tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5448845178103094522024-02-19T16:47:19.648-08:00 Fantastical Reads ONLY THE BEST READS AND REVIEWS!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-39090973517801035112014-08-30T08:27:00.003-07:002014-08-30T11:18:25.806-07:00Check out the great New Release by the talented Author Elyse Salpeter!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">New Release in a great series!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've had the great pleasure of reading and enjoying many of Elyse Salpeter's novels. There is never a dull moment within her smoothly written and immaculately edited pages and she writes from the heart. The attention to detail will keep you turning, and the flow and action in her books will keep you on your toes. Flying to the Fire is a new release. Trust me, you will not want to miss the second book of this series. The scenarios are realistic, so if you enjoy feeling like you are actually 'there in the flesh', they are well worth the reading time. Check them out below. (click on the book covers to find teaser pages on amazon.com, or use the links to find them on amazon.uk.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Flying to the Light: Book #1 in the
Flying Series</span></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">Seventeen year old Michael Anderson
and his deaf kid brother, Danny, find themselves in mortal danger after their
parents are kidnapped. Michael discovers Danny has a special gift—he knows what
happens after a person dies—and now others want to know too. The brothers must
outwit and outrun Samuel Herrington, a lethal biophysicist, the FBI, and even
fellow Americans in a harrowing cross-country chase, because whoever gets to
Danny first will have the power to rule the world.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <b> New Release</b></span></i><b><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">!!!</span></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Flying to the Fire: Book #2 in the
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">An evil black mass has burst through Danny
Anderson’s nightmares to attack him in broad daylight. If it weren’t for his
birds, he would have died. Danny soon realizes that this monster is not coming
for him, but for his little sister, Katie...because while he looks up to a
place of light and peace, Katie looks down into realms of darkness and cruelty.
Time is running out. The monster grows stronger with each attempt to steal
Katie away to these dark dimensions, forcing Danny into the fight of his life
to save his sister--before she is lost to him forever.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">About the Author </span></b></span></span></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUd8VGdzEjUND2I6g0mxsAWraWlAqJDPU-7f1OkEuE2vb2dBJqMwfNnfY-Fg4BQ8TbzvWXznwPLENU0-JxcTJGp-aZgEnMh-1zA8fgbYni10q4TabqQ6dEoA8m25r-D4uLHiHYS0Im4-L/s1600/elyse+author+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUd8VGdzEjUND2I6g0mxsAWraWlAqJDPU-7f1OkEuE2vb2dBJqMwfNnfY-Fg4BQ8TbzvWXznwPLENU0-JxcTJGp-aZgEnMh-1zA8fgbYni10q4TabqQ6dEoA8m25r-D4uLHiHYS0Im4-L/s1600/elyse+author+pic.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Elyse Salpeter is the author of seven novels and a host of short
stories. What she loves doing is mixing "the real with the fantastic" in
her books. She loves taking different scenarios and suddenly creating
worlds where things just aren't what they appear to be.<br /><br />Her New
Adult Dark Fantasy Series, THE WORLD OF KAROV and THE RUBY AMULET take
us to other realms filled with magic and evil... Her Contemporary Adult
thriller, THE HUNT FOR XANADU is about a young girl on a mission to
avenge her parents, murdered in their quest to find the mystical land of
Xanadu.<br /><br />Her YA novels, FLYING TO THE LIGHT and FLYING TO THE
FIRE are about a young deaf boy who knows what happens to you when you
die and now people are after him for the answers. The books are fast
paced thrillers that keeps the reader on their toes, never quite knowing
who, and who not, to trust.<br /><br />When she's not writing, she's
cooking, working out, running after her twins and eating shock food in
her Gastronaut Club. Please come on over and learn more about her at her
webpage at www.elysesalpeter.com </span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Contact Elyse:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/elysesalpeterauthor">www.facebook.com/elysesalpeterauthor</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/elysesalpeter">www.twitter.com/elysesalpeter</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.elysesalpeter.wordpress.com/">www.elysesalpeter.wordpress.com</a></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://www.elysesalpeter.com/">www.elysesalpeter.com</a></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-86781657670493911312014-06-24T07:23:00.003-07:002014-06-24T12:43:44.659-07:00Author Scott Bury brings the past back to life in this great non-fiction release.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;">I'm a huge fan of fiction, but once in a while I read non-fiction. Since I'm a bit picky about what I spend my time turning pages on, the writing has to grab me. So when I heard that Author Scott Bury, who's been a friend of mine for a number of years, was releasing a new non-fiction novel I was more than interested in taking a peek. I knew what to expect. Scott can write. He's a pro. His work is smooth, professionally edited, exciting and it draws a reader in. You know, the kind that pulls you in as the hours melt away. Yeah... he's got it like that. SO here it is... I'm proud to show you the cover reveal of Scott's newest baby, Army of Worn Soles. Take a look inside and you'll soon discover what it's like to take a walk in a past riddled with fear, horror, and the decency of men.</span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"> </span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Army-Worn-Soles-Scott-Bury-ebook/dp/B00L3CNE0M/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Army-Worn-Soles-Scott-Bury-ebook/dp/B00L3CNE0M/" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdqpNjLTNbN1F4YMb-hrf5SYxQH24tXzoBOJwwZshIwGh6cBvZQ9xv7mVhmFwF1o8wrekZyMJ9usFsClOb3o2Iy1Rp92vgRxsVg3Evq1CNR9S-PwR8Cp3Nv34o0vKZeC2jHJrll3gzWcw/s1600/Army+of+Worn+Soles+-+FULL+RESOLUTION.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"></span></div>
<h1>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc263841466"><span lang="EN-AU">Excerpt ten from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Army of Worn Soles</i></span></a></h1>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc263841466;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Army
of Worn Soles</i> launch blog tour continues! Read to the end for the clue that
will help you win the Grand Prize of a signed paperback copy of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Army of Worn Soles</i> plus a $50 Amazon
gift card. If you collect all the clues and put them in the right order,
they’ll make a sentence. Send the sentence to the author for a chance to win
and autographed paperback copy of Army of Worn Soles plus a gift certificate
from Amazon.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc263841466;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">For a chance to enter the early-bird draw,
enter the clue at the bottom of the post in the Comments section.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc263841466;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">To see where the blog tour stops next, and to
find the next clue, visit the author’s blog, </span></span><a href="http://scottswrittenwords.blogspot.com/"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc263841466;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Written Words</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc263841466;"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc263841466;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">. </span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc263841466;"></span>
<br />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc263841467"><span lang="EN-AU">Chapter 7: </span></a><span lang="EN-AU">Barbarossa</span></h1>
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<span lang="SV" style="mso-ansi-language: SV; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Kyiv</span><span lang="EN-AU">, Ukraine, 1941</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Maurice squinted through a narrow window-slit
in an armoured rail car, trying to get a clear view of their situation. “Kyiv.
The enemy’s in Kyiv,” someone said behind him.</span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“How the fuck do you know it’s Kyiv?” someone
else said.</span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“I grew up in Danyts’kyi. I know what Kyiv
looks like.”</span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“The city is on fire,” a third man said. “The
Germans have reached Kyiv already.” </span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">All Maurice could see were houses and fields.
The train crawled forward like a dying, groaning beast. He pressed his face
against the shaking wall of the car, but could not see much other than the
buildings along the track.</span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The view opened up briefly as they entered a
rail yard then pulled up beside another train. Maurice saw men climbing out of
wagons and unloading weapons, equipment, carts, supplies and horses. Officers
and commissars strode and shouted. From overhead, he heard planes droning and
roaring.</span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">He turned away from the scene outside as the
train slowed more. As its noise subsided, he heard more from outside: banging
and clanging, orders yelled and acknowledged. </span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">In front of Maurice were eleven men, his
command. He had met them two days ago at the Okhtyrka train station, and he
struggled to remember all their names. They were all Ukrainian, as was the rest
of the company—except for the commissars. Maurice scanned over them. Vasylko
looked bored, Yosyp nervous, Alexey terrified. Between them were their crates
of supplies, two-wheeled carts, ammunition and two dismantled anti-tank guns.</span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The train groaned, shuddered and threw everyone
aboard forward then back, then forward again as it stopped. “Get off me,
asshole,” someone said. Someone else apologized. The door slid open to admit
blinding sunshine and the tumult of an army assembling. Commissars ran along
the train, banging on the wooden cars and yelling. “Out. Get off the train and
assemble ready for action.”</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Two men shoved a ramp out the wagon doors. It
was really just boards hammered together, sitting on the edge of the wagon, not
attached to anything. The men picked up sacks and boxes and ran out, or in
teams pulled out carts and heavy crates. </span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Come on, boys, off the train,” Maurice said. </span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">My first order</span></i><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">, he thought. </span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Vasylko, Yosyp, Alexey, Myron, take the guns.”
His men scrambled, picked up their things and joined the chaos of men and
equipment pushing down the ramp.</span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Maurice saw two of his men reach the ground and
look around, unsure of what to do among the throngs pushing in every direction.
“Keep our equipment together, get it set up for transport,” he shouted to two
men on the ground. <i>Basil and Lev?</i> </span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">In the torrent of voices of men and horses and
machine noise, a new drone pulled Maurice’s eyes up. Beyond the rail yard,
empty fields fell down toward the Dnipro River, and beyond that, the city of
Kyiv. Above, in the blue sky, two airplanes flew straight toward them.</span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“Messerschmidts,” someone yelled as the planes’
drone became a scream. The chaos of an army disembarking from trains became
panic. </span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">The planes were almost on top of them in
seconds. Dust and dirt puffed up from the ground in twin rows, ripping toward
the trains. Maurice did not have time to think. “They’re strafing us.” Men
fell, screaming.</span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Maurice jumped to the right in the same instant
he saw the wooden side of the wagon burst. He felt a scorching pain across his
left leg, just below the knee. He hit the ground, rolled and found he could not
stand up. </span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Two of his men ran to him. “Lieutenant, you’re
hit,” one shouted over the din. Anti-aircraft guns boomed. Little black clouds
cracked uselessly after the Messerschmidts. Somewhere, an equally useless
machine-gun rattled. The Messers banked, graceful as eagles as they turned away
to the west. </span><br />
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">About
the book:</span></b></div>
<h4 style="background: white; line-height: 11.25pt; margin-top: 5.65pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #5f8db3; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; text-transform: uppercase;"> </span></h4>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">1941:
Their retreat across Ukraine wore their boots out—and they kept going. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Three months after drafting him, the Soviet
Red Army throws Maurice Bury, along with millions of other under-trained men,
against the juggernaut of Nazi Germany's Operation Barbarossa, the assault on
the USSR. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Army
of Worn Soles</span></i><span lang="EN-CA"> tells the true story of a Canadian
who had to find in himself a way to keep himself alive—and the men who followed
him.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">It is available in e-book form exclusively
on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Army-Worn-Soles-Scott-Bury-ebook/dp/B00L3CNE0M/">Amazon</a>.</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">About
the author:</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ThK7iSSpVUPnfhU3jw4sCOEWffwCJnO5kgfXOq22l9iCqYSJq58GdzvofqkT8bCdMPONdDizxLl19uvL_5nhueI15_b7wwpmAU1avZnYNdpXc2pL-75e8ECxK3RZVvifq1W0gUlkGcjz/s1600/Pic-ScottBury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ThK7iSSpVUPnfhU3jw4sCOEWffwCJnO5kgfXOq22l9iCqYSJq58GdzvofqkT8bCdMPONdDizxLl19uvL_5nhueI15_b7wwpmAU1avZnYNdpXc2pL-75e8ECxK3RZVvifq1W0gUlkGcjz/s1600/Pic-ScottBury.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">Scott Bury is a journalist, editor and
novelist based in Ottawa, Canada. He has written for magazines in Canada, the
US, the UK and Australia.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">He is author of </span><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/111791"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bones of the Earth</i></a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">,
a fantasy set in the real time and place of eastern Europe of the sixth
century; </span><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Shade-Red-Scott-Bury-ebook/dp/B00C28NLJA/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: HI;">One
Shade of Red</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: HI;">,</span></a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">
a humorous erotic romance; </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">a children’s short story, </span><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/89276"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: HI;">S</span>am, the Strawb Part</a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">
(proceeds of which are donated to an autism charity), and other stories. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">Scott Bury lives in Ottawa with his
lovely, supportive and long-suffering wife, two mighty sons and two pesky cats.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">He can be found online at </span><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.writtenword.ca/">www.writtenword.ca</a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">,
on his blog, </span><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://scottswrittenwords.blogspot.com/">Written Words</a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">,
on </span><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scott-Bury/e/B007Z4BXGY/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: HI;">Amazon</span></a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">, on Twitter @ScottTheWriter, and on </span><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scott-Bury-author/347727125260907">Facebook</a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">.
</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">Today’s
clue</span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;">: of</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-50632300061043878752014-06-21T11:16:00.000-07:002014-06-23T18:48:45.200-07:00Check out this character interview!<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Kindle Novel 99 Cents Today!</span></span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt=" http://smarturl.it/5xa3a0" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQ59l7ARNzVzRlocqHWzmfQ8MFtMjToxY5uesibCfCGUnniW1EdXjGygXTk5oE5CbvVl58QE_vP-zOLpWj9M-s3T15rojIjUkYAnvhC5DRC4aZsQjPlZLUlbzPmh5QUV7hzQpsx9AaUxz/s1600/The+Alphas+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="235" /> </span></span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Find out all about Sasha, below. </span></span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></h2>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-41711930847146119452014-06-20T08:35:00.000-07:002014-06-24T13:01:29.468-07:00Check out this Great Character Interview with the wolf Sasha from Author Diane Rapp's newest novel The Alphas!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s
my pleasure today to welcome the one and only, talented Diane Rapp, author of The Alpha’s, her newest book
and prequel to the </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alphas-Prequel-Heirs-Throne-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00JBPPQOK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1401688684&sr=1-1&keywords=diane+rapp"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Heirs to the Throne Trilogy</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">. </span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Today’s interview will be a character
interview with the female wolf, Sasha.</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfqtC9ChgHJGWTLrxQprMG47zC-713NBix5Pc2aE7znN2gemLPVVPXtNoru-Bos1cuoXosZQo0nW3IwtHDR4h4D_JJUOeBKP7XAN8y48SqV1E-Sdhiun9smPVsQEOI1xOIzpJCGQAYAJy/s1600/Black-Wolf-Pictures1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfqtC9ChgHJGWTLrxQprMG47zC-713NBix5Pc2aE7znN2gemLPVVPXtNoru-Bos1cuoXosZQo0nW3IwtHDR4h4D_JJUOeBKP7XAN8y48SqV1E-Sdhiun9smPVsQEOI1xOIzpJCGQAYAJy/s1600/Black-Wolf-Pictures1.jpg" height="200" width="151" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Thank
you so much for being here today, Diane, and bringing Sasha with you.</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Diane:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s our pleasure to meet with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you can see, Sasha is a beautiful black
wolf with golden eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s the Alpha
female leader of her pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Sasha
uses mind-speak to communicate, I’ll help translate your questions and reply
with her answers.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sasha,
how would you describe your upbringing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Where did it take place, who raised you, and were you raised with
siblings?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A pack?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Etc.</span></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">All wolves are raised in
a pack and our pack’s territory is the mountains of a place you call Colorado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pack is a wonderful family unit, filled
with brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each pack member fills a valuable function, guided by our pack leaders
who share the wisdom of their Ancestor Minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is the way we pass on knowledge through each generation. </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I notice you use the word “we”
when referring yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you explain
why<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>?</span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="http://smarturl.it/5xa3a0" target="_blank"><img alt=" http://smarturl.it/5xa3a0" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQ59l7ARNzVzRlocqHWzmfQ8MFtMjToxY5uesibCfCGUnniW1EdXjGygXTk5oE5CbvVl58QE_vP-zOLpWj9M-s3T15rojIjUkYAnvhC5DRC4aZsQjPlZLUlbzPmh5QUV7hzQpsx9AaUxz/s1600/The+Alphas+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="235" /></a> </h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">When a wolf hosts the
Ancestor Minds of a dying pack member, the living host is joined by many
identities who lived in previous host bodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We become one entity, but there are many minds inside of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The living host controls the host body but listens
to advice and history from the Ancestor Voices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We take the name of the Ancestor Line and speak for everyone after we
become a host.</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Would
you say you like, or dislike humans?</span></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We like our human friends, Henry and Sandra,
who help the pack, but the humans from Zebulon keep us prisoner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They wish to use our abilities to benefit
their company, so we don’t like them much.</span></i></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What
is it about humans that most surprises you?</span></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">We do not understand
selfish humans who act cruel to weaker animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wolves kill prey animals to feed the pack, but we do not play with them
or make them suffer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We usually pick
prey that is weak and ready to die, so this helps the herd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Natural balance is important for all animals.</span></i></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What
has been your most traumatic experience?</span></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">You will read in our
story about the mountain lion who attacked us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We thought we’d lost our mate’s Ancestor Minds and felt very
frightened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is dangerous to hunt in
the wild and we usually keep our designated host at our side to take our minds
if needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The humans kept our hosts
trapped in a pen and we were vulnerable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Read the story and you will understand our fear.</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What
is your favorite place to be and why?</span></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">As a pack leader we feel
happiest teaching the cubs in our den.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>New life is precious and we enjoy feeling the spark of little minds
learning to touch each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teaching
them the lessons from the Ancestors means the pack thrives in good times and in
bad.</span></i></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Do
you feel that you easily trust?</span></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Using mind-speak allows
us to know the truth because it comes directly from the mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is impossible to lie when we hear the very
thoughts of an intelligent being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
many years we wondered if humans could be intelligent because their thoughts
were so jumbled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we finally made
contact with Henry and Sandra, we found true and faithful friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not trust the humans who work for
Zebulon, and you will understand why after you read our story.</span></i></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Where
does your devotion and focus lie most of the time?</span></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">The pack is most
important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a pack leader, it is my
duty to pass on the knowledge we get from our Ancestor Minds and to keep the
pack safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These Zebulon humans are a
great danger to the pack.</span></i></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">If
you could change one thing about humans, what would it be?</span></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">We hope that humans can
learn to respect all creatures, even those who might appear less
intelligent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each creature fills a valuable
role in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humans often cause
damage in their arrogance and hurt the natural balance.</span></i></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What
is one strength that humankind possesses that you admire?</span></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Humans make and use
tools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We marvel at the machines that
they use and would like to learn that skill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once we learn a skill, wolves never lose that knowledge since the
Ancestors help us keep wisdom through generations.</span></i></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">How
do you feel about communication skills of humans?</span></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></i></h3>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Most humans are pitiful
at speaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They use barking sounds and
their bodies don’t show proper signs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course their ears don’t move and they don’t have tails, so they have a
disadvantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human thoughts are often
filled with nonsense. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If humans quietly listened
and paid attention to nature, they might learn valuable lessons.</span></i></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Is
there anything else you’d like to add?</span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbakb936eISk3XoXo7lRWzn8i4rpj-quAjAX1wam1IfIgXsVNwNiteNMRFWjQKKPjzAJZJ3qzQv8rVHAzkDuQ-lPldXiXkF79Jq_hnq79JFYXf1w70ZnJR1m6x3akmxV1Sz57vmOkWNtSK/s1600/Wolf+on+Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbakb936eISk3XoXo7lRWzn8i4rpj-quAjAX1wam1IfIgXsVNwNiteNMRFWjQKKPjzAJZJ3qzQv8rVHAzkDuQ-lPldXiXkF79Jq_hnq79JFYXf1w70ZnJR1m6x3akmxV1Sz57vmOkWNtSK/s1600/Wolf+on+Beach.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">We hope your readers
will enjoy our story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The adventure
continues in Diane Rapp’s novel HOWL OF THE WOLF, which is the first book in
her HEIRS TO THE THRONE TRILOGY.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
will meet the wolves who help their humans friends survive on the planet
Drako.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Thank
you Sasha and Diane for visiting with us today and sharing your experiences
with us.</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwaxuMcVaeLelKwxB2nJsFMrdZxFWL3kVIMdYt-aTdhG4NehOHqxjVLjc2KouzY8LLYO9gFj_BFmha4C62ZU_fRvV290jMP3MplpsQ-1-Lady0c-mVE63GJpjhQzgKqokScAQOujwFbol/s1600/Diane+Image+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwaxuMcVaeLelKwxB2nJsFMrdZxFWL3kVIMdYt-aTdhG4NehOHqxjVLjc2KouzY8LLYO9gFj_BFmha4C62ZU_fRvV290jMP3MplpsQ-1-Lady0c-mVE63GJpjhQzgKqokScAQOujwFbol/s1600/Diane+Image+2.jpg" height="200" width="183" /></a></div>
</span></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<b>Who is Author Diane Rapp?</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Check back later this week to find out more about this talented author and her other novels. </b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
You can find The Alphas at : <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <a href="http://smarturl.it/5xa3a0" target="_blank">http://smarturl.it/5xa3a0</a></span> </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-49431266953385401292014-03-25T12:53:00.000-07:002014-03-25T12:53:06.428-07:00Enduring Everything ~ My 5 STAR review<div style="text-align: center;">
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My FIVE STAR review of </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Author M. Sembera</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I loved this romance novel.<span> </span>The character development was perfectly satisfying, with realistic quirkiness that brought them all to life.<span> </span>The drama which surrounded the characters was realistic too, as was the romance that was woven masterfully within the plot.<span> </span>I
was rooting for several different characters during the book ( I don’t
do spoilers), and was very happy with the choices that they decided on
when all was said and done.<span> </span>This was a well written, well edited enjoyable read.<span> </span>Highly recommend it! This is a New Release, so pick it up while it's still at this special price! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">US</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.amazon.com/Enduring-Everything-M-Sembera-ebook/dp/B00J2AV41I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395777102&sr=8-1&keywords=enduring+everything</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Enduring-Everything-M-Sembera-ebook/dp/B00J2AV41I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395777150&sr=1-1&keywords=enduring+everything </span> </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-19102680346745843912014-03-24T07:18:00.001-07:002014-03-24T07:18:13.580-07:00Introducing ~ Enduring Everything ~ GREAT new sexy/romantic read by Author M. SEMBERA<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><em>Time doesn't always heal old wounds. </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><em>Often time makes them worse. </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><em>Especially when you push those wounds to the back of your mind and focus on the life you want to lead.</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><em>Then the day comes when you finally have everything.</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><em>It is then, you realize that nothing ever goes away.</em></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20657380-enduring-everything"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong><span style="background-color: white;">GoodReads</span></strong></span></a></span></span><span style="font-size: 20px;"></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">In order to put years of heartache and abuse behind her, Ren learned to bury the past deep down inside herself and focus on one thing; raising her daughter Sophia. As the years passed, she found peace in the daily routine of her job and becomes content with being a mom. </span></span></em></div>
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<br /> <em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">On the night of her daughter's wedding, Ren takes a risk and strays from the predictable world she has set up for herself when her longtime friend Jackson rekindles a loving promise he made to her long ago.</span></span></em></div>
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<br /> <em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">Ren cannot keep her past buried, and the two struggle when old problems start to creep back into their lives. She cannot get her world back in order and her instinct is to shut everyone out. </span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">In the midst of it all Ren is coerced into helping Charlotte, an adopted teenager of her close friends the Roberts'. Reluctantly agreeing, Ren finds Charlotte is in dire need of self control and direction. Upon discovering they share a similar upbringing Ren feels she can advise Charlotte and keep her from repeating her own mistakes. Taking steps to ensure Charlotte's recovery, her new found purpose causes a rift in the family she has come to know and love as her own. </span></span></em></div>
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<br /> <em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">Battling issues, both new and old, will Ren & Jacks be able to endure everything life has thrown at them or will Ren give up everything and isolate herself from the inevitable pain that will follow when all her secrets are revealed? </span></span></em></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">~ A TASTE OF ENDURING EVERYTHING ~</span></h3>
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">~ INTERVIEW WITH JACKSON, FROM AUTHOR M.SEMBERA'S ~</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">~ ENDURING EVERYTHING ~</span></b><br />
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Hi Jackson. <span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';"><i> </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';"><i>Hi, its nice to meet you.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';"><i> </i></span>How’s it going? </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';"><i>It's going good. How about yourself?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';">Not too bad. </span><span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';">So, Jackson, can you tell me a little about yourself?<i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';"><i>Sure, basketball and accounting are my two favorite things. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';"><i>I volunteer at my friend Roberts' rec center teaching sports
fundamentals. Basketball is a great way for the kids to connect with
each other and learn to work together</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';"><i>I have what most people would call a photographic memory. </i><i>In
my case, its actually called an eidetic memory because it’s not just
things I see. There’s a bunch of big words that explain it but to be
honest it’s not a big deal but it makes accounting effortless for me.</i> </span><i style="line-height: 1.25;"><span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';"> I
was an accountant at my dad's firm, JPT Financial, up until he retired
a few months ago and I took over. I'm still an accountant there, just
have an office instead of a cubical, now.</span> </i></div>
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Who is Ren?</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';"><i> S</i><i>he's my everything...</i></span></div>
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How did you two meet?</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';">Through
Roberts actually. Our junior year in high school, she started showing
up at basketball games with him. She always sat by herself in the stands
and then would stand outside the locker room waiting for him to come
out. That's when I saw her for the first time, waiting on him. She was
so damn cute standing there without makeup and her hair pulled up in a
ponytail.</span> </i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';">I tried asking Roberts about her but all he ever said was that they were friends.</span> </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';"><i>One
night after a game, I planned on introducing myself. I even had my
number written down on a little piece of paper, ready to give to her.
All week I had it planned out, to ask her if she liked watching me on
the court and then offer showing her some of my special skills off the
court. I didn't see her waiting for him, so I went to look for her. She
was almost at the exit door when I ran up and bumped her. The second she
looked up at me with those big grey eyes, I lost my nerve. I ended up
trying to convince her that she dropped the paper, with my number on it
and it was her's. Thinking back, I had no idea what I was getting into
with her but when she smiled at me, she had me.</i> </span></div>
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What is the most annoying trait Ren has?</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';">She has a habit of letting me in to a point and then shutting herself off to me<span style="line-height: 1.25;">.
Like after all these years, there would be anything that would make me
feel differently towards her. I understand why but its incredibly
frustrating.</span></span></i></div>
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What about her greatest strength?</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';"><i>It has to be the way she loves. She would go to hell and back for someone she cares about.</i></span> </div>
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Your greatest weakness?</div>
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<i> <span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';">Honest answer? Ren. She is the exception to every thought, ideal and goal I've had in life.</span></i></div>
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Your greatest strength?</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';">Again,
its her. Before I met Ren, I was all about easy and I never put much
thought into anything. If it wasn't simple, it wasn't for me. Her life
was so messed up for so long, I was forced to think about someone other
than myself. She made me the man I am.</span> </i> </div>
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Anything you want to add about you, Ren, family members,or anything else?</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'arial black','avant garde';">Just
that, when you have family, blood or not, it doesn't matter what
happens or what you go through with them, you have everything.</span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-42856116298760874862014-02-14T07:55:00.003-08:002014-02-14T07:56:04.233-08:00JC Adrijeski is the Author of one of my favorite Fantasy Novel series. Her words are addictive. Check her and her books out today!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">JC Andrijeski's Fantasy Series Allie's War is one I've read and found fascinating. I highly</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">recommend this series to fantasy readers. Her great books are very action packed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> ABOUT THE AUTHOR-</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">JC Andrijeski has published
novels, novellas, serials, graphic novels and short stories, including new
adult fantasy series, Allie’s War, the new adult science fiction series, The
Slave Girl Chronicles, and the Gateshifter series, about a shape-shifting alien
and a tough-girl PI from Seattle. She also writes nonfiction essays and
articles, as well as some erotica. Her short works have been featured in
anthologies, online literary, art and fiction magazines as well as print venues
such as NY Press newspaper and holistic health magazines. JC travels
extensively and has lived abroad in Europe, Australia and Asia, but </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> currently
lives and works full time as a writer in Portland, OR. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">To learn more about JC and her
writing, please visit www.jcandrijeski.com. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If you want to get an automatic
email when JC’s next book is released, sign up for her email newsletter at
tinyurl.com/JCAndrijeski. Your email will be kept private, never sold and you
can unsubscribe at any time. Word of mouth is essential for any author to
succeed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Featured Book-</span></span></div>
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<b>JC Andrijeski excerpt of Rook-</b></div>
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Excerpt 1-<br />
<br />
“Put it down!” A voice yelled. “On the ground! Right now!”<br />
I
blinked in confusion, staring at the bottle in my hand. The jagged end
of broken glass looked like something out of a cartoon, or an old
gangster movie.<br />
Blood ran down the inside of my arm, not all of it mine. My muscles locked, bunched up with adrenaline.<br />
Someone
must have called the police. The young guy in front of me didn’t have
his gun out, but his hand held the holster menacingly, and his uniform
brought a flush of panic, starting somewhere in my lower belly.<br />
The
other fire that had burned there—irrationally bright only seconds
before—abruptly sobered. Without taking so much as a breath, I dropped
the broken bottle, holding up my hands in a gesture of surrender.<br />
I’ve
never been a tough chick. I’d never done anything remotely like this
before...but I knew enough to know that my arms covered in tattoos and
my punky, bleached-calico hair weren’t winning me any points with the
men in blue. I looked around at the swath of cleared space around the
bar.<br />
“Hands up!” the cop yelled.<br />
“They’re up!” I said.<br />
He
walked up, grabbing one of my wrists. He spun me around so I faced the
bar. I felt cool metal hit my wrist as my chest thudded into the
lacquered wood.<br />
“You have any weapons?” the young policeman asked.
He cuffed me, then patted me down. “Don’t fucking move!” he yelled,
when I turned to look at him.<br />
“No weapons!” I was shouting I realized, scared out of my wits.<br />
All
the while, my mind churned useless facts. People got shot doing stupid
shit like this. More cops got shot in domestic disputes than during any
other kind of call, which likely explained why the young cop’s hands
shook as he cuffed me.<br />
My eyes swept the oddly bright space until
they lit on the person who had inspired all this drama, and that flame
of irrational feeling ripped once more through my chest cavity, making
it difficult to breathe, to think straight.<br />
Jaden, my now
ex-boyfriend, stood like a store mannequin, his eyes as wide as saucers
in a pale face. He gripped the upper arm of his date, a voluptuous girl
in a red vinyl dress, as if to steady himself. I looked at her, and the
rage came back, intense enough to scare me. Breathing harder, I leaned
against the wood, closing my eyes, trying to crush my own chest.<br />
Feeling ripped through my center, animal-like—almost painful.<br />
In
my defense, I’d only heard about them that night, and the fact that
their affair started three months earlier, while I’d been blissfully
happy, thinking Jaden and I were mutually in love. According to his bass
player, she’d started hanging out with them after shows, eventually
winning him over with flattery, pouty lips and enormous tits.<br />
She
was babbling something to him and her friends now, half-hysterical, her
arm bleeding profusely from where I’d slashed at her with the bottle,
her red-painted lips another dark wound on her face.<br />
I stared at them both, thinking, this can’t be real. It can’t be. This isn’t me.<br />
But it was.<br />
<br />
Excerpt 2<br />
<br />
I
stared out the dirty window of the bottle-green Plymouth, watching
trees and coast slide by. We were still on Highway 1, nearing where it
merged with 101, not far from the Oregon border.<br />
I hadn’t been on
that stretch of road since I was a kid. What took minutes on Highway 5,
or even 101 from San Francisco to Eureka, took hours along Highway 1,
making the twisting two-lane road hugging the rocky coastline feel
endless. But Revik wanted us off the main highway, at least until we
crossed state lines. Even within seaside towns, he took side streets,
avoiding the main “strips,” if they could be called that in towns that
maybe had four bars, a salt-eaten motel, a greasy spoon, a church, a
head shop and one drive-through coffee stand.<br />
Somewhere near Fort
Bragg, he uncuffed me from the door. I suppose I should’ve been grateful
for that, but as my hands and ankles remained bound, my gratitude was
limited. I watched the sun slink into the Pacific as pelicans skimmed
by, beating long wingspans.<br />
I felt him looking at me. When he didn’t stop after a few minutes, I exhaled sharply, facing him.<br />
“What?”<br />
He
turned the wheel of the Plymouth, sliding behind the main street of
another seaside village whose name I didn’t know. We passed a few bars
and an auto shop. His pale eyes shone in the neon signs.<br />
“We are low on gas. Can I trust you?”<br />
“Dehgo...whatever your name is...”<br />
“Revik.”<br />
“Right. Are you going to tell me? What that guy meant about me ending the world?”<br />
He exhaled. “Terian was trying to unbalance you. But it is true that they...” He amended, <i>“...We </i>believe you to be someone important.”<br />
“Important how?”<br />
“Allie, can I trust you, if I—”<br />
“Revik, important how?”<br />
Clicking
to himself, he pulled into a nearby Arco station. Stopping in front of a
pump, he turned off the ignition. When an attendant walked right up to
the window, I realized with some surprise that we must be in Oregon.
Revik rolled down the window, which stuck a few times. He gave me a last
warning glance.<br />
“Hey! Cool car, man! What can she do on the freeway...?”<br />
The boy’s words trailed, just before his eyes filmed over.<br />
Revik
sat up to tug the clip from his back pocket, handing through a few
bills of paper money. I noticed the attendant’s eyes didn’t look at me
as he took the folded paper. They also didn’t glance at the rust-colored
stains on Revik’s shirt, or the slash of the same on his pale neck.<br />
“Revik...”<br />
Frowning,
he glanced at me, then at the rearview mirror. I watched as he licked
his fingers, rubbing at the dark stain on his neck. Then he leaned over
my lap and pulled open the glove box. Taking out an oil rag, he poured
some water in it from a plastic bottle and rubbed it over his neck,
erasing the mark completely.<br />
“Revik, I’m hungry. I’m thirsty, too.”<br />
Instead of answering, he handed me the half-full bottle.<br />
I tilted it over my mouth, drinking.<br />
His
tone remained neutral. “Like I told you...historical periods have
beginnings, middles and ends,” he said. “At the end, the dominant
species has an opportunity to evolve...in several possible directions.
We seers call these opportunities Displacements.” In the mirrors, he
watched the boy hook the pump to the tank. His fingers gripped the
wheel, green in the florescent light.<br />
“…In some human mythology, this is called ‘Apocalypse.’ Do you know this word?”<br />
I
rolled my eyes. “Yeah. I might have heard it on one or two heavy metal
albums.” I watched the blond kid in the dingy overalls enter the
convenience store. He walked to one of the coolers in the back, pulled
out a large bottle of water.<br />
“...So you understand,” Revik said.
“This will, of necessity, affect all of the species, not just humans.
The elders have seen signs of the human displacement approaching. Some
of these signs relate to developments in the natural world. Others have
to do with—”<br />
“Okay,” I said, still watching the boy. “...So you’re
paranoid. What does any of that have to do with me?” I watched the
blond kid pull two plastic-sealed sandwiches out of a cooler, two
apples, a bag of chips...<br />
“Burrito,” I blurted. “Get me a frozen burrito...he can throw it in the microwave, right?”<br />
A
hint of revulsion grew visible in the set of Revik’s mouth, but when I
looked back at the store, the blond kid was stuffing a plastic-covered
burrito into a industrial microwave and twisting the grease-covered
dial. When I glanced over, Revik was watching me again, his eyes narrow.<br />
He
said, “The Bridge ushers in the Displacement. They are the catalyst.
They are also what we call an intermediary being...one of the first.
Historically, they gather three friends—”<br />
“Let me guess...the four of us, we all ride horses, right?” I propped my cuffed hands on the armrest. “I do <i>read,</i> you know.”<br />
I
leaned my head on the glass. Glancing in the side mirror, I winced. I
looked like I’d escaped from a mental hospital, then got beaten up and
thrown in a dumpster.<br />
I saw him watching me, eyes narrow.<br />
“Trust me to attract crazies even among the seers,” I said. “...Jon will <i>love</i> this.”<br />
Revik
rolled down his window, accepting the receipt from the blond in the
dirty coveralls. The blue and white patch on his breast labeled him
“Jerry.” Jerry handed a paper bag through the window that Revik placed
on my lap, where its warmth soaked through my waitressing uniform skirt.<br />
“The
Bridge is the catalyst,” Revik repeated, like I hadn’t spoken. “They
have their place, like any of the intermediary beings.” He turned the
key, and the GTX’s engine rumbled to life. “You need to understand your
importance. Not in terms of ego, but of role. It is a responsibility,
Allie.”<br />
I looked up from the bag. “So, just to be clear. You're
saying I am going to end the world...at least as we know it. And that
this is a job that I should take seriously...and do really, really
well.” I tilted my head at him. “Did I get that right?”<br />
I watched
him think. “Yes,” he said. “That is right. Simplistic, but ultimately
correct.” Before I could speak, or even laugh, I saw his eyes click back
into focus. “You will meet Vash. Then you will understand.”<br />
“Did you just read my mind?” I said.<br />
“Yes.”<br />
“Is that absolutely fucking necessary?” I said.<br />
He thought about this also, glancing at me.<br />
“Yes,” he said.<br />
<br />
Excerpt 3<br />
<br />
We
approached Seattle. I glimpsed a skyline to my left, then flashes of
buildings through a maze of overpasses dripping with dark green plants.<br />
I
recognized landmarks from being here with Jon, but couldn’t read signs
with how fast we were going. I’d stopped looking at the speedometer.
Revik was doing something in that other place, so I couldn’t use his
grid thing. I felt a few people point as we passed, and other vehicles
pulled over, moving out of the way of the line of cop cars screaming
behind us.<br />
I felt it when the third cop car ceased to be a pull
toy between Revik and whoever else. I felt Revik lose and let go just
before the cop accelerated, coming up on us blaring light and sound. I
glanced over in time to see the dark-skinned cop smile at Revik, making
an odd flowing up and down gesture with one hand that had the flavor of a
taunt.<br />
Then whatever held the cop’s body let go, leaving the cop
sweaty-faced, determined, and completely focused on the two of us. From
his eyes, he fully believed we’d killed his whole family with baseball
bats then lit his house on fire.<br />
Revik turned to me, his pale eyes hard.<br />
“Stop the car,” he growled.<br />
I thought I’d heard him wrong. “What?”<br />
Behind
him, I saw the Seattle cop raise a shotgun. Before I could react, Revik
grabbed the wheel, jerking it sideways to slam into the cruiser. The
cop dropped the shotgun.<br />
“Revik, jesus! What are you—”<br />
“Take that exit! Right now, Allie!”<br />
He pointed and I veered, braking to slide across lanes.<br />
I
saw the truck driver, who was still, amazingly, behind us, begin the
turn to follow, glimpsed faces as other, noninvolved drivers reacted,
eyes widening in fear as they tried to get out of my way, instead coming
even more dangerously close to hitting us. I slid behind the Washington
cop, in front of a different trucker who honked madly.<br />
Then we were past, wincing from the scrape of metal as the GTX grazed his grill.<br />
Revik
leaned out the window, firing at the Seattle cop from behind. He blew
out a rear tire with the first shot, smashed the back window with his
second. He chambered another round and aimed again, blocking my side
view when he climbed up to sit on the passenger side window.<br />
The
Seattle cop cut across multiple lanes and again I felt the difference;
it was no longer a human driving, but one of those things with
lightning-fast reflexes and 360 degree vision. I was forced to brake,
saw Revik clutch the window frame as he lost his balance. The Seattle
cop swerved, just making it onto the exit off-ramp behind us. A sign
flashed by.<br />
I glimpsed white words spelling “Mercer Island.”<br />
Revik
slid back in through the window, landing on the seat. When I looked
over, his shoulder was bleeding again, a dark spreading stain under his
shirt.<br />
“You are trained in basic firearms use?” he said.<br />
“Right,” I said, loud over the wind and engine. “Dad taught me to shoot cans. I'm practically special forces.”<br />
“Good.” He propped the gun up on the seat between us. “Use it if they get too close.” He added, “Or if I don’t come back.”<br />
“What? Revik, that's not funny, I—”<br />
His
body slumped against the seat. I cursed, swerved into a guardrail, and
the GTX threw up sparks. I gripped his arm in my stubby nails, hard
enough to bruise his skin. I shook him, wondered if I should hit him,
like he had me.<br />
“Revik! You've got to be kidding me! REVIK!”<br />
Something smashed into the back of the car.<br />
I
was merging into the main sprawl of traffic and the truck driver with
the blue flannel shirt was in the next lane over. Pulling up alongside
the GTX, he aimed the pump-action shotgun out his window. I hit the
brakes and another cop car hit us from behind; it forced me along until I
accelerated, and the guy was honking, waving at me to pull over.<br />
A
rush of panic made me wonder what would happen if I did. Even as I
thought it, the first Seattle cop drew up next to me on my other side.<br />
...and
for an instant, I see him. A metal thread cage ensnares his light, and
behind his eyes breathe the orbs of the Rook controlling him. They shine
coal red, and he makes his thumb and index finger into the shape of a
gun, pointing it at me as his lips stretch in a corpse’s smile.<br />
<i>Bang, bang, little girl.</i><br />
I
snapped out, still miraculously gripping the steering wheel...and feel
them in me. They drag at me and I shriek, as if the sound of my own
voice might keep my light in my body.<br />
But I can feel myself separating out, losing control of my limbs.<br />
Lowering
my head, I bite down on my fingers. My teeth clamp on skin and bone and
my light rushes in like a rubber band snapping back.<br />
Pain came
with the light. I un-clamped my jaw from the red crescent on my
knuckles. Blood dripped over the steering wheel once I’d extracted my
teeth.<br />
Everything went dark.<br />
We’d entered a tunnel. My foot mashed down on the accelerator.<br />
Orange
lights streaked by in irregular lines as cars cast shadows on tile
walls. Surrender no longer felt like a good idea. The Seattle cop’s eyes
flash red and I realize I am still inside, just enough that they are
all around me...<br />
I slam my head against the driver’s side window,
hard enough to crack it, leaving an impact mark surrounded by spider web
lines. I am losing it. I feel sick, anemic...like my blood leaches out
as they pull at me.<br />
I keep my foot jammed on the accelerator as I
lean over and snatch at Revik’s seat belt, miss, grab for it again,
hooking it in my fingers. A car slams the GTX from behind, and I lose
the silver buckle, curse.<br />
The third time, I dragged the nylon belt over his body and hooked it into the clasp at his side. His skin glistened with sweat.<br />
I
hit him with my fist, hard in the side of the head, trying to wake him,
and lost control of the car, slamming into the guardrail, leaving paint
and metal as sparks flew before I got it off again.<br />
Sunlight
washed into my eyes, slanting through the windshield as we flew out of
the second tunnel. Before me stretched a long bridge with water on
either side. The ramp aimed straight for the lake’s surface where the
bridge floated on top of the water.<br />
I glanced at Revik.<br />
“Mortal peril,” I muttered. “Mortal peril...”<br />
I
didn’t think...but I saw every flash of metal and sunlight as I swung
the wheel. Veering behind a green Jetta, I made a straight line for the
right guardrail, beyond which lay Lake Washington. A thick, protective
rail stood between us and the water...<br />
...but my mind seems to clasp it somehow, fold it, or maybe not my mind, but suddenly I can see through it...<br />
...and we are through. Exhilaration lifts me as the car soared.<br />
Then gravity clutched the GTX at the top of the arc. Its nose tipped.<br />
As
water rushed to meet us, I could only hold the steering wheel, flashing
to being on a runaway horse as a kid, where I’d clutched a mare’s black
mane, screaming in fear and hysterical laughter. If a thought formed in
my mind just then, it may have been about death...the transitoriness of
all things.<br />
Instead, there was a long, slow silence as the water rushed to meet.<br />
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Where to find this Author- </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-21535095070736552962014-02-13T07:18:00.002-08:002014-02-13T07:28:06.285-08:00Check Out Featured Author Calinda B and her novel The Beckoning of Beautiful Things<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Calinda
B</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">(Calinda B writes Fantasy/Romance/Erotica)</span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXcDhUwJVYPfxChVhJh-gUolLEGHlZQtXqg81gB-snMYOe6K-LvP66cBJjaM3sjnvO1o35c42x5Nap7CHNgA64zw5s4Lt0rNSM3XtdQEmzq24coDfmXYcGYsPVbbT7RgItstOV4pJY-Pi/s1600/calindab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXcDhUwJVYPfxChVhJh-gUolLEGHlZQtXqg81gB-snMYOe6K-LvP66cBJjaM3sjnvO1o35c42x5Nap7CHNgA64zw5s4Lt0rNSM3XtdQEmzq24coDfmXYcGYsPVbbT7RgItstOV4pJY-Pi/s1600/calindab.jpg" height="320" width="265" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span>
<br />
<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">About the Author</span></span></div>
<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Fun Part:</b> Calinda B was told
early on that she should be a writer. She heard frequent praise for her
writing, as well as her sense of humor. Scoffing at such admonitions and
praise, she went on to pursue her life of adventure, chock full of the things
that make up a well-rounded adventurous life: music (yup, she was a singer in a
rock and roll band), dance (even performed hip hop in Russia), rock climbing
(ever hung from a rock wall a few stories up? Yikes!), fire walking (taught
high-ranking Moscow fire officials how to walk the coals), kayaking, scuba
diving (she's in love with sharks), travel, and falling in love again and again.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Daily Grind:</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> An
award-winning web designer and certified SEO specialist, Calinda B has worked
in the Internet industry as a web page designer/developer since the early
1990's. She has also taught web site design and computer graphics at community
colleges in Northern California. In addition to writing, Calinda B creates fine
art and music, and enjoys scuba diving, kayaking, and bike riding. Calinda B
makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with the love of her life and her two
cats. She is currently working on the fourth book in The Wicked Series,
tentatively entitled A Wicked Ending, or the third book in The Beckoning Series
or maybe those are done and she's working on.... She loves to write and does it
daily.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://a-fwd.com/com=B00C9JIK1Q&s=the+beckoning+of+beautiful+things&asin-com=B00C9JIK1Q" target="_blank"><img alt="http://a-fwd.com/com=B00C9JIK1Q&s=the+beckoning+of+beautiful+things&asin-com=B00C9JIK1Q" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBuCb8bPy7LHivKdI55170XZ9gz7TVLgLs9jAmWVhmNjiKjdAiCrEFskNvhxGL8BfS5j0OOeHu5oZmeweih_eOWUy57-s2-ZyKara_fdx56sQlsqwf9S4OfrYAhcfkC4xJUgy8Bo5Ja3c/s1600/theBeckoningOfBeautifulThings_091112.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">-
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The Beckoning of Beautiful Things-</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></i></b></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;">"An excellently plotted and written book
that will blow your mind and warm your girly (and man) parts!" Anabella
Johnson--Indie Book Reviewers</span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Excerpt 1</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Her gaze tracked his hand as if he
guided a puppet string attached to her eyes. Her back stiffened slightly as she
secured her point of focus on the beckoning blue orbs. A single word lolled in
her head, like a leaf on a lazy river. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Want.
</i>The word balanced on her lips, drawing them apart as she regarded his eyes.
“And what did you discover?”<br />
<br />
Not taking his eyes away from hers, he answered. “Just now?”<br />
<br />
“Yes,” she breathed.<br />
<br />
“I think I discovered something rare.”<br />
<br />
“What do you think it is?” she asked.<br />
<br />
“I don’t know,” he answered. “But I sure want to find out.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Excerpt 2 </i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
As if in response, he leaned
toward her, and covered her lips with his succulent mouth. His tongue delved
inside her mouth, teasing hers open, inviting her tongue to tangle with his.
His wet lips trailed along her jaw to her neck, nibbling and sucking her flesh.
A million birds’ wings fluttered insistently along her slick core, seeking
release. <br />
<br />
He sought her eyes and said, “I can’t wait. I just can’t wait any longer. I’m
going to claim you, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now, </i>mi corazón<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.”<br />
<br />
</i>A tiny voice in her head protested. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Claim
me? Honestly? </i>The rest of her wasn’t listening, not one little bit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Excerpt 3</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
“Did you find one?” Tom’s voice
called through the air.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
“Yes…no…yes…maybe.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
“Is that a yes or a no, Ms.
Marissa? Make up your mind.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
“It’s a yes, but it’s my head. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">So</i> not suitable.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
“Bring it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
“No,” she wailed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
“Bring the damn head,” Tom
commanded with the same force as before.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Marissa ground her teeth together,
scrunched up her face, and let out a loud exclamation, spraying spit from her
mouth as she did this. She clenched and unclenched her hands over and over and
over. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
“Get over here!” Tom yelled.
“Chiara’s going to sail away and that is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not
</i>going to make me very happy. I’ve been trying to claim her for years.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
“Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God,”
Marissa cried. “Okay…picking up the head…picking up my head…picking up a head
that looks like mine.”</div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Can you please share
with us a little about yourself?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m super smart, curious, introspective. I love to laugh and
find humor in the world around me. I love the natural world. I’m a risk taker.
I’ve taught fire-walking, dance, aerobics. I’ve rock climbed. I’m a kayaker and
a scuba diver. I’m passionate about life and love. I’m in an awesome committed
relationship, have two towering grown kids, two cats and constantly strive to
grow inside. I’ve endured a fair bit of trauma in life but always strive to heal
and not let it define me - it may have shaped me but it’s not who I am. <br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Have you always
wanted to be an author?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No. My high school advanced placement English teacher told
me I would be a writer. I thought that was a stupid idea. I wanted to explore,
grow, heal, change, move. I wanted to love a lot. I wanted to do everything a
little different from the norm. I wanted to act out and make some really dumb
mistakes, as well as a few brilliant moves. In the end, though, my teacher was
apparently right - all that exploration gave me something to write about!<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Can you share with us
your typical writing day. Is there anything you have to have while
writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I get up early, when the house is quiet (all save the cats
who want to be fed. They’ve been on purr patrol on the bed, watching me to see
if I’ve awakened.) Cats fed. Check. Jasmine green tea by my side. Check. Shades
open to reveal the beautiful world outside. Check. I’ll write for a few hours
until I have to work at my day job which just so happens to be in the same room
(we own our own business). And then, at days end, I’ll write some more.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What would you say is
the most challenging or rewarding part of writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The process of crafting a story is truly rewarding. I love
shaping the characters, fleshing out the worlds they live in and the
circumstances they encounter. When I’m <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really
</i>immersed in a story, I think about the characters all day long. If I get
stuck, I stop writing but the process continues. I’ll muse about the stuck
part. Shove it out of my head. Let it bubble back into me. And then - voila!
Insight occurs and I’m back on the trail. There’s something extremely delicious
about the whole process. Very fulfilling.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Who are some of your
favorite authors?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Books by JR Ward, Karen Marie Moning, and Tahereh Mafi come
to mind. I am completely captivated with a new author - Damon Suede. And I
enjoy Sasha Campbell’s writing. Those are just a few off the top of my head.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>How do you prefer (and why) your female characters to be: damsel in distress or badass chick? Can they be both?</b><br />
<br />
Women
are amazing characters. We are complex. As some joke, we have lots of
“dials and buttons and knobs” whereas men only have an “on/off” switch.
We are mysterious. We are capable of amazing strength. Amazing acts of
kindness and love. Incredible accomplishment. But we generally don’t
start out that way. I know I sure didn’t. Like many, I’ve had more than
my fair share of curve balls pitched my way.<br />
<br />
Keeping this in mind,
I generally start out a series writing the female lead from the POV of
her flaws. Her life has shaped her in some sad or disturbing ways. You
might be uncomfortable when you read about her. You might say, “Snap out
of it, girl!” Or you might cheer her on, certain that she can overcome
the odds. Is she a damsel in distress, needing rescuing? Hell, no. She’s
only not found her way yet. That’s where the fun begins. That’s where
the possibilities start rolling in my head. How will she get from broken
to restored, whole and alive? How will this woman become her badass
self?<br />
In <b><i>The Beckoning of Beautiful Things</i></b>,
the first in the Beckoning series, we find Marissa Engles immersed in
her art, yearning for a more fulfilling life. Boy, does she get that!
She’s got a complete jackass of a boyfriend, a surfer dude named Jason.
She meets Daniel Navid, sparks fly (literally!) and through learning
that she’s not really who she thought she was, she’s transformed beyond
her wildest dreams.<br />
<br />
In <b><i>The Beckoning of Broken Things</i></b>,
Marissa starts out smack dab in a mental hospital. She’s pissed. She
doesn’t know how she got there, why she got there, who put her there.
She’s told she’s delusional because she “thinks” she can stream
electricity through her veins and shape the world around her, using her
artistic skills. She’s put on a drug cocktail of Haloperidol, a drug
commonly given to schizophrenics, and Carbamazepine to stabilize her
mood. Carbamazepine is typically given to manic-depressives. This forced
drug induction makes her even angrier. She’s had things done to her
against her will; things done to her without her consent. She’s pissed.
She wonders if she’s broken.<br />
<br />
She wonders how she will ever get out of
the situation she’s in.<br />
<br />
She’s got a few resources at her disposal.
One is her loyal, loving Doberman Pinscher, Sober Dober, with his new,
sparkly wings. The other is her determination and her will to find
solutions. Her unique abilities certainly play a part. Her sexual
potency factors into her transformation as well. I find that sex and
sexual energy can be one of the most transformative energies on the
planet. It can burn like a blaze taking everything with it like a
volcano. It can simmer and shape change in positive ways. All of my
characters, no matter what shape they start out in, find their way out
through sexual attraction, through owning their sexual power, and
through their potent alliances with their partners of choice.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Where to find this Author- </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Calinda-B/e/B005DHC69S </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Website:
</span><a href="http://calindab.com/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://www.calindab.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Blog:
</span><a href="http://blog.calindab.com/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://blog.calindab.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Twitter:
@calindab1</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Facebook:
</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CalindaBauthor"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://www.facebook.com/CalindaBauthor</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Goodreads: </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5200691.Calinda_B_"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5200691.Calinda_B_</span></a></div>
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</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-78293313140640381152014-02-12T07:20:00.001-08:002014-02-12T07:20:22.170-08:00Perfect for the upcoming Holiday- Best Selling Author, Jill Sanders, Releases a book titled My Sweet Valentine<strong><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Bio: </span><br />
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">NY
Times & USA Today bestselling author, Jill Sanders survived 80′s pop
music, and life as an identical twin in a chaotic family of nine. A feat
by any standard! She was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest,
relocating to Colorado for college and a successful IT career at IBM in
Boulder.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Narrowly
escaping before all creativity was squashed, she jumped at the chance to trade
the mundane world of computers for the sexy, exciting world of her own
imagination. She now lives in charming rural Texas writing wonderful
novels such as the Pride series.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Just in time for Valentine’s Day, come back to Pride and find
the sweet tastes of a something new in your favorite book town. Stop by
the brand new bakery for some home-made treats and watch the sparks
fly between it’s owner and the new Coast Guard hunk in town. You won’t
want to miss this sweet story… Sara Lander was back in town. She had
big plans for her inheritance along with her freshly printed business
degree and years of experience in some of Seattle’s finest bakeries,
she has a rich idea for Pride. Sara’s Nook is going to be the next
biggest thing to hit town. All she needs now is to steer clear of the
hunky ex-Navy SEAL who is hell bent on taking all her focus away from
starting her own business. Allen Masters has been living in Pride for
several years. Setting up a new branch of the Coastguard and training
all the new recruits took years of skill and all his patience. But when
he sees the black-haired beauty, who had come back into town, he
realized she was the one he’d been searching for. Taking one taste of
her sweets, he knew he’d be in for a sinful time, but losing his focus
while flying into the eye of a storm was the last thing he could
afford.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ijo0YRG4Sjh4pl1wEOsAWrdXNpOpSN6fEZ4YM4ts_fo27aFuBKsh3PHBqFwh-a8r74kOCi5C3IbYIt6aggyZ6MoFMeW497PQ4Nsv1OqJv4M3GgkXNE8WjUFfKm8wlthajncY5zAFsu8r/s1600/my+sweet+valentine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ijo0YRG4Sjh4pl1wEOsAWrdXNpOpSN6fEZ4YM4ts_fo27aFuBKsh3PHBqFwh-a8r74kOCi5C3IbYIt6aggyZ6MoFMeW497PQ4Nsv1OqJv4M3GgkXNE8WjUFfKm8wlthajncY5zAFsu8r/s1600/my+sweet+valentine.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong>Where to find Jill Sanders</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<strong><strong></strong></strong><br />
<strong><strong>Jill Sanders - My Sweet Valentine</strong></strong><br />
<strong><strong>
Website: <a href="http://jillsanders.com/">http://jillsanders.com</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/JillSandersBooks">http://www.facebook.com/JillSandersBooks</a><br />
Twitter: @jillmsanders<br />
<br />
Where to find JillSanders My Sweet Valentine:<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
Amazon US: <a href="http://amzn.to/1d2ERvh">http://amzn.to/1d2ERvh</a><br />
Amazon UK: <a href="http://amzn.to/1mdubfw">http://amzn.to/1mdubfw</a><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
Barns & Noble: <a href="http://bit.ly/1d4Ajo7">http://bit.ly/1d4Ajo7</a><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://bit.ly/1gp5Y4h">http://bit.ly/1gp5Y4h</a><br />
iBooks: <a href="http://bit.ly/1cn2CNl">http://bit.ly/1cn2CNl</a></strong></strong><strong><strong>
</strong></strong><strong> </strong><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-51501104957511628452014-02-12T07:01:00.004-08:002014-02-12T07:22:12.686-08:00Check out Best-Selling Author Carolyn Arnold's interview and find out more about this amazing author- she's in our event and has a new book release today!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Author Carolyn
Arnold</span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It's
my pleasure to post friend and Author, Carolyn
Arnold on our Events blog today. I met Carolyn a few years ago and am very glad we've gotten to be friends. I lover her writing and her novels are addictive. I'm former Law Enforcement and she writes thriller, so I consider that a strong statement. I hope you enjoy learning more about this outstanding author who is a featured author at our facebook Valentines Day Fantastical Reads Event. Carolyn is also releasing a new book today, so check it out </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(you can visit the Event at https://www.facebook.com/events/191966814346532/)</span></span>. </span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Author Carolyn Arnold</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33Ag4LyxR1AZxQ5n1Srtw6ur4hC2qMII6w7S3r06pD1Z3YNc8UOURAG-RdP9lmblQLq02RKm42JI4OXTd7_TQTz4Of4Sj4riZhfg798ByJQlDlbcLi69NQoOMhVEYT8siX1-83btODNrs/s1600/carolyn+arnold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33Ag4LyxR1AZxQ5n1Srtw6ur4hC2qMII6w7S3r06pD1Z3YNc8UOURAG-RdP9lmblQLq02RKm42JI4OXTd7_TQTz4Of4Sj4riZhfg798ByJQlDlbcLi69NQoOMhVEYT8siX1-83btODNrs/s1600/carolyn+arnold.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Brief BIO:</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Carolyn
Arnold is the best-selling author of the Madison Knight series. Her writing has
been compared to New York Times Bestsellers such as JD Robb, Mary Higgins
Clark, Sue Grafton, Michael Connelly, Tess Gerritsen, and more. She is a
member of Crime Writers of Canada and lives with her husband, and two beagles
in a city near Toronto.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So, Carolyn, what are your feelings regarding pets? DO you have pets? Have you had pets in the past?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I had goldfish
when I was growing up. Their names were Oscar and Louise. As they passed away,
they were replaced so there was at least an Oscar the Third. He was a black
goldfish and Louise was gold.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Cats and I
don't typically get along that well. When I was young, I picked up the
neighbor's cat and it clawed my face. I remember Mom marching with me across
the street to its owner to make sure its shots were up to date. My one sister
also had a cat who reached out to claw my face, but thank goodness for my
cabbage patch doll at the time. She took the brunt of it. I think it's just
something to do with our eyes when they connect. Since then I have met 1 cat
that I got along with—and that was only a month ago—but I think the cat was a
dog in disguise. It was the only cat I've ever met who loves to cuddle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I have never
had a bird, but love to eat chicken.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, dogs, they
are my favorite. Love them. All of them. All sizes and all breeds. I have two
beagles currently, Max and Chelsea. They are just over four years old when I
write this response, and are brother and sister. Before them, I had a beagle
named Todd. We refer to him as Uncle Todd to the new guys. He passed away at 11
and will never be forgotten. They worm into your heart and really become
another family member. Todd has a permanent spot in the Madison Knight series
as Terry Grant's one beagle is named after him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Of all your characters, who are you the most like?
Who are you the least like?</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I am the most like Madison because I am determined
and speak my mind. There are also some differences. Madison is afraid of
commitment, whereas I am happily married. She also has an addiction to
chocolate I can't quite match.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I would say I'm the least like Tessa, the
protagonist from Hart's Choice. She loves ballet and the fine arts, and while
appreciation for such exists within me, it doesn't consume me as it does Tessa.
For her, dance is her passion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Where do you get your characters' names?</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">For the most part they come to me without much
thought. Supporting characters, suspects, or one-off encounters sometimes send
me to an online random name generator in search of a name, but my main
characters always tell me who they are. I have even perused my social media
feeds for names.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">In Found Innocent, there is a motel clerk Madison
Knight and her partner, Terry, question. During the working stages, I had him
just marked as "*" in a few spots. I do this when I don't have a
name, or need to ensure I get the right one in there, if I've mentioned it
before. Anyway, I felt a strong need to put in the name Trevor. As I kept
working through the scene, I came to realize that's what I had named him later
on, in previous drafts. It just confirmed that was supposed to be his name.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I have even had characters correct me on their
name. A funny thing happened with Eleven and what is now the first in the
Brandon Fisher FBI series. When I was going through the outlining process for
the book trailer, I had put in the name as Brandon Fisher. I didn't catch this
oversight until the trailer was finished. See, I had written the manuscript
with his last name as Harper. Ironically, however, when talking about him I
would always refer to him as Fisher, even though that was originally the last
name for his supervisor. Brandon was very hard-headed about his name and got
the one the one that belonged to him after all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">What do you do when facing a plot block?</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I let it sit and busy myself with other things, and
it eventually it comes to me and resolves itself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The first I experienced a solid block was in the
brainstorming process for Assassination of a Dignitary. The problem was I told
my character Raymond Hunter who he was--I wasn't listening to him. To fix this
issue, I let my mind drift from the plot and the characters. When I let go of
my premonitions about whom and what he was, he spoke to me, rather loudly I may
add and told me, "I'm not a good guy." See, I had originally pegged
him as an innocent. Turns out he was a former hitman for the mafia.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Do you hear voices?</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Absolutely and I embrace them! LOL Well, I hear
them in the sense of my writing, nothing beyond that. I think all writers need
to hear voices to get their stories down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">How do you write? Do you plan it all out, or go
with the flow? Do you handwrite it and then type it out, or head right for a
computer?</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I write like I'm watching a movie in my mind. I see
the scene, I observe the interactions, and I record them. I prefer to write on
a computer, my laptop or desktop, I'm not fussy. I have handwritten scenes when
I don't have access to a computer, though.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I am what many term a "panster", meaning
I write from the seat of my pants. I don't outline in the typical sense. I go
with the flow, but make notes at the end of the manuscript with points, or
scenes I want to pick up on next, or in the near future.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">What is the best compliment you've received about
your writing?</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I have received high compliments with comparisons
to some of the greats—JD Robb, Sue Grafton, and Tess Gerritsen to name a few.
But when people tell me they can't put my book down, wow! I had a reader tell
me they had to finish up my book and spent their Sunday doing so. That spoke
specifically to me because Sundays are a day of family and relaxation. To know
that people are relaxing with my books, that is special.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">How much of your personal experience do you
incorporate into your writing?</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I would have to say a lot of it. I don't think this
can be helped by any author. It's our observations of people, places, events,
and interactions which are unique to us and get integrated into our writing.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">-</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Hart's
Choice-</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">(Drama/Romance)</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZ-sgoCXW55XTfHiD3cmFwyP2h5YyhbP0HE3OmBFBJfZOyn94x1Vb6iSX0iswz29ndsxyoVPt3E2q-ofZq1EoBko99-1y5ezvGXmXcXdsJy3HqJYInr2mFiNi3f5Pt_tqEdfvT2BSzErt/s1600/Harts+Choice+800+x+500+Final+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZ-sgoCXW55XTfHiD3cmFwyP2h5YyhbP0HE3OmBFBJfZOyn94x1Vb6iSX0iswz29ndsxyoVPt3E2q-ofZq1EoBko99-1y5ezvGXmXcXdsJy3HqJYInr2mFiNi3f5Pt_tqEdfvT2BSzErt/s1600/Harts+Choice+800+x+500+Final+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
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Harts Choice Video Trailer<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qGzzZpUefo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qGzzZpUefo</a></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/Search/Query?ac=1&Query=carolyn%20arnold"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></a><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Copperplate Gothic Light","sans-serif";">Carolyn Arnold</span></b></div>
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•
<a href="http://carolynarnold.net/" target="_blank">Website</a> • <a href="http://sassy3421.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> • <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/Carolyn_Arnold" target="_blank">Twitter</a> • <a href="http://on.fb.me/od1lX1" target="_blank">Facebook</a> • <a href="http://ca.linkedin.com/in/carolynarnold" target="_blank">Linkedin</a> • <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/106678613518750545218/posts" target="_blank">Google
+</a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Connect Links:</span></u></b><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<a href="http://carolynarnold.net/"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;">Website</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://sassy3421.blogspot.com/"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;">Blog</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/Carolyn_Arnold"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;">Twitter</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
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<a href="http://on.fb.me/od1lX1"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;">Facebook</span></a><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;">Linkedin</span></a><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;"> </span></div>
<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/106678613518750545218/posts"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;">Google +</span></a><br />
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<br /></div>
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Her Books are available from these fine eRetailers and more:</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carolyn-Arnold/e/B0054S6USY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/carolyn-arnold" target="_blank">Barnes
& Noble </a> • <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=carolyn+arnold" target="_blank">Kobo</a> • <a href="https://ebookstore.sony.com/author/carolyn-arnold_233118" target="_blank">Sony</a>
• <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/carolyn-arnold/id441096563?mt=11" target="_blank">Apple</a> • <a href="http://search.diesel-ebooks.com/author/Arnold,%20Carolyn/results/1.html" target="_blank">Diesel</a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Book Links:</span></u></b></div>
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<a href="http://tinyurl.com/cm8oj92"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Amazon</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/carolyn-arnold?dref=2207&startat=1&store=ALLPRODUCTS"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Barnes
& Noble</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/carolyn-arnold/id441096563?mt=11"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Apple</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/Search/Query?ac=1&Query=carolyn%20arnold"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Kobo</span></a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-36270208433320717842014-02-12T06:45:00.002-08:002014-02-12T06:45:33.423-08:00Check out this interview with Award Winning Author Sandy WoltersI like to introduce Award Winning Author Sandy Wolters. She is a Featured Author today, in the fb Valentine's Day Fantastical Reads Event<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ixVUf2YJocFeZG-alKTwIIH7SbJK9XSNyogesFAK0eDbKVuJ6WA9seD8txnDxOwJkcTV-aX6ahCYepUw5GEey4aJUzciA2qIdZ5qk8L7TF0bME7cmGnfoZicDGYSC15OFofc9XD3MgM/s1600/Soul-Mates_Front+Cvr_Book+Size+for+rafflecopter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1AcuERXzr3egxtCheS1Ur_BeQ62KdsKs9qpcZG8e53BxAa8WqboVSu1xmNR1gn0sP3hcwj0KjSjPCcjOESPt3mdIufP6NYavTjST1viDwrz84rDyNn0wzauYPxfy0mac_ojIhpeIklk/s1600/Soul-Mates_Front+Cvr_Book+Size.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1AcuERXzr3egxtCheS1Ur_BeQ62KdsKs9qpcZG8e53BxAa8WqboVSu1xmNR1gn0sP3hcwj0KjSjPCcjOESPt3mdIufP6NYavTjST1viDwrz84rDyNn0wzauYPxfy0mac_ojIhpeIklk/s1600/Soul-Mates_Front+Cvr_Book+Size.jpg" width="216" /></a><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> About Sandy
Wolters</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> in her own words</span></b></div>
<br />
<b>I</b>’ve been an avid reader for years.
To my husband’s dismay, I have bookshelves full of books, rooms full of books,
boxes full of books. My cars have books in them. I just can’t seem to get rid
of them after I read them. You just never know when you will want to read it
again, right? When my husband bought me a Kindle, it cut down on our need for
storage, but it opened me up to books that I might never have experienced
otherwise. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<br />
The biggest transition in my relationship with books occurred, however, when I,
much to my surprise, became an author. I had started having dreams about people
I didn’t know. I started looking forward to my dreams every night. Then I
realized that I was daydreaming about these people as well. I'd just be sitting
there, and these people and their antics would pop into my mind. Finally, I
gave in and began writing their story down, something I had never dreamed of
doing. <br />
<br />
After I wrote my first book <i>Maggie Mae,</i> I had do idea what to do with
it. After trying the traditional route for a little while, my husband pushed me
in the direction of ebooks, and I’ve never looked back. <br />
<br />
My books invariably feature strong women. My husband, Michael, and I have
raised two strong daughters, Pilar and Shandelle, and they inspire the
characters in my stories. As a matter of fact, Pilar was the main character in
my book <i>A Brother’s Love</i>, and Shandelle is the main character in my new
release <i>Soul Mates. Justice for Emily</i> was the most difficult book I’ve
written, and that was because Emily was the victim of a sadistic, cruel, and
abusive husband, who just happened to be the Chief of Police. One of my readers
described this books as a “good mystery laced with sex, violence, ghosts and
spirits.” The only thing her summary left out was the strength of the two women
in this story: Emily and Rachael. <br />
<br />
I’ve had fun with all the books I’ve written. I think the fact that I insert
real events into my books, things that have actually happened in my family’s
lives, is like having a private joke. Knowing that Michael Rogers in <i>Maggie
Mae</i> is based on my husband tickles my fancy. I am a very lucky woman!<br />
<br />
Although I write romance novels, they always contain a paranormal twist. My
latest, <i>Soul Mates,</i> has the added element of time travel accomplished
through the magical arts. I imagine my future writings will always contain
romance with strong women and men of character, influenced by events that reach
beyond what we consider normal, and perhaps seasoned with a little touch of
whimsy.</span></div>
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</xml><![endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tell us about your book Soul Mates in a 1-3
sentences that are not found in your book overview.</span></b>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Soul Mates is a steamy time travel romance with wicked
magic that spans centuries, two devastatingly handsome men and one woman with a
heart of gold. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The book’s description:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pulled Back Through Time, Shandelle Is Caught Between An
Enduring Love And A Wizard’s Magic<br />
<br />
In the beginning of time, one soul splits into two. Lifetime after lifetime,
the two souls are reborn and seek to reunite. Like a beacon of light from
heaven above, their light shines for each other. Without the other, there is
only darkness. A wonderful blessing that can only come from a deeply-bonded
love, the sharing of one soul can also be a black curse if something disrupts
the moment of their coming together.<br />
<br />
Ireland 1323 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Donovan, chieftain of the Clan O'Brien, has
unsuccessfully searched his entire adult life, to the detriment of his clan and
all those around him, for that elusive possession that will bring his soul
peace. He doesn't know what it is, but he will give up everything to find it.
One day, he is summoned by the Wizard and told the secret of his obsession—his
soul mate. She is no longer living in his time, but there is a way to bring her
back to him.<br />
<br />
Phoenix 2013 </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shandelle and Ian are embarking on their new life
together. She is everything Ian ever wanted but never realized he needed before
he met her. Shandelle is a generous soul who lives to make Ian and everyone
around her happy. Unfortunately for them both, evil is stalking them. The blood
bond duty of a close friend brings betrayal and evil into their lives. How were
they to know that the death of a six-year-old girl in the early fourteenth century
could have such grave consequences on their lives today?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">**Soul Mates was nominated in the Paranormal
Romance Guild's 2013 Reviewer's Choice Awards and took first place in its
category!</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>From reading the book description, it seems
to have a spiritual element to it. Can you tell us more about this? Are you a
deeply spiritual person yourself?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am a spiritual person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While saying this, I do not use my books to "preach" to
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are meant to be a source of
enjoyment to the reader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I believe that the Universe, God, Budda, whatever your
belief system is, has created different levels of soul mates and fate for us to
learn from.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I believe that we share pasts with people, both negative
and positive, and those people appear in our lives time and time again to help
us work through our issues.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have had experience with both positive and negative
soul mates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Positive soul mates are not
just necessarily your partner, they could be anyone from a sibling to a lover,
people you care deeply for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm happy to
say that I married my positive soul mate 35 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Negative soul mates can also be anyone from sibling to
lover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can even be someone you meet
and get a creepy or bad vibe from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your
relationship with them, if you have one, is usually difficult. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>What was your inspiration for the story?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My husband, Mike, was my inspiration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We've loved each other for so many years
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were engaged in high school and
married just months after graduation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
couldn't understand why so many people were setting us up to fail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew we were meant to be and so did Mike.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I also love romance and get a thrill writing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Tell us about your character, Shandelle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are her weaknesses and strengths?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Everyone that has read Soul Mates seems to love the
character of Shandelle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She's the type
of woman that lets her emotions and feelings lead her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This does get her into some trouble in the
book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>You’ve received some excellent reviews for
this book: “Captivating time travel story”, “Terrific time travel romance”, <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Simply captivating”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of all the reviews and praise you’ve
received, what one, or what kind, stick with you and have really lifted your
spirit?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Writing Soul Mates really took me out of my comfort
zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like reading time travel romance
because the reader gets both contemporary romance and historical romance
combined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can, however, ruin the
story if the time travel is not done properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was really pleased to hear that people were not confused and really
enjoyed the time jumps back and forth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Do any of the characters in this book
resemble you, or anyone you’re close to?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The character of Shandelle is drawn from my oldest
daughter with the same name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
character has the same dynamic charisma that draws people to her that my
daughter has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She will give you the
shirt off of her back if you need it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>People love her in real life, and I wanted to make sure the character
came across with her beautiful personality.</span></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you could take a strength of one of the
characters in this book, what would it be and from who?</span></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I'd have to say I'd love to have Maeve's strength.
Through a blood bond, she is forced to betray her best and most beloved friend,
Shandelle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she doesn't go through
with the task she has been given, all of her future generations will be
cursed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She goes through with the task,
but then fights to break it and get Shandelle back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Now, tell us more about you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you have any writing rituals? Music, a
certain computer, a special notebook?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I really don't have any writing rituals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can't have music playing because it
distracts me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I end up either singing or
dancing which, I've found, is not good for productivity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do prefer to write on my computer in my
office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've tried writing on my laptop
and failed miserably.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>When facing a plot block, what do you find
clears it for you? Exercise, meditation, something else?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meditation works for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I go to my happy place, slow my mind down and concentrate on the
characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They usually tune in and
give me a direction.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Do you outline your books, or write by the
“seat of your pants”.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I could never write from an outline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is just to restricting to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the time, I just sit in front of my
computer and the characters take over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
generally have an idea of a storyline, but I'm usually surprised with the
direction a book is taking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I enjoy writing like this because this is how I like to
read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I read book blurbs to
purchase a book, I never read a book blurb or reviews prior to reading a
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to be surprised at every
turn the author takes.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soul Mates Reviews-<br /> </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"<span class="readable">Sandy Wolters is a master
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believer in happily ever after."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Samantha
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<pre><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Amazon Geo Code:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://a-fwd.com/asin=B00C89GDIY" target="_new"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">http://a-fwd.com/asin=B00C89GDIY</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></pre>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-27569237218929115072014-02-10T22:05:00.001-08:002014-02-10T22:31:00.844-08:00Author Charity Parkerson is the First Featured Author of our Valentine's Day Fantastical Reads Event ' on facebook<b> I have had the honor of following this author since reading her 'Wicked Sinners' series a few years ago. I absolutely love her writing style and stories. Charity is not only a great author, but is also a wonderful person and I have grown to consider her a friend. She has a great outlook on life and will keep you in stitches... she is down to earth, funny and there is never a dull moment when she is around. It's my great privilege to share this interview the first day of this event. </b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbE36AmdCcAWmlCNqNhJnY015pZnBFLQYIKn0t8OWpdSBHyGZCIjnbbFLIgPgstq0uArBM1PPre50zbXeuKp7nUy1PJTCYvYUxaSJH9UBCo4D09cH-3FkyQcbvny9_VvuZVuFyPVc6v59t/s1600/charity+p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbE36AmdCcAWmlCNqNhJnY015pZnBFLQYIKn0t8OWpdSBHyGZCIjnbbFLIgPgstq0uArBM1PPre50zbXeuKp7nUy1PJTCYvYUxaSJH9UBCo4D09cH-3FkyQcbvny9_VvuZVuFyPVc6v59t/s1600/charity+p.jpg" height="320" width="315" /></a></div>
<b>About the Author</b><br />
<br />
Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with
Ellora's Cave Publishing, Midnight Books, and Punk & Sissy
Publications. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she
decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters.<br />
*2013 Readers' Favorite Award Winner<br />
*2013 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner<br />
*ARRA Finalist for Favorite Paranormal Romance<br />
*Five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath<br />
*Named one of the top 10 best books by an Indie author in 2011- Paranormal Reads Reviews<br />
*Best Paranormal Romance of 2012- Paranormal Reads Reviews<br />
*Quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald as an authority on Independent Publishing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
Q: What is the craziest thing you've ever written about, whether it got published or not?<br />
<br />
A: I
have a short story called, “Blue Cheesecake” that’s a funny Sci-Fi
Erotica. It is published and the reviews I’ve received on that one crazy
story have floored me with how hilarious they are. I think some of the
reviews are better than the book.<br />
<br />
Q: Tell us one thing you've done in life, that readers would be most surprised to know.<br />
A: One of my books is based off true events in my life, but I’ll never tell which one it is.<br />
<br />
Q: What’s the worst/oddest present that you’ve ever received?<br />
A: My boss once gave me a picture of her with her cat.<br />
<br />
Q:
Much has been written about how a book will change from the original
intent of the writer, as it's being written. How did your book change as
you created it, and did it surprise you how it came out?<br />
<br />
A: Wicked
Sinners almost didn’t make it to completion for this reason. Halfway
through the book, I realized my characters were heading in a direction I
never intended. I froze. For two weeks, I spent my entire day trying
to decide if I could do what needed to be done in order to move the
series forward, and then I spent another two weeks crying over it.<br />
<br />
Q: What made you choose your genre of writing, and what about your genre fascinates you?<br />
<br />
A: Reading
has been one of the greatest loves of my life. While I’m willing to
read almost anything, Romance is the one I enjoy the most. It’s
high-tension and I love drawing that emotion from readers. If I can give
one person a temporary escape from reality then I have succeeded.<br />
<br />
Q: Would you ever consider writing in a different genre?<br />
<br />
A: I
don’t think so. I hate to say no, since I never dreamed I would end up
writing erotica, but I haven’t found anything I love as much as
romance.<br />
<br />
Q: Is there any part of your books that you would like to see happen in reality?<br />
A: Considering some of the erotica I write, I’ll say, “hell yeah” and leave it there.<br />
<br />
Q: Who is your favourite character and why?<br />
A: Lena
from “The Assassin” because she is me. I put more of myself into her
character than any other. She is klutzy and a daydreamer but totally
awesome.<br />
<br />
Q: If you had to choose one trait over the others for your main characters, which B would it be? Brains Bod Bloodlust<br />
A: Brains. Although, a hot bod is a hard thing to pass up.<br />
<br />
Q: If you were not otherwise committed, what film star would you love to know better?<br />
A: Alexander Skarsgard. I’m absolutely convinced he’s my soul mate. He just doesn’t realize it yet. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">~Featured Book~</span></h2>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
<b>Excerpt from A Splash of Hope-</b><br />
<br />
“Hey.”<br />
Faith
looked over in surprise at the man walking beside her. She’d hoped if
she moved fast enough, she could make a clean getaway without ever
having to speak to Adam. She should’ve known to wear lower heels. Adam
kept his hands shoved in his pockets. His eyes shined brightly. He
looked nice. It was the best word she could think of to describe him.
His smile was friendly. Somehow, even his brown hair gave the impression
he was an affable person. She’d hoped her memories of him had become
exaggerated over the years. It wasn’t to be. He was everything she
remembered, if not more. She wanted to kick herself. Whom was she
kidding? He was every bit as sexy, dangerous and way too appealing.<br />
“Hey,” she said back lamely, feeling like a jackass but refusing to slow her step.<br />
“What’s the rush?” He all but trotted to keep up with her. “Do you have another wedding to ruin today?”<br />
Even
though his words stung, Faith ruefully admitted he had a right to his
anger. However, he didn’t sound angry. He sounded almost cheerful, which
brought her up short. “You were my only wedding, but I do have a full
schedule today,” she admitted. “I still have to throw rocks at the
homeless and trip an old lady in the park before I head off to find
Serenity to kick her ass.”<br />
Adam was never one to miss a beat. “Why?”<br />
“Somebody
has to trip the old ladies. Otherwise, they might start thinking no one
cares,” she answered, deliberately misunderstanding. Adam rubbed his
hand across the back of his neck. He looked uncomfortable. Faith felt
her shoulders sag in defeat.<br />
He watched her in silence for a
moment longer before blowing out a ragged sigh. “Tell Serenity to call
me when you find her. Just so I know she is alright, okay?”<br />
Faith
nodded absently, watching as he walked away. She’d never felt more tired
in her life. Of course, she’d also never wanted to throw her shoes at a
man’s back more than she did right then.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Where to find Charity Parkerson</b></div>
<br />
<br />
blog details? <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcharity-thesinners.blogspot.com%2F&h=KAQHM_MhH&s=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://charity-thesinners.blogspot.com</a> and my website <a href="http://www.charityparkerson.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.charityparkerson.com</a><br />
Facebook page? <a href="http://www.facebook.com/authorCharityParkerson">http://www.facebook.com/authorCharityParkerson</a><br />
Goodreads author page? <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4506281.Charity_Parkerson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4506281.Charity_Parkerson</a><br />
Twitter details? <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/CharityParkerso" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/#!/CharityParkerso</a><br />
G+ page? <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://plus.google.com/u/0/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-68086573761847951842014-02-07T19:28:00.002-08:002014-02-07T19:30:59.963-08:00Check out this awesome interview with Author David C. Cassidy and his Dark Fantasy novel 'Velvet Rain'<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David C. Cassidy--author, photographer, half-decent
juggler--spends his writing life creating dark and touching stories where Bad
Things Happen To Good People. Raised by wolves, he grew up with a love of
nature, music, science, and history, with thrillers and horror novels feeding
the dark side of his seriously disturbed imagination. He talks to his
characters, talks often, and most times they listen. But the real fun starts
when they tell him to take a hike, and they Open That Door anyway. Idiots.</span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David lives in Ontario, Canada. From Mozart to
Vivaldi, classic jazz to classic rock, he feels naked without his iPod.
Suffering from MAD--Multiple Activity Disorder--he divides his time between
writing and blogging, photography and photoshop, reading and rollerblading. An
avid amateur astronomer, he loves the night sky, chasing the stars with his
telescope. Sometimes he eats.</span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What genre would you
like to write a book in (that you haven’t yet)?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Comedy.
Seriously.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Where do your ideas come from? Do you have a
standard formula for plots or do stories come to you as a whole construct?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Usually
I order them on eBay. However, there are times when I come up with things on my
own. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
tend to like very dark stories with very real characters, so I often draw on my
natural interest in what’s going on around us. All one has to do is look to our
human failures for inspiration. Darkness surrounds us.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
don’t use formulas—I’m not plot-driven. For me, a story usually comes to me as
one big thought. Not that I know all the details, certainly, but I usually know
where I’m going from start to finish in a general sense. The characters tell me
what to write—it’s their story.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">When you start a new story, do you have a title
for it? Does that trigger the story?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m
often inpsired by titles. It gives me something tangible to sink my teeth into.
Like a leg.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Do you see the future of thrillers and horror as
bright? If so, which authors are driving it?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
write thrillers and horror, but I read pretty much anything. I think all genres
have a bright future. Talent is everywhere. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’d
like to think Indies are driving this future. That’s not a conceit. It’s a hope
that talented people will get the recognition and success they work so hard to
achieve.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">What themes are being overused?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Well,
until I became hooked on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Walking
Dead,</i> I thought zombies needed a quick burial. (They still do. But I really
do want to see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World War Z</i>. When Brad
Pitt’s in a film, it has to have substance.)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Honestly,
I don’t think we can avoid saturation on any subject. Everything’s been done,
done, and redone. We’re all ripping off Shakespeare at one point. While I’m not
a zombie-film or zombie-book fan, if something’s well written with strong
characters, I’m in. It’s all about the storytelling.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Do movies of books ruin the books?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No.
Not with good direction and sensitivity. Take a look at some of the amazing
adaptations of Stephen King’s books: The Mist, The Shawshank Redemption, The
Green Mile, Stand By Me. These are classic films directed by ultra-talented
directors who know that, regardless of the content, it’s the characters that
make the magic.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Do you see ebooks threatening traditional
publishing?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
see a permanent co-existence. There will always be books. There may not be as
many publishing houses churning out the hardcovers, but they will always be
with us. If I’m wrong and the world loses that, we’re smaller in a big way.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Do you prefer to read established authors or
debut authors? How do you choose which ones to read?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
I pick something up and I like how it reads, I’ll read it.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">What is it about thrillers and horror that
appeals to you?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
adrenaline.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Can I get an autographed book? (lol)</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">See?
This is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">best </i>reason we need to
keep real books. I’ll send one today.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Do you have a group of people that you show a
new story to? How much impact can they have on the whole story?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
don’t have beta-readers. I write what the story tells me to write. It is what
it is. If people like it, so much the better. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Do you set yourself a word limit for each book?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
I did, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Velvet Rain</i> wouldn’t be what
it is. It’s just my opinion, but I think that setting limits on a story is a
critical mistake. It’s shackling. I can’t imagine Tolkien ever said, “Maybe I
could cut out the Hobbits, keep it under 90K.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Do you have a target each day?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yup.
Breakfast and working out. Oh … you mean writing targets. Nope. That’s
shackling, too. Why would I force myself to write a specific number of words
when I can write as many or as little as I need?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Do you write constantly or have breaks between
books?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God,
no. I write when I write. The story’s not going to run off and join the circus.
It’ll be right there when I get back. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For
me, the brain needs to figure things out between books or chapters or scenes.
Trying to sit there everyday wouldn’t work for me. My brain’s way too
overactive in so many areas of interest. I’d get bored if I wrote every day.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Do you have characters running around your head?
Do they dictate events and their histories to you?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
don’t see dead people … but I do hear voices. The characters in my stories are
as real to me as you are. I spend a great deal of time researching and creating
histories of my characters long before I write a single word. Only by knowing
what’s in their hearts can I tell their story.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">What is your biggest (self-imposed) time waster?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TV.
I don’t watch a ton of it, but I always feel like it’s wasting my time. Why do
I keep watching? I could tell you that there’s always <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">something</i> good on, but we all know that’s a damn lie.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Do you read other people’s writing?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unpublished
works? No. One of my biggest fears is the question, “Would you read mine?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Would you read mine?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You
just scared the shit out of me.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B007OBN21M" target="_blank"><img alt="http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B007OBN21M" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMQYZzRrl_TLfLuOWXOEdFqRlLV8AvKJFlPMwoUnk9566xJMKx8tLWuYB0ztpwLcpFJUs1-70nP8MHEta1qn0uKozL7DsyGBuL2q5mXMIBiR_A8cP0KOqQatDtG2CZwr1-Qs0YJUDhlsC/s1600/velvet+rain.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
</span></h3>
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<span style="background: white;"><a href="http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B007OBN21M" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="mso-ignore: vglayout;"></span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All about
Velvet Rain-</span></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
</h3>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Velvet Rain</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a dark thriller of suspense, horror, and drama.
[Contains graphic violence and profanity.]</span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Exceptional writing on a par with Stephen King
..."</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Dean Koontz would be proud of this writer
..."</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"A dark horror-thriller ... reveals the evils
of humanity ... the demons hidden under human flesh."</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"It's a gripping read--at times chilling, at
times humorous, and at times deeply moving."</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
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</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
HE WAS BORN A MIRACLE. IT WILL TAKE ONE TO SAVE THE WORLD.</span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Kain Richards is the last of his kind--and a man on the run. So when this
mysterious drifter falls for a beautiful and sensible Iowa farmwoman, he knows
full well the perils of getting too close. And yet, for the first time in his
miserable existence, life feels normal ... feels real. But as those around him
soon realize, reality is not what it seems. For when a tragic accident forces
Kain's hand, his astonishing secret--and godlike power--changes their lives,
and the world, forever.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></h3>
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<u><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Book Excerpt
from Velvet Rain: </span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A massive steel beast, the convex door received an
electronic signal at the click of a square button, a blinking green lamp nearly
fifty steps away. Its locks disengaged with a hiss from its pressurized seals.
There was a soft hum from its automated drive system as it shifted forward,
then left, along its curved support tracks, a solid <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">thunk</i> as its braking system engaged, and then nothing. It weighed
three tons, was eight inches thick, as thick as the walls of the enormous
sphere that it sealed. Though awesome in size, perhaps the volume of a spacious
living room, the sphere itself was but a silver islet, lost in the black ocean
that swallowed it. Indeed, this ocean was but one of many, a mere pond in the
vast and intricate web of the Complex.</span></h3>
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</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two men, one named Christensen and one named Strong,
moved without a word. They hurried past the door, and their footsteps echoed
sharply as they entered the sphere. They worked quickly, Strong supporting the
woman in a full nelson, Christensen fumbling with trembling fingers to release
her feet. Strong, the bigger of the two burly soldiers, expressed his distaste
for this particular part of the work, whispering sharply to Christensen to move
his goddamn ass, she stinks like shit, she’s fucking bleeding all over me.
Christensen, who had given three-to-one to Strong figuring the woman would be
dead by now, fumbled with the chains. He sliced his thumb on a sharp edge of
the clasp on her left ankle and stifled a <i>Fuck.</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> </span>It was another full minute before they freed her and dragged
her from the chamber by the arms.</span></h3>
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<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Clean it,” Brikker told them, eyeing the blood they
had messed the floor with. His chilling voice carried as if from nowhere, for
the good Doctor stood where he always stood, just beyond the grasp of the
light. In fact, save the gaping exit from whence the soldiers entered, there
seemed no definable boundary to this shapeless place, a cavernous pit of misery
which the men called the Crypt.</span></h3>
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</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“All of it.”</span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They knew he meant the shit. The soldiers looked up
from the steel chair they had slipped the woman into, shielding their eyes from
the light with a raised hand. When Christensen didn’t move right away, Strong
ordered him to move his goddamn ass again. They strapped the woman in by her
arms and legs, and finished with a strap round her forehead and one round her
throat. The hot light above the chair bled her skin white, and the blood along
her body a muted watercolor reminiscent of faded paint. She seemed neither
living nor dead, and Christensen, visibly shaken, lipped something that no one
could hear. Strong prodded him, and they moved efficiently and effectively in
true military magic, cleaning the mess. Strong mopped the blood and told
Christensen to clean the shit from the floor <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">and </span>from the woman, and upon completing their tasks, they
hurried to the exit without being dismissed. The orders were implicit.</span></h3>
<h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christensen—a private who held wild dreams of making
Captain or Major, but knew in his heart that, despite his complete discretion
and his certainty that no one was the wiser, in This Man’s Army he would attain
neither rank, for he was not averse to taking a good dick up the ass or down
the throat now and then—a private who had been told to report for duty a week
ago this morning, on the orders of some fat cat named Albrecht down at Area
51—a private who until a week ago this morning had believed that the world was
black and white, and that time travel was an even bigger pile of horseshit than
UFO’s—had nearly made his escape.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Christ doesn’t save <i>queers.</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">”</span></span></h3>
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<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The words had </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">come from no discernible source,
and Christensen, whose throat had suddenly found itself as dry as the Nevada
hellhole he now called home, somehow managed a girlish <i>Yes sir</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> </span>and summarily made his way into the
back of Strong. Strong, a seasoned lieutenant who just three weeks ago had
taken the reigns from one Lieutenant James Riley (apparently the
thirty-five-year-old Riley had a change of heart regarding the Project, blowing
his brains out like that over the handling of this pitiable waitress from
Missouri), glared at the private. Christensen began to ramble on about how he
wasn’t a queer, sir, not me, no way, sir, and Strong told him to shut the hell
up, just bolt the fucking door. Later, while masturbating in his bunk to the
salacious mental image of blowing Strong, Christensen would climax, and at that
precise moment would wonder, as he had all day, how the good Doctor could
possibly have heard him say <i>Christ.</i> It had been more thought than
whisper, he had barely heard it himself.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A wide bank of multicolored lamps blinked randomly
in silent rhythm, betraying some sort of control panel. Suddenly there was the
strike of a wooden match and a flare of flame beyond the lights. At this the
woman’s eyes shot open, only to narrow from the intensity of the spotlight; she
could only peer into the blackness now. Her breathing had grown sharp and
desperate. Her lips trembled. Her mouth sat slightly open, revealing a dark gap
where three of her top teeth had been pulled from their roots.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A hint of smoke from the spent match lingered in the
air. It breached the edge of the darkness as it passed her, only to be
swallowed again. She seemed to settle a little, but then her eyes widened as a
glowing red ember grew and shrank like a beating heart, as her captor drew on
the cigarette.</span></h3>
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</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A cutting cough rattled her, its bite seeming to
strike from all directions. The sound was sickly.</span></h3>
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</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Somewhere . . . a clock ticked.</span></h3>
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<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Time stilled. That pulsing heart stopped and faded
to black. Brikker extinguished the cigarette in a container that, among the
throng of spent cancer sticks, held three toenails and the bloodied left
lateral and two central incisors of an adult human female. He paused to study
them, amazed at the surprising will of the woman. She was remarkable, truly. If
only these peons like Strong and Christensen were half as strong as she. He
flipped the lid closed. He would break her. He would fill this thing if need
be.</span></h3>
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<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brikker stepped to her left. Every sound seemed
highly tuned and amplified, sharp yet indefinable.</span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“So . . . what do we know? Hmmm? What
do we know.”</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The woman stiffened. Her eyes darted as those
elusive footfalls came again.</span></h3>
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</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She uttered a small shriek when Brikker touched her.</span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Shhhhh.” He was right behind her now, whispering
from the dark. He stroked her scalp with an ochred finger stained from a
lifetime of smoking, let it run along the imperfect form of her skull; let it
trace the four black digits tattooed there. Someone—<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Richards, he supposed—might have found her attractive. He found her repulsive.
Most women were.</span></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Shhhhh,” he whispered
again. “That’s better. Perhaps you’d like something to eat, hmmm?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
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</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The woman tried to nod,
but her bonds prevented such an act. She uttered a yes that was hardly
discernible.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Soon,” Brikker told her.
“As much as you want.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The woman squirmed,
trying to hold it in. Finally, she urinated. Her piddle dribbled over the edge
of the chair and pooled at her feet.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Do you know what day it
is?” The words circled in the darkness with every step.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
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</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was no reply. The
eyes told him no.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The month?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His voice rose slightly.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Tell me your name.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was some
hesitation, but then the words came dutifully, if dismally—four digits—not a
syllable more. He grinned.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Do you remember Sarah?
Sarah-Jane?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No reply.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DO YOU REMEMBER
SARAH-JANE?</i>”<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> The words blasted
from the blackness like bullets.</span></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She was lying. He could
smell deception, as if it were a rotting carcass splayed before him. He stepped
into the light, his formlessness becoming form in silhouette. He paused, and
then he slapped her with brutal force.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The woman wept. Her
breath came as a thin whistle through the wide gap where her upper teeth had
been. Her eyes, bulging from her emaciated face, gave her the appearance of a
humanoid insect.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The physician retreated to
the console. He pressed three lamps, red-yellow-red in precise order. There was
a slight delay, and then a projector lamp switched on, giving life to a grainy
black-and-white image on a large viewing screen.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The subject was a
handsome Aryan, no older than fifteen. He was once a violinist, a virtuoso from
Braunschweig whose performances brought tears to the eye. And yet, like the
Australian, and later, the American, he had been skilled in so much more.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The boy, clearly
frightened, was on the verge of tears.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Grinning behind the lens,
Brikker took the woman’s photograph, then distanced himself from the reliable
oak tripod that supported a green 4 x 5 Graphic camera. It was a solid military
model, the workhorse of the press photographer and madmen.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Do you recognize this
child?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No . . .
yes.” She did not look away. She had learned the lesson well, to keep her eyes
trained on the images.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brikker pressed a red
lamp, summoning a second image of the boy. Bruises and cuts had ruined his
Hollywood looks. Once he had tried to escape, had tried to Turn to a time prior
to his capture—indeed, all had tried—and like the others, had failed. Like the
others, he had been sedated for nearly eight weeks upon arrival, a duration too
far, even for Richards’ godlike power. Unlike the sedatives, the experimental
mind-enhancing drugs had been designed to elevate their abilities, and while
there had been the expected setbacks and suffering, all valuable lessons, he
had met with great, if mixed, success. Their Sense had sharpened to a fine
edge, their skill of Turning to a precise duration had become second nature,
their capacity to recover quickly had vastly improved, but their ultimate reach
had been reduced to mere minutes—impressive, certainly, yet not nearly
acceptable to Albrecht—nor to Brikker. Still, despite the current limitations,
he was certain that in time he could control the Turn, as easily as one could
the winding of a simple clock. Perhaps extend the reach—<i>his</i> reach—to a
time of his choosing.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And him? Do you know
him?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Know him? I don’t—”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Have you seen
him before?</i>”</span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“On-on the screen. In a
picture.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A new image, full in
length. The boy was starkly naked. Burns and welts and bruises ravaged his
shriveled frame. His head was shaved. Wires and sensors snaked across his body.
His eyes were open, only barely; they were black from beatings. Still, they
remained obedient, focused squarely on the lens.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Do you know his name?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The woman struggled to
remember. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Two,<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> I think.” The last word came out </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shink.</i></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another image. A close-up
of a fine scar near the young man’s temple.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Have you seen this mark
before?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No. No.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A press of the lamp
produced a fifth image, but not of the boy. The man appeared unharmed, although
it was clear he was under some kind of duress. He was deeply tanned, clearly
weathered, in his late sixties or early seventies.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And this one? Have you
seen this man?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”</span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“In a picture,” the woman
said. Her eyes faltered a moment, then shifted back to the image. “On the
screen.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She acknowledged she did
not know him as the other photographs followed. The last image lingered,
hovering in the blackness like a horrifying nightmare that strains the mind
long after you have bolted awake. The one of the dairy farmer from Melbourne—the
Australian who had cast his magic to save two little girls from a runaway
bushfire back in 1938, the one who would save the very same twins eleven years
later—the one with the shaved head and dead, dead eyes. The one with his throat
slashed.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another lamp, green and
pulsing, turned solid as Brikker pressed it; he knew its location without
looking. More silence ensued, save that damnable ticking, and then a wide
door—not the bolted one through which the soldiers had fled, but another, on
the opposite side of this seemingly boundless tomb—opened like a great mouth,
sliding upward into an imperceptible wall. A deep hum accompanied its laborious
movement. A dim light in a corridor revealed a brute of a man standing behind
someone in a wheelchair. Strong wheeled in the chair and set it into position
between a pair of red hash marks, set the brake, and without a word, was gone.
Brikker depressed the green lamp, and that yawning maw in the darkness slid
closed.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jesus H.
Christ,</i>”<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> the man in the chair
gasped. The darkness consumed him. One could make out his bared feet, and
little more than a tease of his fatty, hairless legs that faded into the
blackness. His toenails were thick and unclipped, the one on his big right toe
ugly and ingrown.</span></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Lady . . .
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LADY!</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”</span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The woman stirred,
searching for the face of that unfamiliar voice. Her eyes could only settle on
those vulnerable feet.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oh . . .
oh <i>Christ.</i>” The last word betrayed an accent slim of American South. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The photograph had
captured the man’s full attention.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Who are you?
What the fuck do you want with us?</i>”<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The words echoed as if shouted in a cave and
were quickly swallowed by the Crypt.</span></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just that nerve-wracking
ticking replied.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Who’s there? I can hear
you.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like a phantom, Brikker
stole about the camera and made some adjustments. He could work the device with
the barest of light, change aperture and shutter speed, load film and set
focus. It was simple and direct, as simple and direct as sending men to their
death.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The man in the chair
reeled from the sudden brilliance of the flash gun. It went off with a deep </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">phooomph.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Listen . . .
<i>if it’s money you want</i>—”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another click from the
panel.</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An intense spotlight
drowned the man in a sea of white, the hard light coming from directly above.
Stripped naked, leather straps restrained his thick wrists and stumpy legs.
Sweaty man-breasts hung like rubbery sacs above his ample belly; his navel was
an ugly outie. He sported days-old growth of beard. His head was shaved. His
puffy lower lip held a fresh cut, and blood dribbled along his chin and throat.
His wide eyes, blackened by solid beatings, spilled with fear.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I-I can pay,” the man
pleaded. He squinted at the flashing bank of multicolored lights. It seemed to
center him, at least in the moment. “I got a house. A car! A nice big Buick. I
could sell it, I could sell it all—”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The depression of a red
lamp lit three additional spotlights, illuminating a long utility table
gleaming with various instruments of persuasion. They read like a checklist of
camping items authored by some twisted Boy Scout: knives; more knives; three
hammers, ball-peen, carpenter’s, mallet; two high-speed turbine dental drills;
metal knuckles; flasks and bottles and jars holding dark and clear liquids;
powders; cutting torches; screwdrivers; a cable ripper; drop lights; straps;
chains; whips; razors; a half-dozen volumes on human anatomy; big and small
saws; syringes; drugs; neat stacks of pressed white cloths; more knives; three
car batteries and several cables; boxes of matches; tape; scissors; wire, thin
and sharp; wire, thick and barbed; rubber tubing; long, coiled </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">metal<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">tubing; funnels with
necks of varying lengths and thickness; clamps and pins and needles; lengths of
rope; two vises; wire cutters; pliers. Several cartons of Gold Armor, stacked
precisely.</span></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brikker surveyed the
offerings quickly and found exactly what he had in mind. He was in a mood
today, a very particular one, and with a sly hand slipping out of the deep—one
could see just a hint of his crisp white lab coat—he selected a boning knife.
Sometimes, the simplest tool was often the most effective.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Wait a minute, what are you doin’?<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> What are you DOIN’?</i>”</span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brikker moved swiftly. He
slipped beside the control panel, although neither captive could know.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TwoSevenEightSeven,</i>”<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> he said, saying it just like that. One
simple word. He did not repeat himself.</span></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What . . .
I . . . I don’t understand.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You will.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The man in the chair
looked at the woman—she cast him a helpless gaze that said, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There’s nothing you can do</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">—<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">and then,
eyes disbelieving, focused on the image of the man from Melbourne. He muttered
something indiscernible, choking on his words, as if a small chunk of brick had
been forced down his throat.</span></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brikker stepped toward
the woman and stood just beyond the reach of the light. The blade of the knife
slipped from the darkness, glistening.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Shall we begin?”</span></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">'When I read David Cassidy's 'Velvet Rain' I was floored by the writing style and the smooth presentation of this captivating plot. The descriptions grabbed me and would not let go. This was a dark read, but wow, an incredible one. In my opinion, this writing is up to par with Stephen King and Dean Koontz.' </span></i></span></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></i></span></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></i></span></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background: white;">Where can readers stalk you?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Usually I’m stalking others. Writers are a really just
a bunch of whack-jobs looking for that next great story, and stalking is a
dandy research tool.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now, if someone’s looking for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">me,</i> they can find me here:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.davidccassidy.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.dav<span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;">idccassidy.com</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"></span></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DavidCCassidyAuthor"><span style="color: blue;">www.facebook.com/DavidCCassidyAuthor</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DavidCCassidyPhotography"><span style="color: blue;">www.facebook.com/DavidCCassidyPhotography</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
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<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/DavidCCassidy"><span style="color: blue;">www.twitter.com/DavidCCassidy</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">email: </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="mailto:davidccassidy@yahoo.ca"><span style="color: blue;">davidccassidy@yahoo.ca</span></a></span></h3>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-15260813889135717962014-02-06T22:29:00.000-08:002014-02-06T22:47:55.570-08:00Check out this interview with Author Joseph R. Lallo, and his great 'The Book of Deacon' series <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGPX4fbueq7SAOAJsTYxukcFM5J-zQD6dVvwI4tAM7hIea4EY5wq1kxI8ayEgSZJ5XKe1Z1ueDR8CtXeloIUbc-_HyqEHv2sz5VJQCSVv_wDlH0kHxYlynNrz0xOGo_7CuALOIpnCkfhC/s1600/josephs+face+pic+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGPX4fbueq7SAOAJsTYxukcFM5J-zQD6dVvwI4tAM7hIea4EY5wq1kxI8ayEgSZJ5XKe1Z1ueDR8CtXeloIUbc-_HyqEHv2sz5VJQCSVv_wDlH0kHxYlynNrz0xOGo_7CuALOIpnCkfhC/s1600/josephs+face+pic+final.jpg" /></a><b> About the Author-</b><br />
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<b> </b>A native of Bayonne, NJ - the fabled birthplace of George R. R. Martin -
Joseph Lallo is an unlikely entry into the world of literature. After a
childhood spent daydreaming and reading, he fully intended to pursue a
career in the tech sector. He received a Master's Degree in Computer
Engineering from NJIT, and subsequently got a job working IT for a large
healthcare corporation. Things changed when, in January 2010, his
friends finally convinced him to publish the story that had accumulated
over the course of a decade of spare time. That story, now known as the
Book of Deacon Trilogy, was a surprise hit, and once he got a taste of
the world of indie writing, he was hooked. Now he splits his time
between crunching numbers at his day job, writing novels at night, and
writing articles and reviews for BrainLazy.com, a group blog he helps
run. Joseph recently had a birthday(late January) and is 31 years old. <br />
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<b>Hi Joseph. It's good to have you on the events blog today. So, have you always wanted to be a writer?</b><br />
I went
through periods of wanting to be all sorts of things. Through most of
the time that was actually writing my main trilogy I was hoping and
fully expecting to become a computer engineer. (I’ve got a Master’s
Degree and everything.) I was perpetually daydreaming, and I would write
things to fill empty moments. It wasn’t until I ended up with a pile of
filled up, handwritten notebooks that it was suggested to me that
writing might be a valid career choice.<br />
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<b>Do you base any part of your books (the plot, setting, characters) on your personal experiences?</b><br />
There
are characters with a firm or loose basis on people in my life. Mostly,
though, people who know me and read my books will find little personal
opinions, anecdotes, and idiosyncrasies of myself and others working
their way onto the page. Eating a whole bowl of chili with corn chips
instead of a spoon? That one’s me. Considering all questions to be a
robotically simple process of weighing perceived benefits or costs?
That’s a friend of mine. There are whole scenes that are pretty much
inside jokes among my friends.<br />
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<b>If you could meet one of your characters for lunch, who would you want to hang out with and what would you want to talk about?</b><br />
I’d
love to sit down with Deacon (one of the more talented wizards in my
books) so he could give me the ins and outs of magic. Failing that,
Karter (a mad scientist) would be a fun one, though I’d probably need
armed guards to make sure he doesn’t have one of his ‘episodes’ and try
to cave my head in with whatever blunt object is handy.<br />
<br />
<b>Should writers break the rules?</b><br />
Yes.
Tell your story. As far as I’m concerned the rules are there to help
people know how best to tell their story. If you’ve already got your
story and you know how you want to tell it, then tell it. If you do a
good job, it won’t matter how many rules you break so long as it is
actually readable.<br />
<br />
<b>What is your favorite part of the creative process?</b><br />
Spit-balling.
Pitching ideas. I’ll sit down with my brother, or open up a chat with
my friends and we’ll toss ideas back and forth and whole new plots will
roll out. For me, writing is 90% connecting the dots, but the 10% where I
decide what the dots will be is the most fun.<br />
<br />
<b>What is your greatest fear?</b><br />
I
haven’t stepped off the cliff and become a fulltime writer, but that
might change this year. The thing that has kept me at the day job is the
bone-deep fear that the moment I do, the sales figures will zero out,
the nest egg will empty out, and I’ll have to sheepishly trudge back to
the IT desk.<br />
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<b>What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?</b><br />
Well
I wouldn’t mind putting the aforementioned degree to good use. Despite
being trained to build gadgets for a living, I’ve never actually had
that job. (These days my official job is more about crunching numbers.)<br />
<br />
<b>What are some of your favorite curse words?</b><br />
You
know, I don’t curse. In most situations I will literally say the word
“curses”. Yes, I am the villain from a silent film. I also tend toward
nonsensical pseudo-foreign words. “Schlitz Veit” is a fun one, which I
got from the show David the Gnome.<br />
<br />
<b>What do you consider your greatest achievement?</b><br />
Recently,
my brother, his wife, and I bought a house. Every cent of the down
payment and closing cost, which was pretty darn substantial, came from
the books. My silly imagination literally put a roof over my head. It
boggles the mind.<br />
<br />
<b>What turns you on creatively?</b><br />
The
strangest things. Music is a big one, and not in the obvious ways. I
don’t know if there are a lot of people who associate epic fantasy with
the band System of a Down, but the climax of my trilogy was inspired by
it. The lyrics and vocals of the band Clutch inspired a prophet
character. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.<br />
Outside of music, I
tend to soak up the style of anything I watch or read. It has actually
convinced me to be very careful about what entertainment I consume and
when. The last thing I need is for one of my characters to suddenly
start speaking as though he was written by Aaron Sorkin.<br />
<br />
Thanks so much for sharing a bit more of yourself with us.<br />
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About Joseph R.Lallo' s Novels </div>
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Priced for this event!</div>
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<a href="http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B00E7G479I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B00E7G479I" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaRmsFRnTnmFGoh_6dl_UtmBBEx0AEOcXDv93isK3GUUdgo0MmwNoVa_AVNFptT6vZOgYwo9wFshrZQC9TYeO5xUMK6S8KBXDJ-Jvd5TzqxWOXIYaNatcRGpFvCc2SZRko6OluAph5Qhr/s1600/josephs+cover.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Deacon-Joseph-Lallo-ebook/dp/B0036FTF4S/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391752932&sr=1-2&keywords=the+book+of+deacon" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Deacon-Joseph-Lallo-ebook/dp/B0036FTF4S/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391752932&sr=1-2&keywords=the+book+of+deacon" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5vEEK49m-zjU7PLcOZLk_n4DsgVnqRP0yclneZuUoA5Ff6KJEcFnhENzkL9WLA3TENLSAoZqRxpZ2wkU87Ug3pabfwM6TvOpr7J0ytkFwKcsqpR9h2b6Bezlm159fAGvQL-A0nJzKz9h/s1600/the+book+of+deacon.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Free at Amazon</div>
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Video trailer for the Book of Deacon novel </div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udgAyYuxR0Q" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udgAyYuxR0Q</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Convergence-Book-Deacon-ebook/dp/B004I437ZO/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391752932&sr=1-3&keywords=the+book+of+deacon" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Convergence-Book-Deacon-ebook/dp/B004I437ZO/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391752932&sr=1-3&keywords=the+book+of+deacon" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1XtRLPk6qFIeor-P7ePNdQvvZ_bRamppsNg6yDgjDZyMwDGpkL4pmMCEa3nMCy-EVxNAQuMAkClILJEuSDvpgNzxAt2MBgIYuYP76QWtRdDNEKNQeCX_-3Ev4BZLwYi_BKkvbqxtmJ2j/s1600/the+great+convergence.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Where to find Joseph R Lallo -</div>
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Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Book-of-Deacon/239647549418500</div>
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twitter- @jrlallo</div>
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Website- http://www.bookofdeacon.com/ </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-12541443615748960012014-02-05T21:38:00.000-08:002014-02-05T21:42:33.343-08:00Check out 'Shadow Path', the first Novel from fantasy Author P.L. Blair's 'Portals' series <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Path-Portals-P-L-Blair-ebook/dp/B004WDZSDK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Path-Portals-P-L-Blair-ebook/dp/B004WDZSDK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1k17X9mkGsevU_JpKk4oXU_nEQgXz5MLvDqKd-lr8LlGcWKxxoiAWqkJ-o7gmuSYIN7ihhkewLrKekbZ5QfriBDED8PLpqH9r5iUgC-aospg6HGybGame6urDxnOsa-eTFPFDr-EpIZX_/s1600/shadow+path.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
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<b> </b>Magic and crime. Agatha Christie meets J.R.R. Tolkien in “Shadow Path,”
the first book in the new Portals series by author P.L. Blair.<br />
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An
Ogre murdered with a rune-inscribed sword is just the beginning as Kat
Morales, a very human detective on the Corpus Christi, Texas, police
force, and her Elf partner Tevis McLeod follow a blood trail that leads
to Pixies, necromancy and Magic of the Blackest kind ... to its climax
in a stronghold Between worlds, where Tevis must duel spell for spell
with a former lover who wants to see her old flame extinguished
permanently.<br />
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<b>Reviews-</b><br />
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'PL Blair has created a world where doorways (or portals) have opened
between our world and the world of magic. Now, pixies, trolls, ogres,
and elves (to name only a few) rub shoulders with humans; which makes
solving crimes even more of a challenge for Corpus Cristie detectives,
Kat Morales, and Tevis Mcleod.' <br />
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<span style="vertical-align: middle;">'A magical invasion of legendary creatures makes this a great read'</span><br />
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<span style="vertical-align: middle;">'Dragons, elves, pixies, and many other creatures I haven't heard of make
an appearance in this book. If you are a teen or older, interested in
fantasy and its fantastical creatures, myths, and whodunit mysteries,
then Shadow Path is for you.' </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>~INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR~</b></div>
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<b>Have you always wanted to be a writer?</b></div>
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Probably
from the time I was 6 or 7. My grandparents raised me, and Daddy - my
grandfather read to me starting before I was even old enough to talk. I
was reading by the time I was 4 or 5, and ... I couldn't get enough of
the stories. I started making up stories for myself, then to amuse
friends, and things just went from there.</div>
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<b>Do you listen to music when you write?</b></div>
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Sometimes.
My background is in newspaper work, so I got used to writing in the
midst of chaos in a news room - phones ringing, people talking,
interviews at the next desk, the sound of typing, that kind of stuff. So
I do need a certain amount of background noise, TV, street noises. When
I do play music, it's usually movie soundtracks. <i>Lord of the Rings, Raiders of the Lost Arc, Pirates of the Caribbean </i>- that sort of stuff.</div>
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<b>Where do you find inspiration for story ideas?</b></div>
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Everywhere.
Everything is grist for the writer's mill. My Portals books are based
on the idea that all the creatures of our myths and folklore are real -
and that, after a long absence from our human world, they're returning,
bringing their magic with them, and some of them use that magic to
commit crimes. So I play with the thoughts of these beings, who they
are, what they are, and what kind of crimes might they commit? Also ...
how would non-magical humans deal with criminals who can kill with a
touch - or a look?</div>
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<b>Can you tell us about your writing process?</b></div>
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Basically,
when I get an idea, I sit down and start writing. I fly by the seat of
my pants. At heart, I'm not so much writer as storyteller, and the
first person I tell my story to is ... me. To outline the story first
would ruin the spontaneity for me. It's a messy process, and it involves
a certain amount of going back to earlier chapters to change or delete
or add stuff, but it works for me.</div>
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<b>Should writers break the rules?</b></div>
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It
depends on the rule, but ... I have no problem breaking a rule now and
then if it helps move the story along. For me there are two basic
guidelines: First, know the rules. If you're going to break a rule, it
should be by design, not accident. Second, I think you shouldn't break a
rule just <i>because</i> it's a rule. Break rules when that will enhance the story you're telling.</div>
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<b>What is your favorite part of the creative process?</b></div>
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Watching
the words coming together onto the paper or computer screen to form
thoughts or paint a picture. I've always loved words - not in themselves
but for the ability to communicate. Whether it's telling a story or
reporting the news, the purpose of words is to communicate. That's the
binding that holds us together as a society.</div>
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<b>What's the best advice on writing that you've ever been given?</b></div>
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To
write the story before you edit it. My inner editor is always on to
some degree, but I've learned to keep her under control until the
initial draft is done. The thing is, and I've seen it happen, you can
spend so much time polishing that first page - or first couple of
paragraphs - of your work that it never goes anywhere. True story: years
ago, a coworker of mine on a newspaper told me he was writing a book.
He'd been working on it for two years. "That's awesome!" I said. "How
far along are you?" "Three paragraphs," he said. "I want them perfect
before I write any more."</div>
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<b>What is your greatest fear?</b></div>
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The
same with each book I write: That I will run out of ideas. Aside from
fear as a writer? Probably my biggest fear is heights. I can't even
climb on a stepladder without getting heart palpitations. Changing an
overhead lightbulb is agony.</div>
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<b>What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?</b></div>
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I
honestly can't think of any. Being a writer lets me dabble in all kinds
of other stuff, from history to archaelogy and geology to government
and politics. I became a writer in part because I didn't really know
what I wanted to be when I "grew up." There's too much fun stuff out
there.</div>
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<b>If you choose to come back as something else, what would it be?</b></div>
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An
elf. Definitely an elf. I've been enamored of elves since childhood,
and JRR Tolkien cemented the relationship. I adore his elves. I want to
be one of those - a wise and graceful being of starlight and the natural
world. However, more realistically, I'm probably more of a hobbit:
short, inclined toward "plumpness," and with a fondness for food and the
comforts of home. I love sending Kat and Tevis - the protagonists in my
books - off on adventures, but I don't "do" adventures myself. Maybe I
already am a hobbit, but without the furry feet ...</div>
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Thank you for taking the time to answer these interview questions. </div>
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Where readers can find P.L.Blair :</div>
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Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/PL-Blair/170370356378877">https://www.facebook.com/pages/PL-Blair/170370356378877</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Twitter: RT@plblairportals</div>
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Website: <a href="http://www.plblairportals.com/">http://www.plblairportals.com/</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Blog: <a href="http://www.authorplblair.com/blog.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.authorplblair.com/blog.html</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-1148954962398793892014-02-05T04:09:00.003-08:002014-02-05T13:08:26.239-08:00Check out this Interview with Author S.L.Wallace’s character Aimee from the novel Canvas Skies<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today, I have the pleasure of an interview with Amiee, who is a character in Author S.L. Wallace's series of novels. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-b3Pdg_xhneQBIj1JItjD0xo2saeNenhRzXFK9raK55_g_iqb8qytXfkc3mIfIljFX0ZRUtyCwasDJO-sKZ8ICkZtRG_JbAYy2PbrT9i9re2zAK45DTLwz9O5PDGuqA9yMqGJVNn5WdJi/s1600/canvas+skies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-b3Pdg_xhneQBIj1JItjD0xo2saeNenhRzXFK9raK55_g_iqb8qytXfkc3mIfIljFX0ZRUtyCwasDJO-sKZ8ICkZtRG_JbAYy2PbrT9i9re2zAK45DTLwz9O5PDGuqA9yMqGJVNn5WdJi/s1600/canvas+skies.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hi, Amiee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s so nice to meet you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you please tell our readers a little
about yourself?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hello! I'm Aimee LaFleur, and I've recently moved to Tkaron to open an
art studio, Art Fantastique. I do hope you'll stop in. I trained in Mediterra
at the world famous Art Institute of Parisio, and I had a wonderful mentor,
Danielle Bellami. She was amazing, helped me through so much. She and my
um...friend, Scott Maddock. Scott, um...no, I can't do this. My real name is
April Maddock. I fled from Terene a year ago after a violent attack at the
hands of my employer. I lived there for one year, and now I'm ready to come
back home to live hidden in plain site with my roommate Kendra James who is
actually my sister, Keira.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I lived in Mediterra for one year...</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q: Wait... so basically, you're on
the run? What prompted you to run...and what difficulties did you find along
the way?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My recurring nightmare may give you some idea as to why I ran. Here's
what happens in my dreams almost every night, even after I got away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I sit up,
startled into sudden awareness as my blankets tumble to my waist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reach out, feeling for the chain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A soft light sets the pink lampshade aglow,
illuminating my room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Swinging my legs
over the side of the bed, I wait and listen.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“April!”</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
could he possibly want at this time of night?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Footsteps pound on the stairs above me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I glance toward the door and
catch my reflection in the full length mirror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My uniform?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When did I get dressed?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bang!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The bedroom door slam against the wall, and there he is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lance Beckett’s sillouette fills my doorway,
black leather belt in hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he turns
to close and lock the door, I see it - the handle of a steak knife sticking out
of his back.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His focus returns to me, and he strides
forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A red, flower petal formation
blossoms on his white business shirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
push back, skimming across the sheets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Metal bars from the headboard press painfully against my spine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can retreat no further.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My breath is knocked from me suddenly as I
feel a sharp kick in my stomach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look down at my bulging
belly in shock and realize it’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
carrying his child.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I raise my head and peer into his cold grey
eyes.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A scream in the distance pierced the
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From nearby I heard a familiar
voice call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>April!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>April, wake up!”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s
the dream.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That sounds horrific.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A: Yes.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sorry you’re having to deal with that every night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A: Thanks</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, Aimee, other than what seems like a very traumatizing event in those
dreams, was there a specific incident that you've had to deal with while on the
run that you could share with us? Perhaps something we would find out about no
other way?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No, there really isn't any one incident. You see, living in Mediterra
was, in a word, amazing. I had no idea that life could be like that. The people
I met were friendly, helpful, supportive, and I do mean everyone: the other
students at the Art Institute, my family and their friends, even the President
of Parisio. If I could have stayed there forever, I would have but that would
have gone against the agreement between the Resistance movement back home and
the President. Refugees like me are allowed to come into the realm in order to
get back on their feet, so to speak, but we're to put no undue strain upon the
people of Mediterra. I've learned so much, and now it's time for me to return
so that I can help others.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wow, governments that work together, who would have thought? Okay so you've
gotten back on your feet and now you get to return home. You must be elated to
be going back. So what was it like growing up there?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh no! I didn't say that. The Resistance movement has formed an alliance
with the Gov of Mediterra. The Gov of Terene would have us all tried as
traitors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm really nervous about going
back. I only hope no one recognizes me. I'll be returning as a high ranking
Mediterran citizen, living and working abroad. That's my cover story anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Growing up in Terene was awful. Well, I guess
it was good until my parents died. I was really young when that happened
though. Pretty much all I can remember is being raised by Aunt Cady, and she
didn't want us, my brother, sister and me. When we reached the Age of
Eligibility, that's when you turn 16 and are encouraged to join the military,
she kicked us out. First, Scott. Then, Keira. And then me.</span></div>
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</span>Wow, that's harsh. Not cool at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Okay, so what about life's little luxuries... what things are most
important to you in life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What things do
you treasure?</span></div>
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</span>Art, especially paintings. I find them to be the windows to one's soul.
I also treasure my family. In Terene, they're about the only people I know I
can trust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I used to like going for
walks in the park. But all that has changed...so the parks aren't safe?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes;">Q:<span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nowhere is safe, not for anyone in this cutthroat place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what about romance... love. In an
environment that seems full of violence and worry, is there still chance for
romance? Dating? Marriage?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course! Keira and Guy found each other, didn't they? I only wish I'd
met him first. And my parents, they found each other too. And just look at
Scott and Danielle! It seems like everyone close to me is lucky in love. I hope
I'll be as lucky one day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, I'm sure you will. So are you a fighter? I mean do you fight,
hands on battles to protect yourself? If so what is your choice of weapons?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh no! Not me. Scott's the soldier, and Keira is the vigilante. I just
want everyone to get along.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">so with a tender heart like yours, I
hope you stay safe and are able to find what you seek, Aimee. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Is there anything you'd like to tell our readers before we say goodbye
here today? Anything you'd like to warn us about, or life advice?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you keep searching for the good in people, you will find it...most of
the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions, Aimee, so our readers can get to know you better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author Bio-</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">S.L. Wallace is a teacher and life long writer who is a descendant of
the famous William Wallace. Like him, she believes in freedom and
independence. Unlike him, she fights her battles with the pen, most
recently taking a political stand against recent changes in government
at both local and state levels.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here are a few reviews on Author S.L. Wallace's second book of the series, Canvas Skies. </span></div>
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<span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121419899980:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:2"></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121419899980:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3"><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121419899980:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0"><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121419899980:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0.$end:0:$0:0"> "Canvas Skies is another page turner with plenty of
intrigue and mystery. It's hard to know who to trust when it comes to
the men in April's life. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading
about dystopian worlds and mystery/romance novels." ~Lorena Wood</span></span></span><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121419899980:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.3"></span></div>
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121563233299:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3"><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121563233299:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0"><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121563233299:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0.$end:0:$0:0"> "The second book was just as great as the first one! I
love that Wallace is able to mix up which character we are following
without it being confusing. I love the twists and turns and we are just
as unsure who to trust as the characters in the book are. I am
definitely putting book #3 on my list of things to read!" ~Leah</span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121563233299:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3"><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121563233299:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0"><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121563233299:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0.$end:0:$0:0"> </span></span></span><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236121563233299:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.3"></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236122896566499:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3"><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236122896566499:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0"><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236122896566499:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0.$end:0:$0:0"> </span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236122896566499:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3"><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236122896566499:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0"><span data-reactid=".ty.1:3:1:$comment235347756644013_236122896566499:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0.$end:0:$0:0">"Wow and I thought I enjoyed Book One Price of a
Bounty, but S.L. Wallace outdid herself in book two." ~Amy</span></span></span><br />
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Where to find the books-<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Book link to Canvas Skies (book 2)</span></div>
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<a href="http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B007JUR5FC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B007JUR5FC</a><br />
<br />
Book link to Price of a Bounty (book 1) FREE on Amazon<br />
<pre id="link"><b><a href="http://a-fwd.com/s=price+of+a+bounty&asin=B005H93BBE&asin-com=B004GB1FIK" target="_new">http://ow.ly/tiFld</a></b></pre>
<pre id="link"><b> </b></pre>
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<pre id="link"><b> </b></pre>
<pre id="link"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfZqG_JyzgaQDQCnVIAkUO5-uOa5J-ijcEFZ7-914_L7NPhA2doAygYWZiG0c6l9hkQ2PnABZ8KgQBKZ6T2onFPCjwtEVrSC_ZqUQT4LNeT6vjHo5tS_er6-tXKDAjU2beGR3p5pUjXQ7/s1600/price+of+a+bounty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfZqG_JyzgaQDQCnVIAkUO5-uOa5J-ijcEFZ7-914_L7NPhA2doAygYWZiG0c6l9hkQ2PnABZ8KgQBKZ6T2onFPCjwtEVrSC_ZqUQT4LNeT6vjHo5tS_er6-tXKDAjU2beGR3p5pUjXQ7/s1600/price+of+a+bounty.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dX9RK-1NTyJYQ5QCZ224hO47zooBfyYTLC_Tn1Viwrq0AUJF5m_B53A3cQ4rZwJe6CONcClr8eeRNv1G6IKSTij9LksZk-U-zP3ezKFJ-_buJIS82h7N_vnxfaQn6bFZxz1XZMWF-uDW/s1600/canvas+skies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dX9RK-1NTyJYQ5QCZ224hO47zooBfyYTLC_Tn1Viwrq0AUJF5m_B53A3cQ4rZwJe6CONcClr8eeRNv1G6IKSTij9LksZk-U-zP3ezKFJ-_buJIS82h7N_vnxfaQn6bFZxz1XZMWF-uDW/s1600/canvas+skies.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></pre>
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Video Trailer-<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkokS795nGs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkokS795nGs </a><br />
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Where to find S.L. Wallace-<br />
<br />
Twitter: @authorSLWallace<br />
fb: https://www.facebook.com/author.slwallace?fref=ts<br />
Website: http://slwallace.com/ <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-13665533121812751412014-02-04T05:05:00.001-08:002014-02-04T05:15:37.297-08:00Read about Featured Author Elyse Salpeter on Day 4 of February's Fantastical Reads Event!<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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Elyse Salpeter is the Featured Author Today for February’s Fantastical Reads
Event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve read her newly released novel
Xanadu and fell in love with the characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her writing is smooth and delicious to read and the character’s are very
three dimensional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are some
interesting tidbits you may want to know about Elyse. <br />
<br />
Author Elyse Salpeter - Bio<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_NemrHwivi7bcwn_LdeU7_a_o19GHZsxDz1FswogT6eeMRgJR7wz7232oO6dsAoPk8oEWeQJIsai11Yv3DGDV4XmUIrG9C-WV8TQO07UHPa0L3ShLhktZGKBWMo0bp6VmtNpsQyC-KTi/s1600/elyse+author+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_NemrHwivi7bcwn_LdeU7_a_o19GHZsxDz1FswogT6eeMRgJR7wz7232oO6dsAoPk8oEWeQJIsai11Yv3DGDV4XmUIrG9C-WV8TQO07UHPa0L3ShLhktZGKBWMo0bp6VmtNpsQyC-KTi/s1600/elyse+author+pic.jpg" /></a><br />
Elyse Salpeter is the author of seven novels and a host of short stories. What
she loves doing is mixing "the real with the fantastic" in her books.
She loves taking different scenarios and suddenly creating worlds where things
just aren't what they appear to be.<br />
<br />
Her Dark Fantasy Series, THE WORLD OF KAROV and THE RUBY AMULET take us to
other realms filled with magic and evil... THE HUNT FOR XANADU is about a young
girl on a mission to avenge her parents, murdered in their quest to find the
mystical land of Xanadu. <br />
<br />
Her two YA novels, FLYING TO THE LIGHT and FLYING TO THE FIRE are represented
by Peter Riva from International Transactions. These books are about a young
deaf boy who knows what happens to you when you die and now people are after
him for the answers. The books are fast paced thrillers that keeps the reader
on their toes, never quite knowing who, and who not, to trust.<br />
<br />
When she's not writing, she's cooking, working out, running after her twins and
crazy ferret and gardening - you just can't have enough flowers!<br />
<br />
I am so glad to have you here, Elyse.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Q: </span>Have you always wanted to be a
writer? <br />
A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually alternately wanted to
be a doctor, an astronaut, an architect, and an anthropologist. Oh, and I loved
to write, but I never thought I was any good. One day in my twenties, I just
decided to write a book that had been shuffling around in my head. It was a
really bad first draft, but I got the bug and haven’t stopped since. <br />
Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you listen to music when you
write? If so what do you like to listen to? <br />
A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Silence is golden.” That is my
motto – I love to be in my room, it’s quiet and it’s just me and my laptop.<br />
Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you tell us about your writing
process? <br />
A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m part plotter and part panster.
I have a beginning to my books firmly in my mind, a direction that I want to
go, and usually an ending. How I get to the ending is something I can’t tell
you. I’m like that right now, 75% into a sequel. I have no idea how I’m tying
everything up yet! So for me, I put the book down and kind of mull it around
for a bit, waiting for my muse to make a decision. She usually comes around in
a week or two for a really sticky problem.<br />
Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What made you decide to go indie? <br />
A.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been published by a small
publishing company that went out of business. The two young adult books with
that company were picked up by a literary agent who is now representing them,
but I had other books in my portfolio that he didn’t want to take on. Instead
of doing the arduous process of submitting to agents, waiting the
excruciatingly long lengths of time to hear back, the rejections and simply the
entire grueling, heart-wrenching process, I decided to learn this industry and
publish them myself. I still have those two YA books with the agent, but I’m on
my third indie published work and used these books to learn about social media.
<br />
Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How long did it take before you
felt like you'd "made it" as a "real" author? <br />
A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took two full years after
having the first book published to be able to tell someone “yes, I’m an
author.” Before that, I kind of felt like a “hack.” I’m not able to do it full
time yet, but after publishing multiple books, and learning the process, I
finally can accept that I am far from being a hack. <br />
Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your book were made into a
major motion picture, what actors would you like to play the major characters
in your book? <br />
A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picture the actress Serinda Swan
as Kelsey Porter. As I wrote the book, I created a 26 page character file with
photos and bios of each character and then I took the photos and some other
details and created a pinterest board. You can see it here: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Felysesalpeter%2Fthe-hunt-for-xanadu%2F&h=8AQEg5ffx&s=1" target="_blank">http://www.pinterest.com/elysesalpeter/the-hunt-for-xanadu/</a>
<br />
Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you could meet one of your
characters for lunch, who would you want to hang out with and what would you
want to talk about? <br />
A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would absolutely love to hang
out with my female lead protagonist, Kelsey Porter. She is this strong,
brilliant, tough girl, but underneath is so vulnerable. I’d love to talk to her
about her time in Tibet studying with the monks and some of the missions she’s
gone on that the book does not discuss. <br />
Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s the best advice on writing
that you’ve ever been given? <br />
A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To stop worrying about what other
people think and just write. Fear stalls writers so many times. Thinking that
they will be judged, but the fact is, we will be judged. Putting anything
creative in the field is a very brave step and the advice was that “you won’t
please everyone, but if you can find one person that enjoys your work, you’re a
success.”<br />
Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are some of your favorite
curse words? <br />
A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phnops. My mom made it up.
Pronounce it Fuh-nops. It can be used in place of any curse. Drop a can on your
foot? PHNOPS! See? <br />
Thank you so much for allowing me this interview, Elyse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
About the Featured Novel-<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk18g9-3nM6aootGjnF6yoqmOwHGb0cdRLAZZ38jVNSxVr41-7di8KweUlm7-ggUwg79-iHB6qr6jk0JEMo3k2IwAEcFfx87wDnLNgOowjeTMXXTspFktNFQ2w0yXtDcQ0IcLeczbTW5fu/s1600/THE+HUNT+FOR+XANADU+Cover+Final+Ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk18g9-3nM6aootGjnF6yoqmOwHGb0cdRLAZZ38jVNSxVr41-7di8KweUlm7-ggUwg79-iHB6qr6jk0JEMo3k2IwAEcFfx87wDnLNgOowjeTMXXTspFktNFQ2w0yXtDcQ0IcLeczbTW5fu/s1600/THE+HUNT+FOR+XANADU+Cover+Final+Ebook.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Hunt for Xanadu- Fantasy Thriller</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Twenty-two
year old Kelsey Porter has dedicated her life to avenging the death of her
parents, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">murdered
in their quest to find the mystical land of Xanadu. Before she can locate the
murderers, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">she
has to discover their motives for the brutal crime and finds herself at the
epicenter of a Buddhist </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">mystery
as old as time. With the help of her companion, Detective Desmond Gisborne, she
hunts the </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">killers
across the globe and discovers a darkness in her spiritual past that tests the
very limits of her soul. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon
she realizes that it is not she who is doing the hunting, but the one being
hunted. Kelsey must find </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">a
way to survive, while ancient demons attempt to destroy her.</span></div>
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Link: <a href="http://amzn.to/MslDH3" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/MslDH3</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Reviews-
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5 stars <b>Great fantasy story</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By ChristophFischerBooks “Chris”
(Top 500 Reviewers)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This review is from: The Hunt for Xanadu (The Kelsey Porter
Series) (Kindle Edition)</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The
Hunt for Xanadu" by Elyse Salpeter is a fast paced thriller in which a
young woman, Kelsey, pursues the killers of her parents.<br />
Her parents were murdered while trying to find the mythical land of Xanadu and
the story's fantasy elements owe much to mythology rather than vampires and
werewolves.<br />
Accompanied by Detective and love interest Desmond her quest for revenge turns
into something more profound. The personal development of a young woman with a
horrid past, confronted with Buddhist beliefs and ancient demons makes for some
great reading. I loved the character depth while the action part of the story
also never lets you go.<br />
The book is well written with a good storyline, strong narrative and
interesting characters.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Other Amazon reviews-</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Don't
make any plans for a few hours once you pick up this book! Salpeter takes you
on a fast - paced ride in "The Hunt for Xanadu." This novel is a
smartly written action/fantasy as the story weaves between both this world and
Buddhist mythology. Heroine Kelsey Porter is a powerhouse with feet of clay,
which I found to be endearing. Very well done! I'm looking forward to another
adventure with Kelsey Porter”</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“All
I can say is prepare yourself for an intense ride thru a realm of real life
peppered with fantasy. This is one book you just can't put down. Kelsey will
take you thru the gambit of intrigue and fantasy will some real life romance
thrown in for good measure.<br />
You will enjoy this read for sure. Bravo Elyse Salpeter, Bravo!”</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Book
Trailer Video-</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZnXAyPP-7A" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZnXAyPP-7A</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<b>Where readers can find Elyse:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.elysesalpeter.com/">http://www.elysesalpeter.com</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/elysesalpeterauthor">http://www.facebook.com/elysesalpeterauthor</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/elysesalpeter">http://www.twitter.com/elysesalpeter
@elysesalpeter</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.elysesalpeter.wordpress.com/">http://www.elysesalpeter.wordpress.com</a>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-14565915389436739672014-02-02T22:08:00.001-08:002014-02-03T07:04:52.209-08:00An Interview with RK Ryals<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> It's my pleasure to be joined by a wonderful Author. Her words have a way of melting the hearts of readers. I introduce Author R</b><b>.K. Ryals </b></div>
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<b> </b> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCqowmjq8jA57VrRC_LUTGcmxns3P-KEMEijQBy3pO4WSxi2Wu26AnxjbL4IeYPw4xlJa7-ce5Znz2iQRYHyoTGj_xKyHkh-Zfl4A18oVgqijMKt5K5mJJHm2ZUA4ji0kx6c2ZIlQ5yV9/s1600/rk+ryals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCqowmjq8jA57VrRC_LUTGcmxns3P-KEMEijQBy3pO4WSxi2Wu26AnxjbL4IeYPw4xlJa7-ce5Znz2iQRYHyoTGj_xKyHkh-Zfl4A18oVgqijMKt5K5mJJHm2ZUA4ji0kx6c2ZIlQ5yV9/s1600/rk+ryals.jpg" /></a></div>
What
made you decide to go indie? Going indie was an interesting step
forward for me. I had been querying traditional publishers for a while
when my editor on the Redemption series suggested I try independent
publishing. Indie publishing was something that
wasn’t quite as popular then as it is now, so the stigma behind it held
me back at first. It turned out to be the best decision I’d ever made.
Not only have I met some amazing
people, but it has really allowed me freedom in my writing I’m not sure
I would have enjoyed before, and I connect on a much more personal
level I think with the fans. <br />
<br />
How long did it take before you felt like you'd "made it" as a "real" author?<br />
<br />
The
first year I was published, I felt like a success just because I’d made
that really important step forward, the one where I could say “I’m
published.” But I think it was the first time one of my books made one
of the Amazon bestselling lists that it hit me. That and when I received
my first fan mail. It was an awe-inspiring moment for me, that “wow,
this is real” moment. <br />
<br />
What’s the best advice on writing that you’ve ever been given?<br />
<br />
My
mother once told me that “what some consider trash, others consider
genious.” It is one of the most important pieces of advice I could have
ever been given. It doesn’t just pertain to writing, but for me it does.
It reminds me that not everything I write will mean something to
someone, but it will to <i>somebod</i>y. It is also important to remember that not everyone will like my work, but to really embrace those who do. <br />
<br />
Do you listen to music when you write? If so what do you like to listen to?<br />
<br />
I
do listen to music when I write. It’s not something I have to do, but
music inspires me, and it helps move a story forward. I have a playlist
for every book I’ve written. It ranges from classical to rap to new age
to jazz to pop to rock. There is no specific type of music. I listen to
the type of music I think defines that particular book. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Where
do you find inspiration for story ideas? From everywhere. I find
inspiration from the smallest places, sometimes from personal
experience, sometimes from dreams, and other times simply from little
moments. For example, it was flipping a coin to decide an argument that
inspired the Redemption series, the idea that good and evil could exist
on the same coin. The Scribes of Medeisia series was inspired by the
idea that the pen is mightier than the sword. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Can you tell us about your writing process?<br />
<br />
I
don’t have any particular writing process. It's probably chaos to the
average observer. lol! I make notes when I have an idea--on post it
notes, on my phone memo pad, on notebooks and on my tablet--and then I
come back to those later. I prefer to write in first person though I do
intend to write a series in third person at some point. I also prefer to
start at the beginning and work my way to the end of a book rather than
piecing it together. I’m a pantser writer which means I let the
characters lead me to the end. I never really know how a book will end
when I start it. <br />
<br />
How do you interact with readers, using social media?<br />
<br />
I
use Facebook, twitter, instagram and my website to connect with
readers. I love my readers. They are simply amazing. I love their
messages and their interactions. I’m really passionate about charity,
especially literacy and sharing the love of reading. Because of this, I
do daily giveaways on Facebook. Each giveaway is tailored to a different
age group. And I ship or gift these books to readers every Sunday. It’s
really important to me to get books out there, books that aren’t just
mine. Knowing someone somewhere is opening a package with a copy of
Percy Jackson or Peter Pan or Goodnight Moon and they are reading this
to their children or reading a book for themselves makes the coffee I
drink every morning taste that much sweeter. <br />
<br />
Have
you always wanted to be a writer? I can’t remember a time where I
didn’t want to write. To be fair, I started out wanting to be an oral
storyteller first. My grandmother told the most amazing stories. I had a
passion for reading that translated into storytelling. I started by
telling my sister stories at night under a blanket with a flashlight and
later started writing in school, first poetry, then essays, then
newspaper articles for a local paper, and then later to writing books. I
have always written, in some fashion.<br />
<br />
What
was your favorite part to write and why? My favorite part to write in
Tempest was the end of part I. I can’t say what happened without spoling
it, but when I first wrote it, it surprised me so much I hated it. It
tore me up. It literally made me ill. It was a powerful scene that made
me look at the entire series in a whole new light. It defined the
series, and turned it into something epic. Because of that, it has
become my favorite part of the series. <br />
<br />
Would you kindly share a brief excerpt of one of your favorite scenes?<br />
<br />
This is from Tempest: The Scribes of Medeisia Book 2<br />
<br />
And
then I lost my battle with the wind, just remembering to turn my head
so that when I fell onto Oran, it was with my cheek, my nose and mouth
open and uncovered. It put me eye to eye with Lochlen. His reptilian
eyes were dilated, his pupils blackening his gaze. <br />
<br />
“It ends soon,” he promised. <br />
<br />
His
eyes stayed locked on mine, and I concentrated on that. Lochlen, my
dragon. I’m not sure when I had started seeing him that way. It was a
strange connection I’d felt since I’d first met him at the edge of the
Ardus. Not a <i>love at first sight</i> romantic<i> </i>kind of feeling; he was a dragon after all. More of an <i>I need you</i> kind of feeling; a friendship that seemed to start without words. <br />
<br />
I
was so tired. The wind bore down on us so roughly I felt like I
couldn’t breathe. And maybe I couldn’t. There was no room under the
fabric for all of us to breathe, no oxygen left. The wind was stealing
it all away. <br />
<br />
“Just a little longer,” Lochlen yelled, his eyes on mine. <br />
<br />
My face was pressed so deeply into Oran’s fur that I could almost smell the forest on him, the hair tickling my nose. <br />
<br />
“Don’t let go!” Kye ordered from above me, his voice firm, commanding. <br />
<br />
The flat, thick tent was lifting, and I knew the men were losing their battle with the wind. <br />
<br />
“Don’t let go!” Kye yelled. “Remember why we came!”<br />
<br />
I tried lifting my head, but between the wind, the fabric, and Kye, I couldn’t move at all. <br />
<br />
“Can’t breathe!” Daegan panted. “Can’t ...”<br />
<br />
“Can’t breathe,” I agreed, my voice a whisper.<br />
<br />
No one heard me.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you so much, RK. I hope you thoroughly enjoy your day<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
You can find book information for Ryal's first two books in this series below. </div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
BOOK ONE - FREE on AMAZON</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Mage-Scribes-Medeisia-Ryals-ebook/dp/B00B5I2K1I/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1391406295&sr=1-7&keywords=RK+Ryals" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Mage-Scribes-Medeisia-Ryals-ebook/dp/B00B5I2K1I/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1391406295&sr=1-7&keywords=RK+Ryals" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxyqrGfheK7C53U0uCuMKW_nVpBjEMWsHbNQlx1uvpC4gm0x6h_045i13g77TTJ2ON5QnzWmcw5GCpfxHKK5typj5lOidghgU_elFYOgh4Rr4ktd1FdAhbKO2ynIhOYGRlg9HEpHhzdUf/s1600/markofmage.jpg" height="320" width="197" /><span id="goog_283822099"></span></a><span id="goog_283822100"></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Books never die, but they can be forbidden.
<br />
<br />
Medeisia is a country in turmoil ruled by a blood thirsty king who
has outlawed the use of magic and anything pertaining to knowledge.
Magery and scribery are forbidden. All who practice are marked with a
tattoo branded onto their wrists, their futures precarious.
<br />
<br />
Sixteen year-old Drastona Consta-Mayria lives secluded, spending her
spare time in the Archives of her father's manor surrounded by scribes.
She wants nothing more than to become one of them, but when the scribes
are royally disbanded, she is thrust into a harsh world where the
marked must survive or die.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Reviews for Tempest-<br />
<b><br /></b><b></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote>
<i>Hauntingly beautiful ... one of her bests yet!</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>Remarkably rich with depth and detail! One of the greatest fantasy series of all time!</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>I laughed and cried, and cried, and then when I thought I was done crying because I found myself laughing...I cried again.</i></blockquote>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
BOOK TWO- Currently at an EVENT SALE PRICE</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tempest-Scribes-Medeisia-R-K-Ryals-ebook/dp/B00CQCQWJ8/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1391405369&sr=1-7&keywords=tempest" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Tempest-Scribes-Medeisia-R-K-Ryals-ebook/dp/B00CQCQWJ8/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1391405369&sr=1-7&keywords=tempest" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KMiD2DFnTiO8_4839HiBMt8_NsTBRwvfTvxG1__KVdRB7RSUdWiazQBE7xpfsXG2jv2GrtTTgxeLNVKlYL-PGTzoyLbpMk3toMU_aoppx9EPc3Nn3mP5hE59zhgmQpsKtj1ljougGTRJ/s1600/tempest+cover+for+fantasy+event.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tempest</b> (The Scribes of</div>
Medeisia) <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Link http://ow.ly/sDBsn</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Author R.K. Ryals </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We must overcome and prevail ... </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
King Raemon of Medeisia is slaughtering tattooed scribes and mages,
forcing them into hiding. All </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
marked and those associated with them are destroyed. The people are
desperate. Months after </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
challenging Raemon, the marked rebels of Medeisia must rise against
their bloodthirsty king or chance </div>
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being annihilated. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sixteen year-old Drastona Consta-Mayria is the prophesied phoenix of
peace, desperate to be a leader </div>
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for her people despite her reservations. Following the lead of a
scarred and forgotten prince, Drastona </div>
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will embark on a journey with an unlikely band of rebels and a dragon
across a cursed desert to bring </div>
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down a king and save a kingdom.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Youtube Video Trailer for<b> Mark of the MaAuthor R.K. Ryals</b><br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/Hk8U6qAv9IA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/Hk8U6qAv9IA</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-45135613039274617022014-02-02T00:30:00.000-08:002014-02-03T07:03:45.064-08:00Character Interview with Kenter Pache from Tolomay’s World <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYv_qSu4Tz2vIiHBo3Z8x4ONSNepNAxgtdNa06D4QyeEX2rnoGxO3BYeEXr1iCq2_vEYtQA1tJ7tluC7KUlh09-z7uH5gkvq0LWbfZ96OQ5gX0BNrXADHibwVf1hKEfQP6Qv_6fgcc51r/s1600/Untitled-5tolomays+world+four+books+fb+pic+large3z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYv_qSu4Tz2vIiHBo3Z8x4ONSNepNAxgtdNa06D4QyeEX2rnoGxO3BYeEXr1iCq2_vEYtQA1tJ7tluC7KUlh09-z7uH5gkvq0LWbfZ96OQ5gX0BNrXADHibwVf1hKEfQP6Qv_6fgcc51r/s1600/Untitled-5tolomays+world+four+books+fb+pic+large3z.jpg" height="320" width="274" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'm here today interviewing Michael Lorde’s Character, Kenter Pache, from
Tolomay’s World. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thank you Kenter for being here for this interview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So during most of Tolomay’s World series, you’re actually living in the
future of our Earth, is that right?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything from this moment on is the future, but actually me and Leth were living at the pods at the beginning of the writings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were slotted to swim just days afterwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was the first... the first male to go
through the Pool of Light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was first
after Tolomay’s team swam. Then, yes, after that we swam into the purity of the clean world.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So what is it like in the future?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which future time do you mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the pods, or in the clean world?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sorry, yeah, well, both.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The pods are easy living, but the fear’s always there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, because of the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You mean the end of mankind?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A: Yes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sorry, okay, so what were the pods like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I imagine everything was in ruins that close to the end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not at at all. Not at the pods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were the two flare incidents, but otherwise it was still safe, sterile, climate
controlled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything’s controlled
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s all very modern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were surrounded by technology. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But technology cannot save the Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing but the Earth can do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In comparison, in the future clean world there’s nothing
but life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But life is most important, as
you know, as all know this about life... its importance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For it is what all strive for, to live well as a community, to survive as mankind,
for peace of life. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In your community that’s what you were all taught from birth, living
well, treating others in the community with respect, is that right?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q: Okay, so life in the future of Earth, which is called the Clean World... is it technical there, too?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A: There is no technology in the clean world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q: None?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A: None. The clean world is where it all began again, mankind, at the heart of nature in its purest form. We will do things right there. We will not destroy that which feeds and shelters us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q: That's a very good plan. So, if we can be honest, how did you feel about the
swim?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must have been anxious having
only Lethia with you when you went through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I waited my whole life to swim, dreamed about
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friends back there, and the community, yes, that part was the worst, but I have
no regrets for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the greatest
honor and I never wanted to stay at the pods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
really needed to be the first, then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That feeling was close to all consuming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I knew I would find that heat I dreamed of in the clean world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s there....and the air...the plants, the
sky...it’s indescribable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water
tastes of life itself.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What were the air and water like at the pods?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How was it different than in the clean world?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A: You're a jokester, right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q: No, I'm serious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’ve obviously never drank mulicycled water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Q: No.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">A: </span>Not the charcoal kind, but the sandsteel version?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Neither. We don't have that yet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you had drank either,
you would not have asked the question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those two
waters, the ones in the pods and the ones in the clean world, are as different as honey is to mud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The consistency might be the same, but no, they’re nothing alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at the pods, the air was recycled too, so,
how do I describe this, it’s like it had no life to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like no ‘body of air’ existed at the pods
even thought we breathed freely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did
not notice because we did not know any different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was normal for us then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, after arriving in the clean world life was
screaming from all around us, in the air, the plant life, the water, even the
rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It felt like you couldn’t take a
single breathe without thinking about how awesome it was, like being in a dream
state all the time, but it was overwhelming,
like I was waiting to wake up so my senses could take a break from reality for
a moment or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I was grateful
the ancients had not succeeded in killing off Earth, though they seemed forceful in their goal of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q: So it sounds like adjusting to the new environment was stressful back then? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A: Between being overwhelmed by all that and all
that constant chatterbox training that Tolomay was doing... well, and the testosterone jump,
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a lot to take in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, there was heat behind my words at times, but then<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it was unavoidable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It happens to the males who come through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So it all made you angry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is that
what you’re saying?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had little control over my environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was injured as you know, when I first came
through, so yes I was angry, useless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
then, well, not used to being bossed around by a know-it-all who always happens
to be right about everything, and strong minded, strong hearted, stubborn... and
beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was much to try on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I was a kid, then, really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hadn’t sorted things yet, so yes, it was
the best and worst times of my life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well how are things now?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you
adjusted... with the anger, and the testosterone, I mean?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It settled long ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They really did not prepare us well for that. I do not think they knew what would happen. But, it only lasts a couple of mooncycles, three
tops and that was over a year ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot
has happened since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So a month is called a mooncycle. I see. Alright, well, I’d like to ask one more question before I let you get
back to what you were doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually
that’s what I want to ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What were you
doing before I brought you here for this interview?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m marking out plans in the dirt with Lethia for a gowa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We really should begin work soon. We need to finish before even more happens.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Okay, well, thank you, Kenter, for
taking the time to be here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know you are the first
character interview I’ve done from those in Tolomay’s World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess that makes you first, eh?</span></div>
<br />
This week the EVENT PRICE for The Pool of Light is $5.00 off regular price of 7.99, at a steal for just 2.99 USD. The second book of the series is marked down from 5.99 to 3.99 for February 2nd, ONLY... that's a savings of 7.00USD if you PURCHASE BOTH on February 2nd.<br />
<br />
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at which point you can enter to win prizes from the current Fantastical Reads Event! Hope to see you there, too. You are cordially invited to attend February 1st - 8th at: https://www.facebook.com/events/205889079615386/?fref=ts <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Excerpt from Tolomay's World Books- first three of a seven novel set</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Tolomay’s
World and the Pool of Light’</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Peace of life,” said the chideman
as he poured the blue water from the glass urn into the pool. It was
surreal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Peace of life.” My response was automatic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My heart pounded. For thirteen
years I’d trained for this. Still I was not ready. The machine’s
copper pipes gave off a warm smell that drifted to my nostrils as if precious
biscuits were baking in the eating room. The calming scent only made it
worse. I was leaving.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On display before every citizen in
the community, my bare feet stepped the few inches further to the edge of the
pool. Fear haunted my mind. Shivering from head to toe caused my
short golden dress to tickle at the tops of my thighs. I brushed away the
itch. Goose bumps peppered my arms and legs. I was freezing.
For a moment, the massive musics and sounds on the stage overwhelmed me.
I was small in comparison to everything here, all present and to this wondrous
event. Through dazed thoughts, my focus returned and I remembered to
count to three before placing my foot in the shallow liquid.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With eyes watering, my every
heartbeat echoed in my ears. Never again would my father’s eyes look upon
me. Never again would I feel his warm embrace. I would so miss his
gentle, loving voice. How would I bear it? I fought my great desire
to turn and dart to him, or steal a look as he sat in his chair upon the
stage. Instead, I kept my step.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There would not be another last
goodbye. We already said it, and he wanted just the one. It would
be my greatest honor to him to leave with the dignity, respect, and position he
bestowed upon me, to act older than my meager thirteen years. I had to be
brave and pave the way for the others, as he had instructed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The tears nearly choked me as I
quietly sniffed them back. I could scarcely see, but chose not to rub the
wet away. Everyone would notice. More would only follow and my eyes
would be closed soon enough. The time had arrived. This was no longer
wholly my choice. I was being led by my duty and so had to control my
emotions for these last few seconds.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The immaculate stage held static,
causing the miniscule hairs on my head to stand on end. They reached
toward the beautiful colored glass of the cathedral roof in the pod community’s
grandest room, as if they too wanted to stay. The urge to run, to escape,
consumed me, yet I betrayed my heart, followed my learned directions, and kept
my course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No matter the logic and knowledge in
my head, nothing had prepared me for this feeling of claws tearing me apart
from the inside out. I fought off the nausea. I could not be ill,
not in front of the community while representing my father.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The crystal and copper Pool of Light
lay before the five of us, with solar panels running from floor to ceiling as
the toner’s chorus continued to sing behind us. The brilliant round
majesty beneath my feet, only six inches deep, held the key to our futures and
to what would become the whole of humanity. We were taking these steps
for everyone. Once we left, we could never return home.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tarron had ordered that we space
ourselves just two paces separated, one behind the next. The four older
candidates followed behind me, the taste of anticipation mingling with the hum
of energy that filled the great room. My mind whirled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Keep walking forward… do not turn
around,’ </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">father’s words echoed in my head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was horrified. Chills took
residence up and down my spine, causing me to shake further. How would my
days unfold without him by my side? How could I leave him alone? My
heart was dying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘The coming light can blind, if you
lose protection of your eyelids,’</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
he had warned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Think only of your training and the
swim, </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I reprimanded myself against my
inert weakness. <i>Focus. You are leading the others.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I squeezed my eyes closed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Your eyes… don’t forget,” I choked
out the words, reminding the four following me to keep theirs closed as well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The desire to see where my feet
landed was nearly more than I could endure as I took my next step.
Blindly, trembling as I’d never thought possible, I walked on until a humming
of energy engulfed me. Then a wall of water, warm and flowing, caressed
my face and arms and legs until I was drenched in it. It unnerved
me. I imagined my skin would feel this way if covered with a million tiny
insects. That vision sent more shivers. I rubbed away the feeling.
Fear controlled me. I was holding my breath.<i> ‘Do not forget to
breathe, Tolomay,’</i> I remembered father’s training. ‘<i>Or you may lose
consciousness.’</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Barely able to manage my thoughts, I
took back my air and continued forward.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 19.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A light penetrated the liquid as if
they were one and the same. Much too bright, even with eyes closed, it
rained down upon my body as if it were the sun and had no limits. The
burning lasted only a moment and rid me of my chills. Then I was struck
hard in the back by a force that seemed more as power than matter. It
propelled me through the air so fast I almost opened my eyes, but instead fell
into a somersault, ending in a stand as I had been trained.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The grasses felt soft beneath my
bare feet. The air smelled completely different...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tolomay’s
World and The Mountain of Tegi</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenter stared at the deflated
Juper. He was thinking on it since they left the well. Still, no
answer. He racked his brain for what memories might help, but only
information for the <i>use</i> of a Juper was shared with candidates. No
training told them how to activate one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How would the science team have done
it? It would have taken a strong natural energy to fill it. What
would they have used... the sun perhaps? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He held it open in his hand to allow
full sunlight to enter, twisting and turning it to allow light to all sides,
but it did not change in the least. Then he recognized the mistake in
that choice. There were no windows at the pod community. The elders
could not have used the sun, not with active solar flares. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was biological energy, for certainty;
else their juper from the pod would not have passed through. What would
fill it? Did they convert solar energy by use of old solar panels?
If so, he could not replicate the process. Did they capture electricity
from a lightening rod? That would be impossible for him as well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The thought came from nowhere and he
stopped his feet before they neared their hill. Urging his sister to the
bank of the stream, he dropped the Juper into the water. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The ground shook and the section of
stream rose several feet into the air, in the form of a whirlpool. At its
center lay the dark device. The energy of the water brought it to life
until it grew to the size of an activated Juper. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When the water subsided the Juper
sunk to the bottom of the stream. Kenter waded in and retrieved it.
It was full and lighter in color, but not by much. His heart sank at his
sister’s next words. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Why is it still red?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He examined it further. It
looked perfectly alive, but Lethia was correct. It should be clear.
He rubbed his wet fingers over his brow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I thought it they are translucent
and only change color to glow at night, and only to green,” she
continued. “That’s what Mize taught you, right? Clear as the other
one...and green at night? This one looks angry.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I know, Leth,” he answered, even
more frustrated at her words. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He never heard of a blood red
Juper. He must have filled it wrong. His hands gripped it tightly
to see if the energy would release itself back to the water. It
didn’t. It already settled. Had he ruined a precious Juper left to
him to help the clean world?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Maybe its age has changed it.
Or the radiation ruined its function,” he said. “I have destroyed it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No, Kenter. You will find a
means to fix it. If anyone can figure it correctly, you can,” said
Lethia. “I believe that. Those who left it would have known.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She set her arm around his shoulder
and the two started their last steps to home, the seemingly useless Juper
clasped tightly in his hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tolomay’s World- The Splitting of
The Trunk</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I dreamed in memories, Tarron’s dark
knowing eyes pondering my thoughts as I sat, hands folded, in the room adjacent
to the chamber hall. Through the walls, solar panels could be heard being
positioned, the Pool of Light ready and awaiting its great gift to us
all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trembling, I listened to the crowd
gathering in the background, trying to logic my father’s words. The
distraction of our final lesson did not help. My heart was frantic, the
chills in my toes nipping and biting like tiny metal teeth inside my
feet. Still, I tried to busy my mind.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Intellect?” I answered, mind dazed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Do you believe intellect to be the
answer?” he replied.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was obviously wrong, and very
ashamed. In my last lesson, I should excel with insight, but I’d lost
focus. Where was my focus? I could think only to today’s impending
swim. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Duty?” I tried at it again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tarron’s bottom lip straightened
slightly. I had missed the mark, once again incorrect, but rightfully
so. Nervousness can muddle the mind. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Shall I repeat the question?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I nodded, watching my fingers
shaking like a storm pulling at autumn leaves, my heart flooded in sadness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Think deeper, my child. You
must feel the answer you seek, not reply with what you believe I desire to
hear. What divides us? What makes us the individuals we each are,
stronger or weaker, giving or selfish, respected by others or disregarded,
standing apart from the next citizen in a way that all recognize? What
one thing about each of us is mighty enough to do all these things?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I immediately thought of my skin and
hair, those differences separated me from everyone here, but I knew those were
not the words he desired. I did not understand his question.
Pod mindset was directed toward the good of all, always for what was best for
each citizen, but more so as part of the whole community. He had never
spoken words such as this in this manner, words of division, of
individuality. His eyes bore seriousness into me. This was
important to him, that I learn this lesson. I wrestled for an answer,
concentrated with all my might. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As always, he was patient, breathing
quietly as I reasoned out my response. It came suddenly, like a storm, as
I raised my eyes to meet his. This was right. I knew it. I’d
logicked it out in my brief moment of focus.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Choices,” I replied.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tarron smiled and my heart pounded
with joy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes, Tolomay. Choices are
what rule all of humanity, each one sifting to and through, stroking those
around us without us knowing quite how. And you were partially correct in
your other answers. One’s intellect and duty play a part in who one is,
as does life’s experience, but it is always our choices that define who we <i>really</i>
are, and lead us toward who we will become. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Remember this, though, I speak not
of the mouth, or mind, but choices of action. For thoughts and words can
rarely change a thing. Ideas must be played out, like a note to a song on
the page. For it does little to think of a note, and not draw it into the
great symphony of life, doesn’t it? Some fail to choose because of
fear of the unknown. Some fear weakness, or that they will make wrong
decisions. Heartfelt choices are the most precious of things. They
are powerful gifts, ones to treasure. So do not be afraid. Your
spirit and heart will lead.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I sat for a moment realizing that
today was no longer my choice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Father.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tarron’s eyes set themselves upon
mine as I continued.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I do not want to leave you. I
<i>am</i> afraid.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Without faltering, his gentle answer
came as he touched my shoulder with a guiding hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Child of my heart, I do not wish to
see the pain in your eyes regarding this. We must all grow, each of us
able to hold our own weight, or humanity is indeed doomed. You are
ready. You are more than ready for this. Do not doubt yourself.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was not doubt that haunted
me. I loved my father. I needed him. The tear ran its course
down my cheek.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“There will be no reason for your
eyes to visit me upon the stage, Tolomay. We will say our goodbyes, here
in this room, and only this once.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His reply startled me, horrified me
to my core as I stared back at him with desperate eyes. He would desert
me at the end? I was not to look upon his face once I left this
room? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It is my desire,” he insisted, his
voice barely wavering. “And will be easiest for all involved.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I cried into his chest, his strong
arms carrying the burden of my weight as he knelt before me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hush your pain, now. Leaders
need dry eyes. Oh child, what wonders your beautiful eyes will view on
the other side.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I settled my heart as best I
could. After many moments, Tarron rose to step to where a box lay on the
floor near the door, a single sprig of rosemary adorning its flat square
top. He handed it to me. I smelled the glorious herb, rubbing the
scent upon my cheek to keep me strong, then gave the precious stalk to my
father. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In spite of my grief, my heart leapt
when I pulled opened the lid. The garment was born of my own precious
DNA, the golden dress, made of my hair, that which he had saved throughout my
life to weave into this very fabric. Tarron wiped my tears that couldn’t
help themselves as they streamed down my cheeks, even as he helped me slip the
garb on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes,” he continued his teachings
while he tied my waist string. “We all make choices, some more difficult
than others. Still, we can choose them each, one at a time. Even
difficult choices must be made, my wonderful child of spirit and light. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So do not avoid them. Do not
overlook them. They are great gifts, indeed.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 20.15pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #0033cc; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some Reviews-</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A beautiful world</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R36OYK9J0UFEF9/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00BFPRLCY&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Tolomay's World and the Pool
of Light" by M.E. Lorde is a wonderful book where futuristic and
apocalyptic scifi meets romantic love for nature and simple life.<br />
Using a new and dangerous travel device 13 year old Tolomay is sent from a
dying world to a clean and pure future to lead human kind to a new fresh start.<br />
Not overloading us with the dying world the author focuses on our heroine who
finds herself alone for several years in the unspoilt but isolated future.<br />
Beautifully told with a eye for detail and charm (I just loved the bears that
Tolomay encounters) and some romance when she eventually is joined by others
this book is a pleasant and welcome addition to the genre. I loved that the new
invention and its implications are one integral part of the story but are not
the sole centre of the story, making this book more than a one-trick pony. I
was also amazed at how the focus on one 13 year old girl in the wilderness
could hold my attention so easily.<br />
This is a very promising start to the series.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Swim into a New World</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R1NFE0DBA5LOSZ/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00BFPRLCY&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tolomay's World and the Pool of
Light captured my attention quickly, held it though out the entire book, and
left me wanting more by the end. It did what all great futuristic adventure
books should do... it took me to another time and place, letting my imagination
escape into another reality with surprises around every turn. The author
created two worlds, one dying and the other beginning. It is up to Tolomay, the
only survivor of the Originals to help those that swim into this future Earth to
survive. Mix in a dash of romance between Tolomay and Kenter when he and his
sister, Lethia swim to this new world and you have a terrific start for a new
series. These teens find themselves no longer under the thumb of the strict
Senate Council in this new world, but try to cling to their traditions and what
they were taught since toddlers. It is their responsibility to build this new
community to preserve humanity. Tolomay carries an added responsibility, but
I'll not spoil it for you by saying what it is.<br />
This book is for mature YA/New Adult, but I would say it is worth the read for
anyone who enjoys reading adventure, futuristic, romance, or time travel books.
There are no cursing or sex scenes. What I enjoyed most about this book is the
way the author created the worlds without going into a monologue description of
each. He artfully wove in just enough detail to start your imagination and let
you complete the picture flawlessly in your own mind. The only warning for this
book is you may not be able to put it down once you start reading it!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Child of Spirit and Light</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R477YFYE695BG/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00BFPRLCY&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Tolomay's World and the Pool of Light by M.E.
Lorde is an apocalyptic/futuristic book with a touch of romance and an
intriguing story-line. The authors words mesmerized me and every time I had a
spare minute I couldn't wait to get back to reading and back to a world that is
unique, crisp and clean and full of mysteries to be explored.<br />
<br />
The words flow off the pages and I could picture this descriptive world very
well. Not overly done the author takes cares and leads the reader on a journey
into a new pure future.<br />
<br />
Lethia & Kenter are twins and they travel to Tolomay's World "The
Clean World" where Tolomay has been living alone since she was thirteen. She
has her only companion Carmella, to keep her company until the new arrivals.
She has learned to garden, hunt, sews and is a healer, but there are other
secrets and mysteries to be unraveled in this world. She not only looks
different with her hair of the sun and her sky blue eyes but she is a strong
young lady. Can she keep peace in this settlement of mysterious discoveries
when her new found romance is threatened by the arrival of even more new
comers?<br />
<br />
This is a wonderful book that I enjoyed reading very much and I was excited to
find a sample for book 2 at the end, Tolomay's World and the Mountain of Tegi.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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website: www.paperairplanespublishing.com</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Featured Author- </span><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Elise Stokes</span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvWaZ9wDBv7cvGqVqIoePYDzPYLuDZikzY7U6KsvOIeD_pid3fRZNRRq7L6hc4SPr6RAP3T4Y2F5MXkV2zRk1Bzo5CiMqD39Lhen9sN7QQoU50n3-EsMEJMrrpxwcas-2gQpZFVWB2Yo/s1600/Elise-2.Stokes.crop5x7.0045.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvWaZ9wDBv7cvGqVqIoePYDzPYLuDZikzY7U6KsvOIeD_pid3fRZNRRq7L6hc4SPr6RAP3T4Y2F5MXkV2zRk1Bzo5CiMqD39Lhen9sN7QQoU50n3-EsMEJMrrpxwcas-2gQpZFVWB2Yo/s1600/Elise-2.Stokes.crop5x7.0045.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~Bio~ </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<br />
Elise Stokes lives with her husband and four children. She was an elementary
school teacher before becoming a full-time mom. With a daughter in middle
school and two in high school, Elise's understanding of the challenges facing
girls in that age range inspired her to create a series that will motivate
girls to value individualism, courage, integrity, and intelligence. The stories
in Cassidy Jones Adventures are fun and relatable, and a bit edgy without
taking the reader uncomfortably out of bounds. Cassidy Jones and the Secret
Formula, Cassidy Jones and Vulcan's Gift, and Cassidy Jones and the Seventh
Attendant are the first three books in the series. Book Four, Cassidy Jones and
the Luminous, will be released in 2014.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Description<b>- </b>Cassidy Jones
and The Secret Formula<b><br />
<br />
One Girl. One Accident. One Incredible Superhero. </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cassidy Jones is your typical
fourteen-year-old-- that is, until a seemingly harmless accident in
the laboratory of a world-renowned geneticist turns her world upside
down.<br />
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Discovering incredible strength, speed, and enhanced physical senses that
defy logic, Cassidy embarks on an action-packed adventure that has her
fighting for answers...and for her very life.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Excerpt-</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chapter Nine: A New Friend</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Summary: Cassidy takes Emery into
her confidence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We sat on opposite benches, our
knees a foot apart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Emery watched me curiously while I
considered </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">how to start. I resorted to small
talk. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Uh, Emery, so where do you
live?” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “We rent a condo near
Wallingford,” he answered </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">patiently, making no attempt to
elaborate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Oh.” I touched my forehead.
“Were you born in </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Seattle?” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “No, Washington, D.C.” Placing
his forearms on </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">his knees, he leaned forward. “How
did you hurt your </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">forehead?” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I dropped my hand. “Funny.
That’s what I want to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">talk to you about.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Intently looking at my face,
he waited for me to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">continue. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I touched my nose. “Before
yesterday, I had freckles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They were light, but they were
there.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Narrowing his eyes on my nose,
he attempted to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">decipher. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Taking a deep breath, I
continued, “Sorry, that didn’t </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">make any sense. Let me put it this
way—I had freckles </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">when I went to your mom’s lab with
my dad.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> His expression became so
intense, frightening </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">almost, that I hesitated. My
feelings about him were </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">conflicted. He made me uneasy.
Everything about him </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">was so foreign. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Emery’s voice took on a
soothing tone. “I understand </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">that you injured your head in my
mom’s lab. Please, tell </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">me how. You can trust me. I want to
help you.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I searched his eyes. It was
difficult to penetrate </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">through the blackness, adding to my
unease. “I don’t </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">think you can.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Impulsively, or maybe
intentionally, he grabbed </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my hand, holding it between his.
“Please, tell me,” he </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">repeated. </span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I took another deep, tortured
breath. “Your mom </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">had something cooking in beakers on
that Bunsen </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">burner near the coffeemaker. While
Dad interviewed </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">her, I sat on a stool next to them.
The stool collapsed </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and I fell, knocking everything over
onto the table. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When the liquids ran together, they
formed this white </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">cloud, and I breathed it in. It’s
difficult to explain exactly </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">what happened. My whole body felt
like it was on fire, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">melting from the inside, and then
everything went </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">black. I guess I passed out or
something. Afterward, I </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">was…changed.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “What do you mean by
‘changed’?” he asked, slowly </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and calmly, squeezing my hand. </span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Pulling my hand from his grip,
I lifted it to my fore- </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">head. “When I passed out, I hit my
head on the edge of </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the counter. My forehead split, or
at least, that’s what </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dad and Ben said, and with all the
blood, I don’t think </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">they were wrong.” My fingers trembled
against the </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">gauze. “The doctor at the ER said it
was only a surface </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">wound. He thought Dad and Ben had
been fooled by </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the blood, thinking it was worse
than it really was. He </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">put a bandage over it and this
gauze.” </span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Emery’s gaze fixed on my
unsteady fingers, watching </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">as I pinched the surgical tape and
hesitantly pulled the </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">gauze away, exposing my forehead.
His eyes filled with </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">disbelief. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “How did this happen,
Emery?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Shaking his head, his gaze
dropped to his hands in </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">his lap. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Quiet minutes ticked by. With
each passing one, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I sank deeper into despair. When I
couldn’t take </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the silence anymore, I pleaded,
“Please, Emery, say </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">something.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Be patient. I’m
thinking.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Well, think out loud.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Smiling slightly cock-eyed, he
said, “Trust me, you </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">don’t want me to do that.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Does he think this is a
joke? </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Furious, I slapped the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">gauze on my forehead. “Trust you?
Apparently that was </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a mistake.” Abruptly, I stood up,
causing the swing to </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">sway. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Cassidy, sit down,” Emery
commanded calmly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Glaring, I sat. I had nowhere
else to go. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Trusting me is the right
thing to do. Aside from </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my mom, I’m the only other person
who understands </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">anything of depth about Formula
10X.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Formula 10X?” I said with
hope. “That’s what was </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in the beakers?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Yes, or at least, a variation
of it. I don’t know for </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">certain, because she kept her latest
experimentation </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">with the formula undisclosed.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Why would she keep it a
secret from you?” I asked, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">truly interested. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> He smiled to himself. “That’s
the way she is. I assume </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">she wanted to prove out her new
theories before bring- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ing me back in.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i>Strange,</i> I
thought. <i>He says this like he didn’t ask her </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">about it. Why wouldn’t he ask?</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Well, she did it. It works. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m living proof she
succeeded.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “No, I don’t think she did,”
he disagreed, sounding </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">regretful. “How the formula has
affected you would not </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">have been her intention.” Pausing,
he looked thoughtful. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“However, it’s premature for me to
come to that con- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">clusion until I know precisely how
you’ve been affected, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">or changed, as you put it. Tell me
everything.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Everything” poured out at
once. I ended my </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">twenty-seven-hour saga with this:
“At the police station, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I thought you’d figured it all out.
The way you looked </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">at me all intense, it seemed like you
guessed everything </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">that was going on.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Shaking his head, Emery
smiled. “Though I admit I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">did find your behavior odd, I
wouldn’t have guessed this </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in a million years.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Despite the situation, I
laughed. <i>He found my behavior </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">odd? </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I also thought the “million years” was an exaggera- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">tion. I had a feeling Emery wasn’t
in the dark about </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">anything for long. “Okay, now you
know everything. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What do you think?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Silence was his only response
as he studied my face. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His scrutiny reminded me of his mother’s—clinical, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">detached—like he observed me under a
microscope. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This was disturbing, to say the
least. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> My brow furrowed. “Stop
staring at me like that. I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">know I’m a freak.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Cassidy, you are not a
freak,” he contradicted, his </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">expression softening. “Don’t ever
say or think that. I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">certainly don’t view you that way.
I’m only astounded </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by how you’ve been affected. From a
scientific perspec- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">tive, it’s impossible.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “It can’t be.” My eyes welled.
“Look at me.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Alert to the coming despair,
Emery placed a reas- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">suring hand on my shoulder. “But
that doesn’t mean we </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">won’t find a solution. I promise you,
we will.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Emery spoke with such earnest
confidence that I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">couldn’t help but believe him.
Nodding agreement, I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">dabbed my wet eyes with my
sleeve. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Dropping his hand from my
shoulder, he said in a </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">formal tone, “Allow me to tell you
about Formula 10X. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s a type of gene therapy
containing a variety of animal </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DNA, among many other components. My
mom’s goal </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">is to find a way to manipulate these
DNAs to benefit a </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">human recipient by choosing genes
that represent dif- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ferent strengths of the nonhuman and
infusing those </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">genes into the weakened cells and
tissues of the human. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For example, a human who is crippled
would perhaps </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">be infused with puma genes, since
they are known for </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">their agility and strength. The goal
is not to make the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">human like the puma, but to restore
the human’s func- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">tion and health within a normal
range.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Well, why am I like a puma,
then?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “I don’t know exactly.
Obviously, by your intense </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">physical reaction when initially
exposed, something in </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the formula overloaded your nervous
system. Maybe </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10X affected you so extremely
because you’re a young, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">healthy girl who received the
formula in its entirety. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What I mean is, you would have never
been a 10X </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">candidate, since you suffer none of
the disabilities and </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ailments an appropriate candidate
would. Also, the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">recipient would have been
administered the formula </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in small doses, tailored to their
needs. Your exposure </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">was radical, and now you’re
experiencing the full potent </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">affects of 10X. Do you
understand?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I nodded. “I think so. It’s
like a glass half filled with </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">water, slowly having more added
until it reaches the rim. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was already a full glass, and 10X
was an entire pitcher </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">poured into me at once.” Dread
brewed inside me as I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">continued. “And now that the water
has spilled, there’s no </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">way to tell where it will go or what
will happen to it.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “That’s one way to look at
it,” Emery said, dismally </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">looking at the woods. For several
seconds he didn’t </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">speak, lost in thought. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> During those quiet seconds, I
stared at the ground, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">not thinking, only waiting. When I
felt his eyes on my </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">face, I looked up. His expression
was determined. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “None of this makes sense, but
obviously, it <i>isn’t </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">impossible. As you pointed out,
you’re living proof. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since it isn’t impossible, there is
an answer and solution. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tell me again, in detail, what you
experienced when the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">liquids converged.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Quickly, I explained again.
Finishing the account, I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">held my breath expectantly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Smiling slightly, he shrugged.
“I have nothing.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> My breath rushed out in an
offended gust. “What? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you think this is a game or
something?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “No,” he quickly clarified.
“I’m sorry, Cassidy, that </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">came across as glib. I truly have
nothing, and it frus- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">trates me. I understand the
compounds turned to a gas, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">but I have no idea why. And I have
no idea what they </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">formed or why your nervous system
reacted so violently </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">when you inhaled the gas. There has
to be an unknown, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a catalyst that pushed everything
over the edge. What </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">that catalyst is, again, I haven’t a
clue…Cassidy, are you </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">listening to me?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Actually, I wasn’t. A black
cat near the path leading </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to the woods had caught my eye. Low
to the ground, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">it focused intensely on something in
the tall grass. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I recognized what it was doing
because I had done it </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">myself. The cat was hunting,
stalking its prey. After </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">commando-crawling toward its victim,
it sank low in </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the grass, anticipating the kill.
Opportunity arrived. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Black fur gracefully glided through
the air. The cat </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">easily landed on the unfortunate
victim: a brown field </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">mouse. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I watched the cat excitedly
toss the mouse in the air, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">remorselessly tormenting its victim.
Dread slid through </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my stomach. “Emery, you mentioned
pumas. Do you </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">think there was cat DNA in that
stuff I sucked in?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Turning back to him, I saw
that he had been watch- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ing the cat, too. He replied, “She
experimented with </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">feline DNA.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I took this as a yes. <i>Oh,
geez.</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “There is another thing I’ve
noticed different about </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">me,” I began hesitantly. Emery
looked back at me, and </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I could feel my cheeks warm under
his gaze. I really </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">didn’t want to bring this up, but
thought I should after </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">what he witnessed at the sports
field. “I don’t usually </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">have meltdowns. I’m not one of those
emotional girls… </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">at least, I wasn’t…I have no idea
why I started bawling </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">like that.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> His response wasn’t hesitant
at all. “The changes </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">you’ve experienced are not only
physical, but chemical, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">so it stands to reason you will be
more prone to mood </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">swings and extreme reactions. And it
will be more diffi- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">cult—how should I say it?—to shove
feelings down.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I stared at him in surprise.
He had pegged me. I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">was the queen of shoving down
unwanted feelings. “If </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">you’re right, Emery, poor me—poor
everyone.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> To this, he only smiled, and
then said, “It’s about </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">time you showed me what you can do.”
Glancing across </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the sprawling lawn, his eyes settled
on a couple lying </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">together on the grass. They were far
enough away that </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">their facial features were
indistinguishable. “Tell me </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">about them.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Rising to the challenge, I
adjusted the couple until </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">they appeared a few feet away. On
their stomachs, they </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">turned their heads in so they were
nose to nose. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Okay, the guy has
shoulder-length, brown—” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Emery interrupted, squinting
his eyes. “You’ll have </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to do better than that. Even I can
see his hair.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Well, can you see he has a
silver hoop through </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the right side of his bushy, black
unibrow? And there’s </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a mole smack in the middle of his
left cheek.” I gri- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">maced. “Geez, he should have that
removed. Okay, his </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">girlfriend has multiple piercings.
She looks like a pin </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">cushion. There are three small hoops
through her left </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">eyebrow. One. Two. Three. No, four
diamond studs on </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the left side of her nose. Gross. A
gold hoop hanging </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">between her nostrils—” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> With a look of distaste, Emery
cut in. “You’ve con- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">vinced me with vision. All right,
they appear to be </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">talking. Can you hear what they’re
saying?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “No prob.” I smiled
confidently, weeding through </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">surrounding noise. After a moment, I
tuned into the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">man’s husky whispers. “Okay, got
them. He’s saying—” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My jaw dropped. Immediately, I
severed the connec- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">tion, but not before turning bright
red. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Emery laughed
hysterically. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Still blushing, I watched him
sternly. Every time he </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">looked at me, he laughed harder.
Child prodigy or not, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ultimately, boys will be boys. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Taking a deep breath, he
suddenly composed </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">himself. “Sorry, Cassidy, but your
expression was hys- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">terical. You’ve convinced me that
you heard them.” He </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">grinned. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> In response, I scowled. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Again, I apologize,” he
repeated with an amused </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">grin. “All right, let’s move on to
another test.” Scanning </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the park, his gaze settled behind
me. “Don’t turn around. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Behind you, that toddler is now
eating something.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Closing my eyes, I sniffed the
air. There were so </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">many competing scents. “Is it
sweet?” I asked. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Yes, it is.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Nodding, I took in a deep
breath. Distinguish- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ing scents, I pinpointed a sweet,
edible one close by. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Opening my eyes, I grinned. “My,
you’re tricky, Emery. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First of all, that isn’t called
eating. That’s called <i>drink-</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ing</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and he’s drinking apple juice.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Emery gave me an impressed
look. “I can’t see the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">juice box from here, so I’ll take
your word for it.” Grab- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">bing my hands, he stood up, pulling
me to my feet. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Now, let’s test strength.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Are you asking me to toss you
off here or break </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">your fingers?” I teased, slightly
squeezing them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Grinning, he pulled his hands
away. “Definitely not </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the fingers, and I think tossing me
from this swing is </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">too public, though I admit it would
be a good show.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He nodded to the woods. “We’ll find
something more </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">discreet in there.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> While following the path
through the woods, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Emery’s eyes roamed for that
something discreet. About </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a hundred feet in, he suggested,
“Let’s get off this main </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">path. Over there.” He pointed to a
thinly trodden trail </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">cutting through thick growth. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Following Emery, we pushed our
way through the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">growth. Obviously, no one had come
down this over- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">grown trail in a while. I got the
brunt of the overgrowth </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">as the branches Emery pushed forward
sprung back at </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">me. After getting slapped in the
face with one, I was </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">prepared to demand that I lead, when
Emery said, “Yes, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">this will work.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Stepping into a clearing, he
pointed to a fallen tree </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">twenty feet ahead. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Smiling, I decided to show him
leaping before </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">strength. “Stand back,” I warned,
pushing him aside. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then, running forward, I leaped for
the target. Leading </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">with my right foot, my body glided
easily through the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">air. The exhilaration I had felt
while speeding around </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the school track returned, and that
strange, pent-up </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">feeling released. For whatever
reason, this very unnatu- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ral thing felt as natural as walking
to me, and incredibly </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">freeing, as if I had been meant for
this. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> My right foot touched the top
of the massive trunk, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and my left pulled in next to it. The
landing had been </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">perfect, steady and strong, without
even a hint of </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">balance loss. Pivoting on the trunk
to face Emery, I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">smiled smugly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Walking toward me, he
exclaimed, “That was incred- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ible. You move like a cat.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> His praise wiped the smile off
my face. “Cat,” I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">grumbled to myself. “What’s up with
the cat theme?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With a sigh, I hopped down next to
him. “I suppose you </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">want me to move this.” I patted the
thick tree trunk. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Emery examined the area around
the tree. “It appears </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">safe. I don’t see any danger if you
disturb it. First, make </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">sure there isn’t anyone
nearby.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> My ears quickly searched. “All
clear,” I announced, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">moving up to the trunk. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Emery stepped back, his face
shining with anticipa- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">tion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Resting my palms against the
trunk, I prepared to </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">move the giant tree. Pulling in a
breath, I pushed. The </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">tree was heavy, but with exertion,
the giant’s resistance </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">gave way. I rolled the trunk up out
of the indented </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ground. From underneath, something
scurried up the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">trunk near my left hand. Squealing,
I jumped back. The </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">thick trunk rolled back into its
resting place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Emery grinned. “It was only a
lizard.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “I <i>hate</i> lizards.”
I shuddered. “The nasty thing almost </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ran over my hand.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Ironic. You can push fifteen
hundred pounds, and </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">you’re scared of a little
lizard.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I gasped. “One thousand five
hundred pounds?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Surveying the tree, he nodded
thoughtfully. “At </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">least.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The information stunned me.
“Okay, then. What do </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">you want me to do next?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> For the next couple of hours,
Emery sought out all </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">kinds of challenges, from moving
boulders and leaping </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">into trees, to distinguishing sounds
and scents. He even </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">had me describe in detail what tree
bark looked like </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">microscopically. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Something else took place during
this time. My </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">unease around Emery disappeared. In
fact, it amazed </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">me just how comfortable I felt
around him. Though he </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">was my age, he had none of the
uncertainties we teens </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">are usually plagued with. For the
most part, I walked </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">on eggshells around girls my age.
Saying or doing the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">wrong thing could trigger an instant
“girl war.” Even </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">though my friends weren’t petty,
instinctively, I was </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">careful. The boys weren’t as
sensitive but were every </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">bit as gossipy. So in general, I
watched my back, never </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">letting my guard down. It was
exhausting. With Emery, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I believed I could be myself, say
the wrong thing, do the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">wrong thing, and he wouldn’t hold it
against me. He </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">really was a breath of fresh
air. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> After testing senses,
strength, and agility, Emery </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">announced, “It’s time for speed.
Let’s see how fast you </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">can go through these woods.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Back at the main path, we
parted ways. The plan was </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">for Emery to go to one entrance and
me to the other. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After listening to be sure the coast
was clear, I would </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">tune in to him where he would be
looping a countdown </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">out loud. From my end of the path, I
tuned in to the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">woods. All I heard was Emery’s
looping countdown. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Positioning myself to run, I
listened. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “. . . Three, two, one—” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I took off at a mind-boggling
speed. Within seconds, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I stood before Emery. Wide-eyed, he
stared at me like </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">he’d seen a ghost. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Unbelievable,” he uttered
above a whisper. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> His reaction made me edgy.
“How fast do you think </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I ran?” I asked, attempting to sound
casual. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “My guess would be forty miles
per hour. Imagine </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">how fast you would be on a solid,
straight surface. I’ve </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">never witnessed anything like this.”
His mouth pulled </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">down in the corners. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> With an anxious feeling in my
gut, I studied him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His face held no expression, as if
he wore a mask to hide </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">real emotions. The more I looked at
him, the more I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">believed the emotion he hid was
fear. <i>If he’s terrified of </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">me, everyone will be, </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I anguished. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “What do you
want me to do now?” I said </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">sheepishly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Nothing,” he answered,
distracted. “Let’s head </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">out.” He motioned for me to walk
ahead. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> With Emery following silently
behind, I walked in a </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">daze. I assumed he had me walk ahead
to keep an eye on </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">me. <i>I am the most dangerous
thing out here, </i>I bitterly told </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">myself. <i>I’d make me walk
ahead, too, and—</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Something scratchy brushed my
cheek, interrupt- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ing the thought. Reflex kicked in,
and before a second </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">passed, I was crouched on a tree
branch, looking down </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">at Emery. Smirking, he waved a dry
tree branch in his </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">hand. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “What’s the big deal?” I
snapped, hopping down. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Tossing the branch, he stated,
untroubled, “I </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">assumed you would react that way
when startled. We’ll </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">have to work on those involuntary
reflexes.” With a </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">grin, he added, “We can’t have you
jumping up in trees </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in public.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Glaring hard, I grumbled,
“Nice. Real nice.” With </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my shoulder, I shoved past him,
stomping down the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">path. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “I couldn’t have taken you
off-guard if I warned you </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">beforehand,” he called after me.
“For your protection, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I needed to know how you would
handle it.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I spun around. “For <i>my</i> protection?
Don’t you mean </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">for yours or for the innocent
public’s?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> He grinned with understanding.
“Oh, you think I’m </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">afraid.” Walking toward me, he
continued, “Cassidy, I’m </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">fascinated, hardly afraid. Not of
you, at least. I am con- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">cerned about you being exposed,
though.” He stopped in </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">front of me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Glancing up at him, I asked,
“So you think I should </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">keep this a secret?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Alarm washed over his face.
Abruptly, he grabbed </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my upper arms. “Cassidy, you can
tell <i>no one</i> about this. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Absolutely no one.” Bending close to
me, he searched </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my eyes. “Do you understand? No one
can know. Not </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">your parents, not anyone. Keeping
this a secret is not </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">only for your safety, it’s for your
family’s safety, too.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> My eyes widened. “Why would my
family be in </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">danger?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Think, Cassidy. Whoever has
my mom will want </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">you. You are Formula 10X, and they
would view you as </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a nonentity, something to be
acquired. Your personal </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">value and rights would mean
absolutely nothing to </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">them. You would become a lab rat.
Imagine what they </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">would do to you.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I tried not to. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “If they become aware of your
existence, they’ll do </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">anything to get you. People like
this have no bound- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">aries. Everyone and everything
becomes free game </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">for them to get what they want. That
includes Nate, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chazz—” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Stop,” I interrupted, shaking
my head to dislodge </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the terrifying images. “I get it. I
won’t tell anyone.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> After quick scrutiny, Emery
released my arms. Calm </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">replaced the alarm on his face. I
believed this expres- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">sion was his standard mask. For a
moment, I studied the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">mask that showed no signs of strain
or worry. As far as </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">facades go, it was a solid one, but
I wasn’t fooled. I knew </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the turmoil that had to be going on
underneath. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Emery, I’m sorry about your
mom,” I said for the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">first time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Tightening his lips, he nodded
acknowledgment. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Do you know who has
her?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> He stared off into the woods.
“No, but I know she’s </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">alive.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Please forgive me, Emery.”
The words wanted to </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">stick in my throat. It was wrong to
ask, but I had to. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But how do you know?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Looking back at me, he stated
matter-of-factly, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“She’s too valuable to kill. They
abducted her because </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">she has something they want. The
fact that I’m here </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">talking with you means she must be
cooperating to </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">some degree. It’s
unfortunate.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> It took me a moment to decode
his meaning. “You </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">don’t want her to cooperate, even if
it means she’s pro- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">tecting you? What is it they want
from her?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> His smile was a mix of sadness
and resentment. “I’ve </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">already told you. They want <i>you</i>.
Formula 10X. It is </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">incredibly lucrative, and yes, I
want her <i>not</i> to cooper- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ate, no matter the sacrifice. In the
wrong hands, 10X is </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">detrimental to the world. Visualize
an army of you.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “But they don’t know about
me.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “And I<i> </i>plan to
keep them ignorant.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Staring up at him, I let his
words sink in. <i>He plans to </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">protect me. I’m not alone. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With this realization, I threw </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my arms around his neck, like he was
a life preserver. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Thank you,” I said in one grateful
breath, tightening </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my arms. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Grabbing my biceps, he
attempted to loosen the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">hold. “A little tight,” he
choked. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Oh.” Blushing, I released
him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Rubbing his neck, he smiled
with ease. “You have </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">quite a grip.” Noting that my cheek
shade deepened, he </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">continued, “Please, don’t feel
embarrassed. I understand </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">how scared you are. I promise you,
though, everything </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">will be all right. You will be all
right.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Thank you,” I whispered,
believing every word. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> As he continued to smile, a
curious glint appeared in </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">his black eyes. “My mom will shed
light on the situation </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">when we get her back,” he said in a
casual tone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Knitting my brow, I rewound
his previous state- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ments to figure out what I had
missed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Reading my expression, his
smile broadened. “Oh, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I didn’t I tell you, did I? You and
I are going to find </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">her.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reviews-<br />
<br />
"Brimful of danger, secrets, a bit of romance and fun, this debut author's
entertaining plot and well-drawn characters not only is all it promises to be,
but will leave readers looking for more.." -- Gail Welborn, Examiner<br />
<br />
"Elise Stokes ranks up there with other YA masterminds!" -- Kitty
Bullard, Great Minds Think Aloud<br />
<br />
"Can I vote now for a movie on this series? With the adventure, the
mystery and Cassidy's super powers, Elise Stokes has delivered everything that
a young reader could hope for." --Stephanie Laymon, Five Alarm Book
Reviews<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Amazon geo links-</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cassidy Jones and The Secret Formula
- http://ow.ly/sDyhv </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cassidy Jones Vulcan's Gift -
http://ow.ly/sDy9K </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cassidy Jones and the Seventh
Attendant - http://ow.ly/sDyqI </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Contact the Author: <br />
Facebook: </span><a href="http://on.fb.me/LGpLhM" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://on.fb.me/LGpLhM</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Facebook: </span><a href="http://on.fb.me/LyQ71E" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://on.fb.me/LyQ71E</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Twitter </span><a href="http://bit.ly/CassidyJonesAdv" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">@CassidyJonesAdv</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Website: </span><a href="http://cassidyjonesadventures.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://cassidyjonesadventures.com/</span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3yNIs4s44A">Check out the awesome artwork from Cassidy Jones' fans on this VIDEO TRAILER on YOUTUBE</a></span> </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3yNIs4s44A </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17736180662910403853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544884517810309452.post-41838678342914581312014-01-25T01:53:00.000-08:002014-01-26T18:05:52.891-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're mega excited that you have landed on our Blog Page. Our very first eBook event is coming on 02 -01-2014 and we hope you can make it here, as well as to our fb event page from February 1st -8th. We'd love to see you both places. Please let your reader friends know we will have games and prizes a whole lot of fun. It is not required that you join our event to gain access this blog, but if you do join the facebook event, you will have full access to all of our games and prizes. You can join at the link above.<br />
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We also welcome you to check out the links below for your chance to win either or both of two event Author's novels in paperback form. The winners of this drawing will receive one of Tolomay's World and The Pool of Light, or The Hunt for Xanadu. These are two separate drawings, sponsored by Goodreads. For information about the contests, click the links below. Good luck playing! <br />
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