains Fall in Love</span></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MyStyle">
Author Website * http://www.lianabrooks.com/</div>
<div class="MyStyle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.breathlesspress.com/even-villains-fall-love" target="_blank">http://www.breathlesspress.com/even-villains-fall-love</a></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Even-Villains-Fall-Heroes-ebook/dp/B007RZBM6M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364295841&sr=1-1&keywords=even+villains+fall+in+love" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/even-villains-fall-in-love-liana-brooks/1111299457?ean=2940033204205" target="_blank">BarnesandNoble.com</a></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Even-Villains-Fall-Love-Heroes/book-Q3amxYDA2EuShCryJ6BoTA/page1.html?s=1whKCVY59Eq6dmHb_NMGOw&r=1" target="_blank">Kobobooks.com</a></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: center;">
iBooks</div>
<div class="MyStyle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPitsFC89FmMDrJEnR6RyoFMPGkEOs-hx9J239-1hA8NFnsEdKuL32sz3S-ngN5sPUrLDAHTiMXI1pldxM2Jb48H99fGR_Mr16FRqCBMWDhr7Ae4Klzz4Koe71UPR1oy4GQhrun18F210/s1600/Liana+Profile+Pic-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPitsFC89FmMDrJEnR6RyoFMPGkEOs-hx9J239-1hA8NFnsEdKuL32sz3S-ngN5sPUrLDAHTiMXI1pldxM2Jb48H99fGR_Mr16FRqCBMWDhr7Ae4Klzz4Koe71UPR1oy4GQhrun18F210/s200/Liana+Profile+Pic-1.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
Liana Brooks was born in San Diego, California. Years later she was disappointed to learn that The Shire was not some place she could move to, nor was Rider of Rohan an acceptable career choice. Studying marine biology so she could play with sharks seemed to be the only alternative. After college Liana settled down to work as a full-time author and mother because logical career progression is something that happens to other people. When she grows up, Liana wants to be an Evil Overlord and take over the world. </div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
In the meantime, she writes sci-fi and SFR in between trips to the beach. She can be found wearing colorful socks on the Emerald Coast, or online at www.lianabrooks.com.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: left;">
You can also find Liana Brooks here: <span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">* </span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Liana's Twitter Page *</span><a href="https://twitter.com/LianaBrooks" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank"> https://twitter.com/#!/LianaBrooks</a></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
Liana's FB Fanpage *<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liana-Brooks/278779308851471" target="_blank"> https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liana-Brooks/278779308851471</a><span id="goog_791120945"></span><span id="goog_791120946"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
<div class="MyStyle" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
</div>
<div class="MyStyle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
Liana's GoodReads Author Bio* <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5804096.Liana_Brooks" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5804096.Liana_Brooks</a></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MyStyle">
GoodReads Page for EVFIL* <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13570455-even-villains-fall-in-love" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13570455-even-villains-fall-in-love</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
~Maria</div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-70321718681031401052013-03-12T13:35:00.000-04:002013-03-16T08:00:46.164-04:00Teaser Tuesday: Splinter by London Cole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yay it's Tuesday, which means it's time for a new tease to tickle your reading senses. This week's tease comes from a good friend of Jen and mine. We both met London on Twitter and bonded over Rum and beers. Who better to share a drink with than someone you've met on Twitter. Get ready and enjoy this week's tease. Trust me when I say this tease will have you on the edge of your seat.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquns9uMxi86KWrOqGWMnwKnhrvEaz1C_VmZNkcNIbQ29rhm66zl8PfS9Lgye3xjIuqrcfG5nZscBha8BLS3nGmoQbx5mcNf-OCaibeblB8NXXQPQ3kX7GcruugRAUWDsBra5mh4oUvfc/s1600/splinter5.3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquns9uMxi86KWrOqGWMnwKnhrvEaz1C_VmZNkcNIbQ29rhm66zl8PfS9Lgye3xjIuqrcfG5nZscBha8BLS3nGmoQbx5mcNf-OCaibeblB8NXXQPQ3kX7GcruugRAUWDsBra5mh4oUvfc/s320/splinter5.3.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Synopsis:</span></b> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Seventeen
year-old Acquisitions Specialist Drake Adair is legendary at his job: he can
obtain anything from anyone and from anywhere, without getting caught. At
least, he’s never been caught before.</span></div>
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<br />
This time things go differently. He ends up on the run from the enemy Guild and
takes refuge in a cave, only to become trapped in a pit in the back of the
cave. He might be the only living human in there, but he’s not alone.<br />
<br />
Kelsie Blake, Drake's roommate and closest friend since she fled her filicidal
father, has secrets. Secrets she keeps even from Drake. Sneaking outside the
Gates into the wild, she risks everything for a little excitement. Her lies now
threaten everything she cares about most in her life.<br />
<br />
Drake unearths a plot by an enemy Guild to tear apart life as he knows it. The
very people closest to him may be pawns in the grisly scheme, leaving Kelsie
and Drake with no one to turn to as they struggle to find answers before it's
too late.<br />
<br />
Set eighty years after World War III, Kelsie and Drake pair up to protect the
only life they know in a harsh and unforgiving world. They must each come to
grips with his abilities, her secrets, and their mixed feelings for each other.
Will they make it? Or will the very foundations of their lives be ripped from
beneath them.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">~Tease~</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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CHAPTER ONE<o:p></o:p></div>
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::DRAKE:: <o:p></o:p></div>
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IT’S NOT LIKE I’VE never fallen into a pit before, but this
time was different. This time I was running for my life through a pitch-black
cave when the ground disappeared.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Something crunched when I landed. I
couldn’t tell what I’d broken. Part of me or something else.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Giving myself a pat-down to check
for broken bones, I decided I was intact and hopped to my feet to shake it off.
I cursed and mourned the loss of my favorite flashlight. I’d been running full
tilt through the dense woods at night before finding the cave that led to this
hole.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
With cautious steps, I began
inspecting the pit. I was pretty sure I’d fallen around four meters. It was
approximately five meters across and roughly round. I didn’t find any other
holes to be worried about falling into. I also felt safer knowing that the men
chasing me wouldn’t be able to get to me except through the same tunnel I’d
come down, thus giving me a clear warning of their approach through the cramped
passage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I headed back to where I’d landed.
Something round like a large rock turned under my foot and sent me sprawling
backwards.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
“Smooth, Drake. Real smooth,” I muttered under my breath. I
still wasn’t sure someone hadn’t followed me into the cave in the hillside and
didn’t want to make too much noise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
When I landed on the pit floor this
time, I noticed something under my hands. Feeling around for one of the
objects, I picked it up and ran my fingers down the length. I knew instantly
from the texture and weight what it was. A bone. A human bone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I tossed it and heard the clacking
sound that only bones impacting other bones can make. It’s enough to get your
skin crawling, even if there was light.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Climbing to my knees, I felt around for what had tripped me.
It was on my hit-list.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Using my hands to blindly explore the floor around me, my
right hand found the culprit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Holding the semi-round object, I
inspected it by touch and quickly found two rounded holes with a jagged
triangular hole below them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Great, a human skull and I’m surrounded by bones likely
belonging to the pit’s last victims. That’s a comforting thought.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Holding my breath to allow for
absolute silence, I listened for any noises that would signal pursuit. It was
hard to hear much over the pounding of my heart, but I heard the dogs howling
in the distance. I didn’t worry too much about them, but it seemed safest to
remain here for now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
After being on the run for the last
forty-eight hours straight, the exhaustion was catching up. It was only a
half-hour hike through the woods to get back to my home on Sven Guild land
where I could relax, but I wanted to give my pursuers and their dogs time to
lose my trail.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Setting the skull down next to me,
I started searching for my pack, whose contents had put me in this sticky
situation. Finding it, I pulled the pack to my side, hearing countless bones
and skulls clunking hollowly together as the bag dragged across them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Only minutes before, I had been
running from Briln Water Guild guards and their dogs. I’d started to get
worried for the first time that I wasn’t going to make it back to safety before
they caught up to me, when I saw the small cave entrance peeking out from
behind a bush at the base of a hill. I’d ducked into it, losing light
immediately and running blind. Crawling, to be more precise. Whatever was ahead
had to be better than the pursuit behind me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Oddly, the air didn’t smell. At
least, not any more than a dank cave. I still wrinkled my nose; it was
disturbing with all of the bones around. I resigned myself to being stuck in
the dark for a few hours. Picking up a skull, I started turning it around in my
hands.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Well, looks like it’s just you and
me tonight. I sure hope you didn’t die because you couldn’t find a way out of
this hole, but I’ll worry about that in the morning,” I said aloud to the skull
in a hoarse whisper.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Putting off rest any longer was
futile. This was as safe a place as any to catch some sleep. I set the skull
down beside me and shivered as my finger grazed the teeth. Besides, it was too
dark for me to find my way out now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Maybe in the morning there would be
a little light, allowing my escape. I rested my head back against the wall of
the pit, closed my eyes, and fell asleep to the aroma of musty, stale air.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
CHAPTER TWO<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
::KELSIE:: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
WHERE IS HE? HE was sometimes gone for days, but always
contacted me at some point. Drake had told me he’d be back in a day at most. It
was supposed to be a quick snatch-and-grab, going to a location he had been to
numerous times. It didn’t make it any less dangerous though, and he always
turned his communicator off while on “missions,” as he liked to call them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I tossed aside the project I’d been
working on. My head just wasn’t in it. I couldn’t focus. I was exhausted from
not having slept well the last few nights. This was a new feeling for me,
worrying. I’d never been a worrier before, and I didn’t like it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I got up and went outside the
Development facility where I worked for a break. My third break that hour.
After a few minutes I came back in and made a pot of tea to try and relax me. I
looked at the dark liquid swirling in the cup, longing for a dash of milk. I
tried to remember what it tasted like, milk. Cows were nearly extinct in this
post-apocalyptic world and getting a hold of milk was more impossible than
getting clean meat. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Here at the Development facility,
where we took what the Acquisitions Specialists – Ackspecs – brought in and
found uses for it, we had developed a substance from vegetable proteins that
almost had a texture like ground meat. When seasoned properly it could almost
taste like meat, too. Almost. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I shook my head to clear the
longing out. Immediately my stomach sank, and I was filled with worry again. I
went back to the worktable where I’d set down the half-drawn schematics for my
new project and picked them up, setting my tea next to me on the chair.
Rebecca, the lead Developer that I apprenticed under, had a strict “no
beverages or food on the work surfaces, unless it is work related” policy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Kelsie, dear. What’s wrong? You
haven’t had any production all day. I can’t see that you’ve even made any
progress,” Rebecca said, having come up behind me to look over my shoulder.
“Actually, that diode goes over there, as you well know. Goodness, you designed
this project after all.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I realized suddenly that my arms
were sore and stiff. I was still holding the unfinished project up in front of
me. The way my arms felt, I must have been holding it up for a while, lost in
thought. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Wow, that’s a very stupid mistake.
I’m sorry.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Rebecca put a motherly hand on my
shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I know. It’s very unlike you.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“I’m having a problem focusing.
Drake’s been gone for days; he’s never gone this long without giving me a
detailed plan first. I wouldn’t even know where to start looking for him.”
Unwanted tears started welling in the corners of my eyes. I hurried to blink
them away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Rebecca gave my shoulder another
squeeze. “I’m sure he’s all right. Drake is very much like his father – he can
survive anything.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“I know; I hope so. He’s all I
have. The closest thing I have to a family.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“I know, sweetie. How ’bout you
take the rest of the day off.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I turned to look at her to see if
she was serious. “Really? Thank you. I’m so sorry for being useless.” I really
was. Normally I could hold it together better. I was ashamed of falling apart
like this in public. I was the daughter of a Magistrate, after all. A
psychopathic Magistrate who had gone crazy and tried to kill his own daughter,
but still, a Magistrate. With that memory, the floodgates opened and piping hot
tears poured out of my eyes in a torrent as I made it to the door. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
My cheeks burning with the unwanted
tears, I hurried down the narrow street to the house I shared with Drake. I
took a different route than normal to avoid everyone. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
It took me directly along the path
at the base of the tall wall that surrounded our small town. Most people of the
town, known as a Guild, stayed well clear of the wall for fear of seeing what
was on the other side. I walked quickly to the house to check if Drake was home
yet. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
When I got home and found the house
empty, I decided to do the only thing that really clears my head. Creature
hunting. The excitement and rush helps purge my mind: knowing that I could be
killed at any second if I let my guard down, knowing that Drake might catch me.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I stepped into some tight but
stretchy pants and a leather shirt. I’d never liked leather, but it acts as a
light armor and does a good job protecting me against mutant claws and teeth. I
pulled my short hair back in a ponytail and tied it up. Next, I slipped on a
pair of gum-soled shoes. I put a few thin throwing knives into my belt and
fixed the sheath to my thigh. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Now the main weapon: a short,
double-edged sword. This I hung in its scabbard on my back. The handle stuck up
perfectly behind my right shoulder. I had designed the scabbard and sword so
that I could draw it in the blink of an eye, yet it stayed out of the way as well.
Sometimes a gun would be nicer, but ammunition was hard to come by. It was just
easier to acquire a sword, and I never had to reload it. Lastly, I threw on a
lightweight long-coat that covered my weapons and strange attire, and would
allow me to get through town without drawing attention. I would stash it once I
was outside the Gate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I stood in front of the mirror in
the bathroom to make sure I had everything on. For a moment I wished, for
perhaps the millionth time, that I had even a single hint about where to look
for Drake. All he had said was that he was going in deep to get a load of rare,
processed charcoal for the air filters we needed for Ash season. Said he had
stumbled onto a stash of it once, but this was the first chance he’d had to
retrieve it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I absentmindedly fingered the
jewelry hanging around my neck, pendant hovering just at the top of my
cleavage. It was a silver creature. I think it was called a dolphin, but
couldn’t be sure. All creatures like that were long since extinct. Drake had given
it to me a couple of years ago. He’d gotten it in one of the waste cities. I
had worn it every day since, especially when I went outside the Gates. It was
my lucky charm. Anytime I got myself into a bad situation, I would feel it
against my chest and it helped remind me of what Drake would do. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I was flooded with worry again. My
stomach balled up in a knot. I inhaled a deep breath and decided I was ready.
What I needed was to get this out of my mind; filling my veins with adrenaline
was the way to do just that. I needed to remind myself that I was tougher than
this. I was a skilled fighter. Killing mutants was something I did on a regular
basis. I was bad-ass. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Of course, no one else knew that.
It was my secret. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
After a cautious glance out the back door of my house to
make sure no one was around, I stepped out quickly and flattened myself to the
whitewashed wooden wall. It was still muddy out from the light acid rain we’d
gotten while I’d been at the Development facility, and mud clung to my boots. It
probably wasn’t necessary to be this cautious behind my house, since my back
door faced the tall wall that surrounded the whole Guild I lived in. No one
else wanted their house so near the wall – the strange noises that permeated
from the other side at night were disturbing. That meant that the only way that
anyone would see me back here was if they were virtually in the backyard. Which
would have been cause for alarm in and of itself. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Still, I was very cautious because
it wouldn’t be good to be caught. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I slipped silently across the
crushed rock path that led around the house. Sticking my head out past the
corner of the next house, I checked for people. Figuring everyone was still
inside from the rain, I darted out of my cover to cross the narrow path that we
called a street. My destination was a clump of small trees on the other side of
the street behind a business. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Footsteps crunched as I got to the
center of the street. A couple of women’s voices accompanied them. Not good.
Thinking fast, I dove for cover under a nearby porch. I quite literally mean
dove. Rocks and debris dug at my knees through my pants and cut into my bare
palms as my head narrowly missed a beam. I hit the side of the house under the
porch with a dull thump. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The pair of women walked right on
by down the street, apparently having been far too engrossed in their own
conversation to notice the sixteen-year-old girl diving under a porch. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Just as I breathed a sigh of
relief, the door above me opened, checking to see what the thump had been, no
doubt. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Hello? Anyone?” a gruff voice
asked as I watched through the gaps between the porch boards. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Not receiving an answer, the owner
of the voice walked out to the end of the deck and looked around the corner of
the house. He “humphed” and headed back inside. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Now I could breathe again. It might
seem crazy that I was going to this length to maintain secrecy. But it really
wasn’t. Everyone in our two-hundred person Guild had a job. You did the job you
were assigned or else they kicked you out of the Guild. Without a Guild, you
were pretty much as good as dead.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;"><b>{End of Tease}</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">Find Splinter at</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Splinter-Whisper-Walker-Series-ebook/dp/B00B3WOVTU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363108396&sr=8-1&keywords=Splinter+by+London+Cole" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/splinter-london-cole/1114192298?ean=2940016048741" target="_blank">BarnesandNoble.com</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Splinter/book-CedyEgRD20639xlgYZQC6g/page1.html?s=PYvoYcba70aHTRFql7ItMg&r=1" target="_blank">Kobobooks.com</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large; text-indent: 0.5in;"> About the Author</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">London Cole is an NA and YA Paranormal author living in various
places around the US. When he's not
writing he can be found doing laps in his pool, playing a rock concert, or any
of a variety of outdoor extreme sports.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">London's debut <i>Splinter</i> is a Dystopian Paranormal based on the island he was
raised on, Whidbey Island. Only, it's the island eighty years after the Third
World War, and everything is a lot different...and a lot meaner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="background: white;"><b>Visit London Cole at his blog:</b> </span></span><a href="http://www.londoncole.com/" target="_blank">http://www.londoncole.com</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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~Maria</div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-35312444327446300602013-03-05T11:55:00.000-05:002013-03-06T17:20:06.165-05:00Teaser Tuesday: Heartbeat by Faith SullivanI'm so excited to bring you the next tease, mostly because I've started reading Heartbeat this week. I met Faith Sullivan on Twitter and have quickly become Twitter friends. I hope you guys enjoy this tease as much as I did. So get ready for your tease:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FtGBdVoopm4-yXOEcaaE8_MRNSy0dOkrU88aNiV5qcQZfT9y723IOyert6aMvtjOoBmFXyB4Ky6dYSamE7FC9vIHeM7MqwVPpYXkdmLGMqVffubQZpJilFn7vmg6CsoP1_w-PJ9ayLI/s1600/cover_final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FtGBdVoopm4-yXOEcaaE8_MRNSy0dOkrU88aNiV5qcQZfT9y723IOyert6aMvtjOoBmFXyB4Ky6dYSamE7FC9vIHeM7MqwVPpYXkdmLGMqVffubQZpJilFn7vmg6CsoP1_w-PJ9ayLI/s320/cover_final.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Synopsis: </span></b><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Katie and Adam are afraid of love.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;"></span></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;">
</span></span>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;">She carries the scars of a first kiss gone terribly wrong.</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;">
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He uproots his life to flee the stinging betrayal of an ex.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When trust is no longer an option, all romance is suspect.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As a young paramedic, Adam rescues people for a living but cannot save himself. Katie, just out of high school, struggles with a tortured home life she cannot escape.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Everything changes when Katie hops into the front seat of Adam's ambulance. Overwhelmed by what they are feeling, neither possess the confidence to make the first move. They walk away from each other, full of regret. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To find her, Adam risks his future. To be with him, Katie sacrifices her security. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Little do they know, what little time they do have, is being measured by a heartbeat that is slowly dying out.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><b>~Tease~</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="SectionBreaks" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="SectionBreaks" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b>Chapter One<br />
<i>Katie</i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Caudex","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
CRASH!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The force of the
impact is jarring, but it doesn’t completely startle me. A split second before
the SUV hurtles into Grandma’s driver’s side door, I catch a glimpse of it in
my peripheral vision. Grandma isn’t so lucky.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Are you okay?” I
gasp.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“I think so,” she
says, moving to unfasten her seat belt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The driver of the
SUV is already outside of his vehicle inspecting the damage. It is a miracle
Grandma isn’t trapped behind the steering wheel. She is able to open her dented
car door. She struggles to stand, wincing in pain. The passenger in the SUV is
already on his cell phone, probably calling 911. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I don’t want to
get out of the car. It is a February afternoon. The temperature is hovering in
the teens. The wind is whipping through the movie theater parking lot as snow
flurries begin to fall. I crouch down in my seat. <i>Why did this have to happen?</i> I don’t want to deal with a guy who
drives like Rambo, taking down every elderly woman in his path. Maybe if I
close my eyes, it will all go away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
A speeding police
car <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Michelle" datetime="2013-01-14T18:23">with</ins></span>
lights flashing arrives on the scene. <i>Do
they really need to make such an entrance? They probably just left the donut
shop down the road. No need to give <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Michelle" datetime="2013-01-14T18:23">in</ins></span> <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Michelle" datetime="2013-01-14T18:23">to</ins></span>
the sugar rush.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Grandma slowly
sits back in her seat as Rambo’s father comes over to our car.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Ma’am, are you
all right?” he asks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“I don’t know…I’m
awfully sore,” she says, rubbing the back of her neck.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“It’s not a good
idea for you to be moving around. Why don’t you just sit back and stay as still
as you can. The police are here now. Let me go and talk to them,” he says.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
He strides into
the wind head-on as his son bends down to analyze the damage to his front
fender. <i>Really? He can’t even come over
and see if the old lady he hit is okay? He has to send his dad? Way to be a
man.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I lean forward and
open the glove compartment to find the insurance information and registration
card. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Here comes
someone now. Are you able to roll down the window, Grandma?” I ask.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“I think so…let me
see,” she says, hitting the power button.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“How are you
doing, ladies? Anyone seriously hurt?” asks a female police officer, her blonde
curly hair blowing around her head like a tornado as the wind begins to
increase.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Well, I feel a
little banged up,” Grandma replies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Look straight
ahead, and keep your head against the headrest. Do not move a muscle. I don’t
even want to know what happened. We’re going to give you an incident report
that you can fill out later and drop off at the station next week. For now,
just sit tight until the ambulance arrives,” the officer says with practiced
authority.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“I don’t think I
need an ambulance,” Grandma says.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Grandma, it’s
better if you go and get checked out at the hospital. Just to be sure,” I
insist.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Listen to your
granddaughter. We’ll all feel better if you let them examine you,” the officer
responds.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Okay, if you
think it’s necessary,” Grandma sighs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Try to relax. I’m
going to talk with the other driver. Remember, don’t move,” the officer
commands.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Yes, officer,”
Grandma replies meekly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“Well, I guess they
don’t want our paperwork,” I grumble. <i>What
a mess.</i> We just wanted to get out and enjoy a movie without having it end
in disaster. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
It is the first
time in a week that I <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Michelle" datetime="2013-01-14T18:28">have</ins></span> left the house. I’m still a
little weak after what seemed like a never-ending bout with the flu. Last
weekend, I was in the emergency room sick as a dog. Looks like this weekend is
going to be more of the same. Except this time, I won’t be the patient.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
This wouldn’t have
happened if I had been driving. But the wind was so fierce that Grandma didn’t
want me getting sick again. So she told me to wait at the entrance of the
theater and she would pick me up. I ran from the theater entrance to the car,
yet <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Michelle" datetime="2013-01-14T18:29">I
</ins></span>still felt chilled to the bone. I didn’t notice anything amiss
with Grandma. Everything seemed fine, until she plowed through an intersection
without stopping. That’s all it took to land us in this predicament. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I look up as the
ambulance pulls into the parking lot. A lanky guy with scruffy blonde hair and
a face full of stubble jumps out…without a jacket…wearing short sleeves. <i>Is he crazy?</i> We’re practically living on
an ice planet, and he’s dressed like it’s a summer day. <i>And he’s going to be the one taking care of my grandmother?</i> I think
he’s the one who needs to get his head examined.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><b>{End of Tease}</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;">Find Heartbeat at</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;"></span></span></div>
<div>
Kindle buy link (99¢):</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heartbeat-ebook/dp/B00B4Y9296" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Heartbeat-ebook/dp/B00B4Y9296</a></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;"></span></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;">Paperback buy link ($8.99):</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;">
</span></span>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heartbeat-Faith-Sullivan/dp/1482016834" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Heartbeat-Faith-Sullivan/dp/1482016834</a></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;">
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;"></span></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;">Goodreads link:</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;">
</span></span>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17208265-heartbeat" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17208265-heartbeat</a></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;">
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;">About the Author</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;">I really hate talking about myself. My goal is to have the shortest author bio imaginable. I would much rather have a conversation with my readers.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Email me at faithsullivanwrites@hotmail.com </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px;">Follow me on Twitter at <b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/_FaithSullivan_" target="_blank">@_FaithSullivan_</a></b></span></span></div>
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<b>Visit Faith Sullivan at her blog:</b> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://faithsullivanwrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://faithsullivanwrites.blogspot.com</a></b><br />
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~Maria</div>
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</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-78124049267778146342013-02-26T05:52:00.000-05:002013-02-27T13:42:30.483-05:00Teaser Tuesday: Painted Faces by L.H. CoswayAre you ready for a brand new tease? This week's tease comes from one of the first authors I've ever met on Twitter, and since then I have become a huge fan of her work. I had the pleasure of reading Painted Faces, and a month later I still think of this beautiful love story. L.H. Cosway has created a love story like I've never read before. All the characters stay with you as if they are your friends in your real life. Here just read this week's tease.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpsXXjhh4PeZqZR3aqotET_RVJq0ICsVFJbqismgVaO5px9YtgfeXsoNS8l4_IdJn0a5kKWVuycIc1vF3KyaCiPyBn7ZsIwhtfIu40maEJz2Bz2rC2hAycP3NBeoXeQdq4pP-jKTOLhs/s1600/paintedfaces2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpsXXjhh4PeZqZR3aqotET_RVJq0ICsVFJbqismgVaO5px9YtgfeXsoNS8l4_IdJn0a5kKWVuycIc1vF3KyaCiPyBn7ZsIwhtfIu40maEJz2Bz2rC2hAycP3NBeoXeQdq4pP-jKTOLhs/s320/paintedfaces2.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Synopsis:</b></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Come forth with an open mind, for an unconventional tale of love..</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Dublin native Freda Wilson considers herself to be an acquired taste. She has a habit of making offensive jokes and speaking her mind too often. She doesn't have the best track record with first impressions, which is why she gets a surprise when her new neighbour Nicholas takes a shine to her. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicholas is darkly handsome, funny and magnetic, and Freda feels like her black and white existence is plunged into a rainbow of colour when she's around him. When he walks into a room he lights it up, with his quick wit and charisma. He is a travelling cabaret performer, but Freda doesn't know exactly what that entails until the curtains pull back on his opening night. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">She is gob-smacked and entirely intrigued to see him take to the stage in drag. Later on, Nicholas asks her if she would like to become his show assistant. Excited by the idea, she jumps at the chance. Soon she finds herself immersed in a world of wigs, make-up and high heels, surrounded by pretty men and the temptation of falling for her incredibly beautiful employer. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In this story of passion and sexual discovery, Nicholas and Freda will contend with jealousy, emotional highs and lows, and the kind of love that only comes around once in a lifetime.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><b>~Tease~</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Chapter One</span></span></h1>
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<i>Dublin, Ireland, Present day.</i></div>
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The mascara stings my eyes as it drips down my cheeks. It's a good thing I'm not wearing lipstick or I'd look like some sort of circus clown. A lunatic escaped from the asylum perhaps. I could certainly give Alice Cooper a run for his money.</div>
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A sudden downpour of rain is soaking through my clothes, leaving my skin full of goose pimples, my curly hair a soggy mess and my boots squeaking with the liquid that has gotten inside. I'm the picture of a modern woman who doesn't own a car and doesn't possess the forethought to carry an umbrella.</div>
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<span lang="en-GB">This is what we call summer in Ireland ladies and gents. One minute the sun is beating down on you, making you all sweaty, and the next it's lashing rain. Either way, you're going to end up damp. I'm carrying what feels like about a million plastic shopping bags, though in reality it's only three. The bags are most likely adding to my appearance of being an escaped psychiatric patient. Is it just me, or do the psychologically unstable always seem to carry plastic bags around?</span></div>
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I live in an apartment block just off Aungier Street. It's a bit of a dive truth be told, but at least it's central. I fumble for the keys in my handbag which is slung over my shoulder, as a couple of the local kids walk by me, snickering at my struggle. I want to tell them to go fuck themselves, but of course societal rules prevent adults such as myself from swearing at children. I suppress a snort at the idea, it would again add to the façade I'm unconsciously cultivating of being off my trolley.</div>
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Finally, I manage to retrieve the keys from their hiding spot at the very end of my bag - wouldn't you know - beneath a half empty bottle of spring water and a half eaten bar of chocolate. I live on the third floor and the building doesn't have an elevator. I have to trudge my way up the stairs, soggy clothes, plastic bags, open handbag (since I'm too lazy to zip it back up after finding the keys) and all.</div>
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As I mentioned, the block is a bit of a dive and I don't have the nicest of neighbours, so I always tend to hurry getting from the front entrance up to my apartment. Just as I'm slotting in my keys, the door from the recently empty apartment next to mine flies open.</div>
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I'm curious to see who my new neighbour is this time. A single mother with three little brat kids who'll make an unholy racket day and night perhaps? Knowing my luck it'll be something like that. Only it isn't, instead a very smartly dressed man emerges. He has a crisp white shirt on, the first two buttons casually undone, expensive black trousers and black dress shoes. Well, well, well, perhaps Nora and I are going to have a respectable neighbour for once.</div>
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<span lang="en-GB">Myself and my best friend Nora have been living together for almost three years now in our two bedroom apartment in the city. </span><span lang="en-GB"><i>Not</i></span><span lang="en-GB"> as glamorous as it sounds, let me tell you. In those three years we've lived next to a junkie couple, a single mother with two obnoxious children, and a young husband and wife with a baby who, when the baby wasn't crying the building down, would have noisy rows at two o'clock in the morning. The couple moved out about three weeks ago, providing myself and Nora with some much deserved peace and quiet.</span></div>
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The man I'm currently staring at looks like he belongs in this place about as much as an Indian tiger belongs in the Dublin Zoo. He has jet black hair, sort of midway between long and short, ice blue eyes and a classically beautiful face. His physique is lightly muscled in that kind of athletic way, and when he smiles at me politely his whole face lights up. His eyes are all shines and sparkles.</div>
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“<span lang="en-GB">Hello there,” he says, shutting the door behind him and locking it with his key. His accent is mildly Australian, not Irish. He steps toward me, holding his hand out for me to give it a shake. I give him a look that's probably somewhere between confused and exasperated, as I clearly can't get my hands free for the shake he's waiting on.</span></div>
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“<span lang="en-GB">You must be Freda, your flatmate Nora invited me in for a cup of tea earlier. Lovely girl.” He says.</span></div>
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Oh, I'm sure she did. Nora is quite the opportunist when it comes to men, and I'd say she thought this fellow was a fine specimen. Even within this short conversation, I've noticed something sort of electric about his personality, something addictive. His eyes pull me in, like they hold secrets that could make my boring old life so much more exciting. You don't come across men this alluring very often.</div>
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“<span lang="en-GB">Fred, you can call me Fred,” I tell him stupidly, placing the plastic bags down on the floor so that I can finally shake his hand.</span></div>
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<span lang="en-GB">Our palms touch, our fingers entwine, and I can't believe I'm admitting this, but the tiniest tingle goes through me at the contact. Of course, he doesn't know that, and thank fuck, because he'd probably think I was some kind of a pervert. I mean, who exactly gets tingles when they shake a person's hand? You might as well say, </span><span lang="en-GB"><i>Hello, you'll be starring in my dirty dreams tonight, Mr Blue Eyes</i></span><span lang="en-GB">. Not creepy in the slightest. Perhaps it's been too long since I last had a boyfriend.</span></div>
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I let go first and try to ignore his magnetism. He laughs, a wonderfully low sound that vibrates through to my toes. “Okay Fred, you can call me Vivica.”</div>
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Our eyes connect and we both smile at his joke. It's funny, but not funny enough to solicit a laugh. “Cool, if we become close friends can I call you Viv?” I respond.</div>
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He mock flicks his hair over his shoulder, a very feminine gesture, and puts on a sweet Marilyn Monroe voice. “You can call me whatever you like, Frederick.” The gesture suddenly opens my eyes to a certain fey aspect in his demeanour, maybe he's gay. He certainly dresses well enough.</div>
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“<span lang="en-GB">Why thanks, I'll keep that in mind, Viv. It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you're finding the place to your liking.”</span></div>
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“<span lang="en-GB">Oh it's a palace fit for a queen, Freddie, a real find.”</span></div>
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I take note of his obvious sarcasm. He still faces me, walking backwards down the hall, twirling his keys around his fingers. Clearly he has somewhere he needs to be.</div>
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I laugh. “Well, that's good to hear. Drop in for tea any time.”</div>
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<span lang="en-GB">He nods and leers at my wet top, where my purple D-cup bra is blatantly visible through my cream t-shirt. “Damn it,” he says humorously. “Did I miss the wet t-shirt competition, </span><span lang="en-GB"><i>again</i></span><span lang="en-GB">?” The way he's staring at my top makes me 99% sure he isn't gay.</span></div>
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“<span lang="en-GB">Ah you did I'm afraid, in Dublin we put on some great ones too. We all gather down by the river Liffey and dive in with our clothes on. When we climb out the junkies on the board walk give us marks out of ten.”</span></div>
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He smirks at me. “If that's the case then you must have gotten an eleven. Sounds like a real classy affair Fred, I'll make sure I don't miss the next one.”</div>
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“<span lang="en-GB">Come along whenever you like. We always welcome newcomers.” I tell him, running with the joke.</span></div>
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He salutes me then, smiling at me fondly, and disappears around the corner. It's only at that moment that I realise he still hasn't told me his real name.</div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><b>{End of Tease}</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Find Painted Faces at</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Painted-Faces-ebook/dp/B00AOSEF9A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361834455&sr=8-2&keywords=painted+faces+by+l.h+cosway" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/painted-faces-lh-cosway/1114045028?ean=2940044196698" target="_blank">BarnesandNoble.com</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Painted-Faces/book-yc3KZb5WgEiahKU1mYilvw/page1.html?s=bPzlBgPT9ECsZA86zEARCA&r=1" target="_blank">Kobo.com</a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">About the Author</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px;">L.H. Cosway is a self-employed writer, editor and proofreader. She has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px;"><b>Visit L.H. Cosway at her blog:</b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><a href="http://lhcosway.blogspot.ie/" target="_blank">http://lhcosway.blogspot.ie</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-29161807820174224562013-02-25T14:07:00.001-05:002013-02-25T14:07:16.865-05:00Book Review: Beautiful Creatures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXQEclrCWXUO8zAJIeHtA3EEw5n-QQ613vsXE6SUwSTglxUqlDoX72h5ZjP08JNTB0qJXeIk3Ae39vXbXKKyAR67wpFyTwXl_XAjoadzPaoIV-mcyco1JeO0JB9hzMS46jfac6JRMjB8/s1600/Beautiful+Creatures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXQEclrCWXUO8zAJIeHtA3EEw5n-QQ613vsXE6SUwSTglxUqlDoX72h5ZjP08JNTB0qJXeIk3Ae39vXbXKKyAR67wpFyTwXl_XAjoadzPaoIV-mcyco1JeO0JB9hzMS46jfac6JRMjB8/s320/Beautiful+Creatures.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl</div>
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563 pages</div>
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<br /></div>
We've established the fact that I'm a paranormal junkie. That's why when I tried reading 'Beautiful Creatures' last year and couldn't get into it, I was extremely surprised. When I researched reviews on Goodreads, however, I discovered that I wasn't alone. A lot of other people said they had a hard time getting into the story and gave up on it. I still can't tell you what it was. Flat characters? Slow plot? Whatever it was, I had zero interest in continuing on.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/fSPqqKzHZtw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Fast forward to the movie trailers that were released later in the year, and I was seriously perplexed. Teen angst mixed with magic; what wasn't there to like? The movie looked extremely good and right up my alley, so I decided to give the book one last try.<br />
<br />
And I wasn't disappointed.<br />
<br />
At one point, I was so into the story that I had a hard time putting it down and spent the better part of a day reading. Part of the reason I'm not a fan of reading digital copies is that I never have any clue how many pages are in the book I'm reading. I was completely blown away to discover this one was over 500 pages long. I personally felt that it could've been cut down a little (especially the odd scene with the great aunts and the squirrels), but overall it was a great read. I already bought the next book in the series.<br />
<br />
When I review books, I like to keep it short and sweet as I hate giving out any kind of spoilers and I don't think it's necessary to rehash every scene. The story itself was very engaging - boy meets girl, girl is extremely weird and comes from an even stranger family, girl may be in danger, boy protects girl. Simple enough formula, yet really interesting and pretty unique as far as what I've read in the past. The action in the ending had me on the edge of my seat and there was enough going on with these characters that I really gave a damn how things turned out.<br />
<br />
So if you're into paranormal, I definitely recommend this one. Hopefully in the next week or so I can also say whether or not I think the movie is worth seeing. Based on the book and the trailers I've seen, I can pretty much guarantee that it will be worth the time.<br />
<br />
~JenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-66293157550494609972013-02-20T19:28:00.000-05:002013-02-20T19:28:30.221-05:00Yay We Were Nominated!!Both Jen and me have individually been nominated for the Liebster Award for our personal blogs, but now we have been nominated for the blog we co-author. We would like to thank Marisa Reichardt from one of my favorite blogs <a href="http://www.youngadultish.com/2013/01/ive-been-nominated.html" target="_blank">Young Adultish</a>. Thank you so much Marisa, we are so honored.<br />
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<a data-mce-href="http://mariaemonteiro.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/940034.jpg?w=200" href="http://mariaemonteiro.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/940034.jpg?w=200" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://mariaemonteiro.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/940034.jpg?w=200" data-mce-style="border: 0;" height="200" src="http://mariaemonteiro.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/940034.jpg?w=200" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></a><br />
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<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
The rules of the Liebster Award are as follows:</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator, list 11 random facts about yourself and create 11 questions for your nominees;</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
3. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen. (No tag backs)</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
4. Copy and Paste the blog award on your blog.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>11 Questions From Our Nominator</b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--></b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">What made you want to start a blog?</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i>We
basically started this blog because both Jen and I were horrible about
blogging on our own blog and thought if we had to share a blog with someone
else we both would have to blog.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">2.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;"> <span style="color: magenta;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Did you like high school? Why or why not?</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Maria</b>
~ <i>No I hated high school. I always felt out of place. I had a lot of friends,
but it was hard to be me. I had to pretend to like a certain style and certain
music to fit in. I didn’t really want to wear the baggy jeans or listen to rap
music. If my friends knew I loved rock music they would say I was trying to be
“white.” It was very frustrating. I also could not stand my teachers. If you
didn’t live in the right side of town and your parents was not part of the PTA
you were pretty much ignored. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Jen ~ </b><i>I actually adored high school. I was friends with a lot of people and a major social butterfly. My music tastes were almost the same as they were now - I hated boy bands and loved rock, rap and especially all the grunge bands that were so hot. My senior year I went at the fun a little too hard and did some things I regret, but for the most part it was a really happy, carefree time for me. I'm planning our big high school reunion this summer out on my farm and can't wait to reconnect with old friends!</i></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--></b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>How does reading a good book make you feel?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Maria</b>
~ <i>I love reading a book. Every time I start a new book it’s like I’m starting a
new life with new friends and a new guy to swoon over.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<b>Jen ~ </b><i>I totally get lost in a good book and actually separate myself from reality. It's a great way to escape. But I also fall into a little funk every time I finish one and it sometimes takes me days to recover.</i><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">How does a good writing session make you feel?</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Maria</b>
~ <i>It makes me feel so good. It’s just like when you finish working out. I feel
like closer to my goal.</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Jen ~ </b><i>there's nothing like it. I feel invincible, like I could accomplish everything. It puts me in an amazing mood and I have a hard time stopping!</i></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Name one song that instantly takes you back to a
memory and describe that memory.</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Maria
</b>~ <i>Candlebox’s song Far Behind. It reminds me of Woodstock 94. They were on stage
singing that song when I arrived. It was my first real concert. Every time I
hear it I remember the night sky, the smells and the excitement I felt being
there.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Jen ~ </b><i>I'm laughing at Maria for picking a memory from 1994. Every time I hear Nirvana's 'All Apologies' I remember when they played it at Lollapalooza also that year (when I was still young and dumb). Nirvana was supposed to appear but Kurt had just killed himself a few months earlier. The whole crowd sang and cried together. It was a brutal time in history for my generation. Seriously, imagine how today's teens would lose it if Justin Bieber killed himself. We were totally shocked.</i><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">6.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--></b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>Quote one of your favorite lines of writing--a
book, a poem or a song.</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Maria</b>~
<i>“Don’t you ever quit, Don’t you ever stop” from the song That Was a Crazy Game
of Poker by O.A.R. I always thinking about it when I do want to quit.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;">Jen ~</b> <i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Bitstream Charter, Times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">So I have to go with The Beastie Boys on this one. When MCA (Adam Yauch) became a Buddhist and realized how they degraded women earlier in their career (which did not offend me as I take song lyrics with a grain of salt), he wrote a line in 'Sure Shot' that said, "to all the mothers and the sister and the wives and friends: I want to offer my love and respect to the end". That line has stuck with me over the years. After MCA died I had "love and respect to the end" tattooed on my foot to remind me that's how I want to live my life in general, plus I felt it paid proper respect to MCA.</span></span></i><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">7.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Where is your favorite place to write?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Maria</b>~
<i>I have this amazing office with a big comfy couch. I hate sitting at a desk.</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Jen</b><i> ~ I'm with Maria on this one. After I quit my day job I vowed never to sit at a desk again. We have a large master bedroom with a comfy arm chair in the corner. It's so serene in there...I never write anywhere else.</i></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">8.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--></b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>What one moment in your life do you wish you
could relive?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Maria
</b>~ <i>My wedding day. I had the best time parting with family and friends. I loved
the feeling I had when I looked at my husband and knew I married my best
friend.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Jen</b> ~ <i>Having my 10 and 13 year-old as a baby and a toddler. They were so sweet and adorable for the most part back then. Now they talk back and sometimes don't like me.</i><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">9.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--></b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>What music do you listen to when you write?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Maria
</b>~ <i>Mostly rock music and jam bands. Right now I’m writing a story about your
first love so I’ve been listening to a lot of love music. Mostly 80’s love
songs.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Jen</b> ~ <i>It all depends on what my WIP is. With my last one it was really creepy music, like the soundtracks from Supernatural, Se7en and Fright Night. Otherwise it's a lot of alternative music like The Black Keys, Citizens!, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay, etc.</i><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>10.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;"> </span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>What are your top three favorite books of all
time?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Maria
</b>~ <i>Going Too Far and Forget You by Jennifer Echols, and Forever by Judy Bloom</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<b>Jen</b> ~ <i>This is a tough one! I would say 'Warm Bodies' by Isaac Marion, 'Full Dark No Stars' by Stephen King and 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' by J.K. Rowling.</i><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">11. </span><!--[endif]--></span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">What are your top three
favorite books of 2012?</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Maria</b>
~ <i>All three of them come from three great authors I’ve met on Twitter. Not
because she’s my blog partner but because I really loved this book The Day
Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life by Jen Naumann, Painted Faces by L.H. Cosway, and
Heart Waves by Danielle Sibarium.</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>Jen</b><i> ~ Ha, Maria, you're a dork. </i></span><i style="font-family: Georgia;">Most of my answer is a bit mainstream, but I seriously enjoyed them:</i><i style="font-family: Georgia;"> John Green's 'The Fault in Our Stars' and Isaac Marion's 'Warm Bodies' and honestly, </i><i style="font-family: Georgia;">Maria's 'Hold on Tight'!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>11 Random Fact About Us</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">We met on Twitter when Jen told Maria the title of her book 'Hold on Tight' was a tattoo on her arm.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">We are both huge fans of The Beastie Boys & The Foo Fighters.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">We both like to party like twenty-one year olds at concerts but pay for it the next couple of days.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Jen's birthday is February 15th while Maria's is May 15th of the same year!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">We have never met in person, or talked on the phone. Hopefully that will change this fall when Jen plans to travel to New York!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Jen loves rap music, while Maria can't stand it.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Jen designed all her book covers and all of Maria's too.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Maria's an author and a pre-school teacher while Jen's an author and a photographer.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">We both love our beer.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">We both have an addiction to tattoos and want more.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">And finally, we both need our sugar free Red Bull to start the day.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Now it's our turn to nominate. Our nominees are:</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Danielle Sibarium @ </span></span><a href="http://www.daniellesibarium.com/" target="_blank">http://www.daniellesibarium.com</a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Emma Meade @ <a href="http://emmameade.com/">emmameade.com</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">C. J. Sullivan @ <a href="http://cjsullivanauthor.blogspot.com/">cjsullivanauthor.blogspot.com</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Katrina Monroe @ <a href="http://authorkatrinamonroe.wordpress.com/">authorkatrinamonroe.wordpress.com</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">KellyAnne Blount @ <a href="http://www.kellyblount.com/">kellyblount.com</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Shanah Wooldrage @ <a href="http://risurockets.blogspot.com/">risurockets.blogspot.com</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Laura Diamond @ <a href="http://lbdiamond.wordpress.com/">lbdiamond.wordpress.com</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Faith Sillivan @ </span></span><a href="http://faithsullivanwrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://faithsullivanwrites.blogspot.com</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Our questions for our nominees</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ol>
<li>Which book do you wish you would of thought of first?</li>
<li>What is one thing you really love about yourself?</li>
<li>What is the best thing about blogging and what is the worst?</li>
<li>Do you prefer to talk on the phone or text and why?</li>
<li>What do you do to avoid distractions from writing?</li>
<li>If you could travel anywhere were would it be?</li>
<li>If you could "live" in a movie, which movie would it be and why?</li>
<li>What's one book character you wish could be your real life friend?</li>
<li>Is there an author that really influenced you/your writing career?</li>
<li>What's one thing you can't live without?</li>
<li>What's do you dream of happening in your writing career that would make you feel like you've made it big?</li>
</ol>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-29304333515910773582013-02-19T07:19:00.000-05:002013-02-20T05:27:49.642-05:00Teaser Tuesday: Hold on Tight by Maria E. MonteiroI'm back with a new tease just for you. This week I've decided to give you a tease from my first book Hold on Tight. Writing this book has changed my life. It's not only lead me to becoming an author its also allowed me to meet some of the most amazing people ever. Publishing this book has been a dream come true. Here you go a tease from my book Hold on Tight.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Synopsis:</b></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">After suffering a great loss, Emma is ready to get her life back to normal. She is spending her summer, before her junior year, with her new boyfriend Court. They are both working at Fairland Park alongside her best friend Britney. Emma is spending all her time with Court and is really falling for him. But things change when she meets Nash. She begins to question her feelings for Court. Is Court the right choice? Or is Nash the right choice? Emma will fall in love this summer. But will it lead her to happiness or a broken heart? It will be a summer full of romance, music, and moments Emma will never forget.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><b>~Tease~</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial,Bold';">1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial,Bold';"><u>HANGING BY A MOMENT</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial,Bold';"><u><br /></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> “Court wants to talk to you, after school,” Adam states, as he prevents me from
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">entering my last class. I open my mouth to object but he walks away before I can
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">respond, I think I’m about to lose my lunch. Court Dobberson is the last person I want to
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">talk to, especially after being ignored by him for the last couple of days.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> It has been six days since Court and I shared an incredible kiss at Laura Burn’s
party. For six days, I’ve waited for Court to call me, but he never did. For six days, I’ve
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">waited for Court to talk to me, but he never did. And for six days, I have felt really guilty
for kissing someone who was not Jason.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Now, after six long days, he finally wants to talk to me. He probably wants to tell
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">me he regrets kissing me, I already know he’ll use the </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial,Italic';">“I was so wasted” </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">excuse. Well, I
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">don’t care! I don’t even like him. In fact, as of a month ago, I hated him. If I hadn’t been
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">forced to work with him on our economics project, I would have never even spoken to
him.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Now, here I sit in history class trying to listen to Mrs. Levy explain the events that
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">lead to the Korean War, but I haven’t really heard a word she’s said, instead I keep
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">watching the clock on the wall. What is going on with it? Every other day the seconds
seem to take minutes, but today the minutes seem to take seconds.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> My stomach spins as the bell gets ready to ring. Somehow, I need to get to my
car before Court even has a chance to look for me. RRIIINNNNGGGGG! I grab my bag
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">and rush down the hallway, I don’t even stop at my locker to wait for </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Britney, like I
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">always do. She’ll understand when I explain the whole situation to her. She thinks Court
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">is a dick for dissing me after kissing me. Ohmigod, </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">did I just rhyme? I’m such a dork
when I’m nervous.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> I push open the glass doors, step outside, and </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">absorb the hot sun. It’s mid May
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">but feels more like mid July. The high school parking lot is already full of teenagers
eager to escape the walls that have held them captive for the last seven hours.
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I make my way to my car focusing on the black steaming pavement, believing if I
keep my eyes down, Court will not be able to find me. I know </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">it’s </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">a little egocentric of
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">me. Unfortunately, staring at the ground doesn’t allow me to see where I parked my
mom’s car. I quickly look up and feel all the air escape my </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">body—Court is speaking to
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Adam in front of my silver Toyota, right in front of the driver’s side. Damn him!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> I try to move, but can’t. Air refuses to re-enter </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">my lungs, I try to breathe again,
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">but it doesn’t work, I need this air to stop my heart from racing. </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial,Italic';">Come on Emma, you
</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial,Italic';">don’t really care about what he has to say, </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I tell myself. Who am I kidding? In a few
seconds the wrong words can easily shatter my heart.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> For the last six days, all I’ve thought about has been that stupid kiss, trust me I’ve
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">tried hard not to. After Jason, I never thought anyone else would invade my mind like
this again.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s all that damn project’s fault. For two weeks straight I’ve worked closely with
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Court on it. At first I thought I would have to do all of the work, but I was wrong. Court
ended up being incredibly smart and an awesome person, he was not at all the rich
spoiled brat I always made him out to be.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> He began to talk to me outside of class, and even sat with me at lunch, which in
Cypress Oak High School society is </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">a huge deal when you’re not in each other’s social
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">circles. We were actually becoming friends—until </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">that kiss. That damn kiss! I didn’t even
want to go to that stupid party, but Britney insisted I’d go with her.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> She dragged me to Laura Burn’s house, which </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">happens to be on the wealthy
side of Cypress Oak, uninvited. The last time I had gone to a party was with Jason by
my side. It was awkward walking into that enormous house by myself, especially since it
was surrounded by the people I once wanted to be like, but now could hardly tolerate.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Britney left my side two minutes after we arrived to find Derek Peterson, her new
conquest, and the only reason we had gone to that stupid party. She hated these
people as much as I did.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> I was hoping to become invisible and blend in with the unadorned eggshell walls,
as hip-hop music blared out of the speakers. The beautiful people were all packed in
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">drinking, dancing, hooking up, and making me sick. I didn’t belong, and the truth was I
didn’t want to.
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hold on Tight Maria E. Monteiro
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> I stood against the wall missing Jason, and trying not to make eye contact with
anyone, but I soon learned that was unavoidable. Christy LeVandal was glaring at me
from across the room, with pure hatred in her cold sapphire eyes. She sent me violent
messages as she twirled around her fake blond hair.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> She hated me, but because of what happened with Jason, she had stopped
making her nasty comments towards me. I knew she wanted to attack me for being at
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">that stupid party, but I also knew she wouldn’t, so I smiled and waved </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">hello. Before she
could respond someone blocked my view, and tried to share my personal space. Court
was standing right in front of me, offering me a drink. He looked so good in his green
Hollister T-shirt and blue jeans,
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> “Thanks,” I said, taking a small </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">sip of beer. I held the cup in my hand and wished
it was water, I hate alcohol.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> “No problem. I’m glad you’re here.” He formed his perfect smile.<br /> “I wish I wasn’t.”<br /> “What, you’re not having a good time?”<br /> I lowered my voice and with a sly grin I said, “Well, this is not my scene. I can’t
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">stand these people, and you’re the worst of them all.” He started laughing, as he stood
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">next to me.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Court and I started talking about the books we are reading, the latest episode of
Shameless, and about the obsession people have with collecting friends on social
networks and letting them know what they are thinking or doing every minute of the day.
Court admitted he was guilty of this obsession. He, himself has over two hundred and
fifty friends, and minutes earlier had </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">updated his status by writing “Ready </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial,Italic';">to drink 1 too
</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial,Italic';">many at Laura’s party.”
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> I couldn’t stop laughing when he told me. At first he looked upset I was laughing
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">at him, but seconds later he began laughing too. He stepped in front of me with his
perfect smile </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">and said, “I love that about you.”
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> “What?” I asked, trying to breathe.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> “That you make me laugh, but most of all that you make me think.”Court’s
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">electrifying baby blue eyes were swallowing me up. Before I knew it his light pink lips
began to come closer, making my heart pound even harder. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><b>{End of Tease}</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">About the Author</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://mariaemonteiro.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/foo-fighters-2011-0071.jpg" href="http://mariaemonteiro.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/foo-fighters-2011-0071.jpg" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-35" data-mce-src="http://mariaemonteiro.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/foo-fighters-2011-0071.jpg?w=300" height="150" src="http://mariaemonteiro.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/foo-fighters-2011-0071.jpg?w=300" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="foo fighters 2011 007" width="200" /></a></div>
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I was born in Chile and moved to America when I was only three years old. I was raised in Sleepy Hollow NY. No I've never run ito the Headless Horseman. Growing up all I've known is I wanted to write. I got my BA in English and my Masters in Literacy. I became a preschool teacher, and though it's been fun, it has never been my dream to teach. I have always wanted to write.</div>
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When I moved to the Catskills, I became inspired in a different way. Music became very important in my life; I think it's because I only live 10 miles from the grounds of the 1969 Woodstock festival. Yes sometimes I like to think I'm a hippie from the 1960's. I really think I was born in the wrong decade. My surroundings helped and inspired Hold on Tight, my debut YA novel.</div>
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Watching my dream become a reality has been a lot of hard work, but I have enjoyed every minute of it. Right now I'm working on my third book Austin-n-Jade. I hope to write for the rest of life, only taking breaks to rock out at concerts and dance around my house.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit me at my other blog:</span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><a href="http://mariamonteiro.net/" target="_blank">http://mariamonteiro.net</a></div>
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~Maria</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-14909565861186887442013-02-12T06:10:00.001-05:002013-02-12T06:10:09.864-05:00Teaser Tuesday: Shadowless by Brittany SevernIt's another week and I have another tease for you. This one comes from a book that came out this week. I first met Brittany on Twitter when we both decided to drink and write. Ever since Brittany and me have shared pictures with each other on Instagram. I am really excited to bring to you the following tease, I know after I read it I knew right away I need to get this book. I'm sure you will feel the same way after you read this tease. So here you go a tease from Shadowless.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Synopsis: </b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">All Quinn Murdock wants is to get her soul back.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">With no shadow and no reflection, life in a small beach town poses its risks.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Her supernatural roommates try to keep her feet on the ground, but they also keep her head spinning.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">When a human named Conrad Archer moves in, the mystery of Quinn's stolen soul grows deeper as does her affection for him.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">But when a conflict arises among the roommates, Quinn realizes they all might be more dangerous than she had originally thought.</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: x-large;"><b>~Tease~</b></span><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It's terrible to look in a mirror and see nothing there, or to go outside and know you'll have no shadow. My name is Quinn </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Murdock and I have no soul</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">. I could go into detail with my sob story, like how Stealers attacked my town, killed my parents and stole my soul. How Runa found me six months ago and that's how I came to live at the boarding house. But I'd rather not right now. Because a human is coming to the boarding house, and I can hardly contain myself. Before the news of the human coming, it was just the four of us. Me, Lot, Runa and Grey. We aren't really strange looking, by that I mean we look like humans. Well, except for Grey who is our resident mermaid. She’s kind of hard to miss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I heard movement above me. It was two a.m. I wondered if the excitement of the human had Lot up as well. It sounded like he was doing construction upstairs. But whoever knew what Lot did up there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Lot, shut up!" I threw a book at the ceiling. I got two sharp thuds in response and then things got quiet. I glanced at the ceiling to make sure it didn't start to collapse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">See, the boarding house, which sits just off the edge of the northern Atlantic, needs some serious repairs. The house stands on tall pillars so the tide rushes underneath. The house itself is a faded turquoise color, tall with gothic-looking towers and balconies that overlook the town and the ocean. There are cracks in the walls, holes in the decks, and many shingles missing. Our side of the town used to be a prime vacation spot until people started building bigger and better houses on the other side. Now ours is the only house left on our side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The boarding house has four floors. The bottom floor has the kitchen and other main rooms, Runa has the second floor, and Lot has the top floor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The third floor is where I live, sometimes with Grey. Grey stays out in the ocean most days and spends most of her nights in the bathtub. I adore Grey, but I always have the sneaking suspicion she likes my floor because it has the biggest bathtub. My floor also has two bedrooms, mine and a spare that hasn't been touched since I moved in, and a living room that I use as a library. Books are my second favorite things after the rain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I paced in my room and chanted, "Human, human." I didn't know what time the human would be here but I didn't want to sleep incase I missed the arrival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Rain and singing made me stop thinking about the human. Rain began to make a tapping sound at my window and I could hear soft singing coming from down the hall. Had to be Grey. The tide should have brought her in by now. I walked to the bathroom and saw that the door stood open a crack, so I pushed it open and spotted Grey in the tub.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">“Uh oh. Did I wake you?” She looked concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">“No, not at all. I was awake and you know I like when you sing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">“Mermaid gift.” She shrugged her delicate shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Singing was not the only gift the mermaids had. Grey was beautiful. Despite her name, she sported a bright turquoise and silver tail, the fluke resting outside of the water in the tub, her hair pale amber with the same turquoise highlights as her tail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>{End of Tease}</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Find Shadowless at</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Amazon: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="js-display-url"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/by6qwwf" target="_blank">tinyurl.com/by6qwwf</a></span><span class="invisible" style="font-size: 0px; line-height: 0;"></span><span class="tco-ellipsis"><span class="invisible" style="font-size: 0px; line-height: 0;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div>
B&N: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><a href="http://tinyurl.com/b3qlm9v" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/b3qlm9v</a></b></span></div>
<div>
Paperback: <a href="https://www.createspace.com/3773459" target="_blank">https://www.createspace.com/3773459</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">About the Author</span></div>
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<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcF4GoMRrACA1uxVq41Dv1eGObd8eC383MYce6DqyDttfjhhNTEeyAmCc_vraGOMu2bjcrOelt4Up7jIT51pfIU9Zre2ONKAqcy12HQbDrVSUZPK2hHMASkzAv3EIGbu6rfkoLUc2XWBc/s1600/fbpro12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcF4GoMRrACA1uxVq41Dv1eGObd8eC383MYce6DqyDttfjhhNTEeyAmCc_vraGOMu2bjcrOelt4Up7jIT51pfIU9Zre2ONKAqcy12HQbDrVSUZPK2hHMASkzAv3EIGbu6rfkoLUc2XWBc/s200/fbpro12.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
I'm Britt.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
Indie YA novelist, ARMY brat, beach walker, hug giver, dog lover.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
I was born in Kansas on an ARMY base, and within the year we moved to California. From there, we moved to Texas. Three years later we moved to Germany. Three years after that, we moved to Alabama. I'm still in Alabama and am not a fan. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
At all. Really. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
The South isn't a terrible place (except for the HUMIDITY), I've just never felt like I fit in down here. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
I don't like sweet tea,<br />
I don't like things fried,<br />
I don't understand the fascination of watching cars go in circles for six hours,<br />
I don't spend much time on the front porch,<br />
and I've tried my hardest not to gain that Southern drawl<br />
(pretty sure I failed).<br />
But what I do love about the South is how polite (most) people are<br />
and how people help out total strangers<br />
because it's how they were raised.<br />
Chivalry...I'm a fan.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
I kind of fell into writing. I had no desire to write seriously until I was probably 19. </div>
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Up until then it was a hobby.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
Before the world of writing enveloped me, I was going to work for the FBI.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
Yep, this girl was going to be on the FBI's CyberCrime Unit.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
But because of several reasons, that didn't work out</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
and it's just as well because if it had</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
I may have missed my calling.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
I think we all have dark moments in our lives</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
and mine has had its share.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
I've seen and been through a lot of things that I think most people should never have to see and hear,</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
and I think those things are a large part of why I enjoy writing.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
To me, writing is an escape</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
but it's also a way to have control.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
In writing, you have total control over your characters.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
What they do, what they say;</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
it can be very therapeutic.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
Writing has gotten me through some dark times,</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
and I owe it a lot.</div>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Visit Brittany Severn at her blog:</span></b> </span><a href="http://www.brittanysevern.com/" target="_blank">http://www.brittanysevern.com</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
~Maria</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-36903063547256055662013-02-05T05:48:00.000-05:002013-02-10T15:01:49.318-05:00Teaser Tuesday: Heart Wave by Danielle SibariumI'm back to tickle you reading senses with a new book tease. I first met Danielle on Twitter, we bonded over a headache. Since then I have read all three of her books. I have also made Reece from Heart Waves and Breaking Waves my book crush. If you haven't read Heart Waves yet you must. Trust me you will have a hard time putting it down. And now with the sequel Breaking Waves hitting the stores it's the perfect time to check out Heart Waves. Here just check out the first three pages of this beautiful love story.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkcsC8k76ULmgQoS07LtMf9ViDoFJW745kpjhDIyAVHvkcjE5hs5BzSDoflu50ekRh9qINnMMO-K-6bLYlLUF0ymyy4uqJIeU86YRdaafqtd_1rDNfKq3MG8vbKGMj5Ns1JOUdWyDrbU/s1600/Heart-Waves-16-194x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkcsC8k76ULmgQoS07LtMf9ViDoFJW745kpjhDIyAVHvkcjE5hs5BzSDoflu50ekRh9qINnMMO-K-6bLYlLUF0ymyy4uqJIeU86YRdaafqtd_1rDNfKq3MG8vbKGMj5Ns1JOUdWyDrbU/s1600/Heart-Waves-16-194x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;"><b>~Tease~</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; page-break-after: avoid; text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Chapter 1</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Lies. Lies. Lies. He was covered in lies. They oozed off him like slick,
goopy slime. As if I didn’t already know Steve couldn’t be trusted. I always
thought of him as a pompous ass, especially after our one and only date.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">But that was years ago. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Steve wouldn’t meet my eyes. I hadn’t spoken to him since my freshman
year of high school. I wondered if it he even remembered me. I remembered him
all too well, Mr. Captain of the baseball team with the perfect smile. The
thought of his cold, wet lips and octopus arms still made my skin crawl. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Regardless, he looked past me, around me, like I wasn’t good enough to
look at. I could feel his apprehension so I knew I’d get him. I’d get him good.
Call him out for being the jerk he was and embarrass him in front of his
friends. I just needed to concentrate.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I closed my eyes, focused on blocking out the music and clarifying the
image in my mind. I fingered the gold bracelet interpreting the words and
images flowing from it. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You just came back from someplace warm,” I
declared.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> With a snide look on his face the
muscle-bound jock shook his head and spoke skeptically to the crowd of
onlookers, “Like most of the country isn’t warm in July. This is bogus,” he
chortled, still trying to best me. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He thought his wise cracks were enough to
intimidate me, to make me feel stupid and insecure so I would shut up. He
wanted to end it here and now. Better to make me look bad before it went any
further. Not going to happen. Not tonight. If I had to be miserable, so did
he. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I see a beach and water . . .” </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Hard one. Like we don’t live at the Jersey
shore.” </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Not here.” I said a bit forcefully. “The
water is clear blue, so it’s not in this state.”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oooh,” I heard someone jeer. “She’s onto
you.”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Shut up,” Mr. Macho snapped at his buddy
while reaching for the bracelet I wasn’t ready to release. “You probably told
her.”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You’re there with a beautiful girl,” I
continued. “Long blonde hair. Her name begins with the letter E.”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You were with Emma?” A petite brunette
bellowed while pounding her fist into his arm.
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Busted!” someone shouted before bursting
into a fit of laughter.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You don’t believe this bull do you?” He
pleaded. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> With tears in her eyes, the girl rushed off,
“You’re a shit!”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Steve snatched his bracelet and rushed after
her, “Shari, wait. I haven’t seen her in months. She must be a friend of Emma’s
or my shit-head friends are playing a joke. When I find out which one of you
set this up . . .” the rest of the threat trailed off.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “That’s what you get for two timing,” I
called watching him push through the sea of people. If he didn’t remember me
before the reading, he’d never forget me now. I brought my hands together, “All
right, show’s over.” </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> A few moans and grumbles, then suddenly I
could breathe. A wave of relief washed over me as the oppressive group
surrounding me thinned. My right eye burned, and the aching in my head had
already begun. I knew I had to stop before the sharp blinding pain ensued. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I turned and looked for my best friend Grace. No sign of her. I shook my
head. I didn’t even want to come to Mike’s stupid party, let alone be the
entertainment, but she insisted. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">What exactly she found appealing about Mike was beyond me, but Grace had
been crushing on him all through high school. She would do just about anything
he asked; only before tonight he never did. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Earlier in the day, while life was still bliss, we were just two best
friends laying in the sun with lemon juice in our hair (Grace's attempt at
natural highlights) listening to music. When Mike sauntered over poolside to
extend the invitation, Grace turned into groupie girl, and it took her
approximately one second to accept. I was biding time until I could convince
her to leave.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “One more,” the voice caught me. Stopped me
dead in my tracks. For a moment the room went silent, the people disappeared.
All that existed was the soft soothing voice.
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“C’mon, please.” He spoke again, and I wished he’d never stop talking so
I could forever hear the sound of his melodious voice. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Before I could refuse, a small, gold ring was placed in my hand. I stood
frozen, feeling as if someone connected a live wire to my heart. White
electricity surged throughout my body. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I looked up to see what creature bore such exhilarating energy. His
soft, golden-brown eyes captivated me. They were alive with laughter and
mystery. I closed my eyes, barely able to focus and stroked the ring with my
thumb. I took a deep breath, taking in the scent of his cologne. Fighting the
sudden lump in my throat, I blurted out, “Romeo and Juliet.”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Excuse me?” He smiled confused. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“It’s like Romeo and Juliet,” I recovered, tracing the diamond chip
initial on the ring. “You believe you are in love.”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“She’s my Juliet?” He asked with a suspicious look.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“No, she’s your Rosalind,” I felt the need to explain, hoping to keep
him nearby, “the girl Romeo thought he loved. Remember though, it was
unrequited.” </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">{End of Tease}</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Find Heart Waves at:</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-waves-danielle-sibarium/1111241896?ean=2940014367943&itm=1&usri=heart+waves" target="_blank">BarnesandNoble.com</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Waves-ebook/dp/B0087PVGGW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1360060587&sr=8-2&keywords=Heart+Waves" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">About the Author:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.3in;">
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<span style="background-color: white;">Danielle Sibarium grew up as an only child of divorced parents in Brooklyn, New York. Her imagination was developed at an early age. Surrounded by stuffed animals and imaginary friends, she transported herself into a fantasy world full of magic and wonder. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwarfs, or Cinderella waiting for the prince.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Danielle always loved dialogue and in elementary school began writing plays and short stories. This is when she began to understand she could not only bring her fantastical world to life for herself, but she could enchant others as well. And so she wrote. She wrote and wrote and wrote.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Sadly the first piece she ever sent out for publication of any sort was a letter to the editor of <em>The Home News Tribune</em>. It was a piece thanking the first responders for their bravery and selflessness on Sept 11th. It was chosen as letter of the week.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">In 2007 Danielle collaborated with Charlotte Doreen Small to write songs for her CD <em>More</em>. Danielle wrote the lyrics for <em>Take My Hand</em>, and <em>Goodbye</em>, while Charlotte contributed the melody.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> In October 2011 Danielle’s debut novel <em>For Always</em> was released. She Has since released <em>Heart Waves</em> and the second book in the Heart Waves series, <em>Breaking Waves</em>. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">Check out Danielle Sibarium's blog: </span><a href="http://www.daniellesibarium.com/" target="_blank">http://www.daniellesibarium.com</a></div>
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~ Maria</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-57760840497185406482013-01-29T06:24:00.000-05:002013-01-31T16:24:31.297-05:00Teaser Tuesdays: The Day Zombies Ruined my Perfectly Boring LifeWho doesn't like a good tease? I'm a strong believer that it only takes three pages to let you know if you want to continue reading a book or not. With this in mind each week Two Chicks Blogging will bring you a tease from different books to give you a example of what's out there.<br />
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The first book I'm teasing your reading senses with actually comes from my Blogging partner Jen Naumann. First it was all about vampires, but now it's all about zombies. Here is a <i><b>tease</b></i> from her very funny and thrilling book The Day Zombies Ruined my Perfectly Boring Life:<br />
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: xx-large;">~TEASE~</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0px;">ONE</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: 21.6px;">I feel less than alert—despite the energy drink I consumed as the sun was first rising—when the homecoming queen drops me at the curb in front of my house. I am relieved to finally break free from her dad’s old Lincoln that has a rancid stench of sunflower seeds and rotten cigars. I slam the rusty door and lean down to wave.</span><span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Mindy’s blond hair sticks out wildly around her face from her loose ponytail and there are dark rings beginning to form underneath her bright green eyes—both results of our eventful night. I imagine my own reflection would give me tremors at the moment if I had some kind of mirror at my disposal.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“See you at the dance tonight!” Mindy beams wildly.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“Yay. I can hardly wait,” I return, making no attempt to hide the sarcasm in my voice.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">She honks the horn twice and pulls away. I hold my hand up until she is gone from sight. Although I get along with pretty much anyone and everyone, being in the company of royalty such as Mindy McKinney doesn’t make me popular by default. There are only fifty girls in the entire senior class, and being in a school that small, your chances of being homecoming queen—regardless of your looks or social status—become much higher by default. Don’t get me wrong; Mindy is certainly pretty and popular, but once you get to know her you eventually come to realize she has the personality of a tree stump, at best.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Having just returned from an all-nighter with some of my fellow senior girls, a nine-hour nap seems in order. For the record, it wasn’t my idea to “decorate” the senior football players’ homes for homecoming. I say “decorate” very loosely as transporting chickens from a classmate’s farm to the players’ garages was involved. We also placed large tire tractors in the middle of their driveways and wrapped their cars with endless rolls of Saran wrap. Most likely we will get some kind of “disciplinary action” for our excursion—maybe even face suspension once Monday morning arrives. But what would senior year be without the threat of not getting to participate in the graduation ceremony?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I look up at our stellar stone-front house nestled just on the edge of the thick woods that separate us from town. We built the monstrosity ten years ago after my parents received a generous inheritance from my wealthy grandparents. I have never understood why my parents, who are hardly ever home themselves, felt the need to have three extra bedrooms. I sometimes wonder if maybe they had planned on having more children, but changed their minds once they realized we actually needed to be fed, clothed and given occasional attention.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Surprisingly, the front door to the house is wide open. We never use that door, not even on Halloween as my mom doesn’t believe in giving sugar to other people’s children—she thinks they’re all too hyper even without it. Instead, my best friend and I like to hide in the bushes and see how many kids we can scare half to death until a parent comes by to chew us out. Last year there were hardly any kids who came out—I think the little buggers are finally on to us.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">A gust of really cold wind blows through me and I look up to see the clouds are beginning to thicken. Holding my sweatshirt tightly against my body, I quickly cross the manicured yard to the open door and slam it shut behind me. I holler out a greeting that bounces off the peaks of the high ceilings, but is met with silence. Figuring my dad is probably engaged in another bizarre project, I continue all the way through the house to our backyard.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The weeds out back have always been a major source of contention for my dad. Even though fall is here, he is known to be working on the weeds up until the first frost of the season. On more than one occasion, I remember him having to wear gloves and a stocking cap while doing it. According to him, they are on the <i>county’s</i> property line—why should he spend his precious time weeding it when his taxes pay the county to do a perfectly good job of it?—or something like that. My dad is forever ranting about some political conspiracy theory or how the president is a horrible leader and will eventually cause the apocalypse in one way or another. I don’t usually give that much weight to his ramblings—if I did, I certainly would have turned insane years ago.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">But I find the backyard to be empty, too.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Despite the wicked wind pulling my hair up around my face, the trees in the forest seem to be unnaturally still, causing a cold trickle of fear down my back. I never used to be such a scaredy-cat, but my best friend and I recently watched a marathon of horror movies and my overactive imagination can sometimes get the best of me. A few days ago I could have sworn on my own life that a lifelike doll from my childhood was staring at me—I spent an entire morning paralyzed in bed until I was completely sure she wasn’t going to attack me. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Deciding I just need a shower and a whole lot of sleep to reset my paranoid mind, I turn on my heels just as a faint moan drifts towards me. I stop at once. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Filled with a sickening dread, I shuffle my feet to where the now gold and red trees meet our backyard. The only thing I see moving is a small gathering of bright leaves. They circle in the sky just above me in a mini-tornado pattern before they flutter down and land at my feet. I stand and watch, fascinated.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The moan returns, more guttural this time. My attention is drawn back to the woods. Another sound like a heavy log being dragged through dried leaves comes from my right. Just a few yards away from where my dad thinks to be our property line, the outline of a person comes into view behind a line of nearly bare maple trees.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">By her ill choice in fashion, it is obviously a younger woman coming toward me although the features of her face are not totally clear in the distance between us. Her long brown hair hangs down in straight clumps, swinging back and forth with each off-balanced step she takes. A bright pink t-shirt with the word “Boss” displayed across the chest in rhinestones clings tightly to her petite body and her long legs jet out from what I perceive to be a totally out of style pair of all too short gym shorts. Why she would be dressed in such skimpy attire on a cool fall day is beyond me, but I guess she could be one of those insane people who like putting their bodies through the torture of daily exercise.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">What this chick is even doing in the back of our crappy old woods is a serious mystery in itself. From her ill style of clothing and neglected personal hygiene she would be better off heading to a mall for some kind of emergency makeover.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“Can I help you?” I finally ask her loudly. Then I correct myself silently—probably nothing I can do will save her from her traumatic lack of fashion sense. “Do you need…something?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Her speed quickens at the sound of my voice and the odd moaning amplifies—I suddenly realize <i>she</i> is making the horrible noise. <i>Great</i>. Lack of fashion <i>and</i> inability to communicate are apparently both problems for her. The wind slams a rotten odor into my nostrils, forcing me to hold my breath.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">With each step she takes, it is clear there is plenty more wrong with her. Her head hangs down and off to the side as if the muscles in her neck have worn out. I still can’t see her face clearly as that nappy hair covers most of it, but there is something really off in the coloring of her skin that seems to be more of a pale gray. And the deficiencies don’t stop there. Not only is her skin discolored, but it’s muddled and torn. It’s far worse than having just forgotten to wash her face at bedtime.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I begin to fear that she is a leper.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">My heart beat speeds up to a disconcerting rate. “Ah…are you okay? Do you need a doctor or something?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As the distance closes between me and this tragically fashion-challenged woman, I become frozen in fear. Hair still covers a portion of her face but I can now see her pupils. They are completely white. And her jaw hangs down to reveal a majority of her teeth appear to be missing. Her face is covered in something kind of like boils that ooze blood. Together, the neglected appearance and nasty smell are simply nauseating—it is far worse than my original conclusion of a lack of fashion.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It occurs to me now:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">1. This woman is definitely <i>not</i> okay,</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2. If she gets any closer, she will get her leprosy or whatever all over me, and </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">3. Being near her could result in great bodily harm or possibly some kind of dismemberment if she is in fact violent, as I am beginning to suspect.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>{End of Tease}</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Find The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life at </b></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://amazon.com/author/jennaumann" style="color: #015782; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px;" target="_blank">amazon.com</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jennaumann" style="color: #015782; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">smashwords.com</a></div>
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<a href="http://paranormalya.blogspot.com/" style="color: #015782; text-decoration: none;">paranormalya.blogspot.com</a></div>
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iBooks</div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/Uob18i" style="color: #015782; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">barnesandnoble.com</a></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>About the author:</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4coh3I5Ec0pX6t4eYcq89TYmjOgapRZcSQvf0yKKtt4rYGxFNkZe4yd8VSaCe7dqh_qcuRlPYRPZN7CCBkljCJ_wfv9xzHAx8p9UBUdW-U23bY_uoeL4fIQFXd60KO0JENV6WGMPE_cs/s1600/Sept+2012+headshot-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4coh3I5Ec0pX6t4eYcq89TYmjOgapRZcSQvf0yKKtt4rYGxFNkZe4yd8VSaCe7dqh_qcuRlPYRPZN7CCBkljCJ_wfv9xzHAx8p9UBUdW-U23bY_uoeL4fIQFXd60KO0JENV6WGMPE_cs/s200/Sept+2012+headshot-3.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 0px 20px; color: #29aae1; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 8px; position: relative; text-align: -webkit-auto;" width="133" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4coh3I5Ec0pX6t4eYcq89TYmjOgapRZcSQvf0yKKtt4rYGxFNkZe4yd8VSaCe7dqh_qcuRlPYRPZN7CCBkljCJ_wfv9xzHAx8p9UBUdW-U23bY_uoeL4fIQFXd60KO0JENV6WGMPE_cs/s1600/Sept+2012+headshot-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #015782; float: right; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 21px;"><span style="color: black;"></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 21px;">Jen was born and raised in no-man's land Minnesota. She lives on a farm with her husband (of 14 years) Brian, children Sammy and Owen, and mutts Jake and Bellatrix. Yes, that’s right. She named her dog after the crazy witch from Harry Potter. She’s a fan girl like that. She is also obsessed with Jack Johnson, Beastie Boys, Foo Fighters, Goonies, concerts, photography and all things zombies (Walking Dead, Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead). Jen likes to laugh. A lot. If something </span><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 21.6px;">she writes on here sounds like it could be sarcastic, it probably is. While she doesn’t have high fashion available to her within a 200 mile radius, she likes to think she dresses smart. Just to be safe, you probably want to ask Maria for advice in that department. Everything else—including relationship advice—is fair game.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Check out Jen on her blog</span></b>: </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: center;"><a href="http://paranormalya.blogspot.com/">http://paranormalya.blogspot.com</a></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-75716193007635687272013-01-26T08:27:00.001-05:002013-01-26T08:27:32.671-05:00Scary StuffI love being scared. Not scared for my life or scared of anything involving my family, but dropping off the highest tip of a roller coaster, reading a book while hiding under the covers or watching a movie that makes my skin crawl.<br />
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Probably one of my favorite films of all time is "Se7en". I've seen it a hundred times and it still wigs me out. The murders are dark and twisted, making you afraid to look, yet still wanting to see more. (And Brad Pitt in his prime probably doesn't hurt anything either.)<br />
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I've been a huge Stephen King fan since a very early age. I guess he has a bigger influence on me than I realized as I recently changed my fourth novel from a somewhat sappy love story into a creepy tale of a girl who can see ghosts and has something dark chasing after her soul. It feels amazing to be back in the saddle, writing about spooky stuff.<br />
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Why is this?<br />
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According to Wikipedia, I may be an adrenaline junkie:<br />
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An adrenaline junkie is somebody appearing to be addicted to endogenous epinephrine. The "high" is caused by self-inducing a fight-or-flight response by intentionally engaging in stressful or risky behavior, which causes a release of epinephrine by the adrenal gland. Adrenaline junkies appear to favor stressful activities for the release of epinephrine as a stress response. Whether or not the positive response is caused specifically by epinephrine is difficult to determine, as endorphins are also released during the fight-or-flight response to such activities.<br />
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Yeah my ADD just skimmed through a big part of this, but at least now I may have an idea as to why I crave these thrill-seeking things.<br />
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Does being an adrenaline junkie mean I'm going to start sky diving or charming snakes? That would be a big fat NO. I'm still a major baby about some things. But will I be at the next zombie movie release or zip-lining a few weeks in Mexico? Hell yes. My mental health may be counting on it.<br />
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~Jen <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSsC8K0LNKDEKDpu63T9ghVonjmd93x-82PRWPUK9VoTXHAYOtINoZqYDeYtiUnjr1zX4i-yjGEgJQ2_-XFvnY2AtZT2kODdqMgWzN9Cjmm4po0L_IQFuSSw-9HhIDaXLjGE1dM4uMC4/s640/blogger-image--2066735939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSsC8K0LNKDEKDpu63T9ghVonjmd93x-82PRWPUK9VoTXHAYOtINoZqYDeYtiUnjr1zX4i-yjGEgJQ2_-XFvnY2AtZT2kODdqMgWzN9Cjmm4po0L_IQFuSSw-9HhIDaXLjGE1dM4uMC4/s640/blogger-image--2066735939.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-28652162959099480042013-01-14T19:46:00.000-05:002013-01-14T19:49:06.751-05:00Girls: Season 2 Premier Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b> **Warning Spoiler Alert**</b> If you haven't watched the first episode yet then stop reading, or if you're like me and like to know what happens before you watch then go ahead and read.<br />
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I had no idea that The Golden Globes were on last night, mostly because all I cared about was that Season two of Girls was airing on HBO. I has happy to find out this morning that Girls won best comedy show and Lena Dunham won best actress in a comedy show. I knew I loved this show for a reason.<br />
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The first episode in season two of Girls did not disappoint last night. It began with Hannah in bed with her gay ex-boyfriend Elijah, which I found important to show the viewer, he not only her new roommate but he is also taking the place of her old roommate and best-friend Marnie. Throughout the show Hannah and Elijah kept telling each other that they are the "best roommate ever," which to me means trouble is just around the corner.<br />
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We also learned Hannah has moved on from Adam and is now sleeping with Sandy (Donald Glover), while he chases her around a book store with a "boner." I'm digging Sandy, but he might be too normal for Hannah. She's already given him a list of things he can't do, one of them being saying the word love, even in a joke. She says this is her way of protecting herself from the "dementos and slugs and weirdos." We all know the weirdos are what she's into and helps make the show (a.k.a Adam.)<br />
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Speaking of Adam, he's back still recovering from being hit by a bus. He's using a guilt trip on Hannah to keep her around. Every time she comes close to telling him it's over he begins to remind her it's her fault he's in so much pain. When Hannah finally does get to tell him, he refuses to except it and reminds her how much she chased him in the past. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of shirtless Adam. And please Girls keep him without a shirt on, there's just something about his strange body that amuses me.<br />
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Okay and now for the rest of the girls: Marnie seems to be as lost as ever. I loved how she goes out to lunch with her boss, who is so self involved she forgets to tell Marnie she's was going to fire her over lunch. It's something I would do. Good thing I'm nobody's boss. We also get to meet Marnie's mother (Rita Wilson), who comments on how old Marnie looks. I was shocked to see her mother is actually cool and not so tightly wound up like Marnie. It's also amusing how one of the best looking character on the show gets reminded how bad and old she's looking.<br />
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Most of the episode took place in Hannah and Elijah's apartment as they host their first party. It quickly becomes apparent that Shoshanna will be stealing every scenes again. She arrives in her cute little hat and announce she's okay with seeing Ray. Best line in show, "I may be deflowered but I'm not devalued." It doesn't matter what is happening on the show every time Shoshanna is on the screen you can't help but smile. She really is the best character out there. I need a friend like her in my life.<br />
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Shoshanna gets to tell Ray how she feels about him dropping her after they had sex. Ray quickly explains it was because of her texts, which contained way too many Emojis. I have the same issue. I swear there is people out there that make up something to say just so they can use different Emojis. Anyway, Ray basically tells her he likes her and misses her then grabs her and kisses her as he spills his beer. I'm sorry but it's not right to spill beer unless it's for your homies.<br />
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We also get to see Charlie with his new girlfriend at the party. I did wonder why he was there I never thought of him and Hannah as friends. We quickly get to see how he's suffocating his new girlfriend the same way he suffocated Marnie, as he waits outside the bathroom for her to go. I felt embarrassed for him since it all happened in front of his Marnie. She also gets to witness him being dumped, which again was uncomfortable for me to watch. I hate seeing people embarrass them self.<br />
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I will admit it was a treat to hear Marnie sing, and I have to say she has a great voice. She and Elijah begin to talk about the people in their lives. Elijah starts to question that he might be bisexual and before you know it they begin to have sex, which was so awkward to watch. Elijah does have trouble getting hard, which proves he's more gay than bisexual. Marnie tells him he really doesn't have to try to be something he's not. He responds "neither do you." Hopefully this means Marnie will stop trying to be so uptight. She ends up going to Charlie's apartment to sleep next him. These two are destined to get back together and live a boring life.<br />
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The show ends with Hannah going to see Sandy, where she of course removes her dress. That woman loves to be naked, and I personally applauded her for showing what most woman really look like. This show proves you don't have to have a bunch of beautiful people in it to be a hit. You just have to have a good writer. Thank you Lena Dunham (Golden Globe winner) for creating such an amazing show.<br />
This is going to be a great season!<br />
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~MariaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-7813728964119982972013-01-14T12:02:00.000-05:002013-01-14T12:02:20.713-05:00Happy Birthday, Dave Grohl!Happy 44th birthday to the sexiest beast in rock history! We love you!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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~Jen & Maria</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-82449197341385361532013-01-11T10:53:00.001-05:002013-01-11T11:02:26.030-05:00New Music DiscoveryMaria and I know music makes the world go around and sometimes it can even make our imaginations go wild with new story ideas. In the past couple of weeks, I've come across a few tunes that may not be new to everyone else, but are brand-spanking new to me (remember I live in BFE - it takes longer for stuff to come around this way), and I can't get enough of them. When I write, I listen to a playlist of 20-some songs on repeat and these gems have been added. Click on the orange buttons to have a listen:<br />
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1. Common People by Pulp. I couldn't find the original version on SoundCloud, so you'll have to listen to this cover or listen to the original on <a href="http://youtu.be/DqgXzPfAxjo" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. This song has such a retro vibe to it. Totally reminds me of David Bowie. The funky beat inspires me to write a really happy scene...maybe even a happy ending.<br />
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2. Eyes on Fire by Blue Foundation. When I first heard this on <i>The Vampire Diaries</i>,<i> </i>I was all, "What <i>is </i>this magical noise?" The tune is so haunting and sexy. Part of it may have to do with Ian Sommerhalder being in the scene when the song was played. Regardless, it makes my main character feel pretty groovy.</div>
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3. Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Everyone has probably heard this one on <i>Project X</i>. I prefer the original song, but couldn't find it on SoundCloud, so I give you the techno mix. There's something about the mix of the heavy guitars with the female voices that really get to me, making me want to write something mysterious. Maybe it's just because I'm on this major alternative kick lately. Or maybe it's the super creepy cover.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F35752148" width="100%"></iframe> 4. Yeah Yeah by Willy Moon. This one is so upbeat and makes me want to dance. Good thing this is not a vlog, because I promise you wouldn't want to see my "moves". But it also makes for a great party scene where everyone gets crazy.</div>
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12373343" width="100%"></iframe> 5. Come Home by CHAPPO. Another upbeat tune that makes everyone in my story want to go out and do something epic.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-74352296810187825292013-01-05T13:20:00.000-05:002013-01-06T18:27:25.514-05:00Movie Review: Texas Chainsaw 3D<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><b>Cast:</b></span></div>
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Alexandra Daddario: Heather</div>
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Tania Raymonde: Nikki</div>
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Scott Eastwood: Carl</div>
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Trey Songz: Ryan</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><b>Runtime:</b></span> 1 hr 32 mins</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b></span> R</div>
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<b><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">Plot: </span></b>Heather goes to Texas with friends to collect an inheritance. It is here Heather and her friends meet up with Leatherface. Little does she know the connection she has with him.</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><b>In My Opinion:</b></span> I knew this movie was not going to be anything new and would be a total cliche, but the horror movie lover in me had to go and see it. First of all this movie is not a remake, it's the sequel to the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw film. You have to pretend none of the others were ever made. It was awesome to see the a montage of clips of the original movie. Okay this movie wasn't as horrible as I thought it was going to be as it had many parts that actually made me jump and some cool gruesome slasher scenes. Now for the bad: The characters were horrible. You had all your cliche personalities, which include the slut, the hitchhiker, and so on. The biggest issue I had with all these characters was they were all so annoying that you actually looked forward to seeing them get killed. The twist was also very predictable and you saw it coming as soon as the movie started. I must also point out that no one in this movie could run without tripping or falling. I know very cliche. It became a little annoying after a while. The truth is it's become difficult to find a horror movie without it having the same old formula. Maybe it's the reason I like horror movies, because I know no matter how predictable they are they are still going to find a way to make me jump.</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><b>It Rating Time</b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Story: </b>2 out of 5 stars: <i>It was okay and it did mange to keep me entertained.</i></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Acting: </b>1 out of 5 stars: <i>They were all really bad with the exception of Leatherface. </i></div>
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<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Scare Factor: </b>3 out of 5 stars: <i>Yes it was predictable, but it did keep me entertained.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">Bottom line: </b>It was alright, but you can wait to see at home. Trust me the 3D effects make no impact on this movie.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
~Maria</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-20476450345985494662013-01-03T10:13:00.004-05:002013-01-03T10:13:58.868-05:00Amazon's Top 10 Books of 2012Happy 2013! Hope everyone had an amazing New Year's celebration!<br />
<br />
Sometimes there are so many good books out there it's hard to sort through them all. I know I have a list of 300+ to read going and easily forget about some of them. Here's just 10 of the 100 Amazon listed as their top sellers for 2012. Yesterday when I looked it showed two of the <i>50 Shades of <strike>Ickiness</strike> Grey </i>on the first screen, so I don't believe these are the actual top 10 and it's more of a random sampling. I've only read <i>Gone Girl</i> and <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i>, which were both amazing (and I highly recommend them). Has anyone else read any of the other 8?<br />
<br />
~Jen<br /><table style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100%px;"><tbody style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Round-House-Louise-Erdrich/dp/0062065246/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_1_img?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="The Round House" border="0" height="193" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/0062065246.01._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_PE44_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_V397182056_.jpg" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" width="128" /></a></td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Yellow-Birds-A-Novel/dp/0316219363/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_2_img?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="The Yellow Birds: A Novel" border="0" height="193" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/0316219363.01._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_PE43_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_V401318236_.jpg" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" width="128" /></a></td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Girl-Novel-Gillian-Flynn/dp/030758836X/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_3_img?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Gone Girl: A Novel" border="0" height="193" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/030758836X.01._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_PE44_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_V387544394_.jpg" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" width="126" /></a></td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Your-Life-Book-Club/dp/0307594033/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_4_img?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="The End of Your Life Book Club" border="0" height="193" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/0307594033.01._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_PE37_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_V387764344_.jpg" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Round-House-Louise-Erdrich/dp/0062065246/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_1_ttl?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Round House</a><br />by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B000APV798?pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Louise Erdrich</a><br /><table style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><tbody style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="crAvgStars" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="asinReviewsSummary" name="0062065246" ref="br_lf_m_1000852191_1_1_rvw_cm_cr_acr_pop_" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Round-House-Louise-Erdrich/product-reviews/0062065246/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_1_rvw_cm_cr_acr_img?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img align="absbottom" alt="4.4 out of 5 stars" border="0" height="12" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/ratings/stars-4-5._V192238104_.gif" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" title="4.4 out of 5 stars" width="55" /></a> </span>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Round-House-Louise-Erdrich/product-reviews/0062065246/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_1_rvw_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">424</a>)</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>List Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="listprice" style="border: 0px; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: baseline;">$27.99</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><b class="price" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;">$15.70</b></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>You Save:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="price" style="border: 0px; color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">$12.29 (44%)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Stock</td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Yellow-Birds-A-Novel/dp/0316219363/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_2_ttl?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Yellow Birds: A Novel</a><br />by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008UQR0I6?pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kevin Powers</a><br /><table style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><tbody style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="crAvgStars" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="asinReviewsSummary" name="0316219363" ref="br_lf_m_1000852191_1_2_rvw_cm_cr_acr_pop_" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Yellow-Birds-A-Novel/product-reviews/0316219363/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_2_rvw_cm_cr_acr_img?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img align="absbottom" alt="4.0 out of 5 stars" border="0" height="12" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/ratings/stars-4-0._V192251205_.gif" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" title="4.0 out of 5 stars" width="55" /></a> </span>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Yellow-Birds-A-Novel/product-reviews/0316219363/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_2_rvw_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">223</a>)</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>List Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="listprice" style="border: 0px; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: baseline;">$24.99</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><b class="price" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;">$14.16</b></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>You Save:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="price" style="border: 0px; color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">$10.83 (43%)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Stock</td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Girl-Novel-Gillian-Flynn/dp/030758836X/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_3_ttl?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gone Girl: A Novel</a><br />by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JP3W46?pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gillian Flynn</a><br /><table style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><tbody style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="crAvgStars" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="asinReviewsSummary" name="030758836X" ref="br_lf_m_1000852191_1_3_rvw_cm_cr_acr_pop_" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Girl-Novel-Gillian-Flynn/product-reviews/030758836X/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_3_rvw_cm_cr_acr_img?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img align="absbottom" alt="3.7 out of 5 stars" border="0" height="12" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/ratings/stars-3-5._V192238357_.gif" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" title="3.7 out of 5 stars" width="55" /></a> </span>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Girl-Novel-Gillian-Flynn/product-reviews/030758836X/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_3_rvw_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5,509</a>)</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>List Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="listprice" style="border: 0px; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: baseline;">$25.00</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><b class="price" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;">$13.93</b></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>You Save:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="price" style="border: 0px; color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">$11.07 (44%)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Stock</td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Your-Life-Book-Club/dp/0307594033/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_4_ttl?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The End of Your Life Book Club</a><br />by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0052Y7THQ?pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Will Schwalbe</a><br /><table style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><tbody style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="crAvgStars" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="asinReviewsSummary" name="0307594033" ref="br_lf_m_1000852191_1_4_rvw_cm_cr_acr_pop_" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Your-Life-Book-Club/product-reviews/0307594033/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_4_rvw_cm_cr_acr_img?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img align="absbottom" alt="4.3 out of 5 stars" border="0" height="12" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/ratings/stars-4-5._V192238104_.gif" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" title="4.3 out of 5 stars" width="55" /></a> </span>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Your-Life-Book-Club/product-reviews/0307594033/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_4_rvw_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">263</a>)</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>List Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="listprice" style="border: 0px; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: baseline;">$25.00</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><b class="price" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;">$15.85</b></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>You Save:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="price" style="border: 0px; color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">$9.15 (37%)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Stock</td></tr>
<tr height="15" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><br /></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Lynns-Long-Halftime-Walk/dp/0060885599/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_5_img?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk: A Novel" border="0" height="193" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/0060885599.01._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_PE46_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_V386381363_.jpg" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" width="127" /></a></td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Beautiful-Forevers-Mumbai-Undercity/dp/1400067553/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_6_img?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity" border="0" height="193" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/1400067553.01._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_PE42_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_V397415616_.jpg" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" width="128" /></a></td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Hologram-King-Dave-Eggers/dp/193636574X/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_7_img?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="A Hologram for the King" border="0" height="193" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/193636574X.01._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_PE34_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_V398116037_.jpg" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" width="128" /></a></td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Middlesteins-Novel-Jami-Attenberg/dp/1455507210/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_8_img?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="The Middlesteins: A Novel" border="0" height="193" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/1455507210.01._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_PE39_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_V388898586_.jpg" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" width="127" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Lynns-Long-Halftime-Walk/dp/0060885599/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_5_ttl?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk: A Novel</a><br />by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JRZD82?pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ben Fountain</a><br /><table style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><tbody style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="crAvgStars" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="asinReviewsSummary" name="0060885599" ref="br_lf_m_1000852191_1_5_rvw_cm_cr_acr_pop_" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Lynns-Long-Halftime-Walk/product-reviews/0060885599/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_5_rvw_cm_cr_acr_img?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img align="absbottom" alt="4.0 out of 5 stars" border="0" height="12" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/ratings/stars-4-0._V192251205_.gif" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" title="4.0 out of 5 stars" width="55" /></a> </span>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Lynns-Long-Halftime-Walk/product-reviews/0060885599/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_5_rvw_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">157</a>)</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>List Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="listprice" style="border: 0px; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: baseline;">$25.99</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><b class="price" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;">$14.12</b></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>You Save:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="price" style="border: 0px; color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">$11.87 (46%)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Stock</td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Beautiful-Forevers-Mumbai-Undercity/dp/1400067553/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_6_ttl?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity</a><br />by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0052Y2JJE?pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Katherine Boo</a><br /><table style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><tbody style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="crAvgStars" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="asinReviewsSummary" name="1400067553" ref="br_lf_m_1000852191_1_6_rvw_cm_cr_acr_pop_" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Beautiful-Forevers-Mumbai-Undercity/product-reviews/1400067553/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_6_rvw_cm_cr_acr_img?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img align="absbottom" alt="4.2 out of 5 stars" border="0" height="12" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/ratings/stars-4-0._V192251205_.gif" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" title="4.2 out of 5 stars" width="55" /></a> </span>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Beautiful-Forevers-Mumbai-Undercity/product-reviews/1400067553/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_6_rvw_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">323</a>)</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>List Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="listprice" style="border: 0px; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: baseline;">$27.00</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><b class="price" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;">$15.63</b></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>You Save:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="price" style="border: 0px; color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">$11.37 (42%)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Stock</td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Hologram-King-Dave-Eggers/dp/193636574X/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_7_ttl?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A Hologram for the King</a><br />by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001H6UAH4?pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dave Eggers</a><br /><table style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><tbody style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="crAvgStars" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="asinReviewsSummary" name="193636574X" ref="br_lf_m_1000852191_1_7_rvw_cm_cr_acr_pop_" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Hologram-King-Dave-Eggers/product-reviews/193636574X/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_7_rvw_cm_cr_acr_img?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img align="absbottom" alt="3.2 out of 5 stars" border="0" height="12" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/ratings/stars-3-0._V192238413_.gif" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" title="3.2 out of 5 stars" width="55" /></a> </span>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Hologram-King-Dave-Eggers/product-reviews/193636574X/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_7_rvw_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">92</a>)</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>List Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="listprice" style="border: 0px; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: baseline;">$25.00</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><b class="price" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;">$16.50</b></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>You Save:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="price" style="border: 0px; color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">$8.50 (34%)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Stock</td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Middlesteins-Novel-Jami-Attenberg/dp/1455507210/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_8_ttl?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Middlesteins: A Novel</a><br />by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001H6QRQ2?pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jami Attenberg</a><br /><table style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><tbody style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="crAvgStars" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="asinReviewsSummary" name="1455507210" ref="br_lf_m_1000852191_1_8_rvw_cm_cr_acr_pop_" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Middlesteins-Novel-Jami-Attenberg/product-reviews/1455507210/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_8_rvw_cm_cr_acr_img?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img align="absbottom" alt="3.5 out of 5 stars" border="0" height="12" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/ratings/stars-3-5._V192238357_.gif" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" title="3.5 out of 5 stars" width="55" /></a> </span>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Middlesteins-Novel-Jami-Attenberg/product-reviews/1455507210/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_8_rvw_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">112</a>)</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>List Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="listprice" style="border: 0px; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: line-through; vertical-align: baseline;">$24.99</span></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>Price:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><b class="price" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;">$15.24</b></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td class="productLabel" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;"><b>You Save:</b></td><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><span class="price" style="border: 0px; color: #990000; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">$9.75 (39%)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Stock</td></tr>
<tr height="15" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><br /></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mortality-Christopher-Hitchens/dp/1455502758/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_9_img?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Mortality" border="0" height="176" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/1455502758.01._SL160_PE35_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_V391953871_.jpg" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" width="116" /></a></td><td colspan="2" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" valign="top" width="24%"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Fault-Stars-John-Green/dp/0525478817/ref=br_lf_m_1000852191_1_10_img?ie=UTF8&s=books&pf_rd_p=1417080182&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000852191&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01FE6J3SRDSF3NN1HWWN" style="border: 0px; color: #996633; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="The Fault in Our Stars" border="0" height="193" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/0525478817.01._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_PE43_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_V387351625_.jpg" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787838446608228293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-37142723324064287382012-12-28T20:52:00.000-05:002012-12-28T20:52:55.511-05:00Top 10 Love Triangles According to MeIn honor of my new book Letting Go I decided to list the top 10 love triangles in movies and TV shows according to me. Letting Go is the sequel to my first book Hold on Tight. In it Emma is trying to decide between the golden boy Court and the bad boy Nash. A love triangle always makes a love story more interesting. Who wouldn't want two amazing people wanting them? Here are my top ten favorite love triangles. See if your favorite made the list.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>#10</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Felicity</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">(Noel) (Ben)</span></b></div>
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Before there was Team Edward and Team Jacob there was Team Noel and Team Ben. Felicity ended season 1 without telling the viewers who she picked to spend her summer with. People went crazy with their opinions. I was totally a Team Noel girl. To this day I wish she would have picked Noel. Sure Ben was hot, but he was a total jerk, and only seemed to want Felicity when she didn't want him.</div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>#9</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Friday Night Lights</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWah8US3xUYofQpMS7s9wRNjumdF2Dx63HYx_CBNp10ZXQLsw4ZqnCXfHbjQ1gGry1kxgsJz80OF3JBeyIEegYowTeTBl9nAsA92wnwv0v2R30ohQMpEH6iXZzppTvI6mfD6yxjNQJx48/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWah8US3xUYofQpMS7s9wRNjumdF2Dx63HYx_CBNp10ZXQLsw4ZqnCXfHbjQ1gGry1kxgsJz80OF3JBeyIEegYowTeTBl9nAsA92wnwv0v2R30ohQMpEH6iXZzppTvI6mfD6yxjNQJx48/s320/photo.PNG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37_IIK9gSetabqbGuDebFvntB_ww0I1TWngVQodclyEbmSj1fwVu0RKaWh54K2zyoQ7N7O7z58z-fdA_LDqZw4k9wmAlkApjf3Cjp0W2YuSXuLHDtgGF0NYGH6FMdi-hvsJCqHKQWjxY/s1600/photo-1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37_IIK9gSetabqbGuDebFvntB_ww0I1TWngVQodclyEbmSj1fwVu0RKaWh54K2zyoQ7N7O7z58z-fdA_LDqZw4k9wmAlkApjf3Cjp0W2YuSXuLHDtgGF0NYGH6FMdi-hvsJCqHKQWjxY/s320/photo-1.PNG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">(Jason Street) (Tim Riggins)</span></b></div>
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I'm not sure this was a love triangle and not more of Lyla cheating on newly crippled boyfriend Jason Street with his best friend Tim Riggins. I know that cheating on your boyfriend is bad no matter what the circumstances are, but this was Tim Riggins she was doing it with. I'm sorry but I will always chose number 33 (Tim's football jersey number) anytime. In the end Lyla didn't stay with either one.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">#8</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Gilmore Girls</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFKrHfyoyt1hAsXkwUNXdOfFy0K3ABuBV4uqn8D3X3CD3EtpTjBYRLEyVZtbDfpl3GCFjwAjETHlJQo8TlXZBLQVYLInfz3t77Vha5sqLTbn0WsM3my1Du6khqSWQRvoHL7k12_YKsiQ/s1600/photo-2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFKrHfyoyt1hAsXkwUNXdOfFy0K3ABuBV4uqn8D3X3CD3EtpTjBYRLEyVZtbDfpl3GCFjwAjETHlJQo8TlXZBLQVYLInfz3t77Vha5sqLTbn0WsM3my1Du6khqSWQRvoHL7k12_YKsiQ/s320/photo-2.PNG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99QQ7j8RD5XJy1ORYQGH-k00SExr-jrlHMm1HlhNsFqs0jZTslS2tF4Ertvj5sLrqyZpgyDL3NCB4PLs62nrli-vZPVdEYMDsuLm7zy8sWuahRB0YNTmf_GD4AfV61MlZjXOST49wkRg/s1600/photo-3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99QQ7j8RD5XJy1ORYQGH-k00SExr-jrlHMm1HlhNsFqs0jZTslS2tF4Ertvj5sLrqyZpgyDL3NCB4PLs62nrli-vZPVdEYMDsuLm7zy8sWuahRB0YNTmf_GD4AfV61MlZjXOST49wkRg/s320/photo-3.PNG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">(Dean) (Jess)</span></b></div>
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Yes, even a wholesome show like Gilmore Girls had a love triangle. Actually it had a few but my favorite was the one between Dean and Jess. Rory was happily dating the hard working Dean, and then along comes the bad boy Jess and turns Rory's world upside down. I was a big Dean supporter. He was not only a hard worker and completely romantic, he was also hot. But at the end Rory picked Jess. Can we all say big mistake. By the time Gilmore Girls ended neither Dean or Jess were in her life.</div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>#7</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>My Best Friend's Wedding</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6Ne-Oll7A8EpPlSA2BEexICtKhy8MACzh7bt6CSZEhgfs0ufXDOLJlOyltUIG8ZaDiF2h2iKHakRsQOFvzSJ0QvgAB6PC2HtRUxJxFtPAnLhg45-xeAGQTKyiSGcop4jye8pgnkjlp8/s1600/photo-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6Ne-Oll7A8EpPlSA2BEexICtKhy8MACzh7bt6CSZEhgfs0ufXDOLJlOyltUIG8ZaDiF2h2iKHakRsQOFvzSJ0QvgAB6PC2HtRUxJxFtPAnLhg45-xeAGQTKyiSGcop4jye8pgnkjlp8/s320/photo-4.JPG" width="211" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_z5C9eY8N2-obQGqcsg61PzoEfB-M6cAvoxpwdY5lF_RCkfS5HgfyvMBlJIVer5rjOFj4kTC4X9r7oEoHqUpMqbIxG4FXhy2EEqlscowzKFykDqDxp3Si4EKkChog_STxDl9bDoXyVQ/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_z5C9eY8N2-obQGqcsg61PzoEfB-M6cAvoxpwdY5lF_RCkfS5HgfyvMBlJIVer5rjOFj4kTC4X9r7oEoHqUpMqbIxG4FXhy2EEqlscowzKFykDqDxp3Si4EKkChog_STxDl9bDoXyVQ/s320/photo-2.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>(Jules) (Kimmy)</b></span></div>
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This is the only love triangle that's between two women on my list. My Best Friend's Wedding is one of those movies I wish I could change the ending to. I did not want Michael to pick Kimmy. She reminded me of all the girls I couldn't stand in high school and got everything they wanted. I wanted him to pick his best friend Jules . Besides they had more chemistry on screen anyway.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">#6</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Dawson's Creek</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4ytHQNVGnv3uYYatW9KesfjOJGaDXQV2JhTJLBRmEVRDHLzv6BaQf-tIGt8HKY6QUZjSpE1otc5nxOVyW9IG_Lh7ue4c6GRn8fvkKhRTUq2j93RLrTGyFluRM2Cv4iqhsLkKR79Fmh4/s1600/photo-5.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4ytHQNVGnv3uYYatW9KesfjOJGaDXQV2JhTJLBRmEVRDHLzv6BaQf-tIGt8HKY6QUZjSpE1otc5nxOVyW9IG_Lh7ue4c6GRn8fvkKhRTUq2j93RLrTGyFluRM2Cv4iqhsLkKR79Fmh4/s320/photo-5.PNG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiIGzCHGnnANgAcHBb3RJSeh0ItUpPOUTyugtd4LNamnGAThM45fo0BlNVdSRzxyYlTKeXhIiEPl58TOFFIpYRW6JU4y4JqDnHrtcfyDlQD0wJE4CmvwLfK_WLKJSrTkfyGNos3E5Y_k/s1600/photo-4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiIGzCHGnnANgAcHBb3RJSeh0ItUpPOUTyugtd4LNamnGAThM45fo0BlNVdSRzxyYlTKeXhIiEPl58TOFFIpYRW6JU4y4JqDnHrtcfyDlQD0wJE4CmvwLfK_WLKJSrTkfyGNos3E5Y_k/s320/photo-4.PNG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>(Dawson) (Pacey)</b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">This is actually the show that inspired my book Hold on Tight. Joey was in love with Dawson and hated Pacey, but then in season 3 everything changed and Joey actually began to fall in love with Pacey. As a viewer I was already in love with Pacey, and never understood what she saw in dull Dawson. Joey's relationship with Pacey only lasted for one season but the beautiful writers had her end up with him in the series finale. Thanks to Netflix I have been watching this show all over again. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>#5</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Pretty in Pink</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfkQuqE2nHovMVyFBs6AyzOuMwbYhFuQ4wyPVRsakesmaklqKib8G5dszPlaNU03V8EB5CcwAhNFEs8zg08HTyNYrRhg0DuwQxlUt58DobYh6VfbrB21VxGkt_FjV9KLUz6EV0-yIteA/s1600/photo-8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfkQuqE2nHovMVyFBs6AyzOuMwbYhFuQ4wyPVRsakesmaklqKib8G5dszPlaNU03V8EB5CcwAhNFEs8zg08HTyNYrRhg0DuwQxlUt58DobYh6VfbrB21VxGkt_FjV9KLUz6EV0-yIteA/s320/photo-8.JPG" width="249" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPdPSOuRfok9XBPkDWOcbaHua7TrHJXpwwkSIx3Qnopax_U1xK3xyaK1t3IV1p-yX2e-SyfOiAcxKuT_qLAC94IpiXWt6qS21AHwA5Sl2qRgNuSRfi3-fVx6MRsWarclK1OF8G0TFsC8/s1600/photo-7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPdPSOuRfok9XBPkDWOcbaHua7TrHJXpwwkSIx3Qnopax_U1xK3xyaK1t3IV1p-yX2e-SyfOiAcxKuT_qLAC94IpiXWt6qS21AHwA5Sl2qRgNuSRfi3-fVx6MRsWarclK1OF8G0TFsC8/s320/photo-7.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">(Blane) (Duckie)</span></b></div>
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This is the first love triangle that ever played with my heart. Blane was so hot, while Duckie was so cute. When I was a kid I love that Molly Ringwald's character picked Blane, but as I got older I began to realize I so more prefer Duckie. He liked Molly no matter who she was and didn't let anyone determine who he should take to the prom. I recently learned that in the original script she was supposed to pick Duckie, but the beta audience did not like that choice. I will forever be a Duckie girl.</div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>#4</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>The Notebook</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdocZHUF8jE49pMU5ytWvNNP0Cu3vogz5LRHR-yFJhfK7xumH4NrrWknpWvfqgfb9WmqF30EgAdkD5vVEV4jlNtynOLk9nU_hXiPGpB_dMHhxAQsMHkviUWn22ZKHcAIwVH0ydxfWA5io/s1600/photoforgephoto-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdocZHUF8jE49pMU5ytWvNNP0Cu3vogz5LRHR-yFJhfK7xumH4NrrWknpWvfqgfb9WmqF30EgAdkD5vVEV4jlNtynOLk9nU_hXiPGpB_dMHhxAQsMHkviUWn22ZKHcAIwVH0ydxfWA5io/s320/photoforgephoto-5.jpg" width="209" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLHuJ2U-OzvL6fNvTCXBrPHUqb51C8zg2YfjrcXN97fOWUwRJDJMQYHLSTydP2oqDc4R2dHqGKdE9eHKS0rXEGESfSelS4LdafTLyJdpH8b2ews9ndPM7h-WWg1tDjpJ3QCKyr1NDFlc/s1600/photoforgephoto-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLHuJ2U-OzvL6fNvTCXBrPHUqb51C8zg2YfjrcXN97fOWUwRJDJMQYHLSTydP2oqDc4R2dHqGKdE9eHKS0rXEGESfSelS4LdafTLyJdpH8b2ews9ndPM7h-WWg1tDjpJ3QCKyr1NDFlc/s320/photoforgephoto-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">(Noah) (Lon)</span></b></div>
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Okay in the Notebook everyone wants for Allie to pick Noah over Lon, but I have to admit a small part of me felt bad for Lon. He would be a good catch if the other guy was not Ryan Gosling. No matter who the other guy is my heart 100% belongs to Ryan Gosling, now please don't tell my husband.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">#3</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Sweet Home Alabama</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0qvGU4DCdH_tjQJimFRFEm2uNRlTIffC-58pvUkac7khaOkGkVo675UgDOvm8AZbn6GyVIToh0ld4qBqrPVUsdYgmlMv7OiPDFY_X7hwj0lWhPpzN3lNaD4evz154MY1en2V5UqK4gg/s1600/photoforgephoto-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0qvGU4DCdH_tjQJimFRFEm2uNRlTIffC-58pvUkac7khaOkGkVo675UgDOvm8AZbn6GyVIToh0ld4qBqrPVUsdYgmlMv7OiPDFY_X7hwj0lWhPpzN3lNaD4evz154MY1en2V5UqK4gg/s200/photoforgephoto-6.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75kJ2nC7CkOLMJoig800ZBj2AwWHBNctDPmP9Ybd4iJCvCnv48hshbxlKJPmpMJtn70KBtRNVPzorb3IjZOtxEeS051vNrTaEZOOMYzlXODPMj7DHXTzV-lRWAtOmCNAZmLQ-AGUdgFE/s1600/photoforgephoto-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75kJ2nC7CkOLMJoig800ZBj2AwWHBNctDPmP9Ybd4iJCvCnv48hshbxlKJPmpMJtn70KBtRNVPzorb3IjZOtxEeS051vNrTaEZOOMYzlXODPMj7DHXTzV-lRWAtOmCNAZmLQ-AGUdgFE/s200/photoforgephoto-1.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>(Jake) (Andrew)</b></span></div>
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My idea of not making one guy better than the other in my book Hold on Tight actually came from this movie. I love that both guys are a great choice and neither one becomes a jerk so the audience will chose one over the other. I do however think that Reece picked the perfect guy. He's hot, sexy, with a very cute southern accent. Who could ask for anything more?</div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>#2</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Hart of Dixie</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">(George) (Wade)</span></b></div>
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This recently has become my favorite show. I swear I can watch a marathon of this show almost everyday. I think it has to do with Wilson Bethel, who plays Wade. In this show Zoe Hart is in a love triangle with the respectable lawyer George and the bad boy Wade. Can you guess who I'm rooting for? As of now Zoe has chosen Wade (YAY!!!) But this show is only it's second season and anything can change. I'm hoping she stays with Wade.</div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>#1</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>The Twilight Saga</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #660000;"> (Edward) (Jacob)</span></b></div>
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Team Edward or Team Jacob has become the question in the last couple of years. It doesn't matter who Bella picked what matters is who you pick. I'm personally Team Edward because I do not like hairy guys. The truth is they are both hot, but I like my men with a beating heart and don't grow claws when they get angry. Bella picks Edward, I pick anyone else that won't cause me to die for them.</div>
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These were my top ten love triangles which one is your favorite?</div>
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~Maria</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357050508360128461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642283582469619078.post-72130819247589681412012-12-26T11:34:00.001-05:002012-12-26T11:34:38.038-05:00Writer Wednesday With Maria<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">**The following is a post from Jen's <a href="http://paranormalya.blogspot.com/2012/12/writer-wednesday.html" target="_blank">website</a>**</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Welcome to the first installment of Writer Wednesday! Each week I hope to introduce you to a new indie author and ask them 10 questions to get to know them.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">First up is my friend Maria Monteiro, who just released her second book called <i>Letting Go. </i>I first met Maria on Twitter back in April when we were both releasing our first books. I commented to her that I have a tattoo the same as the title of her book (<i>Hold on Tight</i>) and we hit it off right away. We even have a (somewhat neglected) <a href="http://twochicksblogging.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> together. In addition to being a concert junkie and kind hearted, Maria can write a mean romantic triangle.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUp1ozkFbwcQ-aTiAWIp9esoJoaSqJ3P9BBM8O9G7UD31d-nLaREpA5ZPp7NHEu-8Y8zAmG5APjshyYu1Pag1YBwTEYqOobEW-ZKwT4eBMHf68kTMO1e628k1FcvyFIFBuMZAqIAyzwM/s1600/Letting+Go+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUp1ozkFbwcQ-aTiAWIp9esoJoaSqJ3P9BBM8O9G7UD31d-nLaREpA5ZPp7NHEu-8Y8zAmG5APjshyYu1Pag1YBwTEYqOobEW-ZKwT4eBMHf68kTMO1e628k1FcvyFIFBuMZAqIAyzwM/s320/Letting+Go+cover.jpg" width="201" /></a><b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tell us about your new release, <i>Letting Go</i>.</span></b><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Letting Go</i> is the squeal to <i>Hold on Tight</i>. At the end of<i> Hold on Tight</i>, Emma is still left confused about who she wants to be with. She’s starting to get feelings for Court again while still holding on to her feelings for Nash. In <i>Letting Go,</i> Emma decides who she wants to be with, but there is a secret she has to tell and issues with her parents she has to deal with. The second book is not only about choosing a guy, it’s also about dealing with curve balls life throws at you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What's your favorite scene in this book?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s a scene she has with her mom in her parents' room. I have a very close relationship with my mother, so anytime I wrote about Emma’s relationship with her mother, I got a little emotional.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Were any aspects of the story brought on by either personal experience or inspiration?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes. There is a scene in which Emma goes to the Bowery Ballroom to see her one of her favorite bands and the lead singer makes eye contact with her. That actually happened to me and I reacted the same way Emma does in the book. I also love ice cream just as much as Emma does. I seriously could eat it all day long.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When did you first realize you wanted to become an author?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the fourth grade, when I wrote my first story. I remember thinking wow, this fun to be able to control people like this. In a weird way I felt like I was playing God with my characters. Little did I know, sometimes they control me. I know that sounds crazy, but I’m sure authors out there know what I’m talking about. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What are some of your personal favorite books?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My all time favorite book is <i>Going Too Far</i> by Jennifer Echols. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve read it. I wish John After was a real person and I could find him.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What music do you listen to while writing?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While I was writing <i>Hold on Tight </i>and <i>Letting Go</i> I listened to O.A.R, Lifehouse, Parachute and Yellowcard. For the book I’m writing now, I’ve been listening a lot to Dave Matthews, Beastie Boys, Foo Fighters, American Bang and of course O.A.R.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What's the most satisfying thing about writing?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">That feeling you get when your manuscript is done. It’s amazing when you have accomplished something you started. It’s a moment of great pride. It’s a beautiful feeling.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hardest thing?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Having to promote your work. I’m not good at it at all. I wish I knew the secret to it, but I don’t. It’s also hard to say goodbye to the characters you worked with for so long. You find yourself missing them, even though they drove you crazy towards the end. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What is your current work in progress?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Right now I am working on an adult romantic comedy titled <i>Facing Home</i>. It’s about a girl who has to move back home after being away at college because she cannot find a job. She has to deal with everything she left behind including her ex-boyfriend who is about to marry one of her best friends. I’m having a lot of fun writing it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you could choose to shake the hand of any person, who would that be?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Okay, quick story before I tell you. Three years ago I was walking around feeling dead inside. I wasn’t writing or doing anything creative. I felt so blah with no motivation. One day my husband came home and said let's do something this weekend. I said okay what? He told me about a concert near us with a band I had never heard of. I love concerts, so I agreed to go. I didn’t know anything about this band and their name made me think they were a boy band. I went without knowing anything about them (I wasn’t in the mood to Google them). Little did I know they were about to change my whole life. I don’t know what it was about their music, but it woke me up creatively again. They made me feel like I had a purpose. Since then they have become my favorite band, I have all their albums, not a day goes by that I don’t listen to at least one of their songs and I go see them in concert every chance I get. For that reason I would love to shake the hands of Marc Roberge, Chris Culos, Richard On, Beng Gershman and Jerry DePizzo the guys from O.A.R (Of A Revolution) and thank them for saving my life.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Ways to follow Maria: <a href="https://twitter.com/MMonteiro33" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5785234.Maria_E_Monteiro" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Rebelroadbooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, her <a href="http://mariamonteiro.net/" target="_blank">website</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Where to find her books: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maria-E.-Monteiro/e/B007QB27VQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/maria-e.-monteiro" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maria-e.-monteiro/id514437188?mt=11" target="_blank">iBook</a> and <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=%22Maria+E.+Monteiro%22&t=none&f=author&p=1&s=none&g=both" target="_blank">Kobo</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZTwj-B2HN_oZeGgjPeGKKXJP4KCiH8jwu2DpBFd1FeyI0J81HWF3BAyKvamRRqvpDRnoLu1NsQfL0TFfeS-2bt03DFo9_dyWYG4m-IoPpZSPmVYA4YUWHohxQe-aH5ywDMhyphenhyphen2BClsew/s1600/maria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZTwj-B2HN_oZeGgjPeGKKXJP4KCiH8jwu2DpBFd1FeyI0J81HWF3BAyKvamRRqvpDRnoLu1NsQfL0TFfeS-2bt03DFo9_dyWYG4m-IoPpZSPmVYA4YUWHohxQe-aH5ywDMhyphenhyphen2BClsew/s200/maria.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>Maria Monteiro was born in Chile and moved to America when she was only three years old. She was raised in Sleepy Hollow New York, but no, she's never run into the Headless Horseman. She got her BA in English and her Masters in Literacy. She became a preschool teacher, and though it’s been fun, it has never been her dream to teach. She has always wanted to write.</i><br />
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